Club Report 2019

CLUB REPORT Sound business advice for club professionals

2019

Positive perspectives for 2019 Club Mirror’s annual guide with expert advice for the year ahead

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CONTENTS

Contents

CONTRIBUTORS

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6 Legislation – reviews and previews 8 Call for entries – enter the 2019 Club Awards 13 Planning ahead – from signage to staff training

46 Mike Ashley Braidwood CCM Cairns

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SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 14 BT Sport – growing the business together 18 Sky Sports – unmissable moments in 2019 22 Volunteers – find them and keep them 26 Gaming – what’s new in the gaming world

Haley Cox

Bruce Cuthbert

Chris Haley

Lawrence Hardcastle

Rob Hill

David Lucas

Mark Newton

Victoria Romero-Trigo

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS 28 Free Club Cost Review – brought to you by Club Mirror

30 Revenue generation – opportunites for clued-up clubs

32 Financial planning – getting back to black 33 Club sponsorships – examining the value of sponsorships

35 Club Mirror’s Racing Club – great deals on some great days out

36 Employing contractors – guide to employing competent contractors

37 Spotlight on security – don’t leave your club exposed ________________________________________________

CLUB MANAGEMENT 38 The art of negotiation – how to get what you bargained for

39 Productivity – the art of getting it done 40 How to chair meetings – making them count 41 Recruitment review – recruiting new talent 42 Employment advice – from recruiting to retirement 43 Gaining with training – why it pays to make them stay ________________________________________________

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MEDIA AND MARKETING 46 Social media in the workplace – how to implement

ON BEHALF OF CLUB MIRROR

a social media policy

47 Social Media – back to basics 48 Web design – when is a redesign really necessary?

49 The art of blogging – beginners guide

Sean Ferris

Caroline Scoular

Karen Foreman

Jonathan Hardy

Justin O’Regan

Nick Sellens

Jill Slingsby

David Foster

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE 51 Beer – redefining the ultra-light beer concept 53 Women and beer – examining the UK’s female beer drinkers

54 A Word with Marston’s 56 Craft beer – report on the Craft phenomenon 58 Winning with wine – in search of the ideal wine list 60 Spirits and wine – industry report shows spirited performance

61 Food trends – eatertainment, healthification and premiumisation

63 Restaurant accounting – getting it right 64 Food legislation – acrylamide in food 65 Building a club kitchen – how to cook up a storm 66 Keeping it cool – buying and maintaining fridges 68 Keeping it clean – dishwashers: buying the right fit for your club ________________________________________________

Contact the team on 01753 272022 or email info@clubmirror.com CLUB REPORT 3

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Committed to clubs Our magazines, e-zines, Awards and networking events are geared up to providing all of the support and business advice to clubs that we possibly can. And in 2019/20 we will be ramping up our efforts still further as Club Mirror launches more Awards, more events and more magazines.

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a number of golf activities as well as training with the Director of Education – look out for more details in the coming months.

Club Mirror Club Mirror continues to work hard with and for the club sector. Our work in this respect has broadened into even closer ties with the main Club Associations and has seen the launch of a number of Club Association events – drinks receptions, attendance at Association Conferences and AGMs and attendance at All Party Parliamentary Group meetings.

Planned activities Sportsman lunches, golf days, two conferences, new sets of Awards, a boxing event, club racing days, wine tastings, cookery demonstrations and celebrity get togethers are all on the drawing board for 2019/20.

We also have a National Campaign designed to turn up the volume on the club sector, helping to highlight the value of clubs up and down the country.

Under wraps for now, more details will be revealed later in the year. Watch this space.

ast year was an exceptionally busy one with new launches and new events in advance of celebrating Club Mirror’s 50th birthday. And 2019 is set to be an equally dynamic year.

More than just a magazine As always we’re busy planning events for the whole of this year across the country, joined by clubsupporting suppliers, by readers and by club associations.

Events will embrace the many different club sectors – from sports clubs to social clubs and everything in between.

We have already had two takeovers of BT Sport's Rugby Tonight programme this year, whilst in February we met up with our friends at the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) to discuss

4 CLUB REPORT

New launches We’ve been busy launching a number of new magazines targeting specific sports clubs and – importantly for you the readers – all of the new magazines are free to clubs.

Club Football is being upgraded with its own dedicated website where the latest magazine will be found. In it you’ll find expert advice on everything from club management to the launch of a new advisory service.

With football as its heart, the magazine will include

upcoming fixture lists, interesting trivia for those behind the bar, a glimpse behind the scenes of televising a game and the latest on the Cup competitions.

There are also Awards to get involved with – more on that in coming months. http://www.clubfootball.org.uk Clubhouse Europe continues to work with partners across Europe, predominantly in larger sports clubs and sports resorts. We are working ever more closely with the Club Managers Association of Europe to expand the reach and affiliations still further. It’s an exciting year ahead with many plans under discussion.

Club Cricket will come into its own this year, with a dedicated website and updates on news, views and – of course – results from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which is being staged in England and Wales from 30 May -14 July.

Club Tennis and Club Bowls are underway and will sit with existing sports titles Club Rugby, Clubhouse Europe and Sports Club Management.

Watch this space for the latest launches – there are more to come!

COMMUNITY RUGBY AWARDS

2019

Let’s get digital In the digital world, 2019 sees our Sports4Bars.com going from strength to strength. This is the definitive online guide to all the live sport screenings available to all types of licensed premises in the UK. All of our magazines/e-zines now have dedicated and up-to-the-minute websites as well as twitter handles.

Pan sector innovation and interaction On the pan-sector theme, clubs and licensed premises of all types can also get involved with the panindustry 2019 Hospitality Social Media Awards this year. From the back of these we are busy planning webinars, training sessions and expert advice on building the business through the power of social media.

HQ Building the Business Another major activity we’ve been accelerating this year is the new HQ Building the Business advisory service, free to clubs. This is a quick way to ensure you’re getting the best possible purchasing power for your club with no fees, no contracts and no obligations, just the opportunity to save your club money and improve efficiencies – ideal for time-strapped committees and clubs who feel they could be getting better value.

Club Brands Report Each year we publish the much prized and exclusive Club Brands Report in association with CGA Strategy, highlighting which brands are proving their worth at the club bar. This will appear in June issues.

Which brands are remaining at the top of the club tree, who are the new kids on the block and which brands are on the way out?

Club Journal We are also very proud to be the contract publisher of the very fine Club & Institute Union’s Club Journal, a title which has been running for well over 100 years. The annual AGM and the Beer and Trades Exhibition sees hundreds of Union clubs travelling from all over the UK to congregate and circulate at Blackpool.

In summary...

Our titles, Awards and events are all geared up to providing all of the support that we possibly can to help our thriving industry continue to grow. Thank you for all of your input and we hope you enjoy reading the titles as much as we do creating them.

Racing Club launch Last year we launched our Racing Club, offering all readers and clubs the opportunity to enjoy a day at the races with as many members as they care to take, all at specially negotiated rates. This is a completely free service (of course) and it is already being enjoyed by thousands of club members across the land.

CLUB REPORT 5

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LEGISLATION – REVIEWS AND PREVIEWS

Club Mirror’s annual review So just what happened in 2018 in terms of legislation affecting the UK’s clubs and licensees? And what can we expect during the course of 2019? Club Mirror’s Legal Eagle David Lucas reports.

I

n licensing terms, we have enjoyed a relatively quiet period of time, due to the the fact that the Government and its Ministers have been preoccupied with a particular item of business. (In case you hadn’t guessed, yep that’s Brexit!)

Licensing Act 2003 There has been very little activity in the Courts as far as the Licensing Act is concerned.

In March 2018 the application form required to vary a designated premises supervisor was amended. In January of this year we have seen further amendments to some of the other application forms relating to interim authorities, personal and premises licences. The amended forms can be found on the GOV.UK website In April 2018 new provisions came into effect which establish a statutory regime for cumulative impact assessments. Those assessments replace cumulative impact policies which licensing authorities could introduce under provisions contained in the statutory guidance made under section 182 of the Licensing Act. The statutory guidance was also revised in April 2018 and contains a number of amendments, including: • Clarification regarding acceptable evidence of entitlement to work in the UK. • A new section on the use of beer gardens and other outdoor spaces.

• Additional information on requirements for advertising applications for premises licences.

• An explanation of the process for introducing a cumulative impact assessment and ongoing review of an assessment.

A copy of the amended guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explan atory-memorandum-revised-guidance-issued-unders-182-of-licensing-act-2003

“

The statutory guidance, revised in April 2018, contains a new section on the use of beer gardens and other outdoor spaces.

Alcohol strategy In May the Government announced that it would be implementing a new national strategy on alcohol.

The commitment was made with the aim to reduce alcohol-related violence.

Two of the key themes of the new alcohol strategy concern professionalisation of the licensing regime and stronger partnerships. The Government was

It is worthwhile looking at the amended polices to see if there have been any changes (such as the introduction of a new cumulative impact assessment) that could have an impact on clubs in your Council’s area.

6 CLUB REPORT

aiming to publish the new strategy at the beginning of 2019 but no further timescale has been indicated.

Further amendments to the Licensing Act which may come into force this year will reform the provisions relating to late night levies by: • Allowing licensing authorities to target specific geographical locations.

• Extending the levy to include late night refreshment venues.

• Enabling Police and Crime Commissioners to request a licensing authority to introduce a levy.

• Requiring licensing authorities to publish information about the way in which the levy is spent.

Gambling Act 2005 In October 2017 the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published a consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures. One of the main proposals put forward in the consultation related to the regulation of category B2 machines, also known as fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT’s). These machines can only be provided in licensed betting offices. The

consultation concerned regulatory changes to the maximum stake, looking at options between £50 and £2.

In response to the consultation, the Gambling Commission advised the maximum stake of £2 for slots and no greater than £30 for non-slots.

In its own response, published in May 2018, the Government announced that the maximum stake for B2 gaming machines would be reduced to £2. The change is effective from 1 April. 2019.

A great deal of attention has been focused on category B2 gaming machines but as Neil McArthur, the Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, said at the Bacta Conference in November last year, “A lot of the debate about gaming machines has focused on B2 stakes – but the Commission has not been distracted by that”.

The authorities will be looking at the way in which gambling activities are provided by other categories of gaming machines to ensure that they are fully compliant with all relevant gambling legislation.

In November last year, the Gambling Commission announced the interim results of a joint exercise that involved the Commission working with licensing authorities and local police to test compliance with laws in place to protect children from the risks gambling can pose.

The Commission had been working in conjunction with licensing authorities across England for the previous six months to test the compliance of pubs with the requirement to prevent under 18s playing on Category C machines.

A total of 61 tests were carried out and the failure rate was 89%. This compares to a pass rate of 70 –

85% for most age restricted products such as alcohol or tobacco. (Source: Serve Legal.)

On 21 February, the Gambling Commission published a call for evidence inviting members of the public, gambling businesses and other stakeholders to provide their views on some key issues as part of its work to prevent gambling-related harms.

In connection with one of those issues, the Commission is requesting views and data on improving player control measures on all Category B gaming machines.

There is a clear message coming from the Gambling Commission to the effect that anyone who provides facilities for gambling, whether by gaming machines or otherwise, must ensure that they do so in compliance with all relevant statutory provisions and in a way which does not pose any threat of harm to the public.

Policy statements Under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2005, local authorities are required to produce a statement of policy relating to the way in which they will exercise their functions under each statute.

The Licensing Act requires that the policy statement must be reviewed at least every five years.

In the case of the Gambling Act, the relevant period is three years.

As it happens, the majority of gambling policies were the subject of consultation last year before the latest version was published and came into effect in January of this year.

In some areas, the Licensing Act policy has also been reviewed and the amended version published at the same time.

It is worthwhile looking at the amended polices to see if there have been any changes (such as the introduction of a new cumulative impact assessment) that could have an impact on clubs in the Council’s area.

On that happy note, I will go back to my crystal ball and see if I can see what the licensing landscape will look like beyond Brexit!

CONTACT DETAILS Fraser Brown Solicitors 84 Friar Lane, Nottingham NG1 6ED e. dlucas@fraserbrown.com t. 0115 959 7139 mob. 07973 899398

CLUB REPORT 7

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CLUB AWARDS 2019

Time to shine Enter the 2019 Club Awards The Club Awards recognise the commitment of clubs, committees and individuals who work to ensure a healthy future for their clubs. Could this be your year? It’s time to find out. Read on...

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f you haven’t entered the Club Awards before, then make sure 2019 is the year that you do.

From football clubs to rugby clubs and from social clubs to political clubs, and everything in between, we look forward to your entry, both old friends and new.

The Club Awards Gala Dinner celebrates clubs across the UK and provides the perfect opportunity to meet up with fellow clubs to share ideas and issues while having a lot of fun along the way.

JOIN THE JOURNEY – WHY ENTER? Clubs use their success to: • Raise the club’s profile.

• Gain coverage in the local press and media.

• Encourage new members.

• Thank existing members for their support.

• Show that the club is spending members’ money for their benefit.

• Celebrate clubland in all its forms with fellow clubs from across the country.

IT COULD BE YOU So, do you think you could be a finalist? Do you have what it takes to beat the best and stand out from the rest? Time to find out.

HOW TO ENTER There are four ways to enter the 2019 Awards.

1. Turn the page and fill in the form and one of our judges will give you a call.

2. Request a self-entry form, complete it and return it to us via email or post.

3. Enter online at clubmirror.com.

4. Email your details to us at info@clubmirror.com and we'll take it from there.

Simple as that. We look forward to your entry – good luck!

8 CLUB REPORT

CLUB REP0RT 9

CLUB AWARDS 2019

HOW TO ENTER Please tick preferred option

n I would like one of the Club Awards judges to contact me to discuss the club.

OR

n Please email me a self-entry form. Email: _________________________________

My name is: ____________________ My club is: _____________________________ Which categories would you like to be considered for? (Please tick as many/few boxes as you wish. The judges may also enter you in other categories which they believe you excel in.)

n Bar Manager/Bar Steward of the Year (Q) n Business Initiative of the Year (R) n Bowls Club of the Year (S) n CAMRA Club of the Year (T) n Catering Club of the Year (U) n Catering Club of the Year – Golf (V) n Charity Club of the Year (W) n Committee of the Year (X) n Community Club of the Year (Y) n Cricket Club of the Year (Z) n Darts Club of the Year (AA) n Entertainment Club of the Year (AB) n Family Club of the Year (AC) n Football Club of the Year (AD) n Golf Club of the Year – under £1m turnover (AE) n Golf Club of the Year – over £1m turnover (AF)

Name:

n Grounds Team of the Year (AG) n Innovative Club of the Year (AH) n Manager/Secretary of the Year (AI) n Marketing Club of the Year (AJ) n Membership Club of the Year (AK) n Racing Club of the Year (AL) n Refurbishment Club of the Year (AM) n Rugby Club of the Year (AN) n Social Media Club of the Year (AO) n Sports Club of the Year (AP) n Sports and Social Club of the Year (AQ) n Tennis Club of the Year (AR) n Traditional Club of the Year (AS) n Turnaround Club of the Year (AT) n Website of the Year (AU) n King of Clubs (AW)

____________________________________________________________

Job title:

____________________________________________________________

Club:

____________________________________________________________

Address:

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Postcode: ____________________________________________________________ Tel:

____________________________________________________________

Email:

____________________________________________________________

DEADLINE – JUNE 31, 2019 CONTACT THE CLUB AWARDS TEAM:

BY POST: Club Awards, Alchemy Contract Publishing, Gainsborough House, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1TX ONLINE: www.clubmirror.com/Awards

BY EMAIL: Email your details to info@clubmirror.com

BY PHONE: Call in your details to 01753 272022

BY FAX: Fax this page to 01753 272021 OR USE THIS QR CODE

10 CLUB REPORT

MAN UTD v BARCELONA

1st Leg - Wed 10th Apr 8pm 2nd Leg - Tues 16th Apr 8pm

SPURS v MAN CITY

1st Leg - Tues 9th Apr 8pm 2nd Leg - Wed 17th Apr 8pm

AJAX v JUVENTUS

1st Leg - Wed 10th Apr 8pm 2nd Leg - Tues 16th Apr 8pm

LIVERPOOL v FC PORTO

1st Leg - Tues 9th Apr 8pm 2nd Leg - Wed 17th Mar 8pm

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PLANNING AHEAD

Successful planning – from signage to staff training Things we take for granted as being done well and run of the mill can suffer from the ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ equation. This short, sharp audit is a good exercise to make sure you’re still covering all bases.

T

o meet today’s challenges, clubs must continue to present themselves in the most professional manner that they can.

Curb appeal - does it matter?

The external appearance of the club - the ‘curb appeal’ is the first impression that members and potential members get of your club. The wrapping can be as important as what’s inside and perceptions can be heightened by taking time out to ensure you stand out in the crowd. Take a step outside the club. Would you be attracted enough to walk through the doors? Does it have ‘curb appeal’?

Of course the vast size of many clubs and the cost of external decoration can make this a costly exercise. But even the smallest attention to detail can make a big difference. Ensuring that the doors are clean and freshly painted is an obvious one.

Hanging baskets and plants can hide a multitude of sins and in the hands of the right committee member/s can be a cheap and effective way to inject new life into a tired exterior.

Make signage count Make sure signage is sited correctly, that it is illuminated where it should be and ensure advertising material such as posters are in date. A wind-tattered poster announcing dates long gone by does little to present the venue as an upbeat, finger-on-the-pulse club.

At the bar - product portfolio The product portfolio is key – the right brands, with the right support at the best prices giving the necessary margins. Members’ preferences, combined with new (appropriate) launches and offers etc is the obvious port of call.

How you promote and display the bar offering is also vital to encouraging volume up sells. Eye level positioning of high profit products and the overall general appearance of the bar are massive contributory factors in your challenge to increase revenues for the club.

