Leisure Report articles from March 2007

Leisure Report archives from March 2007

Alphameric launches rival broadcast channel for LBOs.(Inside track)
March 1, 2007... Alphameric, the provider of end-to-end solutions for the leisure and hospitality sectors, announced that its joint venture agreement with Racecourse Media Services (RMS) to provide a new betting and data channel for licensed betting offices...

UK business economy 'may have peaked'.(Inside track)
March 1, 2007... Finance professionals working for UK firms believe that the economy may have reached its peak in the current business cycle, according to findings in the latest research by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)....

International bright young things.(Inside track, immigration inreases to U.K. )
March 1, 2007... An estimated 600,000 eastern Europeans have migrated to Britain since the European Union expanded in 2004, compared with an original government estimate of just 13,000. And a further 50,000 workers are expected in the UK from Romania and...

47% revenue rise but underlying dip worries 32Red investors.(News)(Financial report)
March 1, 2007... 32Red, the online casino, poker and sportsbetting operator, reported a 47% increase in total revenues to 14.36m [pounds sterling] for the year to 31 December 2006, but reiterated its December warning of full-year combined operating results...

Inspired gaming reports Ebitda up 9.4%.(News)(Inspired Gaming Group plc reports profits hike)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Inspired Gaming has reported that Ebitda before share-based payment charges and exceptional items increased by 9.4% for the 53 weeks to 30 September 2006, compared to the previous year. Turnover increased during the period by 5.2% to 171.1m...

L&G wins extra Italian licences.(News)
March 1, 2007... Leisure & Gaming, the online sports betting and gaming group, has announced that its subsidiary, Bet-shop Italia, has been awarded a further 11 Italian betting licences, bringing its total number of new licences to 58. The company...

Rank closes nine Mecca sites ahead of ban.(News)(Rank Group Ltd. plans to close its clubs )
March 1, 2007... The Rank Group has announced its intention to close nine Mecca Bingo clubs in England and Wales. The decision to close is in line with the group's stated aim of improving the quality of its portfolio, in preparation for the introduction of...

Fitness firms make a splash with deals to use swimming's potential.(News: Health & Fitness)
March 1, 2007... In a bid to continue maximising the potential for providing its members with swimming activities and programmes, DC Leisure has signed a five-year partnership agreement with the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), while The Swimming Teachers'...

LA fitness first to offer online sign-ups.(News: Health & Fitness)
March 1, 2007... Underwired, the digital agency, has launched a new website for LA Fitness, www.lafitness.co.uk, which makes the UK's second-largest fitness club operator the first in the country to provide its customers with online sign-up facilities. ...

SHOKK to open first kids' gym in China.(News: Health & Fitness)
March 1, 2007... SHOKK, the UK fitness supplier and operator, is opening its first dedicated youth fitness facility and training academy in China this May. SHOKK has teamed up with Brand-Works, a leading Chinese marketing company, to form SHOKK Asia, and...

Physique wins fitness first supply contract.(News: Health & Fitness)
March 1, 2007... Physique has won the contract to supply rowing machines to all of Fitness First's 170 UK clubs. In a deal worth almost 500,000 [pounds sterling], Physique, part of the PTE group, is supplying and installing around 700 rowers to the health...

Escape to supply energie.(News: Health & Fitness, Escape Fitness joins the suppler list of energie fitness clubs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Escape Fitness has joined the energie Fitness Clubs supplier list. Jason Gardner, franchise support manager at energie, said: "Providing our franchisees with suppliers that have expertise and offer the best advice and solutions is...

Birmingham city gets profit boost.(News: Sport)(Financial report)
March 1, 2007... Birmingham City Football Club reported a hike in 2006 profits from 1.6m [pounds sterling] to 2.6m [pounds sterling]. The sale of a number of key players, including Emile Heskey, following the club's relegation last season, helped boost the...

