Auckland’s Eden Park has been named as a finalist for venue of the year and event of the year at TheStadiumBusiness Awards.  

The awards recognise leadership, innovation and achievement across global stadia. Winners will be announced on June 18 in Manchester, England.  

Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner said it was an honour to be recognised alongside major international stadiums including London’s Wembley Stadium and Croke Park in Dublin.  

“To be nominated in such illustrious company and globally iconic stadia highlights Eden Park’s standing as a world leader in the industry.  

“Additionally, the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 tournament’s recognition in the event of the year category confirms Eden Park’s position as a premier venue for world-class events. Notably, our caterer, The O’Brien Group, also features as the caterer at two of the venue of the year finalists – Eden Park and Australia’s Suncorp Stadium.” 

Sautner said the nominations were a reflection of the dedication and commitment of all the staff, casual workforce, volunteers, partners, contractors and associated whānau who support the delivery of events and functions at the stadium. 

“Over the past five years we have evolved to be a truly hybrid multi-purpose, stadium delivering a diverse range of events from sports matches and community events to major international concerts. Seventy per cent of the attendance in 2023 came from events which weren’t part of our business model five years ago. 

“Eden Park is a community asset for Auckland and a strategic asset for New Zealand. We have always strongly believed that stadiums should be considered a hub for the community – civic buildings that serve a function above and beyond the event-day experience, no different to a museum or library. They should be somewhere local communities can use and engage with all year round, not huge spaces that are locked down after a match day.” 

He said going forward they will continue to push boundaries and explore new opportunities to ensure Eden Park maintains its globally iconic status as New Zealand’s national stadium. 

This article was originally published on the NZ Herald here.