Using Ticketing3D’s virtual reality technology, Atlético Madrid has officially begun the move to their new stadium for the 2017-2018 season.

The relocation process began in June with club members applying online and requesting groups of up to 10 seats for family or friends at any location inside the stadium.

Through a 3D recreation of the new stadium, fans can experience the full panoramic view from the stands and every individual seat.

Although members cannot yet choose their exact seat, the club is assigning specific days and times for each group of members based on seniority between July 2016 and February 2017. This will be followed by a process that utilises a waiting list for non-members as well.

During just the first day of the virtual tour release, more than 25,000 fans visited the club’s web page to watch the video at https://nuevoestadiovirtualatleticodemadrid.com/.

Atletico Madrid’s current home ground, the Vicente Calderón stadium, has a capacity of 55,000. From the 2017/2018 season, the team will be playing in the rebuilt Estadio Olímpico de Madrid, also known as La Peineta, with a capacity of around 67,000 and a broader price range for tickets. Fans can see the different prices for each sector through Ticketing3D technology.

This new transfer process provided by Ticketing3D allows for a significantly faster and more efficient member-relocation process, in addition to offering an enhanced overall experience for the fans.

As well as hosting matches for the first team, the stadium will look to host the finals of national and European competitions.

The new stadium is designed to meet the highest standards of comfort, security and visibility. In order to access and enjoy the seats in the most satisfactory way, the distance between the rows has been increased.

More suitable accesses for disabled fans have also been set up. The location of the vomitoriums and the control of the traffic inside the stadium ensures the maximum safety for the spectators.

Ticketing3Ds clients also include Manchester City, Wembley Stadium, ATP Madrid Open, FC Barcelona, Liceu theatre and many more.

For more information visit http://ticketing3d.com/atleticomadrid

Building on a relationship dating back over over 26 years with The Jockey Club, Arena Group has been awarded a three year contract to supply Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom Downs and Newmarket racecourses with temporary structures, interior design , furniture and tableware, spectator seating and scaffolding to the most notable dates in the equestrian calendar.

Ian Sidgwick, Group Purchasing Director, The Jockey Club, said: “Arena Group has worked closely with Jockey Club Racecourses over several years, advising on and delivering temporary environments.  They support us in continuously raising the bar with new ideas to get the best value from our budgets, with flexibility to change their infrastructure to best suit our needs. I’m confident they will continue to help us exceed the hospitality expectations of both our brand sponsors and event guests alike.”

The contract provides additional scope and  comes after a record year including Arena Structures installing the largest triple deck hospitality temporary structure in the world totalling 125m long and spanning 12,400sqm, along the home straight at The Festival – Jump Racing’s equivalent of the Olympics, staged at Cheltenham Racecourse.

Arena Group also proved pivotal in supporting The Jockey Club’s transformation of this year’s Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, with the installation of more than 7,750sqm of temporary structures complete with bespoke interior fit out, and more than 5,000 tiered grandstand seats offering prime visibility for the revered racing. Arena Group will be the exclusive provider at this event.

Grahame Muir, CEO Arena UK & Europe commented: “We are delighted to announce the further extension of our already excellent relationship with Jockey Club racecourses over the next three years. At Arena Group we pride ourselves with delivering temporary infrastructure of the highest standard to the most prestigious sporting venues and events in the UK, and this contract win is testament to the value, forward-thinking innovation and expertise we bring to clients. We look forward to further pushing the boundaries of customer experience with improved facilities, technology and bespoke design.”

Bristol Rovers’ Memorial Stadium has an expanded capacity with two new look stands designed and installed by Arena Seating for the 2016/17 season.

The use of Arena’s demountable, or semi-permanent, seating systems meant the Club’s upgrades could be achieved quickly and economically.

Following consecutive promotions from Conference Premiership and League 2, the club was taken over by the Al Qadi family in February this year, and has since enjoyed an impressive third promotion into League 1. With the team performing well on the pitch the demand for tickets is up and the new owners have invested in upgrading the aging ground.

