The Ricoh Arena in Coventry has been shortlisted in two categories in an international awards competition.
Now in their third year, TheStadiumBusiness Awards are the only awards to recognise a whole spectrum of achievements from across the global stadium industry.
The Ricoh Arena has been shortlisted in the Guest Event of the Year for hosting 5,000 delegates during the Boots conference while financial director John Street had been nominated in the Unsung Hero category.
Ian Nuttall, founder of TheStadiumBusiness Summit, said once again, the standard of entries had been high.
“Every year we’re impressed by the incredible level of innovation and professionalism we witness during the nomination process and this year was no exception,” he said.
“Nominees should be very proud of their achievements and we congratulate them all in reaching the shortlist.”
Daniel Gidney, chief executive of the Ricoh Arena, said they faced some tough competition in both categories.
“Boots Conferences which is made up of Boots Stores Conference and Boots Health and Beauty Conference is our largest conference to date since it attracted 5,000 delegates over three days,” he said.
“Every available space of our 20,000 sqm was utilised and during the three days we catered for 11,650 delegates.
“We face tough competition because we have been shortlisted along with the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 at ESPRIT Arena, Germany; FC Shakhtar’s 75th anniversary at Donbass Arena, Ukraine; the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth at Croke Park, Ireland; and the opening ceremony at Juventus Stadium, Italy.
“John fully deserves his nomination. He has completely overhauled the management reporting system for the business and his meticulous approach means he has the relevant facts and figures at his fingertips.
“He is a thoroughly respected member of the management team whose work often goes unnoticed but he brings many valuable qualities to the role of financial director.
“We are looking forward to the presentation evening and networking with key personnel in the stadia industry.”
The winners will be announced at the awards dinner during TheStadiumBusiness Summit at the Museo dell’Automobile Turin, Italy, on May 15.
Hundreds of nominations were whittled down to create the shortlist, which will be judged by an independent panel of industry figures.