Targets and training Staff training is ever more important given the competitive marketplace that clubs are in. Product knowledge, customer skills, service techniques and a positive attitude are all essentials.

And finally, for smaller clubs who may think

“

”

Take a step outside. Would you be attracted enough to walk through the club doors?

they don’t need a business plan, now’s the time to reconsider. Developing a business plan (whatever the size of the club) and setting targets is the way to achieve objectives. Every business needs a framework to ensure it stays on track, focused – and open!

Sports screenings and big events Advertising is essential in and around the venue – particularly with respect to sports screenings. Make sure you regularly select the big dates, get the posters up and maximise the potential.

Often it is important to include promotional offers or something of interest to pull members away from the comfort of their own home. Check out your local competition. What are they doing?

The high traffic areas at your venue are the ideal locations for your advertising literature – toilets, notice boards and entrances. Make sure these areas are well covered.

All staff need to be fully briefed regularly on up and coming events. They are your sales team and

are not just there to pull pints. Share the responsibility and strain with them giving you more time to focus on the detail.

Funding plans Seeking out sponsorship for events and functions means clubs can expand on original plans with a greater degree of support and finance.

The power of marketing Impact and a ‘wow’ factor are important to grow the member base. The more advertising and marketing you can do the bigger the impact on membership and events sales, and – from a PR perspective – maintains the club’s profile in the minds of old, new and prospective members.

Mailings to your membership database (where possible) is another way of ensuring you are generating the greatest footfall you can when attracting people to your events. This is where all your marketing initiatives should start – they are your most loyal customers.

CLUB REPORT 13

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SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT – BT SPORT

BT Sport – growing your business together Having a thrilling line-up of great sport is one thing, bringing people in from far and wide to enjoy it with you is another. This is why at BT Sport we have been working hard on our tactics to ensure our customers get more people through the doors to enjoy the very best that live sport can offer.

Google Digital Garages We visit some of the most iconic venues in the country even when we aren’t showcasing live sport.

Anfield, Murrayfield and Old Trafford were just a few of the locations for our first ever Digital Garage events.

We know how essential it is to not only get the right messages out there on your social media channels and websites but also to do everything you can to make sure those messages are seen.

Who better to assist with this than the experts at Google? In a series of free events around the country we met with club owners, operators, staff and marketing teams to provide them with bespoke advice and the tools to take their offer to the next level when it comes to digital marketing.

Clubs such as The Royal Air Force Association in Birkenhead are among those to have benefited.

Secretary Peter Casey, who attended our Anfield event, said: “We wanted to learn how to get on Google and get our site noticed so we can attract more members and raise our profile within the community.”

Philip Torjussen, general manager at The Lansdown Tennis, Squash and Croquet Club in Bath, also took plenty away from our Cardiff event to implement in the club.

“We have Facebook and Twitter but are we using them properly? Probably not. This has brought a realisation that maybe it’s time that instead of getting stuck into work it’s worth taking half an hour out at the start of the day when nobody can disturb you and doing this sort of thing. It has been very, very useful,” he said.

On top of that, we have upped our own game to provide even better Point of Sale and digital assets to help you promote the sport you love to show. For more information about future events and to use our assets take a look at our website at www.btsportbusiness.com Manager of the Month We are always looking to reward the best in the business or those who have done something brilliant or unique in their club. Are you, or do you know someone, worthy of winning a BT Manager of the Month award? Find us on Twitter at @BTSportBars and make your nomination using the hashtag #BTMOTM.

14 CLUB REPORT

At the Heart of Sport Delivering great sport is the key to what we do, and thankfully there is never a shortage of action to help bring them to the bar.

Champions League Is there a more dramatic tournament anywhere in the world than the Champions League? A goal of the decade contender, goalkeeping blunders, controversial challenges and an historic fourth win in five seasons for Real Madrid. And that was just the final itself, there was so much more across the entire competition.

This season has already proved to be just as thrilling with the growing strength of the English teams, the demise of Real and the continuing genius of Ronaldo and Messi. The Champions League is a must have for any sports venue and a great way of

driving midweek trade.

And this year we were able to deliver back-to-back sessions for clubs with staggered kick off times in the Champions League group stages.

Feedback indicates that a 5.55pm kick off followed by another at 8pm has ensured football fans have been getting to the bar earlier and settling in for longer too.

Likewise, the Europa League adds something extra on Thursday nights, especially with iconic clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Napoli looking for glory and a guaranteed Champions League place for next season.

Premier League We bring comprehensive coverage of the Premier League with 42 exclusive live games. On top of that we have more FA Cup than anyone else and the very

best live action from the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and much more.

Rugby Union BT Sport is the home of European and domestic rugby union. We show the very best live action as Europe’s giants go head-to-head for the Heineken Champions Cup. Meanwhile, in the Gallagher Premiership we bring the key battles into your business as Exeter Chiefs and Saracens once again lead the chasing pack.

And there’s more…

Boxing continues to grow in popularity, thanks largely to a revitalised heavyweight division and the charismatic force that is Tyson Fury. MotoGP is also pulling in the crowds, as venues such as the Walton Conservative Club are discovering.

Bar manager Adi Marion (pictured right) said: “I started showing the races and people asked questions about who was racing or what bikes they were on. It’s getting a cult following.”

We are also the home to UFC, WTA tennis, international hockey, Big Bash cricket and Major League Baseball, to name just some of the ways we can help you keep your customers entertained throughout the year.

CONTACT DETAILS For more information on fixtures, Point of Sale, social assets, inspiring stories from the trade and details about our events visit www.btsportbusiness.com

CLUB REPORT 15

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SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT – SKY SPORTS

Sky Sports – unmissable moments in 2019 In 2018, Sky Sports showed over 70,000 hours of sport and, says the company, 2019 looks set to be even bigger, creating even more money-making opportunities for clubs, and allowing venues to show more unmissable moments.

T

he start of the year has seen great football action with the continuation of an exciting title race as the battle for the top spot heats up in the Premier League. Plus, there’s plenty of excitement in the EFL as teams strive to reach the top flight.

The Premier League remains the key competition for generating revenue for nearly three quarters of licensed premises showing Sky Sports*, and – as we go to press – it’s shaping up to the be one of the most thrilling title races in Premier League history. The big question is can reigning champions Manchester City overhaul Liverpool and become the first team to retain the title since Manchester United in 2009?

Sky’s breadth and quality of football coverage will continue to attract sports fans into venues across the

18 CLUB REPORT

country as the UEFA Nations League returns with the semi-finals and final shown exclusively live on Sky Sports, as well as looking ahead to the 2019/20 season, with extra games from the Premier League and EFL; with an increase from 2020 in SPFL games.

And it’s not just football. There’s plenty of clubpacking action including the start of the Formula 1 season with every race weekend exclusively live, all four golf Majors, The Ashes, Solheim Cup, the ICC Cricket World Cup and the Netball Superleague. Plus, May and June will showcase the NBA Championship and the start of the 2019 WNBA season.

Also, the gloves will be off for Anthony Joshua as he returns to Sky Sports Box Office on 1 June, as he makes his US debut against Jarrell Miller at

*Source: Sky Q1 Message Testing; Ipsos MORI April 2018

Madison Square Garden.

Sky has an unmissable line-up and venues won’t want to miss out on the action! Here’s a snapshot of what Sky will be offering in 2019.

Football Sky will bring you live action from the Premier League, Sky Bet EFL – including every play-off game – the SPFL, Euro 2020 Qualifiers, MLS and much more.

England will have another shot at silverware when the UEFA Nations League returns to Sky Sports screens. Southgate’s side take on the Netherlands in the last four on 6 June, having already overcome Spain and Croatia in the group stage, the team will be strong contenders.

between in an intense three-month period – it promises to be a thrilling season of golf. All five Women’s Majors are also live with Georgia Hall defending her Women’s British Open title in August.

The best female golfers from Europe and the USA go head-to-head in the biggest 2019 golf event, The Solheim Cup – and you can see it all live on Sky Sports. The 16th edition of the prestigious event takes place at Gleneagles from 13-15 September.

Rugby Union As England prepare to head to Japan for a shot at World Cup glory, Sky will be bringing you a host of live warmup games in the latest edition of the Quilter Internationals. Eddie Jones’ side will take on Wales and Ireland at Twickenham on 11 and 24 August, before facing Italy at St James’ Park on 6 September, all live on Sky Sports.

Cricket Eoin Morgan’s side have risen from the dismal 2015 World Cup to sit proudly top of the ICC One-Day rankings – could the 14 July see England win their first global title in the ICC Cricket World Cup? After the Ashes defeat in 2017/18, England will also be aiming to regain the urn in August and September in as much style as they retained it in 2015.

Formula 1 Dedicated purely to Formula 1, Sky Sports F1 is the only place to watch every minute of track action from the 2019 F1 season, with every Grand Prix weekend exclusively live. Lewis Hamilton will be seeking to become the second driver in history to win six F1 championships, competing against Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

This could be one of the most exciting seasons in years.

Formula 1 is a great way for clubs to encourage Sunday trade alongside Sky Sports’ Premier League Super Sundays, making the last day of the week a bumper sporting event.

Darts Following the 2019 World Championship at the start of the year, there’s no letting up as the Premier League began in February in an expanded format of 17 rounds ahead of the Finals night on 23 May at London’s iconic O2.

The countdown to Alexandra Palace begins in July with the World Matchplay Darts Championship live on Sky Sports, before the Grand Prix in October and the Grand Slam in November, which brings together the best from the BDO and PDC. December then sees the iconic 2020 World Darts Championships conclude a massive 2019!

CONTACT DETAILS Golf Sky will be showing live coverage of all four golf Majors, with the Masters Tournament in April and the Open Championship in July serving as bookends, with the PGA Championship and US Open in-

Sky Business, Sky UK Ltd Grant Way, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 5QD t. 08442 411490 https://business.sky.com/clubs/

CLUB REPORT 19

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SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT – VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers – how to find them and keep them Volunteers are the lifeblood of many clubs around the country. There are over 3 million people already volunteering their time in the sport sector alone. But how do you find them in the first place? And even more importantly, how do you keep them onside?

T

o say that clubs rely heavily on the efforts of volunteers is an understatement - particularly in the sports arena. In fact, even these efforts in terms of time given are not enough to support all the sports clubs nationwide who rely on volunteers in order to provide their activities and services.

Even those clubs and organisations that are in the fortunate position of having a good network of volunteers will be affected if even only a few drop out, so retention of volunteers is an issue that clubs will be very aware of.

Recruiting volunteers The average UK sports club has around 24 volunteers and 204 members. This equates to one volunteer creating capacity for 8.5 members. The more volunteers you have, the more people can take part in and enjoy the club's activities.

Following the impact that the London 2012 Games Makers had, national governing bodies of sport have continued to tap into the enthusiasm and value that volunteers can bring to their competitions and sport.

22 CLUB REPORT

So how can clubs go about finding volunteers?

Accessing online communities and forums is one of the best places to start as well as seeing how other organisations are successfully recruiting.

Parkrun, for example, a not-for-profit organisation, organises hundreds of running events with thousands of participants each week. All of these events are arranged and managed by an army of volunteers - around 6,000 at the last count. Were it not for volunteers, these great events would not be able to take place. When you visit the relevant page on their website, you’ll be warmly welcomed by the inimitable and prolific runner Eddie Izzard (visit http://www.parkrun.org.uk/howtovolunteer).

The Rugby Football Union also has an easy-toaccess site with an extensive list of roles available for volunteers (view at https://www.englandrugby.com/my-rugby/volunteers) and England Hockey has a similar approach (view at http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/landing.asp?section=1259).

Step Up To Serve is another inspiraitonal site worth looking at, designed to “make social action

[volunteering] part of life for as many 10-20 yearolds as possible by 2020”. You’ll find this at https://www.iwill.org.uk/hsc/ Campaigns like this seek to create opportunities for people to volunteer as there is increasing awareness of the benefits volunteers extract for themselves through their activities.

So if the demand is available, how do clubs connect with volunteers?

Make the connection Unsurprisingly, online campaigns and resources are the best way for connections to be forged.

Dedicated volunteering campaigns have been setup in order to grow the volunteer workforce in sport and also marry up would-be volunteers to opportunities near them.

Using a two-pronged approach, individuals can find volunteering opportunities local to them while clubs can create a page and list the skills and number of vacancies that they are looking to fill, all from the same website.

The tools available to both would-be volunteers

and those looking for them have never been so sophisticated.

However, finding club volunteers is one thing.

Esuring that they regularly come back and dedicate their time is another challenge altogether. And this is a truism whatever your club and wherever it happens to be.

Retention to detail As with many commitments, the initial burst of enthusiasm is the easiest to act on. Think of New Year gym memberships for example. The same is true with people new to volunteering. If their first experience is not a particularly rewarding or enjoyable one, they are unlikely to continue to devote their time.

All of which means creating a volunteer proposition and environment that is rewarding and keeps people coming back. A key and often missed component to ensure that clubs are delivering the right propositions is the tracking and monitoring of the volunteer workforce in the first place. If you can see how many volunteers you have and how frequently they give up their time, you’re in a better position to be able to discover and create ways to entice and retain other volunteers.

In the UK, companies like TeamKinetic (https://teamkinetic.co.uk) a management software company, enable clubs to take this kind of control over their volunteer proposition and data.

From its own data, the company has found a few simple things that keep volunteers engaged and coming back.

Things like a low cost reward or incentive can really help motivate a volunteer to go above and beyond, so clubs should think about linking this to a system whereby you can give tangible rewards to

volunteers in exchange for hours logged.

Volunteers are giving up their time and skills; it is not at all unreasonable to expect them to get positive and affirming experiences in return. Even rewards like free access to club facilities, a small credit at the bar or waiving of annual subs work.

One of the easiest ways to retain volunteers is also one of the simplest; making sure you say thank you to your volunteers, personally and through your management tools in obvious and public ways.

Volunteer management platforms enable organisations and participants to thank their volunteers using feedback, and in addition, they are able to leave a few words of appreciation.

Volunteers only see their positive responses and this accumulates on their achievements page and helps push up their volunteer achievement level along with their logged hour total. This gives a clear line of progress for the volunteer and constantly affirms their decision to volunteer.

If you want to retain your great volunteers and build a lasting community keep in mind the mantra, affirm, reward, return.

It is also important to remember that volunteering is not a one-way street in terms of deriving benefit. Volunteers themselves accrue benefits from their activities. The economic value of a volunteer and the improvement in their wellbeing and mental health as a result of their activities, has been worked out to be £2,974 per volunteer.

Equally, research shows that employers value volunteering when it comes to improving job prospects, with around 80% of them valuing seeing volunteering information on an applicant’s CV. So when it comes to volunteering, the situation is clearly a win/win for all concerned.

“

Finding club volunteers is one thing.

Ensuring that they regularly come back and dedicate their time is another challenge altogether.

”

CLUB REPORT 23

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ENTERTAINMENT – GAMING

Spotlight on Gaming Machines There’s everything to play for when it comes to gaming, but beware fraudsters and the tax man, warns Dransfields’ Managing Director Chris Haley. Are you on top of the game?

Changing designs of machines and game styles Digital gaming machines providing a compendium of games for the player are becoming increasingly popular in clubs especially now that pubs are beginning to catch up with most major pub chains offering at least one digital gaming machine to their customers.

Digital gaming machines allow much more flexibility and innovation in games design than traditional “reel based” machines.

In the past traditional games have tended to have feature trails with fairly complicated game play. A regular complaint about these machines is that they can appear too complex and can be off putting to casual players who feel that they will lose money whilst trying to learn how to play them. Digital games however tend to have a variety of games to try to cater to all tastes of the players. These can range from straight forward “slots” style games with fewer features, to games that are feature rich and therefore more complex.

The numbers of “win lines” are increased, often to up to twenty or more, and pay-out percentages are increased thereby giving the player a more engaging experience.

New games can be installed on a regular basis (often monthly) to ensure that the content keeps fresh and appealing to players.

The Bookmaker Fixed Odds Betting which had a maximum stake of £100 and a maximum prize of £500 (usually roulette based) will disappear from the high streets with effect from 1st April 2019 following the Government review of stakes and prizes. The maximum stake will reduce to £2 on that date.

Digital machines with a £400 maximum prize can attract club machine players back from the “Bookies” as they will offer similar high-quality games with similar maximum prizes.

Machine Games Duty (MGD) HM Revenue and Customs are increasingly looking at private members clubs as part of a targeted campaign to increase compliance with Machine Games Duty, especially now that they will be losing significant tax receipts from bookmaker machines.

We are aware that a number of clubs that failed to register for MGD have been issued with assessments going back four years so clubs should ensure that they are registered for MGD and are submitting quarterly MGD Returns You have to register for and pay Machine Games Duty (MGD) if there are gaming machines that give cash prizes on your premises (the only exemption is the income from Category B3A lottery machines and pull-tab lottery vending machines, which are exempt from MGD and VAT)

24 CLUB REPORT

There are two rates of MGD applicable to clubs: • Standard Rate – 20% of net takings • Lower Rate – 5% of net takings (only applies to machines with a maximum stake of 10p and a maximum prize of £10) It is calculated on the net takings of the machine.

That is the amount paid into a machine by players minus the amounts paid out.

Consider the following example where a machine

has £100 of net takings: The MGD payable will be – £100 x 20% = £20 MGD accounting periods are quarterly with MGD Returns and payments to be made within thirty days of the end of each accounting period.

Machines exempt from MGD Non-commercial private members clubs are able to have one Category B3A machine with income that is

Reels remain popular – Top machine tips Whilst digital machines offer more choice, traditional reel based machines are still popular with many players. Ranging in jackpots from £100 to £400 with price of play from 10p to £2. Make more money with Dransfield’s machine tips:

exempt from MGD. This means that unlike income from other categories of machines there is no MGD to be paid over to HMRC. These machines offer lottery-based games with prizes distributed randomly; this means that every person has an equal chance of winning and they are therefore popular with players that may be put off by gaming machines with rather more complex styles of game play.