In line with advice from the local City Council and the Safety Advisory Group, the club took the decision to lower the control room at the cost of about £10,000 to the football club, enabling a 20 per cent increase in capacity.

“I have dealt with Arena Seating for 18 years, so there is a lot of trust and understanding between us. Their director Bradley Merchant is absolutely superb for this football club, he has always looked after us,” said Ian Holtby, Stadium General Manager.

“Arena have always made themselves available, given fantastic service and been a professional company from start to finish.”

Arena Seating’s in-house CAD design and structural engineering teams combined to ensure the plans were fully approved by the clients and local licensing authorities before the South Stand was totally refurbished and given a 20 per cent expansion in capacity from 850 to 1,056 seats. On the adjacent corner a smaller South West Stand was also installed by Arena, adding 360 seats and taking the ground’s capacity to 12,300.

Success on the pitch means Bristol Rovers has the opportunity to accommodate increased demand.

“Let’s be honest, this is an old, antiquated stadium, so Arena have once again been a very valuable part in upgrading the facilities we can offer,” said Holtby.

“We have also got 18 executive boxes and we have sold all of those, the new owners are probably spending in the region of another £100,000 to make good those facilities.

“With the new stadium plans well underway we are only planning on being here for two years all being well, and obviously we need to maximise the facilities we have, not just on a normal Rovers match day but also non-match day for conferences, meetings, weddings, banquets – that’s what we are looking to achieve. Fingers crossed we get there!”

Tickets went on sale on Friday 9 September for the Le Gruyère European Curling Championships, which will see the home ground of ice hockey team Braehead Clan transformed into a five sheet curling rink.

More than 25 nations are descending on Scotland for one of the biggest sporting events of the year, which takes place in Renfrewshire on the outskirts of Glasgow from 19-26 November.

“We can’t wait to bring the European Curling Championships to this venue with its great reputation for spectator ice sports,” said Susan Murrin, Event Manager for the 2016 European Curling Championships.

“Braehead Clan are renowned for their passionate following and exciting on ice displays and curling is no different with its intense competition and precision play. We look forward to staging an event here to remember and hope that everyone will enjoy a week of top flight sporting action.”

The Le Gruyère European Curling Championships will form part of EventScotland’s International Events Programme and UK Sport’s Major Event Programme and is supported by funding partners Renfrewshire Council, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and The Royal Caledonian Curling Club.

“The European Curling Championships will see the finest players from across the continent and some of the world’s highest-ranked nations visit Scotland in November, providing a fantastic spectacle for fans at the intu Braehead Arena,” said Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events.

“We are delighted to support the event through EventScotland’s International Funding Programme and, following the success of both our men’s and women’s teams in recent years, we are confident there will be strong interest in tickets across the country for what promises to be a thrilling week of action on the ice.”

As well as crowning the European Champions in curling for both men and women, the event will determine qualification for the World Curling Championships in 2017, forming the pathway to Olympic qualification and the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Scotland’s representatives for the 2016 championships will be decided in October. Elite curlers vying for a place in Team Scotland include former European Champions and Olympic medallists Eve Muirhead and David Murdoch.

“We have regular sell-out crowds for our home games and the atmosphere in the arena is electric,” said Gareth Chalmers, Hockey & Operations Director at Braehead Clan.

“We’re sure that sports fans will enjoy watching the curling action up close and wish the European Championships every success.”

John Langford is joining AEG as Vice President and General Manager of The O2 in London on 1 November. The move follows three years as Director of Live Entertainment at The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow, including The SSE Hydro arena.

Shortly after starting the new role he will be speaking at Host City 2016, the leading conference and exhibition for cities and sports, cultural and business events. He will be speaking on November 22 in Glasgow on the subject of “Creating Entertaining Experiences for Visitors” alongside other global leaders in staging major events.

Leading the team at The O2, Langford will be responsible for the overall operational management, commercial delivery, event booking and content creation at the London venue as well as setting the vision and strategy. Reporting directly to AEG Europe’s SVP Facilities, Richard Krezwick, he takes over as the venue approaches its tenth birthday in 2017.

