arenanewsSEE PG 8 & 9

This positive news is a fitting introduction to this newsletter; recognising not only the achievements of our team here in the UK and Europe, but also of all our clients, who continue to push us to innovate and exceed expectations.

We’re proud to accept these awards amidst our busiest year ever; eclipsing even that of London 2012. The UK economy is gaining confidence and this is reflected in the growth of our regular calendar of events and importantly, organisers creating new ones.

Like much of the industry we’ve spent a great deal of time in the beautiful country of Scotland, delivering contracts at Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup,

where once again we provided structures, grandstand seating and interiors.

Loyalty feels like a key ingredient to our success both in terms of client relationships, valued supply partners and our committed employees; from warehouse through to construction and ultimately project delivery.

It is fair to say that we have stretched these physical resources whilst never compromising on quality or failing to deliver on a time critical horizon.

During our winter season we will be introducing a number of new initiatives and investing in more staff, to support and continually develop our invaluable construction crews.

As we head into 2015, our new ice rink division, Arena Ice, is already confirmed to deliver over 25 ice rink projects, with facilities including pop up restaurants and hospitality venues. This service is now available across Europe. The expansion of Arena Interiors provides an independent design service as we continue to enhance our creative offering.

Finally, I would like to thank all of our clients for their valued custom over the past year. We look forward to the opportunities and challenges that you will provide us with in 2015; continuing to play our part in creating memorable events for your audience and brand partners alike.

Grahame Muir CEO, Arena UK & Europe

As I write this, we are celebrating winning Supplier of the Year at the newly-rebranded Event Awards. It’s our second Supplier of the Year award in less than 12 months, after we won the same category at the Event Production Awards back in February.

CELEBRATING A WINNING YEAR

WINTER 14/15

London’s iconic Horse Guards Parade welcomed home Arena Group this summer, supplying show jumping championships the Longines Global Champions Tour and athletic celebration the Sainsbury Anniversary Games.

The events recaptured the spirit of the London 2012 Olympics where Arena Group managed the entire overlay and built the 15,000 capacity demountable beach volleyball stadium. The company’s knowledge and experience of working in this sensitive and logistically challenging location saw them become the supplier of choice for both events, supplying a range of temporary structures, seating and interiors with full project management.

Arena Group’s Arena Deck system has been used to create bespoke platforms and structures at events across the UK, including the NATO Summit and the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade. Arena Deck is ideal for when a lightweight, durable and attractive decking system is required, and was awarded Innovation of the Year at the Event Production Awards earlier this year.

ARENA GROUP RETURNS TO HORSE GUARDS PARADE

Arena Structures has been awarded the contract by EC Harris and the Department of Media and Culture to supply the temporary structures for every ceremonial event and state visit on Horse Guards Parade for the next five years.

ARENA DECK ACROSS THE UK

© Longines Global Champions

BATH AND EXETER RUGBY TOUCH DOWN WITH

TEMPORARY SEATING

When both Bath and Exeter rugby clubs were looking to increase capacity without expensive construction work, Arena Seating was the natural choice.

Alongside the expansions, both clubs wanted to offer improved spectator comfort and pitch side viewing. Arena’s experienced CAD team took on the challenge, designing bespoke solutions for each club.

At The Recreation Ground, home to Bath RFC, nearly 9,000 demountable seats were installed across three grandstands, incorporating bars and toilets in the undercroft. The upgrade, led by Arena’s sales manager Tony Sainsbury, included new hospitality boxes.

Meanwhile, at Sandy Park, home to the Exeter Chiefs, 2,582 covered seats were installed as part of a season-long rental.

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When Carl Froch took on George Groves in their highly anticipated rematch, it was widely cited as one of the biggest fights in British history, with Froch taking the win with a knockout punch in the eighth round.

The team behind the scenes were also packing the punches, as they faced one of the toughest turnarounds in the stadium’s history; just 17 hours before Wembley hosted the England v Peru World Cup warm up match.

The venue needed to be completely reconfigured overnight and there was no room for error. Arena Seating, led by project director Martin Clark, was contracted by promoter Matchroom to install over 9,000 pitch side seats as part of the transformation.

Wembley’s head of music and new events Jim Frayling explained: “The suppliers we worked with were seasoned professionals and the best at what they do. At first we simply didn’t think it was feasible, but it took just one supplier to say ‘we can do this’ and it was like a domino effect. Communication, planning and preparation were key to the success.”

