Bucket list events are an easy upsell
WHETHER it’s accessing
better category
tickets at a football
stadium or an F1 race track,
booking clients into VIP
hospitality suites, offering
them specialist tours or a
variety of experiences within
a destination, sports events
provide excellent upselling
opportunities.
It’s all about the spectator
experience, says Tertia
Summerford, marketing
manager at EduSport Travel.
She says annual events such
as Wimbledon, the English
Premier League and the
Formula 1 Grand Prix are on
most sporting enthusiasts’
bucket lists.
Greg Taylor, gm of Pure
Sport, says, in his experience,
South Africans are most
responsive to rugby, Formula 1,
soccer and tennis events.
This year, the Rugby World
Cup takes place in England
from September 18-October
31 with many South Africans
expected to attend the event.
But it’s not all about sports
events abroad. Fantastic
local events that agents can
package include the Rugby
Championship, Vodacom
Durban July, the J&B Met and
Cape Town Sevens.
They can also package
the upcoming T20 series
between South Africa and
New Zealand and three oneday
internationals in Durban,
Centurion and Potchefstroom
taking place between August
14 and 26.
How to add value
Every sporting event has
seating categories that
agents can upsell, says Greg.
“Sporting events are often
intended as once-in-a-lifetime
opportunities and clients are
therefore generally happy
to pay more to enhance
their experience.” Get a
detailed brief from clients,
including their budget, seating
preference and the team
they support, to avoid client
disappointment, he advises
“Enquire if there are any
early-bird offers and encourage
clients to book packages early
to avoid missing out on the
best tickets,” adds Tertia.
General admission or
cheapest available tickets
should be avoided to ensure
the client is not disappointed
at motorsport events, agrees
Johan van Veelen, owner of F1
Grand Prix Tours.
What’s more some events
offer package enhancers like
stadium tours, pre-purchasing
of match programmes and
hospitality areas, notes Tertia.
Heather Beadle, groups,
meetings and incentives
manager at Reynolds Travel
Centre, points out that there is
a great deal of value in hosted
packages as they usually
include accommodation,
transfers, meals, preferential
seat location and stopover
packages to nearby
destinations.
Depending on the client’s
budget, says Johan, VIP
hospitality packages or team
hosted hospitality (providing
exclusive access to teams),
are effective tools for
upselling. “Agents can also
sell access to after parties
where the drivers are present.”
He adds that agents should
organise professional circuit
transfers as racing circuits are
usually far from the city centre.
He warns that event tickets
should never be purchased
on the Internet. “The risks
are just too high. Use tour
operators with an intimate
knowledge of the event.”
Before anything is booked,
Heather advises agents to
read contracts carefully and
ensure clients understand the
risks. “A lot of sporting events
require 100% pre-payment
well in advance and are nonrefundable
once purchased.
Use an expert supplier to
guide you,” she says..
Top tips for major events
The Monaco Grand Prix can be
watched from a terrace, yacht
or paddock, with meals, drinks
and snacks included. Some
hotels offer helicopter and
speedboat transfers to the
circuit, and agents can book
clients for a drive in a Ferrari.
For the F1 Italian Grand Prix,
sell a day trip to Maranello
that includes a visit to the
Ferrari Racing Museum, Ferrari
self-drive and lunch in an
Italian castle. Combine the
San Marino MotoGP with the
F1 Italian Grand Prix.
Sell the 2015 Formula 1
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Grand Prix as a package with
flights, airport and race track
transfers, Grand Prix tickets
and hotel accommodation.
Agents can also upsell tours to
Yas Waterworld, Ferrari World,
and the Zahed Mosque. Afterrace
action like concerts and
VIP parties are an added plus.
At Wimbledon, book
hospitality tickets that include
Gatsby Club access, where
guests can enjoy three-course
meals, a complimentary bar,
tea and strawberries and
entrance to the Wimbledon
Lawn Tennis Museum.
For major football events
such as the Champions
League Final, hospitality
tickets and stadium tours are
available.
Keeping it local
SPORTS events in Gauteng
offer agents another excellent
opportunity to upsell to their
leisure and corporate clients
from other provinces.
Here are some of the events
taking place in the coming
months.