Another big earner for clubs is the traditional Pull Tab Lottery. Suppliers of these products will supply a free vending machine on loan through which lottery tickets are sold.

The key to pull tab lotteries is maximising the revenue with player appeal to ensure a good selection of tickets – vended through an attractive machine that is well maintained and not out of order!

Ensure that your pull tab supplier provides speedy onsite service, free overprinting of tickets and free postage of the boxes of tickets to your club The proceeds of pull-tab lotteries and Category B3A are also free from VAT! Note – the income is exempt from MGD, however the supplier will add VAT onto their charges (whether this is calculated by reference to a share of the income or a fixed rental amount). This can be recovered as Input VAT by the club on their VAT Return, subject to partial exemption rules VAT Partial Exemption Many clubs will already be partially exempt for VAT as they already make a mixture of supplies some of which are standard rated and some of which are exempt.

For example, the sale of alcohol is standard rated for VAT whereas the sale of bingo and lottery tickets is exempt.

The introduction of MGD changed the taxation status of machine income from being standard rated for VAT to exempt.

Input VAT related to exempt supplies can be recovered subject to special rules known as “de minimis rules” which allow the recovery of input VAT relating to exempt supplies providing certain limits are not exceeded. It is therefore probable that the VAT on costs associated with gaming machines will be recoverable.

Fraudulent activity There are organised criminals that specifically target gaming machines and despite ever more secure locks and security features, they are not a sufficient deterrent.

This used to be more of an issue for pubs, as in clubs only members and their bona fide guests may use gaming machines. However, over the past year clubs have started to be more of a target and clubs should therefore be vigilant for unknown machine players attempting to access their machines.

Thieves often operate in groups of at least two people and typically work together to block sight of the

• Know your customer Get to know your machine customers and find out their likes and dislikes on game features so that you can discuss these with your supplier to optimise machine choice.

When a new machine is installed, take some time to get to know how it plays so that you can answer any questions your customers have.

Sounds obvious, but make sure you let your customers know when a new machine is installed.

• Make it available Use the experience of your supplier to help choose the best position for the machine in your venue.

Make sure the machine is switched on throughout opening times and keep it clean with a quick polish every day.

Always make sure the machine’s sound is on. The sounds that the machines make are integral to many of the features of the games, as well as giving an enhanced user experience.

Report any technical faults to your supplier at the earliest opportunity so they can get the machine back up and running as soon as possible.

• Refill your machines A machine needs £1 coins to pay out prizes and to keep the note acceptor in working order.

A large proportion of machine takings are in the form of banknotes – if the hopper level of the machine falls below £100 then the Note Acceptor switches off and will not accept notes.

If the Note Acceptor isn’t working: – Players will know that the hopper float is low and will not play a machine if they think it won’t pay out major prizes.

– If it does pay out a major prize, the machine will attempt to pay it but will run out of coins resulting in an unhappy player, aggrieved at not having been paid out in full. The machine will go ‘out of order’ and will need refilling – so it’s much better to refill it before this happens. While the machine is out of order it will not be earning you a profit!

Keeping the hoppers topped up will keep the machine operating at its best. If you are unsure how to refill a machine, ask your supplier to demonstrate how to do it. machine whilst the theft is performed with one person acting as a “look-out”. At least one person will typically attempt to distract the bar staff / door staff by engaging them in conversation whilst the theft is occurring and a club may not even be aware that they have been robbed until long after they have left the premises.

Clubs that have CCTV systems should ensure the machines are actively monitored; however, this does not deter thieves as they will often block the view to any camera recording their activities and attempt to hide their faces from any cameras.

The best way to deter thieves from attacking machines is by ensuring they cannot crowd around them to block the view of staff and any CCTV and to actively monitor who is around the machines.

The proximity of the machine to the bar does not necessarily deter thieves but active engagement from staff/members does. If in doubt simply explain that only members and their bona fide guests are allowed to play the gaming machine, then ask that they play existing credits off and switch the machine off until they have moved on.

If the machine alarm sounds, this is a strong indicator that something is amiss and needs to be urgently investigated.

Also, clubs should always check suppliers ID badges before allowing anyone to collect, repair or remove a machine. There have been an increasing number of cases whereby thieves have walked into a

club and said that the committee have organised a machine change. They have then “removed” the old machine and simply driven off with it complete with its contents.

If in doubt always contact the machine supplier to check!

If you are unsure how to regsister for MGD or have concerns over previous underdeclarations you can contact HMRC for advice on 0300 200 3700.

Further information can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/excisenotice-452-machine-games-duty

CONTACT DETAILS Dransfield Novelty Company Limited Dransfield House Mill Street Leeds LS9 8BP t. 0113 2444 555 m. 07720559611 e. enquiries@dransfields.com www.dransfields.com

CLUB REPORT 25

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – COST REVIEWS

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Want to cut club spend while increasing efficiencies? Well now you can. Introducing HQ Building the Business. Completely free to clubs this new service involves no contracts and no costs, just better buying and better club business.

Welcome to HQ Building the Business F

rom utilities and energy savings to procurement and financial services, HQ Building the Business works with your club as a surrogate head office, helping you to boost club business. And by working with carefully selected club-supporting partners and suppliers, HQ Building the Business will save you valuable time and resources in the quest to save your club money, freeing up you and your committee to run an even more efficient club.

You’re just three steps away from saving money.

Step 1 Free no-obligation audit – just call us or email us.

Step 2 Following our audit and discussions, if we believe we can help your club we will source the best deals available.

Frequently Asked Questions Q. How does it work?

A: It starts with a free and confidential audit of your club in those areas where you would like to find savings and efficiencies. This could be anything from utilities to phone bills and from food to club equipment.

Q. What are the costs?

A. There are no costs. HQ is free to join.

Q. What are my obligations?

A. There are no obligations for you or your club and no contracts. All we ask is that when we work with you, you are open about your current supplier situation.

suppliers we need to prove the value of a club to their business, but if we can help we will.

Q. What are your club credentials?

A. We’ve been working in the club sector for over 30 years in various roles. The launch of HQ Building the Business is the culmination of many years working with clubs and suppliers, from brewers and telecoms suppliers, to energy and water companies.

Q. Do I need a face to face meeting?

A. Not necessarily. A lot of the ground work can be done over the phone/email.

Q. What should I do if I want to get in touch?

A. Just email enquiries@hqbusiness.com or call 01753 272022.

Q. Does the club need to have a minimum turnover?

A. Our services are most suited to clubs with a minimum turnover of £100,000. This is because to secure the HQ Building the Business deals with

Step 3 Your club starts saving money.

This is what we call a win win! So get in touch now and help us help you to make 2018 an even better year for your club and your members.

You can call on 01753 272022 or email enquiries@hqbuildingthebusiness.com.

General Manager of Gallagher Premiership Rugby contender, Worcester Warriors “My role is very much to ensure that the support mechanisms of an efficient stadium and business are in place. I’ve worked with David and his team to assist in delivering savings across the business at Worcester Warriors and I am delighted to recommend the team on a professional as well as personal level.

Energy has been one of the biggest projects, and this procurement is delivering significant short and long term savings. There are plenty of people out there who claim they can do this; this team can.

A large part of my role is about getting things done efficiently and effectively, hence why I value the straight talking, efficient and short sharp presentation of results. No fuss, no salesmanship, just a host of opportunities followed up by appropriate and helpful assistance to deliver the chosen projects; make the most of them.”

• www.warriors.co.uk

28 CLUB REPORT

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – REVENUE

Revenue generation for clued-up clubs Resources will often determine how much time you can invest in revenue generation. But for larger clubs – particularly sports clubs – there are opportunities out there to be grabbed, says Mike Braidwood CCM.

W

hen did you last sit down to brainstorm alternative revenue opportunities?

Because believe me there are lots of them out there. Here are just 10 ideas to get your started.

1. Sales culture Make sure you have a dedicated sales person and a sales culture within your organisation. This one might not be quick, but it needs serious consideration in these challenging economic times. If you do not have anyone dedicated to sales, then get one now.

Also make sure that you have a sales culture within your organisation.

Possibly the hardest thing of all is to build a salesfocused culture at your facility. It really is a challenge to get every team member to understand that it is not only the Sales and Marketing department’s responsibility to sell, it’s EVERYONE’S! Now if you don’t have a sales and marketing department/person or someone focused on this critical part of your business then you really are doomed.

So how do you build up a sales focused culture?

First of all you need to write into everyone’s job description that they have some responsibility to sell and promote the facility they work at. This includes everyone, even the maintenance crew; they should have a responsibility to pass on referrals, tell their friends about the great F&B offering, introduce people they know to the Golf Pro or Tennis Pro for lessons etc.. Then have regular team meetings and briefings on sales and marketing and include as many people in the team as possible. Your team need to know their targets and have a full understanding of the products on offer and be conversant with the marketing message and your current campaigns.

There are many more initiatives to get your team developed into a sales culture, but even if you just crate the awareness amongst them that they are all responsible, then that’s a good start. Soon you will hear the bar staff up-selling lessons to the member who’s complaining about a bad game over a pint and witness the tennis pros making pupils aware of membership products and benefits.

In today’s tough business environment you really do need to have an extended sales force; everyone’s jobs depend on it.

2. Broaden your sales offering Too often we limit ourselves by not offering a wide enough range of products and services. The tradi-

30 CLUB REPORT

tional club tends to sell the following: • Memberships.

• Food and beverage.

• Merchandise.

• Instruction.

• Some offer some form of daily fee e.g. a green fee for a golf club for example.

By thinking outside the box and branching out, there are extra funds to be had. For example: • Meetings. I’m sure your club has plenty of underutilised space. Start to promote it and use it. I am sure your members would love to be at the club for business as well as leisure.

• Weddings and Anniversaries. Clubs are recognised as excellent event venues. If such events are not yet within your field of expertise – it has to be a great experience for word to get round – then partner up with a wedding organiser for the first few events to make sure you get it right. Like everything, there is a formula for successful weddings.

• Branding and advertising. Don’t under-estimate what corporate companies will spend to get their brand out there. Spend time looking at all of the available space you have to advertise, then make up a presentation and get selling. For example: • Naming rights to meeting rooms.

• Staff uniforms.

• Flag poles.

• Products placements (cars).

• Menus (drinks, food).

Some companies are just interested in brand association and the partnership can be promoted on the web site, some classy branding on the club house wall and recognition on club collateral. For golf clubs this could include tee signage, score cards, course guides, driving range signage/bay dividers, golf carts and pull trolleys.

• Landscaping services. You have the crew, you have the tools and you have the expertise. Why not get your maintenance crew to branch out into some off-site landscaping services?

3. Member/guest surveys These are easy to do and really effective. Set up a survey on a system like Survey Monkey and ask you members what they want - then give it to them. Also use the survey to make them aware of some of your less known products and services, such as: • Did you know that we have meeting facilities?

• Did you know that we can order in corporate gifts and uniforms for your company?

4. Staff with a ‘yes’ attitude Train your staff to never say no. It’s all too easy for staff, new and old, to simply say, ‘sorry we’re out of stock of that product’, ‘Sorry the course is full today’, ‘Sorry we don’t provide that service’ – and so on. Train your staff to always offer an alternate solution. Always look to ‘squeeze’ someone out on the course, always ask internally if something is available, always ask ‘when do you

need this for’. They might not ev need it to today, so there is a chance you can get it for them.

5. Become a Tour Operator How much business do you send to the local hotel, restaurant, guest house and neighbouring courses?

Lots I’m sure. So set up a Tour Operator agreement and make something out of these referrals. You don’t necessarily have to earn cash from them. You could potentially earn credit which can come in useful to lowering your costs – for example, for every 10 rooms of theirs you sell you get one free.

6. Sell corporate ranges Through your buying channels it might be easier and more convenient for your corporate members to buy through you. Why not develop a flyer/e-flyer to promote to your membership – corporate logoed balls, uniform shirts, corporate gifts, company ties and so on.

7. Calendar of offers Nowadays we don’t seem to be able to buy anything unless it is on offer. So make sure you have a seasonlong list of promotions and offers to keep your members and guests engaged in your product. Mix the offers up and keep them interesting and fun. Work around the obvious ones first and build out from there – Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Easter, Fathers Day, National holidays, Christmas – then branch out seasonally. Build offers around other global events – The World Cup, the Olympics etc.

8. Barter when all else fails There are most likely some good businesses in close proximity to your club who have products you want or need, but who are never going to be customers of yours. Why not trade off some of your unused facilities (tee times, meeting rooms, bedrooms) in exchange for their goods and services? It reduces your costs and it gets them starting to use your products.

9. Self generating events Create desirable events at your clubs that will entice people to particpate. By running events you manage your utilisation better. In areas where you have a diverse population run a ‘World Cup of Golf/Tennis/Football’ etc, and ask people to enter in teams to represent their country – people love it in my experience. If you’re close to a business community set up a Corporate League in various sports to get the competitive juices flowing between different local businesses.

10. Build up a partners program Work on the old adage that it is significantly cheaper to get your existing customers to spend more, than it is to find new customers. Take time to research who your highest spending customers are and try to build a tailor-made corporate partners programme for them. By getting them more involved and offering them a broader range of services and added value you will soon see spend increasing.

“

If you don’t have a sales and marketing department, person or something focused on this critical part of your business then you really are doomed.

”

CLUB REPORT 31

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – FINANCIAL PLANNING

It’s all in the planning getting back to black Keeping the club’s bank balance in the black isn’t always easy. But there are some simple back-to-basics steps which can help keep money in the account and creditors firmly outside the club doors.

W

ith the advent of Brexit, the UK consumer is understandably wary of where they spend their leisure pound. With belt-tightening fairly inevitable, clubs up and down hard at presenting even more reasons for members and guests to come into the club. There are, however, a number of back-to-basics steps which will strengthen club business, free up capital and put in place controls to make it easier to trade through these challenging times.

The adage ‘cash is king’ is bandied around a great deal. But perhaps the alternative – and more accurate – statement ‘cashflow is king’ should be a higher priority. Whatever you do, if you fail to get a grip on your cashflow the chances of saving your club fall dramatically.

So, taking this issue as a starting point, there are several ways you can bolster your business and improve financial controls.

Restricting spending Consider restricting spending, particularly in terms of stock ordering. It is important not to over-order and, where possible, reduce the amount of stock you hold on shelves. It may mean ordering more frequently, but it will mean cash stays in your bank account longer, and if you do have bills to pay, you are not faced with trying to quickly shift stock to fill the coffers.

This extends to hiring new staff and making decisions about major investments - anything that will incur costs immediately or in the coming months should be scrutinised closely. That isn’t to say don’t invest in your club, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket with a refurbishment or new service in the hope of generating significant revenue and leave yourself short.

Approach purchases with the simple rule that anything paid for sitting unsold or un-used is cash that could be in the bank.

Monitoring finances Keep a very close eye on the bank balance. It is crucial that finances are monitored daily and decisions are not taken without adequate cashflow planning, so consider giving a senior staff/committee member access to more information and responsibility for the bank balance.

Dealing with debtors Looking beyond cash in the bank, it is critical to

32 CLUB REPORT

manage both creditors and debtors effectively. If you only address outstanding debts on a monthly basis at present, change your procedures and do it as a weekly priority. Bills should be despatched as soon as possible.

Don’t allow debts to drag out, whether this is members slow to send in subs or income from commercial activity. As soon as a deadline passes, get in touch and find out how you can speed payment up.

If you are concerned that certain debts may not be paid - for example, a bill for venue hire or rent owed for property you let - take action immediately. This should involve ‘planning for the worst’ and ensuring you could cope if the debt wasn’t paid (and seeking legal advice about recovery options).

Handling creditors Where you owe money to others, be it in bills for stock or upcoming charges from utilities, the sooner you talk to them about potential problems the better. It may be that there is an alternative to oneoff payments which would allow you to pay quarterly or monthly, boosting your cashflow in the short term. You might even be able to negotiate a longer payment period.

Shopping around Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount - the market is tough for suppliers too so research the potential savings you might make by switching suppliers for your products and utilities. With any supplier you are entitled to a payment period so don’t pay early.

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Strong financial management can be the difference between sinking and swimming

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By all means pay promptly and maintain a good relationship with your suppliers, but if you are allowed 30 days to pay, don’t pay on the second day and then struggle for a week because of tight cashflow.

Additional income Finally, there are also a number of ways you can raise additional income and now may be a good time to explore them. If you have land or property that is not being properly utilised, or perhaps assets that have a high value, you could consider using them to bring in extra funds.

Ultimately, the priority is to keep your club trading through the tough times so you can prosper in the good times. It may mean belt-tightening and tough decisions, but in the longrun, strong financial management will be the difference between sinking and swimming.

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – SPONSORSHIPS

Securing sponsorship satisfaction The value of sponsorships to clubs is immense. So how do you ensure that the relationship works for all parties – including the members. Here are 10 Top Tips with an additional one thrown in, all in the spirit of under-promise and then – of course! – over-deliver. practical way to earn additional revenue for your club is to bring in sponsors. Not only can they add financial value to the club, they can also pro-actively promote the club and act as an endorsement of the club if the brand fit is right.

To bring in the right sponsors at the right fee, you first of all need to understand what the sponsors are looking for. All businesses will have their particular targets so if, for example, they’re looking for a younger market you may want to discuss the youth section. If their product is female focussed, then your drive to bring in more 18-34 year old males may cause disappointment and friction at a later stage.

Equally, be sure that the sponsors you hope to bring in will be viewed as a good fit by the members. The sponsors you choose to work with says as much about you as a club as it does about them as a sponsor. And also do remember to tap into the expertise and reach of your new partner.

