The sport of kings is driving a wealth of investment in racecourse facilities across the UK. Here’s five venues to consider for your next event.
Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire
In November 2015,
Cheltenham Racecourse opened The Princess Royal Stand expansion to offer a fine dining experience and hospitality boxes.
The new stand features state-of-the-art entertaining areas for clients including 11 private boxes, and features major innovations around its catering offerings, having undergone a £1.8m catering install.
New concepts at the stand include The Cheltenham Club fine dining experience, which has a bar and seated area with fireplace and 360-degree views from the balcony.
Cheltenham Racecourse caters for a range of non-race-day meetings and events and can host up to 2,250 delegates on a 360-acre site, with thousands of free car parking spaces. The Centaur is able to host conferences for 2,250 or dinners for 800.
Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire
Ascot, home of Britain’s most famous racing event, Royal Ascot, offers 247 private boxes.
On non-race days groups can make use of rooftop terraces, galleries, a 4,000sqm exhibition area and meeting space for up to 3,000 delegates.
Bath Racecourse, Somerset
Bath Racecourse is only seven miles from the M4 and four miles from Bath city centre.
Its brand new three-storey Langridge Stand opened on 20 July, 2016 and features a purpose built conference and events space for up to 500 delegates theatre-style with 14 syndicate rooms, integrated AV, free car parking and a 200-capacity private roof garden - ideal as a break-out space.
Welcome receptions can be held in 1811, the ground-floor bar of the Langridge Stand before delegates head to the Royal Crescent event suite with views over the racecourse.
Day delegate packages start from £39 per person and include a selection of menu options, projector screen and flip-chart, conference stationery and free Wifi.
For larger events, the Paddock Pavilion offers a setting for up to 300 banqueting guests.
Team-building options include the ‘West Country Olympics’ activity comprised of a staff meeting, team building activity and barbecue.
York Racecourse, Yorkshire
York Racecourse opened its new Parade Ring Restaurant on the first day of the 2015 season.
Situated on the top floor of the new Weighing Room, overlooking the Parade Ring, Saddling Boxes and Pre-Parade Ring, it provides the ideal location for a fine dining experience.
Features include a dedicated entrance leading to a timber-clad main room with feature roof window. A private balcony offers a stunning view of the thoroughbreds as they prepare to enter the Knavesmire track, with the main stands and course itself spreading out towards the horizon.
Elsewhere at York Racecourse, flexible meeting rooms can host up to 650 delegates. There’s also 2,000sqm of exhibition space and non-raceday accommodation onsite.
Goodwood Racecourse, West Sussex
Hidden in the grounds of Goodwood House, five minutes outside Chichester, is the legendary
Goodwood Racecourse.
Its main event is the five-day Qatar Goodwood Festival (known as Glorious Goodwood), which takes place during the last week of July. A variety of hospitality options are available from private boxes for groups of 12 to 40 people with three-course menus and fully inclusive bars.
For meetings and conferences there’s a choice of Goodwood venues.
The 91-room Goodwood hotel has The Oaks Suite (85 theatre-style), The Cedar Suite (150 theatre-style), The Lennox Suite (70 theatre-style) and three small syndicate rooms. A new canopy set up on Cedar Lawn offers an alfresco setting during the warmer months.
For more intimate meetings and events, the Goodwood clubhouse - The Kennels, has a suite of meeting rooms for up to 30 guests, complete with cutting-edge flat-screen and sound technology. Private dining is available for up to 50 guests.
In Goodwood House itself, event planners can take exclusive use of the State Apartments.
They offer the ability to have a main room for key discussion along with six rooms for breakout sessions. Alternatively, if a celebration is the order of the day, Goodwood House can seat up to 450 guests for a banquet followed by fireworks, entertainment and dancing.
For more sporting venue inspiration, download our latest white paper -
Centres of Sporting Excellence & Sport as a Driver for Venue Regeneration
Article written by
Mike Fletcher