Leisure Report articles from April 2006

Leisure Report archives from April 2006

Parkdean Holidays confirms 135.5m [pounds sterling] offer from Alchemy.(Inside track)
April 1, 2006... Parkdean Holidays, the UK leisure operator, announced that, following an extensive auction process, it was recommending a 135m [pounds sterling] bid to its shareholders. Investment bank UBS made the 270.5p offer for the 20-strong caravan...

888's fortunes highlight at online volatility.
April 1, 2006... Online casino firm 888.com saw its share price see-saw as bid speculation gave the group a boost, but news that non-executive chairman Marie Stevens was leaving the business, coupled with the ongoing concerns over regulatory issues in the US...

Is there an event on the horizon?(Inside track)(news from editor)
April 1, 2006... I was listening to Tessa Jowell speaking at a seminar the other day, before the furore over her husband's business dealings caused a media frenzy that threatened to unset her from the front benches, and was struck by her optimism over the...

Go ahead punk! Make YourDay with new theme park offering.(Breaking news)
April 1, 2006... Venue Solutions Holdings, the venue management technology company, and YourDay Video Technologies, a US-based provider of video-capture systems for theme parks and other leisure venues, have completed a co-operation agreement to deliver a world...

Northern Racing teams with M&B.(Breaking news)
April 1, 2006... Northern Racing has announced the completed the sale of land at Fontwell Park to Mitchells and Butlers, the UK pub operator, for a total cash consideration of 0.9m [pounds sterling], realising a profit on disposal of approximately 0.6m [pounds...

Record 2005 operating profits for Arena Leisure.(financial report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Announcing preliminary results for the year to 31 December 2005, Arena Leisure, the UK's largest operator of horseracing fixtures, today announced its audited preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2005. Arena posted a record...

New gaming rules released.(Breaking news)
April 1, 2006... The Gambling Commission has released Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, outlining the rules governing the new generation of British casinos. So-called Supercasinos will have to have clocks or windows or face losing their licence;...

Namco acquires Dagenham Bowl.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Acting on behalf of Aldershot Bowling Ltd, Edward Symmons Hospitality & Leisure has sold the leasehold interest as a going concern in Dagenham Bowl at Dagenham Leisure Park, Essex. Namco Operations Europe acquired the lease, goodwill,...

Goals nets 355% profit growth in 2005 as soccer market takes off.(Breaking news)
April 1, 2006... Five-a-side soccer specialist Goals Soccer Centres has announced pretax profits of 2.8m [pounds sterling] for 2005, up considerably from the 600,000 [pounds sterling] reported for 2004. In addition, like-for-like sales were up 9%. Goals'...

Multi-million revamp plans for Canterbury cricket ground.(Kent County Cricket Club)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Kent County Cricket Club has announced plans to develop a conference centre, hotel and museum as part of a 7m [pounds sterling] overhaul of the Canterbury ground. To finance the development, the club will sell land behind the ground to be...

SLG eyes'premium affordable' market with land partnership deals.(Sports and Leisure Group)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The Sports & Leisure Group, which operates fitness centres under the Roko Leisure brand, in addition to small-sided football centres, celebrated the opening of its new Gillingham site and said it expects to forge ahead with a number of new...

Lifetime reports sharp increase in training sales.(financial report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... At the launch of its new training venue in Chorley, Lancashire, in March, Lifetime announced a 71% increase, year on year, in training course revenue over the previous four months. The group said it had achieved its highest course sales...

Bannatyne eyes float after rejecting bid.(News: Health & fitness)
April 1, 2006... The Daily Telegraph reported that leisure tycoon and television personality Duncan Bannatyne is understood to be mulling an IPO of his health club and hotel business, Bannatyne Leisure, one of the UK's largest independent fitness groups. The...

Life Fitness signs up for new supply deals.(News: Health & fitness)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Life Fitness has recently won the contract to supply equipment for Argyll and Bute Council's new facility in Campbeltown. The 7m [pounds sterling] development, Aqualibrium, which is due to open later this year, will include a 25-station gym,...

Powerleague in fitness offering.(Powerleague opened its first purposebuilt gym)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... UK five-a-side market leader Powerleague has opened its first purposebuilt gym, at Catford in south London. The operator currently runs a gym at only one of its 32 sites, in Manchester, although that site was developed previously by Vida...

Next Generation sale heats up.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... BC Partners-owned Fitness First is the only trade buyer left in the auction for Next Generation, after Esporta dropped out of the running. The news came as a surprise to many in the industry, as the two businesses operate at opposite ends...

Contours in shape for UK market.(News: Health & fitness)
April 1, 2006... Women-only weight loss and fitness franchise Contours Express has opened its first British studio, in Aldrige. The 1,300 sq ft site was opened by franchisee Sue Arrowsmith, who commented: "We offer an effective, no-gimmick fitness and...

