AusLeisure

Auckland venue Eden Park has won the ‘Best Community Integration’ award at the World Stadium Congress Awards presented in the Netherlands capital of Amsterdam last week.

New Zealand’s largest stadium was recognised for its engagement with ‘The Hood’, integrating community content and hosting community events at Eden Park.

Now in its fifth year, the World Stadium Congress Awards celebrates the game changers in the stadia industry.

The stadium has rolled out a variety of community initiatives over the past 12 months including ‘The Hood – Eden Park supporters’ club’, ‘Our Neighbourhood’ photography exhibition and ‘Mates on the Field’, the 100-year commemoration of The Battle of Broodseinde.

‘Our Neighbourhood’ - as the project was aptly named - celebrates Eden Park’s community and passion for sport through the eyes of its team, supporters, local businesses and neighbourhood.

Over 100 images captured by a local photographer, some as big as 3.6 metres wide, are displayed throughout Eden Park. It is the largest permanent exhibition of its kind in a major sports stadium.

Commemorative celebrations marking the 100-year anniversary of the Battle of Broodseinde were held at the stadium in October 2017. The ‘Mates on the Field’ tribute featured a giant poppy and 492 white crosses in honour of the New Zealand Army soldiers whose lives were lost in that battle.

Additionally, Eden Park’s enhanced engagement with the local community through ‘The Hood’ has delivered significant benefits to the community. A number of Eden Park’s partners have offered a range of prizes, including Resene and Master Painters New Zealand, who will ‘Paint a House in The Hood’ for one lucky family.

Eden Park has also recently appointed several local suppliers and contractors within the stadium’s supply chain to deliver an economic boost to a number of businesses in the area.

Eden Park Chief Executive Nick Sautner says the award further highlights the entire Eden Park team’s efforts to deliver outstanding events for the benefit of its immediate and wider community.

Sautner advised “Eden Park is for all of Auckland and New Zealand. We are committed to working with our neighbourhood and local business associations to maximise the benefits for the country and community.

“People have been buying in The Hood since 1903 to live in the area for the accessibility to domestic and world-class live events. This is no different to families buying homes in specific areas to gain access to school zones and for convenience to work and transport. The Hood has great schools, transport, cafes, restaurants and New Zealand’s national stadium.”

Last year Eden Park picked up the Business Award at the Australasian Leisure Management Awards as well as the EVANZ Ticketmaster Large Venue of the Year and Ticket Direct Supreme Venue of the Year awards.

Eden Park has also been nominated as a finalist in two categories of the 2018 TheStadiumBusiness Awards which will be presented in Manchester, United Kingdom on 12th June.

Images: Eden Park hosts the opening ceremony for the 2017 World Masters Games (top) and the venue hosting a recent wedding (below).

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Asking a small favour
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

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