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The Hampden Hospitality Experience
As part of a new contract with Hampden Park (Scotland’s National Stadium) Sodexo Live! took over their hospitality sales. Keen to hit the ground running and full of ambition, the team got to work. But then came 2020 and a global pandemic…
A challenging year
As a company that exists to create amazing experiences, it probably goes without saying that Covid-19 hit us hard. With most of the team redeployed to manage test centres and having no fans generating revenue for Hampden Park the Sodexo Live! team had to get creative.
They explored different ways to engage with their audience, running virtual events and activities to ensure that their venue partner was supported. The team was also able to utilise their existing relationships, finding solutions to help keep their venue running despite the odds.
As the world started to get back to business, the aim of the game was to attract larger crowds back to the stadium for the season's football fixtures, as well as eight major concerts during the summer of 2022. Hampden Park had been a long-term partner since 1999, and so over the years Sodexo Live! had helped them adapt and move into new ways of working.
Sodexo Live! finds solutions to drive growth
The New Hampden Hospitality experience
Our Sales and Marketing team worked tirelessly to create an in-depth analysis into the market through buyer and competitor analysis, surveys and focus groups. The team then created a customer plan for the new levels of experiences.
Sodexo has invested a huge £1.7 million into crafting an exquisite hospitality offer at Hampden Park Stadium, completely transforming the venue. From premium seats and the newly-created Club Hampden space, to the Superbox, which boasts some of the best fine dining experiences available in the venue, it promises to deliver something for everyone.
This plan was executed through combined initiatives across customer points of contact, including a release event, paid social media, outdoor advertising, data collection efforts, B2B social media, email marketing, partner marketing, and celebrity promoters.
The Superbox has been a particularly big hit, with a luxurious VIP fine dining experience like no other. It features a seven-course tasting menu, perfectly paired wines and specialty cocktails. Demand to book a place here has been so high that people are often waiting in line to get a seat.
Meanwhile, the reimagined Club Hampden offers a modern and stylish hospitality space with a unique and luxurious experience unlike anything else in the stadium.
A packed summer schedule
It was a busy one at Hampden Park during Summer 2022. Our teams worked closely with Forward Associates to craft an unforgettable experience for more than 350,000 concert goers who came to visit some of the biggest names in music such as Coldplay, Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, Liam Gallagher, and Gerry Cinnamon.
Our Sodexo Live! teams, which consisted of over 600 members, worked tirelessly to completely transform the catering and events experience in just seven days - a feature that has never been accomplished before.
To make the experience even better, we incorporated the new EBar technology - an automated beer-pouring solution which helps to reduce queue times, all helping to increase customer satisfaction.
Sodexo Live!’s commitment to CSR
The Sodexo Live! team at Hampden Park prides itself in working closely with the local community to source products and create job opportunities.
During the summer concert season, the team incorporated Scottish produce, such as oysters from Loch Fyne Oysters, into their menus. Additionally, Sodexo partnered with Ovenbird Coffee, an eco-conscious company just two miles from the stadium that uses 100% recyclable packaging. With each cup of coffee purchased, five pence was donated to the Scottish Football Association charity.
In November 2022, Sodexo welcomed six apprentices, in partnership with Training Matters, to sample all the glory that Hampden's hospitality has to offer, in order to gain kitchen experience, and help the Sodexo Live! team with preparation for upcoming events.
The proof is in the pudding:
- Revenue for hospitality at the Scotland national football team fixtures, as well as the Premier Sports Cup Semi-Finals, has seen a major upturn since 2019, with an increase of more than 100%.
- Cashless venues have further boosted revenue, with spend-per-head rising by 20% and bar sales expected to be up by 30%.
- The hospitality website has seen a surge in unique page views of over 293% compared to 2019, and our social media channels have gained 5.7 million organic impressions.
- Lastly, our marketing database has seen an increase of 25,000 people since launch.
Sodexo Live!