The western end of Eden Park holds a lot of great memories. Among them are Sir Michael Jones scoring during his All Blacks debut in the opening match of the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, and Stephen ‘Beaver’ Donald kicking the penalty that helped secure our 2011 World Cup victory.
This week, the opening of the Coca-Cola Field Club in the Lower West Stand will give fans a new way to experience our national stadium, bringing them closer to the action and offering a different perspective on the hallowed turf.
After more than 25 years working in stadiums, I still get excited by what a space can make possible. Believe me when I say this one will be transformational.
The Coca-Cola Field Club is the first of its kind in New Zealand: a permanent, field-level hospitality destination that opens out towards the playing field. You can move between the indoor and outdoor areas, spend time with friends and remain connected to the live action.
At field level, the scale of Eden Park feels different. The stands rise around you, the action happens right ‘there’, and you get a sense of the environment the players experience. The energy and anticipation of the event become part of the space itself and for me, this is what world-class stadium hospitality should deliver. The design, food and service all need to be exceptional, but what makes this experience distinctive is something only a stadium can offer – an immediate connection to the field and the crowd around it.
It also opens up an important question for our industry: are we designing experiences for the audiences we already have, or the people we hope to attract? Growing an audience means understanding what would make someone choose to come in the first place.
People can attend the same event together and want different things from it. Some want to analyse every decision while others want the freedom to move around, socialise and take in the atmosphere. Those preferences can change depending on who they are with and the event they are attending.
Its potential extends well beyond match days and concerts. We already have bookings for non-event days and considerable corporate interest. A function at field level, with opportunities for activations on the turf, offers businesses and private hosts something they cannot easily replicate elsewhere.
It is also why our adaptive reuse approach matters. We have taken a back-of-house space and reimagined what it can contribute not just on event day but throughout the whole year. It enables more people to experience Eden Park, and opens up new revenue opportunities which help sustain the asset.
This work is guided by a long-term vision for Eden Park. Every investment we make needs to improve how the stadium functions, strengthen its appeal and prepare it for the events and audiences of the future.
There is also a wider lesson here for Auckland, and it is something I spoke about at today’s opening.
The city’s ambition to attract more major events and the continued enhancement of our national stadium are intrinsically linked. If we want Auckland to secure those opportunities and be a city we want to live, stay, work and play in, we need venues equipped to deliver them. International organisers, teams and artists need confidence in our infrastructure and operational capability, and audiences need an experience worth travelling for and returning to.
The $10 million investment in our Lower West Stand, including the Coca-Cola Field Club, is part of meeting those expectations.
This responsibility also extends beyond our gates. I often talk about the ‘street to seat’ experience because people tend to judge their event experience as a whole. From the moment they buy a ticket, through to catching a train, walking from the station, entering the stadium, and finding their way around – these are all factors which influence how someone remembers the occasion.
The quality we are creating within Eden Park needs to be matched by the connections around it. Both depend on organisations working together with a shared ambition for what our stadium and city can offer.
That spirit of partnership was reflected in today’s blessing. Led by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, our team, contractors, designers and partners from Coca-Cola came together to celebrate the transformation, and it was a truly wonderful occasion.
Coca-Cola has been an Icon Partner for many years, and the new Field Club gives that relationship a new dimension.
For me, the strongest partnerships contribute to what people experience when they come here. This space brings our two brands together through the atmosphere, anticipation and shared excitement of a live event. The connection grows through people enjoying being here and wanting to return.
On Friday night, we host the BLACKCAPS as they play India in the T20 and we will also welcome our first public event guests to the Coca-Cola Field Club. I cannot wait to see the space come alive and watch fans experience Eden Park from a completely new perspective.
