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NAMING RIGHTS: Deals vary from local to global

There are plenty of inventive stadium naming rights deals around and clubs are getting the most from relationships formed locally and further afield. The bigger the club, the wider the net, with Championship clubs joining Premiership clubs to embrace international brand names. Club ownership can lead to names that are more familiar in the owners’ home country than in the UK.

Naming rights neighbours

Certainly local, St Mirren has agreed a six-figure, four-year deal with office solutions company Simple Digital to rename their stadium, which has a capacity of 8,000. Multi-year deals make sense with stadium naming rights when it takes time for the brand to get full value through long-term media coverage.

St Mirren’s commercial manager Campbell Kennedy said:

I’m delighted to have agreed this deal with Simple Digital and look forward to working with Simple Group’s chairman, Vincent Moore over the next four years. It represents a significant level of income and will be important for the club as we get set to embark on our Premiership journey next season.

Naming rights mixing old and new

Birmingham City FC has renamed its stadium as the St. Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium in a three-year sponsorship deal with a Chinese investment firm.

The Wast Hillstraining complex will become the Trillion Trophy Training Centre. The combination of the classic St. Andrew’s with the Trillion Trophy name makes the most of both brands and fans are happy to recognise both the club’s traditions and modern support.

Naming rights brand in the news

And when naming rights are all about publicity for the partner brand, why not make the most of any news ‘angle’ the sponsorship may bring. Check out how Hamilton Academical FC handled its somewhat controversial naming rights partner:

New Douglas Park will now be known as The HopeCBD Stadium after an exclusive sponsorship deal guaranteeing the club a five figure sum. Together with a percentage of profits from all of HopeCBD’s products, the club will see the sponsorship in place for the duration of the contract.

HopeCBD products include Oils, Tea Bags, Sprays, Vapes and even Candies, all containing CBD (cannabidiol). CBD is, in fact, a non-psychoactive compound found in the hemp plant; hemp being part of the cannabis family.

The very word ‘cannabis’ strikes the concerns of law breaking and addiction issues, but the facts surrounding CBD are much different. The hemp plant goes through what is known as ‘full spectrum C02 extraction’ and is then further distilled to remove psychoactive elements that are found within the plant – THC. It is the removal of this compound, leaving many other cannabinoids, particularly CBD that makes the products 100% non-psychoactive or addictive, meaning consuming it results in no mind altering effects – like alcohol free lager as such.

It is well known that Hamilton Academical Football Club are great ambassadors in supporting people and families in recovery from many addictions and are active in reaching out to the community to help those in recovery. The sponsorship with HopeCBD is very much within the ethos of Hamilton Academical Football Club and we are proud to be at the forefront of positive and progressive partnership with CBD providers such as Hope CBD.

CBD is sold as a food supplement and no medical claims can be made. So why all the fuss? Could it be that pharmaceutical companies could be fearful that the rumours are true?

Appealing to the student population

As universities across the nation try to attract the next student intake, they are excellent partners for sponsorship of all kinds, from shirts to players’ cars, plus grandstands and whole stadiums. Northampton Town FC is working with at least two local educational institutions, including granting overall stadium naming rights to Sixfields.

VENUE NEWS: Leckwith Stadium hybrid pitch completed

Leckwith Stadium is back in action and Pontypridd Town played their first home game of the season there back in November, four months into the Welsh Football League season.

Cardiff City House of Sport & Cardiff International released a statement announcing the re-opening of the track and field facilities at Cardiff International Sports Campus following £1m investment.

The first game played on the newly relaid hybrid grass pitch was Cardiff City U18’s 17-0 victory over Tiger Bay Juniors in the FAW Youth Cup.

Photo of hybrid pitch with new markings with grandstand in the background at Leckwith Stadium

Leckwith Stadium has upgraded its pitch to hybrid grass and renovated the athletics track.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE: Warwick Racecourse champions environment with eco-cups

Warwick Racecourse is continuing its drive to be more environmentally friendly by introducing new eco-cups. Plastic cups are one of the largest plastic consumption lines at the racecourse and the introduction of eco-cups will significantly reduce this.

An eco-cup is an environmentally responsible cup that guests can reuse time and time again, either at the racecourse, at home, or at another establishment, helping to reduce the consumption of single-use-plastics.

The initiative is part of Warwick Town Council’s drive for the town to be plastic free by 2020. Warwick Racecourse is part of The Jockey Club, which is targeting zero waste to landfill by 2020. Currently, 74% of the Jockey Club’s waste is recycled and the remainder is sent to waste-to-energy.

