Liverpool is a city best known for music and sport, being home to the Beatles, two Premier league sides in the form of the newly crowned champions, Liverpool Football Club, and local derby rivals Everton Football Club, as well as M&S bank Arena (part of an event campus that includes ACC Liverpool and exhibition Centre Liverpool), and Aintree Racecourse.
Liverpool Football Club’s famous Anfield stadium, which will host the 2020 edition of ALSD international – Europe’s leading event for the premium Seat and Hospitality market – stands like a guardian, proudly enjoying over the city below it.
Commenting on the hosting of the ALSD international conference at Anfield, Paul Cuttill, Vice president – stadium Operations, Liverpool Football Club, said:
We’re thrilled to host the annual ALSD international conference at Anfield stadium in October this year and showcase the home of Liverpool Football Club. We are looking forward welcoming colleagues and delegates from across the premium seat and hospitality market for what promises to be an exciting and informative event.
The world-famous club, owned by Fenway sports Group, completed a major redevelopment of its main Stand back in 2017 and is now seeking to potentially transform the Anfield road Stand.
LFC’s new main Stand has won lots of awards and accolades, including for best ‘Interior & fit Out’; with judges commenting on how the new concourses highlighted both excellence and advancement in design, creating visually impactful sustainable options that were not only efficient in guiding fans, but also reinforced Liverpool FC’s popular brand.
The development forms part of a Liverpool City Council led regeneration of the broader Anfield area, with the masterplan including a major residential improvement programme, plus a new Planit-IE created public realm space, which runs behind the main Stand and links Walton Breck road to the south to the historic Stanley Park to the north, all of which is now complete.
The capacity of Anfield’s new main Stand has boosted from 12,200 to over 20,500, making it the largest capacity single stand in the country
New-look main Stand
The new setting has allowed the main Stand to look outwards as well as inwards, and this in turn has generated opportunities to build a commemorative garden for the relocated Hillsborough Memorial at the heart of the ground, and an attractive non-match day environment for the local community.
The capacity of the main Stand has boosted from 12,200 to over 20,500 seats, making it the largest capacity single stand in the country. The existing lower tier retains general admission (GA) seats but also includes new hospitality and box seats to the rear, whilst the new middle tier supplies additionally hospitality seats and the new upper tier a additionally 8,000 GA seats.
Whilst the expanded main Stand is a big statement, visible from miles around, and the additional seating adds another dimension to the special Anfield matchday experience, it still feels like it is part of the ground as a whole, and the architecture and interior spaces reinforce the concept of a premium stand in an sincere and sympathetic way that reflects the values of the Club and its supporters.
Expansion Plans
The next project the club has in its sights is a proposed reimagining of the Anfield road Stand. Local residents, representatives, services and supporters have all been invited to review Liverpool FC’s updated plans, which have been reshaped based on the feedback received in the initial stage of public consultation held in December last year.
During the first stage, a lot more than 800 actions were received. The majority of the feedback was positive and supportive of the club’s vision, along with some constructive feedback from local residents on the impact of the proposed closure of a section of Anfield Road. Based on this feedback, the club’s second-stage plans now see Anfield road realigned around the footprint of the proposed expanded stand, demonstrating the value of the public consultation process and the club’s commitment to the local community.
The club has also progressed discussions on the design and configuration of the proposed refurbished stand. An outline of the number of GA seats within the stand would be 5,200, with around 1,800 lounge/sports bar-style hospitality.
The second stage of public consultation saw three public drop-in events take place at Anfield between February 12 and 24, supplying residents, services and fans a additionally opportunity to see the updated plans, ask questions and supply feedback before a planning application is submitted to Liverpool City Council.
Liverpool FC is bringing together its first team and academy operations together on one site in a new elite training campus. Image, courtesy: KSS
New training Ground
On top of all of this, progress also continues apaceahead of the completion of Liverpool FC’s KSS created training Centre in Kirkby this summer.
The state-of-the-art training complex will bring together Liverpool’s first team and Academy operations together for the first time in the club’s history.
The new 9,200sqm training centre creates a combined first team and U23 Academy facility, each of which has their own identity, along with new first-team pitches and vehicle parking within the site. The facilities will incorporate two gyms, a full-size sports hall, pool, hydrotherapy complex and specialist sports rehabilitation suites. There will also be dedicated TV studios, press conference facilities and office accommodation.
Everton Football Club
Situated the other side of Stanley Park sits the home ground of Everton Football Club, Goodison Park.
The city’s other English Premier league side invested in a major restoration project last year, which saw the improvement of the stadium’s hospitality lounges, with all of the suites and event spaces refreshed and upgraded.
The new-look Brian Labone Lounge at Everton Football Club’s Goodison Park is just one of the lots of premium space transformations embarked on by the club and its in-house caterer, Sodexo
Work on all nine hospitality lounges took place during last year’s close season, with a full improvement of the lounge appearances, along with updates to audio-visual equipment, all completed ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Ahead of the Club’s proposed step to Bramley-Moore Dock, subject to planning approval, the multi-million pound investment has improved matchday facilities for Members, while showcasing and testing new concepts, which the Club could look to take forward into a new stadium.
Oliver Wright, Head of Hospitality and Sales at Everton, said prior to the project’s commencement:
This project will help us bring Goodison Park’s hospitality offer up to a level which reflects the ambitions of the Club. The refurbishments to all our lounges will enhance the experience for members and demonstrate what our technique to hospitality at a new stadium could be like.
