Case Study: First Direct Arena achieves enhanced crowd management and faster incident investigations with Avigilon

First Direct Arena - Customer Case Study

First Direct Arena, a 13,500‑seat multi‑purpose venue in Leeds that opened in 2013, needed a modern security solution to protect its £50 million facility and safely manage crowds across stands, concourses, parking and entry points during more than 140 annual events. Management sought a system that could handle large numbers of cameras, provide efficient storage and fast, accurate searching to reduce response times and limit liability.

Working with Reflex Systems, the arena deployed Avigilon’s ACC Enterprise NVMS with HDSM, Avigilon NVRs, analogue encoders and ACC Mobile, operated from a 24‑hour control room (with a secondary event room). The solution lets operators manage dozens of IP cameras, store up to 30 days of HD footage, view remotely, and use advanced search tools—resulting in improved crowd management, faster investigations, clearer incident assessment and reduced crime and false‑liability risks.

First Direct Arena

Lee Sinnott

Facilities Manager