British clubs are top 'buy' targets.(News: Sport, Premiership rated to be the largest football league in the world)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The success of the Premiership soccer, linked to lucrative TV rights has put British football clubs on to the radar screens of overseas investors, according to Dan Jones, head of Deloitte's sports research arm. The Premiership is now the...

Training domes help football clubs weather the cold.(News: Sport)
March 1, 2007... Two of the UK's biggest football clubs are set to beat the perennial problem of frozen training pitches by using massive inflatable domes for team training. Celtic FC has been using a mobile training dome for the last four years at its...

2012 funding report welcomed.(News: Sport Visit London's CEO James Bidwell says 2012 Olympics will boost tourism)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Visit London welcomed the release of the government's funding and legacy report on the Olympics and its call for further investment. The findings, published by the Select Committee of the DCMS, highlighted the "disturbing variance" of...

Celtic riding crest of European wave.(News: Sport, Celtic Football Club reports its earnings)
March 1, 2007... Reporting interim results for the six months to 31 December 2006, Celtic Football Club said group turnover had increased by 41.6% to 46.80m [pounds sterling], resulting in a pre-tax profit of 17.94m [pounds sterling], compared with a loss of...

Ladbrokes secures two new overseas development partners.(News: Betting & Gaming)
March 1, 2007... Ladbrokes announced it has acquired Sponsio, its online betting and gaming partner in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, for 40m [pounds sterling]. The company also said it had invested in a joint venture with Magainfo, the Hong Kong-based...

Partouche unveils cash gaming platform.(News: Betting & Gaming, Partouche Interactive introduces Backgammon Platinum)
March 1, 2007... Partouche Interactive, a new subsidiary of Groupe Partouche, one of Europe's leading casino operators, has unveiled an innovative new platform for cash gambling, based on backgammon and other games. The service will soon be available in...

PartyGamming completes acquisitions.(News: Betting & Gaming)
March 1, 2007... PartyGaming has completed the acquisition of the businesses and assets of Empire Online and Intercontinental Online Gaming. Empire plans to use the proceeds from the disposal, and its $250m (127m [pounds sterling]) cash pile, to invest in...

Playtech subsidiary signs Mexican deal.(News: Betting & Gaming)
March 1, 2007... Playtech, the AIM-listed developer and licensor of gaming software, has announced that its subsidiary, Videobet, has entered into a long-term licensing contract with the leading Mexican casino operator, Entretenimiento De Mexico (EMex). ...

3D to invest 18m [pounds sterling] on ex-Luminar sites.(News: Cinema & Entertainments, 3D Entertainment Group to invest in improving estate)
March 1, 2007... 3D Entertainment Group, the newly formed company which acquired Luminar's entertainment division last month, has announced it will invest 18m [pounds sterling] in improving the estate. The company, headed by David Crabtree, former managing...

Georgica signs groundbreaking poker agreement with 888.com.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
March 1, 2007... Georgica, the UK leisure group, has announced a co-operation agreement with 888, the online gaming company, to use the latter's online poker capabilities to support Georgica's Rileys-branded website and snooker, pool and poker clubs throughout...

Ultimate to raise 25m [pounds sterling] for acquisitions.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Ultimate Leisure, the Newcastle-based late-night operator, has announced it is to raise 25m [pounds sterling] by way of a conditional issue of shares as it looks at a number of acquisition options. The company said it intends to issue...

Vue boss speaks out on shrinking release windows.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)(Tim Richards, CEO of Vue Entertainment spoke at the RAAM cinema conference in London)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Tim Richards, chief executive of Vue Entertainment, the UK's third-largest cinema exhibitor, told delegates at the RAAM cinema conference in London last month that when it comes to shrinking theatrical-to-DVD release windows, enough is enough....

All star expands.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)(All Star Leisure)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... All Star Leisure, the ten-pin bowling operator, has invested 5m [pounds sterling] in two new sites in London. All Star Lanes is set to open in Whiteleys in Bayswater in May and lease negotiations are under way for a venue in Brick Lane, which...

