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Disclaimer: Nothing in this article should be construed as legal or public health advice. Please always consult a knowledgeable professional advisor.
2024 promises to be an incredible year for lovers of sport. The summer alone will boast a range of unmissable sporting events including Euro 2024, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Tour De France Femmes and, of course, the Olympics and Paralympics which will take place in Paris. While a privileged few will get to see these iconic events live in person, most will be perfectly content with the next best thing – watching them in their favourite leisure and hospitality venues.
Is yours ready for the surge in customer demand?
What the sporting calendar means for pubs, bars and restaurants
Big sporting events like the Olympics, Paralympics and Grand Prix typically come with a surge in consumer spending, both in their respective countries and around the world.
Many will want to celebrate these events on the big screen among friends, family and other passionate fans. Needless to say, this will create a wealth of opportunities for leisure and hospitality businesses in the UK. Back in 2012, for instance, when London played host to the games, 35% of Londoners admitted that they would be watching from their local pubs.
Despite the economic difficulties many Brits are facing, last summer saw a rise in consumer spending in several areas, including spending in pubs.
With a National Insurance cut providing additional disposable income for many, pubs, restaurants and bars are likely to expect an influx of business as sports fans flock to watch their favourite events on the big screen. Plus, with a potential relaxing of opening hours for UK pubs on the cards for Euro 2024, this could substantially impact sales volumes and staffing.
An estimated 5 billion people are expected to watch Euro 2024 unfold in June. Don’t wait until the last minute to start preparing to offer them the ultimate experience.
What are the most important dates on the sporting calendar?
The summer brings with it some truly prolific sporting dates, so make sure that these are marked on your calendar so that you can order stock, allocate your teams and prepare accordingly.
Key dates for summer 2024 include:
- Sunday 26th May: Monaco Grand Prix
- Tuesday 4th-Thursday 30th June: T20 Cricket World Cup
- Friday 14th June-Sunday 14th July: UEFA Euro 2024
- Friday 26th July-Sunday 11th August: Paris Olympic Games
- Wednesday 28th August-Sunday 8th September: Paris Paralympic Games
How to maximise indoor and outdoor seating for viewing
Pubs, bars and restaurants advertising big-screen viewings for pay-per-view events are likely to find their customer numbers increase. People will be eager to find places that can offer a great view of the key games.
Being able to make the most of your indoor and outdoor space for larger gatherings is key. If your seating is flexible, you can accommodate different seating arrangements. By using furniture that can be easily moved, you can reconfigure your seating area for bigger groups.
Creating the perfect outdoor experience for customers this summer
Many customers will want to enjoy the summer’s sporting events outdoors. This means you’ll need to take extra steps to ensure that they have the best possible time. Plenty of shade should be made available to protect guests from the effects of the sun. Moreover, if you are using a projector outdoors you will need plenty of shade to ensure a clear and vibrant picture.
Umbrellas and canopies can create a welcome respite from the summer heat while customers enjoy the sport (and the refreshments). Affordable decorations such as bunting and flags can also add to the sense of occasion and create a celebratory atmosphere. You may even wish to consider running some themed events such as quiz nights, which can be a great way to build excitement and anticipation prior to or between events.
It’s important to make sure that everything stays reasonably orderly. Therefore, it helps to get customers to their tables quickly. The best way to do this is to have at least one member of staff dedicated to crowd control. That staff member’s job should be to get people in and seated quickly, while also making all customers feel welcome.
Once you have your customers seated, keeping them in their seats as much as possible can prevent the space from looking too overcrowded or chaotic (thereby potentially reducing foot traffic). There are two steps to doing this: the first is to make sure that customers’ needs are attended to as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the second is to keep them entertained while they do have to wait.
Speeding up service
When a major sporting event rolls around, the right tools and the right talent can ensure a seamless customer experience even during the busiest hours.
This means bringing in the right staff – and helping them out with the right technology. For instance, implementing QR code ordering can allow customers to place orders from their tables, reducing queues at the bar and easing pressure on frontline staff.
It’s essential to be on top of your payments game, removing friction from the payments process and ensuring healthy customer turnover. Consider investing in at least one Square Terminal.
The Square Terminal solution is affordable, easy to set up and straightforward to use. It allows staff to take payments quickly, accurately and with minimal contact. What’s more, it works both online and offline. That means an internet outage won’t send your business into disarray on a busy night.
Bring in the crowds
An online digital booking system does more for a business than managing bookings. It also acts as a useful customer database for information. This can then be used to influence marketing.
Letting people know live sporting events will be televised at a certain venue has the potential to draw in a lot of customers and build anticipation. This is especially likely if the venue is showing events that are behind paywalls.
Social media is a powerful tool when it comes to getting the message spread as far and wide as possible. Connect also with local influencers who can share news of your events with a wider audience.
Even something as simple as advertising televised sports on Facebook, Instagram or other social media networks can help to boost your business. This lets as many people as possible know where to go when they want to watch the next global sporting event during the summer and beyond.
