Legends ASM Global appoints Darren Burden as new Suncorp Stadium General Manager

Legends ASM (APAC & MENA) Global Chairman and Chief Executive Harvey Lister has today announced that Darren Burden will become Suncorp Stadium’s General Manager. 

Lister advised “Darren will lead our Suncorp Stadium management team commencing later this year after having successfully operated Kai Tay Sports Park, a US$4 billion multi-venue development in Hong Kong.”

Kai Tak Sports Park is a 28 hectare development on the former Hong Kong Downtown Airport site and comprises a 50,000 seat stadium with retractable roof, a 10,000 capacity arena, a 5,000 capacity athletics stadium, and 60,000m2 of retail, dining and other leisure facilities including climbing walls, outdoor sports courts, and a 40-lane bowling centre.

Lister added “Since 2019, Darren has led the commercial and operations functions of the precinct through design development and pre-opening periods and into the operation stage, including conducting extensive test events before opening with the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, followed by four sellouts with Coldplay and most recently a capacity crowd for the first international football match.”

He noted that Burden’s stadium and venue experience is as deep as it is impressive, resulting in his being recognised within the industry with the Asia Pacific Venue Management Association Venue Professional of the Year Award in 2018.  Burden also led New Zealand’s Vbase (now Venues Otautahi) as Chief Executive operating Christchurch’s leading convention, entertainment, cultural and sporting venues.   

Burden’s stadium and venue experience also includes driving the development of the 30,000 seat capacity Forsyth Barr Stadium for the Carisbrook Stadium Trust in Dunedin, and Dunedin Venues Management as Chief Executive overseeing not only the stadium, but Dunedin Centre and Town Hall including, at the newly-developed stadium, hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup games, just one month after handover not dissimilar to the completion challenge Darren has successfully navigated for Hong Kong.

Burden shared “I very much look forward to leading the Legends ASM team at such an iconic venue, and especially during an exciting period of time as Brisbane becomes the focal point in the green and gold runway to Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“I have great respect for Alan Graham who has built incredible momentum and global recognition for Suncorp Stadium, and I’m excited to be given the opportunity to extend the productive working relationships the Stadium team enjoys with each of the venue’s sports tenants, entertainment promoters, the local community, venue owner Stadiums Queensland, Brisbane City Council, and other Government stakeholders”.

Lister said that the group is proud its managed venues like Suncorp, Optus and Kai Tak Stadiums are part of the world’s leading family of iconic sports and entertainment stadia operated by Legends and added “on a global scale, Suncorp Stadium is one of the busiest Stadiums in the world regularly hosting 60 events a year of rectangular football, major stadium concerts and other spectaculars.

“Darren has successfully delivered the ‘latest stadium’ in the world, in Hong Kong, and will now assume responsibility for what is universally recognised as the greatest Rugby League Stadium in the world, in Brisbane, and is looking forward his bringing his broad experience and innovative ideas to Queensland’s much loved Suncorp Stadium”.