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By Carl A H Martin
The meeting was at the spectacular Amsterdam
ArenA, which is, in fact, a football stadium with a capacity of 52,000 for
Ajax FC, the tenant. Opened 10 years ago, they have done over 500 events, of
which about half were concerts and other major events.
After speeches by Larry Perkins, IAAM president, and Steve Peters, 1st vice
president, Kommerzialrat, herr direktor, professor Peter Gruber, DVP Europe,
gave a brief, local update and announced the secondment of three new members
to the Board of the IAAM Europe. Wilfred Spronk, from Olympiapark, Munchen,
Mike Varnals from Stage Right, Europe, and JC Giletta from Stade de France,
Paris.
“How to run an environmentally friendly, yet efficient building” was
presented by Martin Smith, head of safety and environment at the NEC,
Birmingham, England, assisted by Gemma Prosser, also from the NEC. As
Martin’s title and the title of the session implies, the environment was the
major subject. Amongst items discussed were waste management and its
disposal; the lake at one venue which collects rainwater, thus allowing the
lake to be used for demonstrations during events and the water to be used
elsewhere, on gardens, etc.; and another venue has images of its
 players
and stars on the disposable cups so that people take them home and reduce
the amount of rubbish.
Others offer one free uplift of rubbish during exhibitions and then charge
for further disposal, and on and on. It was stressed that it is easy to
include “green facilities” in new builds but it is more difficult in older
buildings. This is a subject we shall continue to develop and liaise about
between ourselves.
Later we were privileged to welcome Mr. Michael van Praag, chairman of the
Stadium Committee of UEFA who gave a very illuminating talk about varying
categories and standards of stadia throughout Europe.
Next a session chaired by Henk Markerink, CEO of Amsterdam ArenA, “The next
generation of Arena and Stadia.” Along with Henk we heard from Arcadis
(architects and engineers), Cisco Systems Intl. (ICT systems) and Bosch
Rexroth (drives, hydraulics and controls). All of these companies have
worked with Henk (and continue to do so) in the ArenA; for instance Arcadis
and Bosch are working out the way to raise the roof (literally!) so that
another tier of seats can be built in so as to raise the capacity. Cisco is
working on ways of using smart cards and mobile phones for entry and
payments.
Henk’s presentation was fascinating and most amusing. It was also a
blueprint that we can all learn from. Briefly, amongst the things he told us
are that 80 percent of their income comes from 20 percent of the patrons
(suites, business seats, dining, etc.), they run loyalty programmes with
supermarkets and they in turn buy tickets to give away to these fans.
The audience base has extended from boomers.” To accommodate them in the
upper levels, which are normally the cheaper seats, they have had to put in
escalators because otherwise the “more mature” fans could not make it!
 Since
opening, Amsterdam ArenA has been a cashless environment. One has to buy an
ArenA cash card, the only way to purchase anything, with cash or credit card
when you enter. This cuts out any problems with staff handling money and the
problems that can bring. It also means that if product is given away, the
franchisee loses the income not the venue; also the venue can know, with the
push of a button, the income for the event. It also produces an income, from
money left on the cards and not reclaimed. The cards have a limited life, so
at the end the accountants know how much money is not used, and this income
is used to run the system.
There are different levels of catering throughout the ArenA but the emphasis
for all services is on quality; with ticket prices as they are today Henk
feels the patrons deserve nothing less!
Next day we had a presentation from Chrissy Uerlings from Peter Reiger
Konzertagentur, Germany and also a leading member of the EEHSG (European
Events Health and Safety Group.) “EEC legislature and its potential effects”
is a very broad subject range and it is not only across Europe that things
change but actually within individual countries.
There were three areas he wanted to concentrate on: crowd management,
production issues and health and safety. His primary concern was that
regulations were written before any consultation with the industry, and
often this is what causes confusion and problems. After much fruitful
discussion, it was proposed we join forces to form a more powerful union,
under the auspices of IAAM Europe, to drive forward discussions with the
local, national and European authorities, with a view to reaching
universally agreed rules and regulations within Europe.
Finally we were given a tour around the ArenA, which could be the subject of
another article! Thank you Henk and all your staff for the wonderful welcome
we got in your venue.
Everyone present agreed the meeting was very useful, the quality of the
content high and relevant. What was particularly pleasing was the attitude
of the younger and newer members who were particularly positive. It is very
important we do not become another “old boy’s club,” and it looks as though
they will make sure we do not.
