Wales likes sport and Wales likes to socialise. With a range of venues built with corporate hospitality in mind, sporting hospitality is coming into its own. Douglas Friedli reports.
The banquet tables have turned. Corporate guests, once lambasted as the “prawn sandwich brigade” who only turn up for free food and drink, are crucial to the business plan of any professional sports team or stadium. And Wales, with its array of stunning new venues, is tapping into this market as never before.
This year’s hottest ticket is likely to be for the Ashes test at Glamorgan cricket club’s Swalec Stadium. Law firm Morgan Cole is in an enviable position. Having hosted a summer garden party at the old Sophia Gardens ground for five years, it was the first to take up naming rights, committing a five-figure sum in support and sponsorship of the Morgan Cole Lounge. In the past year it has entertained more than 500 people in the stadium and more than 150 in last year’s wet summer in the lounge.
For partner Philip Jardine it is worth every penny: “Sport is key to business and, while it may be a nation of couch potatoes, Wales loves its sport,” he says.
With Wales halfway through defending its Six Nations title, it would be easy to confuse that love with a fixation for rugby alone. But Jardine disagrees: “Not everyone in Wales likes the rugby, which may come as a surprise. Many people are bored with the predictable round of Six Nations games.”
For him, it is more about finding a “common denominator” with contacts: “Football, cricket, rugby or golf are often ways in to businesses – they can help oil the wheels of trust and friendship, and help build profitable long-term relationships. Many excellent business connections are made in this way by enjoying common ground and interests.”
But that does not mean you spend the whole game talking shop. “I’m not convinced much business is done in sporting stadia or on the golf course, but is often where and how profitable relationships are built,” Jardine says.
Business does come up in conversation, says Ashley Govier, operations director of facilities management company Images of Service, who keeps a box at the Millennium Stadium.
“It usually starts off with ten to 15 minutes of talking about work,” he says. “Then the atmosphere kicks in – you talk about the game, the manager, the players. You know you’ve got it right when the emails come in on Monday morning.”
The idea behind the box was to entertain clients and put them at ease, says Govier. “It’s helpful if you want to build a personal relationship as well as a business relationship – they get to know a bit more of your character.” He is happy enough with the Millennium but wants more frequent games, so he is considering switching to a box to watch the Cardiff Blues, either at Cardiff Arms Park or at Leckwith once complete.
With corporate budgets under pressure, you may expect the sporting freebies to be scaled back. Not a bit of it, says Matt Appleby, director of Golley Slater PR, who regularly takes contacts to sporting events. “There’s no doubt 2009 is going to be a bumper for corporate hospitality in Wales,” he says. “With the rise of investment in many sporting venues, it is also set to be among the best ever.”
Those venues include the Swalec cricket stadium in Cardiff; Leckwith, open this year for rugby and football; Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli; the Liberty in Swansea; Ffos Las, where horse racing will start this summer; and the Millennium Stadium, still a relative newcomer. Newport Gwent Dragons’ Rodney Parade, meanwhile is up for a makeover. In each case hospitality is a vital part of the mix.
But that does not mean hosts will spend indiscriminately. Appleby says: “In the past, access to must-have match tickets has often been enough, but as access has become much easier it’s much more important to consider the experience around the event more creatively.
“Different sports obviously offer different advantages – we find cricket, for example, works well because of the length of time you can spend watching the event, particularly in the fantastic new facilities.
He adds: “As well as matching the event to the client, it’s important to plan the right mix of people to invite. And know what you want to achieve out of a networking event.”
For a taste of how events have changed take a look at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, which replaced the venerable Vetch Field, the Gnoll and St Helen’s as home to Swansea City Football Club and the Ospreys when it opened in 2005. At a typical big game it hosts 2,000 people in hospitality – about one fan in ten. Stadium commercial manager Matt Daniel says: “It took a while for the fans to get used to hospitality, but now it is hugely popular.”
The old image of hospitality guests not knowing a rugby ball from a shuttlecock is outdated, according to Ospreys strategic development manager Paul Thorburn.
He says: “I am sure it still goes on at the top international events – people go along just to be there. But the people who come to Ospreys games are more likely to be genuine supporters.”
And while demand for hospitality has been rising, it is also more targeted. “In the current economic climate we have seen differing demand, so games against Leicester and the Scarlets are sold out,” says Thorburn. “People are getting more selective and they are looking for a really appealing hospitality package.”
Seventeen miles west of the Liberty, at Trimsaran, the remarkable transformation of a former open-cast coal mine into Ffos Las Racecourse is almost complete. One hospitality box has been sold to two individuals who are particularly keen on racing but less keen on publicity.
General manager Jon Williams says: “We wanted a good mix of hospitality boxes and restaurants. From the bookings we have had so far I would say we have the balance right. What surprised us is the level of interest in the restaurant. First and foremost you need race day attendance. Hospitality probably comes second in importance to that.”
Compared with rugby, he reckons racing is more of a unisex sport – and easier for guests with limited knowledge. “Tipsters are a good idea to get people interested. And you can also run sweepstakes for people who don’t know about horse racing.”
And while Carmathenshire may seem a bit out of the way compared with, say, the crowded south east of England, location should count in its favour.
“We are aiming for the Irish market,” says Williams. “We hope we will get a lot of people coming across for the Six Nations and the Cheltenham Cup, that kind of thing. If we can arrange fixtures close to those events we hope to piggyback on them. Your market is supposed to be within an hour’s journey. We are lucky because our nearest rival is Chepstow, one-and-a-half hours away. Then again, people who come from England are surprised at how close it is.”
Also in: March 2009
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