The National Exhibition Centre, which hosted five sports and two Para sports during the Commonwealth Games, has got back on track financially following Birmingham 2022, it is claimed ©Getty Images

This year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham have been been hailed for a major role  helping helped the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) recover almost 18  months of closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NEC hosted badminton, boxing, netball,weightlifting Para-power lifting, table tennis and Para table tennis during the Games.

The netball, where Australia regained their title, and weightlifting, praised for its atmosphere by International Weightlifting Federation Mohammed Jalood, were particularly successful. 

"The Commonwealth Games was the biggest event we’ve ever run on our campus,” NEC chief financial officer Richard Ashton told The BusinessDesk.com 

"Month by month we’re just slightly beating that performance and getting some momentum back to the business because 18 months to be closed for a business of our size was was a tough place to be."

The NEC hotel campus was used as one of three Athlete Villages during the Games and accommodated some 1,600 athletes and officials.

The city centre Utilita Arena is also run by the NEC Group, which is owned by an American alternative investment management company Blackstone Inc. 

During the Games it was known as Arena Birmingham and staged artistic and rhythmic gymnastics.

The NEC claim that some 400,000 visitors attended their sites during Birmingham 2022. 

Events, including netball, at the National Exhibition Centre attracted 400,000 visitors during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games ©Getty Images
Events, including netball, at the National Exhibition Centre attracted 400,000 visitors during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games ©Getty Images

“We’ve gone from a loss-making position when we were closed back to a break-even operating position and positive earnings before interest and tax performance, which is the right direction.” Ashton said.

The 12 months to March 2022 had seen the facilities re-open but not to full capacity,

"We got a reasonable batch of events going but only about half the level we would normally do because we were only really open for about half of the year," Ashton siad.

"But we’ll still be another year or so before we’re back to the profitability levels that we had pre-pandemic."

The NEC Group had been one of the worst affected businesses in the Midland region.

As a result of the pandemic, it had proved necessary to lay off 400 staff in 2021 and annual revenues were down 85 per cent on the normal income of £160 million ($194 million/€183 million)

The staging of the Commonwealth Games and heavy advance bookings for the comeback tour by British comedian Peter Kay are expected to have a major impact on the figures.

Kay performed at the Utilita Arena last weekend.

"We got back to a small profit last year and we expect to make a much more significant profit in the current financial year," Ashton predicted.