Richard Breslin and Andrew Noonan from Populous looks at global trends following the opening of the world’s largest indoor arena,  the Philippine Arena in Manila.

July saw the opening of the 50,000 seat Philippine Arena in Manila. Commissioned by Iglesia Ni Cristo ( the Church of Christ), it was the church’s gift to the Philippine community. The arena is of a scale not previously seen in the Philippines and will put the country on the world stage. Although it was built as a community facility, it is also  an example of a new breed of mega arenas beginning to develop across Asia, as entertainment rather than sport becomes the driving force for arena development. 

My colleague Andrew Noonan, who is working on our team on the Theatre, the arena that is part of Darling Harbour Live in Sydney, is recently returned from a study tour of the some of the world’s great arenas, and he explains this evolution in arena design, particularly in Asia, has been created by an ever increasing demand for entertainment amongst a growing middle class.

The first decade of the Twenty First Century saw major changes in the music industry which directly affected the way people accessed popular music. The result was the decline in dominance of record companies and the ascent of live music performances and merchandise sales as the predominant revenue stream for many of the world most popular performers. While the introduction of portable music devices and peer to peer technology was largely responsible for the decline in album and single sales, it was the by-product of this technology which seemed to have made the most impact. The freedom of access to music reduced the exclusivity of owning music and created a more divergent music market, where audiences aspired to find the latest sounds. The unique experience of the new was often more sought after than the quality of music. This pursuit for the unique experience has ultimately driven the greatest change, particularly in the developing markets within Asia, with a growing middle class hungry for entertainment at a global scale. 

This growing demand in Asia and, to a lesser extent, Europe has generated an evolution in arena design itself. The operational and technical demands of live music events, whether it’s children’s entertainment or  popular music concerts, is driving the design and development  of a new type of facility to replace  the traditional sport-centric arena model. Understanding how this new type of arena operates and planning for its specific requirements for adaptability and flexibility is the key to unlocking the potential of tomorrow’s arenas. They will be configured to suit the desired atmosphere of the artist, provide the best experience for the audience, and create successful and viability facilities for operators. 

The biggest change for the next generation of arena design is the fundamental differences between sports floor and stage performance events.  By optimising the facility to accommodate the greatest number of occurring events, rather than for the greatest number of potential events, many of the operational expenses and shortcomings, standard pitfalls for arena operation, can be avoided. This includes minimizing event turnaround times, allowing for a more full event calendar with reduced staffing requirements, decreasing lost seating to the rear stage area, and  enabling a greater capacity during the majority of events. It means more of the audience will be in the most desired location, without the maintenance expense of unsold seats and underutilised washroom and food and beverage offerings. 

Similarly, many shows now have  longer runs, with artists performing in the same venue for multiple nights, and so backstage areas are starting to shift away from the traditional handful of small generic unfinished dressing rooms to spaces which are more conducive and comfortable, with ample facilities for technical crew and support staff.  Equally, increases in stage and ancillary spaces are already occurring to allow for a greater variety of show. As touring shows increase in size and complexity, so too the requirements increase to provide safe and readily accessible rigging and technical areas. 

However, it is in the patron experience where there is the greatest potential in the next generation of arena design. Front of house offerings to patrons will become more varied, providing more intimate and unique spaces. Generic concourses  now become  a destination, providing patrons with a variety of engaging experiences, from  pre-booked dining options to a variety of exclusive lounge spaces. These  are offered during  and, just as importantly both before or after the event, enticing patrons to arrive earlier and stay longer to savour in the experience of the show for longer. 

Populous has already experienced this shift from the multipurpose sporting arenas to primarily live music event based designs in both the O2 Dublin and Leeds arena and is currently expanding on this suite of ground breaking arena designs with the Philippine Arena in Manila and the Theatre at Darling Harbour Live in Sydney.  However, the evolving requirements and changing potential and opportunities of the next generation of arenas are still to be fully exploited and the shift away from providing the generic sports facilities has proven complex. The new demands that live music performances place on arenas is evolving rapidly as live shows are becoming increasingly technically and physically demanding.

