Leisure Report articles from December 2005

Leisure Report archives from December 2005

Mixed fortune for gaming firms.
December 1, 2005... There was mixed news from firms in the gaming sector, with a batch of trading updates revealing strong trading in some areas, while others were hit by unfortunate results. In recent months online gaming shares have taken a hammering, but...

Sky loses TV football monopoly.(license to telecast the football match)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The 13-year monopoly on the rights to broadcast televised football has ended for Sky, under a deal thrashed out between the Premier League and the European Commission The agreement will see more than one broadcaster airing matches from...

Will the Empire strike back?(Inside track)(Empire Online)(PartyGaming)
December 1, 2005... So the much-hyped prospective deal between PartyGaming and Empire Online is off; the milk has turned sour and now Empire is threatening legal action against its erstwhile partner and benefactor. At the time of going to press, talks had...

Acquisition-seeking Top Ten calls out some impressive numbers.(profit of Top Ten Holdings)
December 1, 2005... Reporting interim results for the 26 weeks ended 25 September 2005, Top Ten Holdings, the third largest UK bingo operator, announced a record set of figures. The group saw substantial increases in profitability and sales, with the charge...

New leisure survey needs your input.(surveys)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Janet Salmon, author of the Annual Remuneration Survey of the Leisure Industry, is conducting a new survey on the leisure industry. Chief executives, managing directors, and HR directors are being sought for their opinions on general...

Luminar sees increased profits from flat sales.(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Luminar, the entertainment and late-night operator, saw flat like-for-like sales at its core business for the half-year to 1 September, in line with the group's expectations, but said like-for-like sales for the nine weeks since 1 September...

London Clubs stays local as it is awarded Leicester Square licence.(licensing for casino)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... London Clubs International announced it has been awarded a licence by the City of Westminster Gaming Licensing Committee to operate a casino and associated bars and restaurants in a site adjacent to the Empire cinema, in London's Leicester...

Talarius to dominate London AGC market with 19m [pounds sterling] Blackheath deal.(Betting & gaming News)
December 1, 2005... Talarius, the recently-listed operator of the Quicksilver high-street Adult Gaming Centres and Cyberslotz online gaming site, announced the acquisition of Blackheath Leisure (Carousel), for a total consideration of 19m [pounds sterling]. ...

Betcorp reports positive figures ahead of planned AIM floatation in early 2006.(Betting & gaming News)
December 1, 2005... Betcorp, the online gaming group listed on the Australian Stock Exchange that plans to list on AIM in 2006, said it had continued its profit turnaround, reporting a A$16.9m improvement in post-tax profit to A$3.3m (1.4m [pounds sterling]) for...

Coventry stakes its claim for UK's first regional casino site.(Betting & gaming News)
December 1, 2005... A group of Coventry MPs, business organisations and community groups has launched Coventry Now--a campaign backing the bid to secure the UK's first regional casino pilot at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. With the Government set to announce...

Gamingking cements position with members' clubs after new buys.(Gamingking PLC acquied Gemini Club Supplies)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Gamingking announced it had acquired Gemini Club Supplies, which trades with more than 100 registered members' clubs concentrated primarily in the Manchester area, and Independent Leisure Supplies, a registered members' club supply business,...

Leisure & Gaming to fund new deals with 24m [pounds sterling] share placing.(Betting & gaming News)
December 1, 2005... The board of Leisure & Gaming, the AIM-listed gaming and acquisition group, said it had entered into conditional agreements to acquire Nine.com and English Harbour, a dynamic US facing sportsbook and dedicated premium online casino operator...

BETonSPORTS stays on track.(Betting & gaming News)
December 1, 2005... BETonSPORTS, the US and Asian facing online gaming firm, said trading is in line with full-year expectations. In the third quarter, new customers were 37% higher, with the number of bets placed increasing 40%. Volume increased 28% to...

New casino openings for Scarborough and Newcastle.(Betting & gaming News)
December 1, 2005... Scarborough saw the opening of the Opera House Casino on 2 November, while Aspers, the new casino concept from Aspinalls, has opened at The Gate in Newcastle. The 45,000 sq ft Aspers site boasts silk-lined walls, African walnut finishes,...

