There's a greater case for synthetic turf when facility managers are commercially minded


agreement may include terms for a certain measure of community usage. The potential for providing greater commu- nity access to a stadium could also be a key factor in securing public participation in future stadium development projects.


COST-BENEFIT ASSESSMENT The potential business case for switching to synthetic turf is primarily shaped by how clubs can take advantage of the ben- efits of using their turf more often. With the opportunity to generate additional revenue, realise cost savings and boost community engagement, using synthetic turf is an option worth considering. A synthetic pitch is initially more


expensive to install than a natural grass pitch, and the life expectancy of syn- thetic fields is usually more limited, but as maintenance costs for synthetic turf are generally lower and synthetic turf


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can be played on far more intensively, the costs per playing day can be lower than for natural grass. This ultimately makes a well utilised synthetic turf more cost effective than a natural grass pitch in terms of Investment Cost per Playing Day (ICPD), and even more so in terms of Maintenance Cost per Playing Day (MCPD). On average, for more utilised fields, the Total Costs per Playing Day (TCPD=ICPD+MCPD) are approximately twice as high for natural fields. However, if a club decides not to utilise


its synthetic fields intensively, TCPD values are similar to those of natural fields. Teams playing in top-tier leagues in more developed markets tend to restrict access to their fields; conse- quently the TCPD figures for their fields tend to be relatively high, regardless of what pitch type they use. For teams that take advantage of the higher durability


of the synthetic pitch and use their fields much more intensively, the TCPD is significantly more favourable than that for natural grass. When assessing the investment decision of replacing natural grass with synthetic turf, the opportuni- ties for revenue generation, saving space, cost savings from external rentals and maintenance, and strategic benefits from community usage should be considered. KPMG’s research shows that whether


or not a business case for switching to synthetic turf exists depends primarily on the commercial approach of facility managers and the market conditions in which the club operates; regardless, what is apparent is the usability of a synthetic turf surface all year round. ●


The Synthetic Turf Study in Europe, 2012 can be found at www.kpmg.com


SPORTS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK 2013


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