Fanzones are lively, large-scale branded spaces at a club’s home ground where fans can get together before and after a match. Top fanzone suppliers work closely with clubs to create custom fanzone marquees and temporary structures that elevate the match-day experience, strengthen ties between clubs and fans and, crucially, bring in regular extra revenue throughout the season.
GL events is a trusted fanzone structure supplier and a market leader in sporting event infrastructure. We work with football clubs through the league system from the Premier League and Championship to the National League. Our temporary event infrastructure experience covers a multitude of sectors from athletics such as the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, the UCI Cycling World Championships, golf, motorsport, tennis and more. So, we’ve put together an expert guide, with everything you need to consider when you’re creating a fanzone of your own. Let’s take a look…
How do fanzones bring in extra revenue?
For sport clubs across the UK, generating extra revenue has never been more important. Today’s financial regulations mean the more your club brings in, the more you can spend on players once the transfer window opens. And while the rules vary for rugby and other sports, every kind of club benefits from boosting their income.
When it comes to generating that extra revenue, custom fanzones on club grounds are a really easy win – encouraging fans to spend on food, drink and club merchandise before and after every home match. A good fanzone supplier can handle the build and infrastructure for you, opening up that revenue stream quickly and easily. And the benefits go way beyond the financials…
How do fanzones elevate the match-day experience?
With so many matches shown on TV, and so many other ways fans could spend their day, clubs are looking to elevate the match-day experience into something nobody wants to miss.
Custom fanzones are playing a big part in that. They’re creating lively destinations that give fans an extra reason to come out week after week, have a great experience and make a day of it. A well thought-out fanzone marquee will draw fans to the ground earlier on match day, instead of five minutes before kick-off. And it’ll encourage them to linger long after the final whistle too.
Of course, all that extra time at the ground means fans are more likely to spend on merch, food and drink. But it also achieves something else pretty special…
What kind of structure will a fanzone usually be?
A fanzone supplier or fanzone construction company will usually use a clearspan marquee to create a large, open-plan hospitality space, giving you plenty of covered standing capacity, whatever the weather.
They can help you choose a bespoke, custom marquee, fully branded with your club colours and badge. Or if your club’s smaller and your budget’s tighter, fanzone suppliers can take a more off-the-shelf approach, creating a more affordable space that still feels inviting to fans.
Explore clearspan marquees
Our contemporary clearspan marquees are available in 15m, 20m and 25m widths. Extended in 5m bays, they are a versatile and cost-effective solution.
How do fanzones build club loyalty?
Working with a fanzone supplier to create an attractive, welcoming social space shows fans your club is investing in their experience and rewarding their support. It’s a great way to build the bond between your club and its fans, fostering a sense of belonging that deepens long-term loyalty and creates a real sense of positivity around the ground.
What kind of capacity can a fanzone hold?
The biggest factor affecting the capacity of a fanzone is the space you’ve got on site. Fanzone marquees can be made to virtually any size, so it’s about balancing the space you’ve got with the kind of footfall you’re expecting to see. Typically, a Premier League club might create a fanzone, using a clearspan marquee with a capacity of upwards of 1,000 spectators, while a smaller club might go for a capacity between 200-500.
Like a quick idea of how many people your fanzone could hold? Give our GL events marquee capacity configurator a try. It’s an easy, interactive tool that works out the numbers in seconds.
What’s inside a typical fanzone?
As well as a whole lot of (hopefully) happy fans, fanzone marquees are usually home to one or more bars and sometimes food outlets. They’re usually standing-only, but a fanzone construction company like GL events can often add seating too. We regularly supply marquee furniture, flat-floor seating and even temporary grandstand hire for events and sports fixtures.
If you’d like to make even more of your custom fanzone, your fanzone supplier can also add a stage. This creates a dedicated space for player interviews, match analysis and meet-and-greet sessions – all of which encourage fan footfall both before and after the match.
Do fanzones have heating and lighting?
Absolutely. The football season has more than its fair share of night-time and winter matches, so a good fanzone supplier will also provide all of your essential infrastructure too. That includes providing a power supply to your marquee and setting up heating and lighting to make the space welcoming and comfortable for your fans.
As well as being a fanzone infrastructure supplier, GL events also has specialist teams in festive lighting and placemaking, so we can make your custom fanzone as inviting, engaging and bespoke as you want it to be. With the majority of the football season taking place through the winter months, our guide to hiring a marquee in winter is a handy resource to read.
Do fanzones have AV set-ups?
A full AV set-up can easily be installed in a fanzone marquee, taking the space to a new level. Adding in big screens means you can show the match-day build-up, or other fixtures happening before or after your own. When the results are crucial, that can be a huge draw for fans, bringing large numbers to your fanzone and creating a great atmosphere.
How can fanzones boost club merchandise sales?
Match days are big drivers of club merchandise, and a custom fanzone can boost sales even more. Your fanzone marquee can be connected directly to your club shop, driving consistent footfall into your existing retail space.
Alternatively, your fanzone can feature its own separate, fully fitted-out pop-up shop, giving fans a second place to shop. Set within the bar and social space, pop-ups are a great way to encourage spontaneous purchases without disrupting the pre or post-match experience.
How quickly can a fanzone be installed?
