Freemans Event Partners Q2 2024 Update

Taylor Swift Smashes Records at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium

200,000 Swifties descended on Scottish Gas Murrayfield to experience Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, smashing the record for the highest-attended stadium concert in Scottish history overtaking Harry Styles from last year. The 152-date stadium tour is on track to make more than ￡1.56bn by the time it wraps up in December, making it the highest grossing tour ever.??

Concert-goers experienced cutting-edge grab & go retail experiences, high-volume bars, mouth-watering street food options, and lightning fast payment solutions.? ?

Costa Coffee and FEP Go For Gold in Paris

Costa Coffee, the Nation’s Favourite Coffee Shop, is set to feature as the coffee provider of choice at this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. FEP will facilitate Costa Coffee’s presence at the games, building and deploying coffee outlets throughout the capital city. The brand will be operating bespoke outlets across Paris throughout the Games, with a presence across some of the event’s key venues, including the Athlete’s Village, Place de la Concorde, the Eiffel Tower, Roland-Garros, Versailles and Le Golf National.??

Sam O’Brien, Managing Director EMENA said: “We are extremely proud to be the official worldwide coffee partner for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games this Summer, bringing the Costa Coffee experience to the Games for athletes and fans gathering from all over the world. The Olympics and Paralympics represent great opportunities for our brand to connect with spectators, and we look forward to showcasing our beloved range of beverages at such a high-profile event.”?

Looking Ahead to Golf This Summer

Congratulations to Bryson DeChambeau on winning the US Open, hosted at Pinehurst No. 2, North Carolina. We are looking ahead to some world-class golf on UK shores happening this summer. With less than 65 days to go until the Betfred British Masters, planning is in full swing. We are looking foward to enhancing the spectator experience with an outstanding F&B line up. The Barbazon Village will be transformed into a street food area, showcasing authentic local food options. There are less than 80 days to go until the BMW PGA Championship. To support DP World Tour's sustainability goals, Hole 10 will become an envrionmentally-focused zone promoting key messaging and an eco-friendly F&B offering.?

Badminton Horse Trials

In May, over 180,000 spectators attended 75th annual Badminton Horse Trials. Congratulations to New Zealand’s Caroline Powell for taking the title. The iconic event was enhanced by our multi-service event solutions, bringing over 100 outlets to the event including award-winning street food operators, iconic high street brands such as Costa Coffee and West Cornwall Pasty, and industry-leading bars.??

Venue dress was deployed across the site by FEP to ensure the look and feel was in keeping with the prestige of the event including recycling stations, food maps, and engaging digital screen content. Digital food maps were created by the FEP team, showcasing the variety of options available including gluten-free and meat-free choices. Content was shared with Badminton, featuring provenance stories from local vendors, eye-catching imagery, and a collaborative Instagram Reel gaining over 33,000 views.?

The experience was enhanced by FEP’s fast & efficient PCI-compliant payment solutions, allowing customers to pay by card, reducing queues and improving service times. Customers were able to enjoy?food & drink from their favourite brands delivered by FEP's BRCGS-accredited Foodservice solution via 100 deliveries made directly to the event. We undertook a full review of our menus showing the carbon footprint in partnership with Klimato. This allowed spectators to make an environmentally informed F&B choices! ?

High-Street Brands: A Growing Event Trend

The event catering landscape is transforming as we see more high-street brands integrating into events. Familiar names such as Costa Coffee and West Cornwall Pasty are now staples across our event calendar, bringing high-street experience to all event attendees. This shift is driven by the desire to offer consumers the brands they trust and enjoy in their everyday lives, so why not at their favourite event as well??

The presence of well-known brands ensures a level of quality and consistency that eventgoers expect. These are some of the nation's favourite brands?and can draw customers, drive average transaction values and deliver the quality and taste customers are familiar with.?

Having established high-street brands at events elevates the event’s prestige and appeal,?attracting a broader audience and potentially higher-profile sponsors and partners.?

Fan Zones: A Game Changer for Fan Engagement

The concept of fan zones, a key part of American sports culture, is revolutionising the fan experience at UK events and stadia. By creating vibrant, engaging spaces for fans to gather before the main event, fan zones offer a unique blend of entertainment and community atmosphere. These zones feature special guests, live music, and interactive activities that build excitement and anticipation, transforming the pre-event experience into a highlight in its own right.?

Fan zones provide a valuable opportunity for organisers to maximise venue usage year-round. These versatile spaces can be repurposed for various events, from corporate functions to showings of sports matches, generating continuous revenue and economic benefits for the surrounding areas. By leveraging these spaces effectively, venues can create a dynamic hub of activity that extends well beyond the primary event calendar.?

The rise of fan zones is reshaping the landscape of UK stadia, enhancing the fan experience, and providing significant economic advantages. As this trend continues to grow, we can expect fan zones to become an integral part of the event experience, offering endless possibilities for engagement and revenue generation.?