Leisure Report articles from November 2006

Leisure Report archives from November 2006

Five-a-side set to grow for 13 years.
November 1, 2006... The small-sided soccer market could be set to grow for up to 13 years, if development continues at the current rate, delivering high growth rates and returns, according to the latest research from Altium Securities. The broker's latest...

Betdirect is 32Red's antidote to US woes.
November 1, 2006... 32Red, the UK online gaming group, said its recent purchase of Betdirect was the key to its future growth, as it sought to clarify its lack of exposure to the US market. Providing an update on its performance during the third quarter of...

Consultation is no substitute for policy.(government launches consultations on gambling industry)
November 1, 2006... The government has launched an astonishing 23 separate consultations on gambling over the past 18 months, according to figures in the Financial Times last month. That's more than one consultation a month. Worse, though, is the fact that of...

Whitbread reads positive signs in latest David Lloyd Leisure figures.(News)
November 1, 2006... Whitbread, operator of David Lloyd Leisure, announced the return of 350m [pounds sterling] to shareholders, as it unveiled half-year numbers. At David Lloyd Leisure (DLL), the group's premium fitness club business, like-for-like sales rose...

BISL unveils 2006 conference line-up.(News)
November 1, 2006... Business In Sport and Leisure has announced details of its Annual Conference and Exhibition. The conference will take place on Thursday 30 November, at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, in London. The four key topics of the conference will be:...

Fitness offering for new mums is launched.(News)
November 1, 2006... New to the UK and in the Brent Cross Shopping Mall from mid-October 2006, is the launch of The Baby2Body Stroller Club, an innovative, activity for new mothers. The stroller club is a new and functional form of exercise that is designed to turn...

PartvGaming faces $250m write-off as US shutdown hits.(News)
November 1, 2006... Online gaming giant PartyGaming unveiled its key performance indicators for the third quarter in a sombre mood, as the impact of the Port Security Act hit home. Although group revenue was up 53% to $337.2m (2005: $220.0m), and revenue from...

Anne Wright to stay as chair of the National Lottery Commission.(News)
November 1, 2006... Tessa Jowell, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport, announced the re-appointment of Dr Anne Wright as the chair of the National Lottery Commission. Dr Wright has been the National Lottery Commission chair since October 2005. Her...

Britain's obesity problem 'is the biggest in Europe', says new report.(News: Health & Fitness)
November 1, 2006... Britain is the fattest country in Europe, according to the government's new Health Profile of England report. The report showed that 23% of adults in Britain are classified as obese, ahead of Spain, with 13.1%, Germany at 12.9%, France's...

JJB sees 4.5% rise in H1 operating profit.(News: Health & Fitness)
November 1, 2006... JJB Sports has reported a 4.5% increase in operating profits to 18.4m [pounds sterling] for the 26 weeks to 30 July. Like-for-like revenue increased by 9.5%, while gross margin fell by 1.5%, as the company blamed the disappointing results...

Holmes Place to open fifth Privilege club.(News: Health & Fitness)
November 1, 2006... Holmes Place, the health and fitness club operator, which is in the process of being acquired by Virgin Active, is set to open its fifth Privilege health club this month in Bank, London. The new club will take the company's portfolio of...

Spa consultancy is launched.(News: Health & Fitness)
November 1, 2006... Nicola Stott, former vice president of hotel, travel and leisure for Molton Brown, has launched a new spa consultancy. Creative Spa Solutions is currently in negotiations with several hotel companies to advise them on their spa operations. ...

New London venue for energie.(News: Health & Fitness)
November 1, 2006... UK fitness franchise energie Fitness Clubs has added another London venue to its growing portfolio. Located on the ground floor of a commercial building, the 7,000 sq ft club provides workers and local residents in Fulham with a fully...

TLDBC enters Dutch marketplace.(News: Health & Fitness)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... A new partnership has been formed between The Leisure Database Company and Dutch sports research agency, Muller Institute. Modelled on data collection systems pioneered by The Leisure Database Company in the UK, the Muller Institute wishes...

Powerleague Group reports 3% rise in 1-f-ls.(earnings of football centre operator )
November 1, 2006... The Powerleague Group, the market leading operator of five-a-side football centres, has announced a 3% increase in like-for-like sales for the year to 1 July. Turnover was up 17% to 20.5m [pounds sterling] over the same period, with...