Warwick is famous for its bars and restaurants, most recently winning ‘Best Fine Dining Experience’ at the National Racecourse Catering Awards. The first 500 adults through the turnstiles at the recent Winter Warmer Raceday were treated to a complimentary mulled wine, to get racegoers into the festive spirit.

Recycling boosted by using eco-cups

Ryan Bronger is the Green Champion for Jockey Club Catering at Warwick Racecourse and is responsible for driving down the environmental impact of the racecourse:

We do as much as we can to recycle all our waste on-site, and we’ve been on the lookout for products to help reduce our waste and the new eco-cups will go some way in reducing that.

The cups are hard-wearing and reusable.

We don’t want to put the onus on racegoers and detract from the raceday experience. So most of the work goes on behind the scenes, working closely with waste suppliers and reducing single-use plastics.

Andre Klein, General Manager at Warwick Racecourse, added:

There is nothing quite like a day at the races as winter settles in and it will be a great day of action on the track at Warwick too.

We’ve enjoyed a very successful start to the season at Warwick and we’re expecting another big day on November 21.

It’s a great opportunity to enjoy our cosy bars and restaurants and enjoy our hospitality offering in the warmth, before heading out to watch the horses races.

ENERGY: Emirates Stadium saves cash with battery storage system

Emirates Stadium can get enough energy for a whole match from its new battery storage system (BSS). Perhaps more importantly, the system saves money and the environment by storing energy generated from renewable sources.

The storage system, developed by UK-based Pivot Power with funding support from investment manager Downing LLP and facilitated by Octopus Energy, has been designed to meet the stadium’s peak levels of energy consumption and will store enough power to run the Emirates for 90 minutes. It’s the equivalent of powering 2,700 homes for two hours. The BSS is the largest at any sports ground in the UK. Once additional storage is added in summer 2019, the 180 square metre device will have a 3MW/3.7MWh capacity.

Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham said:

This is a big step forwards for us in being efficient with energy usage, and building on our work in reducing our carbon footprint as an organisation. We have been powered by green energy since 2017 thanks to Octopus Energy, and the battery storage system will support our efforts further.

The installation of the BSS follows Arsenal’s other considerable efforts in reducing its carbon footprint and environmental impact, with around 80 per cent of matchday waste recycled. LED floodlights have reduced floodlight energy consumption by 30 per cent and 7m kilograms of carbon is no longer being pumped into the atmosphere – enough to fill Emirates Stadium more than 3.9 times – since switching to green energy with Octopus Energy.

Minister for the Department of Business, Energy and Industry Strategy, Claire Perry said:

The UK is certainly not being left back on the bench, with Arsenal truly moving the goal posts when it comes to energy efficiency at Emirates Stadium. This project scores the hat-trick of tackling peak prices and storing clean energy, with the goal of selling back energy to the grid at peak times. A more flexible energy grid could save the UK billions and this kind of cutting-edge technology shows companies the potential of being part of the beautiful game of smarter energy systems.

Pivot Power CEO Matt Allen said:

Arsenal is showing how football clubs and other big power users can save money and support government plans to meet climate change targets. Batteries are central to creating a cost-effective, low-carbon economy and we are keen to help government, local authorities and businesses seize the opportunities they offer.

Pivot Power has installed the BSS and will operate it for 15 years. The battery will generate income by providing services to National Grid to help it balance supply and demand, which will be shared between Pivot Power, Downing LLP and the club.

Photo of metal cabinets containing battery storage system at Emirates Stadium, north London

The battery storage system in secure cabinets at Emirates Stadium

VENUE DEVELOPMENT NEWS: The Event Complex Aberdeen to open in Summer 2019

The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) will open in summer 2019 according to contractors Henry Boot and Aberdeen City Council. The mixed use site reached a major milestone in October as work moved to its interior fit-out. New computer-generated visualisations of the multi-million-pound venue have also been released by venue architect Keppie Design, showing the arena and restaurant.

The main arena will have a capacity of 12,500 for conferences, exhibitions and music concerts, alongside three further halls, four multi-purpose conference rooms and 15 meeting rooms.

The facility is expected to contribute an additional 4.5 million visitors, £113 million of visitor spend and £63 million net Gross Value Added to the Scottish economy. It will also result in the creation of 352 full-time-equivalent permanent positions by year 10 of operations.

Ground floor plan of The Event Complex Aberdeen showing arena and main halls.

