Pitch perfect displays deliver a stunning viewing experience for World Cup 2018 fans.
Hamilton Rentals helped The Waterside pub envision a unique World Cup hospitality event with HD TV screens that created a buzz with the local community – drawing in a whole new family audience.
Background
Breathing New Life into a Neighbourhood Pub
When TMDining relaunched The Waterside pub in Woodley, it was determined to reconnect with local residents and reach out to a whole new audience of consumers.
“We wanted to offer locals and visitors a family-friendly destination featuring great food – served up with our trademark top-notch hospitality,” explains Greg Watts, Operations Manager at TMDining.
Steeped in local history, the pub – previously known as the Thatchers Tavern – underwent a major makeover before re-opening with a new name, a contemporary new look and a tempting new menu.
“Our aim was to give something back to the local community, with a relaxed and accessible space that’s ideal for meeting up with family or friends,” continues Greg.
To get word out about the revitalised neighbourhood pub, the operations team decided to screen the World Cup 2018 and draw people in – putting The Waterside well and truly on the map with locals.
“Enticing people off their sofas and into our venue meant we had to be confident we could deliver a great high-tech viewing experience that got them coming back for more,” says Greg.
The Requirement
Greg wanted to create a dedicated viewing zone on the pub’s extensive outdoor terrace overlooking the beer garden. This would ensure World Cup fans could watch live match games, enjoying sizzling food served fresh from the BBQ, without disrupting other customers who wanted a quiet restaurant meal inside the pub.
Determined to leave nothing to chance, Greg decided to hire specialist outdoor TV screens that would perform outstandingly – regardless of the weather conditions.
“We’re not a Sports Bar and wanted to temporarily bring in the best technology for the job in the most cost-effective manner possible – returning all equipment once the tournament was over,” he explains.
Knowing what to install and where, so that everyone enjoyed an uninterrupted view of the action, was just part of the challenge. The TV screens also had to remain securely in place for the duration of the event.
“We needed the right number of screens, located in the right position, so that nobody had to stand to get a view,” continues Greg.
“Being able to hear the commentary in crystal clear clarity was also vital. And it was obvious we’d need a high definition delivery system – otherwise people would simply stay at home and watch the matches on their own devices.”
To ensure it hosted the 2018 World Cup in style, The Waterside turned to Hamilton Rentals to ensure everything was in place to give customers a great viewing experience.
The Solution
Size – and placement – matters
The team from Hamilton Rentals surveyed the proposed World Cup viewing area, providing recommendations on the best audio-visual technology to employ for the task at hand.
“We didn’t want customers to feel crammed in and we wanted everyone to stay seated, so they could eat and drink before, during and after matches. Hamilton Rentals gave us some great advice on the best set up to achieve the ambience we wanted – everything from the exact placement and angle of TV screens to the size of display we’d need,” says Greg.
To guarantee repeat customers throughout the tournament, the decision was taken to install two 55-inch ProofVision outdoor TV screens and Outdoor ProofVision speakers. These high-resolution screens feature a durable weatherproof structure plus anti-reflective technology that ensures crystal clear viewing, even in bright sunlight.
Installed front-to-back under a fixed marquee and secured with a threaded bolt and locks, the technology was safely installed so that it could not be displaced – no matter how excited fans got.
“Hamilton Rentals also ran a link from the signal source inside our venue to each TV and took care of every aspect of the installation,” continues Greg.
“The ability to ‘switch on’ and ‘switch off’ the AV equipment as and when required ensured we could offer coverage of matches at appropriate times.”
This was important to the operations team, as Greg explains:
“Working with an organisation like Hamilton Rentals made it possible for The Waterside to utilise the very latest technology without compromising our core image and values.”
“Because we’re not a Sports Bar, it was important we were able to screen a specific event – like the World Cup – without committing to a long-term technology investment that would spoil the relaxed vibe of The Waterside. Hamilton Rentals helped us ensure that we could continue to offer a protected space where customers can enjoy one another’s company, without unwelcome TV screen distractions.”
The Outcomes
Standing out from the crowd
The solution proved a runaway success with families and friends, who repeatedly returned to The Waterside to follow England’s progress and enjoy sharing the ups and downs of the tournament with others. All in the comfort of a venue that offered a fabulous environment where food and drink was readily on tap.
“We promoted the fact that we were offering World Cup coverage through social media and a local marketing campaign. Within no time at all the 300-seat viewing area was frequently packed to capacity,” says Greg.
“The clarity of the high-resolution system provided by Hamilton Rentals was outstanding and no matter where people sat, they were always guaranteed a clear view of the action as it unfolded.”
The success of the hospitality programme exceeded all expectations, as Greg explains:
“Word of mouth quickly spread. People came in – and kept coming back – to experience the great atmosphere and socialise with others. Alongside generating a major revenue uplift during the tournament, we’ve also seen a subsequent uplift in customer footfall. In other words, many of the people who first experienced our offering during the World Cup have since returned to become regular dining customers.”
For Greg, the advantage of being able to hire state-of-the-art AV technology is clear:
“Hiring everything from Hamilton Rentals for a short-term period meant we could get our hands on the very latest professional audio and display technologies, while avoiding the cost of ownership that’s typically incurred if we’d had to purchase the equipment outright.”
“Hamilton Rentals set everything up for us – and once the World Cup was over, took it away again. Enabling us to get back to ‘business as usual’ without any hassle.”
Why Hamilton Rentals
With extensive expertise in digital displays for outdoor events, Hamilton Rentals was able to recommend the correct set up and connectivity that ensured The Waterside was able to deliver an engaging experience that resonated with local customers.
“It quickly became clear that the Hamilton Rentals team was a highly professional bunch of great people who were able to offer insightful guidance on everything from the right display quality to recommendations on the best size of screen to go for,” confirms Greg.
“They took care of everything – even assessing our broadcasting source to ensure full compatibility with the right TV screens. With their help we were able to try something new and different, successfully screening one of the most iconic sporting events on the planet and delivering a complete entertainment package – complete with food and beverage – that brought us to the attention of the community.”
In the months that have followed, many local residents have repeatedly returned to The Waterside.
“Opening our doors to the community during the World Cup helped put people in the picture – giving them a taster of what we are all about and the depth of our offering. It’s helped us create a lasting impression that’s powering long term revenue growth.”
