Leisure Report articles from December 2004

Leisure Report archives from December 2004

Betfair wins as Sporting Options folds.
December 1, 2004... Betfair, the UK betting exchange market leader, was celebrating a successful month after the company published its first annual report, stepped in with a high-profile rescue package for punters left in the lurch by the collapse of rival...

Gaming Corporation outshines Ladbrokes.(Ladbroke Group PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Ladbrokes, the gaming arm of Hilton, and Gaming Corporation, owner of casino.co.uk, the UK's leading casino portal, posted mixed results as Leisure Report went to press. In a trading statement, Hilton Group reported a 19% increase in...

The leisure industry is full of bright ideas.(Inside track)
December 1, 2004... The inaugural Leopards: The Leisure Operator Awards, were held in London on 23 November, to celebrate and reward innovation within the leisure sector. In the 'Most Innovative Betting and Gaming' category, sponsored by S & P Architects, the...

One in three leisure companies facing skills shortage.(News)
December 1, 2004... Nearly a third of employers in the UK's leisure, hospitality, travel and tourism sectors report skills gaps in their workforces which have a negative impact on the bottom line, according to newly-released research by People 1st, the Sector...

Clerkenwell looking for 100m [pounds sterling] leisure purchase.(News)(Clerkenwell Ventures)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... David Page, former Pizza Express chief executive, is predicting that his new cash shell will buy a leisure business worth between 50m [pounds sterling] and 100m [pounds sterling] within the next six months. Clerkenwell Ventures, which in...

ADDleisure makes successful listing on AIM.(News)(Alternative Investment Market)
December 1, 2004... ADDleisure, a lifestyle company formed to capitalise on new opportunities in the leisure, health and fitness sectors, made a successful debut on the Alternative Investment Market, raising 1.5m [pounds sterling] through the issue of 30m shares...

Glazer hits back as banks drop support.(News)(Malcolm Glazer)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Malcolm Glazer's attempt to take control of Manchester United suffered a body blow when investment bank adviser JP Morgan and public relations adviser Brunswick both quit in protest at the tycoon's hostile behaviour to the club. Deutsche...

Profits up but retention hurts DLL figures.(Health & fitness news)(David Lloyd Leisure PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... David Lloyd Leisure, the Whitbread-owned health and fitness chain, saw strong growth in operating profits when reporting its interim results for the six months to 2 September 2004, but said membership growth was hindered by poor retention at...

Fitness First to open franchises in Middle East.(Health & fitness news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Fitness First, the UK's largest health club chain, has signed a franchise deal to move into the Middle East and North Africa. The deal represents the first franchise scheme for the operator anywhere in the world, and will see the company...

Leading Hotels to accredit spas.(Health & fitness news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Leading Hotels of the World has created Leading Spas, an international luxury spa evaluation and certification scheme. Paul McManus, chief executive of Leading Hotels, said: "While many hotels and resorts purport to have 'full-service...

Leisure Connection adopts new faces.(Health & fitness news)(Appointment)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Leisure Connection, the sport and leisure management company, announced the recent appointment of Nigel Myers as new finance director, and said Martin Corbishley had been named as its new head of property services, as the company signed up to...

Initiatives lift Esporta numbers.(Health & fitness news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Esporta, the health, fitness and racquets club operator, reported a significant increase in membership numbers for the 12 months to the end of September. The company has attracted 9% more members than in the comparative period during 2003,...

LA fitness moots weight loss centres in supermarkets.(Health & fitness news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... LA Fitness has said that its weight loss centres could be rolled out to supermarkets, hospitals and similar suitable locations. The company is currently building a trial site next to its fitness centre in Bedford, and will open three more...

Charlton Athletic nets healthy 11m [pounds sterling] profit.(Sport news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Reporting a net profit of 11.1m [pounds sterling] for the year to 30 June 2004, Charlton Athletic continued to prove that smaller football clubs can flourish if well managed both on and off the field. On the field, the Addicks recorded...

Taskcatch's growth.(Sport news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Reporting interim figures for the six months ended 31 July 2004m Taskcatch, the AIM-listed operator of small-sided soccer venues showed a steady increase in turnover, although the company posted a small loss in the wake a start-up costs. ...

TopGolf looking for a bigger slice.(Sport news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... TopGolf, the high-tech driving range operator owned by Baydrive Group and backed by Henderson Private Capital, is looking for more sites to develop its urban golfing faciltites. The company, which currently operates two sites in the South East,...

