Sporting Park Selected as Venue of the Year at TheStadiumBusiness Awards

May 16, 2012

The Populous-designed Sporting Park, home to Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City, was recognized as Venue of the Year at The Stadium Business Awards May 15, 2012 in Turin, Italy. The Stadium Business Awards, inaugurated in 2010, were presented as part of The Stadium Business Summit, a global meeting of owners, operators and developers of the world’s leading stadiums, arenas and major sports venues.

Sporting Park was chosen for Venue of the Year over four other nominees, two of which were designed by Populous. Amway Center in Orlando, Florida and Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand represented Populous, along with Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China and The American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, United Kingdom.

The impact this stadium has had on not only Sporting Kansas City but the entire community is remarkable, and Populous is proud to have been part of that,” said Jon Knight, Sporting Park designer and Populous Senior Principal.

After 15 years of playing games in relative anonymity and in inappropriately sized venues, Sporting Park presented the chance for Sporting Kansas City to redefine their organization and set a path toward long-term sustained growth and success. The 340,000-square-foot, $200 million state-of-the-art stadium, which opened in June of 2011, is anchored in the heart of a 400-acre mixed-use development. Based on the concept of stop-motion photography, the design of Sporting Park seeks to capture movement and motion by celebrating both the body and the ball.

It is a great honor for our stadium and organization,” Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman, who won the Executive of the Year award, said. “When we built Sporting Park, we wanted fan experience to be the focal point and create a culture through our stadium and experiences. For LSP to be recognized locally, nationally and now internationally is a true testament to all involved.”

Sporting Park also received the Community Award, which recognizes a stadium, arena or major sports complex that has found new ways to support, enhance and improve its local community. It was also nominated for the New Venue Award and Customer Service Award.

For further information please contact:
media@populous.com

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