KNOCK OUT SUCCESS AT WEMBLEY STADIUM

25LOCATIONS ACROSS THE UK THIS WINTER

ARENA ICE DIVISION LAUNCHED

Following increased demand, Arena Structures has introduced its new Arena Ice division. It will be supplying ice rinks to 25 locations across the UK this winter including the Natural History Museum and Canary Wharf.

Arena Ice’s full turnkey service includes every element from structures to skates, the ice and supporting groundwork and full training on ice maintenance.

OVER 9,000 PITCH SIDE SEATS

Wembley install

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Global Events. Designed and Delivered.

R&A staging director Michael Wells identified the requirement for a new level of hospitality, introducing The Champion’s Club in the heart of the course.

He said: “Visitor experience is a key consideration for our 200,000 golf fans. I worked very closely with Grahame Muir, project manager Mark Shelley and designer Penny Horner to create the new Championship Lounge. We’ve received great feedback on the facility.”

The project included full interior design and fit out, with Spaceworks and Well Dressed Tables providing furniture and tableware.

ARENA GROUP’S STRUCTURES AND INTERIORS DIVISIONS WORKED WITH THE R&A TO INTRODUCE A NEW HOSPITALITY LOUNGE, INSTALLED AMONGST 26,113 SQM OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES ON THE ROYAL LIVERPOOL COURSE AT HOYLAKE

ARENA GROUP CREATES NEW HOSPITALITY OFFERING AT THE OPEN

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WELL DRESSED TABLES PARTNERS WITH PKL GROUP

ONE HAS CONFIDENCE IN WELL DRESSED TABLES

NEW PRODUCT TOLIX BISTRO RANGE

Well Dressed Tables, the tableware division of Arena Group, has entered a new strategic partnership with catering infrastructure and temporary kitchen provider PKL Group.

Christopher Piggott, managing director of Well Dressed Tables and Spaceworks Furniture Hire, said: “Both companies have decades of experience and the new arrangement gives clients access to a comprehensive range of products, faster service and one point of contact whatever their needs. As part of Arena Group we can now provide every element from temporary structures, modular kitchens and catering equipment, to the finishing touches on the table with high quality crockery, cutlery, and glassware.”

One Dining, the catering division of One Events has strengthened ties with Well Dressed Tables. In addition to maintaining preferred supplier status in four historic venues across the capital: One Embankment, One Horse Guards, One Mayfair and One Marylebone, Well Dressed Tables has now been appointed to manage a range of cutlery, crockery and glasswear invested in exclusively for use across the four venues.

Phillipa Woodgate, head of One Dining comments: “The customer service we receive from Well Dressed Tables is incredible with a really fast response to our requests. Nothing is too much trouble and Kelly is a real gem.”

• From high top tables and stools to comfy chairs

• Fun, quirky and lightweight

• Crafted from sheets of pressed steel

• Available in a range of colours

PKL’s range of temporary kitchen equipment is now available through Arena Group’s tableware division.

PKL Group and Well Dressed Tables will be providing their clients access to each other’s range of products with further details available on their websites www.welldressedtables.co.uk and www.pkl.co.uk

NEW PRODUCT LED FURNITURE RANGE

• Battery powered

• Battery lasts eight hours

• Range of brightness and colours

• Flashing or static lights

• LED bar also available

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Global Events. Designed and Delivered.

Arena Group was proud to support the games as Official Overlay and Temporary Structures Provider and Exclusive Provider of Temporary Seating.

Bradley Merchant led the Arena Seating team, with Kerry Glyn-Bristow heading up Arena Structure’s projects. The group also provided exhibition services, such as partition walling for venues and media centres.

This hugely demanding project required the highest attention to detail and thorough planning, all whilst simultaneously delivering Arena Group’s portfolio of regular events.

Hervé Rey, head of overlay at Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, commented: “Arena Group was a good choice for Glasgow 2014’s temporary overlay requirements. Their remit was extensive; hundreds of structures, thousands of seats and exhibition services at every venue. We needed a supplier that not only had the right equipment, but also the experience to deliver all of this simultaneously. Arena Group played a significant role in delivering a successful and memorable games, which has put Scotland firmly onto the global events map.”