John Langford also sits on the board of the European Arenas Association.

"With John’s knowledge of the music and entertainment business world and his proven track record in the venue management business, I know he’ll do a fantastic job,” said Krezwick. “John inherits a tremendously talented team at The O2 which will certainly make for a seamless transition and a bright future ahead.”

Langford’s leadership was pivotal in transforming The SSE Hydro into one of the world’s leading entertainment venues, during which time the arena significantly added to group profitably and economic impact for the City of Glasgow.  Prior to the SECC, he spent seven years as Chief Operating Officer at BIG Concerts International, Africa’s premier concert promoter and previously at senior management roles in the commercial radio industry.

“I am incredibly excited to be joining the team at AEG and The O2,” he said.

“I have always admired the impact that The O2 has on the live entertainment industry and I am greatly honoured that I can play a part in the future growth of this iconic venue.  I will miss my colleagues at the SECC tremendously and I wish them well as their incredibly successful journey continues.”

According to AEG, The O2 is the world’s most popular music and entertainment venue. Since opening in 2007, it has been visited by more than 60 million people and picked up awards including: Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards, Venue of the Year at the Event Awards, Venue of the Year at the AEO Awards, Pollstar International Arena of the Year (nine consecutive years), Venue Team of the Year at the Event Awards, Best New Major Concert Venue, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.

In addition to the arena, The O2 is also home to indigo at The O2, a live performance space; an 11-screen Cineworld complex; Up at The O2 – an experience that allows visitors to walk across the roof of The O2; Brooklyn Bowl - a 12-lane bowling alley, 800 capacity live music space and 130 cover restaurant, and The Avenue, which features 26 bars and restaurants.

Read the exclusive Host City interview with John Langford here.

As the world convenes in Brazil for the excitement of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: Dow), the Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Games and Official Carbon Partner of Rio 2016, is proud to provide innovative, science-based solutions for one of the most respected and prestigious global events. Celebrating 60 years of presence in the region, Dow is involved in more than 20 projects connected to the Games, spanning from field-of-play technologies to venue construction, transportation, city infrastructure, and carbon mitigation.

“With our knowledge and broad portfolio of solutions, Dow is demonstrating how science can power the world of sports,” said Louis A. Vega, Dow global vice president of Olympic & Sports Solutions. “Our technologies are present in all key competition clusters for the Rio 2016 Games, as well as the city’s extended infrastructure. As the Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Games, we are able to address the needs of organizers, athletes, media and spectators in order to help make the Rio 2016 Games a success.”

With solutions incorporated throughout numerous Olympic venues, Dow is proud to mark 60 years of operation in Brazil and further expand its business in a highly strategic and important region.

Field-of-Play Technologies

• Rio 2016’s hockey competition at the Deodoro Park is being played on a high performance innovative synthetic turf system which uses DOWLEX™ linear low density polyethylene resins in the yarns as well as Dow’s polyurethanes technologies for the backing of the carpet.
• Dow Plastic resins were utilized in the pipes from the draining and irrigation system underneath the natural grass pitch of Maracanã stadium, venue of the Opening and Closing ceremonies and key football matches. Additionally, Dow technologies were used in flooring applications and waterproofing systems for concrete and metal structures within the stadium.

Athletes’ Village

• Construction chemicals and paints formulated with coating technologies from Dow were used in buildings in the Athletes’ Village to provide beautiful, long-lasting protection and finishing.
• The 28 modular water tanks will help provide a reliable water supply system for athletes, coaches, officials and referees participating in the Games were manufactured with resins from Dow’s Propylene Glycol.
• More sustainable waterborne acrylic epoxy road markings were applied on bike lanes inside and around the Village in the neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca, as well as at the iconic Copacabana beach.
• Athletes from 200+ countries competing in Rio will sleep on comfortable, mattresses made with polyurethane technology from Dow.