Interactive Gaming Holdings raises funds.(Interactive Gaming Holdings's securities)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Interactive Gaming Holdings announced it had completed a placing of 17,975,000 Ordinary Shares of 1p each at 4p per share, subject to admission to AIM. The net proceeds of some 684,000 [pounds sterling] will be used by the company for...

Withers leaves Sportech ...(retirement)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Sportech announced that non-executive director, Roger Withers, is retiring from the company with effect from the end of November. Withers, 63, has been a senior non-exec since September 2000 and served as interim Managing Director from November...

... As Pottinger joins.(Piers Pottinger joins Sportech)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Joining Sportech is Piers Pottinger, who becomes the new nonexecutive deputy chairman with immediate effect. Pottinger has close associations with the media, gaming and horseracing industries. He is currently non-executive chairman of Newmarket...

Board changes at Arena.
December 1, 2005... Meanwhile at Arena, Raymond Mould has been appointed as non-executive deputy chairman. Coinciding with this appointment, John Barnes has retired from his position as non-exec director at Arena, but joins Sportech.

Sportingbet.
December 1, 2005... David Hobday is the new chief operating officer at Sportingbet, which he joins from HBOS, where he was managing director direct, in the bank's consumer division.

Hills trims hedges.
December 1, 2005... William Hill is changing its hedging policy by sidelining on-course bookies in favour of placing money direct with betting exchanges.

Spa accreditation.(Shorts)
December 1, 2005... Following feedback from industry research, VisitBritain's quality department plans to draw up a draft Spa Accreditation scheme. Providing there is sufficient support, VisitBritain aims to launch a pilot scheme in 2006, and aims to launch full...

FitLinxx makes changes.(Shorts)
December 1, 2005... David Gregory has been appointed as regional sales manager for FitLinxx. The growth of the company has also created a supporting role for Chris Brown, UK business manager.

DC Leisure bolsters team.(Shorts)
December 1, 2005... DC Leisure has announced three new appointments to its management team. Mark Haslam has been promoted to swimming group manager. Steve Harrod has been appointed to the new position of group utility/environmental manager, and Ian Attoe takes up...

Cheval buys Hertford club.(Shorts)(Cheval Properties acquires health and fitness club from Citygrove )(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Cheval Properties, advised by Capital Retail, has purchased the freehold investment of a health and fitness club on Madford Retail Park, Hertford, from Citygrove for 5.07m [pounds sterling], reflecting a net initial yield of 6%. The 25,293 sq...

Life Fitness adds sales roles.(Shorts)
December 1, 2005... Life Fitness has announced a number of new appointments in its sales division. Neil Campbell is promoted to consumer business manager, while Mel Brennan takes over from Campbell as UK key accounts manager. Antony Morrison joins as an account...

LivingWell gets Burnet.(Shorts)
December 1, 2005... Keith Burnet has been appointed managing director of the Hilton group's health club division LivingWell, following current boss Patrick Fitzgibbon's promotion Before joining LivingWell in 2001 as a regional director he spent eight years with...

First National Fitness Audit to launch with industry approval.(Health & fitness News)
December 1, 2005... A comprehensive audit of who participates in fitness in the UK--profiling more than a million regular users of public and private sports and leisure facilities--will take place thanks to a unique public private partnership between The Leisure...

Whitbread buoyed by hotel division as DLL disappoints.(sales and earnings)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Whitbread reported an 11% rise in first-half pre-tax profit at its continuing operations, as success at Premier Travel Inn compensated for weaker results at its pub restaurants and David Lloyd Leisure businesses. Pre-tax profit was 102.9m...

Specialist spa training centre planned for Glasgow.(Spa Developments opens a new training facility )(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The wellness industry is to get a specialist spa academy. Spa consultancy and designer Spa Developments, based in Paisley, plans to open a spa training facility in Glasgow in March 2006. The 1m [pounds sterling] venture will support all...

