Arena Seating improves view for hockey fans
The highest profile hockey tournament to be staged in this country for 20 years, The EuroHockey Nations Championship, took place over the summer. And with the top three men’s and women’s teams gaining automatic entry to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the stakes were high and demand for seats among spectators was hot.
Hosted by England Hockey, the national governing board for the sport, the event saw the installation of a temporary mini-arena at the official venue, Manchester’s Belle Vue Hockey Centre. Seating specialists Arena Seating were brought in to supply the infrastructure and maximize viewing opportunities.
The company installed 4,000 seats, some of them covered, plus wheelchair areas, some 20 press positions for journalists and commentators, camera platforms and a video viewing platform for the competitors themselves.
“It wasn’t a standard project,” says Arena Seating’s project manager, Tony Sainsbury. “We were building on banks, around lighting pillars and the water canon that they use to water the pitches. We were the first supplier on site and started about 10 days before the event. This gave them time to mount all the branding and advertising. The installation went well and the client was really pleased.”