Olympic Park

• Dow Wire and Cable technologies provide protection and durability to the energy and data cables installed at venues including the Olympic Tennis Centre, Olympic Aquatics Stadium and the Main Press Centre/International Broadcast Centre (MPC/IBC) complex, where media tell the stories of Rio 2016 to billions of fans.
• The IBC building also features Dow technologies in the Exterior Insulation and Finishing Systems (EIFS) panels of the building façade. This innovative system enabled completion of the façade in 30 days, while standard technologies take up to six months to be installed.

Infrastructure solutions in and around Rio

• The roof at the city’s novel Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanhã) is protected with 100% acrylic resin to provide waterproofing and exterior durability to this iconic structure. In addition, the reflective roof helps keep the building up to five degrees cooler.
• Flooring solutions and polyurethane insulation panels from Dow were utilized in the major renovation that took place at Viracopos International Airport in Campinas, São Paulo, one of the main cargo transportation hubs for the Games.
• On the most important road connecting Rio to São Paulo, Rodovia Presidente Dutra, road marking solutions based on Dow’s FASTRACK™ coatings technologies provide reliable pavement markings.
• DLP™ and WALOCEL™ solutions for adhesive mortar were utilized in some of Rio's new hotels, as well as in the Olympic Park and Athletes' Village.

“From infrastructure solutions to an innovative carbon mitigation program, we are excited to showcase our technologies in Brazil and share our successes with our customers and partners on a global stage,” said Fabian Gil, president of Dow Latin America. “Rio 2016 marks the 60th anniversary of Dow Brazil and also inaugurates a new chapter of meaningful collaborations and business success for the Company across the region.”

This article was contributed by Dow. For more information on their artificial turf at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, visit www.dow.com/artificialturfsolutions/rio

Global event supplier Arena Group has bought Hong Kong based event production company Ironmonger Marquees, to create Arena Hong Kong, extending its Asian capabilities with a new office and hub in Northern Asia.

Ironmonger Marquees was introduced to Arena Group in 2015, when the companies collaborated on the Art Central project in Hong Kong.

Tom Evans, Managing Director of Arena Asia said: “We worked very well together, identifying a shared ethos of giving our clients the best possible event space.

Arena Group acquired Malaysian company Asia Tent International for £3.5m in June 2013.

“Arena Middle East and Asia Tents Arena work hand in glove serving the growing events market in North Asia and identified Ironmonger as an ideal acquisition to help grow the Arena brand in the region,” said Evans. 

Key Ironmonger Marquee contracts that have been delivered recently include the Cathay Pacific HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, European Tour (HK Golf Open), IMG’s Taste Food Festival and shortly to be delivered by Arena Hong Kong, the new Formula E Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

Rob Derry, Arena Hong Kong Managing Director said: “Arena Group has the expertise that has seen it deliver the finest events in the world, which gives us a huge knowledge and skill base to draw on, coupled with the finest structures inventory in the world, so our Hong Kong clients will see a vast expansion in type and quality of equipment available.”

“The success of the Arena/Ironmonger Marquee collaboration over the past 18 months means that Arena Hong Kong launches as the number one event design and delivery business for major events by market share in Hong Kong. Global brands coming into Hong Kong now have a proven world class delivery partner they can trust to create their event spaces.”

Paul Berger, CEO of Arena Middle East and Asia said: “We are delighted to welcome Rob and the Ironmonger team to the Arena Middle East and Asia division and also to the Arena Group. Hong Kong is an important marketplace for the events industry and strategically very important for Arena Group to have a strong presence. Our focus is to grow our footprint in North Asia, as the region builds up to hosting the Olympic Games in 2020.”