Greene King signs England rugby deal.(News: Sport)
November 1, 2006... Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, has signed its largest ever sponsorship deal to become the official beer of the England rugby team. The four-year deal, which the company described as a "multi-million pound" one, will see Greene...

TSPG to open new soccer site.(The Sports and Leisure Group)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Sports and Leisure Group (TSPG) will open its seventh PlayFootball centre in Swansea in January. The 2.3m [pounds sterling] centre will include all weather pitches and feature a four-court badminton hall, fitness suite, changing areas and a...

Watford set for multi-million pound stadium redevelopment.(News: Sport)
November 1, 2006... Watford Leisure, parent company of Watford FC, has announced that it has agreed in principle to participate in a proposed 32.5m [pounds sterling] regional development programme in partnership with the Origin Group, a leading provider of social...

Development delays hold back profits as Playgolf looks to grow.(sales report of Playgolf)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... UK golf operator Playgolf said that it would need to streamline operations in order to push ahead with its plans to develop "a Playgolf multi sport facility in each of the major cities in the UK." Reporting interim results for the six...

Suprise US gambling crackdown forces online firms' hands.(News: Betting & Gaming)
November 1, 2006... Following the US Senate's surprise move to crack down on internet gambling, a number of leading gaming operations moved quickly to announce the suspension of their US-facing operations. The move has thrown the multi-billion pound industry into...

Administration for troubled World Gaming.(News: Betting & Gaming)
November 1, 2006... Online gambling firm World Gaming has gone into administration, hours before the law that has barred it operating in the US was passed. US business made up the "overwhelming majority" of revenues, the firm said. Shares in the firm,...

Leisure and Gaming sees trading 'below expectations'.(News: Betting & Gaming)
November 1, 2006... Leisure and Gaming, the online betting and gaming group, has announced that trading in the first half of the year had been below its expectations. The group made the announcement even though it reported a pre-tax profit of $6.8m (3.75m...

US ban overshadows record Sportingbet results.(News: Betting & Gaming)
November 1, 2006... Sportingbet, the online sports betting and gaming group, said operating profit for the year to 31 July was up 70.2% to 103m [pounds sterling] ($194m). However, despite posting record results, the firm warned it would face "a significant...

Kerzner CEO killed in crash.(News: Betting & Gaming)
November 1, 2006... Howard "Butch" Kerzner, chief executive of Kerzner International Holdings, the hotel and casino operator, was killed in a helicopter crash in the Dominican Republic, last month. Kerzner was surveying possible development sites in the...

Top Ten reports admissions drop.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Top Ten Holdings, the third largest bingo operator in the UK, has announced that admissions to its clubs were adversely affected by the prolonged heatwave in the summer, combined with the World Cup. As a result of these events, the...

Genting confirms Stanley deal.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Genting International group buys Stanley Leisure)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Genting, the Malaysian conglomerate, announced it had secured its proposed deal to buy Stanley Leisure, through its GII UK vehicle. In a statement to the stock exchange, the company said: "As GII UK and the Genting International group have...

BETonSPORTS seeks settlement.(News: Betting & Gaming)
November 1, 2006... Troubled gaming group BETonSPORTS, the AIM-listed firm which is facing racketeering charges in the US, has reportedly told prosecutors it wants to negotiate a settlement. According to The Times, the firm, whose shares has been suspended...

LSE launches investigation into sales of US gaming operations.(News: Betting & Gaming)
November 1, 2006... The London Stock Exchange (LSE) plans to mount a probe into some UK-listed companies' hurried sale of their US online gambling interests in the wake of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Leisure and Gaming admitted the sale of...

Future of the Tote undecided as talks stall.(racing industry consortium in talks to buy Tote)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The racing industry consortium that had its 325m [pounds sterling] offer for the State-owned bookmaker Tote rejected last month now wants to meet the government to decide on its next course of action. One option is just to buy the pool...

Online groups 'need marketing rethink'.(News: Betting & Gaming)
November 1, 2006... Prism, the brand consultancy, says internet gaming groups must rethink their approach to marketing to offset the impact of this week's banning of their activities in the US. It said companies had got to stop throwing their money at any...

