Ponds Forge Sheffield is inviting guests to witness its transformation from a world-class sporting facility into a leading black tie dinner venue on Thursday, December 3 for the annual Sheffield Business Awards.
The venue, best known for its Olympic sized swimming pool and prestigious sports events, is the largest banqueting space in the region and has been the venue of choice for the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce’s Business Awards for the last five years.
More than 1,000 people attend the event, which is held in the sports hall within the Sheffield International Venues (SIV) facility.
SIV operates one of the biggest concentrations of diverse international events venues in Europe including Ponds Forge Sheffield, City Hall Sheffield and Don Valley Stadium Sheffield.
Dominic Stokes, Conference and Events manager for SIV, said: “We are offering event planners this unique opportunity to see the event preparation first hand because Ponds Forge is an extraordinary venue, whether we are hosting an international sporting event, banquet for 1,400 people or a meeting of 20, Ponds Forge has shown that it has the ability to deliver exceptional service to our clients.”
David Wagstaff, Food and Beverage Manager of SIV, said: “When considering Ponds Forge for a dinner, we show clients the sports hall and they look at us like we have gone mad, with activities and games taking place. But when they arrive on the evening they can't believe it is the same room, so this is a great chance for people to see this transformation and ask questions about the venue.”
The sports hall takes around two days to set-up for the Business Awards, co-ordinating a variety of staff, from sound and light engineers, to the production crew, all being supported by SIV's events teams.
David added: “For an event which attracts 1,000 people, we would have around 100 waitresses, 12 chefs, 20 bar staff, a management team of eight, as well as support from the SIV leisure and event staff and suppliers.
“At the end of the evening we strip down the room over-night, so the hall is back to its original form for sporting activity from around 9am. Sometimes clients return the next morning and are amazed to see people playing badminton or basketball again!”