GLASGOW 2014 MARKED THE LAST MAJOR MULTI-SPORT EVENT TO BE HELD IN THE UK FOR A GENERATION. ARENA GROUP WAS PROUD TO BE AN OFFICIAL SPONSOR, MAKING THE EVENT ONE OF THE BEST COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN HISTORY

EVERY SINGLE TEMPORARY SEAT 22,000 IN TOTAL

230 STRUCTURES USED FOR MEDIA, HOSPITALITY, SECURITY AND ATHLETES

EXHIBITION SERVICES ACROSS 19 VENUES

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1,774 TIERED clearview™ SEATS, CUSTOM DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED, WHICH WILL REMAIN IN SITU PERMANENTLY

THIS STUNNING VENUE BECAME HOME TO 2,451 clearview™ SEATS CAREFULLY CONFIGURED INTO THREE GRANDSTANDS

CAPACITY INCREASED BY 4,295 TIERED SEATS CONFIGURED ACROSS THREE GRANDSTANDS, WITH IN-BUILT STRUCTURES FOR OFFICIALS

Swimming at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre

Lawn bowls at the Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls Centre

Hockey at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre

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Global Events. Designed and Delivered.

DRIVING SUCCESS AT THE RYDER CUP

At this year’s widely-anticipated Ryder Cup, Team Europe walked away victorious from Scotland’s historic Gleneagles Golf Course. Arena Group was also celebrating – after making the organiser’s creative vision come to life with the seamless delivery of temporary event structures, grandstand seating and interiors.

Over 200,000 people watched the action live, with a further 500 million tuning in on TV to watch 24 of the world’s leading players battle it out.

With two decades of experience working on Ryder Cups, Arena Group was first choice when it came to creating the highest quality spectator experience.

Arena Seating project director Bradley Merchant managed a team of 20 through the installation of 14,700 seats across 18 grandstands, constructed using the company’s clearview™ seating system.

Arena Structures, led by project director Ron Smith and project manager Dan Bluff, installed 32 structures including its Arcus curved roof system combined with cantilevered balconies supplied to the Ryder Cup for the first time. The installation included the provision of the prestigious three-story Aviemore Pavilion (see picture above) overlooking the 18th green.

Spaceworks provided over 15,000 pieces of furniture across the entire site, with the brand new Tolix range taking centre stage.

Ryder Cup match director Edward Kitson comments: “Arena listened, understood, then made positive contributions as we planned and designed infrastructure for The 2014 Ryder Cup. They delivered exceptionally well and the quality of product, from premium hospitality, public and media facilities combined with the best grandstand seating we have ever seen, ensured another best in class performance.”

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14,700 SEATS ACROSS 18 GRANDSTANDS, 240 STRUCTURES, 15,000 ITEMS OF FURNITURE, 200 ARTICULATED LORRIES

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Global Events. Designed and Delivered.

Every July, rowers and revellers gather on the banks of the River Thames, for the Henley Royal Regatta and the magical Henley Music Festival; one of the UK’s best kept secrets.

Arena Group has worked with the music event for the past thirty years, supplying seating grandstands and structures for the public village.

A rapid three-day turnaround is required to re-configure the event from Regatta to Festival, with the Arena team adding new equipment and completely altering the interiors with new furniture, tableware and fit out.

TRANSFORMING HENLEY

ARENA SEATING AT THE NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS

Arena Seating sponsored the glitzy National Television Awards (NTAs) for the first time this year, ensuring celebrities and TV personalities from across the country celebrated in style.

Hosted by Dermot O’Leary, awards were snapped up by popular TV shows and talents including Ant and Dec, Coronation Street and Strictly Come Dancing. As co-sponsors of the event, Arena installed 600 Diplomat seats for VIP guests and award nominees and the luxurious red carpet which brought guests from the entranceway into the main venue.

Looking to increase capacity with a flexible seating solution, the FA has contracted Arena Seating to supply 500 demountable seats to the national football centre, St George’s Park. Five grandstands will be located along the elevated walkway overlooking the elite training pitch, and reconfigured as required by the venue’s event programme.

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CUSTOM STRUCTURE FOR MERCEDES-BENZ

OVERLAY TEAM AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP

SIME DARBY LPGA 2014ARENA MIDDLE EAST & ASIA RAMADAN CELEBRATIONS

For the ninth year, Arena Americas supported the biannual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week as thousands of guests gathered at the world-renowned event in New York City. Contracted by event producers IMG Fashion, the team designed and installed a temporary multi-structure venue right in the heart of the Lincoln Center.

