Access All AreasOn the back of Freemans Event Partners’ work at this year’s F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which saw it provide 270 food and drink outlets at the venue to help serve a record-breaking weekend crowd of 460,000, Access caught up with new CFO Chris Scott to find out about the plans for UK and international growth.
What led you to want to join Freemans Event Partners?
I was aware of Freemans Event Partners as an expert event business, however what really attracted me to the company was its sheer scale and reach, all the different ways it works with venues and rights holders with dedicated departments beyond just catering, such as bars, concessions, logistics, tech, labour and branding, as I felt I could add great value given my previous experience.
Something else that really appealed to me was that it’s an incredibly exciting time for the business, as it continues to grow and add more blue-chip, high-profile events and venues to its already impressive roster.
I understand part of your role is to help to facilitate FEP’s 5-Year strategic plan, what does that involve?
We are very focused on growth both in the UK and overseas, so we are looking to implement strategies that will help us expand each arm of our business. From a finance perspective, we’ll be introducing new structures that will drive consolidation between the front and back offices which will, in turn, help our existing and prospective clients unlock more revenue and value.
What are the expansion plans in the UK and overseas?
We are extremely proud of the relationships we have with some of the UK’s most recognised and revered events and venues, including the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit, Twickenham Stadium, the London Stadium and Lord’s Cricket Ground. While we do have an international presence, chiefly through our partnership with the European Tour that will see us providing food and beverage, brand activations and payments across the Ryder Cup in Rome later this year, we are looking to partner with more high profile, international events, and venues in the coming years. We are making excellent progress here, so watch this space.
What does the new business structure you are implementing look like?
We have made the first steps towards the new structure of the business which will help through our busy summer season 2023, from September onwards we will be starting our second phase of the new structure which will be aligned to our 5-year strategy.
What excites you most about your new role?
I’m looking forward to playing my part in the next stage of the business’ journey, taking it to the next level, unlocking value and establishing it as the leading multi-service, ‘360 degree’ solution for the events industry.