AusLeisure

The $52 million expansion of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre (AEC) is on schedule for completion by 26th February 2010.

The redevelopment includes a 2,500 capacity arena along with expanded food and beverage areas. It also features a modern new frontage along the city's Port Road and will be a stop on Adelaide's extended tramline. Designed as a multi-purpose venue, for events as diverse as those at the adjacent and much larger main arena of Adelaide Entertainment Centre, the new arena will host comedy, music and theatre.

The venue also features state-of-the-art sound and soundproofing along with 500 retractable seats.

South Australian Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith recently explained that "major events and concerts are a drawcard for people from across South Australia, providing flow-on benefits to our shops, hotels, restaurants and accommodation providers.

"âMore than five million concertgoers have visited the Adelaide Entertainment Centre to see many of the worldâs best entertainers since 1991 (and) the addition of a new 2,500-seat venue will allow us to attract more live entertainment to South Australia and will bring a greater entertainment focus to the site."

According to today's Adelaide Advertiser, a number of concert promoters have inspected the venue in an attempt by the centre to attract more touring acts.

AEC Chief Executive Anthony Kirchner told the Advertiser "we've shown a number of new promoters through the facility now that it is near completion and the comments they have conveyed to us are that this is on a much more impressive scale and they didn't fully comprehend what we were offering them.

"They're very impressed and we're getting a lot of interest."

The Advertiser reported that the venue is aiming to attract "second-tier musical acts, such as The Strokes, Paul Kelly, The Hives, Short Stack (who perform at the new venue on 26th March) and The Veronicas", Kirchner concluding that we have "one of the most flexible and marketable venues within Australia."

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