Oak View Group Appoint Pti Digital In Five-year Tie-in

US development company Oak View Group (OVG) has appointed PTI Digital as its strategic consultancy partners for arenas it’s building in its international regions. 

The partnership will initially focus on the development of the £350m Co-op Live at Manchester’s Etihad Campus, where PTI Digital will provide venue-related expertise alongside technology, digital and data consultancy services.

The pair have already worked together throughout 2020, when PTI was involved in the design of the digital consumer experience for the Co-op Live project, and the consultancy will continue to work on the development until the venue opens – which OVG says will be in December 2023 at the earliest.

The consultancy will provide expertise across supporting sales from a digital perspective, continuing the development and delivery of the data and digital landscape and continued roll-out and oversight of the Venue Technology stack.

“This hugely significant relationship between OVG and PTI comes following the success of our engagement providing data, digital and technology consultancy to Co-op Live and is a real statement of intent for OVG International’s ambitions to develop world-class arenas in the digital age,” said Mike Bohndiek, CEO, PTI Digital. 

“We are able to provide OVG world-class expertise across our core business areas, increasing our provision of services from the demonstrable success and value in the initial relationship. We are very much looking forward to continuing the relationship, providing support and expertise to OVG throughout the international region.” 

Mark Donnelly, COO of OVG International, said: “OVG is committed to delivering a world-class experience in all our venues, ensuring they are built for the times we live in but also with an eye to the future. 

“PTI have a unique proposition in covering commercial, data & digital and technology expertise in a single place and the team are supporting us to articulate a vision of that digital future, making sure the backbone infrastructure is in place to connect that for us.”

In 2018, Oak View Group launched a new international arrm – OVG International – based in London, to expand operations and explore arena and stadium development and partnership opportunities in the UK and further afield. The US-based group was founded in 2015, and has since worked on projects in the USA, including the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the UBS Arena – home of NHL team the New York Islanders – the Coachella Valley Arena and the Moody Centre in Austin, Texas.