Treat groups to a year of sporting greatness

by lara.maiato@visitbritain.org

With 2022 bookended by great tournaments, including the Winter Olympics and the Fifa World Cup, it is going to be a fantastic year for sports. However, for England, it is even more special as the country will play host to both the UEFA Women’s Euro and The Commonwealth Games over the summer months, before staging the Rugby League World Cup and the World Gymnastics Championships in October and November.

With these four major sporting tournaments taking place on English soil, there’s a raft of opportunities to entertain clients, motivate staff and incentivise new business leads.

UEFA Women’s Euro 2022

The UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 gets underway on 6 July with England versus Austria at the home of Manchester United Football Club, Old Trafford, in Manchester. While the final takes place at Wembley Stadium in London on 31 July. 

In the interim period, matches will take place at stadiums in cities across the country including Southhampton, Brighton, Sheffield, Rotherham and Milton Keynes. 

Official hospitality packages start with Ticket+ packages, which include a premium lounge experience, category one seats, a complimentary drink and access to a pay bar and food facilities from just £39 per person. 

The next hospitality tier up is The Club packages, which start at £120 per person and feature category one seats and all-inclusive food and beverage. The Club is available for Old Trafford's opening game, matches played at Brighton & Hove, plus the final at Wembley Stadium.

The top tier hospitality offer is private and shared Sky Boxes, available at seven out of the 10 host venues including Bramall Lane in Sheffield; Leigh Sports Village, Wigan & Leigh; St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton; Stadium MK, Milton Keynes; and the home of Manchester United FC, Old Trafford. Prices start at £130 per person. 

Planners looking to capitalise on the memories and legacy of the Women’s Euros can do so by hosting conferences and events at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ in Manchester or the National Stadium in London. 

Old Trafford in Manchester has 20 blank canvas suites and 155 meeting rooms with capacities ranging from a maximum of 1,100 delegates. It also has a large amount of outdoor space and hundreds of hotel rooms within walking distance.

Wembley’s National Stadium can provide banqueting facilities for up to 1.900 guests in the Bobby Moore Room or conferencing space for 1,000 delegates in the Great Hall. It also has 160 hospitality boxes, all offering spectacular views over the hallowed turf, which are ideal for small meetings and break-out areas.

Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games are coming to Birmingham and the West Midlands region from 28 July until 8 August 2022. It’s the largest sporting event to be staged in Britain since the London 2012 Olympics and will feature 19 different sports and eight Para sports. 

Following the public ballot, tickets and hospitality packages are now on general release via birmingham2022.com. 

There are opportunities to entertain staff and clients at the Birmingham NEC for boxing, badminton, netball, weightlifting, para powerlifting or table tennis. Or why not treat guests to a day at the athletics or Para athletics, taking place at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. 

Birmingham’s cricketing arena, Edgbaston Stadium will see T20 cricket make its Commonwealth Games debut and mark a first appearance for the women’s game too. 

Edgbaston’s 660-capacity Banqueting Suite boasts its own private balcony, while the 800-capacity Exhibition Hall is the largest and one of the most versatile spaces at Edgbaston. Named after the year Warwickshire County Cricket Club was established, the 1882 Suite is a bright, spacious and versatile area, suitable for up to 300 delegates theatre-style.

In the heart of Birmingham city centre, the former Smithfield Market site is being transformed into a temporary Games venue to host beach volleyball, basketball and the marathon. While in neighbouring Coventry, judo, wrestling and rugby sevens will be held at the Coventry Stadium & Arena. All the Commonwealth track cycling action will take place at the Lee Valley Velopark at the Olympic Park in London.

Rugby League World Cup

England will barely have time to pause for breath before the Rugby League World Cup then kicks off in the autumn. For the first time in the tournament’s history the men's, women's and wheelchair fixtures will all take place together, with 61 matches played at venues across England between 15 October and 19 November 2022. 

It all starts at St James’ Park in Newcastle upon Tyne with England versus Samoa. The stadium is home to Newcastle United Football Club and offers more than 1,600 sqm / 17,222 sqft of event and exhibition space - including up to 500 delegates theatre-style or 1,000 for dinner in the Barracks.

The women’s final and men’s final will both take place at Old Trafford in Manchester while the wheelchair final will be held the day before on Friday 18 November at the Manchester Central Convention Centre, in the 1,800 sqm / 19,375 sqft Exchange Hall. The centre, home to a wide variety of events and exhibitions, also includes an 804-seat, purpose-built Exchange Auditorium.

There are eight different Rugby League World Cup hospitality packages on offer, ranging from premium seats and private boxes to formal dining experience packages featuring ‘Legends’ from the game and exceptional match-day service.

Following England will see you and your guests experience match-day hospitality in Sheffield, Bolton, Wigan and Newcastle for the men’s fixtures; Wigan and Leeds for the women’s fixtures; and the 7,500-capacity Copper Box Arena in London for the wheelchair tournament. 

World Gymnastics Championships

To cap this phenomenal year for sports in England, the World Gymnastics Championships will take place at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool from 29 October until 6 November. 

The M&S Bank Arena is part of the ACC Liverpool Group, which features a versatile selection of event spaces to choose from, including a 1,350-seat tiered auditorium and 29 breakout rooms. An on-site four-star 216-room Pullman Hotel is one of three adjacent hotels totalling over 600 rooms.

Two hospitality packages are available for the World Gymnastics Championships. 

Aerial packages feature a dining experience in an exclusive VIP suite, before guests take their seats on a private balcony overlooking the arena bowl to enjoy the gymnastics. Prices start from £180 for adults and £120 for children (under 14) and each suite is shared between a maximum of ten guests.

The Championship Lounge package features drink vouchers, signing and selfie opportunities with a celebrity gymnast host and access to the lounge. Prices start from £150 for adults and £90 for children (under 14).

There’s no better time to tap into the benefits of sporting hospitality for building client relationships, driving team morale and making a lasting impression on new business prospects. And if England happens to top the year by winning the Fifa World Cup in Qatar this winter, it really will be a historic year in British sport and one you won’t want your guests to forget.

Looking to find out more about tournaments and sports venues to bring your incentives and business events to the UK? Get in touch now with our team to get expert impartial advice.