Chelsea to ditch 'Village' life for football.(Sport news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Chelsea football club is reportedly planning to ditch the 'Chelsea Village' concept and concentrate on football. Peter Kenyon, chief executive, has already launched a review of the two hotels, restaurants, fitness club and nightclub at...

Leisure Report LR Index football stockwatch November 2004.(Sport news)(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... West Brom's decision to de-list from the stock exchange, announced after the club announced its figures for the year to 30 June, led the news this month. The Baggies were in the First Division last season, and saw turnover fall to 20.6m [pounds...

Regional casinos to be capped as Bill hits resistance.(Betting & gaming news)
December 1, 2004... The government was forced into making a major u-turn by limiting the number of super casinos allowed under the Gambling Bill. Tessa Jowell, culture secretary, announced that the number of regional casinos would initially be limited to eight....

BHB facing bankruptcy over shock ECJ ruling.(Betting & gaming news)(British Horseracing Board)(European Court of Justice)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The British Horseracing Board was plunged into turmoil following a shock verdict from the European Court of Justice over the Board's ability to sell data to bookmakers. In a decision that took industry insiders by surprise, the ECJ found...

Beaumont resigns from ukbetting to join Tote board.(Betting & gaming news)(Trevor Beaumont)(resignation and appointment)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Trevor Beaumont has resigned from his managing director's job at ukbetting to become chief executive of the Tote. Beaumont, a former executive at Coral Eurobet, will be on board at the Tote as it is sold to a raring trust. The pool betting...

Top Ten in top form.(Betting & gaming news)(Top Ten Holdings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Top Ten Holdings, the bingo club and amusement arcade operator, reported a surge in turnover and profits when announcing its unaudited interim results for the 26 weeks to 26 September 2004. Profits before tax increased from 530,208 [pounds...

Trading places at TradingSports.(Betting & gaming news)(The Trading Exchange)(name change)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... TradingSports Exchange Systems, the AIM-listed provider of "white label" person-to-person betting exchange systems, announced that it was to rename itself The Trading Exchange, following shareholder approval. The group also said Ray Ranson...

Sportech's 4m [pounds sterling] advertising failure.(Betting & gaming news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Sportech, the gaming group behind the Littlewoods Football Pools business, admitted that its recently-undertaken 4m [pounds sterling] marketing campaign had failed to attract a sufficient number of new customers. Sportech said: "Whilst the...

Sportingbet pays 163m [pounds sterling] to get Paradise.(Betting & gaming news)(Paradise Poker)
December 1, 2004... Sportingbet, the UK-listed internet betting outfit, bought Paradise Poker for 169m [pounds sterling] ($297.5m), as reported in Leisure Report in November, as part of its hid to become a world leader in the online sports betting and gaming...

Ex-Odeon boss to head up PartyPoker.com.(Betting & gaming news)(Appointments)(iGlobalMedia Group)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Richard Segal, formerly head of Odeon, has joined the privately owned iGlobalMedia Group as chief executive, in a move that is likely to add fuel to rumours the group is planning to float. iGlobalMedia Group was founded in 1997, and has...

Trump agrees debt deal to recapitalise his casino estate.(Betting & gaming news)(Donald Trump)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Donald Trump has agreed a deal with bondholders to recapitalise debt in his casino company and will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The plan has ended months of negotiation between financiers, bondholders and the company, and...

Record visitor numbers point to UK tourism recovery.(Tourism & attractions news)
December 1, 2004... VisitBritain announced an estimated 26.34m international visitors will come to Britain during the course of this year, which would make 2004 the best ever recorded year for visitors and confirm the recovery of the international tourism market,...

Tussauds turns its eye to casinos as German site drains profits.(Tourism & attractions news)
December 1, 2004... Despite good performances from its British businesses, Tussauds Group reported a pre-tax loss of 37m [pounds sterling], more than five times last year's loss of 5.8m [pounds sterling], after the leisure operator was forced to write down 34m...

Budget tourism marketing guide launched.(Tourism & attractions news)
December 1, 2004... VisitBritain has published a marketing guide for British tourism businesses, to explain different low-cost and 'no cost' ways it can help them to reach potential British and international visitors. Identifying simple and direct 'routes to...