US leisure travel set to drop this year, says study.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
November 1, 2006... Almost a third of leisure travellers in the US are planning to take fewer leisure trips this year, according to Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell (YPBR). The company's National Leisure Travel Monitor found that 25% of those polled...

Pleasure Beach sees sharp fall in visitors.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
November 1, 2006... Blackpool could be on target to face the biggest slump in tourism for 25 years, as early projections from one of the town's most popular attractions reveal a dip in visitor numbers. A fall of 418,000 visitors has been predicted by bosses at...

Deep Sea Leisure shares tipped as 'a buy'.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
November 1, 2006... Shares in Aim-traded Deep-Sea Leisure received a boost after they were tipped last month in The Business. The group, which operates Deep Sea World, in North Queensferry, Scotland, and the Blue Planet Aquarium, near Ellesmere Port, England,...

NEC to gain 20m [pounds sterling] hotel as part of redevelopment.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
November 1, 2006... A new 20m [pounds sterling] Ramada Encore Hotel is to be developed at the NEC in Birmingham, following the sale of the NEC Group's headquarters. The Alfred McAlpine Group is set to acquire the site on a long leasehold from the NEC Group, and...

Parques Reunidos tipped for sale.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
November 1, 2006... Spanish company Parques Reunidos, which runs theme parks in six European countries, may be put up for sale or floated on the stock exchange, according to reports. It is currently owned by Advent International and its most recent figures...

Merlin conjures up deal to buy Italy's largest theme park for 340m [pounds sterling].(News: Tourism & Attractions)
November 1, 2006... Merlin Entertainment Group, owner of Legoland and the London Dungeon, is understood to have agreed terms to buy Gardaland, Italy's largest theme park, in a Eu500m (340m [pounds sterling]) deal. Gardaland, a 50-hectare site on the edge of...

Vue puts the focus on digital delivery to deliver future growth.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
November 1, 2006... Following the recent management buyout at Vue Entertainment, backed by Bank of Scotland Corporate Finance, the company is looking to advances in digital technology as the bedrock of its future strategy. Tim Richards, chief executive, told...

Odeon opens two new sites in the south.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
November 1, 2006... Odeon, the UK's largest cinema chain, last month announced plans for the opening of a new site in Medway, Kent and the acquisition of the Vue cinema in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The additions bring the size of Ode on's estate to 110 cinemas...

Pub and bars face further restrictions on noise.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
November 1, 2006... Noisy pubs, bars and nightclubs could now be subject to a 500 [pounds sterling] on the spot fine if they are deemed to be causing an excessively loud disturbance by their local noise pollution officers. Local authorities have been given new...

Sports Cafe admits it has received further bid approaches.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
November 1, 2006... Sports Cafe, the owner and operator of the chain of licensed sports entertainment venues, has announced it has received further approaches concerning a possible offer for the company. On 8 September the group said that it had received an...

Shareholders win out as Hashemi is ousted from Coffee Republic.(News: Food & Drink)
November 1, 2006... Coffee Republic has appointed Steven Bartlett as its new chief executive, with Peter Breach taking the role of chairman. Bobby Hashemi stands down as executive chairman with immediate effect, after a series of fall-outs with investors. ...

Costa launches store card.(News: Food & Drink)
November 1, 2006... Whitbread, the leisure group, is to introduce a value card scheme into its UK Costa Coffee stores, following a successful trial. The move by Whitbread follows the announcement by Starbucks that is to launch its own store card in the UK in...

Hamburger Union eyes sites.(News: Food & Drink)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Hamburger Union is set to open its fifth restaurant in London before the end of the year. Property agent Davis Coffer Lyons has secured a new site for the gourmet burger chain on Tottenham Court Road. The former Caffe Uno site will join the...

Little Chef owners consider name change.(News: Food & Drink)
November 1, 2006... The People's Restaurant Group is exploring further strategic options for Little Chef, the roadside restaurant chain it acquired for 52m [pounds sterling] at the turn of the year, including a possible change of name. The company's new...

Disney food to become more health conscious.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Walt Disney has announced it is to serve healthier food at its theme parks, and to restrict the contents of its licensed food products. The entertainment company is set to cut the amount of calories, fiat, trans fiats and sugar in its...

