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10 December, 2009

Sydney Showground was proud to play its part in hosting one of the biggest sporting events held in Sydney since the 2000 Olympics.

Nearly 185,000 V8 Supercar fans flocked to Sydney Olympic Park, the home of Sydney Showground, to enjoy three action-packed days of music, entertainment, carnival, food and, of course, all the V8 Supercar action at the Sydney Telstra 500.

Sydney Showground played a pivotal role in the success of the event, including catering of the pit lane corporate suites, hosting the indoor V8 supercar paddock, the support paddocks, indoor car displays and autograph signings, the emergency services command post, Main Arena entertainment, and various public food and beverage outlets.

Sydney Showground Chief Executive Peter King says the event was an unprecedented success and highlighted just how Sydney Showground can be utilised for world class events.

“Sydney Olympic Park is the premier major events precinct in Australia and this event showcased to Sydney and the rest of Australia what the precinct and Sydney Showground does so well, said Mr King.

“The Showground shone over the course of the event and the cooperation of all parties ensured that 185,000 people had a great experience when they arrived at Sydney Olympic Park, said Mr King.

Sydney Showground’s Exhibition Halls hosted the first ever indoor Paddock Area. The concept provided racegoers with an unforgettable behind the scenes experience, allowing them to get close to the teams, drivers and all the action while protected from the heat of the sun.

The Dome was the place to go to see some of the oldest and newest Bathurst memorabilia at the Biante Beasts of Bathurst display. The Dome also hosted the official autograph signing sessions, where thousands fans streamed in to meet their race driving idols.

V8 Supercars Australia Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of the Sydney Telstra 500 Shane Howard said being able to utilise the entire precinct was the major reason the event proved to be such a resounding success.

“Having the use of the facilities at Sydney Showground, such as its Exhibition Halls, the Dome and the Southee Pavilion was crucial to ensuring the logistical success of such a massive event,” Mr Howard said.

“The RAS and Peter King worked tirelessly over many months with V8 Supercars to ensure the Sydney Telstra 500 exceeded all expectations.

“We always knew that Sydney Olympic Park was the perfect venue for an event of this scale, and we have proved that the site is tailor made for big entertainment spectaculars.”

Sydney Showground undertook a massive logistical operation to ensure that race fans stayed well fed and refreshed during the event, employing close to 700 people for corporate hospitality, kitchen staff, site specific security, cleaning and management. Our team of highly skilled chefs and wait staff served just over 6,000 corporate meals, and nearly 5,000 meals to media and volunteers over the three days.

Sydney Showground’s Badgery Pavilion hosted The Armor All Auto Show. Featured was a large selection of the very best show and performance vehicles including, motorcycles and special interest display cars, dragsters, drift cars, performance street cars, customs, muscle cars, rods, cruisers and exotic imports, awesome audio displays, and appearances by motorsport personalities.

The Main Arena at Sydney Showground saw action to rival all the thrills of the race track, with heart-stopping displays by the Toyota V6 Hilux Heroes and the Xtreme Korruption team. Well known to fans of the Easter Show, these daredevils showed courage and daring to match the drivers out on the track.

“Olympic Park has proved itself once again. Now is the time for Sydney to embrace and invest in this wonderful facility. We need to celebrate the fact that Sydney can not only attract major events but has the support of local spectators and visitors alike,” said Mr King.”

Sydney Showground is renowned for delivering the best event experiences in Australia with its collaborative and flexible approach, award winning in-house catering team and over 20 versatile venues located in the geographic heart of Sydney . From conferences to product launches, film shoots to exhibitions, intimate corporate events to large outdoor concerts and sporting matches, we offer a choice of outstanding indoor and outdoor spaces, which can be tailored to your specific needs.