Major sporting events at Industree Group Stadium break attendance records and deliver economic windfall

A run of four major sporting events at the Industree Group Stadium in Gosford has set new attendance records and delivered a $9.75 million boost in economic revenue for the NSW Central Coast region.

A Stadium Data Analysis conducted by Central Coast Council - plus game-day ticketing report data - has revealed the true value of major sporting events at the venue, estimating that the A-League Grand Final showpiece alone was worth $3 million in total economic activity on the Central Coast, with a total visitor spend of around $2 million.

The first A-League Grand Final ever held on the Central Coast on Saturday 25th May smashed the all-time attendance record at Industree Group Stadium, with additional seating required to host 21,379 fans. Thousands more watched the Grand Final from a Live Site, set up outside the Stadium by Central Coast Council and supported by Destination NSW, so fans could be part of the historic Grand Final event.

More than 7,700 visitors stayed on the Central Coast on Grand Final weekend - driving a hotel occupancy rate above 90%. The hotel occupancy rate reached 63.1% for the Mariners v Sydney FC event (18th May) and soared to 79.4% for the Roosters v Bulldogs NRL game (22nd June).

The Council report estimates the Mariners’ Semi-Final was worth $3 million in total economic revenue and the Roosters v Bulldogs game was worth $2 million.

All three of these events were sell-outs at Industree Group Stadium, with the Mariners’ Semi-Final attracting 20,059 fans and a weather-hit Sydney Roosters game drawing 16,868 fans through the gates.

It was the first time the Central Coast stadium has staged three consecutive sold-put events.

A fourth bumper sporting event - the South Sydney Rabbitohs v Wests Tigers NRL game on Saturday 20th July - drew a crowd of 16,284 and delivered another impressive boost to the Central Coast visitor economy.

Industree Group Stadium Venue Manager Kath Casey said a total of 1250 local people were employed directly at the venue for the four major sporting events.

The Stadium Data Analysis conducted by Central Coast Council suggests the equivalent of an additional 50 annual jobs have been created by the four major events.

It advises “the employment impact of an event is expressed in local jobs. For example, an event that generates 4 weeks of work for 13 people (52 weeks of work in total), would have an employment impact equivalent to 1.0 annual local job.

“The direct addition of (substantial expenditure) as a result of staging these events leads to a corresponding direct increase of employment across a range of industries.”

Explaining that stadium operator VenuesLive had been responsible for bringing more events and more diversified content to the local stadium since being engaged by Council in July 2022, Casey advised “when we bring quality events to the Central Coast, everyone in our community benefits and this new data from Council and ticketing demonstrate the extent of the benefits.

“Visitation numbers increase, hotel beds are filled, and money is spent in the local community, bringing prosperity to the region and creating local jobs.

“Looking forward, I can reveal there are some very exciting family events to be announced for the summer months.”

Snapshot of Economic Benefits from the major sporting events at Industree Group Stadium
A-League Grand Final, 25th May 2024
Crowd: 21,379. Hotel occupancy rate 90%. Visitor spend $2 million. Total economic value $3 million .

A-League Semi-Final, 18th May
Crowd: 20,059. Visitor spend $1.8 million.

NRL Roosters v Bulldogs, 22nd June
Crowd: 16,868. Visitor spend $1.2 million.

NRL Rabbitohs v Tigers, 20th July
Crowd: 16,284. Visitor spend $1 million.

Total attendance: 74,590. Visitor spend $6 million. Total economic value $9.75 million. 1250 locals employed at Stadium, 50 new fulltime jobs created on the Central Coast.

The Mariners success on and off the field in the 2023/24 A-Leagues season was the subject of a feature in Australasian Leisure Management magazine issue 162. Subscribers to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine just need to click here to access the full issue. 

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Sources: Stadium Data Analysis, Central Coast Council, July 2024 and Industree Group Stadium ticketing data.

Images: Fans at the Industree Group Stadium for the A-League Grand Final (top), NRL action at the venue as the Rabbitohs v Tigers (middle) and the Sydney Roosters mascot engages with young fans (below).