Leisure Report articles from October 2007

Leisure Report archives from October 2007

Key survey finds problem gambling is not increasing.
October 1, 2007... The UK National Centre for Social Research has released the long-awaited results of the UK Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007 and, contrary to speculation, it found there has been no significant change in UK gambling habits since the last survey...

Can the sector beat the credit crunch?(Inside track)(Europe Arab Bank)
October 1, 2007... So last month's market turmoil was more than a flash in the pan, and investors and consumers alike face a bleak midwinter as the credit crunch hits home. Rod Taylor, head of Hospitality & Tourism at Europe Arab Bank, sheds some light on...

Cineworld projects 5m [pounds sterling] pre-tax profit in its maiden set of results.(News: Breaking News)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Cineworld has reported a first-half pretax profit of 5.1m [pounds sterling], compared to a 6m [pounds sterling] loss the previous year. The company, which was reporting its maiden set of results since its 120m [pounds sterling] listing on...

Portman Group to stop issuing teenage ID cards.(News: Breaking News)
October 1, 2007... The Portman Group has announced that it will stop issuing proof of age cards from the end of September. The body took the decision following falling demand for the cards as a result of the emergence of other similar forms of ID, which are...

Olympics to benefit tourism by 3bn [pounds sterling].(News: Breaking News)
October 1, 2007... The tourism benefits of hosting the 2012 Olympics could be 1bn [pounds sterling] more than the current 2bn [pounds sterling] forecast by the government, according to a study commissioned by Travelodge. The research found that former hosts...

Tribunal rules against HMRC.(News: Breaking News)(Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)(Central London Employment Tribunal)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Tips received by restaurant staff are to count as earnings towards the national minimum wage (NMW), according to a ruling by the Central London Employment Tribunal. The tribunal ruled against HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which claimed...

Aspinall targets women.(Damian Aspinall)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Damian Aspinall opened his second Aspers casino in Swansea in September, following the success of his flagship venue in Newcastle. He is targeting women, who have traditionally preferred bingo to big bets, believing they are the "punters of the...

Riva in High Court battle.
October 1, 2007... Bingo outfit Riva is embroiled in a High Court battle with Gala Coral after being granted a casino licence despite the latter's objections. Gala has been granted a judicial review of the decision.

Colony to gamble on Snai.
October 1, 2007... Private equity group Colony Capital is plotting a 1bn euro (680m [pounds sterling]) bid for Snai, Italy's biggest racetrack and sports betting manager. The Sunday Times reported that Ladbrokes and William Hill could also bid.

IGH to refund punters.(Interactive Gaming Holdings)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Thomas Toule, head of troubled gambling group Interactive Gaming Holdings, told the Daily Telegraph that he is working as hard as he can to make sure his customers get their money back. The group stopped taking bets after emergency funding from...

Ladbrokes bid speculation 'unfounded'.
October 1, 2007... Landsbanki has lowered its recommendation on Ladbrokes shares from "buy" to "hold" because it considers bid speculation unfounded and says there are no obvious catalysts for the share price which have not already been factored into forecasts.

Georgica posts loss.(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Tenpin operator Georgica swung to first-half pretax loss from continuing operations and said it has begun to explore the approaches it received from parties interested in acquiring the company. The firm reported a pre-tax loss from continuing...

Cannons merger talk fires up rumour-mill.(News: Health & Fitness)
October 1, 2007... The possibility of a merger between UK gym chains Cannons and LA Fitness has come to the fore again, following a report in the Sunday Telegraph, coupled with increasing industry speculation that the two mid-market chains will be forced into a...

Taxation blow to public gym memberships.(News: Health & Fitness)
October 1, 2007... The Inland Revenue is trying to add VAT to membership of local leisure centres, it emerged yesterday, in a move which can only damage the government's drive to encourage fitness levels and tackle the rising problem of obesity. Following a...

HHC rolls out fitness concept.(News: Health & Fitness)
October 1, 2007... Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) has expanded its Hilton Fitness by Precor chain of health clubs into Germany, with the opening of a new gym and spa at its hotel in Dusseldorf. The hotel group invested $40,000 (19,000 [pounds sterling]) in...

Halabi considers legal action against Duke Street over Esporta debacle.(News: Health & Fitness)
October 1, 2007... Simon Halabi is reported to be considering legal action against the former owners of his Esporta fitness club chain after holding company Bell Leisure Investment was placed into administration. Halabi outbid a host of rivals to buy Esporta...

Fantasy football continues as Goals nets 47% first-half profits hike.(News: Sports)(Goals Soccer Centres)(Financial report)
October 1, 2007... Goals Soccer Centres, the five-a-side football operator, continued to perform strongly, unveiling a 47% rise in pre-tax profits to 3.1m [pounds sterling], as it pressed ahead with its UK-wide rollout programme on the back of increased demand....

Double success swells Celtic's coffers.(News: Sports)(Financial report)
October 1, 2007... Reporting preliminary results for the year ended 30 June 2007, Celtic said that on the back of on-field success, including victory in the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Cup, as well as progression to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions...

Blades boss in bid.
October 1, 2007... Kevin McCabe, chairman of UK football club Sheffield United, said he will bid for Hungarian club Ferencvaros and adjoining property, in September. "We are now planning the development of Ferencvaros," said McCabe. "Real estate, leisure and...

F1 chiefs eye QPR.
October 1, 2007... Motor racing tycoons Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore are a step closer to taking over Queens Park Rangers football club after the board recommended accepting their offer. The bid comes at a time when the appetite for rich investors...

Rams review options.
October 1, 2007... The consortium that owns Premiership League football club Derby County has called in investment bank Seymour Pierce to review its strategic options. Two parties are believed to be considering bids around 30m [pounds sterling].

Wentworth boosted by bar.
October 1, 2007... Refurbishments to bar and restaurant facilities at Wentworth, the golf club, have helped boost sales by 65%. Parent company WGA Holdings reported that turnover soared from 11.8m [pounds sterling] to 19.5m [pounds sterling] for the 12 months to...

Usmanov demanding seat on Arsenal board.
October 1, 2007... Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov is seeking a seat on the board of Arsenal after buying a 14.6% stake in the Premiership football club from the club's former vice-chairman David Dein for 75m [pounds sterling]. American tycoon Stan Kroenke, who...

Lions loaned 1.2m [pounds sterling].
October 1, 2007... Millwall Holdings, which owns Millwall Football Club, said Nash Fitzwilliams has placed out loan notes totaling around 1.2m [pounds sterling], the proceeds of which will be used for working capital purposes.

Online gaming firms 'ripe for consolidation'.(News: Betting & Gaming)
October 1, 2007... The online gaming sector will be ripe for consolidation once the shadow of retrospective legal action from the US authorities is removed, according to PartyGaming's chief executive, Mitch Garber. Garber confirmed that both his company, and...

Rank eves mobile market with Probability.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Rank Group Ltd.)
October 1, 2007... Rank Group, the casino and bingo operator, is to begin offering its customers the chance to play its games on their mobile phones. It has agreed a deal with Probability, the quoted firm specialising in mobile gaming, under which the...

Ladbrokes bets on Playwize.(News: Betting & Gaming)(agreement of Playwize and Ladbrokes International)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Playwize, the AIM-quoted gaming software developer of software, has signed a licence agreement with Ladbrokes International, to develop and exclusive version of its online 3D poker game. The two-year agreement provides for a contribution...

Income falls at Top Ten's bingo sites.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Top Ten Holdings)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Top Ten Holdings, the third largest bingo club operator in the UK, has said that despite a fall in gross income, trading is in line with expectations. Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, non-executive chairman, said: "We have seen a reduction in gross...

Sportsfeeds make less for Fun.(News: Betting & Gaming)(FUN Technologies)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... FUN Technologies said its Sports Information arm had experienced a decline of approximately 15% in its customer base over the past month versus the same period last year. The firm said management is "also aware of increasing competition in...

Paddy Power boosted by strong results.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Paddy Power has reported a 108% rise in operating profit to 40.8m [euro] (27.6m [pounds sterling]) for the six months to 30 June, driven by an "exceptionally favourable run of sporting results". Pre-tax profit was 42.7m [euro] compared to...

