Leisure Report articles from January 2007

Leisure Report archives from January 2007

Growth ahead but challenges remain for UK leisure sector.
January 1, 2007... The UK leisure scene is set to continue its recent strong growth into 2007, but will have to overcome a number of key issues if it is to flourish. A recent survey of leisure industry experts revealed strong growth predictions for the...

Taking the shirt off your backs ...(Gambling Commission)
January 1, 2007... End-of-year editorials are often used to make some lofty predictions for the year ahead, or to pick out some of the highlights of the year just passed, but Dominic Walsh has done an excellent job covering the latter (see page 20,) and...

Tourism alliance condemns rise in APD as 'political opportunism'.(News)
January 1, 2007... The Tourism Alliance said it was "very disappointed" with the Treasury's recent announcement of an increase in Air Passenger Duty. In a statement, the industry body said: "The justification of the increase on the basis of preventing...

Smoking ban to start on 1 July.(News)
January 1, 2007... The ban on smoking in enclosed public places in England will come into force at 6am on July 1,2007. The date was revealed at a Whitehall meeting led by Patricia Hewitt. The Health Secretary said: "It will save thousands of lives." The...

UK regional tourism benefiting from LCC growth.(News)
January 1, 2007... Expansion by low-cost carriers is boosting international visitor numbers to the UK's regional towns and cities, reports VisitBritain. Figures for 2005 show that the number of international residents' visits to Liverpool more than doubled...

Government to keep Levy Board.(News)(horse race levy board scheme)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Racing operators welcomed the government's announcement that the Levy Board will continue to finance the sport. Plans for an alternative to the scheme have met with a number of setbacks--including a European Court of Justice ruling that cast...

BISL welcomes Barker Review.(News)(Business in Sport and Leisure welcomes the report of Kate Barker on land use planning)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Business in Sport and Leisure has welcomed the publication of Kate Barker's Review of Land-Use Planning. The report recommends the streamlining of planning policies and processes to improve speed, transparency and efficiency, as well as...

AIM executives see salaries soar.(News)
January 1, 2007... The average pay of executives of companies listed on the Alternative Investment Market has increased, with the mean salaries for chief executives rising by 27% to 174,000 [pounds sterling], while finance directors are now receiving 110,000...

Harvey Nichols opens spa.
January 1, 2007... Harvey Nichols department store in Knightsbridge, London, launched a new spa facility on 8 December. Beyond spa, located on the fourth floor, features five treatment rooms and a retail area. The 73 sq m medispa complex offers medical skincare...

Doncaster invests 1m [pounds sterling] on fitness.(Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council to provide leisure facilities)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council is investing more than 1 million [pounds sterling] in its leisure facilities, redeveloping three sites. The contract to fund, upgrade and partner its sports centres at Armthorpe, Rossington and Thorne has...

Gymbox opens second site.(opening of gym)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Gymbox management has invested 5m [pounds sterling] in the opening of its second health club and gym. The new Gymbox occupies a 21,000 sq ft area under St Martins Lane hotel in Covent Garden, London. The company, which launched its first club...

De Vere boss to sell Greens for 50m [pounds sterling].
January 1, 2007... De Vere hotel chain owner Richard Balfour-Lynn has hired investment bank NM Rothschilds to sell Greens Health & Fitness in a mooted 50m [pounds sterling] deal. He bought the 15 clubs as part of the 767m [pounds sterling] takeover of De Vere in...

Survey shows lack of penetration.(Health & Fitness News)
January 1, 2007... Sport England's recent Active People Survey, which provides an unprecedented picture of sport and active recreation across England, has served to illustrate the need to engage the public with the fitness offerings available, rather than any...

LA Fitness co-founder to launch CityPoint spa offer.(Health & Fitness News)
January 1, 2007... CityPoint, the health and fitness club, (formerly Champneys), is developing a new spa brand. Jeremy Taylor, cofounder of LA Fitness, will invest in CityPoint Spa, in order to reposition the club within the UK spa market. The City of...

Playgolf hoping to drive 'Campaign for Sport'.(Sport News)(Playgolf Holdings marketing campaign to encourage participation in 2012 olympic games)
January 1, 2007... Playgolf Holdings, the innovative UK golf operator, has released an open letter, in which it sets out its position, seeking to act as the catalyst for a major campaign to enable and encourage participation in sport in the lead up to the 2012...

Blades aim to raise 10m [pounds sterling] through loan notes issue.(Sport News)
January 1, 2007... Sheffield United, the football, property and leisure services business, has announced plans to raise 10m [pounds sterling] before expenses by means of a Convertible Loan Notes Issue, conditional upon shareholder approval. The Blades intend...