Subway opens 750th outlet.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Subway, the fast-growing sandwich chain, has opened its 750th outlet in the UK. Sites in Northampton and south west London shared the distinction of being the company's 750th restaurant, after opening at the same time on 17 September. The group...

Starbucks to raise prices.
November 1, 2006... Starbucks plans to increase the price of its prepared drinks in the US and Canada by 1.9% at the beginning of October. The company, which has not raised drink prices since October 2004, will increase its beverages by 5 cents (3p) each, as a...

2m [pounds sterling] Cornish ski resort scheme presses ahead.(News: Property & Development)
November 1, 2006... An innovative farm diversification scheme to establish a year-round ski and snowboard park on the outskirts of Newquay has moved a step closer as father and son farmers Steve and Mark Bucknell have submitted plans for approval by Carrick...

22.7m [pounds sterling] refurb for Kentish Town baths gets the go-ahead.(refurbishment of Kentish Town Sports Centre)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Kentish Town Sports Centre is set to receive a 22.7m [pounds sterling] refurbishment after Camden Council's executive committee agreed the funding in October. The investment will retain the two main swimming pools and learner pool, and...

Rank to open Macau casino.(News: Property & Development)
November 1, 2006... Rank Group has announced it will open a 350-room Hard Rock Hotel and casino in Macau in 2008. The company has signed an agreement with Melco PBL Entertainment to develop the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Macau in the City of Dreams venue. The...

Alliance wins Halo contract.(contracts of Alliance Leisure and Halo Leisure)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Alliance Leisure has won a 750,000 [pounds sterling] contract to fund and redevelop three Halo Leisure sites in Herefordshire. Work has already started on a 280,000 [pounds sterling] project to refurbish the fitness suite at Leominster...

Firms sign for 130m [pounds sterling] scheme.(News: Property & Development)(contracts of Crest Nicholson Regeneration and The Restaurant Group)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Crest Nicholson Regeneration is set to start work on a new 130m [pounds sterling] mixed-use scheme in Camberley, Surrey, which will feature a number of new leisure units. The Restaurant Group (TRG) has taken two units at the scheme, called the...

Agency says TV ads 'are no longer unaffordable'.(News: Industry)
November 1, 2006... Falling relative costs and the digital television revolution mean television advertising is no longer unfeasible for leisure organisations, including attractions and public sector gyms, according to David Gent, from the specialist TV buying...

UK hospitality sector worth 102bn [pounds sterling].(News: Industry)
November 1, 2006... The UK's hospitality industry has exceeded the 100bn [pounds sterling] turnover mark for the first time, according to the recently-released British Hospitality Association's (BHA's) Trends and Statistics 2006 handbook. According to the...

Profits increase as smoking is banned, says report.(News: Industry)
November 1, 2006... Pubs in England, which have already banned smoking on their premises, have seen profits rise on average by just over 50%, accord to a survey by The Times. The survey of 100 pubs showed that 78% had seen an increase in overall profits,...

People 1st to get people skills onto school curriculum.(News: Industry)
November 1, 2006... The government is set to include hospitality qualifications in the secondary school curriculum, in the wake of increasing pressure from industry. The vocational qualification, which will be a practical alternative to GCSEs, would be...

It's never too late to start: David Minton says that the older generation could generate higher earnings and reduced attrition rates across the UK fitness industry.(Insight)(Industry overview)
November 1, 2006... My parents have just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. It was quite a party as you can imagine. In fact mum and dad love to party, and even more so when it's in their honour. We travelled back from Prague where they'd been partying in...

Risky business: the recent US ban on internet gaming has served to illustrate the critical importance of a robust and well-implemented risk strategy.
November 1, 2006... In today's litigious society, with intellectual property often valued in millions and businesses turning over hundreds of thousands of pounds in a single day, the slightest breakdown in systems can prove very costly. As the gaming sector has...

Putting the trust into marketing: Emma-Jayne Sherry from thinkOTB says that, while marketing for leisure trusts is often very different to that of their private sector counterparts, there are plenty of good options available.(Business Sense: Marketing for leisure trusts)
November 1, 2006... "Marketing is all about identifying, anticipating and satisfying your customer requirements and then maximising the growth in that sector, profitably. However for trusts, often it is not as simple as that," says Joel Chapman, operations...