Fanzone marquees are typically installed in places like club car parks, so they tend to be on durable tarmac surfaces, suitable for high footfall. Your fanzone supplier will usually use a ballast solution to keep your marquee securely in place without the need for internal supports.
This kind of marquee installation is something we do virtually every day at GL events, so depending on the size and internal fit-out of your fanzone structure, it can usually be up and running in under a week. Once it’s installed, it can stay in place for as long as you need it. Our GL events maintenance team will come back to carry out routine checks at regular intervals.
Can a fanzone stay in place long term?
A fanzone marquee can stay in place for as long as you choose, especially as they’re usually on club property, where you have more control of what happens.
Many clubs want the convenience of great fanzone facilities without the disruption of regularly putting them up and taking them down again, so they choose to keep their fanzones for the whole winter period, the whole football season, or even multiple seasons.
Having that consistent fanzone space means providing great hospitality is hassle-free, even for short-notice fixtures like cup matches or friendlies. The structure’s there, any time you need it.
Better still, the longer you leave your fanzone up, the better value it becomes, spreading the initial cost of installation over more home fixtures and creating more revenue-generating opportunities. You might even find that a fanzone supplier will put together a deal if you commit to a longer-term hire, locking in their prices for a fixed period or giving you a discounted rate.
What if I want a more high-end hospitality lounge?
That’s absolutely possible too – and another great revenue generator. While fanzones are usually unticketed and free to enter, hospitality lounges offer a more exclusive experience, with tickets often costing several hundred pounds per person. And as long as you’ve got room, you can build both, giving fans the opportunity to trade up if their income, or a special occasion, allows.
GL events recently created a hospitality lounge for a Premier League club, while they carried out a major refurbishment of their usual facilities. We used one of our two-storey, hard-sided event structures, the Absolute Eclipse. Branded in the club’s colours, the hospitality lounge elevated the fan experience with a beautifully lit, carpeted and furnished space, double-height ceilings and a high-spec bar – keeping hospitality revenue coming in, despite the renovation.
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Can a fanzone structure provider offer a turnkey approach?
Yes. While it’s perfectly possible to just hire a stand-alone fanzone structure and fit it out yourself, opting for a turnkey approach can make the whole project hassle free.
Fanzone marquee providers like GL events also offer full-service options, taking you from initial idea to fully designed, installed and fitted-out space so you can open your fanzone and start earning that extra revenue sooner.
GL events provides everything from temporary power, heating and lighting to high-end fit out and furnishing. Our in-house design team can even create CAD visuals and virtual fly-throughs to help you step inside your space, before it’s even built.
Explore ancillary products for your structure
Whether you are looking for a single product, or multiple elements which work harmoniously with each other, GL events can provide everything you need to make your sporting event a success.
Creating additional revenue beyond fanzones
Match days are big drivers of club merchandise, and a custom fanzone can boost sales even more. Your fanzone marquee can be connected directly to your club shop, driving consistent footfall into your existing retail space.
Alternatively, your fanzone can feature its own separate, fully fitted-out pop-up shop, giving fans a second place to shop. Set within the bar and social space, pop-ups are a great way to encourage spontaneous purchases without disrupting the pre or post-match experience.
GL events can supply a number of complimentary products and solutions for sports clubs looking to increase both match day and wider event revenue streams. This includes everything from additional temporary grandstand seating, right through to full stadium redevelopment projects and branded placemaking activations.
Seating and stadia solutions to enhance match day revenue
GL events provides a one stop shop for temporary and permanent spectator seating. We provide a full scope of services from seating upgrades to full stadium construction and redevelopment work.
Other people also ask...
Who builds fanzones for major sporting events?
Fanzone suppliers are usually marquee suppliers or temporary event structure suppliers. These businesses often have a lot of experience in providing marquees for a whole range of purposes at major sporting events.
For example, GL events has provided marquees and event structures for the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup, Royal Ascot, British Grand Prix and Cheltenham Festival, among others. We also provide stadium seating for a range of major sports clubs and temporary grandstand hire for events.
What kind of overheads come with creating a fanzone?
Apart from the cost of your fanzone marquee hire, your main overhead will be staffing. You’ll need to pay stewards, bar staff and potentially door security, but compared with the revenue your fanzone brings in, these are likely to be fairly minimal costs.
You’ll also be spending extra on power, heating, lighting, and the food and drink you sell, but again, these costs should be quite small in comparison to the extra income you generate.
What infrastructure is needed to build a fanzone?
Your fanzone will usually need power, heating and lighting, especially if it’s going to be open during the darker, colder winter months. Many clubs also provide temporary toilets that are easily accessible from the fanzone.
At GL events, we’re a complete fanzone infrastructure supplier, with specialist teams in all of those areas who can create a space that’s comfortable, practical and inviting for your fans.
How much does it cost to hire temporary structures for a fan zone?
The cost of hiring a fanzone very much depends on its size, fit-out and facilities, as well as the length of time you’d like to hire it for. If you’d like a no-obligation quote, our GL events team is always happy to talk your project through and give you the answers you need. Just call us on 01332 408 248 or or fill in our quick enquiry form.
At GL events UK we’re part of a global group with a 5,000-strong team, delivering complex events, all over the world. Here in the UK, we host more than 150 events every year. So, whatever you’re planning next, we’re always happy to talk it through. Just get in touch.
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