Nick Harris, director of development partner Henry Boot Developments, said:

These new images of the arena and restaurant are an exciting glimpse into how the facility will look when it opens. Work is continuing to progress on schedule, with finishing touches currently being made to the roof, and it’s amazing to think that in just a few short months, interior spaces like these will really be taking shape.

Aberdeen City Council co-leader Councillor Douglas Lumsden said:

The new CGIs show how fantastic the restaurant and other areas will look in the TECA building, and it’s great to see the progress of what will be one of the biggest developments in the history of Aberdeen.

The new venue is an important part of a period of enormous transformation for the city which includes £1billion of capital spending by Aberdeen City Council.

VENUE SPOTLIGHT: Battersea Arts Centre’s Grand Hall comes back from the devastating fire in 2015

Battersea Arts Centre’s Grand Hall officially re-opened in September, after the devastating fire that destroyed the venue in 2015. The opening is being marked with the Phoenix Season – a five month celebration of risk-taking and renewal – across what is now one of the leading venues in the country.

The stunning Grand Hall has been beautifully restored by award-winning architects Haworth Tompkins and is now an exquisite space for private and corporate events.

Housed in a Victorian Town Hall building, Battersea Arts Centre’s rich heritage, beautiful architecture and creative flair make it an ideal location for those looking for something a little different.

Flooded with natural daylight and with original features from its rich 125 year history, it is ideal for hosting inspiring product launches, spectacular weddings, networking receptions, conferences and meetings. New technical infrastructure concealed in the roof allows natural ventilation and far greater technical, AV and acoustic possibilities than ever before.

The Grand Hall can host up to 300 guests for seated dinners and is serviced by its own in-house kitchen and adjoining bar. The venue can also host up to 600 standing or theatre style, and up to 800 for a gig. The Grand Hall has its own private entrance with guests arriving into the adjoining Octagonal Hall which has a spectacular mosaic floor and beautiful stained glass-domed ceiling.

Photo of Battersea Arts Centre Grand Hall with its old features restored

The Grand Hall can be configured to hold a variety of event types.

The unique Haworth Tompkins rebuild has retained the walls that survived the fire and conserved them ‘as-found’ in their scorched, post-fire richness and complexity. A dramatic new lattice ceiling takes inspiration from the original 19th century design, while bringing the space into the 21st century. The new Grand Hall Bar features a vibrant back bar installation by artist Jake Tilson, who meticulously recorded the damage in the weeks following the fire.

David Jubb, Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Centre said:

The re-opening of the Grand Hall marks a massive moment for us – it’s the first time the entire building has been fully open for the public to explore for 12 years. This follows an iterative project which has renovated and opened up the whole building. When the flames rose above the Grand Hall on Friday 13 March 2015 it looked as if all that progress might be lost. But due to brilliant and brave firefighters – and the incredible generosity of more than 6,000 people and organisations – the building was saved and the Grand Hall is reborn!

Now is the time to celebrate and so our Phoenix Season includes some of the UK’s most exciting theatre artists, with a series of breathtaking shows set against the stunning and theatrical environment of the Grand Hall. And the season also includes some of our most exciting work happening in partnership with our community in which we continue to support other people’s great ideas. We hope you can join us.”

Steve Tompkins, Founding Director of Haworth Tompkins said:

It’s been such privilege to be part of this long, experimental journey. In true BAC style, much of the work has been improvised and tuned as we went along through constant reappraisal and feedback, responding to circumstances and changing our plan when needed. I think this equipped us well to face up to the shock of the Grand Hall fire together and work out the most creative way to rebuild. As architects, artists, producers and members of the wider community, we set out to make BAC a place where everyone can feel part of a shared, creative risk-taking project, and for us the last twelve years’ collaboration has already fulfilled that ambition.

Toby Jones, actor and patron of Battersea Arts Centre said:

Battersea Arts Centre has not just been restored, it has been revolutionised. The Grand Hall is now one of the most exciting and flexible venues in London. To alchemise beauty from rubble and grace from catastrophe is entirely consistent with the dynamic artistic and political history of this building. Battersea Arts Centre continues to scratch and sniff at what it means to be a popular participatory theatre in the twenty first century. I’m proud to be a small part of it.

