Lord’s expects corporate hospitality to thrive in 2012 alongside Olympics
Lord’s Cricket Ground has forecast that cricket hospitality at the Ground will not be affected by its status as an official venue for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The Home of Cricket has released 2012 hospitality packages for general sale, including Test matches and One Day Internationals against South Africa and West Indies and an ODI against Australia.
Taking a six week break from the cricket season for the Games, Lord’s will be transformed into the home of archery, often said to be the oldest competitive sport in the world. In response to speculation on the matter, Lord’s has confirmed it is not anticipated that corporate demand for cricket will be impacted on as a result, citing an uplift of 10% pre-sale booking enquiries.
The 2012 international cricket season at Lord’s begins on Thursday 17th May with the 1st Test Match of the season between England and the West Indies, before age-old rivals Australia visit for a NatWest One Day International on Friday 29th June. Lord’s will host South Africa for their 3rd Test Match against England, beginning on Thursday 16th August, while Sunday 2nd September sees the 4th NatWest One Day International between the two sides.
Hospitality spaces allocated by Lord’s within the Ground include the Captains’ Lounge, in which private tables of up to 10 guests will be hosted by a former international captain, and the light-filled Nursery Pavilion, which features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the practice nets, where players warm up only metres away. All packages will include food created by Lord’s in-house catering team, demonstrating a commitment to sourcing local provenance including field fresh vegetables and meat from the award winning Piper’s Farm, Cullompton.
Julie Bacon, Lord’s Hospitality Manager, said: “The number of pre-sale enquiries we have received ahead of the 2012 cricket season points to a healthy demand among corporates for entertaining options at the Home of Cricket. The NatWest ODI against Australia in particular looks set to sell out within days as companies are eager to treat guests to a contest between old Ashes rivals.”