Examine cross-promotions and be ready to discuss their learnings while sharing your own to equal benefit.

In general sponsors are looking for: • Positive promotion of their brand (exposure).

• A platform through which to sell their products.

• A targeted client base who match the profile of their customers.

• A facility that matches their brand aspirations.

• And potentially a place to entertain existing clients to ensure ongoing loyalty.

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Here are top tips to ensure your sponsors are completely satisfied and keep coming back to you year on year.

1. Professionalism Many of the potential sponsors you will be dealing with will be reporting back to a head office which will have strict control procedures. Therefore it is important to understand quickly that these organisations will need professionally produced documents produced during the negotiations and contract process.

Ensure that you have these documents to hand and that your communication and dealings are professional and efficient. Often large organisations make last minute decisions and are working to tight timelines, so it is important that you respect these timeline and follow through on their requests. Ensure that everything is signed and sealed as – like many clubs – budgets may be cut in times of austerity or if head office priorities change.

The sponsors you work with will tell your members much about you as a club.

2. Respect their brand Sponsors are entrusting you with their brand. From the onset, then, you should ask them for a copy of their brand guidelines and any do’s and don’ts. This will not only impress them with your commitment to safeguard the brand values, but it will also ensure that you or your team don’t make any blatant errors when you do agree terms and are ‘managing’ their brand on your property. It is a good idea to quickly establish sign off procedures on their brand application at your facility so it does not hold up the process.

3. One stop shop Once you have established an agreement for a company to sponsor an element at your facility they may expect you to provide a ‘one stop shop’ for them. This is a great opportunity to add yet more valuable revenue by taking care of the production of branded items etc. Be careful during the negotiations that the sponsor understands that the fees you are charging are for the exposure opportunity and the cost of branding certain items is over and above that.

You may be asked to source the signage company, printer, source the shirts, produce the flags etc. whatever it is you will need to project manage this carefully and charge a decent margin to cover the time you have put into this.

Very often clubs will have much better supply chains for these items than the sponsoring company themselves.

4. Add value When you are developing sponsorship relationships make sure you understand the long term value of the sponsorship agreement and ensure that you are adding value into the agreement. This may be in the form of, for example, free activities – perhaps a four-ball at a golf day, seats at an annual dinner and so on. One good way to add value is to create a media release about the agreement and circulate (with their prior approval) to your database.

By adding value you are reinforcing the relationship which should result in the relationship lasting longer term, giving the club some sustainable income streams.

5. Communication – before, during and after Often the sponsoring company will have assigned the relationship to a specific person in their organisation. Whoever this person is and whatever their job title, rest assured they will be required to give timely feedback on what is happening to their sponsorship investment. As a result be proactive with your communication before, during and – in the case of an event – after. In this way you are making their life easier and, if there are any misunderstandings, they will emerge quickly and can be addressed. The aim is to show that you are meeting and exceeding expectations.

It becomes quantifiable and, should this person leave, there is an accurate trail of activities to

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – SPONSORSHIPS

If your sponsors are focusing on the next generation of members, make sure they see your coaching programmes in action. prove that you are meeting your side of the agreement. It also makes their life easier which can only help secure renewals/more business and goodwill.

6. Loyalty During a sponsorship relationship you need to be loyal to your sponsor and open and upfront about other sponsorship opportunities. You may, for example, tie down a local car dealer to be ‘Official car dealer of club X’. As a result of this you will have to have in your agreement certain exclusions regarding approaches from other car dealers and/or brands. This may not preclude you from having a competitor brand’s event at your club, but you better make sure that your sponsor knows that you will be open to other car brand business. This puts you in a position of power. If they demand exclusivity that will cost more as you’re losing potential revenue. A word of warning here; if exclusivity comes into play, be careful on your handling of turning others away. If your sponsor walks away from you (for whatever reason) you could find that those you’ve turned away have secured sponsorships elsewhere. Look at the length of your agreement and secure a three year exclusivity deal if possible.

7. Results The more results and stats you can feed back to the sponsor the better. They have to report up the chain the performance of their sponsorship investment, so it is crucial that you feed them with the right information. Some of the stats you could offer are: • Number of customers you have had through your doors who have seen their brand.

34 CLUB REPORT

• The number of hits on your web site pages that carry the sponsors brand (you might also show the click through rate).

• Media clipping from a joint press release with some media value calculations.

• Photographic log of their brand in situ.

• Feed back/testimonials from sponsored events.

8. Longer terms presence If you have committed and loyal sponsors on board it is a good idea to have a sponsors’ recognition wall somewhere prominent in the clubhouse. This wall can carry the logo and a story of the relationship, thus giving the sponsor more exposure and a feelgood factor. However, the sponsors’ wall is also a marketing showcase for you, because it sends a positive message to others that ‘yes we are open to sponsorship suggestions’.

You should be able to measure the value of the sponsorships you receive and therefore you could put a ‘minimum’ spend threshold to qualify for permanent club house presence.

9. First refusal Over time you will think up many sponsorship opportunities at your club, from events and competitions to product placement or simply branding.

Whatever they are, make sure you give your existing sponsors first refusal. There is nothing more infuriating for an existing sponsor seeing another brand take on something at a facility that they were unaware was up for grabs. Equally, if you feel the need to spread your sponsorships over more companies for security, use your diplomacy and communication skills to explain this reasoning.

10. Innovation Sponsors appreciate it if you come up with innovative ideas that help portray their brand in a positive light – and which also secure money for your club (win win). So take time to understand the businesses your members are in and keep an eye on local and regional advertising to see who is promoting what. Then approach them with ‘have I got an idea for you!’.

And finally – your bonus point!

11. Recognition Take time to recognise your sponsors at every available opportunity: • Thank them during speeches at events, specifically not generically. “I’d like to thank all the sponsors today” does not cut it.

• Invite them to a sponsors’ golf day or event as your guest/s.

• Invite them to an end of season dinner.

• Send them a thank you gift at the end of the year (an innovative one ideally – stand out from the crowd).

• Send them thank you notes.

Ultimately, always try and step into the mind-set of your sponsors. And keep in touch with what they’re doing. If they shift direction or launch a new product, you want to be sure that together you stay on the same path and continue the journey for their benefit, the club’s benefit and ultimately the benefit of your members. And ultimately always remember the mantra – under promise and overdeliver!

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – RACING CLUB

Club Mirror’s RacingClub races ahead in 2019 Club Mirror’s Racing Club was launched to great acclaim and clubs around the country are taking advantage of some great deals and some great days out. Have you joined yet? Here’s how.

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rom flat racing to jumps, racedays are a great day out for members. Now you can make them even more enjoyable thanks to our specially negotiated club-only prices.

HOW TO BOOK 1. Choose your raceday as listed in Club Mirror.

2. Write a cheque for the correct amount made out to the racecourse.

3. Send the booking form and cheque made payable to the relevant racecourse to: Club Mirror Racing Club, ACP, 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1TX. 4. Deadline – send the booking form and cheque at least four weeks in advance of the raceday. Tickets will be sent out once the cheques have been processed by the racecourse.

PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING COURSES: THIRSK Thirsk Racecourse stages 14 race meetings from April to September, making the most of the Flat racing season in scenic Yorkshire. It plays host to a recognised classic trial as well as the Thirsk Hunt Cup a valuable handicap held around the end of April that is one of the best cavalry charges of the season.

CHEPSTOW Chepstow offers over 30 fixtures each year. The picturesque course combines both flat and jump racing with highlights including October’s Jumps Festival and December’s Welsh Grand National.

DONCASTER Doncaster Racecourse hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes – the world’s oldest classic horse race – and the Racing Post Trophy. The course has the distinction of both starting and ending the flat season on turf.

HAYDOCK PARK Haydock Park is one of the finest viewing courses in Britain. Racing under both codes is of a very high standard and is well regarded by trainers looking to educate their younger horses.

CLUB REPORT 35

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – CONTRACTORS

Guide to employing competent contractors Inappropriate management of contractors can result in costly accidents, delays to work, criminal prosecutions and claims for damages. Club Insure offers the following advice.

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o avoid the disasters which can occur when using poor standard contractors, it is important that you assess the competency of any contractors you intend to employ. The following list – while not definitive – will help act as a guide to assist you in selection of a competent contractor.

What is the job?

Identify the work required of the contractor and determine its level of risk. For example, work carried out at height will have an increased risk.

Anticipating these risks will help you decide whether a contractor is competent to do the job.

should set out the contractor’s arrangements for health and safety.

Accident reporting and enforcement action Consider the contractor’s recent safety performance. Ask for recent accident statistics and their arrangements for reporting accidents. A low accident rate may sound good but this may be due to under-reporting. Consider prosecutions or receipt of enforcement notices. Consult the HSE ‘Register of Prosecutions and Notices’ website.

Experience Identify the skills and experience of the contractor.

Ask for references from similar, recent work to help you assess their performance.

Qualifications and skills Contractors’ employees should possess necessary skills and qualifications for the work. Ask to see evidence of relevant training records and qualifications and ensure that these relate to those who will actually be undertaking the work.

Evidence Obtain evidence that the contractor holds a current Public Liability (PL) Policy and that the policy limit is equivalent or higher than your own PL policy limit. This is likely to be a requirement of your own Insurance policy and failure to do so may mean that you do not have any cover in the event of a claim.

Sub-contractor procedures Check whether the contractor intends to sub-contract any of the work and if so, what procedures they have in place to ensure their own contractors are competent.

Health and safety Request the contractor’s health and safety policy, signed by a responsible senior person. The policy

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Ensure contractors’ employees have the necessary information, instruction and training. Ask for training records and certificates.

36 CLUB REPORT

Management and supervision Consider what health and safety implications the work could have for your own operations, your employees and others, such as the general public.

Consider whether you have a better understanding of the health and safety implications of the proposed work than the contractor. This may clarify your own level of management and supervisory responsibilities.

Safe systems of work Request safety method statements and risk assessments to ensure the work will be carried out safely.

The contractor should monitor their own health and safety performance. You should carry out periodic checks to ensure that this is being undertaken.

Health and safety training Ensure contractors’ employees have the necessary information, instruction and training. Ask for training records, certificates, etc. For example, if the task involves working at height, ask to see evidence of suitable training.

Co-operation and co-ordination Establish clear lines of communication to promote co-operation with others and the co-ordination of work. Arrange regular meetings and provide relevant information that can contribute to a safe system of work. Close communication is important if sub-contractors are employed, or if there are changes to the project.

Independent contractor accreditation membership Find out if the contractor is accredited to a health and safety accreditation scheme such as CHAS or Safe Contractor. This can signal that they have met acceptable standards in health and safety.

However, as this may be just an early indication of competence you should still check that this is relevant for the proposed work.

Advice and professional body membership Determine if there is access to competent health and safety advice. Such advice should preferably be internal; however it is not unusual for smaller contractors to employ external health and safety advisers. Consider looking for membership of relevant industry associations. These are a good way to keep up to date with health and safety legislation as well as industry best practice.

CONTACT DETAILS Club Insure covers all aspects of club insurance.

Contact Victoria Romero-Trigo, Director at e. Victoria.romero-trigo@club-insure.co.uk t. 0844 488 9204 Club Insure Ltd Romero House, 8 Airport West, Lancaster Way, Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7ZA www.club-insure.co.uk HSE advice on selection of competent contractors: http://www.hse.gov.uk/ pUbns/priced/hsg159.pdf

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – SECURITY

Theft – don’t leave your club exposed With Spring underway, many clubs will be getting their green keeping and maintenance equipment out of storage. But when did you last check that they were still safely where they were supposed to be?

Club Insure offers the following advice on security.

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lub Insure took several reports of thefts from outbuildings last year so we would like to take an opportunity to remind all clubs to check their policy wording to ensure that the Physical Security Standards are being adhered to.

The photo on this page shows a typical wooden double door that we might come across on an outbuilding. As with all other parts of the premises an outbuilding should be fitted with a suitable alarm but in addition to this there will be other Physical Security Standards that are required. A sample wording is shown below.

Physical Security Standard – sample wording This is applicable to any cover granted in respect of Damage by Theft. It is a condition precedent to the Company’s liability for Damage that the Policyholder shall have implemented the following security measures within eight weeks of commencement of Theft cover. Failure to do so may result in a claim under Theft cover not being paid or in payment being reduced.

Doors In respect of all external doors (including wicket gates) and internal doors leading to other premises or part of premises not occupied by the Policyholder.

Timber and Steel Doors To be secured by at least one of the following: i. A mortise deadlock conforming to BS3621 together with a compatible boxed striking plate. ii. A close shackle padlock with minimum shackle thickness of 10mm together with the manufacturer’s corresponding locking bar or (for doors other than final exit). iii. Two key operated security bolts for doors one fitted approximately 300mm from the top of the door and the other approximately 300mm from the bottom.

Aluminium and UPVC Doors To be secured by a cylinder operated mortise dead-

Windows Each ground floor and basement opening window or skylight and other window or skylight accessible from decks, roofs, balconies, canopies, fire escapes or downpipes to be secured by a key operated lock fitted independently of the existing fastener unless the lock forms part of the original fastener design.

This requirement does not apply to any window or skylight which is either: i. Protected by solid steel bars grilles lockable gates expanded metal or weld mesh, or ii. Officially designated as a fire exit by the fire authority. lock or deadlocking multi-point locking system.

Roller Shutter Doors To be secured by either: i. Two cylinder operated shutter locks with one lock fitted at each end of the shutter, or ii. A close shackle padlock with minimum shackle thickness of 10mm together with the manufacturer’s corresponding locking bar.

Horizontal sliding or folding doors To be secured by either: i. A hook bolt mortice deadlock, or ii. A close shackle padlock with minimum shackle thickness of 10mm together with the manufacturer’s corresponding locking bar.

Double leaf doors The final closing leaf to be secured by the appropriate locks as detailed above, the first closing leaf to be secured by flush bolts or key operated security bolts top and bottom throwing into the framework and sill.

Outward opening doors (This is applicable to timber and steel doors only.)

In addition to the appropriate locks and bolts detailed above, each outward opening door to be fitted with hinge bolts top and bottom.

The above requirements do not apply to any door officially designated as a fire exit by the fire authority.

Going back to the photo, this illustrates outward opening, timber, double leaf doors so there are three different parts of the wording that need to be considered to ensure full compliance.

It is important to keep a comprehensive list of all your assets and update this regularly as this will help you ensure that your Sums Insured are adequate. Please take photos of your equipment where possible so that if you are unfortunate enough to suffer an incident you can easily evidence your loss, particularly if you no longer have the original purchase receipts.

It is vital that you check your own individual policy as each wording is different and if you are unsure whether you have the correct cover in place contact your insurer.

CONTACT DETAILS Club Insure covers all aspects of club insurance from start to finish, with Account Handlers and Claims Managers under one roof.

Victoria Romero-Trigo, Director Club Insure Ltd Romero House, 8 Airport West, Lancaster Way, Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7ZA e. Victoria.romero-trigo@club-insure.co.uk t. 0844 488 9204 www.club-insure.co.uk

CLUB REPORT 37

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CLUB MANAGEMENT – NEGOTIATION

Negotiation: how to get what you bargained for From discussing terms of an employee’s contract to securing the best deals from suppliers, the ability to seal the deal and – ideally – keep everyone happy is essential. Enter the art of negotiation.

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anagers and Stewards with good negotiating skills are more likely to get good results and have employees who understand what’s expected of them. Negotiation means developing an ability to resolve disputes and conflicts. It also requires a willingness to work with other people to reach solutions that everyone can live with.

In situations where a whole team/committee is negotiating, each individual should have their own role. Knowing who’s doing what and when, is fundamental to the overall negotiation process.

Here are 10 steps to becoming a skilled negotiator: 1. Start with the end in mind Realise what you want the outcome to be and know how far you can – and are willing to – go.

2. Show respect Listen and learn about the other party’s point of view.

Think about whether you can both attain the outcomes you desire and be prepared to meet in the middle.

3. Self-belief If you believe you can achieve what you want, you are more likely to be successful. Presenting in a relaxed, confident way will help you to reach your goal. Speak clearly and concisely. Avoid appearing desperate, stressed, irritated or angry at all costs.

4. Develop rapport People like people who are like themselves. Take some time to warm up your negotiating partners and find areas of common ground. Remember your goal

is to create and preserve a relationship.

5. Use influencing skills Learn as much as you can about your negotiating partners so that you will be better equipped to influence them. Listen to the language they use and then use it too. Find out what is important to them – do they focus on what they want or what they don’t want? Do they seek approval from someone else?

6. Use sales skills Ask questions and present the benefits of your argument. Find out whether they agree and then handle any objections. Remember to think about the benefits for both parties.

7. Be flexible Explore all possible solutions and outcomes. Be prepared to adapt if it means you both achieve your desired outcomes. Collaboration doesn’t mean giving up or giving in.

8. Be focused, firm and determined Restate your case with confidence.

9. Closing skills At the end of the meeting, be clear about what you have asked and what you have agreed upon.

Confirm in writing afterwards if appropriate.

10. Do it If you have agreed to do something, make sure you have a plan for carrying it out and make sure it happens. Being reliable and trustworthy will make things easier when you next come to negotiate with the person.

Negotiation is most successful when both parties: • Recognise the value of a relationship and want to continue it • Participate actively in the process • Show consideration and acceptance of each other’s perspectives, values, beliefs and goals • Separate personality from the issue involved • Work together to develop a solution everyone can accept

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CLUB MANAGEMENT – PRODUCTIVITY

The art of getting it done – productivity Increasing productivity at the club is a golden chalice. But contrary to popular belief, just checking tasks off a to-do list isn’t necessarily the answer.

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ruly productive people aren’t focused on doing more things; this is actually the opposite of productivity. If you really want to be productive, you’ve got to make a point to do fewer things.

