Martin Ingham, the CEO of Motorpoint Arena Nottingham & the National Ice Centre has announced he will be leaving his role at the end of September after a 24-year career at the venue.
Martin said, “To have been in a senior leadership role with this incredible team in such a brilliant venue for so long has been a real privilege. Together we have grown the Nottingham City Council owned business from £4m turnover to over £60m and established the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham as consistently one of the top 75 Arenas in the world for entertainment, that creates over £75m per annum in economic value into our city region.
“Alongside this, we have built the National Ice Centre into a world-renowned venue for ice sports that also delivers brilliant experiences to the local community 18 hours a day, every day. Our list of achievements is far too long to list but amongst the ones I am most proud of, is the creation of a can-do culture that has established the venue as one that promoters and artists respect greatly and strongly support in an increasingly competitive world.
“There have also been difficult times that have required resolve and creative solutions, such as the 18-month Arena closure from Covid, and the truly remarkable recovery and delivery of a year’s worth of shows in seven months with almost an entirely new team.”
Martin served as the Chair and Deputy Chair of the National Arenas Association (NAA) for six years, leading the organisation through the harrowing aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing, and actively supported the live industry’s negotiations on PRS and lobbying of DCMS during Covid, which ultimately resulted in the Culture Recovery Fund. He has also campaigned on industry issues ranging from accessibility to ticket touting, and business rates.
Martin added, “Over many years we have worked to creatively develop the Arena’s infrastructure to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry – including Arena firsts in accessibility and sustainability, but also to be commercial pioneers by bringing many services in-house and then selling those to other clients, such as catering and crowd management. However, it is in merchandising that we have made such a huge contribution to the UK Arena industry through our National Merchandise (NM) team. Working alongside Phill Jones, the development of his NM team has massively increased revenues for artists and the 35 NM client venues that host them including The O2, Co-Op Live, 3Arena in Dublin and Stockholm Live. It’s a unique example of our team’s capabilities, creativity and hard graft and it’s fantastic that so many of our colleagues and friends across the Arena world are also now working in partnership with us.”
Dr Tina Byrom, Chair of the Board of the operating company that runs Motorpoint Arena Nottingham and the National Ice Centre said, “Martin has spoken eloquently about his time with the organisation, so I will simply say ‘thank you’. Over more than two decades, Martin has led the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham and National Ice Centre through some of the most significant periods of change in our history. His leadership during the Covid pandemic was exceptional, and the determination, resilience and sheer hard work that enabled the organisation to recover and return to full operation afterwards was nothing short of extraordinary.
“Beyond the achievements and milestones outlined above, Martin has made a lasting impact on the people who have worked alongside him and on many partners, promoters, performers and visitors who have experienced our venue over the years. He has been a passionate advocate for the organisation, the city and the wider live events industry, and his contribution cannot be overstated.
“Martin will be greatly missed by the Board and by colleagues across the business. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank him for his outstanding service and commitment, and to wish him, Helen and their family every happiness and success for the future”.
The process to recruit a permanent CEO for the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham and National Ice Centre will begin shortly.
Posted on 11 September 2026
