EDDIE IZZARD
SM_issue4_2015
SM_issue4_2015
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SPORTS STRUCTURES<br />
Rooms at the Southampton<br />
Hilton Hotel overlook the<br />
pitch at Ageas Bowl<br />
FLEXIBLE DESIGNS<br />
As sports venues look to use the space available to them more efficiently, suppliers are<br />
answering the call and delivering innovative and flexible structures and solutions<br />
TOM WALKER, SPORTS MANAGEMENT<br />
Project: New seating system for Manchester Arena<br />
By: Audience Systems<br />
Manchester Arena is, according to<br />
US-based Billboard magazine, the<br />
world’s third busiest multi-use<br />
venue – behind Madison Square Garden<br />
in New York and London’s O2. As well<br />
as concerts, it hosts a hectic schedule<br />
of sports – ranging from WWE wrestling<br />
and boxing to BMX, basketball, netball<br />
and ice hockey. The SMG-operated venue<br />
attracted 1.05 million attendees across 122<br />
events during 2014.<br />
After nearly 20 years of busy use, the<br />
arena’s seating system was in need of<br />
replacing. To ensure that the arena would<br />
keep (and where possible, improve) on its<br />
flexible seating system, SMG appointed<br />
The system has added capacity and flexibility to one of the world’s busiest indoor venues<br />
Audience Systems – which had installed<br />
the original seating – for the project.<br />
Due to the arena’s busy schedule, the<br />
refurbishment programme had to be<br />
organised around events and functions,<br />
requiring forensic project management<br />
and coordination between arena staff and<br />
suppliers. In just 44 days the arena was<br />
cleared, cleaned and refitted with 28 new<br />
retractable systems and 11,600 new chairs.<br />
The chairs were fitted with a protective<br />
plastic panels to protect upholstery and to<br />
increase durability.<br />
New, improved engineering systems<br />
allowed Audience Systems to reconfigure<br />
the retractable units in order to increase<br />
the number of seats in the arena by 345,<br />
meaning increased revenue potential. An<br />
additional 5,551 chairs are also on hand for<br />
configurations which need seat flooring.<br />
Audience Systems’ sales director,<br />
Gary Pillinge, said: “This has been a really<br />
complex job, but one with amazing results.<br />
Having installed nearly 12,000 seats, on a<br />
mixture of fixed tiering and 28 retractable<br />
units – while taking into account the need<br />
for slick transitions between set ups –<br />
meant it was a challenging project.”<br />
76<br />
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2015 © Cybertrek 2015
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