VENUE CLOSURES: Rockingham and Towcester

Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, Northamptonshire, has begun life as a ‘logistics hub’ for the car industry – in other words the exciting oval circuit has become a storage car park. A sad end to the track that opened in 2001 and once hosted the British Touring Cars Championship (BTCC) and British GT, could host 52,000 fans and cost £45m to build. The grandstands have been branded an eyesore and will be taken down. 

Peter Hardman, the track’s chief executive, said: “We have known for quite a while that things were going to change.

“There are a lot of tracks in the UK and it’s a very hard business to sustain and Rockingham is a very expensive venue to keep operating.”

Towcester totalled

A couple of dozen miles away the horse jump racing track at Towcester remains closed after financial failure. The management’s foray into greyhound racing has resulted in closure across the board. Various news stories about a purchase and re-opening have as yet come to nothing. The area is expanding its housing footprint and a good bet would be this racecourse becoming the latest residential suburb.

Image of greyhound track in front of Towcester racecourse grandstand
Towcester Racecourse Company diversified into greyhound racing


FACILITY MANAGEMENT: IFMA benchmark report

Includes FM strategies for organizational agility and change management

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has released the latest product of its FM Research and Benchmarking Institute (RBI), the 2018 Operations and Maintenance: Qualitative Analysis Benchmarking Report. The report is a comprehensive analysis of the most recent operations and maintenance benchmarking survey of more than 2,000 individual responses representing 98,000 buildings in 35 industries. Of unique interest in this report is a section exploring facility management (FM) strategies for organizational agility and change management.

“Like the businesses they serve, FM professionals are themselves operating in a perpetual state of change,” said Nickolas A. Rocha, director of RBI. “Benchmarks have always captured a cross section of time to help inform strategic decisions, provide external validation or reveal operational shortcomings. For that reason alone, this report comes through in a big way, covering tools and tactics that define modern FM. On top of that, we’ve taken an extra step to ask FM professionals about their strategies for organizational agility. This analysis offers insights for how FM is thriving in a dynamic environment of change.”

The 2017 Operations and Maintenance Benchmarking Research Report focused primarily on financial metrics, while the Operations and Maintenance: Qualitative Analysis Benchmarking Report provides data from the United States and Canada on practices and tools being used by industry professionals in managing facility services quality. For example, the report describes outsourcing of in-house maintenance needs and preventive maintenance plans.

The report includes data-based insights that can translate into operational guidelines for:

  • Solid waste diversion 
  • Legislative mandates 
  • Energy management 
  • Green janitorial training and programs 
  • Maintenance management 
  • Planning 
  • Work requests and device usage 
  • Satisfaction with and perception of information technology services 
  • Benchmarking plans 
  • Customer satisfaction survey use and frequency 
  • Organizational agility 


FM professionals will be able to utilize this report to conduct a variety of analyses to determine competitive performance standing and identify best practices in operations and maintenance. The report is available for purchase and immediate download at: bit.ly/ombenchmarks18. The cost is US$325 (US$205 for IFMA members).

TOP 5 VENUE FOCUS POINTS FOR 2019

Each venue manager will be implementing a 2019 plan of action but the industry as a whole in the UK has some common challenges and opportunities. Here are our top 5 for the coming year:

Fan engagement and education around behaviour

An increase in racist chanting at football has been widely condemned. But its return to the terraces shows that training staff to manage fan behaviour continues to be a priority. The organisations to help are available so venues should reach out to them for training and materials.

Cricket World Cup

The one-day version is in England this year and there are jobs and commercial opportunities to be taken up. Stadium capacities are in good shape and if ticket sales justify it, there will be extra temporary capacity to pencil in. The ECB will be ramping up its technical and operational teams and training up volunteers. Roll on the summer.

Green innovations

The government is on the cusp of bringing in a bottle deposit scheme for takeaway drinks so now is the time to benchmark your recycling systems against the best and to adjust for the coming legislation and change of behaviour amongst fans. And now you can buy green in so many departments, even the pitch. The latest synthetic pitches are being manufactured from CO2 so do your bit for carbon offset.

NFL and MLB in London

The influence of American sports on stadium design in London has been significant, at both Wembley and now White Hart Lane. The sell-out NFL games and fan villages at Wembley show us why. They give the NFL an international presence and wider fan base and the fans spend big at the host venues. The London Stadium hosting MLB is already a success in ticket terms. The venues’ staffs will get great learning experiences which they can take forward into their more regular seasons.

Rugby Premiership investment in facilities

If the Premiership sells a part share in its business, there are already commentators urging the spending of the income on facilities, not on players’ salaries. The wage cap will help. Venue managers need to be ready to get their bids in for training complexes, new non-matchday facilities and fan engagement innovations.

STADIUM DEVELOPMENT NEWS: Luton Town announcement due mid January; Stadium for Bath

A decision on whether Luton Town can build a new stadium will be made this month, more than two years after the planning application was submitted.