Marathons in cities such as Valencia, Berlin, Frankfurt, New York, Linz and Vienna are major attractions and a mainstay in many a runner's calendar. Organisers make these sporting events highly memorable, with flexible infrastructure enabling athletes and spectators to take in the most scenic and historical attractions alongside a programme of entertainment.
In the Divina Pastora Marathon, taking place in the Spanish city of Valencia each November, competitors run the final 200 meters on the water for an unforgettable home stretch, cheered on by spectators. This experience is made possible by NUSSLI laying down 2,000 sq m of running track in the water in front of the Museum in the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. 
There are also event structures for spectators, including a grandstand with 1,000 seats, plus platforms for VIPs and the media and a stage for concerts and shows — all built in the water.
Public races are a great way of enabling a large number of people to truly experience a city or region. In Linz, more than 100,000 fans cheered competitors on last April. In New York it is estimated that there are more than two million spectators each year. 
In order to offer competitors and spectators the most engaging experience possible, organisers not only choose routes with breath-taking scenery but also provide an entertainment programme.

Vienna City Marathon
Vienna’s impressive marathon route takes runners past UN skyscrapers, over the Danube and through the Prater Park – all to the sound of waltzes by Strauss. Spectators get to experience everything up close, thanks to three 500-person standing grandstands set up by NUSSLI along the running route.
In last year’s Vienna City Marathon there were also special sponsor structures. These included a roofed 4 m high 72 sq m platform on which sponsor OMV provided guests with catering and a great view of the race; and Coca Cola’s 6 m high and 4 by 4 m wide tower surrounded by a winding staircase.
NUSSLI developed a flexible, high-quality system for branding the facades of these and other sponsor structures. Giant images displayed advertising messages on the sides of the structures. Printed sheets of mesh fabric were stretched over piping rails and looked great even up close. 
The difficulty was not getting event structures to look good, but being able to build them in the first place. Since 2016, the finish area has been located directly on the Ringstrasse between the town hall and the Burgtheater in Vienna's city centre. The Ringstrasse is one of Vienna's busiest streets with car and bicycle lanes, as well as several lines for trams that pass by every minute. 
"The assembly team had to build up to a distance of 20 cm from the street trams. Full concentration and attentiveness were required at all times," Gerfried Salzer, the NUSSLI project manager says. 
"Furthermore, it also meant that we could only set up from behind, where we had very little space to manoeuvre due to the tents, containers, equipment, and toilet installations."

A stadium for the triathlon
Beautiful surroundings attract more participants, which is why triathlons often take place in areas with spectacular scenery.
The DATEV Challenge in Roth, Bavaria, Germany is the biggest long-distance triathlon in the world. The challenge of a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bicycle race, and a 42.2 km run drew 5,300 competitors and attracted 200,000 spectators last year. The best finished in less than eight hours. 
Once again, there was a wide range of entertainment programmes for athletes and spectators. 
NUSSLI builds a complete stadium each year for the shows before and after the triathlon, and for the finish area itself. Called the Rother Triathlon Park, it houses 3,000 seats for spectators and the media, a stage, a big screen, sound, light, and camera towers, and a catering area. 
This is where shows, concerts, and prize presentations take place. It is also the athletes' final goal. Last year, there were a thousand participants and more than a quarter of a million enthusiastic fans.
 

This article, written by Nussli, appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Host City magazine.

