Keith Prowse set to beef up Edgbaston hospitality offering
CORPORATE hospitality provider Keith Prowse has linked up with Warwickshire County Cricket Club to launch a range of new hospitality packages at the club’s newly revamped Edgbaston ground.
Keith Prowse said the intention was raise the profile of the ground as a corporate hospitality venue not just in the Midlands but nationally.
The ground is currently undergoing a £32m upgrade which includes the construction of a brand new pavilion stand. The facility should be ready to open around the end of July.
The hospitality firm will install a full range of upscale facilities at the venue as part of the redevelopment, marking the new stand as the most significant stadium revamp in English cricket this decade. The work underlines the growing importance of corporate support for the sport.
The aim is to make the Midlands’ sole international cricket ground the number one hospitality choice for the region’s corporate community and in doing so, widen the appeal of Birmingham as a place to do business.
Keith Prowse will bring the Jaguar Club, The 1882 Club, Superboxes and The Edgbaston Suite to the new Pavilion Stand, helping to increase the overall capacity at Edgbaston to 25,000. These new facilities will join the existing areas of the Aylesford Private Boxes, Marston’s Suite, Executive Club and Lower Wyatt Suite across the ground in the Raglan / Priory Stand and RES Wyatt Stand.
Edgbaston has proved to be England’s most successful home venue – the team have lost there only eight times in 45 Test matches – and it is known for its uninhibited carnival atmosphere.
The club said bringing in Keith Prowse would ensure a memorable dining experience for guests and the same unparalleled levels of service the hospitality firm provides at Lord’s and the Brit Insurance Oval, as well as iconic fixtures such as Cartier International Polo and The Championships, Wimbledon.
The first real test will be when the ground stages the 3rd npower Test match between England and India next summer (Wednesday August 10 – Sunday August 14).
Edgbaston will also be looking benefit from the Friends Provident t20 Finals Day (Saturday August 27).
Andrew Hodgkins, Keith Prowse’s Managing Director said: “We are thrilled at this opportunity to position Edgbaston, which is renowned in cricket for its feel-good factor, as an entertaining hub for the Midlands. Companies can use sport to bring people together to discuss business in an exhilarating but unrushed environment, and cricket in particular offers a great opportunity to enjoy valuable face to face time.”
James McLaughlin, WCCC Commercial Director, said: “The redevelopment will keep Edgbaston on a par with the world’s greatest cricket grounds, and by partnering with Keith Prowse we can ensure the venue continues to be attractive for corporate involvement. Offering this new range of entertaining options will ultimately help us to reinvest in cricket, so the value of corporate support should not be underestimated.”
