Goodwood Racecourse - Racecourse Association · create their own unique concoctions, taking...
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Goodwood Racecourse
Food & Beverage
The ‘Drunken Botanist’ Comes Alive
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Objectives
Objective 1: Devise an innovative & unique entry-level experience that appealed
to the Gen X and Millennial ‘experience’ generation
Two Circles’ research shows hospitality products are changing to accommodate the
desire for premium economy with less of an emphasis on formal dining.
• KPI: Launch a new premium economy product for under £100 per person.
Objective 2: Reposition a dated and uninspiring hospitality facility
The Sussex Suites offered a basic, tired ‘shell’ with no point of difference from other
hospitality facilities at the Racecourse. We needed to transform this space into an
exciting and visually appealing new facility that was reflective of the Goodwood brand.
• KPI: Reposition & re-brand the venue to create a ‘cool’, contemporary new facility.
Objective 3: Increase raceday revenue, maximising profitability
Providing an annual profit of £34k in 2016, the Sussex Suites were unable to attract
significant interest and did not contribute a great deal to the Racecourse’s overall
hospitality budget. The new facility had to become highly profitable for our hospitality
team and deliver a positive return – even in its first year of operation.
• KPI: Increase overall margins by 100% (compared to 2016).
• KPI: Increase the total covers sold by over 20% (compared to 2016).
Objective 4: Create a popular facility that has multi-fixture, season-wide appeal
As all existing hospitality facilities throughout the season have fairly low fixed
capacities, we identified the need for a more spacious, shared area that could become
a real social hub for groups of friends.
• KPI: The new facility must be open-plan with a capacity of over 100 people.
The old Sussex Suites
With Brexit and the advent of the Bribery Act the hospitality market is changing.
To counter these changes we needed to ensure our hospitality offering moves with the
times. Through sport-wide research we saw there was an opportunity to introduce a
unique, entry level, experiential, shared hospitality experience.
Mood boards showing the proposed style
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Delivery
Objective 1: Devise an innovative & unique entry-level experience that appealed to
the Gen X and Millennial ‘experience’ generation
• The product had to be authentic, immersive and still affordable to a new audience.
• A striking new identity was designed that included food menus, collateral, badges &
tickets – all were created with the aim of further enhancing the story we were telling.
• Formal dining menus were replaced with one that championed local ingredients featuring
charcuterie and cheeses sourced directly from Goodwood Home Farm.
Objective 2: Reposition a dated and uninspiring hospitality facility
• The newly rebranded Sussex Roof Garden is now a hospitality space with an appealing
rooftop location that brings to life the story of the Goodwood ‘Drunken Botanist’ through
the Victorian fern craze ‘pteridomania’, which the Goodwood gardeners were big
advocates of at the turn of the century. Interiors designed to have understated elegance
using materials like whitewash walls, exposed brickwork, zinc-top tables & various live
plants/ferns to bring the outside in – the latter presented a challenge keeping them in
peak condition throughout the season.
Objective 3: Increase raceday revenue, maximising profitability
• Devised innovative and creative ways to gain additional revenue from bookings to boost
overall race day income. A Goodwood Home Farm platter was included in the ticket price
along with a cocktail; alongside this we created a menu of additional food offers that were
purchasable on the day, such as sharing boards and afternoon tea. The Sussex Roof
Garden was also offered as a bolt-on package to encourage upselling.
Objective 4: Create a popular facility that had multi-fixture, season-wide appeal
• Working with catering partner rhubarb, we identified the current food industry trends.
• The ‘Gin Revolution’ was a major influence and we let guests become ‘mixologists’ to
create their own unique concoctions, taking inspiration from the ‘Drunken Botanist’.
• A mixture of seating was used to ensure a fun, vibrant and relaxed atmosphere, including
72 bar stools, 21 dining chairs, 8 armchairs, 4 sofas & 16 exterior seats.
Drawings to show layout and floor plans
Interior design concepts illustrating
plants, ferns and fittings
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Results
Objective 1: Devise an innovative & unique entry-level experience that
appealed to the Gen X and Millennial ‘experience’ generation
• KPI: Launch a new premium economy product for under £100 per person.
• Result: We were able to offer this experience for £99 per person (for meetings
outside of the Qatar Goodwood Festival) and £199 per person at QGF. Entry
included a Gordon Enclosure ticket, exclusive access to the Sussex Roof Garden,
a welcome cocktail on arrival plus a Goodwood Estate cheese & charcuterie board.
Objective 2: Reposition a dated and uninspiring hospitality facility
• KPI: Reposition & re-brand the venue to create a ‘cool’, contemporary new facility.
• Result: A beautiful new hospitality offering, the enchanting Sussex Roof Garden
has a sense of authenticity and exclusivity, while the distinctive branding stands
alone with its instantly recognisable identity and striking design.
Objective 4: Increase raceday revenue, maximising profitability
• KPI: Increase overall margins by 100% (compared to 2016).
• Result: Total profit from 2017 sales has been £79,056 – which is 133% up on the
2016 figure of £33,940 (an increase of £45,116).
• KPI: Increase the total covers sold by over 20% (compared to 2016).
• Result: A total of 1,103 covers were sold this season – up 28% on last year’s total
of 862 (an increase of 241 covers).
Objective 3: Create a popular facility that had multi-fixture, season-wide appeal
• KPI: The new facility must be open-plan with a capacity of over 100 people.
• Result: The Sussex Roof Garden was launched with seating for 109 guests and an
overall capacity of 120 people.
Attendance at non-Qatar Goodwood Festival events was up 75% against last year.
We achieved sell-out at five fixtures including each of our Three Friday Nights,
where we marketed the facility as a ‘VIP experience’ to attract younger guests.
The Sussex Roof Garden in all its glory
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Supporting Information
Customer Feedback:
“We had a wonderful afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. We enjoyed our cocktails and excellent charcuterie
and cheese platters. I also took the opportunity to mix my own
cocktail.” Janet
“My wife and I thought the new facility was cool and fun and
'right up our street’.” Stuart
Click to view the Sussex Roof Garden video: