FSM


Features


Preparing hospitalit at Wembley


Football & Stadium Management speak to Paul Scannell, Head of Hospitality for The Football Asso prepares for the Emirates FA Cup Final in May and a busy year of big events at Wembley St


From sold out Fleetwood Mac and Spice Girls shows to the pinnacle of English football, the Emirates FA Cup Final, Paul Scannell is behind hospitality packages for the biggest events in the UK, ensuring that all goes to plan on the big day. Having grown up in Wembley and started


his working life at old Wembley as a waiter, Paul worked in hospitality and the food and drink industry, including Gordon Ramsay Holdings, before eventually being drawn back to Wembley following a stint in South East Asia and Australasia working for Lagardere Sports, and the Singapore Sports Hub. Now together with the rest of the Club


Wembley team, Paul ensures hospitality guests get a first-class service at the home of English football. The focus of Club Wembley is sports and entertainment, with football at the core – it is aimed at football fans and businesses wanting to host customers and get exclusive experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. Paul says: “Wembley is a special place – it’s


the home of English football – and with some of the best sporting events in the UK, it’s still treasured by many people. The job of me and my team is to ensure guests get the best possible experience. To do that takes a lot of planning, team work and a view to the future, to ensure we keep evolving the experience we provide.” “One of the main things I’ve learned from


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my career is that you can never stand still in events management and you always have to review your approach and your offering otherwise you’ll get overtaken. Consumers are very savvy and our hospitality not only has to run smoothly, but really exceed expectations.”


Preparing for big events


Big events at Wembley Stadium are months in the making with Paul in charge of delivering continuous improvement and enhancement of the customer experience of hospitality and catering services to ensure customers get a seamless experience on the day. “Planning for big matches start a long way


out and it’s important that you are engaging with all stakeholders in the lead up to major events to ensure everything can run seamlessly from the off. For big matches and events, Harry Lomas, our Executive Chef, and the culinary team will start working on the menus over six months in advance. Preparation really is everything in this sector.” The key stakeholders that Paul engages in


his role are: Catering Teams – including menu and beverage planning; Facilities Management – ensuring the facilities are always in the best condition; Crowd Safety & Security; Third Party Providers – such as florists, printed material and collateral, entertainment and sporting icons/celebrities; and Member Communications – helping the marketing


team amplify the event to consumers. “I’m lucky that I work with such an


amazing security team. They really do lead the way when it comes to stadium security, which is fantastic, because it means I can focus on the other touches that make Club Wembley stand out from other hospitality experiences.” Food is of course a keystone of the


hospitality world and Paul always keeps an eye on what’s new that Club Wembley can take inspiration from. “Even on my days off I’m always looking


at what restaurants are opening, the latest chef people are talking about and the latest food trends. Our catering partner, Delaware North, also has a vast reach in America, so we can use them as leverage to see what trends they are seeing.” An additional challenge Paul has is that


Wembley hosts an array of events, all of which require a slightly different experience. “I love that Wembley is a multi-purpose stadium, it’s how it should be for any national stadium. Club Wembley isn’t just focused on football. We have to tailor that experience to match the guest. For NFL games, for example, there is a very different spectator – for them it’s all about the interaction, and they want a relaxed experience. Whereas, for boxing the hospitality required is a lot more formal, and it’s typically much later in the evening than other sporting events. Then there’s gigs too.


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