Delegates, exhibitors and industry executives from every continent arrived in Warsaw
to take part in two days of networking, meetings and professional education at Stadia
Design & Technology 08 (SDT 08)
 The presentation programme covered
all aspects of stadium design and
technology, from finance, master
planning and construction, through
to retailing, ticketing and turf
systems.
Highlights included an update on the
new venues for Dallas Cowboys in the USA, and
Zenit St Petersburg in Russia. Ben Veenbrink,
a member of the UEFA Construction and
Management Panel, explained UEFA’s guidelines
on stadium construction and management in
expert detail.
Paul Biffen, sales and marketing
director of Lindley Catering UK, spoke on the
importance of getting catering right, while Nigel
Fletcher, FIFA’s artificial turf manager, presented
research into the benefits of artificial turf.
 Once the intensive business of the day was
completed, networking events were staged to
provide a more relaxed setting for visitors to
meet peers and make contacts. The Warsaw
Uprising Museum was the spectacular venue
for the first evening’s activities, a reminder of
the city’s troubled past and a testament to the
rebuilding that will see the country co-host
EURO 2012 along with Ukraine.
 The event proved a useful tool for stadium
managers and operators to meet a wide range of
suppliers and contractors in one place. With a
large number of delegates from clubs looking to
build new stadia, the whole event turned out to
be a great success for exhibitors.
For example, Intelligent Engineering reported
great interest in its Sandwich Plate System
Terraces. “We had some good leads and we’re in
conversation with some good businesses,” said
MD Andy Moss. Meanwhile, Immersive Solutions
displayed its e-ticketing system. “It was an excellent
introduction to the Polish and Ukrainian market in
view of EURO 2012 preparations,” said Immersive’s
Florence Maffrand.
With numerous visitors and exhibitors
expressing interest in returning to Warsaw for
Stadia Design & Technology 2009, the event has made a successful debut
on the international conference circuit. “This
was a fantastic launch for our new show. We
were delighted with the local support from the
Polish Football Association, Ekstraklasa –the
country’s professional league, the city of Warsaw
and all our local partners – they really got behind
the event and relished the opportunity to learn
from the global stadium sector,” said Ian Nuttall,
conference organiser. “But SDT 2008 was not
only about Poland and Ukraine – this was the
international event for our industry with over
550 attendees and no fewer than 40 new stadium
projects represented. We will be building on this
success for next year."
What they said:
“It’s been excellent – the conference has been really interesting and I’ve done lots of networking – we are right now in the stage of planning a new football stadium in Stockholm, so it’s been very useful to attend.”
Mats Grönlund, facility manager, Stockholm Global Arena, Sweden
“It’s been a real eye-opener for us – to come here and just see the scale of development going on in the industry and the range of people that are involved in the industry. It was definitely worth the trip from New Zealand and we look forward to coming back next year!”
Adam Feeley, chief executive, Eden Park Redevelopment Board, New Zealand
“It’s a great event and I have found it very useful for my professional knowledge, being able to meet the right people and share their experiences and discuss a lot of new topics that are very relevant to my role. I’m also here looking for technology suppliers and software companies because we want to equip our stadium with the best possible solutions.”
Alexander Atamenenko, operations director, Shakhtar Stadium, Ukraine
“It’s been an excellent gathering – it’s been great to share in the visions of so many people looking to develop great arenas for the 21st century. As operators, the key challenge facing us is how best to maximise the value of your stadium, and there have been some useful presentations on this subject.”
Malcolm Fraser, managing director, Aberdeen Football Club, UK
“We are here mainly because we are going to build a new 32,000-capacity stadium. I’ve been very surprised – I didn’t have a lot of expectation but so far I’m very, very satisfied. The speeches in particular have been very useful – it’s very, very important for us to hear what’s happening in New Zealand, the United States, in Europe, eastern Europe, South Africa – so overall it’s a great idea.”
Itamar Chizik, CEO Maccabi Haifa FC, Israel
“SDT has provided me with an excellent update on what’s going on in the stadium business, and allowed me to meet many furnishers and suppliers, as well as my colleagues from other stadia in Europe.”
Cedric Dufoix, stadium director, Olympique de Marseille FC, France
“This is the fourth Stadia event I have attended and once again the speeches and the networking has been very good.”
Ole Myhrvold, technical director, Norwegian FA
Who attended?
Click here to see who attended in 2008 |
