Stadium Takes On Corporate Challenge
Leigh Franks, Arriva Trains Wales head of public relations, paid £2,300 to Sport Relief at the charity auction designed to show off the new corporate opportunities at Millennium Stadium, in exchange for the chance to watch Arsenal face Manchester United in Cardiff next month.
Over 100 corporate and media guests joined WRU Group Chairman David Pickering, Commercial Manager Gwyn Thomas and rugby legend Neil Jenkins to celebrate the ever expanding list of events on the calendar for Wales’ national ground.
The Millennium Stadium is planning to grow its corporate hospitality sales market into a £4m+ per annum business over the next few years after experiencing significant growth in the market over the past 12 months.
The biggest growth area in the stadium’s last financial year (May to May) was in the one-off packages sold to customers at Welsh rugby and soccer games. That new sector of business grossed £110,000 and has the ability to grow to almost £1m per year if all tickets and packages are sold.
The stadium’s existing 80 Private Box holders account for more than £2m worth of annual revenue, when contra-deals for major commercial partners are factored in, and the challenge facing the Commercial Manager and his team as the new season approaches is to sell a further £330,000 worth of boxes (around 40 in total) over the next year.
The new ‘Annual Licence’ fee that has just been introduced is already starting to get the boxes moving and, with the ‘Super 10’ events on offer from September 2004 to September 2005, it is little wonder that Thomas is confident of improving performance.
‘To be successful, we simply must put the needs of the customer first – not sometimes, but always. That’s why we have made the new Club Seat and Hospitality Box packages a lot simpler, much improved in quality and a great deal cheaper,’ said Thomas. ‘Everyone at the Millennium Stadium has learned a lot since the gates were first opened five years ago and we all realise the need for a slick, professional, good value for money corporate hospitality programme. There is huge demand for it and the money it generates is vital for the future health of both Welsh rugby and the Millennium Stadium. By listening to our customers we believe we have been able to greatly enhance the packages we are offering to the market place and are confident of a good return for both them and us. The next year offers an unrivalled series of top quality sporting events at the Millennium Stadium involving Wales’ national rugby and soccer teams. For instance, a one-year licence for a Club Seat or Hospitality Box that runs from September this year to the following September will enable you to see four of Mark Hughes’ men’s 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, including the first home game against England since 1984, a Lloyds TSB Autumn Series that will see Mike Ruddock’s Wales face Tri-Nations giants South Africa and New Zealand, as well as Romania and Japan, and two RBS Six Nations matches against the reigning World Champions England and the Triple Crown holders Ireland.’
Prices for a 16 seater Box, with full hospitality, on an ‘ Annual Licence’ start at £27,000 (+ vat) and rise to £55,000 (+ vat) for a half-way slot. Without hospitality the prices drop by £5,000.
The sale of Club Seats, which are now split into two categories, Platinum and Gold, have increased markedly in recent seasons to the point where 580 of the 914 have been snapped up. Prices per seat per year are £1,595 (+ vat) for membership of the ‘Gold Club’ (without hospitality) and £3,200 (+ vat) for the ‘Platinum Club’ (with hospitality). Box Holders and Club Seat Holders are also given access to purchase tickets for other events held at the Millennium Stadium, including the FA Cup Final, Carling Cup Final, the Coca-Cola League Play-Offs, the British Speedway Grand Prix and the Powergen Rugby League Challenge Cup Final, and gain from other benefits built in to their packages.
THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM’S ‘SUPER 10’ EVENTS – SEPTMBER 2004 TO SEPTEMBER 2005
2004
Wednesday, 8 September
WALES V NORTHERN IRELAND (2006 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER)
Wednesday, 13 October
WALES V POLAND (2006 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER)
Saturday, 6 November
WALES V SOUTH AFRICA (LLOYDS TSB AUTUMN SERIES)
Friday, 12 November
WALES V ROMANIA (LLOYDS TSB AUTUMN SERIES)
Saturday, 20 November
WALES V NEW ZEALAND (LLOYDS TSB AUTUMN SERIES)
Friday, 26 November
WALES V JAPAN (LLOYDS TSB AUTUMN SERIES)
2005
Saturday, 5 February
WALES V ENGLAND (RBS SIX NATIONS)
Saturday, 19 March
WALES V IRELAND (RBS SIX NATIONS)
Saturday, 26 March
WALES V POLAND (2006 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER)
Saturday, 3 September
WALES V ENGLAND (2006 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER)