West Ham Utd agrees takeover.(Sport News)(icelandic businessman to takeover West Ham United Football Club)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... West Ham United Football Club announced it had accepted a 85m [pounds sterling] takeover bid from a consortium headed by Eggert Magnusson, the Icelandic businessman. Magnusson's consortium, which is backed by billionaire financier...

Powerleague growth is on track.(Sport News)(Power-league Group's plans for expansion)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Claude Littner, chairman of Power-league Group, the UK's leading commercial operator of five-a-side football centres, said trading across the estate was on target to meet expectations. He said: "We are very pleased with the performance in...

Preston North End struggles.(Sport News)(decline in the turnover of Preston North End PLC)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Reporting full-year results to 30 June 2006, Preston North End said turnover for the year was 8% down on 2005 at 7.26m [pounds sterling]. This, together with an increase in the total wage bill, led to a group operating loss, before depreciation...

Northern in bid talks, makes TV deal.(Northern Racing)(Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service)
January 1, 2007... Just weeks after denying it was in bid talks, UK racecourse owner Northern Racing announced it has received an approach. However the group added the approach was at a very preliminary stage, and is priced at a level close to 184p, the closing...

Tattersall's to acquire Talarius?(Betting & Gaming News)(Macquerie Bank)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Yattersall's, the Australian gambling operator, has teamed up with Macquerie Bank, in a bid to acquire Talarius, operator of the Quicksilver arcade chain, in a deal which values the company at 167m [pounds sterling] including debt. ...

Tough times continue at Gamingking as overheads impact profits.(Betting & Gaming News)(Financial report)
January 1, 2007... Reporting interim results for the six months to 31 October, Gamingking, the AIM-listed supplier of gaming products, said it had managed to maintain turnover at 2.5m [pounds sterling], despite adverse economic conditions. But the group warned...

Ebitda is a bonus for betinternet.(Betting & Gaming News)
January 1, 2007... Global on-line gaming firm betinternet said it had achieved profitability at Ebitda level, as it released a trading update in relation to its results for the six months to 26 November. The group said the positive Ebitda level was "an...

Playwize in deal with Partouche.(Betting & Gaming News)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Playwize, the AIM-listed developer of software for the entertainment industry, said it had signed a promotion and distribution agreement with Partouche Interactive, the online division of France's leading casino operator, with more than 50...

Sportingbet sees pre-tax loss after US closure.(Betting & Gaming News)
January 1, 2007... Sportingbet, the online sports betting and gaming group, reported a pre-tax loss of 241.1m [pounds sterling] for the three months to 31 October, after the closure of its US-facing casino and sports betting business cost the firm 252.4m [pounds...

Ubet2win sells its racecourse betting pitches.(Betting & Gaming News)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... UK gaming operator Ubet2win has decided to sell its English racecourse operations, on the back of "continued poor performance". Having carried out its review of the performance of its racecourse operations, the firm said it had sold its...

Rank sells Hard Rock division to Seiminole Tribe for $965m, will now focus on gaming.(Betting & Gaming News)
January 1, 2007... Rank Group is to sell its Hard Rock restaurant, hotel and casino division to Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, for $965m (490m [pounds sterling]). The deal will allow Rank to focus on its...

Bet Direct struggles as 32Red improves.(Betting & Gaming News)
January 1, 2007... 32Red, the online casino, poker and sports betting operator, reported that its online gaming business has recovered well following the slowdown it experienced in the summer. In a trading statement, the company said that new player sign-ups...

Georgica to demerge core offering and rollout poker at Rileys venues.(Cinema & Entertainments News)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Georgica, the UK tenpin and cue sports group, has announced plans to split its business into two separate companies in order to maximise value for its shareholders. One company will comprise all of Georgica's bowling operations, currently...

Competition concerns scupper merger.(Cinema & Entertainments News)(Hamsard 2786 Ltd)(Academy Music Holdings Ltd)
January 1, 2007... The Competition Commission (CC) has provisionally decided that the proposed acquisition of a controlling interest in Academy Music Holdings by Hamsard 2786 would lead to a loss of competition in relation to certain live music venues in London....

UCI Italia buys three cinemas.(Cinema & Entertainments News)
January 1, 2007... UCI Italia, the subsidiary of Odeon & UCI Cinema Group, announced that it had completed the acquisition of three cinemas from Europlex. The company said the purchase marks a significant step for its position in the Italian market. Among...

