The Melbourne Cricket Club was acknowledged at the 2020 Australian Event Awards, taking out the Best Achievement in Venue Management category.
As manager of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Club was recognised for its efforts over a 12-month period spanning July 2019 to June 2020.Despite COVID-19 dramatically impacting the 2020 event schedule, during this time the MCG hosted a number of standout events including the 2019 AFL Grand Final, the 2019 Boxing Day Test and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final.
The MCC also made significant investments in fan experience in 2019, with projects including a state-of-the-art PA system upgrade, improved sports lighting, relaunch of the new Australian Sports Museum and ongoing enhancements to customer service.
These initiatives reflect the Club’s commitment to creating an unmatchable MCG experience for visitors – one which can’t be replicated at other venues or in living rooms.
Throughout 2019–20 the Club continued to improve the environmental performance of the stadium, including the elimination of a range of single use plastics, and also meaningfully contributed to the broader community through support of Cricket Australia’s The Big Appeal and the ongoing work of the Melbourne Cricket Club Foundation.
MCC CEO, Stuart Fox, said the Club was proud to be recognised for its efforts.
“There is no doubt 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for not just the MCC and the MCG but all organisations in the events industry,” Mr Fox said.
“It has been a long time since we have had the privilege of hosting fans at the stadium, so this award provides a nice opportunity to reflect back on some of the highlights from the past year and to celebrate the effort that goes into bringing events to life.”
“You can’t manage and operate a venue the size of the MCG without the support and dedication of so many people and we are so grateful to them all,” he added.
“From our MCC Committee and our major partners, to our suppliers, our staff and of course the fans – we look forward to hopefully welcoming everyone back to the ‘G soon.”
The Australian Event Awards is the principal awards program for the Australian events industry, recognising best practice and achievement across a range of categories.
This is the second time the MCC has claimed the award for Best Achievement in Venue Management, having previously won the category in 2017.
A full list of winners and nominees can be viewed at eventawards.com.au