The outside of the structure featured a custom-designed façade, whilst inside the previous all-white tent linings were modified to a custom double sided vinyl, coloured white on the outside and black on the inside, giving a brand new look to this now iconic venue.

Arena Group’s overlay team worked with strategic partner FAST Engenharia to create the largest demountable structures to ever be built in Brazil; completely transforming the Arena de São Paulo ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Arena Group’s patented clearview™ seating system was used to construct two 9,000+ seat (102m wide and 30m high) temporary grandstands situated in the North and South stands.

The huge two-storey buildings incorporated food and beverage outlets, toilets and officials and media rooms, with full working electrics and water.

As the LPGA Tour descended on Malaysia for The Sime Darby, Arena Middle East & Asia was contracted for the third year to provide extensive temporary event infrastructure at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC).

The best players in women’s golf fought it out in a tense competition, with Arena providing all grandstand seating, a 15m x 30m double decker hospitality structure with interior fit out and over 1,000sqm of structures for the public village.

Showcasing the flexibility and economical benefits of temporary infrastructure, a selection of structures are left in situ after the event and adapted for the CIMB Classic two weeks later.

The St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort was transformed by Arena Middle East & Asia as part of this year’s month-long Ramadan celebrations. The team was tasked with creating the ‘best Ramadan tent in Abu Dhabi’, with a luxurious high end finish in keeping with the hotel’s premier reputation and décor.

The intricate design process saw Arena adjoin a number of different structures around existing pillars and walls, as well as bespoke parts to incorporate the water feature and maximise seating capacity. The project included full interior fit out with air conditioning, furniture, custom-built archways and decor.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATE

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Global Events. Designed and Delivered.

PEOPLE NEWS

Arena UK & Europe CEO Grahame Muir donned his running shoes to take part in the prestigious Queen’s Baton Relay ahead of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Glasgow-born and raised, Grahame was supported along the route by colleagues and the cheering general public as the baton made its way through the streets of Glasgow ahead of the Opening Ceremony on 23rd July. Read about Arena Group’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games on pages 6-7.

Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200

As a result of rapid growth, Arena Group was ranked 58th in this year’s list. The group now has 19 offices globally.

SportsPro magazine’s Top 50 Companies Shaping Sport in 2014

The company was praised for its sustainable approach to stadium redevelopment, with the London 2012 Olympic Beach Volleyball stadium.

Double win at the Event Production Awards

Supplier of the Year award, and Innovation of the Year for the lightweight decking system Arena Deck.

Supplier of the Year at the Event Awards

In October this year Arena Group walked away with the coveted Supplier of the Year gong at the newly-rebranded Event Awards.

Kelly Baker, sales and marketing director of Arena Group’s Well Dressed Tables and Spaceworks Furniture Hire, part of Arena Group, has become President of the International Special Events Society (ISES) UK Chapter.

A board member of ISES for the last five years, Kelly now leads an 18-strong board, the largest to date and a signal of the growing influence and ambition of ISES UK.

Kelly said: “I’m very proud to have been selected and am dedicated to representing this creative industry and drive future growth and business opportunities.”

Arena Group’s specialist sports overlay division has expanded its capabilities with the appointment of Phil Harris as general manager and Mateus Fry as architect and design manager.

Harris and Fry join Joe O’Neill who continues to lead the team as international business development director, Marcela Caballero as international business development manager and Andreea Novak who oversees the smooth running of the company’s headquarters in London. The expansion includes the promotion of Nathan Pankhurst to head of overlay planning.

Left to right - Mateus Fry, Andreea Novak, Nathan Pankhurst, Joe O’Neill, Phil Harris, Marcela Caballero.

GRAHAME MUIR HITS THE ROAD FOR GLASGOW 2014

ACCOLADES AND AWARDS

KELLY BAKER ANNOUNCED AS NEW ISES PRESIDENT

LONDON OVERLAY TEAM EXPANDS

ARENA GROUP JOINS AGES INTERNATIONAL

Arena Group has joined the newly-established Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES), an organisation founded in June 2014 to act as a label for quality and reliability in temporary infrastructure provision for major events.

WINTER

Global Events. Designed and Delivered.

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Arena Group Needingworth Road St Ives Cambridgeshire PE27 3ND T. 01480 46 88 88 F. 01480 46 28 88 www.arenagroup.com info@arenagroup.com