1. Create a smaller to-do list Getting things accomplished during your workday shouldn’t be about doing as much as possible in the sanctioned hours. It may be hard to swallow, but there’s nothing productive about piling together a slew of tasks in the form of a checklist. Take a less-ismore approach to your to-do list by only focusing on accomplishing things that matter.

2. Take breaks You know that ache that fills your brain when you’ve been powering through tasks for several hours? This is due to your brain using up glucose. Too many people mistake this for a good feeling, rather than a sig nal to take a break.

Take a walk, grab something to eat, workout, or meditate – give your brain some resting time.

Achieve more productivity during your workday by making a point to regularly clear your head. You’ll come back recharged and ready to achieve greater efficiency.

3. Follow the 80/20 rule Did you know that only 20 percent of what you do each day produces 80 percent of your results?

Eliminate the things that don’t matter during your workday: they have a minimal effect on your overall productivity. For example, on a project, systematically remove tasks until you end up with the 20 percent that gets the 80 percent of results.

4. Start your day by focusing on yourself If you begin your morning by checking your email, it allows others to dictate what you accomplish. Set yourself in the right direction by ignoring your emails and taking the morning to focus on yourself, eat a good breakfast, meditate, or read the news.

5. Take on harder tasks earlier in the day Knock out your most challenging work when your brain is most fresh. Save your busy work – if you have any – for when your afternoon slump rolls in.

6. Pick up the phone The digital world has created poor communication habits. Email is a productivity killer and usually a distraction from tasks that actually matter. For example, people often copy multiple people on emails to get it

off their plate – don’t be a victim of this action. This distracts everyone else by creating noise against the tasks they’re trying to accomplish and is a sign of laziness. If your email chain goes beyond two replies, it’s time to pick up the phone. Increase your productivity by scheduling a call.

7. Create a system If you know certain things are ruining your daily productivity, create a system for managing them. Do you check your emails throughout the day? Plan a morning, afternoon, and evening time slot for managing your email. Otherwise, you’ll get distracted from accomplishing more important goals throughout the day.

8. Don’t confuse productivity with laziness.

While no one likes admitting it, sheer laziness is the No. 1 contributor to lost productivity. In fact, a number of time-saving methods – take meetings and emails for example – are actually just ways to get out of doing real work.

Place your focus on doing the things that matter most as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Remember, less is more when it comes to being productive during the workday.

CLUB REPORT 39

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CLUB MANAGEMENT – MANAGING MEETINGS

How to chair meetings – and why hold them at all?

Typically, managers spend around 40% of their time in meetings. Yet according to research, 83% of people who go to meetings worry about them drifting off the subject and 74% question their effectiveness.

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ave you ever left a meeting wondering why you were there in the first place? Or perhaps walked away feeling positive, only to find that nothing has actually changed a week later?

Whether you are meeting with an individual, a group or a supplier, it’s important to conduct meetings effectively and use the time well. The following check list will help.

Preparation • Is the meeting really necessary? Why has it been called?

• Who needs to be there?

• When, where and for how long?

• Self prepare – what do you want the outcome to be?

• How can you influence the meeting? Plan your approach.

• Circulate a draft agenda. Let everyone know why they need to be there. Do they need to add anything? This way everyone can prepare effectively.

Agenda When planning the agenda think about: • What you want out of the meeting.

• The scope of the discussion so you keep on track.

• A logical order for the items to be covered.

• Whether you will cover difficult points first or start with the easy or more pleasant matters.

• How you will deal with difficult items – would they be better dealt with outside the meeting? Do you need to do a bit of ‘lobbying’ first?

• The times allocated to each and how flexible you will be; how to manage the meeting accordingly.

• Who will be there? What might their needs/hidden agenda be?

• What decisions might need to be taken – what are the possible options?

• Possible action plans and outcomes.

Putting your case forward • State your case.

• Give reasons.

• Give an example.

• Restate your position. For example: ‘I’d like to introduce a broader food menu at the bar. I know that some of the regulars have been eating elsewhere.

We can – and should – make a good margin here.’

Dealing with conflict • Keep calm, cool and in control.

• Keep to business – avoid personal comments – use ‘I feel...’ instead of ‘you...’

• Keep to the facts and issues in hand.

• If you don’t understand, ask.

• Be open to feedback and use it positively.

• Respect the other point of view – even if you don’t agree with it.

• Take a break if necessary.

• If you really can’t agree discuss with an impartial third party.

• Be prepared to compromise.

Problem solving • Define the issue (problem).

• Check the facts.

• Define the desired outcomes.

• Identify alternatives.

FIVE TOP TIPS 1. Gain rapport – warm up the meeting by discussing something general that everyone can join in with.

2. Guide the discussion rather than dominating it – the chair is the facilitator not the chief contributor.

3. Make an impact – positive, strong, good body language.

4. Set the tone, rules and agenda.

5. Listen and ask the right questions.

• Examine possible consequences.

• Choose your solution and do it.

• Check whether you achieved the goals and act accordingly.

Dealing with different types • Mr Stroppy: let him have his say, sum up his point of view for the group and ask for feedback.

• Mrs Positive: use her to reinforce points and contribute throughout.

• Mr Know-All: Let the group comment on his theories.

• Miss Chatty: Interrupt tactfully – use time limitations as an excuse to move on. Summarise her points.

• Mr Bashful: Ask him about something he knows to increase self confidence. Give credit for his contributions.

• Miss Distracted: Ask her about her experience and for help to solve the issues.

• Mr Detail: Ask for the overview and then for specific detail only as it’s needed.

• Mrs Questioner: Pass her questions back to the group or ask her to answer her own question.

Involve everyone and bring in those who may be holding back (they are often the thinkers in the group and can make the best contributions).

And above all, make sure that all action points are minuted and allocated to the appropriate person. These will need to be followed up and the activities competed within a given time frame.

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CLUB MANAGEMENT – RECRUITMENT

How employees can help to recruit new talent Talent acquisition and retention are vital. Get it right, and you could be set on a path for growth; get it wrong, and the cost of a bad hire can be astronomical, explains Kiran Reddy Pasham, President at SplashBI.

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hen it comes to recruiting, many organisations, clubs included, don’t realise the resources they may already have in-house that can help with more efficiently identifying and attracting the talent they want.

It’s time for businesses to take a step back and look for help from their largest assets: their employees. Quite simply, when looking to hire new talent, companies don’t need to start from scratch. Insight is already at their fingertips.

It all starts with data If organisations have the right analytics in place within the company, recruiters/HR teams can be armed with the appropriate skill metrics for each employee. This way, when companies are in the process of hiring a new person, they can see, based on analysis of top performing employees, what they should be looking for. It’s as simple as matching the data to aid better decision making when comparing the new job applicants against the metrics they’re seeking.

With the right employee engagement programme, an organisation can gather all of the necessary information about their employees. That data can then be used to the advantage of the business, with the right tools in place to help make the best decisions when hiring and retaining top talent.

Currently, most hiring and retention initiatives rely on human decisions; however, in the future, decision making will become much more data-driven.

Employees are full of surprises Analysis of current employees can uncover some big surprises; not only to help profile what is desirable in new employees, but also in revealing valuable information that can help with the retention of existing employees. Employee engagement data can help to expose what staff feel about where they work, the culture and what they feel about the management. Utilising that data is key to getting the right people over the line and keeping top performers happy in their roles.

Recent research finds, unsurprisingly, that employees are not leaving or joining because of salary. It is the type of work, the quality of work, and the culture. Investing in culture is the best way to attract and retain the staff you want. Good leaders create a good environment, and conversely, bad leaders create a bad environment.

In the social media generation, prospective and current employees look at reviews on websites like Glassdoor and many others that talk about management. News of bad management can spread faster than news of good management. Analytics tools help reveal who is causing the problem and ensure that a good manager is put in place to create a positive environment that will, by default, aid in attracting better talent. What’s more, analytics help to determine why people may be “bad”. Are they burdened? Can workflow or team dynamics indicate what has gone wrong and give insight into how to make it right?

Your star employee can give you data on the kind of profile you should replicate, but they can possibly also help you to find them. Good people know good people. See who they know, where they network and if they have suggestions on how to find others like them.

Information is power Right now there is not enough ‘HR’ data democracy; meaning that everybody who is entitled to this data

is typically not getting it. Once this data is shared, everyone is able to make better decisions. Managers can learn who is taking the most time off work, who is working overtime, and a wealth of other information that can determine who is working hard and who is not. These are all aspects that they may not be able to see clearly without this data.

Businesses need to empower existing employees.

Creating the right culture helps with recruitment and employee branding for word of mouth. People believe people. Existing employees are an untapped source for recruitment.

At the end of the day, you need to breed what is working and stop what is not working. The data will tell you all of that.

CONTACT DETAILS Unit 23 Sussex Innovation Centre, Sussex University, Science Park Square Falmer, Brighton BN1 9SB Phone: +44 (0) 7775 653956 Email: emea@splashbi.com

CLUB REPORT 41

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CLUB MANAGEMENT – EMPLOYMENT

Employment guidance with ACAS The BBPA and UKHospitality have teamed up with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to provide all those in the Hospitality sector with guidance on employment, from recruiting onwards.

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he British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and UKHospitality have published guidance to assist employers in the sector throughout the employment process. The guidance takes employers from the stage of recruiting a new employee to ending the employment relationship, and has been developed in combination with ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service).

ACAS provides free and impartial information and advice to employers, employees and workers on all aspects of good workplace relations and employment law in order to promote business growth.

“When things go wrong we help to resolve workplace problems ACAS can help at every stage of the employment journey,” says ACAS, which offers the following advice.

1. Recruitment It is important to draft good job descriptions and person specifications, avoiding discriminatory language. Also think about where you advertise the position.

We can help you think about how to prepare, structure and run effective interviews, as well as assess evidence and make fair decisions 2. Taking on a new employee Once somebody starts working for you, you will have to think about their induction. This should cover their terms and conditions, as well as the less formal elements of the culture of the organisation and behaviours expected. This is relevant whether the person is on a permanent contract, an agency worker or on a zero hours contract.

It is important to put the main terms and conditions in writing, including: rules on pay, hours of

work and holidays. You should check the appropriate rate of pay for your new member of staff, and ensure you are paying people equally and fairly. Also think about extras, like if there are any in-employment obligations or benefits (eg: mileage expenses or cost of uniforms).

The ACAS website has template contracts, letters of appointment and other documents which you can download.

Managing staff performance fairly and effectively is an important and continuous process. Use appraisals to build trust, engage staff in their work, and improve the performance of the whole organisation.

3. Equal opportunities At all stages of the employment journey, employers should be mindful of the types of discrimination and the areas which are covered by discrimination law.

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When things go wrong we help to resolve workplace problems ACAS can help at every stage of the employment journey.

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ACAS can help you, and your employees, to stay within the law, and give you advice on what to do if discrimination does take place. We have detailed guidance on each ‘Protected Characteristic’, and equality policy templates to help.

4. Managing absence Managing sickness absence fairly and effectively is important to ensure your organisation can manage its workload, and your staff are supported appropriately. We can provide advice on managing unauthorised absence, short term illness and long term sickness – and the implications on pay and holidays.

5. Managing discipline Many small business owners and line managers find dealing effectively with discipline and grievance one of the most challenging elements of their work. The ACAS Code of Practice can help.

ACAS recommends that dealing with a problem quickly and informally can often resolve it before it gets out of hand. We also provide templates and advice on holding formal disciplinary meetings and dealing with employee grievances.

6. Ending the employment relationship ACAS receives a lot of queries about how, and when, to transfer employees from one employer to another. It can be complicated, but the ACAS website provides simple explanations of the process and what you have to do, as well as videos and e-learning.

In other circumstances where the employment relationship has to end, whether due to dismissal, redundancy or retirement, we have a range of support and advice to help you manage these processes lawfully and fairly. We also provide information and rules relating to notice and notice pay.

In addition to our advice and guidance services, ACAS also provides a statutory dispute resolution service. If somebody wants to take their employer, or ex-employer, to an Employment Tribunal, they have to come to ACAS first. We will try to assist in finding an amicable resolution. This service is voluntary, free and confidential. If an employer is concerned that an Employment Tribunal claim is going to be made against them they can also initiate this process by contacting the ACAS Early Conciliation Support Team.

CONTACT DETAILS For more information visit www.acas.org.uk/contact.

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CLUB MANAGEMENT – TRAINING

Gaining with training – why it pays to make them stay So you’ve recruited them… now you have to keep them. Timely advice on the value of training.

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uch time, effort and probably money, is spent on recruiting employees. A smooth professional introduction to the club and their role within it, will ensure that money has been well spent. You don’t want to start all over again because the newcomer promptly leaves after getting an appalling reception into the club business.

What to cover There are a whole host of subjects which need to be covered to effect the smooth induction of an individual into any organisation. Some will have to be carried out immediately on commencement, especially if there is a high security or health and safety risk; others are more suitably dealt with at a later stage.

A properly planned and executed induction programme will ensure a more relaxed and confident employee, comfortable with their new colleagues and their own role within the club. The level of planning needed will of course vary according to the size of the club, but you will certainly need the relevant paperwork in place – national insurance number, P45 (or P46), driving licence where appropriate, bank details, emergency contact, permits to work (if applicable) and so on.

An employee handbook should be issued with their statement of main terms and conditions of employment including supporting policies and rules.

Planning programmes Although planning the programme (the common skills part) subject, sequence, venue, timing and trainers, is time consuming on the first occasion, it can be used time and time again in the future when little time will be required to update it. Try and mix up ‘listening’ and ‘doing’ sessions, so that people do not spend long periods being talked at or have unfamiliar muscular activity becoming painful and tiring. Clearly, any activity involving risk should be preceded by appropriate health and safety training.

Steps to success Assuming general physical and mental ability (tested if necessary during the recruitment process), consistent with the requirements of the job, certain basics will improve the ease, proficiency and success of training. First identify the skills required.

Break each one down into suitably sized steps.

Practice each step until proficient at that step before moving on to the next. Once proficient at each step

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Try and mix up ‘listening’ and ‘doing’ sessions, so that people do not spend long periods being talked at.

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combine them and, hey presto, learning done.

It is the trainer’s responsibility to ensure the learner has learned, therefore always test that you have been understood. Quizzes and tests are all ways of checking the learner has understood the training.

Trainees should be provided with their training programme, an understanding of why they are being taught those subjects and the value to them as an individual to learn them.

Clearly someone brand new to the club has to undergo intensive induction and training regarding every aspect of the business; its layout, rules, people, policies etc. As already noted, some of the subjects have to be dealt with immediately on commencement (for example, toilet facilities and critical Health and Safety issues) while others are dealt with at later stages during the programme.

Route to promotion Changes to an individual’s role, especially where it is to be expanded to include extra responsibilities, or where promotion to a more senior grade is involved poses their own particular problems. Again proper

planning for the induction and training to be able to carry out the new duties, duly prioritised and recorded as appropriate, is essential.

It is, however, also essential to consider the selection of the individual who is to have his/her role expanded or who is to be promoted. The fact that someone is a good (or even your best) barman does not mean that he/she would make a good supervisor or manager. Care must be taken in the selection of an individual for promotion to, for example, bar supervisor. Length of service, or the feeling that it is ‘their turn’ is not a reason to promote someone, because what happens to them if it goes wrong?

What do you do with the individual? Sack them?

Not only have you then lost your supervisor but you have lost a good employee who was so highly valued to you that you promoted them in the first place!

There are also the costs of having to go through the process again, the morale damage to the rest of the work force and knock-on costs because the team is currently leaderless until the appointment and bedding-in of the new supervisor.

Properly planned and executed training for new starters and ongoing changes/promotions, will lead to a higher quality and quantity performance, hence lower costs, less waste, reduced rates of labour turnover, improved recruiting, greater willingness to retrain, and a higher morale amongst the workforce. Enough said?

General statistics show that 50 per cent of all leavers leave within the first three months and a further 25 per cent leave within the second three months. And this is mainly due to poor induction and training. There is a cost associated with each one of these leavers.

So look after your staff and your bottom line at the same time; it really does pay to make them stay.

CLUB REPORT 43

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MEDIA AND MARKETING – SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media in the workplace Social media is a powerful tool in the club armoury when it comes to marketing and communicating with members. But in the wrong hands it can also be a lethal weapon. ACAS offers advice on the use of social media and social networking in the workplace and how to implementa social media policy.

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ocial media can affect communications among managers, employees and job applicants; how organisations promote and control their reputation; and how colleagues treat one another. It can also distort what boundaries there are between home and work.

Some estimates report that misuse of the internet and social media by workers costs Britain’s economy billions of pounds every year and add that many employers are already grappling with issues like time theft, defamation, cyber bullying, freedom of speech and the invasion of privacy.

Legal considerations The Human Rights Act 1998 Article 8 gives a ‘right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence’. Case law suggests that employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the workplace.

The Data Protection Act 1988 covers how information about employees and job applicants can be collected, handled and used. The Information Commissioner’s Office has published an employment practices code – Information Commissioner’s Office: Quick guide to the employment practices code [PDF, 168kb] – to help employers comply with the law.

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 covers the extent to which organisations can use covert surveillance.

Action for employees Employees should regularly check the privacy settings on their social networking sites, they should consider whether they want or need co-workers to see their profiles.

Developing a policy Employers should develop a policy setting out

46 CLUB REPORT

what is and what is not acceptable behaviour at work when using the internet, emails, smart phones, and networking websites. The policy should also give clear guidelines for employees on what they can and cannot say about the organisation. Any policy should be clear throughout about the distinction between business and private use of social media. If it allows limited private use in the workplace, it should be clear what this means in practice.

In working out a policy for use of social media, the employer, staff and unions or staff reps (if there are any) should agree the details. The policy should aim to ensure: employees do not feel gagged; staff and managers feel protected against online bullying; and the organisation feels confident its reputation will be guarded.

