Ideas for an ideal venue?

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The somewhat off-topic discussion around the use of the Copper Box for the English Nationals has got me thinking about what would be an ideal venue for Table Tennis matches. https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...ul-Drinkhall-get-a-bye-into-the-quarter-final

It would possibly need to accommodate World events, like the Team World Cup. The Copper Box was fine for this, especially on finals day. I'd like a venue where a World Tour event could be held regularly.

It would also need to be fit for nationals, and the Copper Box is just too much for that.

It would ideally be OK for regional and local events.

So what kind of a venue would be suitable for all of these? Clearly, it would have to be capable of transforming, possibly from a series of smaller rooms (collapsible/retractable walls) into a large arena. I say this as I find it difficult to concentrate on any one match when 4 or more are going on in the same arena.

Does anyone have any ideas, just for fun? Also, does any existing place qualify for a definition of ideal?
 

NDH

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I actually think the Copper Box ticks a lot of boxes for a venue.

You are never going to have somewhere which is small enough for "Nationals", but large enough for events like the World Cup.

As I said in the other thread, you'd be better off giving away 1000's of free tickets to schools and clubs, to create an epic atmosphere - Than to downsize into a sports hall.

The one thing I'd like to see is seating which is closer to the table - At the recent World Cup, there seemed to be a huge space around the table! Why? You could have fit another 1000 people in that gap who would have had amazing seats!
 
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I actually think the Copper Box ticks a lot of boxes for a venue.

You are never going to have somewhere which is small enough for "Nationals", but large enough for events like the World Cup.

As I said in the other thread, you'd be better off giving away 1000's of free tickets to schools and clubs, to create an epic atmosphere - Than to downsize into a sports hall.

The one thing I'd like to see is seating which is closer to the table - At the recent World Cup, there seemed to be a huge space around the table! Why? You could have fit another 1000 people in that gap who would have had amazing seats!

Huh, at least in US Nationals are quite a bit bigger than World Cup (by number of players/tables, of course) - we are looking at ~800 participants vs. what, 32 teams times 5 (with 3 playing)?
 

NDH

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Huh, at least in US Nationals are quite a bit bigger than World Cup (by number of players/tables, of course) - we are looking at ~800 participants vs. what, 32 teams times 5 (with 3 playing)?

Yeah, I think the OP was thinking more along the lines of the top 32 players in each Country who compete in their Nationals.

Happy to stand corrected if I'm wrong - I think the US in unique in the participation it gets at their National Championships.
 
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I actually think the Copper Box ticks a lot of boxes for a venue.

You are never going to have somewhere which is small enough for "Nationals", but large enough for events like the World Cup.

As I said in the other thread, you'd be better off giving away 1000's of free tickets to schools and clubs, to create an epic atmosphere - Than to downsize into a sports hall.

The one thing I'd like to see is seating which is closer to the table - At the recent World Cup, there seemed to be a huge space around the table! Why? You could have fit another 1000 people in that gap who would have had amazing seats!

+1. I would have preferred a venue similar to the one used in 2018 German National Championships:

 
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Also looking to accommodate spectators in relation to players, as in trying to provide a good experience for the audience, hopefully so that it does not consist mainly of players and their families/friends. Bit of a chicken and egg situation. And really thinking for UK.
 

NDH

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It's hard to see from the video, but it looks like a lot of low level seating - I'd rather have higher seating closer to the table.

Alexandra Palace does a decent job for the World Champs of Ping Pong.

It comes down to number of audience members - I'd rather have a small venue full with 2,000 people - Than a large venue which looked empty with 2,000 - Which is why I said about giving tickets away for free to schools.
 
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I am pretty sure that the Copper Box could not use seating closer to the single table because the seating would need to be raked, and that extra seating just didn't exist there. The bleachers were brought out for the last 2 days, taking some of the space used by Tables 2,3 and 4 but still didn't get close to the remaining table. Raked seating all round and closer to the table would have required a much higher space.

We really need a purpose-designed arena. In an ideal world.
 
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