Odeon UCI leads UK's digital rollout charge.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
March 1, 2007... Odeon & UCI Cinemas has announced a ground-breaking step in digital projection. Two of the cinema chain's larger sites--at Hatfield (Hertfordshire), and at Surrey Quays (London)--are having end-to-end digital projection systems installed in all...

Record overseas visitors in 2006.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
March 1, 2007... Overseas visitors to the UK increased by a record high of 7% in 2006 compared to the previous year, according to VisitBritain's latest statistics. The research found that overseas tourists made over 32m [pounds sterling] visits to the UK,...

World travel growth tops expectations.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
March 1, 2007... The tourism industry worldwide enjoyed a record year during 2006, with 842m arrivals and a 4.5% growth rate, that was higher than forecast. The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer found that Africa outpaced all other regions, with global growth...

Disney set for Bahrain park.(News: Tourism & Attractions, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to invest in amusement parks of Disney, Bahrain)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is in negotiations to invest 4bn [pounds sterling] in a Disneyland theme park in Bahrain. Talal, who already has a 10% stake in Euro Disney, plans to start work on the 16m sq m site, if approved, in May with the...

Candover buys Parques Reunidos.(News: Tourism & Attractions)(Candover Investments PLC to acquire Parques Reunidos)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Private equity firm Candover is to buy Parques Reunidos, which owns 22 amusement, animal and water parks across Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Norway and Argentina, making it Europe's third-largest theme park operator, for an undisclosed sum....

Tussauds waxes lyrical about US expansion plans.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
March 1, 2007... The Tussauds Group, Europe's leading visitor attractions group, announced plans to open Madame Tussauds Washington DC in 2007 and Madame Tussauds Hollywood in 2008, as part of its international expansion drive. Tussauds will be investing...

Bumper 2006 for London sights.(News: Tourism & Attractions)(growth in tourism forecasted)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The number of visitors to museums, galleries and visitor attractions in London increased by 9.9% year-on-year to 46m in 2006, Visit London reported. During 2005, visits to the 33 free attractions included in the annual figures totalled 31 m....

Welcome break to change hands again?(News: Food & Drink Royal Bank of Scotland, R20 appoint DTZ to over see the sale of Welcome Break)
March 1, 2007... R20, Robert Tchenguiz's investment vehicle, and the Royal Bank of Scotland are to put the portfolio of nine Welcome Break motorway service stations they jointly own on the market with a 365m [pounds sterling] price tag. The companies have...

Roadchef sees 59.9% rise in Q1 profit.(News: Food & Drink)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Roadchef, the motorway service station operator, has reported a 59.9%increase in operating profit, from 3.44m [pounds sterling] to 5.51m [pounds sterling] in the 12 weeks to 17 December 2006, compared to the same period last year. Ebitda...

Coffee Republic posts 3.1% rise in LFLs.(News: Food & Drink)(like-for-like sales)(earnings of Coffee Republic PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Coffee Republic reported a 3.1% increase in like-for-like sales for the second half of its financial year to date. The group's 19 franchised stores reported a 12.2% increase in like-for-like sales during the period from 24 September 2006,...

McDonald's profit doubles.(News: Food & Drink)
March 1, 2007... McDonald's has reported that its fourth-quarter profits more than doubled after the spin off of Chipotle, its burrito chain, and lifted by strong sales in Europe. For the quarter ending 31 December, the company earned $1.2bn (600m [pounds...

SSP launches bakery brand.(News: Food & Drink)
March 1, 2007... Select Service Partners (SSP), the food service group which specialises in travel concessions, has launched a new bakery brand called Panopolis. The group opened its first site in London Bridge station in January. Richard Barclay, director...

