Rotterdam, Netherlands, October 4, 2015. Days of emotion, and of true Volleyball showdown will live their peaking moments on Sunday as the final and crucial matches of the 2015 CEV DELA Volleyball European Championship – Women take the centre stage. The splendid journey to crown the new queens of European Volleyball comes to an end, and the quest for glory could not have a more splendid setting. The final matches of the 2015 EuroVolley take place in the impressive Sportpaleis Ahoy arena in Rotterdam. With capacity of 15,000 spectators and covering an area of 54,000 m2, the venue that will host the sensational clashes for the medals and which has held the final rounds of the competition presents a perfect frame for the memorable Volleyball party being celebrated in the Dutch city.
Click here for a live gallery of the 2015 Women’s EuroVolley final four weekend
Thousands of spectators attending the anticipated event will find the perfect frame for the much-awaited clashes in the tournament. No less than 250 professionals work in the arena to make sure that the Volleyball highlight of the year continues being a huge success. It is not like if they did this for the first time. “We host over 70 or 80 events per year,” commented Kees de Jong, marketing and communications manager of Ahoy Rotterdam, “We do not use this arena only for sporting events but also for congresses, concerts and all kinds of events, so it is very multi-functional. We are very experienced with big, top-level events like the EuroVolley,” he added.
Conveniently located in an avenue that bears its name, the arena receives its moniker to honour the sailing tradition of the Netherlands, as 'Ahoy' is a shout used to attract attention and as a greeting in maritime world. Following the tradition of spectacular venues for memorable EuroVolley finals, the Sportpaleis Ahoy in Rotterdam has already pulsated the passion for Volleyball during the playoff matches, quarterfinals and semifinals.
In the final weekend of the competition, the excitement of the tournament has definitively increased with the spectacular play of lights, colours and mist that spectators have experienced in Ahoy arena. Also, in the minutes leading into the key matches, fans all over Europe are having the opportunity to witness a stunning “mapping” of the Volleyball court. Lights and images are projected over the surface of play, thus creating three dimensional illustrations that turn the court into a volcano erupting, into a hole opening in the middle of the ground or giving the impression of water running through the Taraflex.
The thousands of fans coming to the crucial matches on Sunday are sure to be in the good hands of the team managed by Arnaud Hordijk. “(Organising an event like the EuroVolley) broadens our horizons. We get a thrill from hosting an event that goes smooth in which visitors can go home with a smile stamped on their faces. We want them to enjoy their time in our venue, that’s what we want to accomplish at the end of the day,” declared Kees de Jong.
While teams and Volleyball enthusiasts alike will surely cherish the thrilling days lived in The Netherlands and Belgium, the hundreds of professionals working behind the scenes do also get a kick from being part of the successful and memorable competition. “We definitively enjoy working in top events like this,” stated de Jong. Then, it will be back to daily business. “Today we are hosting the top Volleyball tournament, but next week there will be a big dancing meeting in the same place; Every day it is completely different, that’s why it is so much fun to work here!” he added.
As teams and players are ready to shine, the spectators live with anticipation the final countdown for the medal matches, and the venue is being prepared to host the spectacular top moments of the Volleyball highlight of the year.
For more information on the 2015 CEV Volleyball European Championship - Women visit eurovolley2015.eu or click here. In social media, please use the competition’s official hashtag #EuroVolleyW.