The 2012 Olympics has inspired stadium development in the UK. Former Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, commented that the UK has entered a glorious decade of sport.

In 2013 The Rugby League World Cup will be here, Glasgow will be hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games and we are one of the favourites for the Football World Cup.

As a result sports clubs have been preparing expansion plans in a bid to get involved in the action.

The European Rugby Cup (ERC) has stipulated that clubs must have a capacity of at least 15,000 to stage matches in Europe’s premier rugby union club competition the Heineken Cup. Many of the projects include bolt-on developments such as hotels, conferencing or community facilities, with sports clubs wary of the need to generate revenue outside of match days.

In cricket there are currently five schemes where work is underway with a further two in the pipeline driven by competition to host test matches. The England and Wales Cricket Board has been offering the chance to host international matches to counties that have not traditionally been international venues, but have made concerted efforts to improve their facilities. A variety of clubs nationwide are also planning expansion.

Ways to win

Contractors that have in-house designers and strong specialist supply chain contacts that can already bring extensive knowledge about all aspects of the design and stadium construction components to the table will be preferred. Stadiums are more complicated and specialised than most other types of buildings and so in house facilities and experience are viewed as advantageous.

Sustainable push

As with all major commercial buildings being able to offer sustainable operational measures is beginning to make the difference between winning and losing work, this includes for example improvements to building fabric and systems, on-site renewable energy, rainwater harvesting options and waste management.

How to market

Direct marketing tactics including relevant case studies would be a great idea here - make sure you include some renewables information.

 Public Relations concerning any experience you may have in this arena will also be useful. Other than that documentation could be produced concerning your approach to this sector and your credentials.

 For further information on how to effectively promote your business in this arena please don’t hesitate to contact Sharon at sharonh@questconstructionmarketing.co.uk