Burger King moves to halt falling UK sales.(News: Food & Drink)
March 1, 2007... Burger King is to introduce new products and adjust its real estate portfolio in the UK to reverse a trend of negative comparable sales. The company said that the UK was one overseas market it was looking to improve in, where negative...

Casino for Earls Court?
March 1, 2007... Earls Court and Olympia has launched an application for a 20m [pounds sterling] casino at its Earls Court Exhibition Centre in west London. It plans to team up with Stanley Leisure, which would operate the casino. Meanwhile bidders are eying up...

Fleurets restructures.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Fleurets, the property agency, announced a new management structure. Martin Willis and Bill Graham become joint managing directors, whilst Yasir Martini, becomes executive director, with a remit including PR and marketing. The company also...

8m [pounds sterling] Spa Village for Boscombe.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... An 8m [pounds sterling] plan for a Spa Village, which it is hoped will regenerate the Bournemouth suburb of Boscombe and turn it into the south coast's leading surf centre, will include new restaurants and shops. Europe's first artificial reef...

Abbeymore sold.(Abbeymore Stadium)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Christie + Co announced the sale of Abbeymore Stadium, home of Glastonbury Town Football Club. A 15-year lease has been sold on behalf of the owner to local business partners, Jason Norton and Martin Hancock, who previously owned and...

14.5m [pounds sterling] Silverlink Leisure Park sold.(News: Property & Development)
March 1, 2007... Hercules Unit Trust, managed by The British Land Company and advised by Savills, has sold Silverlink Leisure Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to CB Richard Ellis Investors for 14.5m [pounds sterling], reflecting a net equivalent yield of 5.48%. ...

Plans for Suffolk ski dome move ahead.(News: Property & Development)
March 1, 2007... Work could start later this year on creating the world's largest indoor ski slope in Suffolk, if the 350m [pounds sterling] project is approved at the upcoming public enquiry. SnOasis, which would cover a 120 hectare site in Great Blakeham near...

Carbon neutral resort planned.(News: Property & Development)
March 1, 2007... The first zero-carbon luxury resort in the world is being developed in Nungwi, Zanzibar by a British architect. The five-star resort, which will feature 35 villas that will only use energy from the sun and wind, is set to open next year....

Real estate development to slow.(News: Property & Development)
March 1, 2007... London real estate development may slow as construction for the 2012 Olympics and a new terminal at Heathrow drive up labour costs, according to a report by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The survey found that...

Arena Leisure eyes 23m [pounds sterling] scheme.(News: Property & Development)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Arena Leisure announced it had submitted a new planning application to Wolverhampton Council to expand facilities at the racecourse. If its application is successful, Arena plans to invest 23m [pounds sterling] on the development, which...

More extreme sports builds in the pipeline.(News: Property & Development)(Rugby Estates PLC)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Rugby Estates is in talks to build indoor extreme sports parks costing 50m [pounds sterling] - 100m [pounds sterling] near Newquay, Cornwall, and Thurrock, in Essex. The company also wants to open a site between Wembley Stadium and Arena....

Red tape affects small companies.(News: Industry)
March 1, 2007... A quarter of smaller businesses have been unable to employ more staff over the last year due to increases in the National Minimum Wage and holiday entitlement. Research by the University of Liverpool found employment was sharply down in the...

DCMS sets out guidelines for gaming in licensed premises.(Department for Culture, Media and Sport, United Kingdom)
March 1, 2007... The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has set out new proposals to control the provision of gaming in clubs and premises licensed to sell alcohol. Under the proposals alcohol-licensed premises will no longer be required to...

Discrimination concern over immigrant tests.(News: Industry)
March 1, 2007... The leisure industry has been warned not to discriminate against foreign workers when recruiting staff. Testing an applicant's level of written and spoken English could be considered discriminatory if the job application doesn't require a given...

Councils should pay licensing shortfall.(the Independent Licensing Fees Review Panel recommends a hike in licencing fees)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Independent Licensing Fees Review Panel, chaired by Sir Les Elton, has recommended to the government that local authorities should pay the 97m [pounds sterling] shortfall created by the implementation of the licensing regulations last year....