Disciplinary procedures An employer should try to apply the same standards of conduct in online matters as it would in offline issues.

To help an organisation respond reasonably, the employer should consider the nature of the comments made and their likely impact on the organisation. It would help if the employer gives examples of what might be classed as ‘defamation’ and the penalties it would impose. The employer should also be clear in outlining what is regarded as confidential in the organisation.

Blogging and tweeting If an employee is representing the company online, set appropriate rules for what information they may disclose and the range of opinions they may express. Bring to their attention relevant legislation on copyright and public interest disclosure.

Some rules should be included on the use of social media in recruitment, which managers and employees should follow. When recruiting, employers should be careful if assessing applicants by looking at their social networking pages – this can be discriminatory and unfair.

Update other policies For example, an organisation’s policy on bullying should include references to ‘cyber bullying’.

Employers should inform and consult with their employees if planning to monitor social media activity affecting the workplace.

Using email at work Email is an integral part of many peoples working lives. An organisation should have clear rules on how staff use their work email, whether it may be monitored and if there are time limits for deleting emails no longer required for business purposes.

Additionally, an organisation may want to provide guidance for staff on how to make the best use of email and ensure that it does not place unnecessary stress and pressure on them.

Research commissioned by Acas suggested organisations may benefit from providing staff with email management strategies to help effectively manage inboxes. Other areas identified in the research included encouraging staff to use the ‘delay send’ function when sending an email outof-hours. This means that colleagues receive the email during normal working hours rather than at home, which can adversely affect their worklife balance.

The Acas research on strategies for effectively managing email at work can be downloaded via our research papers page- http://www.acas.org.uk/ index.aspx?articleid=2056

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MEDIA AND MARKETING – SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media – back to basics At the start of last year, the UK alone had 39 million social media users, with estimations of this reaching 42 million in the future. Here’s a back to basics look at using social media as an online marketing tool.

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s a whole, we like to think of social media as free advertising, and as you build your online presence, your audience becomes bigger and more engaged and it becomes every easier to achieve your goals for the club.

Here are some pointers to highlight what social media can do for you: • Raise your club’s awareness.

• Drive traffic to your website.

• Communicate with your audience - both new and existing members.

• A place for members to offer reviews and opinions.

• Create a ‘personality’ for the club.

Top tips to make it work for the club • Have a social media content plan.

• Engage with your audience; it shows you’re ‘not a robot’!

• Keep your online presence up to date and regular.

• Remember to keep the communications entertaining.

• Add images! Twitter updates with images in them get 150% more retweets than those without • Engage with other local businesses and/or clubs. It takes two to tango!

Platforms?

Consistency is more important than spreading yourself across a variety of platforms. It’s more beneficial to focus on a couple of platforms, rather than sporadic posting across several. Here are some quick pointers on the main social sites: Facebook – One of the most popular social media platforms with the biggest user database. Facebook is great for connecting with local organisations and people, as well as enabling you to promote content both organically and through paid ads.

Twitter – A faster-paced platform, with shorter, snappier content. It’s easy to engage with, so connecting and commenting on local businesses is easily done.

Linkedin – The most professional social network, LinkedIn is very business focused. You’re able to add connections, share links, write recommendations and feedback and also search for connections by location, company and industry.

Instagram – A more visual platform, always based on photos and videos. Instagram is a younger targeted audience, and is predominately used on mobile and tablet devices although can be used on desktops, too.

So in summary, social media is now so accessible it’s difficult to avoid it. So it makes sense to use it.

Why not?

CONTACT DETAILS Studio44 44 Newton Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RU t. 01892 888 011 www.studio44.agency

CLUB REPORT 47

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MEDIA AND MARKETING – WEB DESIGN

When is a redesign necessary?

So you’re thinking of changing your website? Studio44 examines the reasons you may have for wanting a redesign and asks when a redevelopment may – or may not – be applicable.

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website redesign is not something that you should undertake just for the sake of it; there has to be a tangible benefit. So what are some of the key reasons for wanting a redesign?

• Responsiveness and performance on mobile The value of a good mobile browsing experience is not to be underestimated. Not only from a user perspective with users becoming more aware of good and bad mobile experiences but also from a search engine perspective with Google cracking down on non-responsive sites. It’s no longer enough to have content readable on a smart phone; you must offer an engaging mobile user experience. So, if your site either could perform better on a mobile, or it’s not responsive at all, then consider a redesign.

• Feedback This is a really important one, especially for those who have a high traffic volume website or perhaps an e-commerce website where tweaks in user experience can make an enormous difference when it comes to converting website visitors. Feedback can either be in the form of a focus group, perception based on reviews/comments from users or using analytical tools to see what’s working and what isn’t.

• A new direction for the club This is where a redesign is essential and where messaging and calls to action will also need to be rethought. To try and shoehorn these into an existing website is almost certainly a mistake.

• Stale and out of date Who is your target audience? A young, energetic audience will embrace a new site but an older, more set-in-their-ways audience may hate the new layout

48 CLUB REPORT

as the button they always clicked on has moved.

• Poor performance If your website is performing poorly then you need to find out why. Very small design tweaks on areas that have a clear call to action can often make a big difference to the number of enquiries made through the site. Investigate this before deciding on a redesign.

• Website not aligned with the club’s aims This can either be a result of not getting your existing website aligned with objectives when it was built, or the club business is changing and evolving. For example if you have a downloadable booking form on your website you may want to look at taking this online as club business grows and evolves.

• Keeping up with the competition Another reason we often hear is people wanting to keep up with the competition, either because their largest competitor has released a glamorous new website or because they have a few competitors that are always ahead of them in search engines. Keeping up with your competition is vital, but don’t forget that their new site you’re jealous of may not be ideal for your target audience. Think about your own audience so you build a website that works for your members, as opposed to a website that’s a better version of your competitors new site.

• It just doesn’t have that wow factor Be careful with this one as this can often be very subjective and result in unnecessary change for change’s sake. It’s very easy to look at your own website all the time and fall out of love with it for no real reason.

Unless you’re getting a lot of feedback from external people actually visiting your website then think care

fully about this and possibly ask a group of impartial people for their thoughts and input.

• Poor search engine performance Poor search engine performance can lead to people thinking they need a redesign. This is the reason most dependent on the quality of your site as it is. If your website is good visually, optimised for mobile devices and generally performs well but just doesn’t get enough traffic, work to optimise with what you have got as often a few tweaks to both the technical and content structure of the site can see big search engine improvements very quickly.

• Out of date content management Nowadays content management on the website is a given. Any content management system (CMS) worth its salt can give you control over what you want to manage on your website so if you don’t have a CMS that offers this, that’s often a good reason to change.

So what to do?

Well, whatever your reasons hopefully the above has given you some kind of insight into the benefits (or potentially otherwise!) of a redesign and if you are looking at overhauling your site make sure you think carefully about why and that you’re doing it for all the right reasons, not just for the sake of it!

CONTACT DETAILS Studio44 44 Newton Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RU t. 01892 888 011 www.studio44.agency

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MEDIA AND MARKETING – BLOGGING

Beginner’s guide to blogging Creating content in the form of writing a blog on a regular basis is a good way to build the club’s reach as well as improving the general Search Optimisation of your site. Here’s how.

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riting blogs and articles can be seen as quite a daunting task. This brief guide aims to help you through the process.

Target your audience Rather than thinking about how you can tackle SEO specifically, think about your audience – what would they be interested in? If you can figure this out, then blog writing becomes easier. Try to break your blog writing down into different services and themes - as an example, SEO, web design, development and social articles. Using a broad mix covers your different audiences, but also keeps your website’s SEO plodding along nicely as you cover a range of topics.

Keyword implementation... the right way!

Don’t ‘stuff’! Don’t overuse keywords to the point it doesn’t make sense. Google is pretty clever and if you do this you can be heavily penalised and it doesn’t work in your favour. The best way to go about content optimisation is a balanced approach of keywords in your content. You should have keywords in the following places as a minimum:

• The body of the blog (of course!)

• The title • The URL • The H1 tag • Meta descriptions • Any media you use (pictures videos etc)

your club and your previous content. The hope of this is that users will interact further with your other website content. Furthermore, creating these internal links for Google to crawl will help the search engine to further understand your blog posts and is more likely to increase your rankings.

Once you get into the habit of correctly listing keywords in a simple, balanced approach, creating your blog style should come easily.

Keep organised Lastly, having a content calendar is key. If you can keep tabs on who’s writing content, when it is being uploaded, what the theme is and what the title is, you can help to plan for the near future, dis- covering gaps and implementing an ongoing strategy. It doesn’t need to be too fancy. Just simple and to the point.

Style and tone Keeping the style consistent is important and showing the club’s ‘personality’ in a website is imperative.

Try to inject as much per- sonality as possible, especially within your articles. It shows that you connect with and understand your members. Think about what you’re writing about. Do you want it dense with written content? Or do you want pictures? What would your audience like to see?

Linking Articles and blogs are the perfect place to promote

CONTACT DETAILS Studio44 44 Newton Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RU t. 01892 888 011 www.studio44.agency

CLUB REPORT 49

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – ULTRA LIGHT BEERS

Spotlight on ultra-light beer At a time when the sales of top-selling light beer brands have been contracting in the US, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (AB InBev’s) Michelob Ultra is redefining the ultra-light beer concept in a move that could have global implications, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.

Sensing a revival of the low-carb trend, a number of companies are making a more premium push for ultra-light beer.

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B InBev launched Michelob Ultra ‘low carbohydrate light beer’ in the US in 2002, when the country was in the middle of the famed Atkins diet craze and was subsequently able to cultivate a devoted core of users, including weight-conscious women, even while the overall light beer sector shrank.

As recently as 2007, Bud Light, Coors Light and Miller Lite collectively accounted for roughly one third of US beer shipments, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights and The Wall Street Journal.

By 2017, that collective share had shrunk to just over a quarter. However, Michelob Ultra brand bucked the trend and had its biggest year yet in 2017 when US shipments grew by over 21%.

Sensing a revival of the low-carb trend, a number of companies are making a more premium push for ultra-light beer. Heineken USA launched 90-calorie Amstel Xlight aligned with top interests of millennial consumers – wellness and fitness – into a handful of markets in 2017.

Tom Vierhile, Innovation Insights Director at

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While it sounds odd to link beer with fitness, brewers with a sense of selfpreservation are keen to establish the link.

GlobalData, says: “While it sounds odd to link beer with fitness, brewers with a sense of self-preservation are keen to establish the link. Data suggests that younger consumers see alcohol in a more negative light than older consumers and beer that is perceived to be more healthful could thrive in the US and elsewhere.”

According to GlobalData’s Q4 2016 consumer survey, 54% of 25–34 year-old Americans are actively trying to reduce consumption of alcohol compared to 28% of Americans overall and just 15% of 45–54 year-olds. A higher percentage of these younger consumers say they are actively trying to reduce consumption of alcohol than fat (51%), sugar (41%), or even carbohydrates (36%).

Globally, the differences are more moderate but still indicate a tendency of younger consumers to more closely evaluate the health consequences of their consumption choices than older consumers.

25% of 25-34 year-olds globally say they are actively trying to reduce consumption of alcohol, versus 22% of global consumers overall. Just 17% of 65+

CLUB REPORT 51

FOOD AND BEVERAGE – ULTRA LIGHT BEERS

It may be steeped in tradition, but New Zealand's brewer Speight’s has its eye to the future, launching Speight’s Summit Ultra Low Carb lager.

Michelob Ultra, designed for 'those who pursue health and happiness in high measure. Those who work out and still go out. Who value staying fit as much as staying fun'.

year-old global consumers say they are actively trying to reduce alcohol consumption.

Vierhile says: “Lower alcohol, carbohydrate and calorie contents are trends to keep an eye on in global beer innovation. But new entrants promising a higher-quality beer experience than past launches that were obsessed with calorie counts show a maturing of the ‘healthful beer’ concept into something with global growth potential.”

In line with the low-carb trend, India-based B9 Beverages launched Bira 91 light lager with just 90 calories per 330ml bottle and 4% ABV. In New Zealand, Speight’s Summit Ultra Low Carb lager claims to have 75% fewer carbohydrates than regular beers and 4.2% ABV. Eager to defend its turf, AB InBev earlier this year launched Michelob ‘Ultra Pure’ Gold with organic grains. With just 2.5 carbohydrates and 85 calories per 12-fluid-ounce serving, ‘Ultra Pure’ Gold is billed

52 CLUB REPORT

as a ‘superior light beer’.

“Organic ingredients resonate with younger consumers, who equate the term with a product that is intrinsically more healthful and aligns with popular trends like clean eating and drinking,” says Vierhile.

Some companies are even using fruit and fruit flavours to cut calorie and alcohol levels.

Indonesia-based PT Beverindo Indah Abadi has recently rolled out 2.9% ABV Prost Alster lemon lager beer with 10% real lemon juice.

“For consumers bored with the ‘same old’ light beer, these new offerings may provide a reason to give reduced-calorie beer another look,” concludes Vierhile.

CONTACT DETAILS More information is available from GlobalData.

Visit www.globaldata.com

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Lower alcohol, carbohydrate and calorie contents are trends to keep an eye on in global beer innovation. But new entrants promising a higher-quality beer experience than past launches that were obsessed with calorie counts show a maturing of the ‘healthful beer’ concept into something with global growth potential. <

FOOD AND BEVERAGE - WOMEN AND BEER

Is beer the last alcoholic drink with a gender bias?

The UK has one of the lowest percentage of female beer drinkers in the world. Outdated sexist marketing, fear of the ‘beer belly’, and negative perceptions about flavour are contributing to British women spurning our national drink, according to report The Gender Pint Gap.

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he Gender Pint Gap report released by the women and beer group, Dea Latis is the first major piece of research about female attitudes towards beer in almost a decade.

The research conducted by YouGov was commissioned by Dea Latis to examine whether the UK’s craft beer boom in the last decade has inspired more women to drink beer.

In a fast-moving consumer landscape that has seen a huge rise in the number of breweries and beer brands in the UK, the report reveals: • Only 17% of women drink beer at least once a week (compared to 53% of men).

• Male oriented advertising is one of the three main barriers for over a quarter (27%) of women drinking beer – rising even higher for the 18-24 yearold female group to almost half (48%).

• A fifth of women (20%) say that high calorie content is one of the three main barriers for women drinking beer.

• 17% of women feel that ‘being judged by others’ is one of the three biggest barriers to drinking beer.

• 32% of women would now drink beer at home with friends, compared to just 3% of women in another survey about women’s drinking habits and their relationship with beer in 2009 (Molson Coors’ 2009 Bittersweet Survey).

• Taste is the great divide: Of the women who drink beer 56% do so because they like the taste; conversely, of the women who never drink beer 83% do so because they don’t like the taste.

Comparing their statistics to those of Molson Coors’ 2009 research, it appears that female attitudes, perceptions and beliefs about beer have not changed much beyond a stronger trend to drinking beer at home. The report, say the authors, begs the question: why is the beer industry not tapping into this female market with an image overhaul?

Beer Sommelier and Dea Latis Director Annabel Smith said: “We know that the beer category has seen massive progress in the last decade – you only need to look at the wide variety of styles and flavours which weren’t available widely in the UK ten years ago. Yet it appears the female consumer either hasn’t come on the same journey, or the beer industry just isn’t addressing their female audience adequately.

Overtly masculine advertising and promotion of beer has been largely absent from media channels for a

Annabel Smith

Lisa Harlow

number of years but there is a lot of history to unravel. Women still perceive beer branding is targeted at men.”

Co-author of the report, Lisa Harlow added: “Our research has shown many misconceptions which women still hold about beer, such as calorific content, self-image and pre-conceptions about taste. It was disheartening in our supposedly enlightened times that so many of our female respondents cited ‘being judged by others’ as a reason for not drinking beer. Perhaps we need some high-profile celebrity advocates to show women that it is acceptable to drink beer?”

Beer writer, Sommelier & Certified Cicerone, Melissa Cole said of the report: “An important piece of research that’s based on intelligent and insightful questions to unearth the simple ways the beer industry has managed to disenfranchise women from their once-loved drink over the last 70 years or so.

“It highlights everything from societal pressures to inappropriate serves to ingrained misogyny and more as just some of the issues and it challenges the brewing industry to do something about it.

“But it’s not just criticism, it’s got rational advice on how the new, and old, guard of brewing can make beer relevant to 51% of the population again; but it’s also only just the start and I hope more long-overdue funding is provided to help address this issue.”

Jane Peyton, Beer Sommelier, writer, and founder of the School of Booze said: “The stats are fascinating and so insightful. I learned a lot about attitudes. This report should be read by everyone who makes and sells beer.”

The report concludes with a ‘Beer Drinking Women’s Manifesto’ which urges women who drink beer to become advocates, encouraging sampling, asking for different volumes and glassware and dispelling myths about calories and acceptability.

About the survey: The Dea Latis survey was conducted using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov Plc UK panel of 800,000+ individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys.

The total sample size was 2026 adults of which 1094 were female. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

For more information contact : Lisa Harlow on 07917 757860 or email lisa@lisaharlow.co.uk Annabel Smith on 07920 058500 or email annabel@beerbelle.co.uk

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – CRAFT BEER Craft beer is one of fastest growing drinks categories in the total GB on trade, and this trend looks set fair to continue for the foreseeable future.

The way forward with Craft Beer is a simple drink with complexity. That statement is so much truer today than it has ever been in the history of the modern beer industry, say CGA’s Ashley Cairns and Mark Newton.

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he complexity of beers now available comes from revolutionary thinkers and doers along with those real drivers of beer variety, the younger drinkers who have helped create and shape the demand.

