Qudos Bank Arena named amongst world’s top earning venues
Qudos Bank Arena at Sydney Olympic Park has been ranked seventh globally in Billboard’s list of the top 10 best-earning, non-stadium, large-capacity venues.
The 21,000-seat fully enclosed arena had ticket sales of $79.4 million over the period tracked by Billboard – from November 2022 to September 2023, with 785,000 event attendees.
Qudos Bank Arena was the only non-stadium venue with over 15,000-pax capacity in the Asia Pacific and the entire Southern Hemisphere to make the top 10.
Madison Square Garden in New York City and the O2 Arena in London were ranked number one and two respectively, with only one other venue in the top 10 – besides Qudos Bank Arena – located outside of the USA. Madison Square Garden had gross ticket sales of $223 million.
“As the proud owner of Qudos Bank Arena, we at TEG are delighted to see the venue ranked so highly on the world stage alongside some of most iconic venues on the planet,” said TEG’s CEO, Geoff Jones.
ASM Global operate the venue on behalf of TEG.
Qudos Bank Arena can host gala dinners for up to 1,900 delegates in the main arena – in addition to having a theatre capacity for 21,000 – and offers a ballroom and a grand foyer as other event venues within its footprint.
Te Pae wins at the Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand Awards
Another ASM Global managed venue, Te Pae Christchurch, in New Zealand’s second largest city, has pick up a couple of wins at the Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) Awards.
Te Pae was named Medium Venue of the Year, while the centre’s food and beverage operations manager, Marzena Orlecka, was selected as the Rising Star of the Year.
According to the judges of the awards, “Te Pae Christchurch’s venue entry demonstrated clear strategic priorities including client success, business optimisation and innovation. It clearly expressed the value placed in its people and its role as a custodian of community and sustainability.”
Te Pae Christchurch’s general manager Ross Steele said the venue had “made a significant impact in a short space of time thanks to our people, our community and our clients”.
Orlecka was also praised for her rising star win.
“In my many years of international experience, Marzena stands out as one of the hardest working individuals I have ever met,” said Te Pae’s director of culinary services, Darren Tait.
“Marzena demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities and her focus on delivering a world-class culinary experience is remarkable.”
Sydney Royal Easter Show wins big at international fair awards
The major public event, held each year over Easter, took home 22 awards at the International Association Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) Awards.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show won awards across all four category groups – agriculture, competitive exhibits, marketing and sponsorship – including 12 first place awards and five each of second and third places.
“It is an honour to be awarded and recognised by our international peers for our contribution to agriculture,” said Royal Agricultural Society of NSW’s Murray Wilton, who is head of agriculture and the show.
“Our team works tirelessly to put on a fantastic event for the community, to celebrate the country coming to the city, and to promote the importance of agriculture to our everyday lives. The last few years have presented tremendous challenges, and it is a real credit to the team that they continue to deliver such an innovative and impactful event.
“It’s also exciting to have some of our smaller and innovative programs honoured, such as ‘Ag in a Box’, which has been recognised as a front-runner in agricultural education for school-age children, many of whom have never stepped foot on a farm, and our ‘Showbag Launch’, which offers children from local hospitals the opportunity to experience a small taste of the Easter Show.”
