Wedding Planners Set for Hampden Date

Sodexo Prestige Press releases

Scotland's Exclusive Wedding Event Hospitality bosses at Hampden are set to welcome a new dream team to the stadium – thousands of brides-to-be.

The national stadium will play host to Scotland’s Exclusive Wedding Event (SEWE) over two days later this month, where the 5000 visitors will include many getting help to plan their big day.

They will be treated to catwalk shows and makeovers, while 135 exhibitors will be on hand to showcase everything essential for the dream wedding, from dresses and kilts to flowers and beauty treatments.

Jane Thomson, sales and revenue manager with Sodexo Prestige at Hampden, said: “Thousands of people turned out when the exhibition took place here for the first time in February, so we are delighted the organisers have chosen to return.

“While we’re best known as the home of the Scotland football team and for concerts like the massive summer shows by Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Robbie Williams, the stadium is also an ideal place for exhibitions and other events like this.

“We’ve already hosted a number of weddings this summer, even arranging for a wedding carriage to come through the tunnel to get trackside. It shows how flexible a venue this is to deliver a dream wedding one week, then handle a major wedding exhibition the next.

“It underlines what a special place Hampden Park is, not only as the home of Scottish football, but as a venue delivering a host of other memorable events for thousands of people.”

SEWE takes place on Saturday and Sunday, August 24 and 25, with exhibitors in the Lomond, Nevis and Millennium Suites on level 4 of the stadium. Sodexo Prestige staff will also operate a bar and catering area.

Glamorous fashion shows will be held twice daily in the auditorium on level 2 of the stadium, the same level as the Hampden Cafe and the Scottish Football Museum. There will also be a wedding car showcase outside the stadium and also a live band showcase.

Marlene Cunningham, director of Eventrix, the company which launched SEWE almost 15 years ago, said: “This will be our 26th Glasgow show and it is one of Scotland’s largest wedding exhibitions. The feedback was tremendous from the February show at Hampden, which attracted 5000 visitors.

“Hampden Park stadium is an iconic venue and was ideal for us with wonderful staff and more than 1000 free parking spaces. It was certainly the talk of the industry and we are really looking forward to growing the show here in the future.

“We expect more than 5000 people to visit over the two days and we are really excited as our August show is our busiest. There will be plenty to inspire visitors from our renowned fashion shows, magnificent car showcase, cocktail master classes, free makeovers and 120 exhibitors from all over Scotland.”

Other attractions include free goody bags for early bookers, discount vouchers, dance performances, cake tastings and live performances by harpists, a string quartet and pipers. Visitors who pre-register at http://www.scotlandsweddingevent.co.uk/ can win an overnight stay for two with dinner at Turnberry Resort, plus a £500 voucher.

As well as providing match day hospitality at Hampden, Sodexo Prestige has helped build up a thriving business in non match day meetings, conferences, exhibitions and events at the stadium, which is recognised by UEFA as a five star venue and was recently named Scotland’s Best Match Day Hospitality Experience at the 2013 Official Football Hospitality Awards.

Sodexo Prestige is the corporate dining, hospitality and events division of Sodexo and partners with 17 top class venues in Scotland and 50 across the UK. It also provides catering hospitality for The Open Championship, one of the world’s biggest golfing events.