Merlin conjures record growth in ticket sales.(Tourism & attractions news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Merlin Entertainments, the Dungeons and Sea Life group, announced a 20% rise in its half-year ticket sales to 26m [pounds sterling], following a record summer, bucking the trend of many other leading leisure organisations. At the half-year...

Euro Disney plans rights issue as losses deepen thanks to Mikey Mouse costs.(Tourism & attractions news)
December 1, 2004... Euro Disney, the troubled theme park operator that announced a life-saving debt restructuring in September, fell deeper into losses in its 2003/04 fiscal year to 30 September, due to royalty payments and increased operating costs. The...

UK tourism 'not resilient enough'.(Tourism & attractions news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A former tourism industry chief has said that not enough is being done to prepare for any future crises. Few organisations are prepared for a downturn like those experienced after September 11, according to Mary Lynch, former English...

Cendant changes.(Tourism & attractions news)(Promotions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Cendant has named its chief financial officer, Ronald Nelson, as its new president. Nelson will continue to serve as the company's CFO and replaces Henry Silverman, who becomes chairman and chief executive. Prior to joining Cendant...

UK Film Council announces new boardroom appointments.(Cinema & entertainment news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Three film producers have been appointed as board directors to the UK Film Council, while Andrew Eaton, a director of Revolution Films, which produced films such as Bright Young Things, Jude and Wonderland, will serve as deputy chair of the...

'Delighted' Ultimate looking for new acquisitions.(Cinema & entertainment news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Ultimate Leisure announced that it was "delighted" with first-quarter trading, despite strong competition on the high street. The company reported turnover up 15% on the year for the period and said that trading had been in line with...

Bowlplex scoops three international tenpin awards.(Cinema & entertainment news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Bournemouth-based Bowlplex, the UK tenpin operator, was the only UK company to win a number of prestigious awards from the US Bowlers Journal, scooping three prizes. The company, which last year triumphed in the Bowlers Journal Bowling...

Luminar shows improvement in like-for-like sales.(Cinema & entertainment news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Luminar reported that sales decline was improving across its estate, with like-for-likes down just 1% in October, compared with a 3.7% drop in the half-year to 29 August. The news came as the company reported pre-tax profits before...

Soho Clubs and Chinawhite in hunt for sites.(Cinema & entertainment news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Soho Clubs and Bars has reported that it has been offered 'an awful lots of sites' to fuel its expansion, while ultra-cool Chinawhite is reported to be on the verge of opening a bar in Glasgow. Jeremy Gordeno, managing director of Soho...

Go-ahead for Billing Aquadrome.(Property & development news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Billing Aquadrome, the Northamptonshire holiday park, has received planning permission for its 10m [pounds sterling] redevelopment scheme. The planned new entertainment complex, which will known as The Boardwalk has been designed on a New...

Casino planning 'operating in a vacuum'.(Property & development news)
December 1, 2004... The millions that casino operators have already spent investing in UK casinos could be at risk because of a planning vacuum, delegates at the Leisure Report Casino conference heard. These thoughts were echoed by Neil Murphy, Sun...

Public to own 25m [pounds sterling] new Dive Dome in Milton Keynes.(Property & development news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Dive Dome Limited, a subsidiary of RAM Investment Group, an AIM-listed company, is seeking public funding from selling an initial 2,500 memberships of 10,000 [pounds sterling] to fund the 25m [pounds sterling] investment needed to build a...

Wembley Arena to get 29m [pounds sterling] revamp.(Property & development news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Wembley Arena is to undergo a 29m [pounds sterling] redevelopment, with plans including the installation of new auditorium seating which will increase the capacity of the venue to 13,400. A new hospitality suite, a backstage bar and box office...

TGI's and Costa in firing line at Whitbread.(Food & drink news)(TGI Friday's Inc. and Costa Coffee)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... After reporting disappointing profits, down 5.9% in the first six months of the financial year, Whitbread plans to dispose of up to one-tenth of its restaurants, with TGI Friday's and Costa Coffee likely to come under close scrutiny as Alan...

McDonald's TV to rollout across 100 sites.(Food & drink news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... McDonald's is to expand its in-store TV service to 100 stores after a successful trial in 10 London outlets. The pilot scheme was launched three months ago and market research firm Ipsos has found that the service is particularly popular with...

Subway.(Over the counter ...)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Subway is looking for at least 90 more outlets in the Liverpool area. The store is looking for sites on the pub/club circuit, as well as in student areas and urban centres, and plans to invest 15m [pounds sterling] by 2010.