Perfecting the language of service: Peter Martin ponders the 'people thing'--the industry's biggest challenge.(Insight: Service culture)
November 1, 2006... Restaurant--goers are either jumping on a political bandwagon or have identified a real problem produced by increasing dependency of the eating and drinking--out market--particularly in London--on migrant labour. The public is experiencing...

Disabled people are not the problem--the of us are: John Varley, chief executive of Barclays, writes on employers' responses to the DDA.(Insight: The Disability Discrimination Act)
November 1, 2006... Picture the scene: you are an employer interviewing two people for a job. One is a perfectly adequate candidate, while the other is equally qualified and shows more spark and originality at interview. The problem? The second candidate is...

Panic in America: the US Senate's ban on internet gaming smacks of pork-barrel politics, writes Dominic Walsh, but what lies in future for the firms betting on a busted flush?(Behind the headlines: US gaming ban)
November 1, 2006... Even as I write this column, it still feels like I'm in the middle of a bad dream. Can it really be true that the US internet gambling industry has just been killed off? How can a supposedly civilised country simply wipe out a pastime that...

Ultimate Leisure.(People on the move)
November 1, 2006... Colin Rowlinson has resigned as business development director of Ultimate Leisure. The group said that Rowlinson had resigned with immediate effect to pursue other business interests. Ultimate said: "The board would like to thank Colin...

Top Ten Holdings.(People on the move)(Bruce Roberts retires)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Also leaving the scene last month was Bruce Roberts, operations director at Top Ten Holdings. Roberts is retiring from the company and has resigned from the board with immediate effect. Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, Top Ten's chairman, said: We...

Gamingking.(Nicholas Watkins, Andrew Speak resigns)(Brian Nichols joins)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... At Gamingking, Nicholas Watkins has tendered his resignation as chief executive with effect from 31 October, having expressed a keenness to pursue other interests. Brian Nichols will assume his responsibilities. In addition, Andrew Speak...

32Red.(Simon Dimmer steps down, Nick Farmer steps in )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... 32Red, the UK gaming acquisition group, said that, as previously announced, Simon Dimmer stepped down from the board and left the company on 13 October. "We are in the final stages of recruitment for a new finance director and expect to...

International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.(People on the move)
November 1, 2006... The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), the not-for-profit fitness organisation, announced it has named Joe Moore as president and chief executive of the association. Moore had been serving as the association's...

Broadway Plaza.(People on the move)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Birmingham leisure complex Broadway Plaza has strengthened its management team and taken on new security and cleaning contractors, following a year of continued growth. Richard Yelverton has been promoted to operations support manager. ...

Lifetime.(appointment of Amanda Clapp)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Lifetime, the UK's leading provider of training for employees within the leisure industry, has announced a new addition to its team. Amanda Clapp joins as PA to the directors, allowing them to focus on the ongoing growth of the company. ...

Expedia.co.uk.(People on the move)
November 1, 2006... Expedia.co.uk, the travel website, has named Caroline Cartellieri as vice president and managing director. She joins the company from Kingfisher, Europe's largest home improvements retailer. At Kingfisher she was director of group commercial...

Preston North End.(appointment of Kevin Abbott)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Preston North End announced that Kevin Abbott has been appointed as full-time executive finance director at the club. Abbott has worked at the club on a part-time basis for the last two and a half years in the role of company secretary, but...

Sport England.(People on the move)
November 1, 2006... Tessa Jowell announced the appointment of Derek Mapp as the new chair of Sport England, Mapp will bring extensive business and regional development experience to Sport England, as it works to encourage greater participation in community and...

LR Index leisure stockwatch October 2006.(Sharewatch)
November 1, 2006... Another dire month for listed leisure firms, with the LR Index an average of 300% down on last month. The Port Security Act is clearly at the heart of this month's woes, but even firms with no connections to gambling in the US have endured some...

Diary dates: November.(Calendar)
November 1, 2006... November Event: SIBEC UK/Europe Date: 1-4 Location: The Grande Real Santa Eulalia, Portugal Description: A business forum for the UK and European club and centre operators in the health, fitness and spa market Contact:...