Arena has once again been selected as structures and furniture supplier for another major race meeting hosted by The Jockey Club, The Randox Health Grand National at Aintree from 4 to 6 April 2019.
Having worked closely with The Jockey Club for more than 35 years, Arena has provided a variety of structures, seating and furniture for the various events; Epsom Derby, Newmarket and The Festival at Cheltenham – so they are no strangers to the race day run of events and their exacting requirements.
Dan Bluff, Account Director for Arena said: “This is my first year working on this event and what a thrilling fixture to be involved in. I hope this will be the first of many!
“The builds are fantastic again this year, with new feature wall panelling within the rooftop restaurant structure and added interior detailing to give it that luxury feel for racegoers as they relax and dine.”
As well as supplying and building the temporary structures for the three-day event, Arena has delivered temporary grandstands, staircases, viewing platforms and a range of furniture for the hospitality suites, food and beverage outlets, the parade ring, behind the scenes areas for owners and jockeys, and perhaps the most highly regarded section of all, the Queen Mother Stand.
The prestigious event attracts thousands of racegoers each year for racing, music, food and entertainment, with millions more across the globe tuning in from home, so the pressure is always on for suppliers to get it right.
Chris Morris, who was recently appointed CEO for Arena UK & Europe said: “The seating, structures and furniture were delivered safely and on schedule which is crucial for such a long-running event with the Grand National entering its 172nd staging at Aintree this year.
“A key client benefit of working with Arena is having multiple event elements delivered and installed by one company, and with over 1,000 items of furniture alone, it demonstrates the sheer scale and magnitude of this event. Teams working on site who get along and work well together can be the difference between a successful event and a complete disaster. Our clients are in safe hands with Arena, we have years of experience working on complex events across multiple products and service offerings and always deliver the Arena Standard unequivocally.”
Dave Withey, UK Group Sales Director, who has managed and delivered requirements for Aintree on more than 20 occasions himself, said:
“As well as the build being on schedule and in line with safety requirements, it’s been such a great display of Arena’s seating kit with twin-tiered viewing decks utilising the Arena deck system, and the west tip-covered Grandstand with facilities in the undercroft highlighting the intricate structures we are capable of creating.
“With all elements combined, it’s like a live brochure before your very eyes and the perfect demonstration of exactly what we can do, and the quality you can expect for your event.”
The three-day event kicks off with Grand National Thursday featuring seven races, while ladies turn out for Friday’s coveted Ladies’ Day competition alongside the usual racing fixtures. All eyes will be watching both on the racecourse and in homes around the world for the Grand National at 5.15pm UK time on Saturday.
