Best Non-Match (or Game) Day use of Venue
Ashton Gate Stadium – Ashton Gate/Bristol Sport
Ashton Gate is a 27,000-seater stadium and home to Bristol City FC; Bristol Bears Rugby; Bristol Sport; Bristol Robins Community Foundation; Bristol Bears Community Foundation and the Bristol Sport Foundation.
Ashton Gate Stadium completed a £45m rebuild in September 2016 to transform it into a modern 365-day-a-year multi-purpose venue and the largest conference and events venue in the South West of England. This was Phase 1 of Stephen Lansdown’s vision to provide the city of Bristol with a stadium fit for the top-flight and economic regeneration to an area of the city that has been traditionally overlooked. Phase 2 is to deliver a 4000-capacity Sports & Convention Centre alongside the stadium by 2023. In the last two years the rebuild of Ashton Gate has injected an additional £9m into the local economy.
From the moment the £45m rebuild began there was the ambition to bring an incredible concert line-up to the city and in 2019 that ambition was realised.
Four concerts in less than four weeks with four very different demographics, from Rod Stewart on May 22nd to the ultimate boy / girl bands in Take That and Spice Girls to West Country band Muse in the middle…
Cheltenham Racecourse – The Jockey Club
Cheltenham Racecourse continues to be a world-renowned multi-functional space, attracting thousands of people every year for its racing and non-raceday events.
It continues to attract new business – including 17 exhibitions in 2019 of varying size and type, both private, public and specialist – but has numerous clients that have returned for a number of years.
Cheltenham is leading the way in showcasing just how flexible racecourses can be with exhibitions, such as with the Cheltenham Balloon Festival and the Fresh Art Fair, reinforcing the venue as a place filled with versatility that can be used for any non-racing event.
Leeds United Centenary Pavilion – Leeds United Football Club
The epitome of Leeds United’s week long celebrations was the Centenary Dinner: A Night Of Legends, where former stars who had previously worn white came together to reflect on 100 years of the Club.
With players from King John Charles’ era, the Revie years, Howard Wilkinson’s early 1990’s squad, O’Leary’s Champions League team and the League One promotion winning side all in attendance, this was the largest cohort of legends ever assembled under one roof. Home grown talents from the world of sport, media and music were also present as the club recognised its impact within the city of Leeds.
Hosted by none other than John Helm and Bryn Law, guests listened as the likes of Norman Hunter, Eddie Gray, Gordon Strachan, Lucas Radebe and Simon Grayson, among others, gave invaluable insights into life at Leeds United through the eras.
The launch of the limited edition centenary shirt and the specially created Dream Scene canvas were also incorporated into the event, the auction of which raised over £80,000 for the Leeds United Foundation.
The night epitomised everything it means to be Leeds, with fans and former players all celebrating the institution we know and love today.
Wembley Stadium, Etihad Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New York Red Bull Arena, MCG and BMO Field – UCFB
University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) announced plans to give students and graduates the chance to experience some of the most iconic stadiums in world sport in 2019 as part of their studies.
Like Wembley Stadium, London, and Etihad Stadium, Manchester, New York Metro’s Red Bull Arena, Atlanta’s brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Toronto FC’s BMO Field and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, these stadiums are now being utilised on non-event days to offer education which in turn will drive the professionalism and expertise of the football and sports industries in their respective countries.
Stamford Bridge – Chelsea Football Club
As well as being a global footballing powerhouse, Chelsea Football Club is a leading London events venue with a unique footballing heritage. Stamford Bridge stadium is a versatile hospitality destination with spaces for exhibitions, conferences, meetings, dining and hotels. We work with corporates, SMEs and charities.
Twickenham Stadium – Spartan UK and Ireland
On 23rd November, Spartan took over the iconic Twickenham Stadium to host the first U.K Stadion event of its kind. An instant sell out, the event saw 4,500 (on the day) runners take part in the record-breaking, all-inclusive event that attracted racers from all over the world; 60% of which were completely new to obstacle course racing. By significantly increasing the accessibility of our Spartan offering through the usage of a stadium environment, we’ve successfully been able to further the sports reach, audience and general appeal.
