In what is turning out to be an amazing 12 months for the Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal Football club, April saw the venue officially named the best venue for meetings and events in England, winning Gold at the recent Meet England's Business Tourism Awards at a glittering ceremony held in St George's Hall, Liverpool.

Following the success at the Visit London's awards, where it was voted best venue in the capital, the Emirates went through to the national finals beating the other two finalists, Manchester Central and the Heritage Motor Centre to the Gold Award. The award further establishes Emirates Stadium Event's reputation for delivering world-class events at their majestic arena.

The prestigious annual Awards highlight the very best of Britain. Emirates Stadium has been recognised for the state-of-the-art facilities available for events and its high levels of service and quality catering.

Arsenal head of marketing, Angus Kinnear, who collected the award, said: "Emirates Stadium Events has quickly established itself as a leading event venue not only in London, but throughout the UK and Europe. Over the year, in partnership with Delaware North Companies, we have built a successful and reputable events offer that rivals any of the established events venues.

"This award recognises all the hard work the team here at Emirates
Stadium have put into growing the hospitality and events side of the stadium business. To have this rewarded on a national level is a great achievement.”

Meanwhile, Visit London chief executive, James Bidwell, said: "I congratulate Emirates Stadium on the achievement. Along with the other winning attractions, they are truly flying the flag for London as a top city destination. I'm delighted to see these organisations receive recognition for all their hard work and dedication. The capital plays a vital role in the UK's tourism, and Emirates Stadium's recognition as the leading venue in England is a testament to London's thriving business tourism."