RAC Arena welcomes recognition as Australian Event Awards' Venue of the Year

RAC Arena welcomes recognition as Australian Event Awards’ Venue of the Year

September 22, 2023

The team at Perth’s RAC Arena have welcomed its recognition as Venue of the Year at last week’s 2023 Australian Event Awards and Symposium.

Judged by a panel of industry experts, the award was given to a venue that demonstrates leadership and innovation over a 12 month period and significantly enhanced the event experience.

Welcoming receipt of the Award, RAC Arena General Manager, Michael Scott stated “I know I speak on behalf of everyone at RAC Arena when I say we’re so honoured to have been awarded Venue of the Year at the 2023 Australian Event Awards and Symposium.

“We’re exceptionally proud of our team and the work that’s required to host worldclass events such as UFC 284, Telethon 7 2022 and Billie Eilish.

“This award is a testament to our team’s dedication to excellence, innovation, and collaboration, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

RAC Arena leads on green initiatives
The venue is also on track to become one of the greenest and most sustainable in the country with a mission to streamline its waste management process in order to attain a landfill diversion rate of 70%.

Since the start of this year, RAC Arena has diverted more than 120,000 containers as part of the Containers for Change program, recycled more than 34 tonnes of cardboard and glass and diverted almost 38 tonnes of organics and compostable packaging from landfill.

The organic and compostable packaging composted equates to eliminating 72,067.00kg C02 emissions from the atmosphere and is the equivalent to powering one household for 6,434.00 days.

Working on a sustainability roadmap with Perth-based sustainability consulting experts WRITE Solutions, the arena has adopted reusable cups in their retail bars, swapped single-use plastic packaging for compostable alternatives from BioPak, and installed additional green bins across the venue to capture organic food waste.

Commenting on this, Scott explains that the venue’s environmental practices all form part of a bigger global picture, noting “together with our international ASM Global network, we’re working towards an ambitious plan to transform the live entertainment industry.

“ASM Global Acts, the group’s corporate social responsibility platform, has the goal to convert its 350+ strong venue portfolio into the most sustainable on the planet, and we couldn’t do it without wonderful partners like WRITE Solutions and BioPak.”

WRITE Solutions’ Managing Director, Daragh Maher added “our mission is to change people’s perceptions of waste and working with a venue like RAC Arena provides us the perfect platform.

“RAC Arena is always open to our new suggestions and ideas to reduce waste and when possible, to eliminate altogether.

“By increasing recycling options for patrons, and with a strong focus on education, together we are changing perception of waste and hopefully impacting a large audience across Perth.”

Images: RAC Arena during UFC 284 in February this year (top) and RAC General Manager Michael Scott (below). Credit: RAC Arena.

20th September 2023 - Simon Balderstone receives Lifetime Achievement Award at Australian Event Awards Ceremony 2023

15th September 2023 - ASM Global announces plan to develop next generation of leaders

14th September 2023 - Formula 1 Melbourne Grand Prix 2023 named Australian Event of the Year

5th September 2023 - Perth’s RAC Arena welcomes new community partners for years to 2025

1st September 2023 - Liverpool City Council’s Whitlam Leisure Centre’s Return and Earn Machine collects 10 million containers

11th August 2023 - RAC Arena and Channel 7 Telethon Trust secure prestigious MEA award

10th August 2023 - Nominees announced for 2023 Australian Event Awards

2nd August 2023 - Green Sports Alliance launches new guide for building sustainable venues

21st July 2023 - VenuesLive and Veolia collaboratie to install 460 new recycling bins at Perth’s Optus Stadium

12th July 2023 - ASM Global partners with guest experience experts to drive fan innovations

7th July 2023 - RAC Arena’s innovative corporate hospitality offerings at capacity

19th April 2023 - Australian Event Awards opens 2023 program for entries

17th February 2023 - UFC 284 event sets new sporting event attendance record for Perth’s RAC Arena

9th January 2023 - Inflated ticket holders at risk of being refused entry to UFC event at Perth’s RAC Arena

17th November 2022 - Launch of Limelight music support fund by Perth’s RAC Arena and West Australian Music

16th November 2022 - Perth’s RAC Arena marks 10 years of operations

1st November 2022 - Approaching its 10th anniversary Perth’s RAC Arena launches new premium products

18th August 2022 - New ASM Global partnership looks to create ‘the most sustainable venues in the world’

1st August 2022 - RAC Arena Catering Manager acknowledged for lifetime career achievements

10th August 2021 - RAC Arena’s Michael Scott inducted into the Australian Hotels Association’s (WA) Hall of Fame

19th March 2020 - Green Sports Alliance advocates for sport and sustainability

14th March 2019 - IOC and IUCN partner to release sustainable venue development guide

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.

Click here to view our subscription options.