Inspired pushes into Asia as FL Group's takeover nears completion.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Inspired Gaming)
October 1, 2007... Inspired Gaming, subject of a 270m [pounds sterling] takeover bid from Icelandic firm FL Group, is pushing ahead with its plans to expand into the Asian market. The company announced it had secured a $1m deal for the rollout of its Open...

Sportech reports drop in H1 pre-tax profit.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Sportech, the football pools operator, has reported a fall in pre-tax profit for the six months to 30 June 2007, to 5.2m [pounds sterling] from 6.1m [pounds sterling] in 2006. The company said the drop was expected, and reflected the...

Playtech sees minor slide in profits.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Playtech has reported a slight drop in pre-tax profit for the six months to 30 June 2007, due to the withdrawal from the US market and the recruitment of new staff. The company said that pre-tax profit for the period slipped to $29.4m...

Betbrokers buys rights to Gold Sheet.(News: Betting & Gaming)
October 1, 2007... Betbrokers has announced it has acquired exclusive rights to distribute "The Gold Sheet", an American handicapping information service, to all territories outside of the US. The company, the UK's first sports betting retail and wholesale...

888 Holdings hits jackpot with 298% surge in first-half pre-tax profits.(News: Betting & Gaming)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... 888 Holdings has reported a 298% increase in pre-tax profit for continuing operations to $19m (9.4m [pounds sterling]) for the six months to 30 June 2007. Net gaming revenue was up 24% to $97m, while casino net gaming revenue increased 22%...

Spirit sells Airport Bowl.(Spirit Group Ltd.)(acquired by Riva Properties)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Airport Bowl, in Bath Road, Harlington, has been acquired by Riva Properties for 13M [pounds sterling]. The business is part of the City Limits portfolio of family entertainment centres, which is being disposed of by Edward Symmons...

American Amusements strikes at Junction One.(Standard Life Investment Fund Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Standard Life Investment Funds, advised by joint-agents Savills and Wilkinson Williams, has let space at Junction One Retail and Leisure Park, Leicester Road, Rugby to American Amusements, the entertainment centre chain. The firm has taken...

Bloomsbury Bowling to open new private suite.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Bloomsbury Bowling, the London-based tenpin concept, is to opened the Kingpin Suite, a 'Vegas style' private hire room, to augment its current offering. Situated at the group's Tavistock Square base, the new suite is a 4,000 sq ft flexible...

European box office forecast to rise as digital cinema takes hold.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
October 1, 2007... Western European cinema exhibition is entering a new phase of evolution, and box offices in the region are forecast to increase by 17% over the next five years, says research from cinema industry analysts, Dodona Research. Cinemagoing...

Ultimate to shed nightclubs image as l-f-l sales increase.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)
October 1, 2007... Ultimate Leisure, the pub, late-night bar and restaurant group led by Mark Jones, announced a 1% rise in like-for-like sales for the 12 months to 30 June 2007, as well as plans to change its name to Premium Bars and Restaurants. The...

Luminar l-f-ls rise by 4.1%.(News: Cinema & Entertainments)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Luminar, the quoted nightclub group, which operates the Liquid, Oceana, and Lava & Ignite chains, has reported a 4.1% rise in like-for-like sales for the six months to 31 August 2007. The company, which in December disposed of the Chicago...

UK's tourism infrastructure comes under attack by WTTC.(News: Tourism & Attractions)
October 1, 2007... The UK's travel and tourism economy is expected to generate over 190bn [pounds sterling] in 2007, ahead of the current rate of inflation, at 3.3% per annum between 2008 and 2017, according to the latest research from the World Travel & Tourism...

Center Parcs wins 200m [pounds sterling] Woburn appeal.(News: Tourism & Attractions)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Center Parcs UK's has won its planning appeal to build a 200m [pounds sterling] holiday village on the Duke of Bedford's estate near Woburn. In July councillors initially rejected building plans for what will be the company's fifth UK...

Park Resorts buys Landguard and eyes mystery 20m [pounds sterling] deal.(News: Tourism & Attractions)(Landguard Holidays)(Davidson Leisure Resorts)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... UK holiday park operator Park Resorts has purchased Landguard Holidays at Shankli on on the Isle of Wight, from Davidson Leisure Resorts for an undisclosed sum. The company, which was acquired by private equity firm GI Partners in March for...

