FAST TRACK
Name: South Stand Concourse
Duration: 6-week Fast-Track
Location: Etihad Stadium
Website: www.mancity.com
Scope: Stadia Fit-Out
Manchester City called in Dawnvale to assist with the redevelopment of the Etihad Stadium’s South Stand Concourse. Keen to create an elevated experience for fans during home games, the turnkey redevelopment of the Concourse saw a series of modern, vibrant new spaces created where ticket holders could meet, eat, drink, and socialise in dedicated standing and seating areas.
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Dawnvale is renowned for its fast-track t-outs, delivering new spaces both during the season and scheduled breaks. For this project, we transformed an open concourse with no facilities into a vibrant, fan-focused destination, featuring 13 tills, bars and kitchen stations, seating, and entertainment areas, all completed within a six-week programme and ready for the agreed handover.
Creating a dedicated pre-match space within the stadium gives fans a reason to arrive earlier and stay longer. What was once small groups meeting in pubs across the city becomes hundreds gathering in one place, strengthening the sense of community while driving increased spend on food and drink before kick-off. M-Gate has become a destination in its own right, with some fans enjoying the experience almost as much as the game itself.
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Half-time is a crucial window for matchday revenue. With only 15 minutes to serve thousands of fans, every second counts. We designed the space for rapid turnaround with a three-tier system and everything is within one metre to minimise movement, supported by MDU machines pouring six pints at once, plus heated cabinets and storage to keep food ready. This approach keeps queues moving, reducing congestion and lost revenue.
This shift in behaviour within a single area removed the need to increase concession prices. With 13 tills, the right equipment for rapid service, and more time for fans to spend pre-match, each till in this space generates, on average, an additional £300 per game compared to others across the stadium. All this while creating another versatile area that can host non-matchday events, generating even greater ROI and improving the stadiums overall appeal.
FAST TRACK
Name: Accrington Stanley F.C.
Location: Wham Stadium, Lancashire
Build Time: 4-Week Fast-Track
Designer: Space Invaders
Scope: Stadia Fit-Out
Dawnvale’s expansion and fit-out of The Wham Stadium delivered significant improvements, enhancing both guest experience and operational efficiency. Key objectives of the project included:
Increasing guest capacity across multiple areas
Expanding hospitality spaces
Creating a premium atmosphere while catering to the local community
The £2.5 million project delivered a new 1,500-seat stand, incorporating four hospitality suites within the structure: Coley’s Bar, the Chairman’s Lounge, the 1968 Lounge, and The Snug.
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What attracted Accrington Stanley to Dawnvale was our reputation for delivering turnkey hospitality spaces with precision, and a focus on operational efficiency. From initial planning to final fit-out, we managed every detail . Our considered approach ensured seamless flow from back of house to front, creating spaces that look exceptional and function effortlessly on matchdays and beyond.
Previously, matchday hospitality catered for 50–70 guests. Now, just the 1968 Suite and The Snug can accommodate up to 170 guests, representing a potential increase of approximately 240% in covers. With the average spend per head rising from £50 in the previous hospitality suite to up to £100, and with the additional capacity of up to 300 guests in Coley’s Bar, this expansion represents a substantial increase in matchday revenue alone.
These spaces have evolved into versatile venues, hosting a wide range of events including Christmas parties, weddings, funerals, music performances, and charity nights. Even the smaller Chairman’s Lounge is frequently used by businesses for meetings. The popularity of these venues has grown quickly, resulting in a packed schedule with multiple events often occurring on the same day, reducing the stadium’s reliance on matchday revenue.
All four venues open several hours before and after matches, giving fans a relaxed space to socialise and save time and money before a game. In the 1968 Suite, there has been a noticeable rise in women and children attending, with many treating matchdays as a family outing. As word spread about the quality of the facilities, there has also been a slight increase in away supporters. Together, these factors have contributed to increased ticket sales, providing an additional indirect boost to ROI.
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The 1968 Lounge, named after the club’s reformation following their 1962 Football League resignation, serves as the main hospitality suite on matchdays, accommodating 130–180 guests. Designed for versatility, the space offers premium matchday experiences while also functioning as a multipurpose venue. Available for private hire throughout the week, it provides an additional revenue stream for the club beyond football fixtures.
The Snug is a smaller, intimate venue with dedicated waiter service. Developed as a private function room with its own bar, the glass-fronted lounge offers great views over the stadium pitch. Ideal for smaller non-matchday events, the Crittall doors can open to connect this space with the 1968 Lounge for larger gatherings on non-match days.
