Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Hospitality a key part of success at ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010

Source: icc-cricket.yahoo.net

Hospitality packages are already available for next year's ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010, and the official hospitality programme is already proving to be a crucial part of the tournament's planning and delivery.

The packages are available both locally and internationally with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) designing, managing and implementing an official hospitality programme itself for the first time.

Two types of hospitality are available, the Century Dining package and the Beyond the Boundary Suite (box) package.

Both will be competitively priced and will be significantly cheaper than comparative packages for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007. Prices have been confirmed and are available by visiting www.windiescrickethospitality.com or by following the ‘hospitality link' at www.icc-cricket.yahoo.net.

ICC WT20 2010 Tournament Director Ernest Hilaire said: "The ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010 will offer great value to all spectators through competitive ticket prices and the corporate hospitality sector will be no exception."

The hospitality programme will be centrally managed from the tournament headquarters in St Lucia, making use of an extensive network of international official hospitality sales agents around the globe to market, promote and sell official hospitality packages to prospective customers.

However, it is not just in the provision of a world-class hospitality programme that the region will benefit commercially from through next year's tournament. As part of the management and delivery of the programme, local resources will be secured and some large contracts will see many local companies benefiting hugely from the presence of the tournament. Event companies, caterers, hostesses, advertisers, printers, florists, signage manufacturers and a host of local administrators and suppliers will all be a part of the delivery and provisioning of the programme that will see at least US$1.2million pumped in to the economies of the Caribbean.

Furthermore, a legion of local workers will be kept busy as cooks, servers and bar staff, hostesses, musicians and former cricketing greats all combine to form the programmes event-day staff roster. It is predicted that staffing numbers across the three venues will amount to more than 180 match-day personnel, with many more helping out behind the scenes in the lead-up to the event.

And the investment into the region goes even further. As part of the team of global sales agents who have been appointed to sell the official hospitality packages, Kensington Oval Management Inc., the Guyana Cricket Board and the St Lucia National Cricket Association will all benefit from sales commissions, with their appointments further guaranteeing that revenue will go back to the game in each host nation.

"The fact the West Indies Cricket Board is running its own official hospitality programme is an exciting development for the region, and with so many suppliers and local workers set to benefit from just this one element of the tournament, the rewards for playing host to next year's ICC World Twenty20 event are plain to see. With Kensington Oval Management Inc., the Guyana Cricket Board and the St Lucia National Cricket Association among the official sales agents it will also ensure that a good part of revenue generated will stay within the host nations and the game of cricket in those nations," added Mr Hilaire.

Any parties interested in becoming an official sales agent are asked to email hospitality@windiescricket.com for an information pack.

Pricing information:

- On average, pricing for this tournament is almost half the cost of similar packages sold to ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007:

- A dining package to the final in 2007 cost US$1,299. This time it will cost just US$649 for what is essentially the same package in the same facility at the same venue

- A dining package to a semi-final in 2010 will cost just US$449 compared to US$749 in 2007

- A suite package in Guyana cost US$2,200 for six matches over six days for CWC07. In 2010 it will cost just US$800 for six matches over four days for ICC WT20 2010

- A suite package in Saint Lucia cost US$2,600 for six matches and one semi-final in 2007. It now costs just US$1,500 for eight matches and both semi-final matches at ICC WT20 2010

- A suite package in Barbados cost US$5,000 for six matches and the final in 2007. In 2010 it will cost a customer just US$1,800 (Standard) or US$2,400 (premium) for 10 matches and the final

- Being a WICB Twenty20 event there will be all of the customary West Indian sounds and sights at every match, including conch shells, flags and drums

- The public ticket prices have been set low to focus on filling every ground with all of the enthusiastic West Indian cricket fans and travelling fans alike – every match is guaranteed to be a genuine spectacle

- At the Super Eight stage, every team that qualifies will play in both St Lucia and Barbados. A suite customer will be able to watch every Super Eight team play, as well as both semi-finals (St Lucia) or the final (Barbados)

- With the exception of two match days in Guyana, every game day will feature double-headers, offering twice as much cricket for half of the price.

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