Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:56 am  

afootingmiracle21-12 wrote:

Surely owning stadium would enable all of those things to come back? This is my point around the fact that running the stadium can be profitable if done correctly. ONE international - based on average £35 per ticket and rental to the RFL at 20% of ticket revenue brings 175-225k into the coffers. Challenge cup semi could bring another 100k. One concert 300k, Naming rights of the stadium 0.5-1m. That's all the current losses wiped out. Then manage the ground properly for business conferences /weddings etc (When the world is back open up)...it really isn't hard for the stadium to turn a profit IMO & be an additional income stream rather than a loss.

I don't have enough in depth knowledge to know whether it could be made to work financially, but it's pretty obvious you're counting on way too much going in our favour every single year there.

- Other stadia want one of those two CC semis too, and they don't tend to sell well anyway.
- We don't even have a big international game in the UK every year, and again you're competing with many other stadia for those one or two games in years that they are over here.
- Wigan isn't exactly a key stop on any decent sized band's schedule when we are on the doorstep of Manchester and Liverpool, who have loads of venues, far bigger populations and better transport links.
- I can't think what businesses (other than Wigan-based ones) are going to go out of their way to put conferences at the DW. It's not in a city, it's not near a train station or motorway junction, and it's in competition with Manchester, Liverpool and even Warrington. Add in that for many, Wigan is seen as a pit town stuck in the 70s, not exactly how businesses want to portray themselves.

I'm not saying none of those things would happen, but all of them every year? No chance.

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:35 am  

Grimmy wrote:

I don't have enough in depth knowledge to know whether it could be made to work financially, but it's pretty obvious you're counting on way too much going in our favour every single year there.

- Other stadia want one of those two CC semis too, and they don't tend to sell well anyway.
- We don't even have a big international game in the UK every year, and again you're competing with many other stadia for those one or two games in years that they are over here.
- Wigan isn't exactly a key stop on any decent sized band's schedule when we are on the doorstep of Manchester and Liverpool, who have loads of venues, far bigger populations and better transport links.
- I can't think what businesses (other than Wigan-based ones) are going to go out of their way to put conferences at the DW. It's not in a city, it's not near a train station or motorway junction, and it's in competition with Manchester, Liverpool and even Warrington. Add in that for many, Wigan is seen as a pit town stuck in the 70s, not exactly how businesses want to portray themselves.

I'm not saying none of those things would happen, but all of them every year? No chance.

Pepsi had their annual conference there last year, not many companies bigger than them, you right though its accounting like that in the 90s that broke us once we got knocked out of the cup

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:40 am  

Pieman wrote:

Pepsi had their annual conference there last year, not many companies bigger than them, you right though its accounting like that in the 90s that broke us once we got knocked out of the cup

Seriously? I'm amazed if that's true! I can't find anything about that on the internet do you have a link?

Edit - PepsiCo's annual conference was in New York according to their website. That makes more sense...

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:46 am  

McDonalds regualrly held conferences there in the early days.

The problem is that there are now many more modern stadiums and hotels which offer better facilities. Regular upkeep of these facilities is needed and the stadium hasn't had that.

As for concerts....Little Mix played (or were due to) at St Helens. If the price is right they'll play here.

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:06 am  

With the advent of "Zoom" etc more and more conferences will be done on line. Before I retired we held our European "kick off" meeting in Barcelona. The company hired The Nou Camp stadium for the presentation night and Gaudis house for another night.

I would often travel to Brussels, Aberdeen, London, Madrid etc for meetings. Video conferencing has cut that down to a minimum.

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:10 am  

I do think a lot of things will be done virtually in the future which of course cuts down on possibilities for stadium use. It isn't as simple as it sounds and IL isn't daft and won't buy the stadium unless he 100% has to.

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:30 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Seriously? I'm amazed if that's true! I can't find anything about that on the internet do you have a link?

Edit - PepsiCo's annual conference was in New York according to their website. That makes more sense...

so PepsiCo up here was at Wigan I work there and went

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:31 pm  

Egg Chasing wrote:

McDonalds regualrly held conferences there in the early days.

The problem is that there are now many more modern stadiums and hotels which offer better facilities. Regular upkeep of these facilities is needed and the stadium hasn't had that.

As for concerts....Little Mix played (or were due to) at St Helens. If the price is right they'll play here.

Leigh had Elton John and Lionel Richie

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 1:11 pm  

Pieman wrote:

Leigh had Elton John and Lionel Richie

You mean Wigan Council?

Re: Latics in administration - Lenagan leading bid : Wed Jan 13, 2021 1:15 pm  

the concerts are a definite viable source of income. Yes there will be competition but not all artists can pull in 50-60k fans
Little Mix performed at Bolton, Pink has performed at Bolton, as Pieman mentioned Lionel Richie and Elton John at Leigh, so these arent little time performers trying to make their name. if the pricing is right, then the artists will use the venue.

I attended a seminar at DW many years ago, well run and tour of the stadium included. As others have commented these are the types of thing that keep the venue ticking over revenue wise, and ultimately supports its upkeep.

I agree on the comments re staging other RL games as there is competition for places in that regards with only 2 semi finals and poss 3 test matches (every couple of years), so Leeds is likely to get one gig as they need to pay for the refit and then free for all. The RFL also seem to be looking at expansion areas and bigger venues too, so 25k at Wigan v Wembley / Anfield / Old Trafford / newcastle etc doesnt compete unfortunately