Architectural test site

The reopening of the Grand Hall is a milestone moment in the ongoing 12-year partnership between Battersea Arts Centre and Haworth Tompkins. Adopting Battersea Arts Centre’s Scratch process, to test out architectural developments for the building, in partnership with artists, the building has gradually been transformed into a 21^st century cultural and community centre. The traditional demarcations of auditorium, foyer and back of house spaces can be dissolved and reconfigured in multiple combinations. The partnership began with Punchdrunk’s Masque of the Red Death in 2007-2008. Works progressed through a series of production partnerships with Kneehigh Theatre, the One on One Festivals and Rio 2012 Olympics. These partnerships fed in to a master planning process for the building. The renovated building includes living accommodation for artists, making workshops, over 35 performance spaces with a capacity between 1 and 1,000, including a new open-air Courtyard Theatre, The Bees Knees – a creative play-space for young families – exhibition facilities for the new BAC Moving Museum, flexible co-working space, and emerging micro-allotments for neighbours and community groups.

The alterations have been informed by artistic director David Jubb’s ongoing project to transform how arts centres engage with people – shifting arts centres from being about the production of art, to being centres of art-making-process, where people are supported to develop and take forward their own ideas, whatever they may be. Programmes such as The Agency, which develops young people’s entrepreneurial skills, and co-working space the Scratch Hub, offer support for people to realise their own projects.

Throughout the celebratory opening Phoenix Season over 2,000 tickets for shows are available for £1. These will be targeted at people with low incomes through Battersea Arts Centre’s Local Roots programme with Wandsworth and Lambeth voluntary groups. Battersea Arts Centre is also launching a new Phoenix Award to offer talented artists the opportunity to develop their work and present it to larger audiences – an opportunity afforded by the re-opening of the Grand Hall. Battersea Arts Centre is working towards becoming a Relaxed Venue – a new initiative that builds on the principles of Relaxed Performances, which are designed to extend a warm welcome to people who might find it hard to follow the conventions of theatre etiquette.

The rebuild and redevelopment of the Grand Hall and Lower Halls has been made possible by Battersea Arts Centre’s insurers Aviva, along with generous support from Heritage Lottery Fund and National Lottery players, HM Government and Arts Council England, Greater London Authority and the Wolfson Foundation. A number of supporters helped sustain Battersea Arts Centre during the period of the recovery and rebuilding including over 6,000 supporters and donors who came to the rescue after the fire, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Battersea Power Station Foundation and many others. The support of Battersea Arts Centre’s Phoenix Partners – Bloomberg Philanthropies and Haworth Tompkins – has been crucial in enabling the Phoenix Season to take place in the renewed Grand Hall, the wider Phoenix programme including the Scratch Hub, Co-Creating Change and much else. Battersea Arts Centre’s lead funders are Arts Council England and Wandsworth Borough Council.

As part of the rebuild the Lower Hall area has been redesigned into a new co-working space called the Scratch Hub which will provide a home for up to 150 creative and social entrepreneurs.

STADIUM DEVELOPMENT NEWS: London Stadium to 60,000 for West Ham games

London Stadium owner E20 and West Ham have agreed new terms which will allow West Ham, subject to regulatory permissions, to sell up to 60,000 tickets for games as soon as possible, also leaving scope to expand up to 66,000 seats for future matches. In a joint statement, Lyn Garner, chief executive of E20, and West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady said:

West Ham United and E20 will now work together to maximise this magnificent stadium for the benefit of fans, our community and the public purse. Both parties are fully committed to making the London Stadium the jewel in London’s crown that we all know it can be.

Premiership stadium development

Check out this Talksport look at how every Premiership stadium looks now and how it looked 10 years ago.

Other stadium development news

Aberdeen’s new stadium complex is under way and the initial phase is coming in £1 million more expensive than first announced. The club is awaiting the results of legal moves which are delaying the main stadium construction start.

Head of Antrim GAA Colin Donnelly has said Casement Park may need to be redeveloped “into a county ground, as opposed to a provincial stadium” if a construction date is not set by early next year.

CRICKET VENUE NEWS AND JOBS: Oval go-ahead; Cricket World Cup jobs

Surrey County Cricket Club has been granted full planning permission for the redevelopment of the Lock/Laker Stand at the Oval in London, reports PanStadia & Arena Management.

The new new three tier stand in between the Micky Stewart Members’ Pavilion and the Peter May Stand will have conference and events and hospitality included in new buildings that will link to the stand, known as One Oval Square. Construction will begin in October 2019.

World Cup Cricket jobs

The ECB is recruiting for a number of positions, including spectator experience and technology, for the Cricket World Cup 19. Details here.

EVENT: International Security Expo 28-29 November – free passes. Includes International Crowd Safety Conference and Protecting Crowded Places Conference

Invitation to attend
International Security Expo 2018
28-29 November, Olympia London

Your complimentary pass to International Security Expo can be secured at https://www.internationalsecurityexpo.com/ukvmareg

The event puts the most topical security and counter terrorism subjects under the spotlight.

