The winners of TheStadiumBusiness Awards 2022 were announced tonight at Emirates Old Trafford stadium in Manchester.
Among the winners were Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, who was named Executive of the Year, Optus Stadium, which picked up the award for the Venue of the Year, and Henk Markerink, the Former CEO of Johan Cruijff ArenA, who picked up the Outstanding Achievement Award.
All of the winners and finalists are listed below.
Now in their 13th year, TheStadiumBusiness Awards are the only awards to recognise a whole spectrum of achievements from across the global stadium industry.
The awards ceremony took place in front of an audience of senior industry figures.
“Congratulations to all of the finalists who reached the podium,” commented Ian Nuttall, founder of TheStadiumBusiness Awards. “Winners included our leaders, achievers and stand-out venues from our industry – and they should all be very proud of their achievements.”
JUDGES
Hundreds of nominations were whittled down to create the shortlist, judged by an independent panel of industry figures including:
- Jason Gannon, Managing Director, SoFi Stadium
- Lungi Macebo, COO, Birmingham City FC
- Timo Rohwedder, CEO, Olympiastadion Berlin
- Jackie Ventura, Sr. Director – Sustainability, Health & Hygiene, Golden State Warriors
- Mario Passetti, General Manager, Cagliari Calcio
- Ian Nuttall, Co-Founder, TheStadiumBusiness
- David Keirle, Chairman, KSS
- Tony Rhoades, Chairman, CEO & Founder, GroundWOW
- Marie Lindqvist, SVP Operations, ASM Global Europe
THE 2022 WINNERS
The Winners and Shortlisted Nominees in each category are as follows:
SUSTAINABILITY & COMMUNITY AWARD
Category Winners: Wolfsburg joins UN’s Race to Zero campaign and Home Park’s contribution to COVID recovery in Plymouth
Shortlisted nominees:
- #WeBikeTogether – AGF Aarhus
- Art in the Park – Eden Park
- Allegiant Stadium reduces environmental footprint
- SoFi Stadium’s waste management/recycling programmes
FAN EXPERIENCE AWARD
Category Winner: Savannah Bananas baseball team
Shortlisted nominees:
- Puck Drop Patio – Anaheim Ducks
- Mainz 05 – aiding return of fans with IoT, fan analytics
- San Francisco 49ers’ member-inclusive menu
- Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment’s AWS deal
- Virtual Game Day at Capital One Arena
PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD
Category Winner: Just Walk Out by Amazon
Shortlisted nominees:
- Meridian Archer barriers – TIAA Bank Field
- Fight Camp – Matchroom Boxing in association with Hashtag Digital Media
- Digital Truist Park – Atlanta Braves
- ASM Global’s PopID rollout
- Levy launches DBK Studio
VENUE TECHNOLOGY AWARD
Category Winner: Brooklyn Nets debut Netaverse concept
Shortlisted nominees:
- ADI’s digital overhaul at Turf Moor
- Humanforce software solution at Levy venues
- Accor Stadium debuts huge new screen
- Osasuna’s facial recognition tech
- Inter’s air quality technology deal with Panasonic
EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Category Winner: #ConvertToZero Worcester Warriors vs Saracens – Sixways Stadium
Shortlisted nominees:
- March Madness – Caesars Superdome (ASM Global)
- Miami Grand Prix – Hard Rock Stadium
- NFL returns to London – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- AFL Grand Final – Optus Stadium
- Sweden International Horse Show – Friends Arena
SPONSORSHIP, SALES & MARKETING AWARD
Category Winner: Nokia Arena
Shortlisted nominees:
- Spotify Camp Nou
- com Arena
- Intuit Dome
- Headingley/Clean Slate
- River Plate/Mas Monumental
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Category Winner: Tim Leiweke, CEO, Oak View Group
Shortlisted nominees:
- Justin Papadakis, COO & Chief Real Estate Officer, United Soccer League
- Jon Varney, CEO, Brentford FC
- Henry C. Staelens, CEO, Forest Green Rovers
- Alessandro Antonello, CEO, FC Internazionale
VENUE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Category Winner: Optus Stadium
Shortlisted nominees:
- Footprint Center
- Capital One Arena
- UBS Arena
- Europa-Park Stadion
- Stade Me Abdoulaye Wade (Senegal)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Category Winner: Henk Markerink, Former CEO, Johan Cruijff ArenA
