Harry the Hirer was pleased to partner with the US PGA and to work within the pristine grounds of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the delivery of the President’s Cup 2011.
As a contractor to the event when it was last held in Melbourne in 1998, it was quite the honour for Harry’s to return as the largest supplier at this year’s event – staged for the 9th time and undoubtedly bigger and better than ever.
As the exclusive supplier of marquees, furniture, linen, lighting and audio visual, Harry’s was engaged to deliver a range of facilities which included:
- Player Cabins; Two premium facilities to house each of the USA & International Teams - players, partners and officials.
- Captain’s Club; A Sports Bar set-up filled with historic imagery, large screens and a vibrant atmosphere of golfing fanatics who also took up the opportunity to enjoy the Interactive Zone that formed part of the facility.
- Trophy Club; A stunning syndicated dining facility set on the picturesque 10th fairway and positioned to provide corporate clients and their guests with impressive views of the tee and approach shots.
- Hospitality & Sponsor Suites; A selection of various sized suites utilised as private facilities for individual corporate groups, sponsors and VIP guests. Positioned along the 16th fairway and through to the green, these suites were the place to be if you wanted to watch the final matches of the day unfold.
- Media Centre; Hundreds of media were accredited for the event and all forms of journalists enjoyed a well equipped centre from which they could conduct their duties. The Media Centre included working areas, interview rooms, media conference stages and a dining room.
As Fred Couples captained the International Team to another win in the tournament, golfing fanatics flocked to Royal Melbourne to catch a glimpse of the sport’s best including some of the Aussie favourites who took their place in the International Team captained by the popular Greg Norman.
The event included 4 days of play and visitors to the sand belt golf course also experienced the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as an impressive Public Village comprising an Interactive Zone, Merchandise Marquee and a variety of catering outlets. Each of these areas had individual, specific purposes, but wherever temporary structure or hire equipment was required, the team from Harry’s was there to deliver.
Various challenges, extreme weather and the delicate surrounds of the golf course meant that the Harry’s team had to take on a detailed management approach. Throughout the 10 week build and delivery schedule, careful planning and consultation was required and as a result, Harry’s was able to provide clever solutions to even the most difficult of scenarios.
Perhaps most exciting about Harry’s involvement at the President’s Cup was the use of the Absolute Structure which was selected by the Presidents Cup Management team to home the Presidential Suites for sponsors and corporate clients who had invested in a VIP hospitality experience. Having recently been named recipient of the 2011 International Achievement Award for Design Excellence, it was fitting that the world-class Absolute structure was used as part of this world-class golfing event.
It was a true highlight of the 2011 ‘events season’ for the Harry’s team to play a role in the delivery of the Presidents Cup.
Click through the images below to gain an insight into the planning of this event from conceptual imagery through to delivery.