Clerkenwell Ventures looks to acquire health clubs.(Health & fitness News)
December 1, 2005... Former Pizza Express chief executive David Page and his associate Paul Campbell are looking to approach health clubs through their investment vehicle Clerkenwell Ventures. They are reportedly considering making a bid for Esporta, owned by...

Newcastle United stays in the black.(profits)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Reporting preliminary results for the year to 31 July, Newcastle United said turnover, pre-tax profits and group operating profits were all lower than in the previous year, reflecting a difficult period on the field. Group turnover was 87m...

Playgolf shouts 'fore' on profits.(Playgolf opening new facility at Northwick Park )(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Playgolf, the UK golf group, announced that its new facility at Northwick Park officially opened on 7th November. The landmark facility is the first of what it is intended will be a number of urban golf centres that will be built throughout the...

Welsh golf tourism drive.(golfing destination)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The Wales Tourist Board has launched three initiatives to boost the country's credentials as major golfing destination. They have been undertaken as part of the lead up to the 2010 Ryder Cup, to be held at Celtic Manor, Newport. One is the...

Caborn calls for review of football governance.(Sport News)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Sports ministers from the UK, Spain, Germany, France and Italy, together with the European Commission, hope to join forces in an attempt to overhaul the way football is run in Europe, under a plan put together by Richard Caborn, UK Sports...

Leisure Report LR Index: football stockwatch November 2005.(Sport News)(Aston Villa Football Club PLC)(Birmingham City PLC)(Millwall Holdings PLC)(Statistical table)
December 1, 2005... Tottenham Hotspur was the stand-out performer on the LR Football Index last month, while Celtic and Millwall were bottom of the league. The rise in fortunes at Tottenham has coincided with a purple patch on the field, which saw the club...

New "new" name for late-night bar group as Urbium de-lists from AIM.(Cinema & entertainment News)(Urbium changes its name to Novus)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Urbium, the late-night bar operator, is to change its name to "Novus". The move follows its 113m [pounds sterling] management-backed buyout by PE group Electra Partners. The name, which is Latin for "new", has been introduced to...

Georgica defies conditions to pocket profit.(Cinema & entertainment News)(Georgica PLC)
December 1, 2005... Georgica, the leading UK tenpin and cue-sports operator, said profit after tax for the nine months ended to 25th September 2005 amounted to 0.8m [pounds sterling], compared with a loss of 1.4m [pounds sterling] in the corresponding period last...

Vince Power to launch new venues.(Cinema & entertainment News)(Vince Power of Mean Fiddler acquired Spiga)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Vince Power, the founder of Mean Fiddler, has set up the Vince Power Music Group to launch a new bar and club offering. Power, who sold his remaining 35% stake in Mean Fiddler this year for 13m [pounds sterling] to Clear Channel...

Government against PPL.(Cinema & entertainment News)(Phonographic Performance Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The government opposed to a new system of licensing drawn up by Phonographic Performance Ltd, which issues licences for the use of recorded music in public. PPL believes that rates, currently flat fee, should be charged according to the...

Nexum looks to consolidation.(Cinema & entertainment News)
December 1, 2005... Statements recently made by nightclub entrepreneur Paul Kinsey have led industry observers to conclude that he is on the acquisitions trail. Commenting during the release of financial results for his nightclub business Nexum Leisure, he...

Ministry granted 24-hour licence.(Cinema & entertainment News)(Ministry of Sound )(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... London nightclub the Ministry of Sound has become the first venue in the UK to be granted a 24-hour drinking licence. As of 24 November, the club is able to sell liquor until it closes its doors: that is 5am on weekdays and 7am on Saturday...

Parkdean share price suffers as Grainger pulls out of the bidding.(Tourism News)
December 1, 2005... Shares in Parkdean Holidays, the listed British caravan park operator, fell by almost 10% after UK residential investor Grainger Trust Plc said it was not making an offer for the firm. "Having had the chance to consider the opportunity...

