Scottish Event Campus
Scottish Event Campus operates a 65-acre riverside events complex in Glasgow comprising the SEC Centre, SEC Armadillo, and OVO Hydro arena, serving exhibition organizers, conference planners, and live entertainment promoters through venue hire, Ticketmaster-powered ticketing, and Levy-led catering services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Scottish Event Campus does
Scottish Event Campus (SEC) operates as a multi-venue events complex on a 65-acre riverside site in Glasgow, Scotland. The campus comprises three interconnected, purpose-built venues: SEC Centre (five exhibition halls with a combined area exceeding 22,000 sqm), SEC Armadillo (a 3,000-seat auditorium designed by Foster + Partners), and OVO Hydro (a 13,000-capacity arena consistently ranked in Pollstar's global top 10). Originally opened in 1985 as the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), the campus generates revenue through three primary streams: venue hire (one-time licensing of exhibition, conference, and arena space to event organizers), ticketing services (acting as agent for Ticketmaster, earning transaction-based service charges and facility fees per ticket), and food and beverage (transaction-based revenue via SEC Food, an in-house catering brand operated in partnership with Levy UK+Ireland since 1985).
The company's go-to-market is B2B enterprise field sales, with dedicated sales teams for exhibitions, conferences, and live entertainment that engage global event organizers, promoters, and associations. Each show is supported by a dedicated event manager. Distribution is anchored by the Ticketmaster ticketing platform (with on-site box offices and accessible booking contact centre) and the Levy-led catering operation. Supporting partnerships with G4S (security), Foodsteps (carbon labelling), Notpla (biodegradable packaging), and Event Cup Solutions (One Cup reusable system at ~1.8M cups annually) extend operational infrastructure. The business is a private limited company incorporated in Scotland (Scottish Event Campus Limited, registration SC082081) with no parent entity and no evidence of institutional ownership.
Customer concentration is moderate and diversified across exhibitions, conferences, live entertainment, sporting events, and consumer shows, with anchor tenants including QD Events (IRN-BRU Carnival, Scotland's largest indoor festival), HYROX UK (fitness race series with 175% attendance growth between 2023-2026), and prestige events such as COP26 and the upcoming Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Digital ticketing via Ticketmaster Safetix, accessibility tooling (Recite Me), and a sustainability program (80% local sourcing within 200km, 50% plant-forward menus, 80% decarbonisation target by 2027) round out the operational stack.
Scottish Event Campus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scottish Event Campus
- Legal name
- Scottish Event Campus Limited
- Website
- https://sec.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Scottish Event Campus operates a 65-acre riverside events complex in Glasgow comprising the SEC Centre, SEC Armadillo, and OVO Hydro arena, serving exhibition organizers, conference planners, and live entertainment promoters through venue hire, Ticketmaster-powered ticketing, and Levy-led catering services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scottish Event Campus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Venue Operations
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venue Operations, Management & Facility Services (MPAKAEAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Convention & Exhibition Center Operations (Expo Halls, Trade Show Venues) (MPAGALAD), Venue-Owned/Operated Event Organizers (In-House Promoters) (MPAKADAI)
Keywords
Where Scottish Event Campus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Scottish Event Campus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Venue Hire: Rental of exhibition halls, conference spaces, and entertainment venues (SEC Centre, SEC Armadillo, OVO Hydro) to event organizers for exhibitions, conferences, concerts, and live events. Revenue generated through space rental fees based on duration, hall size, and event requirements.
- Ticketing Services: SEC acts as agent for Ticketmaster, selling tickets on behalf of event promoters. Revenue includes service charges per ticket sold and facility fees. Ticketing provides a comprehensive box office service with on-site facilities and contact centre.
- Food & Beverage Services: In-house catering and hospitality through SEC Food (Levy UK+Ireland), offering retail dining, in-hall catering, event hospitality, and exhibitor rewards. Revenue from food and drink sales during events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Service charge per ticket |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Venue facility fee per ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Exhibitor food & beverage discount |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Scottish Event Campus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scottish Event Campus operates three purpose-built, interconnected event venues — the OVO Hydro (arena), the SEC Armadillo (auditorium), and the SEC Centre (convention and exhibition halls) — on a 65-acre riverside site in Glasgow. It sells venue hire and associated production, ticketing, and food-and-beverage services to event organisers, promoters, and producers running concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and live entertainment events.
