When the InterContinental Hotel in Dublin came on board as partners of Leinster Rugby in the Spring they took the opportunity to wish good luck to the senior team in the Guinness PRO14 and the European Champions’ Cup.

Little could they have dreamed that there would be such success for the team, winning both trophies in style, within such a short timeframe.

In our latest Sponsor Spotlight we sat down with Ciara Hanley, Sales and Marketing Director at the Hotel to discover why they got involved and how the year has been.

 

What was the motivation for backing Leinster Rugby?

Rugby has a great connection both locally and with the wider business community.  We had gotten to a stage where the refurbishment programme was coming to an end and our service levels were back to where we really wanted.

It was time to re-engage with the local community and what could be more local than the team that plays in our backyard.

We want people to want to come in here and enjoy the service as part of their matchday experience but also as their local hotel.

There was a time in the past where there was a perception maybe that we were too big, too imposing but it really is like a resort hotel in the city and once we had people coming back in through the door they realised that it was a great place to come to for a bite to eat, for a drink or to bump into fellow fans and players.

What are the criteria by which you judge any partnership a success?

Building a connection to sport was important.  We wanted to make the connection as an Irish owned hotel with plenty of food and beverage options but also plenty of meeting and event spaces as well.

This weekend Connacht will be travelling to Dublin with plenty of fans and our co-owner John Lally is a proud Galway man so that will be special.  We also had Galway GAA in with us last week.

Working with the fellow sponsors at Leinster was obviously a big attraction as well.  We have attended a number of events bringing the different partners together that have been organised by Kevin and Shane at Leinster Rugby and having a connection to great companies like Bank of Ireland and our other fellow supporters is great from a corporate perspective.

Footfall is important and we are getting great feedback from people who are using the hotel.

Social media is another measure by which we can judge success and that has been a winner.

 

Is the domestic tourism a key factor or does sport really step up on the major international events?

Leinster play a lot more home games than Ireland and having the team in and out as regular visitors is a great boost.

They will come back here for their post-match meals and there have been a few big days of celebration which is great to be part of.

We work closely with the team so we can plan as far out as we can but it’s sport and when it comes to the knock out stages you always have to have a number of scenarios so that we can be honourable to the partnership but at the same time be mindful of our other business.

Is there always a big increase in the spend per head on a big Rugby weekend?

We’ve always been a big part of the major rugby weekends.  If we were able to have an Ireland England game four times a year sure I’d be able to retire.

Fans really love travelling to Ireland and it’s a huge win for Dublin as a whole.

There is a big return to corporate entertaining at the big games as well and our rooms are sold out for the England game in 2019 a full six months ago.

What are some of the specific ways that the partnership has worked best for you so far?

We wanted to build the rapport and work up visibility and awareness.  There are opportunities in terms of screens and programme that are made available and that’s all good for raising awareness.

We have also worked with the Leinster Rugby Supporters on promotions to get people coming in to use the Ice Bar ahead of or after the game.

There have been nice touches on a personal level as well.  Leo Cullen brought his family in to launch our Gingerbread House as part of the Christmas festivities and that received great coverage, as did the launch back in February.

Our fundraising is aligned as well with donations at the House goings towards the Downs Syndrome Centre which is one of Leinster’s nominated charities.

Does the time of a game have much of an impact?

The fact of having games at weekends is always a positive.  Dublin is a very busy city during the week so having the matches on Friday nights, Saturday or Sunday gives us greater flexibility.

Evening games are obviously a better return in terms of food, drink and footfall.

With the earlier games, people will tend to eat breakfast at home and head away after the match.

How big of a week is the Horse Show for you?

It’s the busiest week of the year and we host a Best Dressed competition in the evening.  The objective is to capitalise on the great event happening right on our doorstep, to attract people into the hotel once they have finished their day of sport.

How do you partner with Leinster to put your offering in front of their fans?
We wanted to be the only hotel and limiting the number of sponsors is important in that it has given us all a little more space to get our message across.
It has been a softer approach than the sales and negotiation that we would engage with on a daily basis.
It has been about reintroducing the hotel to the fans, many of whom may have used us in the past but who now see us as being part of the experience of being a fan.
There is an emotional connection that you build with fans and the way the hotel sector is going with a lot of change there is a real opportunity for us to become the go to place for Rugby fans, on match day and in the wider corporate context.
Has there been much engagement with InterContinental as a brand?

We are a franchise so we get advice in certain areas but sport and sponsorship has never been a centrally run function.  Locally owned hotels like ourselves have to run our own sales and marketing based on what works at a local level.

What has been your personal highlight of working with the team?

Well as a Munster supporter the win in Bilbao was a little sweeter than the win back in Dublin for the Guinness PRO14.

To be fair though they did it very well and it is always a pleasure when we are attending overseas events that people see the connection.

How big of an impact does sport have on your business?

Oh, it’s huge.  We were looking this morning at a big contract that will spill over into 2020 and we were having to check that against the potential dates for the Six Nations.  The major events are great for everyone from hotels to pubs, restaurants to taxi drivers.

The sports calendar is the one that we would always look to and it is great to have a connection to that.

 

Sport for Business is all about shining a light on the commercial world of Irish sport in its many forms.  We work with the majority of the countries major sporting organisations and sponsors.  Take a look at our membership options for 2019 and be part of our collective building bridges between sport and business.