Tourism industry votes to put Britain's leading attractions onto UK coinage.(United Kingdom)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Representatives from the UK's visitor attractions were in London this month to discuss ways forward for tourist attractions in this country. Presentations during the second annual Visitor Attractions Conference explored how their people,...

European hotels see revpar rise.(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Europe's hotels saw revpar rise by 3.6% for the nine months to September, according to Deloitte's latest Hotel-Benchmark survey. The best performers were countries outside the Euro zone and those new to the EU. New member states enjoyed 70%...

Call for London convention centre.(Tourism News)
December 1, 2005... A new International Convention Centre in central London is "feasible, justified, necessary and overdue," according an independent commission funded by the London Development Agency. A commission was set up by Ken Livingstone, London Mayor,...

VisitBritain positive on tourism figures.(London's museums)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The number of visitors from overseas to Britain is on the up, according to VisitBritain. The group's latest figures show that between July and September 2005, 8.96m people visited the UK from abroad, an increase of 5% over the year before....

Tussauds wins Chessington hotel permission.
December 1, 2005... Tussauds Group has won outline planning permission to build a 20m [pounds sterling] hotel at struggling Chessington World of Adventures. While the group's other sites continue to perform well, Chessington is lagging behind, a source said.

London Eye faces York challenge.
December 1, 2005... The London Eye could face a rival in York after the National Railway Museum there launched a bid to build a big wheel. It has submitted a plan for a 197ft wheel that can carry up to 336 passengers. City of York Council is expected to give a...

Imperial College London set to open new 17m [pounds sterling] sports facility.(Property News)
December 1, 2005... Imperial College London is nearing completion of its new sports centre, Ethos, which is due to open in January of next year. The 17m [pounds sterling] development is located in the heart of the capital in South Kensington, and consists of...

Three firms shortlisted to take on 125-year lease for Alexandra Palace development.(Property News)(Firoka (Heythrop Park) Ltd.)(Earls Court & Olympia Group)(Business Design Centre Group Ltd.)
December 1, 2005... The team charged with securing the future of north London's Alexandra Palace announced that three companies have been shortlisted to take on a 125-year lease for the building. The shortlisted companies are Business Design Centre Group Ltd,...

New soccer stadium for Brighton.(Hove Albion Football Club)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The government has approved plans for a new 22,000-seat football stadium for Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, following months of lobbying. The decision by John Prescott settles a four-year planning dispute over the 40m [pounds...

Ballymore to buy 1.1bn [pounds sterling] stake in Battersea development.(Property News)
December 1, 2005... Irish company Ballymore was poised to win the 1.1bn [pounds sterling] building contract for the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station as Leisure Report went to press. The company, headed by former stonemason and multi-millionaire Sean...

Leisure space for Stratford 2012.(Property News)
December 1, 2005... The first phase of Olympic development in London's Stratford area will include 370,000 sq ft each of hotel and leisure space, according to Keith Priest of architects Fletcher Priest. The firm is working with Arup Associates to create a...

Wirral's premium golf resort feasible, says study.(Independent consultants)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... A plan to open a major new, top class golf resort in Hoylake, the Wirral, has received a major boost, the Liverpool Daily Post reported. Independent consultants Jones Lang Lasalle, hired by the local council in March to assess the viability...

Leisure firms must act on noise to avoid raft of compensation claims.(Medical Research Council)
December 1, 2005... Management in the leisure industry must act now to protect staff from noise before 24-hour opening triggers a deluge of claims, a leading insurance lawyer has warned. General claims for deafness and hearing damage are on the increase again...

Residents 'winning licensing battles'.(Department of Culture, Media and Sport)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Residents are winning 95% of licensing disputes under the new regime, according to the government. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said that a quarter of the 74,000 pubs that had applied to vary their opening hours had come up...

FTSE 350 directors' pay soars 18%.(Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Annual pay and bonuses of directors employed by FTSE 350 companies increased by an average of 18.1% in 2004-2005. Incomes Data Services, the pay and benefit research company, said that a greater proportion of pay was made through...

