Pictured: Will Aylott, the new head of sales at the Ricoh Arena

The Ricoh Arena has appointed a new head of sales.

Will Aylott (40) has jointed the business, entertainment and leisure venue in Coventry after eight years in the industry.

Aylott will be responsible for building the venue's increasing share of the meeting, conference and exhibition market.

He joins the company after working as an account director at the ICC in central Birmingham.

He said: "The Ricoh Arena has built a tremendous reputation in just six years and already has an excellent client base from local companies through to international blue chip corporations.

"In the last year alone we have staged major conferences for Boots, Whitbread and Costa and we want to build on that side of the corporate business base as well as initiatives in the National Association Market.

"The Ricoh has recently been extended with the addition of new halls and an auditorium and can cope with a very wide variety of events which gives us great scope to grow."

Daniel Gidney, chief executive of the Ricoh Arena, said conferences, exhibitions and meetings counted for an increasing portion of its business.

"We have become a flagship venue for event organisers across the UK and we have played an integral role in propelling Coventry into seventh place in the UK's top 20 conference destinations," he said.

"The additional £3.7 million investment in the Ricoh means we are one of the few UK venues which can provide 20,000 sqm of flexible space across 80 rooms including a 6,000 sqm exhibition hall and auditorium.

"Our main unique selling point is that a client can take over the entire venue if they wish - as some blue-chip clients have done - or we can host an intimate dinner party for twelve and that flexibility is key in this industry."