Increase in pubs with a live music licence means more choice.(Cinema & Entertainments News)
January 1, 2007... Two-thirds of small pubs, bars and nightclubs have applied for a licence to put on live music under the new licensing laws, according to a survey commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The research, which was...

Bowlplex keen on out-of-class learning agenda.(Cinema & Entertainments News)(Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Bowlplex, the UK tenpin operator, has thrown its weight behind the 'Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto' launched recently by Alan Johnson, secretary for education. The manifesto aims to provide children and young people with a variety of...

Novus sells bars to Summit.(Cinema & Entertainments News)(Novus Leisure)(Summit Clubs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Novus Leisure, the late-night bar operator, has sold three central London bars to Summit Clubs, the nightclub group led by Jeremy Gordeno. It is thought the sale of the sites, which are smaller than a typical Novus business, is a...

2012 Olympics will be catalyst for changes in UK tourism industry.(Tourism & Attractions News)
January 1, 2007... The 2012 Olympic Games, and environmental issues will provide the tourism industry with its key opportunities and challenges in the coming years, according to James Bidwell, chief executive of Visit London. Speaking at the organisation's AG...

Increasing short breaks benefit UK hotels.(Tourism & Attractions News)
January 1, 2007... The UK hotels market is expected to increase by 2% to 9.5bn [pounds sterling] in 2006, fuelled by a rising trend for short break holidays. Research by Market & Business Development found that the increasing number of budget hotels and...

Tourism minister Woodward launches skills passport.(Tourism & Attractions News)
January 1, 2007... Shaun Woodward, the UK tourism minister, has officially launched the UK Skills Passport in conjunction with People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries. The skills passport has been...

Mystery Euro Disney approach falters before it even gets started.(Tourism & Attractions News)
January 1, 2007... Switzerland-based leisure group Center-Tainment said last month it planned to launch a hostile takeover bid for Euro Disney. UIf Werner, Center-Tainment chief executive, said the company would offer 11 euro cents' worth of its own stock for...

P&V eyes New-Year acquisitions.(Tourism & Attractions News)(Pierre and Vacances Distribution)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Pierre & Vacances, owner of Center Parcs Europe, said full-year profit, including exceptional items, rose 74.8% to 73.7m [euro] (49.7m [pounds sterling]) in the year to 30 September 2006. Net profit, before exceptionals, was 58.7m [euro],...

Starbucks sees 6% drop in third quarter profits.(Food & Drink News)
January 1, 2007... Starbucks has reported a 6% drop in profits for the three months to 31 October. The group announced profits of $117m (62m [pounds sterling]) in the quarter, compared with $124m during the same period in 2005. Starbucks said its revenue...

Compass sees flat UK performance.(Food & Drink News)(Compass Group PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Compass Group, the catering company, has reported a 5.5% increase in underlying full year pre-tax profit to 363m [pounds sterling], against 344m [pounds sterling] last year. Group revenue increased by 7% to 10.8bn [pounds sterling], while...

Ford takes Caffe Nero off market.(Food & Drink News)(Gerry Ford)(Rome Holdco)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... As expected, Caffe Nero announced it is to be taken private, in a 270p per share deal, valuing the group at 225m [pounds sterling], or 235m [pounds sterling] including debt. The company had a market capitalisation of 35m [pounds sterling] at...

Sandwiches dominate fast-food market.(Food & Drink News)
January 1, 2007... The UK fast food market is estimated to grow to 10.5bn [pounds sterling] in 2010, representing steady annual average growth of around 4% per year, with the sandwich sector leading the way, according to a new report from Key Note. The...

Service stations pin hopes on change after review.(Food & Drink News)
January 1, 2007... Britain's 90 motorway services stations could undergo a radical overhaul once the Highways Agency's consultation with motorists, businesses and other interested parties is complete. The Highways Agency has published a paper inviting the...

Coffee Republic signs agreements.(Food & Drink News)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Coffee Republic, the coffee and deli bar operator, has announced it has signed an agreement with CR Direct to supply two UK regional development franchises. The agreement gives CR Direct the right to develop Coffee Republic delis and...

Pret to launch kiosk format.(Food & Drink News)(Pret A Manger Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Pret A Manger is to launch a new kiosk concept into high-footfall locations including retail parks, stations and airports. It has targeted locations such King's Cross and Heathrow's Terminal 5 as possible locations for the concept. The group...

DCMS backs 30m [pounds sterling] Leeds health schemes.
January 1, 2007... Richard Caborn, minister of sport, told Leeds City Council it should proceed with proposals to build two new leisure centres, and confirmed that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will support the schemes with 30m [pounds sterling]...