Hospitality firms see 50% rise in administrations during 2006.(News: Industry)
March 1, 2007... Hospitality and leisure businesses was one of the worst affected sectors in 2006 with more than 50% more going into administration, according to latest analysis of administration figures by Deloitte. Nigel Bland, principal in the tourism,...

Welsh Assembly publishes smoking ban regulations.(News: Industry)
March 1, 2007... The Welsh Assembly has published regulations for the country's smoking ban on 2 April this year, which, as expected, are in line with those released in England and Scotland. The regulations state that outdoor smoking shelters must have at...

Going for gold? Grant Hearn, chief executive of Travelodge, calls on the government to put a structure in place so that the whole industry can benefit from the 2012 Games.(Insight)
March 1, 2007... A few weeks ago Tessa Jowell, the secretary of state, addressed a business audience on what prospects the 2012 Olympic Games holds for UK plc. I didn't need to attend the event to know her speech would hail the Games again as a unique...

Got any change to spare? David Minton says a new venture from David Lloyd and BUPA might prove to be the shot in the arm the fitness industry needs.(Insight: Health & fitness; the joint venture to be named as Core Exercise Clinics )
March 1, 2007... If, 'change is the key to survival' then where do I look for good examples of change in the fitness industry? I fear this may be the shortest article I have ever written. At the start of 2007 I'm sitting on my Life Cycle wondering--can the...

It's the trend of the world: predicting the future of leisure trends is difficult, says Ray Algar, but there are always clues to help you find 'the next big thing'.(Insight: Trend watching)
March 1, 2007... Most leisure organisations are aware of the need to 'trend watch'. For some, it will be a strategic imperative, while others will treat it more as a 'nice to do' at an annual planning event. What follows is an overview of some of the key...

Offshoring is here to stay: Natalie Gordon, managing consultant at the Egremont Group, takes a close look at the offshoring phenomenon, considering both the benefits and pitfalls.(Feature: Offshoring)
March 1, 2007... How many of us have experienced the frustration of talking to a representative of our 'local' bank / train operator / insurance provider based in Bangalore? A Mail on Sunday survey of 4,000 readers found that 87% of those surveyed would switch...

Are you being servered? Alex Tanner takes a look at the recent revolution which has seen server-based gaming come to the fore in leisure venues ranging from pubs to attractions.(Feature: Server-based gaming)
March 1, 2007... The biggest upheaval customers used to face in the pub sector came when their local Dog & Trumpet underwent a refurbishment. Out would go the pewter tankards behind the bar, the dart board, and the ash tray reserved exclusively as a receptacle...

CXO--take the networking challenge. Gambit's Gareth Wong introduces his peer-to-peer group.(Feature: Server-based gaming)
March 1, 2007... CXO is an acronym of the titles of senior directors & decision makers who hold key powers, responsibilities and challenges for their company. These roles usually involve making hard decisions (and accepting the consequences or rewards which...

Camelot stacks the odds: Dominic Walsh says Camelot looks to be an odds-on favourite to secure its role as National Lottery operator in 2009.(Behind the headlines: The National Lottery)
March 1, 2007... When Dianne Thompson stepped out onto the stage of the National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing Theatre for the press launch of Camelot's National Lottery bid, the audience broke into a polite but enthusiastic round of applause. Maybe it's...

The Restaurant Group.(People on the move)
March 1, 2007... David Richardson, former chairman of De Vere Group, has joined The Restaurant Group (TRG), the casual dining company which operates Frankie & Benny's, Chiquito and Garfunkel's, as a non-executive director with effect from 1 February. Richardson...

East of England Development Agency.(People on the move)(Graham Long appointed as head of culture, tourism and sport )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Graham Long is the new head of culture, tourism and sport at the East of England Development Agency. This new strategic leadership role brings together three closely related areas of activity with potential to deliver economic and cultural...