Chip and Pin cuts fraud by 13%.(plastic cards)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Fraud involving plastic cards fell 13% in the first half of the year following the introduction of chip and pin. Figure published by the Association of Payment Clearing Services show overall card fraud fell from 252.6m [pounds sterling] to...

Catering injuries rise.(Health and Safety Executive)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... The Health and Safety Executive has released figures on workplace related injuries and deaths for 2004-2005. According to the government agency, fatal injuries to workers declined during the period by 7% year-on-year, and that there were 2%...

Smoking ban will pressure the restaurant and bar sectors, according to Panmure.(Industry News)
December 1, 2005... The proposed smoking ban in England will lead to an oversupply in the restaurant and late-night bar market, according to Panmure Gordon. In a research note Douglas Jack, analyst, said: "4,000 late-night bars are reliant on selling food. ...

Little Chef's new owners eyeing Compass Group's SSP division.(Food & drink News)
December 1, 2005... Simon Heath and Lawrence Wosskow are reported to be working on an audacious deal to buy Compass Group's travel and concessions arm, Select Service Partner. Wosskow, who, with Heath last month bought Little Chef, said that the deal would...

McDonald's growth continues in October.(Food & drink News)
December 1, 2005... Worldwide sales for McDonald's restaurants increased 3.4% in October. Despite closures associated with this year's over-active hurricane season, the company posted a 3% rise in sales in the US, which it attributed to longer opening hours...

Domino's reaches 400 sites as Pizza Hut gets on the road.(Food & drink News)
December 1, 2005... Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland has opened its 400th site, in Wadsley Bridge, Sheffield, while rival Pizza Hut is understood to be readying its first roadside branch. Pizza Hut's outlet will be located at Solstice Park on the A303, which runs...

No fiddles as Nero is set to open new shop every 10 days.(Food & drink News)(Caffe Nero Group PLC)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Caffe Nero, the quoted coffee bar operator, told shareholders that it expects to continue to open a new site every ten days. Since the year end (31 May) the company has opened a further 25 stores to take its estate to 239. It expects to...

Gondola starts trading at 431m [pounds sterling].(Food & drink News)(Gondola Holdings Plc)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Gondola Holdings, the owner of Pizza Express and Zizzi, started unconditional trading on 8 November, having set an offer price of 320p per share. The pricing values Gondola at 431m [pounds sterling], or around 780m [pounds sterling]...

Starbucks sees revenues grow by 21%.(Food & drink News)
December 1, 2005... Starbucks reported a 21% increase in net revenues for October to $550m (314m [pounds sterling]). On a comparable store sales basis sales increased by 7% on a year-by-year basis. Jim Donald, the company's president and chief executive, said:...

Domino's creates COO role for Moore.(Food & drink News)
December 1, 2005... Pizza giant Domino's UK & Ireland has promoted Chris Moore, its sales and marketing director, to the newly-created position of chief operating officer, effective immediately. Moore will take on responsibility for the core operational areas...

REIT builds up stake in McDonald's.(real estate investment trust acquisitions with McDonald's)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Vornado Trust Realty, the third largest real estate investment trust in the US, has taken its stake in McDonald's to 1.2% with the purchase of 858,000 company shares. The company has spent more than $500m (281m [pounds sterling]) since...

Bakers Oven feels the cold.(Food & drink News)
December 1, 2005... Greggs' Bakers Oven sit-down format has been particularly badly affected by low numbers of consumers. The 1,300-strong bakery group warned profit in the second half was coming in below budget. Its shares initially fell 230p to 46.50...

La Tasca 'well ahead' in first half.(La Tasca opened six new restaurants )(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... La Tasca said that it was trading "well ahead" of the same period last year and has seen an "encouraging" first half. The company opened six new restaurants in the first half, bringing the total number of restaurants to 56, and said that it was...

KFC cuts down on salt and goes smoke-flee in the UK.(management)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... KFC is to stop adding salt to its chips, after consulting a consumer trial over the last two months. The company said: "It is up to consumers to choose whether they add salt to their fries. "During trials, consumers told us they really...