Visits to England's attractions up 3%.(News: Tourism & Attractions)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Visits to tourism attractions in England increased 3% to reach 196.5 million in 2006 compared to the previous year, despite the poorer weather, according to the latest survey by VisitBritain. The national tourism agency found that the...

BKLF acquires Southview Leisure Park.
October 1, 2007... Bryanston Kenmure Leisure Fund (BKLF), a joint venture between Bryanston Capital, Melford Capital and Kenmore Private Equity, has acquired Southview Leisure Park in Skegness, Lincolnshire, for an undisclosed sum. Southview comprises around...

ALG floats on AIM.
October 1, 2007... A holiday resort company which plans to develop 516 acres of land close to the Disney theme parks in Orlando, Florida has floated on AIM. The placing of 62.5 million shares raised American Leisure Group (ALG) 75m [pounds sterling]. The...

Candover buys into US theme parks.
October 1, 2007... MidOcean Partners has sold US water park specialist Palace Entertainment to Madrid-based Parques Reunidos in a deal valued at "$330m, plus cash, less net debt." Candover led a buy-out of Parques Reunidos at the start of the year, with...

McDonald's sees sales rise.(Financial report)
October 1, 2007... McDonald's reported an 8.1% increase in sales for August compared to the previous year, helped by strong performances in Asia/Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and new food offerings in the US. The chain's European restaurants recorded a...

Whole Foods cleared to take over its organic rival.
October 1, 2007... Whole Foods Market (WFM), the organic superstore operator, has been given permission by the US courts to takeover rival Wild Oats. The federal appeals court has denied a request by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block WFM from...

EC clears Brake Bros sale.
October 1, 2007... The European Commission has cleared the 1.4bn [pounds sterling] sale of Brake Bros, which supplies most of the UK catering industry, to US private equity group Bain Capital. The transaction was reviewed under the European Union's "simplified"...

Lovejuice in HMV trials.
October 1, 2007... Lovejuice, the snacks and juice bar concept, is trialling concession units in HMV's new state-of-the-art music stores. The units are based in the "social hub" area of the new stores, which have been launched in Dudley and Tunbridge Wells.

Roadchef reports 2.6% fall in third-quarter Ebitda as trade slips.(News: Food & Drink)(Financial report)
October 1, 2007... Roadchef, the motorway service station operator, has reported a 2.6% drop in Ebitda to 8.1m [pounds sterling] for the 12 weeks to 1 July 2007 compared to the same period last year. The company, which was acquired by Delek Real Estate, the...

Expanding Melovesushi takes over former Kids Planet site.(News: Food & Drink)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Melovesushi, the Japanese takeaway concept, is to open its first restaurant and bar in Swiss Cottage, London, before the end of the year. The company, which was founded in 2006 by Mark Glassman, Nick Goldring and Taj Ratta, has taken on the...

Starbucks signs UK university agreement.(News: Food & Drink)
October 1, 2007... Starbucks has signed its first licensing agreement with a UK university. Under the deal the coffee chain will open a store at the University of Surrey in Guildford, before the year end. Rupert Lawrie, director of business alliances at...

Burger King to limit ads aimed at children.(News: Food & Drink)
October 1, 2007... Burger King has announced that by December next year it will limit advertising aimed at children younger than 12 years, under new guidelines. Under the new scheme the burger chain said it would limit advertising for Kids Meals to those...

Ed's Easy Diner plans franchised national rollout.(News: Food & Drink)
October 1, 2007... Ed's Easy Diner, the American-style restaurant, has announced plans to expand its estate via franchising. The group, which was founded in 1987 and currently operates four company-owned sites in Soho, Bluewater, the Trocadero centre and...

1.5m [pounds sterling] Birtley upgrade is underway.(News: Property & Development)
October 1, 2007... Work has started on a 1.5m [pounds sterling] redevelopment of Birtley Leisure Centre. The project includes state of the art fitness facilities, new entrance and reception, luxury changing rooms including sauna cabins, and development of a new...

