When it comes to investment, UK racecourses and racetracks have

racetracksandracecourses
On
track
K
een to tap into new
audiences,
many
racecourses,
including
Epsom,
Aintree
and
Ascot, have spent millions
on upgrading and expanding their
facilities, with the result that venues
are providing an increasingly
sophisticated offer to groups.
“People generally have much higher
expectations of sporting venues than
they used to, and a lot of racecourses
have really upped their game to tap into
that,” explains Justin Hopwood, head
of sales and marketing at sports event
organiser Mike Burton. “Nowadays,
amenities are often superb, with
modern spaces and up to date
equipment. There’s no doubt they are
offering more serious competition to
traditional venues like hotels.”
Another plus is that many are
geared up for large numbers, with
space flexible enough for roadshows,
concerts and exhibitions, as well as
smaller meetings and conferences.
“Racecourses can work really well
for big events. If you’ve got people
coming from all over the country,
they’re easy to find and there’s rarely
an issue with parking,” points out
Catering for events at Doncaster
When it comes to investment, UK racecourses and
racetracks have displayed an impressive record over
the past few years. Emma Allen reports
Angela Rosier, director at corporate
hospitality
specialist
Events
International.
The glamour factor can be a
particular clincher for clients.
“There’s no doubt that many
racecourses, especially the famous
ones like Cheltenham or Ascot, feel
a bit special, even if you’re not there
on a race day. Racing still has that
smart, well-heeled image,” she adds.
What’s more, as even the most
famous courses usually hold racing
meets for just a few days a year, most
are only too keen to boost revenue by
securing non-race business. Dates
are often easy to get hold of, and
according to Rosier, prices can be
surprisingly competitive.
“Invariably,
venues
like
racecourses can work out cheaper
than using a four or five-star hotel,
and they can be very flexible on cost,”
she says. “In the current market, it’s
particularly well worth negotiating
as there are lots of deals about.”
Continued on page 41
The MotoGP Vip Village is the ideal environment in which to entertain and
impress your clients, the perfect platform to meet a wide range of objectives.
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS SERVICES S.L.
Corporate Hospitality Dpt.
Narcís Monturiol, 2
08960, Sant Just Desvern Barcelona - Spain Tel. +34 934 738 494 Fax +34 934 738 154
motogpvipvillage@dorna.com - www.motogpvipvillage.com
March 2009
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racetracksandracecourses
casestudy
Rob
Thomas,
Lean
Coaching
Mercedez Benz World, Surrey
just 20 minutes away and Gatwick 40 minutes.
After a morning meeting and a buffet lunch, we
were given a safety briefing from the MB World
events team and split into three groups. One went
off to do fast track performance racing, another
4x4 off-roading, and group three were given a
guided tour around the MB World show room.
Each event lasted an hour before we moved on
to the next, and I thought it was a good mix. The
racing was a lot of fun, and you actually get to
drive for about 20 minutes in one of the top of
In January, we held a meeting and team-building
the range CLKs and SLKs. The 4x4 section was
afternoon for 27 of our staff at Mercedez Benz
also a real highlight. Seeing what those cars are
World, which is situated in Brooklands racing
circuit in Weybridge, Surrey. Aside from the appeal really capable of off-road was incredible. Overall,
I thought the venue worked very well. Everything
of the top-notch facilities, the location was ideal
as we had several people flying in for the day from ran smoothly, the staff were polished and it was a
great way to combine work with a team activity.
Scandinavia, Hungary and Germany; Heathrow is
Great Leighs in
administration
Britain's newest racecourse went
into administration just eight
months after launching.
The
£40m Great Leighs in Chelmsford
has had its licence revoked by
the British Horseracing Authority
(BHA). According to the BHA, an
application for a new temporary
licence was declined. It has not made
public the reasons for its decisions.
Administrator Deloitte has been
appointed and will continue to trade
the business while it investigates the
opportunity of a sale.
Motorcycling
MotoGP is the world’s premier
motorcycling championship with
an eight-month season of 18 Grand
Prix in 14 countries. The spectacular
show comes to the UK on July 26 at
Donington Park, Derby. Packages
are available at the MotoGP VIP
Village, the official corporate
hospitality facility of the MotoGP
World Championship.
NEW GRANDSTAND
OPENING APRIL 2009
HOTEL
LEISURE
CONFERENCES
What’s new
One of the UK’s newest racecourses is Ffos Las, near Llanelli,
Carmarthenshire, south Wales, which is set to open its
doors to the corporate market in June. The £20m, 600-acre
racecourse will offer hospitality space for up to 500 delegates,
including a 150-seat restaurant. Eight hospitality boxes will
also be available for up to 20 people per box.
Meanwhile, Epsom Racecourse, home to the Derby, will
unveil its brand new £28m grandstand on April 22. Adding
to its existing conference facilities in the Queen Stand, the
new development includes an impressive 800-seat exhibition
hall on the ground floor, suitable for product launches,
conferences and banqueting. With design input from clients
including Toyota, the hall has been built for large events.