The first National Basketball
association (NBA) game to be
played in Africa takes place at
Ellis Park on August 1,
featuring NBA players and
coaches from around the
world, including Africa.
For polo lovers, the Land
Rover Africa Cup 2015 takes
place at the Inanda Club in
Sandton from August 14-16
when 10 African teams fight it
out for the trophy. Ticket prices
start at R200 but agents can
upsell to the VIP Equestrian
Lounge for R1 750pp, private
picnic sites for 10 at R4 500,
a table for 10 in the Polo
Lounge for R20 000, as well
as privately owned corporate
hospitality suites.
The South Africa-New
Zealand Cricket T20 takes
place at SuperSport Park in
Centurion on August 16 with
the One Day International
on August 19. Agents can
package both events and
can, for example, include a
Big 5 game experience at
the Dinokeng Game Reserve,
township tours, golf at the new
Steyn City golf course, karting
at Kyalami and more.
Other events to package
are the BMW International
Polo event on September 20
at Waterfall Polo Estate in
Sunninghill; the Soweto Derby
at Soccer City in September
(date to be confirmed);
the Momentum 94.7 Cycle
Challenge on November 15;
and the Sansui Gauteng
Summer Cup horse race at
Turffontein on November 28.
Abu Dhabi shines in
the events arena
WITH SAA’s recent
announcement of a strategic
partnership with Etihad
Airways, Abu Dhabi has been
thrust into the limelight as
a new tourist destination for
South Africans. The Emirate
plays host to some of the
world’s most iconic land and
water events.
Two popular water sports
events are the Class 1
Power Boat Championship
being held from November
18-20 and the UIM
Formula 1 Powerboat
World Championship from
December 10-11. Water
sport enthusiasts attending
these events can themselves
enjoy kite surfing, sailing,
wakeboarding, diving,
dragonboat, jetski and
surfing.
The 2015 Formula 1
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Grand Prix is the world’s
only twilight race. As the
last F1 race of the season
(November 27-29) it has the
potential to be the decider
of who takes the prestigious
F1 championship title. The
race takes place at the Yas
Marina Circuit on Yas Island,
Abu Dhabi’s entertainment
hotspot. Here, visitors can
enjoy a carting or driving
experience, and take a ride
on the world’s fastest roller
coaster at Ferrari World.
The Red Bull Air Race
takes place every February
on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche,
with pilots having to navigate
a challenging aerial obstacle
course in the fastest time.
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf
Championship takes place
every January at the Abu
Dhabi Golf Club as part of
the European Tour’s ‘Desert
Swing’. Keen golfers can
book their own Stay and
Play packages through the
‘Golf in Abu Dhabi’ website,
with a choice of several golf
courses in the city.
The Abu Dhabi Desert
Challenge, one of the
world’s most prestigious
cross-country rallies –
mostly through desert –
takes place around March
and April. Visitors to Abu
Dhabi who enjoy adventure
can rent a four-wheel-drive
vehicle and enjoy some dune
bashing and off-road driving
of their own.
Are you dealing with
a reputable operator?
AGENTS must ensure
they’re dealing with a
reputable operator when it
comes to booking sports
events.
As with any event,
comments Jean Martins,
country manager for the
Abu Dhabi Tourism &
Culture Authority South
Africa, it is imperative that
official event tickets are
secured prior to visiting
the destination. These
can be purchased through
the official organisers or
designated tour operators.
In South Africa, there are
several sports specialists
who package Abu Dhabi
sports experiences.
Tertia Summerford
advises agents to make
sure that the operator is
an official agent or that the
tickets are from an official
source. “A lot of online
portals sell cheaper tickets
and packages but these
are not always official.”
Agents should ask
operators for testimonials,
and ensure they give
detailed quotes and plenty
of information on the
terms and conditions that
apply to booking an event,
recommends Heather
Beadle.
Greg Taylor points
out, however, that many
events require operators
to become preferred if
they want to sell event
packages. “The events
that don’t are the tricky
ones and therefore it is
best to go with partners
who have long-standing
experience and knowledge
in the industry.”
Formula 1 is a case
in point. Johan van
Veelen says it can
be difficult to identify
trustworthy operators as
not all circuits require
accreditation by agents.
“Agents should therefore
insist on references
from local operators
and check their claims
of accreditation with the
circuit promoters.”
