To mark the occasion, Gala Events’ director Alan George picks his top ten moments:
May 2014: Boxing: Carl Froch v George Groves: Wembley
We were delighted to work with Carl Froch to put on a hospitality package, which included a Q&A with Richie Woodhall and top floor seats for the fight. Guests were treated to a great evening of boxing with undercard victories for Anthony Joshua and James De Gale before seeing Froch knock out Groves in the 8th round in front of 80,000 fans! After a post-fight buffet, guests were even treated to a short interview with Froch at 1am in the morning!
July 2015: Cricket: The Ashes: Edgbaston
Gala Events hosted the Wyatt Suite for Days 2 and 3 of the pivotal Third Test match, where guests were thrilled to see England clinch the Ashes on Day 3, after some clinical bowling from Jimmy Anderson! Clients enjoyed a breakfast bap on arrival, lunch, afternoon tea and a complimentary bar throughout the day. Our guests were also treated to enthralling interviews over the two days from cricket legends, Glenn McGrath, Nasser Hussain, Steve Harmison and Jason Gillespie. Read all about it HERE.
June 2015: Cricket: England v New Zealand: First One Day International: Edgbaston
After the disappointment of England’s World Cup Campaign, Peter Moores was sacked as coach and Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace were appointed as the new coaching team. The pair completely changed the way of thinking in 50 over cricket, encouraging a really attacking batting mindset throughout and the first evidence of this was in this match, where England scored their highest ODI score with 408/9, thanks to Jos Buttler’s 129 from 77 balls! New Zealand were bowled out for 198 in reply to complete a comprehensive victory. Our special guest in the Wyatt Suite that day were former England Wicket-Keeper Matt Prior and former New Zealand Coach, John Bracewell. Read all about it HERE.
June 2016: Football: England v Wales Big Screen Event: Lord’s Cricket Ground
We hosted a thrilling Big Screen Event for England’s crucial Euro 2016 match against Wales for nearly 400 guests. With former England Legends Stuart Pearce and Darren Anderton, and former Wales and Everton midfielder, Barry Horne, as our special guests, there were plenty of stories flowing as Pete Graves from Sky Sports hosted the show. The atmosphere when England scored their late winner was fantastic and despite the weather putting paid to the T20 cricket match which was scheduled to follow the football, everyone enjoyed a fantastic day. Top comedian Jed Stone also entertained guests with a hilarious show! Read all about it HERE.
June 2016: Cricket: Lord’s Long Room Lunch 2016 with Alastair Cook, David Gower and George Bailey
Our fourth Long Room Lunch at the home of cricket featured our best line-up yet including the England Test Captain at the time, Alastair Cook. Cook had just become the first England test batsman to reach 10,000 runs and it was fascinating to hear the dedication that had gone in to helping him achieve his goal. Former England Captain and Sky Sports Presenter David Gower was also part of the line-up and Australian One Day Captain George Bailey completed the impressive team. The event was hosted by Dave Fulton from Sky Sports and included a professional opera singer between courses, Amelia Whiteman. Read all about it HERE.
November 2016: Football: Ryan Giggs Dinner at his own Restaurant in Manchester
We were thrilled to host an exclusive sporting dinner with Ryan Giggs within his own restaurant at George’s, Worsley. Guests enjoyed a delicious meal, before hearing a variety of fascinating stories from Ryan’s career, in an enthralling Q&A with Pete Graves from Sky Sports. Top comedian Jamie Sutherland rounded off a really entertaining evening for all who attended. Read all about it HERE.
March 2017: Boxing: David Haye v Tony Bellew: The O2 Arena, London
We were thrilled to run the official Team Hayemaker hospitality for the big fight at The O2. Our package was staged at The Intercontinental Hotel next to the O2 and guests enjoyed a Three Course Meal, Complimentary Bar and Pre-Fight interviews with Carl Froch and the Hull City FC captain, Curtis Davies. An impressive undercard featuring Sam Eggington v Paulie Malignaggi and Olympic champion, Katie Taylor took place before the main fight. Haye v Bellew then commenced and after an impressive start from Haye, his Achilles tendon then unfortunately went and from there Bellew took control, winning the fight in the 11th round, in an absorbing fight. Guests came back to the lounge for a post-fight buffet and analysis from Carl Froch. Read all about it HERE.
May 2014: Golf: Gala Golf Classic at Royal St George’s with Kevin Keegan
Our first Golf Classic was staged at Royal St George’s, home of the Open Championship where Darren Clarke last triumphed in 2011. It was a thrill for guests to play on such a prestigious course, joined in the company of former England manager, Kevin Keegan. After the golf, guests enjoyed an evening dinner and accommodation at Prince’s Golf Club and Hotel, with hilarious anecdotes and trophies presented by Keegan. The next day, guests played on the Prince’s Course (home of the Open Championship in 1932), before departing after lunch. Read all about it HERE.
June 2012 & 2013: Cricket: The Cornish Cricket Festival: Truro
We were delighted to stage the 2012and 2013 Cornish Cricket Festivals at Truro Cricket Club. The brand-new event featured the following matches:
2012: England Women v India Women and Cornwall v PCA Masters
2013: Unicorns v Somerset and Netherlands v Nottinghamshire
With top players such as Charlotte Edwards, Heather Knight, Alex Hales, James Taylor, Ed Cowan, Samit Patel, Marcus Trescothick taking part, the event was a real treat for cricket fans. It was a huge thrill to put on such a high-profile event, with a full hospitality marquee for each matchday and over 1,000 supporters in the ground for each game. Read all about it HERE.
December 2016: Lunch with Jamie Carragher at The Grosvenor, Park Lane
We were thrilled to work with Liverpool Legend and current Sky Sports Pundit, Jamie Carragher at one of London’s top hotels. Guests enjoyed a sumptuous three course lunch, before hearing some amusing stories of Carragher’s career, in conversation with Pete Graves from Sky Sports. Jamie’s memories of the epic 2005 Champions’ League Final were fantastic and made you feel like you were there! Once Jamie left the stage the entertainment continued, as brilliant impressionist Kevin Connelly, who shot to fame on BBC’s ‘Deadringers’, entered the fray. Read all about it HERE.
July 2017: Rugby: New Zealand v British Lions Big Screen Event: Windsor Racecourse
The final event is still to take place at the time of writing, but it is one we are all very much looking forward to! Our event features Big Screen coverage in the morning of the New Zealand v British Lions Test Match from New Zealand, in the company of a Lions legend from each of the home nations: Martin Corry (England), Scott Hastings (Scotland), Geordan Murphy (Ireland) and Ieuan Evans (Wales). Pete Graves from Sky Sports will be hosting the guests, with a full Q&A at the conclusion of the rugby. Guests will then enjoy a race meeting during the afternoon, as our 200-person suite overlooks the finish line at Windsor Racecourse and this is meeting is usually their most popular of the year with over 10,000 people in attendance! Read all about it HERE.
