Everton appoint Meis to new stadium guardianship role

Dan Meis, the concept architect for Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, will continue his association with Everton’s new stadium project as he takes up a new guardianship role. Club CEO, Denise Barrett-Baxendale also provided an update on the stadium development.

Meis’ initial role in the stadium project came to a natural end in the summer of 2020 as the scheme moved from the concept to technical phases.

Working under Everton’s Stadium Development Director, Colin Chong, and alongside the project leads from construction partner, Laing O’Rourke, and architects BDP Pattern, Meis’ role will involve reviewing the technical construction specifications and engaging the compliance team ahead of each stage of development to ensure the original design concept remains in place throughout the build.

Confirming Meis’, return to the project, Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright, said:

Dan has been an important part of our stadium journey so far and we are pleased he has accepted this new role.

In working alongside both our in-house and external teams, Dan will be joining some of the best technical talents in the country throughout the exciting construction phase of the project.

Oliver Wright, Head of Sales & Hospitality, Everton FC, was one of 40+ industry expert speakers at last month’s ALSD International conference. Aidan Miller, Stadium Development Head of Finance, was one of the 200+ registered attendees, with in-person attendees treated to a tour of Goodison Park, where concepts are being trialled ready for the new stadium.

Stadium update 

Everton CEO, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, shared the following stadium update with fans:

It is 12 weeks since our construction teams started work on site at Bramley-Moore Dock and I am sure you will be thrilled at the progress being made on the site

The enabling works have reached the important milestones of dock infilling, a process that will continue for the next three months, and piling work for the foundations of the new North and South Stands – as we ready the site for the building phase of the project.

Our dream is becoming reality. And, just as the project is progressing, so will our ongoing consultation with supporters.

From the very inception of our stadium plans, we have engaged and consulted fans to ensure our next home delivers fully on your hopes and expectations. The creation of our 11 Key Principles was informed from fan feedback. And tens of thousands of Evertonians inputted into the record-breaking two-stage consultation process that helped us evolve the design – and which played such a pivotal role in securing unanimous approval for our planning application.

At every stage, we have stated the importance of seeking and listening to the voice of supporters.
Now, as we count down the years, months and weeks to playing our first game in our new home, that voice is more important than ever. It is essential we deliver not just a magnificent sporting arena – but also an exemplary match-going experience. In order to do that, we will continue to listen and will deliver a series of surveys between now and opening of the doors to our new stadium for the first time.

Season Ticket and Hospitality Members, Shareholders, Official Members, supporters on the Season Ticket waiting list and fans with a customer number who have attended a game at Goodison Park in the past five years have been invited to take part in a survey to provide us with insight into their personal priorities, preferences and expectations for our new stadium. Supporter input will help us shape and guide our ongoing decision-making on key matters relating to every facet of what matchdays will look like when we move to Bramley-Moore Dock.

It is important to also acknowledge, of course, that we are building a stadium on the most challenging of sites – and at the most challenging of times, socially and economically.

We remain focused on achieving our footballing objectives, living up to our Club’s motto and delivering the very best matchday service and experience. In order to realise those ambitions, it is essential for the Club to increase and maximise our commercial and matchday revenues.

Our new stadium will be a gamechanger for the Club commercially. It will also afford us the opportunity to give greater choice and flexibility for supporters. This will mean a broader and more dynamic pricing model, and more flexible and personalised options for all fans in all areas of the ground. The input and feedback from the survey that has now been shared – and the further surveys to follow – will help inform the modelling of these flexible offerings. Our final pricing plan is still to be finalised. And whilst we have to ensure we drive our revenues, I can assure every Evertonian that our pricing will continue to be informed by feedback and structured to offer value in line with the quality of the stadium we will call our home.

In line with that, our pricing strategy for Goodison also has to be considered. After a decade of price reductions, price freezes and increasingly more attractive payment solutions, the average price of an adult Season Ticket at Goodison Park is now more than 25% cheaper, in real terms, than it was 10 years ago and the average price across all Season Tickets categories (from Kids through to Seniors) is 46% cheaper in real terms than a decade ago. The stark financial pressures created by the COVID pandemic, balanced alongside the significant costs of a stadium build and our own footballing ambitions, now means our approach to matchday, Season Ticket and Lounge Membership pricing for our remaining years at the Grand Old Lady has to reflect the reality we are faced with. I can assure you, however, that our requirement to increase matchday revenues will be approached with our usual Everton sensibilities and in consultation with our Fans’ Forum and key fan groups.

Our Season Ticket pricing for the 2022/23 season will be confirmed and shared in December.

In terms of our new stadium, we are putting the finishing touches to a new website which will launch later this year and that will provide even greater insight into the project beyond the news updates, podcasts, blogs and video features already available. The website will grow alongside the development, becoming the information portal for everything stadium-related, including image galleries of the very latest stadium visuals and design concepts.

With so much interest in our plans for our new stadium at our Bramley-Moore Dock site, the website will be home to the first visuals of our bars, restaurants and social spaces within the stadium. We intend to go on sale with the first packages for these areas during the Summer of 2022. We will deliver an optimum experience across these areas, which will include firsts for a stadium in this country in terms of the packages available and the seating options on offer.

We then plan to reveal the prices of Season Tickets for our new home during the 2023/24 season – with the sales process commencing shortly after that announcement.

The coming months and years are going to be very exciting as we work together with fans to shape the matchday experience for our new home. The continued support of Evertonians on this journey is hugely appreciated.

Source & imagery, courtesy: Everton

ALSD International aims to help those involved in the sector increase revenue through New Builds, Renovations & Service Expansions, especially via developments in niches including Premium Seating, Hospitality, Architecture & Design, F&B, Guest Experience, Sponsorship, Technology, etc. 

The latest edition was hosted by Liverpool Football Club September 6-7 and featured a high-level conference with 40+ high calibre industry professional speakers, an exhibition hall showcasing products & services, as well as networking events at Everton’s Goodison Park and M&S Bank Arena. 

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