Eddie Wheeler, Project Manager at Creative Point
– We decided early in the planning that inclusion was important to us, says Mikael Haglund, general secretary of JVM. This is reflected, for example, in the ticket prices, where we wanted prices that give many people the opportunity to come. We have also invited over 500 after-school children to attend some matches for free. Maybe it will lead to more future hockey players, he points out.
More accessible arenas
Already a year before JVM, a project group was formed with representatives from JVM and the arena company Got Event, with the aim of reviewing accessibility and making concrete improvements at the arenas Scandinavium and Frölundaborg.
They enlisted the help of accessibility expert Eddie Wheeler, project manager at Creative Point, who contributed important perspectives from target groups that often feel excluded. The effort has, among other things, resulted in several adaptations at the arenas.
– The work with the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and Got Event has been incredibly exciting. Together, we have worked with accessibility from new exciting perspectives where not only physical accessibility has been in focus but also event experiences and reception issues which are at least as important. We have had high goals and worked to create the event standard of the future regarding accessibility, says Eddie Wheeler.
– Accessibility is an important issue for us in our work to contribute to Gothenburg being an equal city for everyone. The collaboration with JVM has given us many valuable insights in our continued work to offer magical moments for everyone in our arenas, says Johanna Gadd, sustainability manager at Got Event.
Training for all staff
Inclusion is very much about treatment and making everyone feel welcome. Therefore, all event staff involved, including 400 volunteers and 100 audience hosts from Got Event, have been given accessibility training delivered by Eddie Wheeler. The core message of the training was to meet everyone with the same respect. He also highlighted that the reception starts even before ticket purchase. Therefore, good communication has also been an important part of the work. To create greater security, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and Got Event have developed the content on their websites, for example with films that show what it looks like in the arenas.
Support through the Got Event app Availability
As part of accessibility, the event has offered both visual interpretation and sign language interpretation for Sweden’s matches in Scandinavium. All visitors have the opportunity to listen to the sound from the TV broadcasts via the app while experiencing Sweden’s matches live, which is also a support for people with visual impairments. Amplified arena sound will also be available. Those who need it can also book a companion through the organizer to find the right place in Scandinavium.
Eddie Wheeler
2023-12-25 11:49:03
#IIHF #Junior #World #Cup #hockey
