Rock veteran Ozzy Osbourne was the first act to play a full arena concert on The National Indoor Arena’s new stage when he appeared at the Birmingham venue on Friday 6 July.

The revolutionary £100,000 system enables large stage configurations to be set up and taken down in a fraction of the time. The whole stage can also be wheeled around the arena in one piece, without the need for it to be dismantled.

Phil Mead, Director of Arenas, said: “Installing this staging is yet another substantial technical development which will keep The NIA at the cutting-edge of the live events industry. We are focussed on investing in projects that benefit our customers and this is the first in a number of NIA initiatives planned for 2007.”

“Ozzy has played at The NEC Arena several times but this is his first time at The NIA, and what a great act to play this stage in its first full arena setup.”

The NIA date was one of only two that Birmingham-born Ozzy was scheduled to play in the UK before jetting off on the American leg of his tour, and marked his first appearance at the city-centre venue.

Earlier in the day, Ozzy was honoured with the first bronze plaque to be placed on Broad Street’s new Walk of Stars, with the waiting guests and media entertained at a drinks reception held at The International Convention Centre.

ENDS



Notes to editors

The Sico Venue Maker Stage folds within the dimensions of its own frame, requiring less storage space. The staging is lightweight, versatile and easily stored, and the height of the individual sections can be adjusted with the use of a power drill. The under-structure keeps the number of frames required to a minimum, reducing the weight of the stage. Space under the staging allows free movement, equipment storage and clear cable runs.