Ninja Warrior at Qudos Bank Arena.
Challenged to reach new heights Rohit Maini explains how Qudos Bank Arena scaled Mt Midoriyama amid COVID challenges
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ust over one year ago the world of entertainment came to a grinding halt with Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena being one of many venues impacted by COVID-19 and the restrictions that came in its wake. Show after show was postponed or cancelled and the largest indoor entertainment and sporting arena in Australasia remained silent for many months. Finally, in October last year the doors opened again, albeit in a restricted and subdued manner. Despite reduced crowd numbers, mask mandates and social distancing, it was deemed that the show could go on. However, a new challenge presented itself with national and international border closures limiting the ability for international performers to rock the Arena. In coming out the other side, it was essential for the stakeholders of Qudos Bank Arena to think outside the box and find new and exciting opportunities to interact with fans during the pandemic. After engaging with local television production company, Endemol Shine Australia and in collaboration with Sydney Olympic Park Authority and associated stakeholders, ASM Global was able to bring the filming of the television phenomenon Australian Ninja Warrior to their front door. ASM Global also managed to tap into the film studio business, with fellow Endemol Shine Australia’s program ‘Ultimate Tag’ and ITV Studios Australia’s television game show ‘The Cube’ both calling Qudos Bank Arena home for their inaugural seasons. The versatility of Qudos Bank Arena was first showcased when the television cameras started rolling. The Arena floor was transformed into a filming studio, showing its adaptability in effortlessly moving from the enormity of the obstacle courses to the intimacy of the glass cube. In the studio audience on the first day of shooting, Lucinda Pickett commented “it was so nice to have a bit of normality after such a hectic year. 16 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 145
“I’ve been a regular at Qudos Bank Arena, attending many concerts over the years, but the set up for this made it feel like we had been transported somewhere else, it was really impressive.” The ability to bring the filming of Australian Ninja Warrior to Qudos Bank Arena was a major win. Sydney Olympic Park is no stranger to having elite competition in the precinct with the Ninjas the latest in a long line of athletes fighting to reach the pinnacle of their chosen sport. Taking their operation outside of the Arena, the ASM Global team once again proved their capability to adapt and transform to meet the brief. The course was laid out on the forecourt immediately outside of the Arena, with the soft glow of the Qudos Bank Arena and the Sydney Olympic Park precinct forming the backdrop for the gruelling competition. Over 10 nights, spectators filed into the customised stands erected in the forecourt of the Arena, around a myriad of imposing and challenging obstacles, under the shadow of the towering Mt Midoriyama (the event’s final challenge), to watch the best Ninjas in Australia fight it out for the title of Australian Ninja Warrior. Western Sydney sisters, Vahishta and Rania Bhasin, were among those lucky enough to watch the action of a Semi Final. A vivid tennis follower and general lover of sport, Vahishta was ecstatic to be able to be among the crowd and cheering on the ninjas. While tapping into the film studio business was essential, it was the return to live music and gigs that really caught the headlines. TEG Live and Live Nation Australasia collaborated with the NSW Government to bring to life the first arena concert events held in Australia since the pandemic brought the industry to a grinding halt. The two major COVIDSafe performances of Greatest Southern were held on 28th November and 5th