Sportingbet.(People on the move)(Mark Blandford and Bob Holt, executive directors, resigns)(Sean O'Connor to be promoted as chairman )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Sportingbet announced that Mark Blandford, executive director, and Bob Holt, non-executive director, have decided to resign from the company with immediate effect. Andrew McIver, group chief executive, said: "On behalf of the board, I would...

Gaming VC Holdings.(People on the move)
March 1, 2007... Gaming VC Holdings, the web casino company, has recruited Kenneth Alexander as chief executive.

Dubai International Capital.(People on the move)(Anand Krishnan appointed as chief operating officer)(Peter Bonfield and Martin Angle appointed as non-executives)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Dubai International Capital (DIC), owner of the BA London Eye and Tussauds Group, has announced the appointment of Anand Krishnan as its new chief operating officer. Krishnan, who was formerly the group's chief financial officer, will be...

Close Brothers Corporate Finance.(People on the move)
March 1, 2007... Close Brothers Corporate Finance has appointed Henry Wells as new director for its leisure and retail (L&R) sector group. Wells has worked in the L&R team since 2000, advising clients on private and public disposals, acquisitions and...

Sports Cafe.(People on the move)
March 1, 2007... Sports Cafe, the troubled operator of the eponymous chain of licensed sports bars, announced the appointment of Peter Marks as chief executive, with immediate effect. He replaces Bill Balkou, the company's founder, who becomes development...

Riva Gaming Group.(People on the move)
March 1, 2007... Riva Gaming Group, Britain's fourth-biggest bingo operator, has appointed Bob Scott, the former chief executive of Coral, as its new chairman.

Rank Group.(People on the move)(Elliot Grant appointed as special adviser at Rank Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Elliot Grant, the former civil servant who helped draft the new gambling laws, is under fire after Rank Group appointed him as a special adviser on casino applications. He was previously head of gambling at the Department for Culture,...

Barbara Cassani, former chair of the London 2012 Olympic bid, has been awarded an honorary Commander of the British Empire (CBE) from Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell.(People on the move)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Barbara Cassani, former chair of the London 2012 Olympic bid, has been awarded an honorary Commander of the British Empire (CBE) from Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, for her role in London's successful campaign to stage the 2012 Games. Cassani...

Betinternet.com.(People on the move)
March 1, 2007... Betinternet.com, the global online gaming group, unveiled the appointment of Edward Cumins as chief operating officer of its European Wagering Services business, with effect from 6 February. Cumins has over 15 years' experience in the betting...

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). People on the move).(The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). People on the move)(Philip Brown, Mark Anderson, and Rob Nesbitt appointed as business development directors )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced the appointments of three business development directors to its London Corporate Leisure team. Philip Brown, Mark Anderson, and Rob Nesbitt all take up their new roles with immediate effect. Brown...

Ubet2win.(People on the move)(Gerry French appointed as chief executive and non-executive chairman)(Jonathan French appointed as chief executive)(Anita Madhas appointed as finance director)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Ubet2win announced the following changes to its board, with immediate effect: Gerry French will step down as chief executive and becomes non-executive chairman. Jonathan French becomes chief executive. Andy Moore will step down as non-executive...

LR Index leisure stockwatch February 2007.(Sharewatch)(Arena Leisure)(Gaming Corporation of America)(IG Group)
March 1, 2007... The rumour mill has gone into overdrive this month, with some likely stories being pushed into the background by some highly unlikely-sounding speculation about buyouts, tie-ins, and last minute deal brokering. Although unable to provide...

Diary dates: March/April.(Calendar)
March 1, 2007... March Event: China Attractions Expo 2007 Date: 2-4 Location: Beijing Exhibition Centre, China Description: Exhibition for the Asian theme park and amusement industry Contact: +8610 6882 5005 or caapa@163.com www.caapa.org...