A precision data logging system for track and field athletes that facilitates daily training diagnostics without costly technical installations – that's Polytan SmarTracks, the new addition to the Polytan product range. 
The system consists in the interplay of three components: magnetic timing gates built invisibly into the track; a waist-belt with sensor; and tried-and-tested analysis software. 
Not only can this special technology be used to record the movement data of several athletes simultaneously, its diagnostic capabilities also go far beyond simple time measurement. 
In conjunction with the fast and optimally cushioned Polytan synthetic sports surface, the sophisticated sensor technology lays the foundation for optimal training conditions in all performance classes, from school and recreational sports to elite sports. 
The technology has been developed by humotion, a company specialising in the capture and analysis of human movement data. The easy-to-operate data logging system is suitable for all outdoor synthetic surfaces from Polytan and can also be retrospectively incorporated into existing athletics facilities with ease. 
Its use in sports halls is currently in the development phase as components made of iron and steel may interfere with the magnetic field of timing gates in certain circumstances. The properties of the subsoil should also be tested prior to outdoor installation for the same reason. 
Compared with other time recording systems such as photoelectric sensors, GPS analysis and video analysis, the winning features of Polytan SmarTracks are low measuring tolerances, full protection against vandalism, a complete lack of dependence on weather conditions and no time-consuming setup and dismantling of technical equipment. 
Polytan provides "Professional", "Performance", "Basic", "Sprint" and "School" standard facility concepts in order to simplify training diagnostics, although individual training plans can of course also be taken into account. 
The Polytan SmarTracks solution gives clubs and organisations an opportunity to provide professional training conditions – and thus make their sports facilities more attractive to members and sponsors. The advantages for coaches and athletes are twofold: a comprehensive training analysis with a diagnostic procedure but without the need for a diagnostician, and the ability to compare their performance with that of other athletes in competition conditions. 
The movement data are captured by the timing gates in the ground and the sensor, which weighs just 24 g, worn on the body. Speed, step length, step frequency and jump height are recorded as well as running time. This is made possible by humotion's highly developed sensor technology with three-dimensional data capture, which actually consists of a number of intelligent individual sensors rather than a single one. 
Two round magnetic elements (600 mm long and 25 mm thick) are sunk into the ground at intervals of 1.0-1.30 m to form a timing gate. The upper end of the magnetic elements lies no more than 25 mm beneath the upper edge of the synthetic surface. One track needs two magnetic elements, two tracks need three, three tracks four and so on. Polytan recommends a minimum distance of 3 m between the photoelectric sensors in the running direction. 

Versatility in action
The first reference project with SmarTracks technology was implemented in Osnabrück in August 2008. A system on the site of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster has likewise been in daily use for a few years. 
Andreas Klose, who is a research associate at the Institute of Sport Sciences at WWU Münster, a physiotherapist and a high-jumper, says of his experience with the facility: “For me, Polytan SmarTracks has proven its worth in everyday use. The technology does not depend on the weather; it is versatile and can be activated in no time at all. The small and manageable sensor delivers all the data I need in order to diagnose performance as a basis for training recommendations. I also use the system to log my own performances." 
The third athletics facility with Polytan SmarTracks is due for completion at the training ground of the TSV GutsMuths Berlin 1861 e.V. sports club in early 2016. Like the one in Münster, it has magnetic timing gates built into the fast and optimally cushioned Polytan M sports surface. The fourth one is planned for Hamburg.

This article appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Host City magazine

During the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games the Future Arena will host the handball events and be packed with 12,000 spectators. When the Games are over its structure will be dismantled and used in the construction of four state schools for two thousand children in the city of Rio de Janeiro. 
Three schools will be constructed in Barra da Tijuca and one in Maracanã - each accommodating 500 students – as part of a US$77m legacy project.
The brief for the handball arena was to build something that would contribute to the city of Rio beyond the 2016 Olympic Games. A first for the Olympics, the venue will make use of an innovative technique called "nomadic architecture", thus ensuring that even a temporary structure can leave a lasting legacy. 
The arena will be dismantled and the components transported to four separate locations to be rebuilt into state schools. The main elements that will be reused are the roof, rainscreen cladding, main structural steel elements and disabled ramps, which will form the shells of the four schools. The open nature of the rainscreen and external ramp that create the distinctive architecture of the arena will be recognisable in the new schools. 
UK-based firm AndArchitects led by Rio-based practice Lopes, Santos & Ferreira Gomes provided the design for the handball arena. AndArchitects’ experience with six temporary buildings at London 2012 helped them jointly win the bid for this ground-breaking project. 
Careful thought was given to what materials and systems of construction would allow this transition with minimal wasted material. The schools were designed simultaneously with the arena. The grid for the floor plates and the roof were all designed from the outset for both buildings so that the panels on the façade and on the floor and roof could be easily relocated in order for the modules to work for both buildings.
After the Games, once the arena has been converted into schools, the students will be reminded of their schools’ role in the Olympic Games. One idea that is being reviewed is that the names of the stars of the Brazilian team are engraved onto the cladding of the building and these names will remain on the walls of the classroom to inspire students.