Product overview
The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) is a multi-venue events complex comprising three purpose-built venues on a 65-acre riverside site in Glasgow: SEC Centre (five interconnected exhibition halls exceeding 22,000sqm), the SEC Armadillo (a 3,000-seat Foster + Partners-designed auditorium), and the OVO Hydro (a 13,000-capacity arena consistently ranked in Pollstar's global top 10). The SEC offers a comprehensive portfolio of event services including conferences, exhibitions, live entertainment, sports events, and special events, supported by in-house catering (SEC Food via Levy UK+Ireland), digital ticketing, and sustainability initiatives. The venue also provides a network of smaller meeting spaces including the SEC Meeting Academy, Lomond Auditorium, and various suites (Loch Suite, Seminar Suite), enabling events across all scales from intimate meetings to major arena productions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OVO Hydro: 13,000 capacity concert, sporting and special events arena, Scotland's home of live entertainment, consistently ranked in top 10 arenas globally by Pollstar.
- SEC Armadillo
- SEC Centre
- SEC Food
Products and services
- OVO Hydro Arena-scale (~14,000 capacity) live entertainment and concert venue on the Scottish Event Campus, available for hire by concert promoters, touring artists, and live entertainment producers for single-night concerts and short residencies.
- SEC Armadillo Auditorium-scale (~3,000 capacity) performance and event venue on the Scottish Event Campus, available for hire for concerts, comedy, awards, ceremonies, conferences, and mid-sized live events.
- SEC Centre Convention and exhibition facility within the Scottish Event Campus, providing large-format halls, breakout rooms, and on-site production and catering support for multi-day conferences, trade shows, and corporate events.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1.7 million visitors annually
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Scottish Event Campus
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Scottish Event Campus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Scottish Event Campus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Levy UK+IrelandcoreSEC Food, the catering and hospitality brand at the Scottish Event Campus, is part of Levy UK+Ireland. This partnership has been in place since the SEC opened in 1985. Levy provides comprehensive food and beverage services including retail dining (Clydebuilt Bar & Kitchen, Deli & Bakery), in-hall catering, event hospitality, drinks receptions, and exhibitor catering. Levy's sustainable food strategy includes Scottish sourcing, plant-forward menus, and partnership with Foodsteps for carbon footprint analysis.
- TicketmastercoreTicketmaster is the primary ticketing partner for SEC venues including OVO Hydro, SEC Armadillo, and SEC Centre. The partnership provides comprehensive ticketing solutions including online retail, specialized contact centre for accessible sales and group bookings, on-site box office in SEC Centre, and satellite box office in OVO Hydro. SEC/Ticketmaster sell tickets as agents on behalf of event promoters.
- FoodstepssupportingSEC partnered with food data experts Foodsteps to calculate the carbon footprint of food offerings. Foodsteps labels indicate from 'A' to 'E' the carbon emission of each dish, considering environmental impact of ingredients, farming practices, production, transport, and cooking method. This supports SEC's sustainable food strategy transparency.
- NotplasupportingSEC partnered with Notpla, a company using seaweed to create novel food packaging that replaces single-use plastic. Notpla's 100% biodegradable solution addresses plastic pollution and supports SEC's sustainability goals.
- Event Cup Solutions (One Cup)supportingOne Cup is part of Event Cup Solutions, the UK's only carbon-neutral reusable cup system and ClimatePartner certified company. The system offers simple Buy-Enjoy-Return process for sustainable cup usage. Around 1.8 million One Cups are used per year at live events at OVO Hydro alone, minimizing waste.
- G4SsupportingG4S is SEC's long-term security partner providing security services for events. G4S takes a tailored approach for each event type, managing crowd flow, public thoroughfare maintenance, and attendee safety while engaging with event themes.
- OliosupportingSEC partnered with Olio, a food sharing app that allows SEC to pass on surplus food to local community members. This partnership supports both community support initiatives and sustainability ambitions by reducing food waste.
- Gary McLean (Celebrity Chef)supportingSEC Food collaborated with celebrity chef Gary McLean for the Country Living Christmas Fair, elevating the event's catering offer with Scottish cooking style and festive feel.