Built as a vibrant fan bar on matchdays, the space accommodates up to 300 people with flexible seating and standing areas. A 185-inch retractable projector and multiple screens keep fans entertained with highlights and other matches. Whilst efficient staff access ensures smooth service. This versatile venue also hosts multiple private events, generating extra revenue and attracting a diverse range of guests.
The Chairman’s Lounge, with panoramic views of Wham Stadium, was designed to enhance the matchday experience for both home and away supporters. Combining premium design, professional waiter service, a bespoke self-service bar, and flexible multi-use spaces for up to 16 guests, the lounge delivers first-class hospitality. Dawnvale’s fast-track stadia fit-out ensured the project was completed on schedule, with every detail carefully managed from planning to handover.
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FAST TRACK
Name: Alliance Suite
Location: Birmingham City F.C
Build Time: 12-Week Fast-Track
Designer: Space Invaders
Scope: Stadia Fit-Out
Our journey with Birmingham City Football Club began following the takeover by Tom Wagner and Knighthead Capital. With just eight weeks remaining before the start of the season, there was limited time for major upgrades, but a clear ambition to make a bold statement and signal the club’s future direction.
Having seen and experienced our work at Manchester City FC, Nick Smith recommended Dawnvale as a partner he knew could deliver high-quality hospitality spaces within accelerated timelines. Working closely with Space Invader Design, we had just over 6 weeks to design and deliver a brand-new reception area alongside a premium hospitality space.
Once all plans were confirmed, there were just four weeks until the first home game of the season. Within this tight timeframe, we demolished three smaller spaces, stripped everything back to brick, and created a large open-plan Alliance Suite. Designed with panoramic views, a central island bar, and subtle nods to both the city and the club’s heritage, it was conceived as the stadium’s most premium hospitality space, hosting VIP guests visiting the club.
At the same time, the reception area was fully refurbished. We stripped it back to brick, removed sections of the existing frontage to create additional space and enhance the entrance, and delivered a complete M&E installation. This was complemented by new desks, storage, display cases, and a flexible waiting area that also functions as a workspace, complete with a coffee station.
Over the following year, we worked closely with the club to develop ideas and recommendations that would enhance hospitality operations and drive improved ROI. This led to our return to St Andrew’s Stadium the next summer to deliver the club’s most ambitious upgrade to date.
Following the end of the season, we were given a 12-week programme to complete the works. During this period, we delivered seven hospitality suites, along with kitchens, offices, stairways, walkways, restrooms, and storage areas, supporting works on the fanzone, ultimately transforming the majority of the stadium’s hospitality offering while also introducing new spaces.
One of the standout elements of the project was the creation of the new GA bar, Box2Box. Initially identi fied while searching for space for a keg room, we uncovered a hidden, rubble- filled area behind the reception, positioned between the two Kop concourses.
By excavating and reconfiguring this previously unused area, we delivered a new general admission bar, additional storage to support the expansion of the Globe and Ball, and structural enhancements that increased floor space and capacity across two first-floor hospitality suites.
This overlooked space ultimately increased covers across three suites while also enabling the creation of an entirely new venue.
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We enhanced serving capacity across every area, with one of the most innovative upgrades delivered in the Globe and Ball. A two-station kiosk was replaced with a six-station self-serve beer wall, tripling output while increasing space by 50%. With improvements like this implemented throughout the stadium, it is no surprise that Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Dale noted that, during the 2024/25 season, Birmingham fans consumed more than those at Villa, Coventry and Wolves.
BCFC did not need to significantly increase prices, as both capacity and demand rose substantially. In the Boardroom, additional floor space and an improved layout increased covers by 30%, while similar enhancements in the Sponsors’ Lounge created space for a further 60 covers. The 12 Lounge was transformed from a collection of small VIP boxes into a 140-cover suite, and the Garrison benefited from a seating upgrade with more efficient layouts.
The 2024/25 season saw record-breaking performance for Birmingham, with ticket sales and kit sales reaching new highs. More importantly, hospitality achieved unprecedented success, with most suites selling out for every match. These spaces have also become increasingly popular outside of matchdays, with event bookings rising across all venues.
Spend per head increased significantly, rising from approximately £2.50 to £14 per person per game following our fit-outs across the last two seasons. Notably, this uplift was achieved despite the club being relegated in the first season we worked with them, further highlighting the impact and resilience of the improvements delivered.
