Anschutz Entertainment Group, developers and operators of London’s O2 Arena, have selected a unique removable seating solution for the floor of the new venue. The “Matrix” system from Audience Systems will allow The O2’s customers to enjoy theatre-style comfort, while its operators can remove and install the seating quickly and safely.

Senior Technical Manager for AEG, Q Willis, said, "the concept for the arena is to provide customers with a higher standard of experience, so we were looking for a superior class of seating. It's difficult to find a chair for an arena floor which gives customers a good quality seat, which is wide and padded. This system fits the bill perfectly - and the service from Audience Systems has been fantastic."

Matrix seating offers a number of advantages over other solutions for flat floors. These include wide, safe walkways between rows of chairs, fast installation with safe lifting for operators and a lack of trip points when the seating is not in place.

The much-publicised O2 Arena, currently rising beneath the "tent" of the Millennium Dome in the heart of London's Docklands, will be the UK's largest redevelopment for over 50 years. It is already scheduled to host the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2009 and the finals of the gymnastics and basketball events at the 2012 Olympics. A wide variety of concerts are also planned - with Justin Timberlake and the Scissor Sisters already booked for this summer.