Joe GallopSodexo Live! has announced the launch of a matchday experience at Hampden Park (cap. 51,866), along with the extension of its venue partnership with Ascot Racecourse (75,000) for a further 11 years.
The Terrace, the new matchday bar experience at Glasgow’s Hampden Park, will launch when Scotland’s national football team play Georgia on 20 June in a EURO 2024 qualifier. It will provide supporters with an exclusive bar and live entertainment, featuring DJ sets, Q&A sessions with former Scotland football players, football freestyler performances and bistro bar food options.
Sodexo Live! has been a long-term partner of Hampden Park since 1999. In March 2021, the company secured a new ten-year contract as the venue partner, covering catering, retail, hospitality, conferences, events, marketing, and sales.
Sodexo Live! has invested £1.7 million in upgrading the hospitality facilities and reengineering the venue. The transformation was accompanied by the addition of new sales and marketing roles. The company is also the exclusive sales agent for hospitality and premium seating, including concerts.
Ascot partnership
Since 1998, Sodexo Live! has provided catering and hospitality services at Ascot Racecourse. As part of the new contract, the company will be introducing several new initiatives focused on “empowering their people, protecting the planet and innovation in food”.
The initiatives include: Ascot Hospitality Academy; Royal Ascot pop ups and lounge menu; sustainability measures including continuing to manage waste and recycling as a 0% to landfill venue; and the launch of a new Food and Wine Festival.
Sodexo Live! operates at Ascot under the 1711 By Ascot brand as the dedicated in-house catering division of the racecourse.
Sodexo Live! recruits and manages over 3,000 team members each year for Royal Ascot. The 2023 event takes place from 20-24 June.
Sodexo Live! UK&I CEO Rebecca Kane Burton said, “Renewing a contract of this scale with one of the world’s most prestigious sporting venues is huge testament to the commitment and passion that the teams bring to this enduring partnership.”
On the matchday experience, she added, “With our investment in upgraded facilities and a carefully curated mix of entertainment and delicious food offerings, we are confident that The Terrace will become a must-visit destination for fans at Hampden Park.”