"We value Regency not just as a supplier, but as a trusted partner, and we look forward to continuing to build on this successful relationship."

Overview

ACC Liverpool, part of the Liverpool Experience Campus (LEX), is a leading UK events venue. In 2026, a new operating model saw Levy UK & Ireland, the sports, leisure and hospitality sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland, take on catering for the Exhibition Centre, while Regency Purchasing Group was appointed as procurement partner for the arena.

Working to an ambitious six-week mobilisation programme, Regency successfully established a fully operational procurement and supply chain solution ahead of the venue's Go Live date on 1 April 2026.

Challenge and Objectives

The objective was to establish a robust, commercially viable procurement model capable of supporting a high-volume events venue from day one, while enabling the delivery of an exceptional food and beverage offer.

Required Deliverables:

• Delivering a complete procurement mobilisation within a compressed timeframe
• Maintaining cost control without compromising quality
• Building a resilient, scalable supply chain
• Supporting long-term operational excellence through innovation, training and technology
• Solution and Implementation

Regency Purchasing Group developed a tailored supply chain, aligned with Levy where appropriate, ensuring consistency across the Liverpool Experience Campus while maintaining operational flexibility.

Within the mobilisation period, Regency successfully sourced, benchmarked and onboarded 15 food and non-food suppliers, all fully operational ahead of the planned go-live date. Competitive commercial agreements were secured across all key categories, providing a strong platform for long-term value.

Following mobilisation, Regency continued to add value through operational development. In partnership with Regency's Development Chef Andy Chan, the team delivered a dedicated menu development day, creating and preparing 20 innovative grab-and-go menu concepts to support a new menu and retail offering launching in September 2026.

Technology also formed a key part of the solution. Regency successfully launched Freshmarkets and delivered comprehensive CaterCloud and Freshmarkets training to the full catering team, enabling them to confidently manage purchase-to-pay processes, menu management and allergen compliance through Regency's fully integrated digital platforms.

Outcome

With a programme of continuous improvement in place, ACC Liverpool is well positioned to deliver outstanding customer experiences while achieving strong commercial performance and supporting future growth.

Helen Graham, Senior Procurement Manager – Liverpool Experience Campus comments:

"When Liverpool Experience Campus (LEX) first approached Regency Purchasing Group to become our out-sourced procurement partner, we recognised that we had a very big ask in terms of mobilisation timescales and work that needed to be completed. 

Regency has worked in close partnership with LEX to deliver the sub-contract procurement service that we needed within the ambitious timescales that we set out at the beginning of our mobilisation. 

From the outset, Regency demonstrated a clear understanding of our operational objectives and took the time to understand our needs. Our procurement manager is friendly and approachable and has not been afraid to get "stuck in".

Our partnership has been built on strong communication, transparency and a shared commitment to quality and visitor experience. Regency has been proactive and responsive, ensuring that challenges are addressed quickly and opportunities for improvement are identified and acted upon.

Starting our partnership with Compass through our sub-contract catering contract has opened up a number of other collaborative relationships, which can only benefit the guest experience for visitors to the Campus and for that we are truly grateful for those introductions. 

We value Regency not just as a supplier, but as a trusted partner, and we look forward to continuing to build on this successful relationship."