Three first floor rooms each have sweeping racecourse views
and a combined capacity of 600, while the glass-fronted
Downs View suite can seat nearly 100. Fourteen private boxes
are also available. On-site is a newly-built 120-bedroom
Express by Holiday Inn, which opened late last year.
EVENTS
30 minutes from London.
A million miles away
from any other venue.
Other recent developments include Doncaster, which
reopened in late 2007 following an extensive £34m overhaul.
Its futuristic five-storey Urban-i grandstand features four
floors of flexible meeting and conference space, including the
Lazarus exhibition hall which can host up to 2,500 delegates.
Clients include Green King, Marstons and Asda, who have all
used Urban-i for road shows, exhibitions, and sales events,
according to racecourse sales manager Judith Day.
A £35m expansion programme at Aintree in 2007 created
two brand new grandstands with a combined capacity of
1,200, suitable for exhibitions and conferences. A variety of
smaller rooms and breakout areas overlooking the course
can also cater for parties and meetings. Groups can also take
advantage of the new international Equestrian Centre with its
main arena for 200, and the site’s own nine-hole golf course
and floodlit driving range.
www.epsomdowns.co.uk
01372 726311
Continued on page 42
March 2009
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racetracksandracecourses
PARIS
ATENS
Continued from page 41
UK Racecourse and
Racetrack round-up
Ascot
For groups looking for a prestigious summer venue, Ascot’s racing
marquee, built for Royal Ascot in June, is available for hire until the
end of July. Set in the Great Windsor Park, the large three-storey
marquee directly overlooks the racecourse and can host up to
1,500.
Still nu
Chepstow
At Chepstow racecourse, group packages for 2009 include outdoor
team-building activities such as ‘It’s a Knockout’ style events, rally
driving, quad-biking, clay pigeon shooting and archery. Following a
£10m upgrade of its conference facilities and premier stand in 2004,
the venue can accommodate from ten to 600 in its 60 breakout
rooms and exhibition hall.
Silverstone
New for 2009 at Silverstone, in Northamptonshire, is the Team
Building and Tour Package, where delegates can drive a Lotus
Exige, take part in a pit-stop challenge and tour the 880-acre site.
For the first time, the venue has also opened up the British Racing
Drivers Club HQ for conferences and events.
Cheltenham
Set to host the Conservative Party spring forum in April, The Centaur
at Cheltenham offers an impressive 2,600sqm of indoor space and
is suitable for a wide variety of events, including conferences for up
to 2,250 delegates, banquets for up to 1,200 and regional exhibitions.
Clients include Waitrose, Renault, and HSBC.
Musselburgh
Twenty minutes from Edinburgh, Musselburgh Racecourse is
currently being upgraded at a cost of £5m, which will include
redevelopment of its Queens Stand meeting space. Current facilities
include nine meeting rooms with the largest able to accommodate
100 delegates, while visitors can also make use of the nine-hole
Musselburgh Old Golf Course in the grounds.
Sandown Park
Sandown Park in Surrey only hosts 30 racing days a year, so events
are a key part of the business. Facilities include the Eclipse Pavilion,
which offers 23 small syndicate rooms, and the large Surrey Hall,
which can accommodate up to 2,500.
Newbury
At Newbury, the exclusive Royal Box has now been fully refurbished.
Two flexible rooms can seat up to 50 theatre-style. New menus
are being developed for 2009, after the venue brought its catering
operation in-house last year.
Hamilton Park
At Hamilton Park racecourse, near Glasgow, organisers can choose
from 17 meeting rooms, including 13 private boxes overlooking the
course, and a fixed marquee for up to 300 people theatre-style. A
new champagne bar is available for race day hospitality, and can
host up to 100.
Brands Hatch
At the Brands Hatch racing circuit in Kent, groups can follow in John
Lewis and Pirelli’s footsteps by holding a meeting or conference
in the MotorSport Vision Centre. Five flexible suites are available,
overlooking the circuit, for up to 600 people. Driving packages,
including a Peugeot 206 rally driving masterclass, karting and
sessions in a Formula Brand single seater, can be incorporated.
42
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PARIS.indd 2
Unmistakably French: view from the Westin Paris
Katherine Simmons discovers
what makes Paris a perennial
favourite with event organisers
P
aris regularly heads the
polls as a key city for
business meetings –
topping M&IT’s Trends &
Spends survey 2008 for
the most number of delegates. The
city is also ranked top of the pile
by the International Convention &
Congress Association.
The city is set to welcome hotel
openings including the Renaissance
Arc de Triomphe this month, the
Shangri-La Hotel towards the end
of the year, a new Mandarin Oriental
hotel and a Park Inn in 2010.
VIPARIS, which was formed
through the merger of Paris Expo and
the Paris Chamber of Commerce, is
also growing with b250m (£221.7m)
of investment works scheduled.
WHO
to contact
paris Convention
bureau
Corinne Bernadou
Tel: +33 1 49 52 53 96
Email: cbernadou@parisinfo.com
www.convention.parisinfo.com
March 2009
18/2/09 10:39:07