Carl A H Martin is director, European Services,
IAAM Europe. He may be contacted at
cahm98@aol.com.
By Warren Buckley
Not so long ago, one would rarely
hear the term “corporate social responsibility” (CSR) in a business
environment. CSR refers to the integration of economic, social and
environmental factors into the core components of business activities. Today
CSR initiatives are increasingly commonplace in Singapore.
Suntec Singapore has always supported worthy community causes. A couple of
years ago, however, we formalised our commitment by establishing a company
community relations program. Doing so was easier than we thought. We
leveraged our strengths as a meeting venue, got a committed group of
employees to champion the initiatives and focused on areas close to our
heart — community relations, education and arts.
On the community relations and education front, we established close
contacts with Child @ Street 11, a not-for-profit childcare centre. We
engaged employees, raised money for the centre and involved the children in
our events to give them more social exposure. On the arts front, we partner
with Singapore Art Museum and the National Arts Council, and support their
promotional efforts and public programs, being one of the recipients of the
NAC Arts award three years in a row.
Today, we add another pillar to our CSR program, embarking on a “green”
initiative to make our building more environmentally friendly and our
employees more green conscious.
CSR has enormous positive effects on a company’s business. However, it
requires long-term commitment. From our humble experience, we can offer some
simple principles that make CSR programs both achievable and sustainable:
• Start small and set achievable goals
• Engage your employees
• Capitalise on your company’s core business strengths
No company can achieve a socially and
environmentally conscious business environment alone. To reach this goal,
companies have to work simultaneously to develop their own CSR programs
while reaching out to the community and other businesses for joint
initiatives. In this way, the message is spread and the positive effects
multiply.
Warren Buckley is chief executive officer of Suntec Singapore.
Perry Stevens,
executive chef from Cairns Convention Centre, highlights local
produce, including Kakadu plums, in his facility’s menus. |
In
most countries worldwide the consumption of food and beverages as part of
the sports and entertainment experience are synonymous. From a punter’s hot
dog and beer to a corporate suite Coral Sea tuna and chardonnay, this is big
business for the venue industry. Many operators throughout Australasia have
realised that excellence in the food and beverage sector will affect the
overall client experience and is essential to venue performance. A negative
dining experience will far exceed the memory of the venue or event itself,
especially in the corporate dining sector.
Differentiating in the Australian CorporateMarket
The competition for the food and beverage corporate dollar is fierce, so
what are venues doing to enhance this experience for their clients? Perry
Stevens, executive chef from the Cairns Convention Centre on the North Coast
of Australia, understands completely the “edge” they have from their unique
location.
“We are lucky because we are surrounded by such beautiful country. Nestled
between rainforested hills and the pristine waters of the Great Barrier
Reef, it is easy to impress! However, to suggest our surroundings are enough
these days is more than a little naïve,” says Stevens.
Stevens works hard at highlighting local produce that tastes great but can
also provide an attraction in itself. Green ant cured barramundi, smoked
crocodile and emu pastrami married with Kakadu plums, lemon aspen or
mountain pepper can alert the senses in most epicures. “Our team takes great
delight in showcasing the vast array of produce Australia has to offer,”
says Stevens.
Stevens is not the only chef in Australia working hard to impress through
the use of exotic taste sensations, unparalleled presentation and perfected
service. Multi-awardwinning Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
(Queensland, Australia) also excels on this front. Executive chef Martin
Latter searches the world to identify new food trends to marry to the great
Australian produce, providing new experiences for clients.
In addition to fine foods (and before this turns into an advertisement for
Australian venues and cuisine!), it seems corporate clients will not
compromise when it comes to service. The expectation and assumption by
clients is that venues will ensure all stops are out to provide a first
class experience. In the case of the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention
Centre fine food, flexible service, menu tastings and specialist experienced
staff are among the catalysts for ensuring they achieve client bookings and
repeat business.
Positive Trends for Hong Kong
Managers have discovered that excellence
in the food and beverage sector is essential to a venue’s
performance. Photo courtesy of Melbourne Exhibition & Convention
Centre. |
Food and beverage service has traditionally been treated as a support
service in exhibition and convention centres; hence income generated from
food and beverage service such as restaurants, food stands, and corporate
dining accounted for a comparatively smaller income portion. Unlike other
convention and exhibition centres, which often contract out food and
beverage service, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)
houses their own in-house food and beverage team with 300 chefs, kitchen
staff and service staff. Maurice Kong, director, food and beverage, advised
the centre’s food and beverage represented 36.8 percent of total turnover in
the fiscal year 2005-06.