Over 12,500 international visitors from government and industry are attending to discuss key issues such as “How do we protect our sports, entertainment, leisure venues from terrorist attacks?”

Protecting Crowded Places Conference
Hotel Security Conference
Night-Time Economy Conference
International Crowd Safety Conference

Hear from 250+ Expert Speakers including:

UK Security Minister, Royal Historic Palaces, Marriott Hotels International, Guoman Tower Hotel, Houses of Parliament, Savoy Hotel, Victoria and Albert Museum, Borough Market, McDonalds and many more!

Topics include:

Current threats to stadium and events
Restaurant safety & security
Policing major events
Casino security
Challenges of protecting places of mass gatherings of children and young people
The terrorism threat to hotels
Trafficking in hospitality
Managing security in a 5-star luxury environment
Delivering safe and secure events from threats such as – acid attacks – weapons – drugs
Your crisis, the media’s story. How to get it right!

Find out more at https://www.internationalsecurityexpo.com/ukvma

What your pass includes:

Entrance to exhibition of 350+ products and services
Access to conference and workshop programmes providing valuable case studies, lessons learned and insight into what technologies are available to help keep your business safe and secure
NEW Protecting Urban Spaces Immersive Demonstrator – a 300sqm central feature where scenario based demonstrations will combine technologies in a simulated urban environment to protect people and buildings
Live physical attack testing at the LPCB Live Test Lab and the latest drone, counter-drone and counter-IED capabilities in the live demo area
Cyber Security & IT Zone – an entire zone dedicated to Cyber including a Cyber focused Conference and exhibitors of the very best cyber security capabilities
Government Department & Agency Zone with displays from Home Office JSaRC, Cabinet Office EPC, British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Joint International Policing Hub, Counter Terrorism Policing and more.

PLUS networking drinks reception open to all on Wednesday 28th November from 1700.

https://www.internationalsecurityexpo.com/ukvmareg

STADIUM DEVELOPMENT NEWS: Allianz Park West Stand – more community, more hospitality, 3,000 more spectators under cover

Saracens Rugby Club has been granted planning permission and secured funding in partnership with Barnet Council to renovate the West Stand at Allianz Park.

The current West Stand in the multi-purpose North London stadium will be transformed into a modern, fit for purpose event facility and community hub for education, sporting and outreach activities.

The £23 million redevelopment project will include:

A fully accessible, weatherproof facility for 3000 spectators
First-class hospitality experience
A centre of excellence for Middlesex University’s London Sport Institute and Health Faculty that includes a purpose built simulation suite
A dedicated education centre operated by the award-winning Saracens Sport Foundation
Improved training, medical and competition facilities for all users including athletics, rugby and community sport
The creation of a community garden designed by local school children
A new media facility

Saracens chief executive officer, Mitesh Velani, said:

We have been working closely with Barnet Council and our community partners developing plans for the West Stand that we can all be proud of. I am delighted we have made positive strides forward.

The West Stand redevelopment project demonstrates our continued commitment to providing the best environment for our teams to thrive, a modern home where our fans create memories together and extending community initiatives that improve the lives of people in North London.

Gordon Banks, Chief Community Officer at Saracens, commented:

Allianz Park has become a thriving community hub with thousands of residents enjoying the high-quality facilities available at the stadium. The new West Stand will build on this success and through the Saracens Sport Foundation and our partnership with Middlesex University we can help improve the lives of even more local people.

The Club aims to start the construction phase at the end of the current rugby season (summer of 2019) with completion anticipated in 2020. Matches will continue to be played at Allianz Park during this period and the Club will keep supporters updated throughout the process.

Rendering of how the new West Stand at Allianz Park may look

Proposed West Stand entrance

James Kennedy, Middlesex University’s Chief Financial Officer, commented:

Middlesex University has been working with Saracens on this project for several years. Together we have developed an exciting proposal for the West Stand and we are very pleased that London Borough of Barnet have been able to support us. The three organisations working together offer an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to Copthall and the Borough.

The Leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Richard Cornelius, said:

We should never underestimate the huge contribution both Saracens and Middlesex University have already made to the local community in Barnet. Saracens have transformed Allianz Park into a thriving community sports and education facility, hosting a huge range of events for schools, older people and those with learning disabilities. They have also recently opened the new Saracens High School.

This is a positive development for communities in Barnet. We are therefore delighted to support Saracens and Middlesex University in their plans to improve and build for the future.

Allianz Park with new West Stand in rugby mode.