ASCOT
Ross Robertson
forward with Showblock suddenly we were looking at something that offered new dynamics, new shapes – so we pursued that.
“ Not only does Showblock have nice curves, it provides the opportunity to create two-story structures,” says Thompson.“ We had a really nice one in the centre of our race viewing area in the Royal Enclosure, with a champagne bar in the middle. We also decided to bring one down to the Queen Anne enclosure; a public facing bar that has a bespoke experience upstairs where you can reserve a table for the day and enjoy the views of the plaza and band stand. That ' s the first time we ' ve had an elevated platform in that area. The Showblock structures are really impressive.”
Arena Group regional MD UK & Europe Ross Robertson says that key to the company’ s successful bid was the ability to create bespoke elements using Showblock and integrate them with existing Arena stock as part of its delivery of 6,000 square metres of structures across Royal Ascot.
“ Innovation was key to it,” he says.“ We thought,‘ Let ' s look at a mix of existing stock structures and use the Showblock elements to expand the offering and capture the innovation piece’. We really went all out for the bid; we put a lot of work, new kit and investment into it and so to win it and then to deliver it has been a really rewarding experience. Designing, producing and delivering these bespoke
structures has been a really creative process for the team to work on.”
For Arena this year’ s Royal Ascot marked the first of a three-year contract with Ascot Racecourse. Arena started working on site at Ascot on 9 April, with the build taking place over nine weeks. Along with the 6,000 square metres of temporary structures, including the three bespoke Showblock facilities across two enclosures and new 12.5m Arcus structures purchased specifically for Royal Ascot, Arena provided 965 sqm of scaffold substructures and 142 linear metres of canopy flick structures.
Robertson says that every site comes with its own challenges and aside from the creation of two structure that needed to accommodate trees emerging through the roofs, other key considerations at Ascot included keeping clear of the grass at all times:“ We are always very respectful of sites, and this one was a particularly special event on a special site, where the grass is absolutely immaculate.”
When it comes to respecting the environment, Thompson says the Ascot team work very closely with the local community to minimise the impact of the build, delivery and break-down of
The Royal procession passes the Village Enclosure
Royal Ascot:“ There ' s the safety element during the construction work, so we make sure that all our construction sites are fully enclosed and fenced off.
“ People understand that we have a major global event running here and they love being near to the racecourse, and the prestige of Royal Ascot. We do everything we can to give something back; we invest heavily in local charities, and even the small things are appreciated, such as all the flowers and hanging baskets decorating the High Street.”
It all comes down to making sure that Royal Ascot is as important to the average person on the street at the VIPS, says Thompson:“ We have around 720 helicopter landings throughout the week for clients and participants. Meanwhile, we have trains coming into the station every eight minutes from London. We ' ve got to make sure that everyone can access Royal Ascot, and that everyone has the best day out possible.”
Says Johnson,“ If you walk from one end of Royal Ascot to the other, which I ' m not sure I ' d recommend doing because it ' s a fair old hike, it feels like you ' re walking through 20 different event zones because there are so many distinct pockets of experiences.”
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