AEG plans Dome cable-car.
January 1, 2007... Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), owner of the Millennium Dome, wants to build a 10m [pounds sterling] cable-car line across the Thames to carry passengers to the site. AEG has recruited Doppelmayr, the cable-car company which designed the...

Battersea future unclear.(Battersea Power Station )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Questions remain as to whether Battersea Power Station will be redeveloped as a leisure destination, following last month's 400m [pounds sterling] sale by Parkview, to Real Estate Opportunities. Plans for the 38-acre site on the south bank of...

Arena and Ladbrokes plan 'racino'.(Food & Drink News)
January 1, 2007... Ladbrokes is reportedly in talks with Arena Leisure over a joint casino venture at the latter's Wolverhampton racecourse. The deal would mean Arena adding gaming to its portfolio, under one of the smaller supercasino licence agreements. The...

Qhotels buys Telford G&CC.(Food & Drink News)
January 1, 2007... QHotels Group has acquired Telford Golf & Country Club Hotel for an undisclosed sum. The 96-room ex-Swallow Hotel includes an 18-hole golf course, conference facilities for up to 200, and gym and pool facilities.

Bluestone finally gets go-ahead for 110m [pounds sterling] Welsh eco-leisure scheme.(Bluestone holiday village )
January 1, 2007... Final plans for the development of Bluestone--a 110m [pounds sterling] 'green' holiday village in Pembrokeshire, West Wales--were unveiled last month by Andrew Davies, the Welsh minister for enterprise, innovation and networks, following final...

Arena plans Doncaster Racecourse hotel.(Food & Drink News)
January 1, 2007... Millennium & Copthorne was named preferred operator of a planned 120-room four-star hotel at Doncaster. The hotel is part of a planning application submitted by Arena Leisure to Doncaster Council, for a combined hotel and residential...

SMEs sharpen their approach to investment.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... The attitude and approach of the UK's SME community to technology investment has matured significantly in recent years, according to new in-depth market research, conducted by Touchstone Group. The study, conducted in September and October...

British firms still too reserved to complain.(Industry News)(YouGov survey)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... One in three businesses in the UK do not speak out when they are strongly dissatisfied with the customer service they receive, according to a YouGov survey for Easynet. The research found that the British are the nationality that is least...

FPB takes a stand against mandatory CSR.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Small businesses should not be forced to abide by corporate social responsibility (CSR) legislation, such as that currently under discussion in the European Parliament, according to the Forum of Private Business (FPB). The FPB, which...

Business of climate change 'worth billions'.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... The market for British businesses that deal with the issues surrounding climate change could be worth as much as 30bn [pounds sterling] over the next 10 years, according to a new study. The research, which was carried out by Vivid Economics...

Fines for flouting minimum wage.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Employers who are repeatedly found to not be paying staff the national minimum wage will be heavily penalised from the beginning of next year, under government plans. Gordon Brown, the chancellor, has announced that from April there will...

Fast-track for licence changes?(Industry NewsPlaywize, the)(British Beer and Pub Association)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... A fast-track process for bar operators to apply for minor changes to their licence should be made available, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). The BBPA wants local authorities to make it easier for licensees to...

Ding, dong, merrily they buy ...: David Minton puts down his sherry glass for long enough to give us a review of the year's activity in the health & fitness sector.(Insight)
January 1, 2007... On the last day of 2005 the Hilton Group agreed a 3.3bn [pounds sterling] deal to sell its hotel arm to Hilton Hotels Corporation in the US. This in turn put Livingwell Premier Clubs in to play. This could have set 2006 on course to be the year...

Fun and board games: Chris Mumford from HVS Executive Search and MBA student Elie Milky take a look into the evolution of boardrooms in the public domain.(Insight: The boardroom)
January 1, 2007... Being in the public eye these days seems to attract a lot of unwanted pressure and attention. I am referring not to the 'stress' of newly-found 15-minute fame experienced by some wannabe expelled from the I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here...

Leisure industry royalty: Duncan Rowe talks to Mark Cattle, who heads the leisure team at The Royal Bank of Scotland, about the bank's presence, goals and ambitions for the sector.(Sponsor profile: RBS)
January 1, 2007... Since its surprise takeover of NatWest in 2000, The Royal Bank of Scotland has moved into a strong position in the UK leisure sector, representing clients across the board from Betfair to Young's, Nando's and Merlin Entertainments Group. ...

