Every January, Melbourne Park transforms into a world‑class sporting and hospitality precinct — a vibrant village built to host hundreds of thousands of tennis fans. While the players take centre stage, an entire industry works behind the scenes to bring the Australian Open to life. Among the unsung heroes are shopfitters — the skilled tradespeople responsible for constructing the retail, food, corporate, and fan‑experience environments that shape the atmosphere of the event.  Their work leans heavily on high quality engineered timber products, laminates and cut to size solutions supplied by companies like ours – Allboard Distributors.

Sourcing the Right Product

As one of Melbourne’s leading board suppliers Allboard Distributors have a vast range of panel products all with their own unique properties.  This year the demand was for durable, visually-consistent and sustainable materials, here are some of the products we supplied for use in projects at the Australian Open this year. 

• Plywood – Designed for strength and load bearing, structural, decorative and sustainable – a great all rounder product.
• STRUCTApanel – Light weight, easy to work with, excellent surface impact resistance. It comes prefinished in black to eliminate the need for additional painting on site.
• ‘Bendy ply’ – engineered to create shapes and flexibility, light weight and curves easily to create modern designs.
• PVC board – air rated PVC panels that are light weight, 100% water proof and extremely easy to fix and work with.
• Laminate – consistent appearance, durability, and easy to clean, metallic finishes available for high end projects
• MDF and MR MDF – durable, sustainable and used in structural construction, Australian made and sourced from PEFC and FSC plantations and manufacturers. 
• Cut to size solutions – our precise cutting service allows for rapid, no fuss assembling and installation on site. 

Why Our Materials Matter at Events Like the Australian Open

At Allboard Distributors, our engineered timber products, laminates, plywood, hardware, and cut‑to‑size solutions allow shopfitters to:

• Build faster
• Reduce waste
• Deliver premium finishes
• Meet tight deadlines
• Stay adaptable as layouts evolve
• Achieve sustainability goals

Allboards supply materials that are the ideal solution for the high quality finish required when creating world class luxurious spaces in a temporary environment.  The ease of using quick install products, pre cut panels, with prefinished surfaces create contained spaces that feel exclusive, warm and fashionable for VIP’s and A listers.

Shopfitters shape the physical experience of the Australian Open — but the materials they choose determine the speed, quality, and longevity of every build.

Plywood & MDF are great substrates, used to create the structure and framework for curved stainless steel features, timber lined walls, benches, seating and planter partitions.  Laminates are the decorative finish creating luxurious spaces with designs and patterns that replicate stone, copper/metals and timber, in not just look but feel as well with, wood grain through to high sheen textures.

Allboards provide a quality Cut to size service enabling shopfitters to quickly install onsite reducing waste, time, and cost to ensure project timelines are met.  Allboards ‘partner with the trades’ by providing the experienced labour and service of pre cut, drilled and edged products eliminating the need for machine costs and  overheads, such as additional labour costs and  injury. 

Partnering with the Trade

Allboard Distributors are proud to supply products to the very skilled and talented Shopfitter’s of Australia that put together some really eye-catching displays and pop up bars at the Australian Open. Their work shapes the environment that makes the tournament feel immersive, premium, and uniquely Melbourne.  In 2026, their contribution was bigger, faster, more refined, and more sustainable than ever — a testament to the skill and adaptability of Australia’s shopfitting industry.

The Australian Open is famous for its innovation, energy, and fan experience. None of that happens without the craftsmanship, discipline, and design-focused execution of shopfitters. 

We are proud to have partnered with TwentyThree projects,  Arko Joinery, JT Dodd, Buildone design & construction, and Stayner Made, to name a few.  Their projects included Marriott Bonvoy, Chemist Warehouse, Club 1905, Riverside Social, On-Court (part of the AO reserve exclusive experience).

Buildone design & construction, with Arko Joinery

Twenty Three Projects

Staynermade

What’s Next?

In 2026, the Australian Open continued to set the benchmark for sporting event presentation — and the craftsmanship of shopfitters, supported by Australian suppliers such as Allboard Distributors made it all possible.  So what’s next on the shopfitters calendar? Well look out for the fantastic event spaces at the Melbourne Grand Prix coming up in March 2026, where our Aussie trades once agin set the scene for a world class event. Rest assured that Allboards will be there to support the Cabbies, Shopfitters & Builders to create some spectacular designs.