Operating since 1750, The Jockey Club is the largest commercial group in British horseracing. It owns 15 racecourses across the UK, including Aintree, Carlisle and Haydock Park and the club runs the National Stud and Jockey Club Estates.
The Jockey Club’s racecourses offer a number of options for corporate entertaining. The venues’ central halls can host exhibitions, product launches and trade shows. Private boxes can cater for small meetings and suites can host larger meetings and conferences.
What part does The Jockey Club play in running large racing events?
The Jockey Club hosts some of the biggest meets in the racing calendar, including the Grand National and Cheltenham Festival. The Jockey Club operates dedicated ticketing systems for large events and provides food and drinks on race days, with around five to 50 members of permanent staff at each venue.
What big events have you organised in the past?
I organised the Jools Holland concert at Carlisle Racecourse which brought a record crowd of 10,993. For a relatively small venue, this was a huge challenge and a great thrill. I created the Ultimate Ladies Night, a world-first event, which is the only race meeting in the world where all the races are for lady jockeys only. I have worked at events such as the Grand National and the Epsom Derby although not with overall responsibility.
What is your role in organising the Grand National at Aintree in April 2013 and how does this differ, if at all, to other racing events?
I am responsible for the Grand National in its entirety. I co-ordinate and manage all the people responsible for every element of the day including operations, hospitality and tickets sales teams. To have overall responsibility for the running of the event is an absolute honour and I am really looking forward to the challenge.
The Grand National is an inimitable event. It has an incredibly rich history filled with fairy tales, such as Red Rum winning the race three times or Bob Champion battling cancer to win on Aldaniti. It is the one horse race that stops a nation – 11 million people watched it in the UK in 2012. Over the three-day event more than 150,000 people attend, of which 70,000 are on Grand National Day itself. There is a real sense that history is being made; the anticipation at the start of the race is tangible, real hairs on your neck standing on end.
How does an event of this scale affect the hospitality offering?
The first official Grand National was run in 1839, so we have had considerable experience running the event in a way that doesn’t affect the quality of our hospitality offering. We offer extra hospitality packages on the day for the increased number of visitors. Guests who want to make a visit to the Grand National a special occasion can book a private box or hospitality package in one of our restaurants. Visitors can book packages at parade ring-side restaurants, course-facing restaurants or hire one of our private boxes.
Are there any team building facilities on offer?
The venues under the Jockey Club Venues moniker offer ample space for a variety of team building options. Being racecourses, our venues have hundreds of acres of outdoor space for anything from competitive motoring at Aintree’s former Grand Prix circuit to ‘It’s a Knockout’ at Kempton Park Racecourse.