The Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards 2026 brought together the UK’s leading sporting venues to celebrate excellence in hospitality, catering, conferences, and event management. Now in its 19th year, the prestigious awards recognised the exceptional achievements of stadium teams working behind the scenes to deliver outstanding experiences for guests throughout the year.
Sponsored by Global Payments, the awards ceremony was hosted at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the new home of Everton FC, and welcomed more than 500 industry professionals representing over 70 football, rugby, cricket, and athletics venues from across the United Kingdom.
More Than 500 Industry Professionals Attend the Celebration
The sold-out event attracted conference and events teams, matchday hospitality professionals, chefs, catering specialists, operational staff, and senior management from stadium venues nationwide.
Guests enjoyed an exclusive drinks reception on the West Terrace of Hill Dickinson Stadium, taking in panoramic views across Liverpool before gathering in The Yard, the venue’s largest event space, for the awards ceremony and gala dinner. The celebrations concluded with an after-party at Kendall’s, overlooking the Western Wharf and the River Mersey, which continued into the early hours.
The event highlighted the growing importance of stadiums as year-round destinations for business events, conferences, exhibitions, and premium hospitality experiences beyond sporting fixtures.
Celebrating Excellence in Stadium Hospitality and Events
Organised annually by Stadium Experience, the awards recognise the dedication and professionalism of teams responsible for delivering exceptional conference, catering, hospitality, and event services within the UK’s leading sporting venues.
This year saw 76 clubs nominated across 15 award categories, with 25 venues receiving at least one of the 47 awards presented during the evening.
Gold-standard recognition was awarded through Winner, Silver, and Bronze honours across categories covering hospitality, catering, operational excellence, conference services, and event delivery.
The awards continue to highlight innovation, customer service, and operational excellence that help transform sports stadiums into versatile venues capable of hosting corporate events, exhibitions, meetings, weddings, and large-scale celebrations throughout the year.
Independent Judging Ensures Transparency
One of the distinguishing features of the Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards is its completely independent judging process.
Stadium Experience does not participate in selecting the winners, ensuring every award is judged fairly and impartially by respected industry experts and specialist organisations.
Different categories are evaluated through dedicated judging panels and industry voting processes, including mystery shoppers, professional event agents, visiting stadium directors, experienced hospitality judges, and leading culinary organisations.
The Non-Matchday Mystery Shopper Award is independently assessed by Sandown Effective Sales Solutions Ltd., while the Event Agents Choice Award is decided by professional event agents. The Visiting Directors Awards are voted on by stadium directors from football and rugby clubs, and the Chef Team of the Year Award is organised and judged by The British Culinary Federation.
Meanwhile, the highly competitive Matchday Hospitality Awards are evaluated by experienced hospitality professionals with more than two decades of expertise and affiliations with respected organisations including The British Culinary Federation and the Craft Guild of Chefs.
Expert Panel Selects Winners Across Multiple Categories
Six of the award categories were determined by an independent judging panel comprising experienced professionals from across the meetings, events, hospitality, sustainability, and venue sectors.
The 2026 judging panel included respected industry leaders such as Louisa Watson (Past Chair, Beam), Amy Manton (Commercial Manager, The Delegate Wranglers), Andrew Perolls (CEO, Greengage Solutions), Sam McGrath (Director, Heard About Sam), Shonali Devereux (CEO, MIA), Simon Ramsbottom (Projects Manager, tobook), Shirley Wynne-Jones (Event Director, SWJ Events), Sam Cowdrill (Stadium Account Manager, venuedirectory.com), and Kerrin MacPhie (Board Advisor, ICC Wales).
Their combined expertise ensured a rigorous evaluation process that recognised innovation, operational excellence, customer experience, and outstanding venue performance.
Sporting Venues Continue to Evolve as Premier Event Destinations
The Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards also reflect the continued evolution of sporting venues into multi-purpose event destinations.
Across the UK, football, rugby, cricket, and athletics stadiums are increasingly hosting conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings, gala dinners, weddings, and entertainment events alongside their sporting calendars. Investments in premium hospitality spaces, modern conference facilities, and event technology have helped stadium venues become highly competitive within the UK’s business events industry.
The awards provide a valuable platform for recognising the professionals whose expertise helps drive this transformation and supports the continued growth of the sector.
A Showcase of Innovation and Hospitality Excellence
The Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards 2026 once again demonstrated the strength, creativity, and professionalism of the UK’s stadium hospitality industry. By recognising outstanding achievements across catering, events, operations, and guest services, the awards celebrate the people working behind the scenes to deliver memorable experiences for both matchday visitors and corporate event clients.
As sporting venues continue to diversify their event offerings, the awards remain an important benchmark for excellence, encouraging innovation and raising standards across one of the UK’s most dynamic hospitality sectors.
