Turnkey event company, Arena Group designed and installed temporary infrastructure for the 14th edition of the Women’s Hockey World Cup, hosted at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.
The venue capacity was transformed with the addition of two temporary grandstands, which included bespoke structures that tripled the seating capacity to match the increased ticketing demands of the event.
Commenting on Arena’s contribution, England Hockey CEO Sally Munday commented: “The team has done a great job for us, with a challenging build at one end. We would have no hesitation in using Arena again or in recommending them to others.”
Arena Project Director Terry Smith said: “Delivering this world-class temporary stadium is the culmination of a four-year collaboration leading up to this World Cup. This long-term approach really allowed us to find the best solution and make the most of the clients’ budget.”
Terry continued: “We designed and installed a custom fit configuration that created a temporary stadium giving every member of the audience a fantastic view of the action. It was important that we increased the capacity of the venue using temporary grandstands and infrastructure with a cost-effective solution. This is an ideal model for venues that host regular events with smaller audiences that need to drastically increase their capacity for specific events. This is a challenge Arena takes in its stride and relishes.”
Despite the challenging hot weather conditions, remarkably, the temporary stadia took only a month to build with Arena’s Graham Bowman as site manager overseeing a crew of between 20 and 30 highly skilled Arena staff. The impressive stadium was a result of a four-year working contract between England Hockey and Arena.
Both parties, along with CSM Live and Lee Valley grew and learnt about the needs of the event and venue as they worked together on tournaments such as the European Hockey Championship and the Investec Hockey Cup.
Arena Group was proud to supply the BT Sport TV studio, video screen support structures, accessible viewing platforms, camera platforms and broadcast cable bridges to ensure the venue was pristine for the media attention the event would bring.
Sally Munday concluded: “Arena have been world class in supporting us in delivering a stadium befitting a memorable World Cup for the fans and players. Terry and the team brought us the experience and expertise that gave us confidence at all times and supported in the delivery of a highly successful Women’s Hockey World Cup event that will be remembered for years to come!”
