Arena sales chief leaves for new role in home town
WELCOME ABOARD: Will Douglas, right, co-founder of Docks Beers, with Paul Savage
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
A marketing executive who has helped deliver success at Hull’s biggest indoor arena is taking up a new role at a venue and business in his home town.
Paul Savage, 44, has been head of sales and marketing at Connexin Live since the venue launched as Bonus Arena seven years ago. He has now been appointed managing director of Docks Beers and Docks Academy in Grimsby and will take up the post next month.
Connexin Live is part of ASM Global, the world’s largest venue management company. During Paul’s time in Hull, the team won multiple national and international awards, bringing 700,000 people to the 4,000-capacity venue. Artists such as Bob Dylan, Noel Gallagher, Sean Paul, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Kaiser Chiefs and Blondie have performed there since it opened in 2018.
Paul previously spent ten years as marketing manager at The Baths Hall in Scunthorpe.
He will now oversee all aspects of Docks Beers and Docks Academy, including strategic planning for brewery and events, sales and marketing, product development, further developing commercial partnership, and attracting more events and gigs to the North East Lincolnshire venue.
Paul said: “I am incredibly excited and feel hugely privileged to be given the opportunity to work with the Docks team. Docks Beers and Docks Academy have become some of the most iconic brands in the region thanks to the hard work of everyone within the Docks family and I cannot wait to join them in November.
EXPERIENCE: Paul Savage, left, at Connexin Live with general manager Sam Ryder
“Having spent most of my career working in other towns and cities, I’m very much looking forward to coming home to work in Grimsby and to grow Docks even further.”
Will Douglas, Docks Beers director and co-founder, said: “We're thrilled to welcome Paul to the Docks family. His extensive experience as head of sales and marketing at Connexin Live, and the fact that Grimsby runs through him thick and thin, stands him in excellent stead to take our brands forward.”