Entertainment bosses from across the country are expected to start bidding for the chance to run Aberdeen’s new exhibition and conference centre.
The £333million venue will be built at Bucksburn, and will contain a 12,500-capacity area, VIP boxes, restaurant and hotel.
Now Aberdeen City Council has put the contract for managing the centre out to tender, with several hopefuls expected to put their names forward.
The local authority’s finance committee had considered handing the deal to the management staff at the current AECC, but opted to open it the wider market and see who else could be interested.
They also considered carrying out more market research.
Finance convener Willie Young said: “We considered three options but decided to put it out to tender.”
It comes as fresh images of the new centre have been revealed, showing how it could look if it is approved by the planning committee on December 10.
Meanwhile, police have called for safety to be a top priority at the new venue.
Bob McKinney, architectural liaison officer with Police Scotland, warned developers to be aware of the potential impact on crime in the surrounding area.
He said: “Currently this area of Aberdeen has a low crime profile, possible due to the nature of its business.
“Slightly further afield, it can be seen that the majority of offences committed to relate to motoring offences on the local roads network, a small number of thefts and minor vandalism, with no link to the development of as it currently stands.
“Due to the potential for influxes of large numbers of people to the finished development, the crime profile described above would likely change significantly and I would ask that this is borne in mind when considering this new report.”
Nick Harris, of Henry Boot Developments, which is behind the proposals, stressed that security was a key consideration.
He said: “The new AECC is a very exciting project that will make a significant contribution to the economy, not just in the north-east but for but for the whole of Scotland.
“We are very aware of the high profile nature of the project and the importance of safety and security.”