Event overview
Sports data and AI company, Stats Perform, chose leading conference and events venue, The Mermaid London, as the location for its 11th annual Opta Forum event.
Welcoming 400 leading industry professionals from the UK and around the world, Opta Forum brings together members of the analytics and sports media communities to network and share research, ideas and insights. This year’s pioneering event was a showcase of how Opta data and OptaAI solutions are being used across the sports media industry, and within professional teams, in new and innovative ways.
Following a successful inaugural event at The Mermaid London in 2023, Stats Perform returned to the multi-purpose, City of London venue for its recent 2024 event.
Andy Cooper, Marketing Specialist at Stats Perform, said: “The location, the quality of the Auditorium, the competitive delegate rates and the positive experience of hosting our 2023 event at The Mermaid London made it an easy choice to return in 2024.”
Spaces for exploration
With nine eclectic and versatile spaces to choose from, Stats Perform utilised the unique venue’s 600-seat Auditorium, the only one of its kind in the City of London, as well as its dynamic Newgate Suite, elegant Upper River Room, expansive Queenhithe, and spacious Foyer & Mezzanine.
The Auditorium was the centre of the day’s event. With tiered seating and unparalleled sightlines and acoustics, it made it easy for delegates to listen to and engage with a panel of inspiring speakers who presented from a top table on the stage.
Designed with whiteboard walls so it can be chopped, changed and put back together again, the Newgate Suite was the ideal space to seat 200 delegates in portrait style for insightful breakaway presentations. This was enhanced by dividing the space into two to create a dedicated area for one-to-one meetings.
With its abundance of natural light, sophisticated interior and breathtaking views of London’s captivating skyline, the Upper River Room served as the heart of the day’s catering operation. While indulging in a delicious lunch, delegates were able to mingle and network as they looked out over The Shard, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe, to name just a few.
Parallel to the Upper River Room, the Queenhithe space easily accommodated a range of stimulating poster exhibitors, and the inquisitive guests who were eager to interact with them.
Andy commented: “We made the most of The Mermaid London’s capacity to hold multiple event sessions simultaneously. The quality of the main Auditorium was fantastic, as was the catering operation during the networking breaks. There is plenty of space for poster exhibitors to showcase their work and for delegates to meet and catch-up with their industry colleagues.”
Partnerships to enhance
Partnering with specialist event production company, Rockit Event Production, The Mermaid London offers guests expert audio-visual (AV) and lighting support. To ensure Opta Forum brought the wow factor for delegates, the on-site AV team used Gobo projection in the Auditorium to showcase the client’s logo across its walls, as well as purple up-lighting to amplify this effect and stage wash to put key areas in the spotlight.
Repeater screens, a large black projection screen and purple and blue uplighting were utilised to support speakers in the Newgate Suite while, in the Upper River Room, every demo area was enhanced with a 55” screen and blue up lighting. This is as well as a mini stage being constructed in the Queenhithe space with two 55” screens, a lectern and a table.
With industry-leading branding partner, Jupiter Visual Communications, on hand, Stats Perform captivated its delegates with personalised branding across the pillars and registration desk in the Foyer & Mezzanine, and large free-standing letters on stage in the Auditorium. The personalised branding was extended to the Newgate Suite where it wrapped around pillars, and to the Upper River Room where it covered the pillars and two Opta demo pods.
Andy reflected: “We harnessed the venue’s ability to be a blank canvas to maximum effect, and having access to an in-house AV team and a dedicated venue branding partner were two key positives which influenced our decision to host Opta Forum at the venue.
“Pre-event site visits were particularly helpful, especially when it came to branding the venue 24-hours in advance, and being able to talk through each asset with the fitters guaranteed that everything displayed correctly on the day. The event team were extremely hands on, and no request was too much trouble.”
Catering for everyone
The Mermaid London’s award-winning in-house catering partner, Seasoned, crafted an imaginative, enticing and sustainable bespoke menu for Opta Forum’s delegates.
Ensuring every dietary requirement was carefully catered for, including vegetarian, vegan, nut allergies, shellfish allergies and halal, the delectable hot fork buffet comprised of chicken katsu, five-bean vegetable chilli, herbed long grain rice, mixed baby leaf salad with herb dressing, and lemon posset with sugar mint. Post-conference, this was followed by an elegant drinks reception.
Andy elaborated: “We appreciated the flexibility shown by the management team in allowing us to use the venue for an extra hour so that we could host an extended drinks reception at the end of the day. This ensured our delegates and staff benefitted from longer networking time which was a key objective for us.”
Final thoughts
Summing up his experience, Andy said: “We had a fantastic experience hosting the 2024 Opta Forum at The Mermaid London. A central location with excellent transport links was an absolute must for us, and the venue’s location overlooking the River Thames provided a ‘wow’ factor for our delegates. The Mermaid London’s management team were very responsive in the lead-up the event, which reassured us that last-minute queries and requests were actioned prior to event day. We would recommend the venue to anyone looking to host their own industry event in the heart of the city.”