“While the economy in Asia is rebounding, regional incentive events and
conferences — as well as special occasions for corporations, such as
important anniversaries — allow more budget to be spent on food and beverage
than ever before,” says Kong. “Big corporations — which have benefited more
from the economy rebound than others, such as banking and financial
institutes — would demand high-end food and beverage service and request
tailor-made menus instead of all-inclusive packages to create memorable
occasions for guests and staff.”
Clients in Hong Kong, as with Europe and the United States, are placing more
and more emphasis on a total dining experience. Apart from food quality,
variety and presentation, special attention is also given to ambience, venue
and table setup. Increased budget is now being allocated to venue set-up
including audiovisual equipment, special effects and live entertainment and
keeping the food budget fairly tight.
Retail Foodservice On the Up Down Under
The Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition
Centre has an in-house food and beverage team with 300 members. |
In comparison, retail foodservice in venues can be even more challenging
than that of corporate or banquet food and beverage. Whilst the chefs who
create wonderful banquet cuisine are highly skilled and talented, they often
deal with very different challenges than experienced in the retail market.
In a convention you have a predetermined number of guests, a defined menu
and limited permutations to deal with. It is often not recognised that many
venues, stadiums and arenas cater to a broad range of markets, such as
international tour groups, corporate functions, banquets and boxes/suites,
as well as cocktail functions and retail foodservice. The venue and stadium
caterer is a very rare and specialised operator who requires an extremely
diverse range of skills and knowledge, as well as an extremely well-developed
sixth sense or ability to guesstimate.
The switched-on retail operators have long been aware that the key to
ongoing success and sustainability, in the now and future of retail food and
beverage, is in quality and innovation and being in touch with global dining
trends. This quality or innovation must, however, be presented to large
numbers in limited windows of opportunity and timeframes.
The skill of the venue caterer comes from being in touch with the varying
demographics and patron differences each specific fixture, match, concert or
show can present and maximising revenues, quality and customer satisfaction
accordingly. In a situation where attendances and guest arrivals can shift
dramatically because of weather, team placings, traffic delays, and quality
of support acts, something as simple as getting the pie order wrong can have
significant financial impact — too high or too low.
Facility food and beverage has taken on a very new focus from that of the
general perception, with many Australian operators developing branded and
signature items and providing an extremely diverse range of product options
to meet dining trends and preferences — as well as an ongoing focus on
provision of many more foodservice options to an increasingly demanding,
perceptive and discerning customer.
The effect of the quality, price and timeliness of the foodservice provision
for any of the facilities can indeed be a critical factor. Many a conference
bid has been won or lost on the food and beverage quote. The quality, price
and menu options have significant bearing on theme park international
attendances (up to 40 percent for some parks). Arenas and stadiums, in most
instances, rely on foodservice as their secondary revenue source, and as
such getting it right can impact venue viability significantly.
AsianMarket Slow to Commercialise
Clients worldwide are placing an
increasing emphasis on the complete dining experience at venues,
including the presentation of
food. Photo courtesy of Melbourne Exhibition &
Convention Centre. |
The Asian market is yet to move to this wholly commercialised version of
food and beverage consumption. The notion of sport as entertainment with
beer, pies, and hotdogs is simply not a concept that has credibility there
as yet. They attend big events and then generally eat afterwards at their
home, village or favourite restaurants. Eating publicly satisfies a basic
human need of hunger, but fails to meet their cultural need for human
interaction with family and friends and enjoying a meal together.
Asia could make far more money if it followed the smart marketing of the
U.S. stadia, but again this concept is new and not culturally in sync with
their lifestyle. Sport is seen as far less important than politics, religion
or family to many Asians.
Designing for the Future
Perhaps the best indicator of the importance of foodservice in venue and
facility management is the change of focus in foodservice design over the
recent past. Historically, operators were forced to operate from under
stairwells and out of booths either resembling or recently renovated
cupboards. Facility design now focuses very intently on quality, flexibility
and adequate location and placement of foodservice facilities.
This article was prepared by the Venue Management Association (Asia &
Pacific). |
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