The main category standard bearer for this trend is ‘Craft Beer’ – a style, descriptor and phrase which

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has now become almost ubiquitous in the UK on trade over the last few years.

However, more recently, there have been some early signs of a backlash and fragmentation of the “Craft Beer” movement in the UK. This is evidenced by a concern based on provenance of a craft beer.

One such example is Heineken’s 2018 £40m minori-

ty share purchase of London-based independent craft brewer Beavertown, with the investment going towards a new brewery which would increase production tenfold.

This is really a non-story for many traditional beer drinkers; the core of the argument should just be around the beer itself and always be to the fore.

would probably be remiss to ignore some of the other powerful influences which continue to help create demand. One thing craft beer is very good at is garnering column inches.

One only needs to look at the runaway success of companies like Brewdog to understand this phenomenon – and they, possibly more than any other craft brewer, have learnt how to harness the power of the media, whether traditional print, trade or social media (via the Internet).

Many younger consumers also appear to particularly appreciate the eye-catching branding used by many craft brewers – especially for their packaged products. Along with the sheer diversity of choice across the market from modern riffs on more traditional styles like IPA to a plethora of weird and wonderful sours and fruit based lactose beers.

Draught versus Packaged While for many smaller clubs packaged craft beers may be considered a more practical option, it is interesting to note that much of the current continuing growth in the sector is now coming through keg. CGA OPM total GB volumetric data (MAT at June 2018) shows that while total craft beer is up over +8% overall, it is keg (up +24.5%) which is the key driver overall.

However, when we break down craft into ale and lager, packaged craft ales still offer both volume (+1.9%) and value (+3.8%) growth.

• What does it taste like?

• Will customers try it?

• Will they like it (or get to like it – sometimes it may take a while)?

• Will it sell enough to make a turn and be a good option for the overall business?

It is these aspects upon which the committees, individuals and companies in clubland will look to first when basing their decision to stock a new product.

Nevertheless, there are other factors which shape demand and it is undoubtedly worth exploring a few of these in a little more detail.

Talk about the fashion Although, the more mundane rationales for stocking craft beer are probably the most important, it

North/South divide?

Most regions across the country continue to experience positive annual MAT volume growth for the broad craft beer category. However, there does appear to be something of a geographical divide with southern regions (apart from East Anglia) showing significantly greater growth than the North of England and Scotland.

The top performing regions are Southwest England, up +26.4% (including Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Avon – Bristol) and Southern up almost +15% (including Southampton and Brighton).

In Northern England it’s a slightly different story, with regions like Lancashire and Yorkshire seeing much lower growth at +2.6% and +1.6% respectively, while the North East is actually showing a volume decline of over -9%.

Cost, along with contrasting styles of establishment (from a regional perspective) are likely contributing factors to this trend.

Trading on up As suggested in the trends outlined above, price is another important aspect of demand and the world of craft beer spans the breadth of beer pricing. There are more beers in the upper reaches of price but there are enough on the lower range, albeit more likely to be cask beers. The opportunity to create a coherent upward pricing ladder structure and ‘trade up’ potential for drinkers is particularly high in this sector of the category.

Looking at total GB average on trade prices for draught and package craft beer it is obvious that it provides another sensible ‘step up’ on the ladder against equivalent pricing for standard and premium

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While some beer drinkers are absolutely loyal to a brand there are many who like to experiment, to try something new.

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lagers and ales. Draught craft beer averages out at around £4.11 a pint. This compares with £3.34 for Standard Lager (examples would include Carlsberg and Carling) and £3.76 for Premium Lager (such as Stella and Kronenbourg) – a price differential of between 35p and 77p. Packaged craft beer comes in at £3.92, compared to premium world lagers at £3.56 and packaged ales at £3.55 a bottle, giving a similar level of comparative uplift.

So in summary…

Craft beer is one of fastest growing drinks categories in the total GB on trade – and this trend looks set fair to continue for the foreseeable future.

Many of the brewers who have been instrumental in developing the category are among the most dynamic and marketable in the industry and are helping to focus a genuine interest and curiosity across a wide range of drinkers – especially the young (35 and under market).

The opportunity to provide trade-ups and increase potential margins should never be under estimated, whilst bearing in mind that craft (whether draught or packaged) is not for every club outlet. There are very modest chain pubs, however, that offer a wide range of craft beers day in, day out. They do this because it makes sense for them financially and it makes sense for their customers – it can make sense for clubs too.

While growth appears to be particularly focused in the generally more affluent South, this in no way precludes the potential opportunity that stocking craft beer can have for the right type of venue, regardless of geography.

If club customers are venturing into other ontrade outlets where craft is more likely to be available, then it is probably wise to assess whether those members would like something like a craft beer range in their club. It becomes a talking point and, at the end of the day, while some beer drinkers are resolved and absolutely loyal to a brand there are many who like to experiment, to try something new.

CONTACT DETAILS CGA, Strawberry Studios, Watson Square Stockport, Greater Manchester SK1 3AZ t. 0161 476 8335 e. ashley.cairns@cga.co.uk e. mark.newton@cga.co.uk www.cga.co.uk (Source Data: CGA OPMS 2018)

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – WINE

In search of the ideal club wine list The sheer diversity of both wine styles and consumer tastes within the GB on trade means that the necessary, if sometimes derided, ‘wine list’ is one of the most important elements that club retailers can provide to their members, says Mark Newton of data specialist CGA.

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ith many drinkers as fickle as ever and competition fierce, utilising the wine menu to drive footfall can provide an allimportant advantage – whether a casual dining restaurant, or a club.

The wine list is also often seen as the ‘face’ of the category offer by customers to any given venue, so to maximise the effectiveness of the offer it is crucial to optimise the menu, by understanding how many wines (per category) are desired (and expected) by consumers and how their choices are made. Price – whether by the glass, or by the bottle – is also an important factor, information on customer willingness to spend, and average price points, can provide key insights into best practice pricing and ranging.

Does size (of menu) matter?

In an often complex category, a barrier often cited by consumers to choosing wine, is a feeling that there can be too much information to digest, especially when taking into account style, country, region, varietal and price preferences. Thus, providing a balance between providing a sufficient amount of choice to please the majority, without alienating potential customers, can be difficult.

Analysis of consumer survey data undertaken by CGA has shown that many wine drinkers see a menu of 11-20 wines as being the sweet-spot. Therefore, it appears clear that a level of choice is important, but the message also suggests that it is important not to overwhelm (particularly more mainstream) wine consumers with too much choice.

Indeed, according to CGA data, the average number of brands on GB on trade menus is currently 11.3 (across both still and sparkling) – suggesting many retailers are already focusing on the ‘median’ ideal of consumer preference. But does it satisfy all options or retail/ consumer opportunities? It is probably fair to say that this view can vary considerably by outlet

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type/ customer expectation and demand.

The importance of additional choice to ‘typical’ wine drinkers can be illustrated in the difference between Hotels (17.6) and sports/ social clubs (9.1) – customer expectations, followed by likely category demand will be the driver here.

Food also plays its part. Food led pubs, for example, offer an average of five more wines on a typical menu than a local/ wet led pub. Where the food offer is an important part of the overall retail offer then the availability of additional wine options/ choice could be crucial in such a competitive environment.

Price is King?

The old adage ‘price is king’ still appears to hold true, according to what consumers rate as important in their choice of wine. This reinforces the classic consumer demand that price is the primary motivator, but ideally not at the sacrifice of quality of product – something which venues need to keep an awareness of.

Over half (52%) of consumers suggest the ‘low to medium range’ (up to £15 a bottle bar price) remains key. However, it has declined by -3% year on year and signs of category premiumisation can be seen from the fact that the ‘medium to high range’ has increased by 4% to 22% with demand creeping up.

This is reflective of general wider trends within the wine category.

When customers look towards higher priced wines then quality becomes the key driver of choice.

At the lower end of the market – perhaps typically – it remains a price driven market. As a result, it is important for retailers to ensure that their higher end wines are ‘worth the money’ – otherwise they are likely to be pushed back to price being primary motivation.

It’s all about the white…

It is clear that white wine is the most popular category style with over two thirds of consumers suggesting that it should be the focus of greatest emphasis on wine menus.

White is also the biggest choice at the lower end of the market by consumer demand. Offering accessible entry levels of well-known white wine should therefore be a key element of any wine menu. Red wine appears to have the greater propensity towards premiumisation – possibly because it remains the key option for more formal ‘food pairing’ rather than casual, or general drinking where price is potentially a bigger motivation factor for white and rose.

What country? What grape?

While consumer survey analysis provides one view of the most popular wine styles for drinkers – CGA On Premise Measurement can give us a pure volume sales view on what Sports & Social Club drinkers specifically are buying.

Based on latest data the most popular wine countries of origin include obvious options such as Italy and Australia, but also more premium countries like New Zealand (volume up +6.9% year on year) are showing the biggest levels of growth.

umisation trend and willingness of more knowledgeable drinkers to broaden their scope.

• Most consumers choose low-mid range, so concentrate the majority of wines within this range.

But, clear opportunity exists at the mid-high range especially by the glass, where the increased use of wine dispense systems like Verre de Vin mean margin can potentially be enhanced and wastage reduced.

When we move on to grape types (varietals) again classic styles such as Pinot Grigio are at the top of the list. However, Sports & Social Club wine drinkers are following wider on trade trends which suggest greater experimentation and interest in previously less well known wines such as Malbec (volume up +4.8%).

It should also be noted that the sparkling wine phenomenon of Prosecco are showing some of the highest overall on trade volume uplifts in the sports & social club sectors (up almost +150% year on year) – which is providing a whole additional area of potential and opportunity for venues, whether bottle, or draught by the glass.

Summary So, what is the ideal wine list? It depends on a multitude of factors, from venue type, location and customer base, with the key being to know the customer and to understand their expectations by outlet (or indeed outlet type). That said, amongst the variables, there are constants that should be taken into account: • Familiar entry points – whether brands, styles or grape varietals – are important to the decision making process for many drinkers, especially in more mainstream scenarios.

• There can and should be more interesting options at higher prices to more clearly reflect the premi-

• The huge success of Prosecco has reinvigorated the more budget sparkling wine sector – and is showing no significant signs of slowing in popularity.

CONTACT DETAILS Mark Newton e.mark.newton@cga.co.uk t. 0161 476 8335 www.cga.co.uk Source data for this report: CGA BrandTrack Consumer Analysis & CGA Wine OPMS P06 2018

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – SPIRITS AND WINE

Industry report shows spirited performance The phenomenal rise of gin will see the sector grow by 12.8% to 8.5 million cases by 2022, a growth rate outstripping vodka (7.9 million cases) and Scotch Whisky (5.8 million cases), according to market analysis from the IWSR Vinexpo Report 2012-2022.

UK spirits consumption overall will mark steady growth over the five-year period with US and Irish whiskey and tequila/mescal showing good progress, says the report.

Malt Scotch is forecast to show steady grow for consumers looking for provenance and heritage.

Growth is likely at the top end in blends where producers are seeking to change perceptions that a single malt is better quality than a similar priced blend.

Gin is forecast to continue to take share from vodka and to drive sales further through Pink Gin due to its flavours, making it stand out from a crowd of gins-and-tonic.

Jack Daniel’s domination of the US Whiskey category in the UK is dominant, the report notes.

Premium and above US Whiskey will be driven by the on-trade where Rye whiskey is also expected to show growth.

Other spirits categories with positive outlooks are: • Mezcal/Tequila: Mezcal is likely to grow faster than Tequila because it has more quality and provenance cues.

• Brandy: UK brandy set to grow as UK wine production increases. Grappa to grow at the top end as aged lines filer through.

• Rum: Premium increasingly seen as a sipping spirit similar to single malt whisky.

• Liqueurs: Classic high-strength liqueurs are being driven by the cocktail trend.

• Vodka: UK produced super-premium vodka likely to benefit from consumer trail as a sideways move from local gin.

Sparkling wines Consumption of all sparkling wines, led by Prosecco, will climb from 14.4 million 9 litre cases to 16.2 million by 2022. A comparison of growth per head over 10 years from 2012 shows consumption growing from 1.8 litres to 2.8 litres by 2022.

Imports of Prosecco will rise to 11.7 million cases by 2022 at the expense of both Champagne, Cava and all still wine, the report forecasts. English sparkling wine is forecast to add 100,000 cases to the market in that period.

The UK will remain the world’s second largest import market for still wine by 2022 behind Germany in first place. Over the 2017-2022 period UK consumption of still wine will drop from 114.2

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Gin is forecast to continue to take share from vodka and to drive sales further through Pink Gin due to its flavours, making it stand out from a crowd of ginsand-tonic.

million cases in 2017 (equivalent to 20 litres per head) to 100.9 million cases million cases (17.3 litres per head).

Among the top five import countries Australia will continue to be the UK’s leading supplier, albeit showing a decline from 23.6 million cases in 2017 to 18.8 million cases, by 2022.

With the exception of Spain, which by 2022 will be challenging France for the number two position, imports from the other countries will decline. Chile, New Zealand and Argentina, by contrast, will also show growth.

ABOUT VINEXPO Vinexpo was established in Bordeaux in 1981.

The brand runs exhibitions in five locations, Vinexpo Explorer and publishes the Vinexpo/IWSR Report. e. enquiries@theiwsr.com www.VinexpoBordeaux.com

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – EATERTAINMENT

Eatertainment, heathification and premiumisation The diversity of the hospitality sector keeps it exciting and the ever-changing food trends, changes in health and nutrition and new products and concepts mean that club kitchens need to make sure they are keeping their finger on the pulse for what’s emerging and attracting custom.

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ere’s a list of six food and drink trends to look out for from agency Big Cat.

1. More plant-based meat-free options Everyone is aware of the growing trend in plantbased diets (it may be worth noting now that ‘plantbased’ is the key dining buzz phrase rather than ‘vegetarian’ and ‘vegan’) and it is safe to say that this is not just a fad; it’s here to stay. Sales of meat-free and vegan items increased by 14% to £352.1m year-onyear to August 2018, whilst just under 300,000 people signed up to Veganuary 2019 (up from 168,542 in 2018). 52% of British shoppers (rising to a huge 68% of 18-24 year olds) say that they either follow or are interested in following a plant-based diet, whether this be vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian. Even a quarter of meat eaters plan to reduce their meat consumption across the next 12 months, probably aided by the introduction of impossibly meaty faux meats, such as the aptly named Impossible Burger.

With the increasing popularity and the obvious demand for food which fits into these diets, it’s becoming increasingly important for restaurants to have a separate plant-based menu that offers a wide variety of options, rather than just a measly cheese and onion pie squeezed onto the bottom as an afterthought. For our client Ember Inns, we incorporated a lot of messaging regarding Veganuary on social media, which received a large amount of engagement. We are even starting to see some brands offer a completely meat-free menu once a week.

2. Street food Street food, of course, is another trend which is still continuing to flourish with Indian and Mexican options leading the way in terms of favourite cuisine, particularly with 15-34 year olds. However, there is a

new street food favourite on the horizon; Israeli cuisine. Specialties from Lebanon, Syria and Turkey are particularly gaining momentum among hip forwardthinking restaurants. With a huge current awareness of health and wellness (‘healthification’), and a generation of foodies in search of exotic and regional foods, consumers want healthy but flavoursome fast food. Restaurants are starting to reimagine classic dishes, replacing ingredients with vegetable-based alternatives or a healthy spin.

3. Healthification Healthification is a movement which has seen a reduction in the consumption of carbonated drinks and the rise of non-alcoholic fruit and vegetable based shots, providing a quick dose of goodness to boost the wellbeing of concerned consumers. This wellness trend has led to consumers wanting more transparency in what goes into products and evidence of authenticity.

This has resulted in a trend of using natural botanical extracts as ingredients and flavourings because of the ‘promise’ of additional health-related benefits. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is currently being used in pretty much everything, from skincare to coffee and cocktails, and even to pet food. Whilst clinicians say that more research still needs to be done on the health benefits of CBD, consumers report relief from anxiety and pain, which has increased demand and growth in this area.

4. Premiumisation Related to this is the trend of ‘premiumisation’, which is no longer just about price, but also about quality and experience. Consumers know what they want more and more from a brand, which has led to an increased appetite for specialised food and drink

options, such as gin bars and a wide variety of craft ales. Consumers believe that ingredients or preparation processes that are of higher quality are worth paying more for.

5. Eatertainment Further to this is a trend of ‘eatertainment’. Dining is becoming more of an immersive experience now and consumers want some form of entertainment along with their food, which is why we’ve started to see the rise in popularity of ‘activity bars’. This has been particularly noticeable in Birmingham with the recent openings of Ghetto Golf, Lane 7 (offering bowling, shuffleboard and arcade games) and Kongs (arcade games and table tennis).

6. Instagram-worthy offerings Directly related to the eatertainment trend is the desire for social currency which is the benefit of being able to share photos from your meal, drinks or general experience on social media. A huge 69% of 18-34 year olds take a photo or video of their food before eating.

When deciding which restaurants and bars to visit, consumers are seeking out Instagrammable settings and colours, which is why drinks such as pink gin have proved so popular recently, whilst chefs are adding finishing touches to food to make it ‘Instagram’ ready. Restaurants now not only need to have great food and drink worth talking about, but also interesting and attractive décor that creates the right atmosphere and draws people in to take their Instagram-perfect shots. Visitors to Birmingham’s Nocturnal Animals crowd the white corridor pictured below to pose and add to their Instagram profile, while even more crowds flock to Dirty Martini in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff and Manchester to pose in front of the wellplaced angel wings. Search #dirtymartini on Instagram and that’s all you’ll see.

CONTACT DETAILS Big Cat works with Mitchells & Butlers, whose brands include O’Neill’s, Nicholson’s and All Bar One, and will be leading on the social media content strategy and monthly execution for the group’s 149 Ember Inns Pubs. www.bigcatagency.com Street food continues to flourish with Indian and Mexican leading the way in terms of favourites.