Powerleage nets 107% profit rise.(financial report Powerleague)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Powerleague, the leading commercial operator of five-a-side football centres in the UK, saw profits more than double in the six months to 31 December. The group currently operates 32 centres, encompassing 339 floodlit, all-weather outdoor...

Mansion group gambles 60m [pounds sterling] on Man United.(News: Sport)
April 1, 2006... The little-known internet gambling group Mansion is set to sign a 60m [pounds sterling] four-year deal to become Premiership soccer club Manchester United's new shirt sponsor. Mansion, headed by Indonesian billionaire Putera Sampoerna, who...

Endangered lions plan for the worst as 2005 brings more losses.(financial report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Reporting interim results for the six months to 30 November 2005, Millwall Holdings, parent company of Championship side Millwall FC, said its headline loss of 2.4m [pounds sterling], and warned there was little cheer ahead .The six month...

Leisure report LR index: football stockwatch March 2006.(News: Sport)
April 1, 2006... Another quiet month for share prices of listed clubs--one would almost think-that investors were tiring of the sector and throwing their funds into online gaming firms instead! Charlton Athletic was the month's leading performer, with...

Playtech gears up for 550m [pounds sterling] IPO.(News: Betting & Gaming)
April 1, 2006... Playtech, the software group that specialises in building systems for online gaming operators, has unveiled plans for a 550m [pounds sterling] AIM float. Playtech intends to place shares with institutional investors to the value of 175m...

Segal quits PartyGaming.(Richard Segal leave the company PartyGaming)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Richard Segal, chief executive of PartyGaming, is to leave the company, favouring family life in the UK over a move to the group's HQ in Gibraltar. Segal, who is expected to receive a payout of around 10m [pounds sterling], has commuted to...

Australia's Betcorp on fast-track to AIM floatation.(News: Betting & Gaming)
April 1, 2006... Aussie gaming firm Betcorp announced that its ordinary shares were to be admitted to trading on 17 March on the Alternative Investment Market. Betcorp is a broadly based online gaming group offering customers a range of products including...

Ubet2win opens Ulster office to offer telephone and hedge betting.(News: Betting & Gaming)
April 1, 2006... Ubet2win, the AIM-listedUK gaming firm, announced it had opened a new service in its Northern Ireland office, offering a telephone betting to its customers. In a statement, the group said that "following extensive refurbishment, investment...

Ambassadeurs sale really spoils LCI.(News: Betting & Gaming)
April 1, 2006... London Clubs International completed its much-hyped sale of its flagship club, Les Ambassadeurs, for 115m [pounds sterling] cash, in a move that should leave the group spoiled for choice over future developments. The group offloaded the...

Maiden results impress at 32Red.(News: Betting & Gaming)
April 1, 2006... Announcing its maiden set of full-year results since listing on AIM in September 2005, 32Red, the UK-focused online gaming group, reported sharp increases in profits, revenues and the number of active players. Headline profits before...

William Hill backs a winner as Stanley LBO deal pays dividends.(News: Betting & Gaming)
April 1, 2006... Leading UK bookmaker William Hill announced robust results for the 52 weeks ended 27 December 2005, and said that last year's deal to acquire the betting shop estate of rival Stanley Leisure would exceed its previous forecasts. The group...

Strong results as Ladbrokes leaves Hilton.(News: Betting & Gaming)
April 1, 2006... In its last set of results as part of the Hilton stable, Ladbrokes delivered an operating profit of 266.6m [pounds sterling] for the year to 31 December. The company said that it had completed its strategic review of the Ladbrokes business...

Tote sell-off scheme falls at EC hurdle.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The EC is set to move to block attempts by the British Government to transfer the Tote to a trust run by the racing industry. Neely Kruse, the EC's competition commissioner, believes the proposed 200m [pounds sterling] sale might involve...

Rank profit drops 14% as Deluxe Media division starts to become a millstone.(financial report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Rank Group has reported a 14% fall in full-year pre-tax profits to 85.4m [pounds sterling]. The company said that it had been unable to find a buyer for its Deluxe Media division and would have to consider breaking it up and selling the...

Profits down at Ultimate Leisure following 'disappointing' first-half trading performance.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
April 1, 2006... Late night bar and club operator Ultimate Leisure reported a worse-than-expected set of interim results, with half-year pre-tax profit falling by over 67% to 1.6m [pounds sterling] before exceptional items. Turnover was 17.5m [pounds...