Cafe Nation.(Over the counter ...)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Martyn Dawes, boss of Cafe Nation, whose machines are now in 200 outlets across Britain, hopes to float the company on the AIM market within 18 months.

Greggs.(Over the counter ...)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein recommends holding on to Greggs shares on the back of a solid performance during the first 18 weeks of the second half. Greggs reported like-for-likes to 16 October up 6.2%, ahead of expectations. Like-for-like...

Caffe Nero aims for 200.(Food & drink news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Caffe Nero said that it expected to add one new store every 10 days during the remainder of the current year. The company said it aims to reach 200 sites by the end of February next year. It currently has an estate of 189 outlets,...

Starbucks shares fall as poor UK performance hits profits.(Food & drink news)(Starbucks Coffee Company UK Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Shares in Starbucks fell by more than 2% to $54 after the company announced its full-year results, despite reporting a 30% increase in full-year net revenues to $5.3bn (2.9bn [pounds sterling]). Net profit for the fourth quarter climbed to...

New FD at Domino's.(Food & drink news)(Finance Director)(Appointment)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland has appointed Lee Ginsberg as finance director and company secretary. Ginsberg joins the company from Health Club Holdings Limited, formerly known as Holmes Place, where he was group finance director. ...

Trade bodies warn minimum wage rise could cost jobs.(Industry news)
December 1, 2004... Future increases in the national minimum wage could threaten jobs and hours across the leisure and hospitality industry, according to trade organisations. The British Hospitality Association published a survey of its members that showed...

Call for 'Chip and PIN' deadline extension.(Industry news)(personal identification number)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A survey has found that 47% of companies will not be able to install Chip and PIN machines by the 1 January 2005 deadline. The results have led the Forum of Private Business to call for the deadline to be extended. After 1 January liability...

Private equity dominating the leisure market.(Industry news)(Brief Article)(Panel Discussion)
December 1, 2004... Private equity is the new public company in the leisure and hospitality sectors, was the message given to delegates at the Restaurant 2004 conference in London, organised by Martin Information. Panellists discussing the robustness of the...

BHA says hotel building boom will slow next year.(Industry news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A report by the British Hospitality Association concluded that the current hotel building boom in the UK will follow a year of calm. The report said that current spending levels have created the biggest investment the industry has seen for...

Slimming industry 'misses out men'.(Industry news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A new report from Mintel, the market analysts, has found that the gap between the number of men and women who diet has fallen over the last 20 years and concludes the rise of the male dieter has so far been missed by the slimming industry,...

The health business or the wealth business? David Minton from The Leisure Database Company reports on the recent conferences.(Special report--IHRSA conferences)
December 1, 2004... Being 'embedded' within the IHRSA Europe and Asia Conventions for the past two weeks has been a very busy time. From Berlin to Sydney, I have been networking during the day and much of the night. In the fitness world from Europe to Asia...

The people product: People 1st is the Sector Skills Council for the leisure industry. Duncan Rowe meets its chief executive.(Profile--People 1st)(Interview)(Company Profile)
December 1, 2004... "Our industry, faces major challenges including poor commitment to training, low productivity, unfilled vacancies, staff churn, uneven morale and poor motivation." Does this sound familiar? These are just some of the challenges facing employers...

Playing their cards right: online poker has enjoyed a meteoric rise. Simon Stephens raises the ante.(Special report--online gaming)
December 1, 2004... Sportingbet's October acquisition of the world's third-largest online poker operator, ParadisePoker.com, dispelled any doubts about the recent growth of internet gaming. The $297m deal, gave the online sports betting and casino operator a 10%...

Exercising caution: Dominc Walsh takes a close look at the health and fitness sector.(Behind the Headlines)
December 1, 2004... With the majority of the health and fitness club sector now in private hands, it is not quite so easy to keep tabs on what the major players are up to. Where once we would have regular updates on key measures such as numbers of joiners,...

Leisure Report LR Index leisure stockwatch November 2004.(Sharewatch & diary dates)(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... In a quiet month in terms of share price movement, London Clubs International led the gains, adding just under 20% as investors looked to add the stock to their portfolio ahead of interim results, due on 25 November, which are expected to...

Diary dates.(Sharewatch & diary dates)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... December Event: Future View Date: 2 Location: iMax Theatre, London Description: Inaugural conference from People 1st. One-day event addressing long-term skills needs in the Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism sectors ...