Event report: Arena

Over 150 hospitality leaders visited the home of cricket recently for the latest sell-out Arena event, which was held at Marylebone Cricket Club, known more commonly as Lord’s. It began with an introduction from Abi Evans, project manager for Freemans Event Partners, which delivers hospitality experiences to 31,000 spectators on match-days. She spoke of the event specialist’s partnerships with FEP Pay and a brand-new one with Elior at Murrayfield, as well as the Paris Olympics where the team installed and served coffee from seven Costa outlets.

Evans then explained how Freemans aims to replicate the high street experience, catering to a diverse audience that has shifted from predominantly male to 29% women and 23% juniors. “Our focus is on creating seamless journeys for families and groups, while also addressing the unique needs of individuals,” she said.

With an emphasis on creating ‘Insta-worthy’ food moments throughout match-day, she highlighted the importance of the food and beverage offer as a core part of the fan experience and introduced the new Food Village. The newly built concept, that is seamlessly integrated into the grounds, serves up street food. Thanks to interchangeable screens, an open back of house and fridges with self-serve drinks, it also has a real high street feel.

Following a tour of the ground and lunch, the afternoon continued with a lively debate with panel guests that included Jason Mumby, client development and strategy director for Freemans Event Partners, and Tom Ford, VP, marketing and strategy for Aramark.

Ford shared that digital ambition at Aramark is there to “make lives better” and that this rings true throughout the industry. Despite being a self-confessed “technophobe”, Mumby shared stories of digital transformation and how it has enabled the integration of retail principles into the foodservice world. It started in 2015 with the Rugby World Cup and Mastercard managing every payment. “This type of technology enables us to know the forecasted revenue of an 82,000-person event and enables us to have the right product in the right places,” he said.

On the topic of culture building, Ford spoke of how “improving lives” starts with the team, and that at Aramark they are using technology to support their brand and drive change in an authentic way. The panel echoed his view of the importance of explaining the “why” to take the team on the journey.  It needs to resonate throughout the business, not just at the top, they agreed.

The panel discussion wrapped up with a takeaway from each member. “Find a balance; nothing’s perfect,” advised Ford. “We learn the most from our failures, so it’s okay not to win sometimes.”

Mumby, meanwhile, concluded: “The simplest ideas have always been there. Be relative and genuine – the gimmick won’t last.”

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