Property developers lose race to acquire Portsmouth's 'landmark' cinema site.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
April 1, 2006... The 1930's Carlton Cinema in Cosham, Portsmouth, which lays claim to being the oldest cinema in southern England with the biggest screen in the south of England, had its future secured last month. The Winchester office of specialist...

Buyer interest forces IMAX to consider sale.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
April 1, 2006... IMAX Corporation, the world's biggest maker of giant-screen film systems, has put itself on the market to finance expansion after it received inquiries from potential buyers. Reporting a 54% hike in fourth-quarter profits, IMAX said it is...

Po Na Na owner strengthens management after failure to sell.(Avanti Capital)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Avanti Capital, which owns Barvest, has announced plans to strengthen the group's management team after failing to received an 'acceptable' bid for the 28-strong bar and club operator. Avanti put the chain up for sale in March 2005 for...

Georgica strikes for Edinburgh Megabowl site.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Edward Symmons Hospitality & Leisure has sold the leasehold interest in the 26-lane Megabowl Bowling Centre at Kinnaird Park, Edinburgh, on behalf of Grant Thornton UK LLP, Joint Administrators of Megabowl. The 2,305 sq m (24,800 sq ft)...

Is timeshare in the future for Center Parcs in wake of Blackstone's 205m [pounds sterling] approach?(News: Tourism & Attractions)
April 1, 2006... Blackstone, the US private equity business with an extensive UK leisure portfolio, has made an approved 80p per share offer for Center Parcs, valuing the company at approximately 205.4m [pounds sterling], or 265m [pounds sterling] including...

10m [pounds sterling] revamp will make a splash for Waterworld as injury case ends in victory.(Waterworld to expand)
April 1, 2006... Waterworld, the UK's most visited Aqua Park with over 400,000 visitors per year, is set to transform itself in to a multi-leisure destination complex which will include a hotel and an array of other attractions. The 2m [pounds sterling]...

London sights bounce back.(News: Tourism & Attractions)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Visit London's monthly Attraction Monitor showed that visits to the capital's attractions returned to positive growth in January following seven months of falling attendance numbers. During January, overall attendances were up 1.7% compared...

Prezzo raised 7.5m [pounds sterling] through placing.(Prezzo Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Prezzo has raised 7.5 [pounds sterling] through a share placing to fund further expansion of the group. The company, which is listed on AIM, placed 12.5 million shares at 60p each. The new shares represent approximately 5.9% of the current...

Natural hits five, as expansion plan is revealed.
April 1, 2006... Healthfood chain and care concept Natural is to open its fifth outlet, in Marlow, Bucks. The company is hoping to expand to 30 outlets next year, and is understood to be searching for high footfall locations in prime locations throughout London...

Camelot chief joins Domino's Pizza board.
April 1, 2006... Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland has added Dianne Thompson CBE to its board as a non-executive director. Thompson has been chief executive of National Lottery operator Camelot Group since 2000. Colin Halpern, chairman of Domino's, said: Dianne...

Chester Boyd lands Buckingham Palace catering contract.
April 1, 2006... Events company Chester Boyd has won the contract to cater parties held in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. The agreement, which will last for five years, was won from Sudexho, who it is understood did not pitch for the business. The...

McDonald's to close 25 UK sites in 50m bid to turnaround business.(News: Food)
April 1, 2006... McDonald's UK is closing a number of restaurants after five years of declining sales in Britain. As part of a turnaround drive the company will close 25 outlets and refurbish 200 of its 1,200 UK restaurants. Last month declining sales...

Fairtrade push heats up as consumer pressure mounts.(News: Food)
April 1, 2006... Marks & Spencers has begun a high-profile push for coffee at Cafe Revive, its 200-strong in-house coffee shop, focussing on its Fairtrade offering, while rival Costa has rolled out its own rival coffee. M&S is making a big play on the fact...

Greggs trading up, but warns of "challenging' environment.(News: Food)
April 1, 2006... Greggs, the bakery and fast-food operator, reported a 5% increase in pre-tax profit to 50.2m [pounds sterling] for the year to 31 December. The company, which has over 1,300 retail outlets throughout the UK, trading under the Greggs and...

La Tasca targets Stevenage site.(La Tasca)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... La Tasca is to open its first site under the Sam & Maxie's brand at Stevenage leisure park in Hertfordshire on 10 April. A second Sam & Maxie's is expected to open in July and a third in October. The 5,700 sq ft site was formerly The...

Pizza Hut adds Wallis to board.(News: Food)
April 1, 2006... Pizza Hut has appointed Simon Wallis its new marketing director. Wallis has been acting in the capacity since the departure of the previous post holder, Martin Pugh, in November 2005. Formerly the chain's head of retail marketing, Wallis...

