‍iEDM were given just 8 days to plan, procure and deliver the overlay infrastructure required for a quarantine training facility used by some of the world’s best tennis players in preparation for A Day at the Drive held on January 29 2021.

Two weeks later, working closely with Tennis SA and the neighbouring venues and stakeholders, we had 18 hours to transform Memorial Drive Tennis Centre from its status as a training facility and Quarantine Hub into an Event Precinct in time for the tournament.

A Day at the Drive was a one-off exhibition tournament, that once again gave spectators a chance to enjoy some live tennis, with crowds all but filling the stands while enjoying the incredible talents of superstars like Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to name a few.

A Day at the Drive saw close to 4,000 fans catered for during each of the two sessions of play – the day session from 1pm and then again during the night session from 7pm.

Of course, in line with health advice, all players were required to quarantine for two weeks before the event which then meant they were ready to travel to Melbourne to battle it out in the Australian Open.

A Day at the Drive was a challenge we at iEDM are perfectly equipped to tackle and tackle it we did, with great reports from fans, iEDM staff on site and event partners alike.

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By Emma Morris – Project Facilities Manager

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