A Guide to Corporate Hospitality at Sport & Music Events

You should never mix business with pleasure, or so they say. At Pantheon Hospitality we would politely disagree as we happen to believe it can work rather well. In fact, we are redefining the art of mixing business with pleasure.

Quite often there is nothing better than attending a big sport or music event with business clients and experiencing it in style in a corporate hospitality area. And the UK is spoilt for choice when it comes to major sporting and music events. Every year fans can enjoy high-profile events such as Wimbledon, Epsom Derby Festival, Royal Ascot, in addition to regular Premier League football, international cricket, Six Nations rugby, world-class music venues and some of the most well-known music festivals.

Does entertaining clients work?

Entertaining clients at the sort of events mentioned above can be the perfect way to build real relationships with people and bond over some shared passions.

Who doesn’t get excited watching their favourite sports team? Even those with zero interest in sport can’t help but get swept away with the excitement and atmosphere at events like Royal Ascot or the British Grand Prix.

This, we feel, is why taking your clients to big events is an extremely useful and enjoyable business tool.

Put people at ease

Business meetings can often be very exact and inflexible and usually take place in dull and uninspiring office buildings. The atmosphere can be tense, and people are likely to have their game face on and have their guard up. Taking your clients to an event helps to relax people and bring those guards down. The atmosphere of a big stadium or salubrious venue will instantly put people at ease and gets you out of the confined working environment.

People do business with people they like, know and trust

Often, business deals are made based on the people who are involved. A lot of other businesses can probably offer a similar range of products, skills, or industry knowledge. Your clients will want to know that they are working with good people. They will need to trust and respect the people that they work with. By taking them to a sport or music event you will have the opportunity to show your real side. You can build trust and respect by connecting on a friendlier and relaxed level.

Build relationships based on a mutual interest

Lots of people in business will tell you that professionalism is one of the most important things to bear in mind when building client relationships, and that you must keep all contact strictly business. Whilst this is obviously very important, it also misses the point that clients are real people with a life outside of the office.  Connecting with people on a human level and striking up a friendship based on a mutual interest can be a very powerful and useful tool when doing business. People are much more likely to want to work with you if there is a shared connection or interest. Using the time at high-profile sports event can be a great place to start.

Am I allowed to entertain clients?

There’s a fine line around entertaining business clients and an endless debate about what constitutes going too far. The simple truth is, unless you are actively bribing people, then you are generally free to entertain clients in whichever manner you like. The Guidance published by the Ministry of Justice in relation to the The Bribery Act 2010 states that any bona fide hospitality, promotion or business expenditure which seeks to improve the image of an organisation, better present its products or services, or establish cordial relations will not be prohibited by the Act and in fact is recognised as an established and important part of doing business.

At the time of the Act coming into force, Justice Secretary at the time, Ken Clarke, announced that "The guidance makes clear that no one is going to try to stop businesses getting to know their clients by taking them to events like Wimbledon, Twickenham or the Grand Prix."

"Reasonable hospitality to meet, network and improve relationships with customers is a normal part of doing business."

What event should I attend?

This is the fun part – deciding which event to go to!

Perhaps you have a particular client in mind that you would like to entertain. Maybe you are working with a client on a new project in a particular area of the country. With big events throughout the year all over the UK, there is a huge amount of choice and selecting the right event for you can sometimes be a challenge. This is where Pantheon Hospitality can help.

Pantheon Hospitality specialise in official corporate hospitality packages at all major sporting, Cultural and Music events.

Whether you want to see the top Premier League sides battle it out, experience the roar of the crowd at Cheltenham during Festival week, witness the speed and glamour of the British Grand Prix, or soak up the atmosphere at The Wimbledon Tennis Championships, here at Pantheon Hospitality, we can arrange a package to match any criteria, big or small.

As an independent hospitality company, we can offer the package that is right for your business, not just ours.  Our sales team are happy to assist with any enquiry you may have, and if we are unable to help (we probably will be able to!), we will happily point you in the right direction and offer any useful advice we can.

Should you have any questions, or would like some help with choosing an event, please click here to complete an enquiry form and one of the sales team will be in touch.