13th & 14th October 2025
Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow
13th & 14th October 2025
Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow
Event Tech
Branchout
Olympia

Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards 2025 – The winners in full

Specialist events and hospitality teams from over 70 football, rugby and cricket venues across the UK joined together to recognise and celebrate their ‘off the pitch’ successes at The Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards 2025. 

The event is organised by Stadium Experience annually, and recognises the efforts and dedication shown by the catering, conference and events teams at every football, rugby and cricket stadium. 

71 clubs were nominated for awards, with 26 different venues scooping at least one of 45 gongs. There were Bronze, Silver and Winner awards presented across 15 categories. 

For the second year running, Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club scooped the top gong for Overall Matchday Hospitality Experience 2025, fighting off tough competition from 31 participating venues across the leagues.  The full results list of 2025 award winners includes;

*NEW* Event Agents Choice Award 

Voted for by event agents who are asked to vote for their top stadium venue where they have had the best event enquiry experience. 

WINNER:  MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  COVENTRY BUILDING SOCIETY ARENA

Non-Matchday Mystery Shopper Award 

This award is based on a mystery shopper corporate/business event sales enquiry call and follow up, made by our new judges from Sandown Effective Sales Solutions.

WINNER:  RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  SOUTHAMPTON FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  ROTHERHAM UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

Matchday Sales Team of the Year Award 

This award recognises the very best matchday sales team in UK stadium venues.  Winners demonstrated strategies for growth, brave new ideas, and overcoming challenges.

WINNER: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  NEWCASTLE UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  SOUTHAMPTON FOOTBALL CLUB

Non-Matchday Sales Team of the Year Award

This award recognises the very best non-matchday sales team in UK stadium venues.  Winners demonstrates strategies for growth, new ideas for unique and different events, creative use of their spaces, and overcoming challenges.

WINNER:  MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  MKM STADIUM, HULL

BRONZE:  ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB

Operations Team of the Year Award

This award recognises the often unseen behind-the-scenes teams that make stadium events run so smoothly, going above and beyond the call of duty to provide the very best service to customers.

WINNER:  LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  NEWCASTLE UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  COVENTRY BUILDING SOCIETY ARENA

Stadium Event of the Year Award 

This award recognises the very best stadium event held in the last year. Judges specifically looked for a stadium venue which has displayed exceptional venue facilities and outstanding guest experiences.

WINNER:  MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB (Christmas at City – Fan & Family Event)

SILVER:  NEWCASTLE UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB (Trophy celebrations with 350,000+ people and only 11 days to organise)

BRONZE:  SOUTHAMPTON FOOTBALL CLUB (Carnival Cruises bespoke Christmas Party for 1500 people)

Above & Beyond Recognition Award 

This award recognises those individuals or teams who are simply outstanding at what they do, and continuously shine.

WINNER:  KATY JOHNSON AT LEEDS HEADINGLEY STADIUM

SILVER:  JULIE-ANN BUXTON-BEALES AT BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  POLLY WARD AT WALSALL FOOTBALL CLUB

Chef Team of the Year Award 

A live theatre chef competition held at Xcelerate with Edgbaston – A regional community skills and learning centre in Birmingham.  Chef teams had 90 mins to prepare, cook and present a three-course menu suitable for their Club Chairman to entertain the Head of the FA or RFU to dinner. Served anonymously and judged by The British Culinary Federation.

WINNER:  EDGBASTON STADIUM

SILVER:  CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  LEEDS UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

Best Retail Catering Award 

This award recognises the best retail catering teams at stadia across the UK.  Winners demonstrated commercial growth, high quality food offerings or proactive sustainability improvements.

WINNER:  HULL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  BRENTFORD FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FOOTBALL CLUB

Visiting Rugby Directors Award 

Voted for by Directors at rugby clubs who are asked where they had the best away experience this season.  They are specifically asked to consider the welcome, service and catering. 

WINNER:  LEEDS RHINOS RUGBY CLUB

SILVER:  WARRINGTON WOLVES RUGBY CLUB

BRONZE:  WIGAN WARRIORS RUGBY CLUB

Visiting Football Directors Award 

Voted for by Directors at football clubs who are asked where they had the best away experience this season.  They are specifically asked to consider the welcome, service and catering. 

WINNER:  TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  MIDDLESBROUGH FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB

Matchday Hospitality Awards 

Judged by experienced chef and hospitality experts who are part of chef industry associations such as The British Culinary Federation, Craft Guild of Chefs and more.  Judges visit each venue to experience their full matchday offering.  The clubs they visit rotates regularly, and their scores and reports are validated to ensure consistency across the board.  Each element is carefully considered and scored against strict criteria.

This award is split into 3 categories (small, medium and large) based on the number of hospitality seats on a matchday to compare similar sized matchday operations:

Matchday Hospitality Award – Small Stadium (up to 1000 hospitality seats)

WINNER:  STOCKPORT COUNTY FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  MORECAMBE FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN FOOTBALL CLUB

Matchday Hospitality Award – Medium Stadium (1001 – 2000 hospitality seats)

WINNER:  BRENTFORD FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  BRISTOL BEARS RUGBY CLUB

BRONZE:  HAMPDEN PARK STADIUM

Matchday Hospitality Award – Large Stadium (2001+ hospitality seats) 

WINNER:  BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  LEEDS UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

BRONZE:  MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

Overall Matchday Hospitality Award 

This award pitches all sized clubs against all (regardless of size) to announce the overall winning UK stadium that provides the very best matchday hospitality experience.

WINNER:  BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION FOOTBALL CLUB

SILVER:  BRENTFORD RUGBY CLUB

BRONZE:  BRISTOL BEARS RUGBY CLUB

Stadium Experience Chair Person Collette Salmon, commented: “Another year and another milestone, we have now grown our membership to over 70 Stadium Venues across the UK across Football, Rugby and Cricket, our aim is to make sure that our venues keep up to date with new trends, directives, offering diverse and sustainable events, giving our customers the best experience in a very unique way, different to other venues adding a bit a little bit of the sporting magic to events, whether they are a having a business or personal event.

“This year has seen us come back to having face to face events and seeing each other again to share our experiences and offer each other help, because that is what we do best at Stadium Experience. Thank you to all our members, the leadership team all the Winners in celebrating at our Awards evening, Brighton for hosting us and celebrating our success. Congratulations to every single person who is part of this journey, Debbie who keeps us in line and brings this superb event together for us, long may we continue.”

“There has been a positive exchange of ideas, which has helped us shape our products and services into the Stadia and Event Hospitality space. There is plenty of energy and innovative ideas around this group, focused on the guest experience and delivering memorable experiences.” 

The 2025 event concluded with the announcement of the host venue in 2026, which will be held at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the new home of Everton FC.

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