A year of unprecedented challenges for the stadium industry ended on a high with TheStadiumBusiness Summit 2020 going virtual for the first time to host industry executives from across the globe as news broke of the world’s first approved COVID-19 vaccine in the UK…
On the evening of day two of the virtual conference, a number of English Football League (EFL) clubs welcomed fans to their stadia for the first time in nine months as new guidelines allowing up to 2,000 spectators at live sporting events were introduced. Some fans of Premier League clubs were then also able to return just days later, but professional sport in London swiftly went back behind closed doors after the English capital moved to Tier 3 of the country’s COVID-19 lockdown system.
The Premier League and the EFL also reached a final agreement on a rescue package and distress fund to address the immediate financial challenges faced by lower league clubs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A fund of £50m in the form of a grant and monitored grant payments has been agreed for League One and Two clubs while the Premier League pledged to provide a further financial commitment to assist the EFL in securing a £200m loan facility that Championship clubs will be able to utilise on an interest-free basis.
Against this backdrop of headlines, this year’s TheStadiumBusiness Summit welcomed over a thousand C-level executives in stadiums, arenas, sports teams and leagues around the world – providing unprecedented access to new ideas and opportunities as we look to bounce back.
Our thanks to all of our speakers, partners and guests – and your positive feedback has been much appreciated.
Until next time… in person. Keep safe and well.
Share this