Mactaggart and Clumpus Buy Vector Arena

Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand

Buyer: Bruce Mactaggart and Stuart Clumpus

Date: Sept. 15

Comments: Vector Arena has new owners. Promoters Bruce Mactaggart and Stuart Clumpus have purchased the private-public ownership of the facility for an undisclosed amount of money from previous owner Kevin Jacobsen.

Mactaggart said the purchase was neither a lease nor contract purchase — the pair actually own the 12,000-seat arena through 2047, after which ownership will be returned to the state.

“We believe there is a whole raft of things we can do with this business,” said Mactaggart, who helped design the arena and once served as its general manager, before moving as executive director of the Immersion Edutainment Group, which originally conceived Walking with Dinosaurs – The Live Experience.

“We’d like to use the facility to develop similar shows here,” he said. “New Zealand is the home to a strong special effects industry” and there’s a potential to develop more shows like Walking with Dinosaurs.

The arena also does a robust concert business. In 2009, the facility was the second highest grossing facility for its size category, grossing $19.3 million with 72 shows, including two performances by Simon and Garfunkel for $2.7 million.

Delaware North is the concessionaire for the arena, and Ticketmaster holds the ticketing contract. Brendan Himes, the facility’s former finance director, has been appointed to serve as general manager.