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Richard Breslin is a Senior Principal at Populous and a Director of the Asian/Pacific office headquartered in Brisbane. Richard also sits on the worldwide strategic Board of Populous. Richard is responsible for all of the firm’s projects in New Zealand and Australia.

Richard is currently leading the Populous team on the Darling Harbour Live project in Sydney in a HASSELL+ Populous joint venture. The $750M project includes the design of a convention centre, exhibition centre and theatre. He is also Director in charge of the redevelopment of Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne.

In 1997, Richard commenced work with the team on the design of Stadium Australia (now ANZ Stadium), the main venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. At this time, he also worked on the event overlay for the Games before moving to London where he worked on the design of the 90,000 seat Wembley Stadium, and the design of the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was also project leader for Populous’ successful master plan for the London 2012 Olympic Park.

In 2007, Richard immigrated to New Zealand, where he led the teams on Eden Park redevelopment in Auckland and Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin; – both were venues for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. 

Richard’s 

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Andrew is an Australian architect who first joined Populous in London in 2007 as part of the Aviva Stadium team in Ireland and worked on the project through the design development and construction documentation phases. Following his return to Australia from London, Andrew completed the schematic design and overlay planning for a number of venues for Australia’s FIFA World Cup Bid 2018/2022 and concept design for the Sleeman Sports Complex outdoor pool and BMX track in Queensland. 

Andrew moved to Sydney and re-joined Populous in 2013 as design leader on the Sydney Entertainment Centre, part of the $1B Darling Harbour Live project. Most recently Andrew and his team mate, Matt Reynolds, won the Populous Fellowship competition, providing them the opportunity to conduct global research on the future of Live Music Venues.

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London Marathon organisers will review the security measures for the showpiece following the horrific events at the Boston Marathon.

At least three people were killed and more than 100 injured by the blasts near the finish line of Monday’s US event, according to reports.

Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said he was “absolutely confident” the London Marathon could be kept safe.

The Met Police’s Ch Supt Julia Pendry, the commander in charge of policing the London Marathon, said of Sunday’s event: “A security plan is in place. We will be reviewing our security arrangements in partnership with London Marathon.”

London had “enormous experience” of delivering major events and the UK had some of the best security professionals in the world, he told the BBC.

“This is one of those instances where the best way to show solidarity with Boston is to continue,” he added.

Chief Superintendent Julia Pendry, the event commander for the London marathon, said they would review security for the event, which draws spectators from all over the world.

She said: “A security plan is in place for the London Marathon. We will be reviewing our security arrangements in partnership with London Marathon.”

London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the news from Boston.

“Our immediate thoughts are with the people there and their families. It is a very sad day for athletics and for our friends and colleagues in marathon running.”

Mr Bitel later told the BBC that he “fully expected” the London Marathon, which first took place in 1981 and was completed by more than 37,000 people last year, to go ahead.

He said: “The London Marathon has detailed security plans which are developed in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police.

“They take account of many contingencies, including this type of threat and incident, but one can’t be complacent and when it has happened, you need to then review those plans you have in place to see what else may be necessary.

“That is certainly what we are going to be doing in the forthcoming hours and days.”

The Edinburgh Marathon is also set to review its security measures following the Boston bombings.

Marathon organisers and police have been liaising ahead of the event in light of the incident in Massachusetts yesterday.

A Police Scotland source said: “An event like this will see intelligence re-sifted and security arrangements looked at with completely fresh eyes. There’s literally no way the Edinburgh event could take place without it being looked at coloured by the awful scenes we’ve seen coming out of Boston. If I was in charge I would have a security briefing immediately to establish if there are any areas of weakness, if there is anything that needs to be addressed.

“Our event is one of the best run in the world in terms of security and the actual arranging that goes into it. But until yesterday the same could be said of the Boston Marathon. This event has put a completely new complexion on things.”

Neil Kilgour, director of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival, said: “We are shocked by the events we’ve seen unfold in Boston and our thoughts are with the injured and their families.

