SPORTING EVENTS GL EVENTS UK AT THE OPEN
Good sports StandOut looks at trends in the world of sporting events, and chats to the teams charged with delivering UEFA Women’s EURO and The 150th Open
T
he record books were rewritten when a crowd of 68,871 watched England edge past Austria in the opening game of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. The attendance is the highest in the competition’s history, elevating the mark of 41,301 set when Germany beat
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Norway in the 2013 final in Sweden. However, this figure is likely to be beaten on July 31 when the 2022 final is played at Wembley Stadium. London is just one of nine locations chosen to host the football tournament, comprised of 31 games, with Manchester,
Milton Keynes, Brighton and Hove, Wigan and Leigh, Trafford, Southampton, Rotherham, and Sheffield also hosting matches. In fact, Sheffield’s Bramall Lane will host one semi-final on July 26 and MK Dons, Milton Keynes, will host the other semi-final on July 27.
In January 2022, Great Big Events won the contract to deliver the sport presentation and fan engagement programme of the UEFA Women’s Euro. The creative agency has been tasked with delivering full matchday experiences at each location, including activations on the “last kilometre” leading up to each stadium, as well as the spectator experience inside each venue. Ollie Hester, creative producer at Great Big Events, explained: “We’re delivering a far more holistic and integrated spectator experience for people in the stadium, right from when they step off the train.” Every element that Great Big Events produces – pre-match ceremonies, music, vision, and graphic content – must be “family friendly”, assuring the atmosphere is electric so that fans can get the most out of each match experience. Thousands of items are being given away on the “last kilometre” such as face paint sticks and clap banners and there are stilt walkers and live bands entertaining audiences too.
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