Clearer smoke signals, please: the ALMR's Nick Bish maps out the journey to next July's smoking legislation and calls for urgent guidance so that operators can plan for the ban.(Insight: Smoking ban)(Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers)
January 1, 2007... On May 5 1997 there was a seismic political shift. After 18 years of Tory rule, suddenly New Labour was in power and it was all change. Out went the cosy relationships with ministers and in came a whole new set of leaders, most of whom had...

Let's get sentimental: Oxygen Consulting's Ray Algar says companies need to be aware of the growing power of 'bloggers' to enhance--or damage--their reputation.(Feature: The growing power of the 'blog')(Company overview)
January 1, 2007... If the company wins this contract, its business will double in size. The owners have spent six years crafting a business that they believe provides a great service to customers, most of the time. They have invested heavily in people, technology...

The good, the bad, and the government: Dominic Walsh picks out the best--and worst--performers of 2006.(Behind the headlines: The year in review)
January 1, 2007... Having just spent two hours watching the Sports Personality of the Year on BBC1, I thought I'd use my last column of 2006 to hand out a few gongs of my own. Hero of the Year: The clear winner is Graham Turner, the chief executive of Tragus...

The Rank Group.(People on the move)(appointed Peter Johnson)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The Rank Group has unveiled the appointment of Peter Johnson as its new chairman, to succeed Alun Cathcart, who retires from the board at the end of February 2007. Currently, Johnson is chairman of Inchcape and a non-executive director of...

The Royal Bank of Scotland.(People on the move)
January 1, 2007... The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced the appointment of Charli White to the position of associate director within the leisure team. Previously in the leisure team at chartered accountants, RSM Robson Rhodes LLP for more than 10 years,...

Richard Lockstone has joined The Retention People as account manager, dedicated to helping customers in achieving return on investment, based on increased retention and supporting the company's "Proof not promises" strategy.(People on the move)
January 1, 2007... Richard Lockstone has joined The Retention People as account manager, dedicated to helping customers in achieving return on investment, based on increased retention and supporting the company's "Proof not promises" strategy. He was formerly...

Luminar.(People on the move)(appointed Alan Jackson)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Luminar, the nightclub operator, said that Alan Jackson, non-executive chairman of The Restaurant Group, became its new chairman on 5 December. Jackson succeeded Keith Hamill, who announced in May that he would leave the company by the end of...

32Red.(People on the move)(appointed Jonathan Edward Hale)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Gaming group 32Red announced the appointment of Jonathan Edward Hale, as group finance director, and to the board, as of 1 December. He succeeds Simon Dimmer. Hale was previously chief operating officer, finance director, and company secretary...

Georgica.(People on the move)(appointed Peter Haspel)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Leisure group Georgica has appointed Peter Haspel as its new managing director with immediate effect. Haspel, who was the corn party's finance director, will be responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of the company, which operates...

Domino's Pizza.(People on the move)
January 1, 2007... Domino's Pizza has appointed Andrew Emmerson as its new business development director. Emmerson will be responsible for driving the company's expansion programme and will lead a 25-strong team that will identify new franchisees and properties....

Visit London.(People on the move)(appointed Tracy Halliwell )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Visit London has appointed Tracy Halliwell as head of business and conventions, as part of its efforts to strengthen its business team in the run up to the Olympic Games. Halliwell will join the organisation in February from her role as vice...

VisitBritain.(People on the move)
January 1, 2007... Meanwhile, VisitBritain has appointed Christopher Rodrigues as its new chairman, from the beginning of next year. Rodrigues, who was previously president and chief executive of Visa, will replace Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge, who held the...

Travelodge.(People on the move)(appointed Grant Hearn)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Grant Hearn, chief executive of Travelodge, has been appointed to represent London's hospitality industry on the capital's new Skills and Employment Board. The new skills body, which will be chaired by the Mayor of London will tackle issues...

DC Leisure.(People on the move)
January 1, 2007... DC Leisure has made two key appointments to its senior management team. Dawn Sansom has joined the company as group sales manager, and Ian Mitchell has been promoted to business development manager. Sansom will lead a team of three regional...

LR Index leisure stockwatch December 2006.(Sharewatch)
January 1, 2007... As the year draws to a close, trading activity on the stock market can go one of two ways: There's the traditional slowdown, as traders' lunches get longer and alcohol fatigue kicks in; and there's the frenetic, last-minute activity of those...

Diary dates: Jan/Feb.(leisure industry)(Calendar)
January 1, 2007... January Event: Gambit Forum meeting Date: 10 Location: Cass Business School, City University, London, UK Description: The first Gambit public forum event in 2007 will focus on new opportunities, incorporating both markets and...