Plans for the Power Court stadium in the town centre, lodged with the council in August 2016, will be considered on 16 January.

A decision on the club’s development at Newlands Park, which will fund the project, will be made on 30 January.

Luton Borough Council said it had had to ensure it was a “robust” process.

Deputy leader, Labour’s Sian Timoney apologised for the delay and said there had been “so many different aspects that have slowed it down”.

“We appreciate this has a been frustrating period for fans, but there has been a lot of information submitted from a range of parties and our priority has always been about ensuring a robust and thorough process is followed,” she said.

Luton Town has identified Power Court site as ideal for a new stadium
Luton Town has identified Power Court site as ideal for a new stadium

Technical detail

The football club, which has played at Kenilworth Road for more than 100 years, wants to build a stadium with up to 23,000 seats, bars, restaurants, a 1,800-capacity live venue, hotel and car park and 550 apartments on the Power Court site.

Stadium for Bath crunch time in 2019

Stadium for Bath launched the final round of consultation on its vision to deliver a new sport, leisure and community-focused destination with a public exhibition in December. The Stadium for Bath project aims to build an 18,000-capacity venue including riverside regeneration, community use and a car park under a raised pitch.

Three sides would come together under a horse-shoe shaped, cantilever roof tapering downwards to reduce the visual impact from the outside, while providing clear views of the pitch and enhancing the atmosphere on the inside.


FOOD AND BEVERAGE: Investec Derby Festival continues with Keith Prowse

The Jockey Club has extended its agreement with Keith Prowse as official hospitality supplier at the Investec Derby Festival for an additional five years.

Epsom Downs Racecourse has been a venue for the sport of horse racing since the 17th Century, with the first running of the Oaks taking place in 1779 and the Derby a year later. Since that time the Investec Derby has developed into the World’s Greatest Flat Race and is now part of the unique and vibrant Investec Derby Festival. 

Overhead photo of horses heading down the straight at Epsom.

Throughout the existing relationship, The Jockey Club and Keith Prowse have been recognised for re-imagining the hospitality offering at Epsom Downs Racecourse, engaging a new, younger audience by creating a clear tiering and pricing strategy and introducing a brand-new concept, The Winning Post. This contemporary offering which also hosts the official hospitality after-party is located on the inside of the racetrack metres from the finish line. The Winning Post has grown in popularity, regularly selling out in advance of the event, and is firmly recognised as one of the most popular facilities, praised by customers for its memorable atmosphere.

Phil White, Regional Director, London Region, Jockey Club Racecourses said: “The Jockey Club prides itself on staging thrilling sporting occasions including the Investec Derby Festival, one of the greatest race days and social occasions in the British summer calendar.

“We are pleased to extend our supplier agreement with Keith Prowse for another five years and are looking forward to working together to provide thousands of people with more special experiences through racing, music, food and entertainment.”

Andy Vinsen, Managing Director at Keith Prowse said: “We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with Epsom Downs Racecourse and the Jockey Club.  We spend significant time researching our guests’ wants and needs as well as benchmarking against wider high street trends and consequently we are bringing the latest in dining concepts to one of the UK’s foremost days out.

“The Festival at Epsom is a pinnacle in the summer season and our entertaining options match the very differing needs of the attendees. It goes without saying that we will carry on innovating over the next five years, mirroring the status of this iconic event while also reacting to the changing demands of our guests.”

FAILED PROJECTS 2018: Venue projects that didn’t make it

There may still be a spark of life in a Bristol arena for the suburbs, but the central Bristol arena, that has been in the works for some years now, won’t be built. 

Bournemouth FC decided to put its stadium developments on hold. 

The on/off Stadium of Cornwall was finally tackled out of bounds when central government didn’t match local government funding commitments. The attempt to bring professional sports together with local public and education funding faltered.

Rendering of how Stadium for Cornwall might look.
Rendering of how Stadium for Cornwall won’t now look.

STADIUM DEVELOPMENT NEWS: Around the country for 2019

Brentford doubles up

A number of long-term stadium construction projects are firming up with announcements about the construction teams and the teams to play in them.

Construction of the Brentford Community Stadium is on course to be completed in 2020 and it’ll be a two-sport stadium: The Bees and London Irish will play there from the beginning of the 2020/21 season. The football club will have primacy of use.

Connacht catching up

Connacht Rugby have formally submitted a planning application to Galway City Council for the redevelopment of the Sportsground Stadium.

The planning application comes after a detailed design process and extensive public consultation carried out in conjunction with technical advisers.

The submission coincides with the official launch of the Government’s Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund which opened last week.

The Sportsground redevelopment will cost in the region of €30m and the allocation of public funds is needed for the project to go ahead. 

Rendering of main grandstand design for new Sports Ground

Connacht Rugby Willie Ruane chief executive said: 

“Following the design phase and extensive engagement and consultation with the public we have now formally submitted our planning application to Galway City Council for the redevelopment of the Sportsground.”