UK food firms growing fast.(rankings of Caffe Nero)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Caffe Nero, Loch Fyne and Ma Potter's were among the British brands to be ranked among Europe's 500 fastest growing businesses, compiled by the Europe's 500 Entrepreneurs for Growth lobby group. Caffe Nero was the highest ranked, at number 20,...

Pernod Ricard close to Dunkin' sale.
December 1, 2005... Pernod Ricard is close to selling its fast food chain Dunkin" Donuts. American private equity group Blackstone and Texas Pacific have already made a joint bid, and Bain Capital has joined with Carlyle Group and Thomas H Lee Partners to make a...

M&S ponders event market.
December 1, 2005... Marks & Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose is planning to challenge Compass and Sodexho with a move into the 1bn [pounds sterling] event-catering market. That could mean providing sandwiches, nibbles and hot food at sporting events, concerts...

Flaming Nora opens up second kebab site.(new facilities of Flaming Nora)(Brief article)
December 1, 2005... Flaming Nora, the start-up fast-food concept, has opened its second site, in Wood Green, North London. The group, led by former KPMG and Getty Images executive David Bloom, is seeking further sites for the concept. A spokesman said: "We aim to...

Krispy Kreme bolsters team.
December 1, 2005... Krispy Kreme has named Jeff Jervik as executive vice president of operations. Jervik most recently operated franchised Papa John's Pizza restaurants. The company is searching for a new chief executive to replace Stephen Cooper, who is serving...

Customer personalisation can mean customer satisfaction: Jim Sterne explains the benefits of 'low-hanging fruit'.(Insight)
December 1, 2005... It's a wonderful concept. You record every click, every search phrase, every website visit and every email ever received. You use client-side surveillance to capture the tiniest twitch of the mouse and the most subtle hover behaviour. You use...

Time to stop guessing and get our house in order: the new audit will generate essential information.(Business Sense: National Fitness Audit)(Survey)
December 1, 2005... It is so difficult to get consensus--isn't it? I remember Tony Banks in the GLC days saying how it was impossible to get all 33 London authorities to agree if it was raining, even in a thunderstorm. So for a new industry, like ours, to come...

Attractions must compete with home entertainment, reports Katherine Rose, from a roundtable event.(consumers were choosing to spend the majority of their leisure time at home)
December 1, 2005... Leisure attractions are facing competition from increasingly sophisticated home entertainment options, according to new research commissioned by BT. In a poll carried out by YouGov, the company reported that 81% of UK consumers were...

Women's Sports Foundation leads the way in getting women active: more needs to be done to attract women into all levels of sport.(Business Sense: Women in leisure)
December 1, 2005... The Women's Sports Foundation is the UK's leading organisation dedicated to improving and promoting opportunities for women and girls in sport and physical activity. It is the only UK-wide organisation campaigning for women's sport and for...

Bullying in the workplace--the employer's responsibilities: Nicholas C.J. Lakeland from Silverman Sherliker gives his expert advice.(study of work place bullying)
December 1, 2005... Evidence from Destructive Conflict, in the UK's largest ever study of work place bullying, found that one in ten people were bullied at work over the last six months. This equates to approximately two million of the UK's 24 million employees....

Looking for Britain's hot new eating-out concept. Peter Martin says there is a gap in the market for the next big thing.(Eating Out conference in London )
December 1, 2005... What makes a concept really "hot"? There was no shortage of new, innovative and potentially inspiring operations on the menu at M&C Report's Eating Out conference in London last month. But spotting what is emerging, exciting or different in...

LR Index leisure stockwatch November 2005.(Sharewatch)
December 1, 2005... On the whole the leisure sector fared pretty well during November, with the overall index seeing an average increase of just under 2%, but there were few standout performers in what was a much quieter month in terms of share price activity than...

Diary dates: December.(calendar)(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... Event: Emergency Briefing: Advertising Remote Gambling in the UK Date: 1 Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Description: To clarify the current legal position under the existing legislation and what the position will be when the...