No products in the cart.
AO Manchester Arena: The Venue Takes Shape
With just days to go before the first game on the 6th, the transformation of Manchester Arena is well under way — and it’s a genuinely exciting sight. Ice hockey is returning to one of the UK’s great venues, and the Marshalls International team is on site making it happen. Before the big reveal, we wanted to share a look behind the scenes.
We’ve written before about how much this project means to us, and about the full-circle story behind it. But as the deadline approaches, it’s worth talking about something else: what it actually takes to deliver a project of this scale — and why, when it comes to a job like this, experience matters more than anything.
Experience matters
Bringing professional ice back to a multi-purpose arena that has spent more than twenty years hosting concerts and events is not a routine job. It’s a complex, high-pressure installation with a fixed, immovable deadline — the first face-off — and very few people are better placed to lead it than our Managing Director, Mark Johnson.
Mark’s history with this building runs deep. He was there at the very start, running the arena’s ice operations when it first opened, and he returns now, decades later, at the head of the company delivering its return to ice. That combination — first-hand knowledge of the venue itself and four decades of specialist experience across the industry — is genuinely rare. On a project like this, it counts for everything. (You can read the full story of Mark’s connection to the arena in our earlier piece.)
Getting it right, first time, to a fixed deadline
On most projects, if something slips, you find a little more time. Not here. The first game is booked, the tickets will be sold, and the ice has to be ready — to a professional standard — on the day. No extensions, no second chances.
That pressure changes everything about how a project has to be run. It’s why the planning starts long before anyone arrives on site, why the sequencing of each stage matters so much, and why experience — knowing what’s coming before it arrives — is worth more than anything else you can bring to a job. A team doing this for the first time is learning as they go. A team that has done it for decades is simply doing the job.
It's never a one-person effort
Experience alone doesn’t lay a sheet of ice. What turns knowledge into a finished rink is a team — and Mark has the right one alongside him. From the engineers and technicians on the floor to the wider Marshalls network of parts, equipment and support behind them, a project of this size is a collective effort. Having a proven team around you is exactly what makes the difference when the clock is ticking and there’s no room for error.
It’s also about relationships. Over four decades we’ve built trust with the manufacturers, contractors and specialists a job like this relies on — so when we need something at short notice, or a problem solved fast, the right people pick up the phone. That network, built over years, is part of what you get when you work with Marshalls.
A lot of plates, all spinning at once
Anyone who has run a major installation knows the reality: for every visible task, there are a dozen invisible ones. His own team, the contractors and the suppliers are all working the same space to the same deadline. Deliveries have to be sequenced, decisions made on the spot, and problems solved before they turn into delays. It’s a lot of plates spinning at once — and every one of them has to keep spinning.
There’s a photograph from site that captures it perfectly: Mark’s temporary office, set up right there on what will become the ice — in the middle of everything, overseeing the whole operation. Coordinating the people, the trades and the timeline from the very centre of the action. That’s exactly what a project like this demands, and exactly where experience earns its keep.
When it gets tough, that's when we step up
It’s easy to look impressive when everything is going to plan. The real test of a supplier is what happens when it isn’t — when the pressure is on, the deadline is close, and the plates start to wobble. That is the moment Marshalls is built for.
Decades of doing exactly this means we’ve seen it before. We know how to keep a project moving, how to solve the problem in front of us, and how to stay calm when it matters most. When things get hard, that’s when we step up — and it’s why venues trust us with jobs of this scale in the first place.
Project at a Glance
| Project | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue | Manchester Arena (AO Arena) |
| Client | Manchester Storm |
| Season | 2026/27 |
| Marshalls Role | Complete ice rink infrastructure supplier |
| Equipment | Barrier system, resurfacer, IceCap Pro flooring, goals, paints, safety netting |
| Industry | Elite Ice Hockey League |
Where we are now
Right now, the progress is real and the pace is on. These photos show where we’ve got to with just days to go before the first game on the 6th — the pieces coming together for the return of professional ice hockey to Manchester.
What's next
This is the part before the part everyone sees. Our next update is the one we’re really looking forward to: the finished ice, the markings and logos down, the boards in, and — all being well — a full house for the first game. Exciting times ahead.
If you’re planning an ice project of your own — a new installation, a refurbishment, or bringing ice back to a venue — there are few teams better placed to help. Get in touch with Marshalls International, and we’ll bring the same experience, the same team and the same steadiness under pressure to your project.
frequently asked questions
Who is bringing ice hockey back to Manchester Arena?
Marshalls International is delivering the ice installation and rink infrastructure at Manchester Arena, led by Managing Director Mark Johnson, who has a long history with the venue dating back to its opening.
When does ice hockey return to Manchester Arena?
The first game is scheduled for the 6th. Marshalls International is completing the installation in the days beforehand, ready for the return of professional ice hockey to the arena.
What does bringing ice back to an arena involve?
It's a major, time-critical project: installing and preparing the ice, the barrier system, safety netting, paint and equipment, and coordinating the venue's own team, contractors and suppliers to a single fixed deadline.
Why does experience matter on a project like this?
A large arena installation has an immovable deadline and no margin for error. A team that has delivered projects like this for decades can plan, sequence and problem-solve in a way that a less experienced supplier simply can't — which is what keeps everything on track under pressure.
Can Marshalls International help with my ice project?
Yes. Marshalls delivers new installations, refurbishments and full arena projects across the UK and worldwide, backed by decades of experience, an expert team, and the parts and support to see any project through.
