2012: The race is on - Planning for the Olympics

12-Jan-2012 - Last updated on 12-Jan-2012 at 11:32 GMT

Did you know that more than two-thirds of Brits not attending this year’s Olympic Games hope to watch the action in a pub? That, at least, is according to research conducted by pub operator Orchid Group.

Given that many people were unsuccessful in the ticket draw, while many others could not afford the expense of a trip to London, the research concludes that heading to the local is by far the easier — and cheaper — option.

So, the opportunity for pubs is there. And while the Games may be more than six months away, it’s essential that outlets make plans now if they are going to fully capitalise on this sporting spectacle.

The London 2012 Olympics will run from 27 July until 12 August and are followed by the Paralympic Games, which starts on 29 August and ends on 9 September.

Don’t forget the Olympic torch relay as well, which will come within 10 miles of 95% of the UK population, passing countless pubs along the way. That begins on 19 May.

What with the relay and the 26 different sports packed in during the Games themselves, it’s no surprise that UK pub companies have already started to reveal details of their Olympic-focused marketing campaigns.

Enterprise, for example, is gearing up for its Pubs 2012 campaign, which aims to help publicans get the most out of all major events this year.

Within this, a ‘Summer of Sport’ package will start in May to include other sporting events and tie in with Olympic promotions.

“This year there will be opportunities for our publicans to follow, and engage with, their local athletes,” says an Enterprise spokesperson.

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company (S&NPC), meanwhile, has announced a number of different schemes to help its lessees get the most out of the Olympics.

Working with Heineken, it will be ‘painting London green’ — providing pubs, particularly near the Olympic village, with Heineken branding.

According to S&NPC, the pubs that want to make the most out of the event should use social media to promote their venue and Olympics activities. “A Facebook fan page is a great place to post your activities calendar and Twitter is an excellent way to publicise promotions,” says customer marketing manager Keith Parsons.

And when the sports begin, pubs should offer a fast and efficient service. “Delivering food and drink quickly and efficiently is a key factor that will determine whether or not customers come back to your pub to watch Olympic sports,” Parsons suggests.

He also recommends thinking about pre-ordered rounds, pre-poured drinks or a bottles-only area of the bar to help with busy periods.

Know your audience

Another aspect worth considering is identifying your different customer groups. “Are you looking to boost local trade by screening live sport, or are you one of the pubs that could attract Olympic tourists due to your proximity to events? The two types of pub have different promotional needs,” Parsons explains.

Pubs near Olympic venues should prepare for a potentially huge uplift in customers during certain events, and Admiral Taverns says it has already started preparing pubs in its portfolio.

“The community local is a cornerstone of British heritage, so many of our licensees will be joining in the carnival spirit of the Olympics,” says managing director Kevin Georgel, “particularly those in London and other key areas for the Games, such
as Manchester and Cardiff.”

Admiral also has a number of pubs in areas such as Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour, both in Dorset, which will be venues for the Olympic and Paralympic sailing contests.

“The area will be flooded with thousands of visitors next summer and if people are unable to get tickets, what better place to watch than in the comfort of a British community pub?” says Georgel.

“The Games will be an excellent opportunity for pubs across the country to host special events, get more people into pubs and, ultimately, to drive sales.”

But it’s not just pubcos encouraging the industry to get behind the Games. Through its Great Country Pubs campaign, Tourism South East is another organisation that is getting pubs prepared.

The aim of the project is to unite the best rural pubs in the south-east in targeting UK and overseas tourism and leisure markets.

“We already have £300,000 of European funding to deliver this project in the south-east region and the ambition is to roll it out nationally,” explains programme manager Rachel Simpson.

“We are only going to promote the best pubs, as we have strict criteria for those wanting to join. One factor is we will include only pubs with letting rooms, because we are a tourist board.”

Tourism South East also runs courses to help those that may not im-mediately be able to join the scheme. “We want people to spend the night in the local area and spend money there, so we are on the lookout for pubs with a good food offering and cask ales, as well as a warm welcome,” adds Simpson.

With a million people expected to visit the Games, a warm welcome is just what’s required to tempt people into your pub, and not the one down the road. So get planning now and don’t miss out on the opportunity for extra sales.

Don’t forget your TV licence

Pubs and bars are likely to attract those wanting to watch the Olympics, but all licensees will need to check they are covered by a valid TV licence if they plan to show the action live on their premises.

“A TV licence is required if anyone at your business watches or records TV programmes at the same time as they are broadcast,” says TV Licensing spokeswoman Emma Cowlard.

“In general, one licence will cover all the TV equipment your business uses for commercial purposes on a single site, and if there is living accommodation on the premises where a TV is also in use, this must be covered by a separate licence.”

Cowlard adds: “As well as a risk of court prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 if caught watching TV illegally, business owners found guilty are also required to buy a TV licence or they could face a second prosecution.”

For info call 0300 790 6124.

The Centurion, Chester

For host Andy Jones, the timing of the Olympics is a happy accident. It just so happens that the spectacle coincides with his plans to give the Centurion a facelift.

“We have a separate lounge and bar, and the bar needs upgrading,” says Jones. “As we are a community pub, we don’t want to become entirely a sports bar, but we want to give it a sports theme due to the Olympics.”

The event has helped give Jones a deadline to work towards at the pub in Vicars Cross in Chester. And when it comes to the Games, he intends to make sure the pub looks the part.

“We are recycling flags from the football World Cup and adding in all the Olympic countries,” Jones explains. “There are 260 of them and we are embarking on the tricky challenge of sourcing them all. It’s quite a job, and I’d say we are a third of the way there.”
Jones has also been collecting vintage sports equipment for the bar.

“There are 26 separate sports in the Olympics so we are trying to get something to represent each one.

“We hope that by doing this it will help to appeal to some of the next generation who might be starting to go to pubs — in other words, those aged 18 now — because it is people aged between 20 and 30 that we are missing in the pub.

“We have also added extra flat-screen TVs and we plan to serve hand-held snack-style foods when we show sports.”

Most popular Olympic events