“Runners’ safety is our primary concern. We work very closely with the police and emergency services and follow their advice.”

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1. In an increasingly mobile (if not necessarily socially-mobile) world, major events have become a honey pot for campaigners of all persuasions. We’ve seen Dow and Atos targeted for specific reasons and McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Cadbury’s more generally. I can’t see this deterring brands from being involved in future Games but it’s certainly increasingly important to factor into crisis planning.

2. Sponsors are going to have to up their game in terms of activation and rely less on omnipotent anti-ambush legislation. If you’re worried about noise generated by parasites, it’s probably because you’ve not done enough to drown them out.

3. The ambushers have done a very good job around the Games. Nike has a natural right to play and their advertising as ever is top drawer. For those brands that have less of a natural association with the Olympic Games, just don’t give them the oxygen of publicity. The more fuss that’s made, the more value they get. Still, credit some ingenious creativity to get around the Olympic Act.

4. Which brings me onto a favourite of mine. Sponsorship should be about adding value, not about restricting consumer choice. The defensive mindset amongst some sponsors just baffles me. It has received a lot of industry coverage and anecdotal evidence from being at events supports the view that at best has a neutral effect on people. Hardly effective use of $100m sponsorship rights.

5. The Olympics is unusual in that it precludes brands from overt branding as part of the event content. BMW proved that a little lateral thinking can circumvent even the most hallowed institutions. Can brands draw from this that the media crutch is not everything: if you’re bold and creative then great things can happen.

6. Sponsors in my view should be looking at Rio as being about more than just two weeks of great sport. It’s four years until the next Summer Games and there is much that can be achieved in social terms. Imagine using the Olympics themselves as vindication of all the great work that’s been done in the four-year build up to the Games and as a launchpad for the next four.

7. London 2012 threw up some fairly obvious heroes and some less obvious ones. I wrote late last year about the ubiquity of some athletes advertising multiple brands commoditising their value. Well, now brands are spoilt for choice for potential endorsers of their products. Endorsement can be a wonderful platform, but let’s see some creativity!

8. It’s great to see the Paralympics being embraced as fervently as the Olympics itself. And why shouldn’t it be? So why have some brands played a ‘wait-and-see’ game? It’s the second largest event in participant terms and whilst it may not rock NBC’s boat, the feats of some of its athletes are phenomenal (check this out!). Used properly, it’s a hugely underexploited (and much cheaper) route to market which ought to offer brands a platform to stand out.

9. It’s clear we still have a long way to go in educating much of the mainstream marketing press about sponsorship. Brand awareness or recognition and ROI are not interchangeable expressions; under such metrics brands sponsoring for B2B, B2E or B2G reasons would register no return at all. We as an industry need to instil a greater appreciation of what sponsorship is and how it works amongst our marketing peers.

10. If we thought London was “the social Games” then one can only imagine what the media landscape will look like in 2016 (expect YouTube to build on their 2012 success next time around). Customers now expect engagement and relying on a third party – i.e. media controlled by another entity – is becoming increasingly less relevant. Brands must strive for a form of marketing gnosis – there will be no excuses for not having direct knowledge of one’s customer by the time Rio comes around.

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Ben has fifteen years’ experience in the commercial side of sport. Having spent six years at Chelsea FC, where he was Head of Marketing, Ben launched Ishtar Consulting in 2011 with a view to providing specialist sponsorship and marketing support to brands, rightsholders and agencies. Prior to his time at Chelsea Ben spent nearly four years at Redmandarin, the strategic sponsorship consultancy. Follow Ben on Twitter @ben_wells1 or get in touch via ben@thesportsconsultancy.com. This Blog appears regularly at http://benwells1.blogspot.com

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With ever-increasing profits being made from sports, it is no wonder that money laundering is occurring increasingly frequently, as money is an integral aspect of the world of sport and there is a lack of effective anti-money laundering regulation in the area.

‘Dirty’ funds can now be made appear legitimate by depositing cash into bank accounts, purchasing real estate or using shell companies and trusts.

