The Vodafone Arena, Victoria’s new venue for entertainment, sports and conventions, was officially launched on July 27 by the Minister for Major Projects and Tourism, Mr John Pandazopoulos, the Managing Director of Vodafone Australia, Mr Andrew Bissex and Mr Graeme Samuel, Chairman of the Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust.
The arena will be home to the Victoria Titans and the Melbourne Tigers Basketball Clubs as well as Victorian cycling and very importantly, it will provide a new world class arena for Australia’s Grand Slam tennis tournament, the Australian Open. Events from rock concerts to family shows will also be performed at the Vodafone Arena.
The $65 million project will also provide a venue for national and international conventions, reaffirming Melbourne’s reputation as a world class conference venue.
‘This is arguably one of the most sophisticated and technologically advanced multipurpose arenas in the world,’ Mr Pandazopoulos declared.
‘As Victorian’s we are proud that we will have an international standard velodrome for the Commonwealth Games in 2006,’ Mr Pandazopoulos said.
‘The Vodafone Arena is the newest addition to Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Australia’s premier sporting and entertainment precinct and provides Victorians with a unique facility capable of many configuration,’ said Mr Graeme Samuel, Chairman of the Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust.
The Vodafone Arena is a velodrome, tennis, basketball, entertainment and conference facility all in one. Features include raiseable, retractable and removable seating. Seating can be altered to accommodate different types of events always ensuring that spectators can be close to the action.
The Vodafone Arena has a maximum capacity of 10,800 seats, depending on the configuration. Typical capacities are 8,900 seats for and end stage production, 10,800 seats for a concert, around 10,000 seats for a basketball match and 4,500 seats in a velodrome mode.
A retractable roof adds to the Vodafone Arena’s diversity. The roof takes only ten minutes to fully open or close and allows the venue to be transformed for an indoor to an outdoor arena.
Uniquely one section of the cycling track can be raised hydraulically allowing production vehicles access to set up for concerts. This flexibility means the Vodafone Arena is the only velodrome in the world that can be easily and quickly transformed to a new configuration.
‘Vodafone is proud to be associated with the new Arena and believes it offers Victorians and visitors a premier venue for sporting, cultural and corporate events. At Vodafone we aim to find sponsorship partners that reflect our own business strategy – to be the world’s best’, said Managing Director of Vodafone Australia, Mr Andrew Bissex.
The Vodafone Arena had its own tram stop making it a very accessible venue for all visitors.
A range of hospitality and function space within the Vodafone Arena is expecting to suit a variety of purposes for intimate to large scale entertaining.
The Vodafone Arena will be closed for pre-Olympic cycling training from mid August through until the end of September and will be available for hire from October 2000 onwards.
Melbourne’s two NBL basketball teams, the Victoria Titans and the Melbourne Tigers have confirmed that the Vodafone Arena will be their new home. Victorian Cycling now has a prestigious new centre, in the heart of the city and of course the building will feature prominently for the Australian Open Tennis Championships in 2001.
For further information please contact Melissa Cheesman on 0414 254 717
Source: Melbourne 2006