partner feature
A big year for Rodney Parade
T
his year has undoubtedly been a big year for Rodney Parade. Not content with the usual season-opening drama on the pitch – including a
record selection of five Men of Gwent for the Welsh side for the Rugby World Cup – Rodney Parade has had the extra challenge of effectively launching a whole new hospitality business with the redevelopment of the Bisley Stand. Rodney Parade hosts three companies
with regional side Newport Gwent Dragons playing alongside Premiership outfit Newport RFC, while Rodney Parade itself is bidding to become a key corporate venue in South Wales. “It has been a great deal of hard work for everyone involved,” admits group chief
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executive Mike Jenkins, who joined Rodney Parade from Gwent solicitors Harding Evans in January. “It has certainly been a challenge with so
many changes taking place but we have the right team in place and a fantastic product to promote here. Rodney Parade offers the facilities available in hotels and other venues, but with a unique backdrop and history.” And as the company makes a splash in the
Christmas entertainment market, the rugby season still rumbles on apace with the Dragons set to launch their mid-season hospitality and ticketing packages on the back of providing five players for Wales’ World Cup campaign and a sixth for the Wales v Australia match in December. “The fact that the Dragons have had their
biggest international callup in their history this season is fantastic,” says Jenkins. “Obviously it’s frustrating not to have your best players available for the region and the team have suffered, but every Welsh region’s goal is to produce the next Gareth Edwards.” The emergence of Toby Faletau as one of
the stars of the 2011 World Cup has certainly helped put the Dragons on the map in terms of international rugby, but for Rodney Parade, we still have a big business challenge ahead of us.
“Our focus is on ensuring that people are
not only aware of the fantastic facility we now have at Rodney Parade but also that this venue is much more than a rugby ground,” he says. “We have dozens of wedding packages booked in for the coming season and with our
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