Out of the box ideas as thinkOTB expands specialist leisure offering.(News: Industry)
April 1, 2006... Creative services and marketing company thinkOTB is to operate as three separate companies, offering the leisure industry separate solutions in creative services and marketing; campaigns, sales and retention; and PR. The three companies will be...

BHA gives cautious nod to Clarke immigration plan.(News: Industry)
April 1, 2006... The British Hospitality Association has given a conditional welcome to the government's new immigration regulations. The system, similar to those in operation in Australia and the US, will award points non-EU nationals wishing to work in...

Wins from chip & pin kick in.(News: Industry)
April 1, 2006... The introduction of chip and pin technology has helped to cut credit card crime for the first time in ten years, according to Apacs, the UK card payment association. Apacs said the amount lost in card fraud dropped 13% last year to 439m...

UK brand tops Anholt survey.
April 1, 2006... The UK has been rated top out of 35 countries as a brand in the annual Anholt-GMI National Brands Index. In addition, the UK's tourism was placed eighth out of the 35 countries in the index and was third for culture. Tom Wright,...

Inland Revenue makes U-turn on tips treatment.
April 1, 2006... HM Revenue & Customs has climbed down over the way it taxes tips paid to hospitality industry staff. It signalled it would refund some employers who had been paying too much National Insurance on staff tips. It said if a contract of employment...

SIA preparing to license Scottish doorstaff.(Security Industry Authority)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Scottish doorstaff will shortly be required to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority, as is the case with their colleagues in England and Wales. The new regulations are scheduled for launch February 2007, and will be phased in over...

Cashbox plans AIM float.
April 1, 2006... Cashbox, the ATM operator, is expected to raise around 3.5m [pounds sterling] floating on AIM. The company has an estate of 845 cash machines, of which 89% are located in corporate estates, including pubs. The group has planned a further 583...

Multi-million inland marina plan launched by British Waterways.(News: Property)
April 1, 2006... British Waterways has published a guide outlining the attractive inland marina investment and development opportunity that exists on the UK's canal and river network, in a bid to drum up support for an ambitious scheme to build up to 50 inland...

Plan for multimillion Stafford leisure scheme.(News: Property)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A Midlands property developer is hoping to cash in on the popularity of celebrity dance shows and the recently held Winter Olympics with a new multi-million-pound entertainment complex. Chaseregen chairman and chief executive Fred Pritchard...

Government to fast-track new climate change rules.(News: Property)
April 1, 2006... The government has tightened the time for the building industry to comply with new climate change regulations, said Yvette Cooper, planning minister. Transitional arrangements have been cut from the usual maximum of three years to just 12...

Sheffield United awaits city council's hotel planning decision.(News: Property)
April 1, 2006... City planners have advised Sheffield City Council to approve a plan for a four-star hotel in the city's Sharrow district at Bramall Lane, the home of Sheffield United Football Club. The club submitted plans for the building in October last...

Coventry's Ricoh Arena tops list as the UK's best conference venue.(news: property)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Coventry's Ricoh Arena has been voted Best UK Venue at conference centre trade event International Confex, recently held at London's Earl's Court. The Ricoh is home to Coventry City Football Club, and its conference and banqueting facility...

When a drop of the black stuff is a mudpack ...: David Minton says the Irish spa explosion amounts to a social experiment.(Insight)(Personal account)
April 1, 2006... Did you know that Ireland has more spas per head of adult population than any other EU country? Actually I don't know if that statement is true or false but it serves to highlight my shock and awe at how many spas are currently open and how...

Love contracts--an antidote for workplace relationships? Silverman Sherliker's Nicholas Lakeland looks at the legality of office romance.(Legal: Office romance)
April 1, 2006... Statistically, many of us will find our life partner as result of forming a relationship with someone we work with. However, for every successful relationship there are also those which tail. The fallout of a workplace relationship can pose...

Putting the trust into the Trust and encouraging charitable thinning: Leisure Report presents a case study for the development of public facilities.(Business Sense: Case study)(Company overview)
April 1, 2006... In 2001 Dacorum Borough Council (DBC) Sports Services undertook a comprehensive Best Value Review. The Audit Commission Inspectors found that service was "good, with excellent prospects for improvement". Part of the Commission's suggested...

LR index leisure stockwatch March 2006.(Sharewatch)
April 1, 2006... In another month of mixed fortunes for the overall leisure sector, the LR Index ended the month slightly ahead, thanks to some large gains on the back of interesting bid activity and the end of the main results season. Leading the charge...

Diary dates: April.(Diary dates)(Calendar)
April 1, 2006... Event: Fitness Wales Spring Spectacular Date: 1 Location: Welsh Institute of Sport, Cardiff, UK Description: Featuring presenters from UK and Europe. Ideas for group instructors, gym instructors and personal trainers. Contact:...