THE managing director of the National Exhibition Centre has been headhunted to become the first figurehead of Liverpool's Kings Dock arena and conference centre.

For 21 years, Bob Prattey has helped the NEC evolve into Europe's busiest exhibition centre, with its expansion into venues such as the NEC Arena, the National Indoor Arena and the International Convention Centre.

But he is now leaving his position at the NEC group of venues in Birmingham to head to Merseyside as the inaugural chief executive at Kings Dock.

Mr Prattey signed his new contract at the Municipal Buildings in Liverpool yesterday before taking another look around the waterfront site where his future business will be based.

Securing such a major figure in the industry is seen as a huge boost to the future success of the Kings Dock facilities.

The father-of-two, 50, has helped the NEC facilities - worth an astonishing £800m annually to the Birmingham economy - attract the world's leading music acts as well as events as diverse as the World and European indoor athletics championships, the G8 summit, Crufts, Gladiators and the Ideal Home Exhibition.

Last night, he said similar opportunities now existed in Liverpool to that which have proved so successful in Birmingham.

He said: "It's a wrench to leave Birmingham but I can see some real parallels with the two situations. We have the opportunity here to do it again.

"You just have to look around the city centre in Birmingham to see the galvanising effect the convention centre has had and that can happen here in Liverpool.

"I think we are on fertile ground."

The civic facilities at Kings Dock will include a 9,400-seat arena for concerts and sports, a 7,600 sq m exhibition hall, and a 1,350 seat conference centre.

Some estimates suggest it could pump at least £100m into the Merseyside economy every year.

Mr Prattey takes up his position next Tuesday and will immediately start the work of assembling his team to work towards the venue opening in January, 2008.

"At the moment I am a one-man band. I obviously know a lot of good people in the industry but I am also looking to bring in other people with different skills," he said.

Mr Prattey is confident he can attract the major stars and events to the new arena, and is intent on maximising Liverpool's musical history.

"There is no-one out of range to us, Elton John, Madonna, U2. We will be the new kids on the block and that always has a significant attraction for artists.

"There will be a new audience for them and of course they will want to come to somewhere with Liverpool's superb musical history. We want to exploit that to the full. The venue we are building as part of this £150m complex puts us in the Premier League. It's unique and exciting as a waterfront site.

"I want the people in Manchester to be coming down the M62 to see our acts now."

Within two years, Mr Prattey said he wants to see the arena in use around 50 times a year, rising to around 100 events a year within five years, a level seen as close to its capacity.