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE - ACCOUNTING

Restaurant accounting – getting it right Running a club restaurant can be a hugely rewarding experience but it isn’t always easy. Here are five top back-to-basics tips from Gary Turner, MD and co-founder of Xero UK.

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o ensure that the club restaurant is a success it’s as essential as it is obvious that you have a firm grip on your finances. With a constant stream of transactions to process and razor-thin margins, you have to keep on top of your cash flow.

1. Get a back-end system that’s flexible Club restaurants do the majority of their business outside conventional working hours. Lunchtimes, evenings, weekends and holidays are busy periods and this has an effect on payroll. You’ll need an industry solution that can handle open shifts and replacements, employee tips and a high turnover of staff.

2. Keep your pricing competitive Menu pricing is a balancing act. You need to account for the cost of ingredients and overheads whilst maintaining your competitive edge.

Good accounting software can help create reports to estimate meal prices on a weekly or even daily basis. Armed with the numbers, you can check out the competition and make informed pricing decisions.

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By using cloud accounting software you’ll have a far greater understanding of how your latest numbers are impacting the bottom line.

3. Get a POS system that ties in with the accounting software The majority of restaurants receive money from customers in two different ways; cash or credit/debit cards. A good POS (Point of Sale) sys tem will handle these different payments and

connect to your accounting software. That will help you update your cash flow predictions daily.

It’s not always practical to create an invoice for every meal in your accounting software. Instead, create daily sales invoices, then receive the money into a cash control bank account, or use the receive money option in your accounting software to record all the day’s takings in one go. Xero, for example, can easily be integrated with third-party apps for point of sale, inventory, CRM and more. It also allows users to create recurring invoices for regular suppliers.

4. Manage stock well to avoid waste Club bars and restaurants are some of the few types of businesses in which all the inventory is consumed on the premises! Managing stocks of food and drink can be a challenge. It’s expensive to hold too much stock, especially if it’s perishable meaning that regular deliveries are needed to keep the club kitchens supplied. Using software that can track inventory and stock easily will help you to avoid any nasty surprises.

5. Account for all receipts While you will have regular suppliers who bill you in the usual way, sometimes you can still run short of ingredients. For example, those 10 members who all order the same fish dish at the same time could exhaust the club’s supplies of fish for the night. Just be sure that when you send someone out for a speedy local shop to fill the gap that you make a record of everything you buy, and process every receipt, so you’re not out of pocket when it’s time to offset your expenses against tax.

In summary, keeping your head above water in all areas of the restaurant industry is tough. By using cloud accounting software you’ll have a far greater understanding of how your latest numbers are impacting the bottom line. Used wisely, it will help you manage and grow your club’s restaurant business.

CONTACT DETAILS Gary Turner Xero UK, Bank House, 171 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 1EB

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – ACRYLAMIDE

Acrylamide in food – understanding the law What does acrylamide mean to you? Early last year it was agreed that acrylamide is a potential danger to health. As a result, European food safety legislation was subsequently passed to reduce this risk.

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rom 11 April 2018, European food safety Legislation requires that all businesses that prepare and serve food to customers must understand the potential risk of acrylamide, take steps to reduce it and be able to prove that they have done so. AAK Foodservice offers the following advice.

What is Acrylamide?

Acrylamide is a naturally occurring chemical substance, formed by a reaction between amino acids and sugars. It occurs typically when foods with a high starch content, such as potatoes, root vegetables and bread are cooked at temperatures over 120°C from the process of frying, roasting or baking. It is widely agreed that acrylamide has the potential to cause cancer and is therefore a risk to human health What does the new legislation say?

The new legislation (COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2017/2158 of 20 November 2017) requires that food business organisations that manufacture food, or prepare and serve it to customers in a retail or foodservice setting: • Be aware of the potential risk of acrylamide and have a general understanding of how it is formed in their food.

• Take steps to reduce the formation of acrylamide in their food, and build these measures into their food safety management procedures.

• Where appropriate, undertake representative sampling and analysis to monitor the levels of acrylamide in their food.

• Keep records of the mitigation measures undertaken, together with sampling plans and results of any testing.

Six safety steps You need to be aware of the risk posed by acrylamide, and how it is formed in the food you produce. Take care to ensure that your team understands this too. Then, to reduce the risk of acrylamide forming in your chips or fried potatoes, follow these six steps: 1. If possible, choose a potato with a lower sugar content – speak to your supplier, or to AHDB Potatoes, contactable at:

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Darker cooked colours may mean higher acrylamide levels.

https://potatoes.ahdb.org.uk/about-us 2. Do not store your potatoes in the fridge – this will increase their sugar content. Instead, try to keep them at 6°C or higher.

3. Before you fry your chips or potatoes, either: – Wash or soak in cold water, for between 30 minutes to 2 hours, then rinse in clean water.

– Soak in warm water for a few minutes, then rinse in clean water.

– Blanch in boiling water.

This will help to reduce the sugar content and decrease levels of acrylamide. The exceptions are frozen chips or potatoes, where you must simply follow the cooking instructions.

4. Fry at a maximum temperature of 175°C (or lower if possible) as this can help to minimise the formation of acrylamide. Where appropriate, cook for longer at a lower temperature but always ensure foods are properly cooked.

5. Use the correct frying oil for your frying requirements and use oil management tools to help you manage your oil and change at the appropriate time to maximise oil usage whilst minimising risk.

6. Display a colour guide to help colleagues prepare food safely. Darker cooked colours may mean higher acrylamide levels – aim for a light golden finish. Invest in good oil management practices to help understand when oils should be discarded.

Myth busting It has been suggested that certain oils and fats allow food to fry quicker or at a lower temperature. This is simply not the case. There is no such thing as a ‘low temperature frying oil’, instead all oils transfer

heat to the food in essentially the same way. Nor does pure frying oil contain acrylamide. Rather, acrylamide can form when starchy foods are heated to over 120°C. It is the crumbs and fine particles of food which are left in the frying oil after cooking that may contain and continue to create acrylamide in the hot oil. If the frying oil is not skimmed or filtered out, the crumbs and fine particles of food may stick to the next batch of food, raising acrylamide levels.

This can be avoided by following the Prep Guide to Good Oil Management.

Other foods affected In terms of the food you fry, you also need to be careful with breaded products and doughnuts.

Clearly, you can’t soak these before they are cooked, but aim for a light golden finish and keep the oil clean. Again, explain the risk to your team and use a colour chart as a guide.

The legislation also relates to roasted potatoes and root vegetables, as well as toast, toasted sandwiches, bakery products and coffee.

CONTACT DETAILS The Prep Guide to Good Oil Management is available at www.prepoils.co.uk/ oil-management/oil-management-guide A Prep Oils app with an easy-to-use trouble shooting guide is available at www.prepoils.co.uk/oil-management/ oil-management-resources

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – KITCHEN SET UP

Cooking up a storm – building a club kitchen Food provides a point of difference for outlets across the UK. And it’s not all about fine-dining as evidenced by J D Wetherspoon, ‘the nation's biggest fish and chip shop, every Friday’. So where do the kitchen-less start the journey?

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any clubs are already running successful food operations, but those who have stayed wet-led are now looking to raise more revenue from selling food. And that means buying kitchen equipment. Many clubs intending to push hard into the food market for the first time are likely to choose fast service menus offering familiar foods which rely on a lot of frozen ingredients, quick-cook fresh items and premium sandwiches and salads. Adopting this entry-level approach to food requires a restricted range of kitchen equipment and modest cooking skills which keeps the start-up budget manageable.

Refrigeration No club kitchen can work efficiently or safely without a freezer. The size or number of freezers depends on the menu mix, but a freezer is a must item of kitchen equipment. Clubs need rapid access to frozen food in busy service times so upright cabinets are more convenient than chest freezers and occupy less floorspace. There need to be enough upright fridge cabinets to cope with storing all the chilled food the kitchen is going to need. This may be a single cabinet, but likely at least two. There is the good working practice argument for a club to buy commercial refrigeration, but there is a more important one – food safety. The expensive components in refrigeration are the motor and the condenser, which is how the refrigerant moves around the cooling bars. Manufacturers build motor performance according to the expected use – i.e. the number of times the freezer door or lid is going to be opened.

Fryer A club will find it difficult to run a food operation with a single fryer. There needs to be two, usually one for frying coated products such as fish or sausages and one kept exclusively for chips. There are good operational reasons for working with two fryers, or a twin tank fryer. It is difficult for a fryer to cook two different items at once - different foods need different cook times and sometimes different cooking temperatures. Coated products and salty products such as sausages break down the structure of oil much more quickly than chips, so a chip-only fryer will have the oil last longer than one being used

for spicy food. At an entry level into club catering, plug-in tabletop fryers avoid the need for hard wiring of three-phase electricity or plumbing in of gas for a gas fryer. For volume production of fried food floor-standing fryers will be needed. Any fryer needs the oil filtering at least once a day to remove food debris.

Microwave oven All club kitchens need at least one microwave oven, most need two or even more to deliver frozen food in the time customers expect between ordering and being served. Domestic microwave ovens are unsuitable for commercial use for a number of reasons, which can include low power, uneven re-heating and the irritating “ping” which can indicate to the customer how the food is being prepared.

Cooking range A six-burner cooking range has to be in every club kitchen. The hobs will boil and shallow fry and the oven underneath will roast meat and bake pies.

However, since a club just moving into the food market is not going to have a huge demand for food cooked on a range, it will be adequate to go for a model classed by the manufacturer as light to medium duty.

Dishwasher A club will already have a glasswasher which may also have been used for occasional cups and saucers and sandwich plates, but once food proper appears on the menu a dedicated dishwasher will be needed.

The two types of washing machine look similar, but

have different wash cycles, pump pressures and use different detergents. The worst thing a glasswasher needs to clean off is lipstick, while a dishwasher has to deal with everything from lasagne to curry.

Grill or griddle?

Steaks are a core menu item for a club menu and there are several options of how to cook them. A griddle works with the heat underneath and as well as steaks is also a good way to cook burgers. One advantage of a griddle is that meat can be easily basted to keep it moist. A grill works by the heat radiating down and with some heat rising up. A benefit is that food can get a barbecue effect through the very intense radiated heat. A grill can also do toasted sandwiches or brown off a cheesy topping. It can be a dry form of cooking with meats which do not contain fat so basting may be necessary. A compromise between the two is a contact grill which has two hinged heated plates which clamp together to cook meats on two sides at once. These are very quick and the result is moist, but their small size compared to a griddle means only one or two items can be cooked at once.

Contact grills can also do toasted sandwiches.

Plan for the future A common mistake clubs just breaking into food make when choosing the size of equipment to buy is basing the choice on current business and not planned business growth. A rule of thumb is to choose equipment at least one third bigger than you think you will need. If the plan is to branch into food as a new revenue stream, that greater capacity will be needed.

CLUB REPORT 65

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – FRIDGES

Keeping it cool – buying and maintainingfridges Fridges are critical club operations, a best friend behind the bar and a food safety saviour in the kitchens. Top tips on getting the best out of your refrigeration.

More energy efficiency from the fridges you already have Location, location, location. One of the commonest forms of ‘fridge abuse’ is, quite simply, putting it in the wrong place, so that there is inadequate ventilation. This means it has to work much harder to maintain temperature. Make sure your fridge has plenty of ventilation and make sure staff don’t block it (for example, by storing trays beside the cabinet’s ventilation panels).

energy (plus, your staff will be more comfortable). Equally, putting your fridge in a cooler part of the kitchen, away from the hot cooking equipment, will mean it doesn’t have to work so hard.

Make the kitchen cooler Making better use of the kitchen’s ventilation could drop the ambient temperature by a degree or two, which means the fridges will need less

Internal layout Make sure your shelves are properly spaced out and, if you’re storing big boxes, make sure they don’t block the airflow.

Overloading Another common abuse is to overload fridges. This affects the internal airflow, reducing the cabinet’s or coldroom’s ability to chill effectively. Again, the system will constantly work to try to rectify the problem and energy will be wasted.

Shut that door Obvious but, almost unbelievably, another common abuse. Always shut the fridge, freezer or coldroom door and NEVER prop them open! If you’re constantly going in and out of a coldroom, fit a plastic strip curtain to keep the cold in.

Turn off the burners A common practise in kitchens is to leave gas burners on. This raises the kitchen temperature and causes fridges to work much harder than necessary. So turn burners off when they’re not in use.

Choosing energy-efficient refrigeration Look at the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) tax scheme for businesses: it saves energy and saves you money. Plus you may be able to claim 100% tax allowance in the first year when purchasing the cabinets.

Save energy with drawer and half door cabinets Fridges using drawers and half-doors (as opposed to full doors) are increasingly popular because they hold temperature better, since you only access the part of the fridge you need. They won’t suit everyone, but are simple and effective energy savers.

With insulation, go thick The thicker the insulation, the less cold the fridge loses and the less impact the warm kitchen has.

So the less energy you use to maintain temperature.

Consider remote refrigeration systems This is where several cabinets and coldrooms are powered from one refrigeration system, usually sited outside, often on the roof. Systems like Williams unique Glycol are not only more energy efficient, they also chill more quickly and remove the heat and sound produced by stand-alone fridges from the kitchen.

Further information Manufacturers are continuing the battle to make their products ever more energy efficient, so keep an eye out for their latest products.

66 CLUB REPORT

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE – DISHWASHERS

Choosing and using your commercial dishwasher Selecting the most appropriate commercial dishwashing equipment for your club kitchen is a big decision. But there’s plenty of advice out there to help you get exactly the right fit.

A

ny investment in commercial kitchen equipment represents a significant commitment, but with dishwashers often in operation all day, every day, the question of which to choose for your business is even more pivotal.

How to choose a commercial dishwasher There are a variety of things to consider when it comes to making any investment in dishwashing equipment. These fall under the following categories – each of which will have a major impact on how effective and efficient the machine will be: Type – The first thing to think about is the kind of model that best suits your needs. Undercounter dishwashers can be great for bars that are short on space, whereas above counter variants deliver higher productivity for larger operations. Medium-sized outlets should look at Hood Type models, whilst Rack Type options are better for those with particularly demanding requirements – such as contract caterers and stadiums.

Capacity – Make sure any model you choose is the correct size for the number of items it will have to wash. Also consider the size and shape of your tableware, as that will affect which model is best for your needs.

Speed – Different models operate at different speeds, so it’s worth keeping track of how many dishes are used during the average day and how many items are likely to need washing per hour.

Tabling – It’s really important to think of warewashing as a system, rather than just an individual machine. Factor in enough inlet and outlet tabling so that items can be rinsed, cleaned and dried without obstructing the flow of tableware.

Accessories – Think about how many racks or baskets you’ll need to keep things moving. Contrary to popular belief, dishwashing racks are not universal, so it’s best to have a variety of sizes to choose from depending on what’s being processed.

How to use a commercial dishwashe There are a few simple things to bear in mind which will ensure you’re getting the most from your investment, and protecting it.

68 CLUB REPORT

“

Ensure the model you choose is the right size for your throughput and consider the size and shape of your tableware.

The second step to a clean machine is to consider the type of water you will be washing in. Hard water is supplied to around 60% of the UK, and can have a noticeable effect on the performance and longevity of a dishwasher – not to mention the cumulative cost of fixing equipment and replacing watermarked plates or glasses. There are two main features to look out for in modern dishwashers which can tackle the effects of hard water:

Learn the process – Each dishwasher tends to have two pipes – one for detergent and another for rinse aid. All operators need to do is put the weights supplied on the end of the pipe, and then place the pipe into the relevant container of chemicals.

Swapping containers is as easy as taking the lid off the new bottle, removing the pipes from the old bottle and placing them into the new one. Models with a dedicated de-lime cycle may have an additional pump and pipe. This simply requires the addition of a bottle of white vinegar.

A de-lime cycle rids the heating elements of scale, which ensures a dishwasher will continue to reach the high temperatures needed for effective cleaning.

”

Use the correct accessories –The next step is to load the dishwasher correctly. Glasses, cutlery and crockery come in all different shapes and sizes, so the person operating the dishwasher will need to choose the right baskets to do the job. As discussed above, it’s important to have a variety to hand, as well as to leave enough space for pre-rinsing and stacking items before they go into the machine.

Choose the right cycle – Each cycle is designed for a specific purpose, so using the full range of options will ensure the best results every time. .

Keep it clean – For plates, glasses and cutlery to look great and remain hygienically clean, it’s vital that both the water you wash with, and the machine itself, are kept as clean as possible. The first step to this is proper filtration. Not only will clean water ensure items are washed hygienically, but clean water will also help to minimise the amount of detergent, water and energy needed, providing double the benefit for budget-conscious businesses!

A water softener treats the water either before or as it enters the machine. This will prevent the build-up of scale on the machine’s internal components and help to extend the life cycle of the dishwasher.

How to look after your dishwasher Maintenance –Identifying potential problems early on is key to avoiding them, so regular maintenance will keep the machine working better for longer – and with fewer breakdowns. This will contribute to reducing the lifetime cost of your equipment, so consider backing up your investment by opting for a service contract with planned preventative maintenance (PPM) visits each year.

Warranties – Most food service operations would struggle to go even a day without a dishwasher, so as well as checking the length of the agreement and what it covers, consider any additional back-up services offered by the manufacturer. These can even include preventative maintenance checks, which will avoid potential downtime and extend the lifespan of equipment.

Repair services – As with any machine, dishwashers can occasionally go wrong. To help keep your kitchen running in a worst-case scenario, there are a questions you can ask before investing. Is your dishwasher from a reputable manufacturer? Are spare parts readily available? Can you get access to replacement machine, quickly?

Training – Product training is the best way of getting the most from any piece of commercial kitchen equipment, as well as keeping it running correctly.

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74 CLUB REPORT

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