- Glasgow Children's Hospital CharitysupportingLong-standing partnership includes design, build, and staffing of a spectacular Santa's grotto with gifts for youngsters at Glasgow Children's Hospital during festive period. SEC's on-site workshop capabilities support the initiative.
- Scottish AutismsupportingSEC partnered with Scottish Autism to identify ways to further improve the Carnival experience for autistic visitors, complementing existing autism-friendly sessions with sensory packs and ride access passes.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Scottish Event Campus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ASM Global: ASM Global is the world's largest venue management company operating hundreds of arenas, convention centers, and stadiums globally. SEC is a comparable mid-sized operator within the broader venue management industry served by ASM Global.
Direct peers
- Olympia London: Olympia London is a major London exhibition and events venue undergoing redevelopment, offering comparable exhibition and consumer show hosting to SEC Centre. It competes for UK and international exhibition organizer bookings.
- AO Arena Manchester: AO Arena is a 21,000-capacity arena in Manchester competing directly with OVO Hydro for UK concert touring routing. It targets the same promoter and live entertainment customer base in the UK live music market.
- Manchester Central Convention Complex: Manchester Central is a large UK exhibition and conference venue, competing with SEC Centre for corporate conference, association meeting, and exhibition business in the UK regional market.
- ExCeL London: ExCeL London is the UK's largest exhibition and convention venue, hosting exhibitions, conferences, and corporate events on a comparable scale to SEC Centre. Directly comparable multi-purpose venue operator targeting UK and international event organizers.
- NEC Group (NEC Birmingham / Resorts World Arena): NEC Group operates the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, the Resorts World Arena, and ICC Birmingham. It is a direct multi-venue competitor with similar conference, exhibition, and arena operations across the UK events market.
- AEG (The O2 Arena, London): AEG operates The O2 Arena, the UK's busiest arena and a direct competitor to OVO Hydro for premium touring artists and promoters. Both venues compete for top Pollstar rankings and global concert routing.
Others
- Ticketmaster (Live Nation Entertainment): Live Nation/Ticketmaster is the dominant global ticketing and live entertainment company. SEC is both a Ticketmaster partner and a complementary venue operator, given Live Nation also promotes concerts at competitor arenas.
Regional players
- P&J Live Aberdeen: P&J Live is a Scottish conference and entertainment venue in Aberdeen that competes with SEC for Scotland-based conferences, exhibitions, and live entertainment bookings within the same country.
- ICC Belfast / Waterfront Hall: ICC Belfast and Waterfront Hall operate as a multi-venue conference and entertainment complex in Belfast, comparable to SEC's multi-venue campus model but serving the Northern Ireland market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Scottish Event Campus social profiles
Digital presenceScottish Event Campus compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Scottish Event Campus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scottish Event Campus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Scottish Event Campus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scottish Event Campus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Scottish Event Campus
What does Scottish Event Campus do?
Scottish Event Campus operates three purpose-built, interconnected event venues — the OVO Hydro (arena), the SEC Armadillo (auditorium), and the SEC Centre (convention and exhibition halls) — on a 65-acre riverside site in Glasgow. It sells venue hire and associated production, ticketing, and food-and-beverage services to event organisers, promoters, and producers running concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and live entertainment events.
Is Scottish Event Campus a public or private company?
Scottish Event Campus is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Scottish Event Campus founded?
Scottish Event Campus was founded in 1985. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Scottish Event Campus based?
Scottish Event Campus is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Scottish Event Campus make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Venue Hire is the primary driver. The others are ticketing Services and food & Beverage Services.
Who are Scottish Event Campus's main competitors?
ASM Global is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Olympia London, AO Arena Manchester, Manchester Central Convention Complex, ExCeL London, NEC Group (NEC Birmingham / Resorts World Arena) and AEG (The O2 Arena, London). Ticketmaster (Live Nation Entertainment) is listed as an others. Regional players are P&J Live Aberdeen and ICC Belfast / Waterfront Hall.
Does Scottish Event Campus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scottish Event Campus.
What industry is Scottish Event Campus in?
Scottish Event Campus's product category is Event Venue Operations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAEAN, Venue Operations, Management & Facility Services, with a secondary code of MPAGALAD, Convention & Exhibition Center Operations (Expo Halls, Trade Show Venues). Its NAICS code is 711310 and its SIC code is 7900.