Royal Albert Hall artistic and commercial director Lucy Noble has been confirmed as the new chair of the National Arenas Association (NAA).
Noble, who will serve a three-year term, succeeds Motorpoint Arena Nottingham chief Martin Ingham in the role.
Noble said: "It’s an honour and a privilege to have been elected to chair this body, which represents such a wide range of colleagues in such an exciting industry.
“Although the Hall is the smallest of these arenas, it’s also the oldest and has paved the way in terms of large capacity spaces and what they’re capable of. We’ve been a proud member of the NAA for over 15 years and find it extremely useful in developing our approach, sharing with the industry, and identifying new collaborative areas.
“I’m especially looking forward to lead on discussion around women in the industry, accessibility and diversity, and how we can keep ahead of changes in technology – and I’m thrilled to be the first female chair in over 15 years.”
The NAA represents 23 arenas across the UK and Ireland, sharing best practice and training across arenas in areas such as event management, health and safety, ticketing, customer service and accessibility. It works within the UK Live Music Group to promote the UK’s commercial music industry.
Ingham added: “It has been a great privilege to chair the NAA for the past three years during a period of growth in the live music industry but also at a time of huge challenges for our arenas’ management teams. Operational security for venues is continually developing, while there are never-ending financial pressures from increases to our cost base that require constant innovation to mitigate.
“Aside from the day-to-day challenges, I am also proud of the work that the NAA has undertaken during the past three years to support industry initiatives ranging from secondary ticketing to PRS, accessibility to Agent Of Change and sustainability to safety.
“I’m delighted to be handing the reins over to Lucy who is experienced in so many facets of the industry and who will be an excellent champion for the NAA.”
The announcement comes ahead of the Royal Albert Hall's 150th anniversary in 2021.
