Punch hoping for record turnout to lessee roadshows
Punch Taverns is hoping up to 3,000 of its lessees will attend its programme of roadshow events to be held later next month.
Punch operations director Kevin Georgel said last year's events saw around 2,700 of the group's operators show up and he was expecting this figure to be bettered when the pubco hosts a similar programme from the beginning of October.
The roadshows will take place in large sports venues including London's Twickenham rugby stadium and Edinburgh's Murrayfield, and will offer licensees help and advice on a range of topics.
Georgel also said an additional series of forums would take place later in the year and through into 2010, where licensees would be able to air their views - good or bad - on their relationship with the pubco.
"A lot of work is being done internally to improve both the lot of our licensees and the relationship we have with them," Georgel said.
"More than a thousand licensees are being helped financially and a similar number of receiving other forms of support, such as our Table Top food programme," he added.
Georgel said the removing a licensee's profit from AWP income from the rental equation, which went live at the start of August, would make a "significant difference" to the finances of those running the group's pubs.
"We are striving to be more transparent," Georgel said, "and this is part of that process."
Punch's 2009 roadshow programme, which is open to everyone and does not require registration, is as follows:
October 6 - Murrayfield Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh
October 8 - Newcastle Racecourse
October 12 - Walkers Stadium, Leicester
October15 - Villa Park, Birmingham
October 20 - Chester Racecourse
October 22 - Reebok Stadium, Bolton
October 27 - Twickenham Rugby Stadium, London
October 29 - Elland Road Stadium, Leeds
November 3 - Sandy Park, Exeter
November 5 - Ashton Gate, Bristol
November 10 - Newmarket Racecourse
