In true Melbourne style, weather conditions played havoc on the 2011 Grand Final Day celebrations. Any plans for a backyard barbeque were washed away with the rain that continued to fall throughout the day. That is unless you were a guest at Coca-Cola Amatil’s annual AFL Grand Final day celebrations. The 2011 event saw the Olympic Atrium at the MCG transformed into The Ultimate Backyard Barbeque, complete with lush astro turf lining the entire 450 square metres of floor space. The concept was developed by our events department in consultation with CCA to create a playful take on the much loved backyard barbie – a relaxed environment for guests to kick off a memorable day at the G.

We designed and commissioned a custom-built set that included a single fronted house as the entry point, a garden shed to mask kitchen facilities and freshly washed Coca-Cola beach towels adorning oversized Hills Hoists. Traditional timber fencing enclosed the private event but there were plenty of nosy “neighbours” sneaking a peek at the most talked about Grand Final Day corporate event on site at the MCG.