Hospitality Lounges at Goodison Park have, and continue to be, sold out for a number of seasons and the step to Bramley-Moore Dock will enable the Club to additionally expand its hospitality offering.
Wright added:
The exciting new concepts we have created are uniquely Everton and will be a test bed for themes as well as an opportunity to expand the appeal of our hospitality experiences in the future.
The Club worked with 2M2 Studio, the architectural firm responsible for delivering the first-class facilities at the royal Liver building for the designs of all nine hospitality lounges at Goodison Park.
Ahead of Everton’s proposed step to Bramley-Moore Dock, the recent multi-million pound investment at Goodison Park has improved matchday facilities for Members, while showcasing and testing new concepts which the Club could look to take forward into a new stadium. Image, courtesy: Everton FC
Dan Meis of MEIS Architects is the designer in charge of bringing the club’s vision for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock to reality; all of which attendees at the 2020 edition of ALSD international will get to see and hear first-hand, with a excursion of the enhanced premium spaces at Goodison Park, as well as an update on the new stadium project, all planned.
The start of construction work on Everton FC’s new stadium later this year could help improve economic confidence in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. director of the northern Powerhouse Partnership, Henri Murison, believes the project will kick-start the economy in the Merseyside region and beyond.
Murison said that a new Everton stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock has a crucial part to play in the future of the northern economy, especially in the aftermath of Coronavirus (COVID-19):
Clearly the priority is protecting people’s health but you will have seen what the chancellor said about how we keep the economy going and there are significant projects like the stadium in north Liverpool which will make a big difference to the economy, not just in Liverpool but the broader north. Investments like this will unlock real economic potential.
If we can control the virus while keeping the economy going then yes, government investment will keep us going in the next few months but there is absolutely a role for mega-projects like this. The economic value of this development is significant in the construction phase but the economic value it will generate all through the year, not just when football is being played, is the reason why it is so important.
M&S bank Arena
Sodexo has made a major investment into M&S bank Arena Liverpool to enhance the customer experience.
Centerplate UK Limited, a subsidiary of the Sodexo Group, supports the ACC Liverpool group with retail, catering and hospitality services.
Sodexo has made a major investment into M&Sbank Arena Liverpool to enhance the customer experience
Three new catering units have been installed, six existing kiosks have been revamped and new menus have been introduced to supply greater choice to customers and to improve the speed of service in the arena.
Each new food offer has been inspired by and named after an historic Liverpool dock, with concepts including South seafood – influenced by fisherman’s dock South Ferry basin – and Prince’s Chicken, named after Prince’s Dock which brought exotic spices from the Caribbean.
Tom Beauchamp, Sodexo development chef UK & Ireland, has created new menus, which have been specially adapted depending on the event, as he explained:
Our versatile new food using will include items such as chilli and lime chicken wings, sticky sriracha beef ribs, and classic pizzas. Menus will also be tailored to the shows that our customers have come to see, so for example for Mrs Brown’s kids we used menus with an Irish theme. We are passionate about supplying terrific tasting food and are thrilled to be able to offer a much broader menu for customers before they head into the arena to take pleasure in a performance.
Drinks options have also been improved to include a large range of draft beers, IPA and ciders for those who are seeking liquid refreshment. meal deal options have been created to allow customers to take pleasure in a full dining and drinking experience.
Sodexo has worked closely with the ACC Liverpool group to carry out these changes.
Ben Williams, commercial Director, The ACC Liverpool Group, is one of 50+ experts to speak at ALSD International
Ben Williams, commercial director at the ACC Liverpool Group – who is one of the 50+ industry expert speakers taking part in the ALSD international conference – operator of M&S bank Arena, said:
We want all our visitors to Camiseta Real Madrid have a wonderful experience when they come to enjoy a show at M&S bank Arena, which must start as soon as they walk through the door. It’s crucial that guests Camiseta Selección de fútbol de Corea del Sur can kick back with a drink and a tasty bite to eat and make a night of it.
We have been working closely with Sodexo and have made a significant investment to open three new units on the arena concourse and refurbish existing kiosks. We have upgraded equipment so will Camiseta Bayer 04 Leverkusen be able to offer a broader range of food and drinks while improving service. We continuously look at how we can enhance the visitor experience and have additionally developments planned for the future.
We are pleased to be able to give ALSD international attendees a behind the scenes look at our exciting developments in the M&S bank Arena. We are looking forward to welcoming guests to the Liverpool Gin Lounge for some terrific networking opportunities as part of what promises to be an interesting and fascinating conference.
Attendees at ALSD international will begin Day 1 of this unmissable event for all those involved in the Premium, VIP, Club seating and sports Hospitality sectors, with a networking reception in M&S bank Arena’s brand new Liverpool Gin Lounge, while also being treated to a behind-the-scenes tour, before alighting buses bound for Anfield.
Williams said: “We are pleased to be able to give ALSD international attendees a behind the scenes look at our exciting developments in the M&S bank Arena. We are looking forward to welcoming guests to the Liverpool Gin Lounge for some terrific networking opportunities as part of what promises to be an interesting and fascinating conference.”
Sporting Prowess
2019 saw a whole host of events take over every corner of Liverpool, alongside new bars, restaurants and attractions popping up all over the city.
The city also saw Liverpool FC bring home the Champions league trophy, welcomed the Vitality Netball world Cup, had BBC6 music bring their show to the Baltic triangle and saw the city’s a lot of popular landmark, the royal Liver Building, open their doors to a brand new 360 tour.
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