Auckland’s Eden Park stadium has taken the innovative step of installing a zipline from the North Stand to the South Stand of the venue.
The zipline was trialled during the stadium’s annual Christmas barbeque on December 7. It has been installed as part of a joint initiative between The Eden Park Trust and Total Property Services.
Seasonal hours of operation are yet to be confirmed for event and non-event days. Eden Park said the zipline is the first of its kind in New Zealand. Naming rights for the zipline are also up for grabs.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said: “Eden Park, one of the world’s most famous venues, is on the bucket list of most rugby and cricket fanatics from around the globe. Discussions are underway with hirers to enable zipline operations prior to the gates opening at selected international and domestic fixtures.”
Ash Taylor, managing director at Total Property Services, added: “TPS Phase 1 is a division of the TPS New Zealand group which was founded in 1982 and operates across the country looking after commercial building services.
“TPS Phase 1 is a team of height solution specialists who look after a range of projects ensuring height workers can operate safely. Key projects have included work for the Sky Tower, Britomart Precinct buildings, Auckland Motorway bridge inspections, railway bridges and other projects.
“We have had a long relationship with Eden Park looking after their height requirements and working with them on key projects such as the Rugby World Cup Spider Cam, the Cricket World Cup promotion and others. Division manager, Thomas Croft, is a sought-after height access specialist with over 32 years’ experience in the Auckland market.”
Eden Park is also considering offering rooftop tours of the 50,000-seat stadium to further enhance the fan experience.
In other news, Eden Park has launched The Hood – a supporters’ club that will provide local residents with exclusive benefits. The initiative will be focused on residents who live within the boundaries of Auckland Transport’s Residents Only Parking Zone for Eden Park events.
As part of the initiative, one resident per year for the next three years will have their house repainted to the value of NZ$10,000 as part of a link-up with Resene and Master Painters New Zealand.
Thanks to Philips, Eden Park will also give away a lighting package upgrade for 10 local homes to the value of NZ$300 per house. Tickets to Super Rugby and Mitre 10 Cup games will also be provided, along with trips to the Pop-up Globe theatre.
Sautner said: “We’re always looking for new ways to communicate with those living and working around us. This exciting initiative in collaboration with our partners will further strengthen our neighbourhood relationship through a number of locally focused benefits.
“It has been encouraging to receive comments from our neighbourhood supporting our mission to promote, operate and develop Eden Park as a high quality multi-purpose stadium. We see Eden Park as a venue for not only rugby and cricket but also for other sporting codes, recreational, musical, and cultural events for the benefit of the Auckland region and the broader community.
“It is well-known that families buy homes in specific areas to gain access to school zones and for convenience to work and transport. Eden Park is another example, where locals have decided to live in the area for the accessibility to domestic and world-class live events.”
Nick Sautner was announced last week as a key speaker at TheStadiumBusiness Summit 2018 on 12-13 June at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.
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