Willmott Dixon wins 25m [pounds sterling] Epsom contract.(News: Property & Development)(Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd)(Epsom Downs Racecourse)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Willmott Dixon's local office in Cobham has secured contracts worth 25m [pounds sterling] to transform Epsom Downs Racecourse, the home of the Derby, with a new 11,000-capacity grandstand and a 120-room hotel. Work starts on the new stand...

Arena's 'racino' development gets go-ahead.(News: Property & Development)(Arena Leisure)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Arena Leisure, the UK's largest operator of horseracing fixtures, announced this morning that its application to redevelop its Wolverhampton racecourse will not be called-in for determination by the secretary of state, effectively...

Capital & Counties sells 33.6m [pounds sterling] Medway leisure park.(News: Property & Development)
October 1, 2007... Capital & Counties, advised by Sibal Welch, has sold Medway Valley Leisure Park in Rochester, Kent to Prudential for 33.59m [pounds sterling], reflecting an equivalent yield in the region of 5.5%. The scheme comprises a 155,079 sq ft...

Land Securities confirms structural review.
October 1, 2007... Land Securities, the UK's largest property company, has confirmed that it is reviewing its structure. The group, which converted to Reit status at the beginning of the year, has fuelled speculation that it could be broken up. Francis...

Arora's Oval plan meets local resistance.(local residents lodges a complaint opposing Arora International Hotel's plans to develop a hotel)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Local residents have lodged a complaint with Lambeth Council opposing Arora International's plans to develop a hotel at the Brit Oval in Surrey in partnership with Surrey County Cricket Club, writes The Times. The proposed four-star hotel,...

Watford stadium contractor appointed.(Watford Football Club stadium appoints Kier London for its redevelopment project)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Kier London has been appointed contractor of the Vicarage Road redevelopment project in Watford, Hertfordshire. The work will improve facilities at the Watford Football Club stadium as well as create a new Watford Health Campus on the...

Wickford regeneration plans submitted.
October 1, 2007... A planning application has been submitted for the first phase of a 120m [pounds sterling] regeneration scheme in Wickford, Essex. The plans--submitted by Basildon Council with developers Family Mosaic--include a new swimming pool and public...

UK venture capital investment slows in second quarter of 2007.(News: Industry)
October 1, 2007... The UK continues to lead the rest of Europe in terms of venture capital deals and investment, although the number of completed transactions fell in the second quarter, according to the Quarterly European Venture Capital Report from Ernst &...

Hospitality staff still lack skills, says study.(News: Industry)
October 1, 2007... The hospitality industry needs to focus on improving the key skills of its staff in order to benefit from the 2012 Olympics, according to the latest report by People 1st. The research found that the UK is only ranked 17th out of 35...

97.3% of venues found to be compliant with smoking ban.(News: Industry)
October 1, 2007... The latest figures released by the Department of Health (Doll) show that 97.3% of licensed venues complied with the smoking ban during the first month of its enforcement. The data revealed that of the 16,807 pubs and clubs and leisure...

Plans for new late-night licences.(News: Industry)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The Scottish government is looking at proposals to charge pubs and clubs extra for late-night licences to pay for policing costs to tackle antisocial behaviour. Kenny MacAskill, justice secretary, discussed the plans at a seminar organised...

Many UK firms 'unaware of new recycling laws'.(News: Industry)
October 1, 2007... Businesses in the UK are unprepared for new waste treatment laws that come into effect on 31 October, which will make it illegal to not recycle, according to financial advisers Grant Thornton. The Environment Agency's (EA) new regulations...

Hospitality sector shows recent growth.(News: Industry)
October 1, 2007... Restaurants, bars and hotels were the only service sectors to record a good rate of growth over the last three months, according to a survey by the CBI and Grant Thornton. Interest rate rises have slowed demand for other leisure services...

Reality bites: David Minton says events across the fitness industry are shaping up like a reality TV show. Producers must be careful the public doesn't switch off.(Insight)
October 1, 2007... Welcome back from your summer holidays to tube strikes, and to the ongoing 'reality television' programme that's invaded the fitness industry. The tube strike had the advantage of getting more people, more active, more often, at least for...