In the sports industry money flows within a complex network of financial players, which includes clubs, players, corporate sponsors and individual investors, agents and real estate proprietors, creating an inducive environment for money laundering. As a FATF report showed, sports that vulnerable to money laundering activities are football, cricket, rugby, horseracing,motor racing, ice hockey, basketball and volleyball.

Typically money launderers transfer money abroad as it is extremely difficult to trace these funds and they can be disguised as payment for players being transferred between clubs. Large amounts of money are involved in the process, making it difficult to verify the final destination of the funds, or the transfer process involves many countries, with money often flowing in and out of tax havens and clubs’ contributions being transferred to companies in these tax havens where the real investors remain unknown.

The money transfer market’s vulnerability to money laundering is related to a lack of transparency to funding certain transfer transactions and the opportunity to transfer funds to an offshore account, with limited disclosure requirements regarding the ownership of these accounts.

A recent investigation about possible foreign exchange violation in cricket IPL (Indian Premier League) indicates that some players received more money than their contracted amount, which is a prime example showing the fragile ‘eggshell’ of the sports industry in terms of money laundering. But how can money laundering be more efficiently monitored or even prevented?

When players are transferred internationally, it is a primary responsibility of banks and financial institutions, such as money transfer companies or foreign exchange providers, to verify possible suspicious payments abroad that can cover, for instance, transfers of false players. If large amounts paid to clubs were delivered at the same time it would certainly capture the financial institutions’ and banks’ attention and lead to further questioning about the money’s origin.

At RationalFX, the following activities would be queried as an attempt to launder money:

-Unusual, large cash payments in circumstances where payment would normally be made by cheque or banker’s draft.

-Transactions carried out by a customer on behalf of third parties without there being an appropriate business relationship with such parties.

-The documents they have uploaded to verify their identity do not confirm the information that they provided about themselves.

-Money transfers being made to high-risk jurisdictions without a reasonable explanation, which are inconsistent with the customer’s usual overseas activities.

When it comes to international transfers in football, there have been regulations since 2009 that require an online registration within Transfer Money System. It is compulsory that both the buying and selling clubs enter details of transfers, including the contracts, currency of the payment, due date, payment schedule for each transfer, type of payment, payment obligation of third parties, bank details, player IDs, payments to agents, total fees and verifiable proof of payment.

While ‘the more information, the better’ approach is undeniably a key stage towards avoiding money laundering, this requirement only applies to football and it is by no means influential enough to prevent money laundering occurring.

At RationalFX we are obligated to check overseas money transfers and therefore are aware of the dangers and tricks of money laundering ‘experts’. As stated before, the clubs and associations do not work similarly as banks and financial institutions do not have the same opportunities to prevent money laundering.

Nonetheless, some of the rules which money transfer companies operate by could be used to prevent money laundering in the sports industry by:

– Appointing somebody within the club’s senior management to be responsible for anti-money laundering issues similar to Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MRLOs) that money transfer companies employ.

– Providing more information when payments are made when players are being transferred between clubs.

– Making staff aware of the money laundering legislation and training those that may be involved in transactions that could involve money laundering.

– Ensuring that the identity of those that the club is dealing with is known and carry out appropriate enquiries before entering into transactions with them.

– Monitoring customer activity so if changes occur you can evaluate why these may have happened. For example, a customer with a history of making payments through the electronic banking system suddenly starts paying in large sums of cash;

– Reporting any suspicious activity.

-Ensuring that there are internal controls on your business transactions so that only employees with the appropriate authority can bind the club.

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Rajesh Agrawal is the Founder Chairman and CEO of RationalFX, a company he founded in 2005 that specialises in foreign exchange strategy. Agrawal is a fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and an official Think Tank Member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum. Under Argawal, RationalFX became the first UK-based company to launch an online currency exchange system for private individuals on real-time prices. In August 2011 RationalFX signed a shirt sponsorship deal with Birmingham City FC for the 2011-12 season.

RationalFX is the official FX partner of iSportconnect.com

Rajesh’s:

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