As event venues across South Africa feel the pinch, a stadium management company in Nelson Mandela Bay is changing the game. Access Management, acclaimed national stadium operators and managers of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, is at the forefront of multi-purpose venue management.
While the majority of South Africa’s stadiums rely heavily on major sporting events the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium management team have had to adapt to include major bowl and non-bowl events.
Since the 2010 FIFA World Cup the stadium’s management team has had to find creative and unique ways to ensure that the stadium remains viable and operational.
“This is a very different climate to stadiums in other major centres. The absence of a major sporting team which has fixtures week in and week out has meant that we have had to come up with a different business model. We chose to take it as a challenge as opposed to simply throwing our hands up and giving up,” says Chantal Du Pisani, Access Management chief executive.
The Southern, and Eastern Province, Kings call the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium home, however they are no longer part of the Super 15 rugby and a plan to play in the top tier of the Currie Cup has not yet materialised.
Today the stadium has transformed into a multi-purpose venue, hosting major sporting events, conferences, expos, concerts, religious festivals, weddings and corporate functions.
Access Management has even gone as far as hosting corporate team building functions in the player change rooms – a hallowed space that has seen a range of high profile sports stars enter its doors. The team building opportunity gives companies the chance to let their staff enjoy time in a space where their favourite soccer or rugby star has prepared for a big game.
Access is also responsible for total events solutions within the stadium grounds from catering to the sale of alcohol and merchandise.
“We realised that if we wanted to be more profitable – and deliver high quality services – we needed to cut out the middle man. We are responsible for every hotdog, beer and rugby jersey that is sold in the stadium,” says Du Pisani.
Larger scale expos have been held with great success as the stadium offers sufficient floor space and parking to cater for such events in an “extraordinary setting”.
Another highlight on the stadium calendar is the South African leg of the IRB Sevens World Series which will take place in Nelson Mandela Bay for the second consecutive year in December this year and for three years to come.
“Regular sporting fixtures will still remain prominent, but we are diversifying to meet the needs of a public who want different experiences. Since we can offer all this and more, we are bringing real meaning to the multipurpose stadium epitaph,” Du Pisani said.
Built to host matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and set on the banks of the North End Lake, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is among the best in the world and offers visitors a truly first-class experience.
