Transforming a Sports Arena into a Conference Experience

Project Brief

K & M Events engaged us for the The Australian Constructors Association and Engineers Australia FF25 event. We were tasked with creating a unique and impactful conference setup on a netball court in Brisbane’s Nissan Arena — a space not traditionally suited to corporate events! The goal was to deliver a memorable experience that felt intentional and elevated, despite the unconventional venue.

Challenges & Approach

Transforming a sports arena into a conference environment came with several constraints: a large open footprint, limited budget, and the inability to fully blackout the venue, leaving high ambient light throughout the day.

To maximise impact, we designed a custom stage with LED fascia that became the visual anchor of the room. With the audience seated in raked stands, the stage design delivered strong sightlines and a powerful focal point. Embracing the venue rather than hiding it, we intentionally left the netball court exposed — an unexpected choice that paid off by reflecting the LED light beautifully and adding to the visual energy of the space.

Outcome

The result was a standout conference environment that felt bold, polished, and perfectly suited to the arena setting. High-output 32,000-lumen 4K projectors ensured all three projection surfaces remained bright and clear, even with the ambient light. The combination of custom staging, clever use of the existing court, and strategic projection design delivered a unique look that exceeded expectations and made full use of the unconventional space.