“Since the public announcement of the project in early October we have received widespread support from the public and elected representatives for the development of the stadium and delivery of a high performance training centre.”

Workington Out

Workington Town rugby league and Workington Reds football club are planning a new 8,000-capacity stadium with synthetic pitch. The clubs held a public drop-in event in the first week of December with the planning consultants Iceni who have been appointed by the council to draw up the planning application.

On Thames

Fulham has hired Buckingham as the main contractor for their new stand along the Thames walk.

Buckingham to build Fulham’s Riverside Stand
Check out the full story at PanStadia & Arena Management magazine

VENUE NEWS: Anfield safer with Project Servator campaign

Liverpool FC is supporting Merseyside Police’s Project Servator campaign at Anfield stadium. Project Servator is a new policing tactic used to deter and detect a range of criminal activity, from shoplifting and pickpocketing, to more serious crime including terrorism. LFC joins venues across the city, including the Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool ONE, the Albert Dock and the Merseyside Maritime Museum, to work in partnership and encourage reporting of suspicious activity.

The campaign – launched across Merseyside earlier this year – is designed to increase vigilance within communities, encourage the reporting of suspicious behaviour, whilst reassuring the general public. The project is made up of a range of police resources, including uniformed and plain-clothed officers specially trained to identify individuals with criminal intent, police dog units, mounted officers and CCTV operators. All deployments are unpredictable and will take place at any time. They can last for different amounts of time and involve varying numbers of officers and take place anywhere across Merseyside.

Alongside the club’s support for the campaign fans can expect to see an increased steward and police presence around Anfield stadium on matchdays. Stewards are now asking supporters on arrival to have their tickets ready, any coats and jackets open in preparation for entry, and any bags ready to be searched. This will help the club improve its matchday operation and reduce queues at the turnstiles.

Bringing bags to the stadium is actively discouraged. However, fans arriving at the stadium with a small personal bag (i.e. handbag/medical bag) should expect this to be searched and tagged before entry. The club is warning fans that bringing a bag may delay entry and, in some cases, may lead to non-entry to the stadium.

PEOPLE: Durham winners at BOCAs

Durham County Cricket Club received three trophies at the 2018 Business of Cricket Awards (BOCAs), including Best Commercial Partnership and Most Improved Match Day Experience.

Durham’s Head of Marketing, David Jackson, also received the Rising Star Award, capping off an outstanding night for the north-east club.

The BOCAs, hosted by BBC broadcaster Mark Chapman at Lancashire Cricket, aim to recognise non-playing excellence in the professional game.

“It was a huge honour to win the Rising Star award, not just for me but for the whole team at Durham,” Jackson said.

“We’re delighted to pick up three awards and it shows that we’re improving and reaching the high standard that we wish to achieve at the club.

“We’re extremely proud to be recognised for our efforts to make Emirates Riverside the best matchday experience for the customer and ensuring our home fixtures are the most atmospheric, entertaining and welcoming for members, season ticket holders and families.

Durham County Cricket Club, Sales Director, Tom Seymour, added: “Given we won the matchday experience award, it was fitting that our relationship with Liontrust earned us the 2018 Best Commercial Partnership Award.”

“Their funding, enthusiasm and dedication to sponsor our Family Zone for our Vitality Blast fixtures, enhance the club’s community engagement alongside the DCCC Foundation and sponsor the Woman’s Academy proved vital to us reaching a higher product level across multiple areas of the business.

“We’re delighted with the partnership and look forward to achieving more with them next year.”

Talking about the awards, ECB Chief Operating Officer Gordon Hollins said, “Nights like tonight give us the chance to say thank you and to recognise the work put in by the hundreds of staff who play a vital role in delivering the success of our professional game.

“Alongside our well deserving winners I’d like to pay tribute to all of the shortlisted nominees; you are all making a huge difference.

“The BOCAs allow us to celebrate the work going on across the country to enable our domestic game to thrive, and to help our counties learn from a wide range of speakers at our Business of Cricket Conference. I’d like to thank Mary Cahill and her volunteering team from the Cricket World Cup 2019, Justin Hopwood from Lancashire, Nick Sykes from FutureBrand and the BBC’s Barbara Slater and Ben Gallop for sharing some fascinating insights with us throughout the day.”

Photo of big screen and grandstand at Durham County Cricket Club
Emirates Riverside, home of Durham County Cricket Club

UKVMA: Happy Christmas; 2019 beckons

Venue managements face challenges in 2019 in areas such as fan behaviour and in waste collection and recycling (proposed bottle deposit scheme). But the year ahead looks exciting for existing venues – cricket World Cup around the country and NFL and MLB in London, and for new builds – will there be cash from the Rugby Premiership part-sale to invest in facilities?

UKVMA members continue to play their part in improving the bricks and mortar and public environment at their venues. UKVMA will continue to support and inform in 2019. The newsletter is back on 9 January.