As challenges rise, so do salaries: Janet Salmon's latest research shows across-the-board increases in executive remuneration packages, which are not always linked to, or backed up by, company performance.(Insight: The Annual Remuneration Survey 2007)
October 1, 2007... Economists, accountants and analysts are, for once, united in agreement that the UK ecomony is facing a squeeze, with most prediciting some form of recession in the next 12-18 months. As the pressures facing UK leisure firms increase, and...

Cayman faces up to ill wind: Phil Cain investigates how the tourist industry of Grand Cayman has made efforts to recover from the impact of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and how it plans to develop in the coming years.(Insight: Hurricane recovery)
October 1, 2007... "Whichever God you believe in, now is the time to bow your head and pray to him," Zemrie Thompson, a social worker, was said to have told the 100 or so people sheltering under her care in a school on Grand Cayman on Sunday 19 August. ...

Changing face of leisure real estate: Mark Cattle from RBS looks at the trends in the leisure real estate market, the change in focus from investors, and how businesses can improve their success rate in this competitive sector.(Insight: Sponsor feature)
October 1, 2007... Increasingly the leisure market is demonstrating a trend where people from outside of the sector (encompassing the pub, bar, restaurant, health & fitness and hotel markets) are buying leisure assets. Real estate investors are increasingly...

Hitting a rich seam of data mining: Ray Algar and Rob Gregory explain that far from the devil being in the details, micro-data and business intelligence can pave the path to corporate enlightenment.(Insight: Business intelligence)
October 1, 2007... As we write, Asafa Powell, the Jamaican sprinter has just become the fastest man on earth over 100 metres in a time of 9.74 seconds, smashing his previous world record. How can the records in professional sport continue to be broken, and the...

Your space or mine? Harvey Chipkin examines the phenomenon of social networking websites and looks at how hotels can make the most of a new marketing opportunity.(Insight: Social networking)(Cindy Estis Green, managing partner of The Estis Group speaks at the conference regarding social networking websites)
October 1, 2007... "Social media will not only change internet marketing, but will change all marketing." A daring statement, but Cindy Estis Green, managing partner of The Estis Group, speaking at the Hotels Sales Stategy Conference, in Washington DC...

Inspired Gaming Group.(People on the move)(appointment of Paul Marsh in Inspired Gaming Group PLC)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Paul Marsh has been named as the new director of strategy for pubs and bars at takeover target Inspired Gaming Group. He has also been appointed a non-executive director at City Pub Life, the web-based search facility for pubs and...

The Security Industry Authority.(People on the move)(appointment of Michael Wilson in Security Industry Association)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has appointed Michael Wilson as its new chief executive. Wilson was previously chief executive of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority and also served as chief executive of the Defence Vetting Agency. He...

Novus Leisure.(People on the move)(appointment of John Barnes in Novus Leisure Limited)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... John Barnes, the serial non-executive director, has been appointed chairman of Novus Leisure, the bar and club operator led by Steve Richards. Barnes, who was recently chairman of La Tasca, has 'stepped up' from non-executive director. He...

Lifetime.(People on the move)(appointment of Clare Perry, Paul Courtney, Ben Buckland as trainers in Lifetime )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Lifetime has announced a number of new additions to its team. Clare Perry, Paul Courtney, Ben Buckland and Chris Spurdle all join as regional trainers, bringing the total number of trainers to 22. More appointments are expected this year as the...

De Vere Deluxe.(People on the move)(appointment of Ruth Dyke in De Vere Group PLC)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... De Vere Deluxe has announced the appointment of Ruth Dyke to the newly created position of guest experience director. In what the company is claiming to be a new role for the hotel industry, Dyke will be responsible for overseeing the full...

Ultimate Leisure.(People on the move)
October 1, 2007... Kevin Allcock has left Herald Bars and Inns, the owner of Moods and Brannigans, to join nightclub company Ultimate Leisure as managing director of operations. Allcock worked with Ultimate boss Mark Jones at Yates Group and has also worked at...

OFT.(People on the move)(appointment of Barney Wyld in Office of Fair Trading)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The OFT has announced the appointment of a new communications director to lead its strategic communications with business, the media and other key stakeholders. Barney Wyld is currently a director at Fishburn Hedges, the public relations...