The programme and presenters for the fourth Business of Tennis Forum was announced today by the Tennis Industry Association UK.
The theme is ‘Tennis Economics’ and takes place at The Queen’s Club, West Kensington on Tuesday April 4th starting at 12.00.
Robert Bray, CEO of the Edgbaston Priory Club will speak on ‘Modernising the Traditional Tennis Club’ and offer a real insight into the challenges faced. He will highlight the demanding requirements of hosting an annual high-profile grass court international tennis tournament and its impact and benefits to the club.
Edgbaston Priory has a history dating back to the birth of lawn tennis and has hosted an international pre-Wimbledon grass court tournament since 1982. A recent £12m investment in the Club’s playing and off-court facilities confirms its place as one of the leading sports clubs in the country.
James Mercer, LTA Commercial Director, will address the audience on the LTA’s approach to ‘Working in a Commercially Challenging Landscape’. With the LTA/Aegon sponsorship coming to a close, what does the future LTA sponsorship strategy look like and how might the approach change to maximise benefit to British Tennis?
The National Tennis Manager of Greenwich Leisure Limited, Barry Cawte, will outline ‘How GLL is Helping to Grow Tennis’. GLL was formed in 1993 and is a not-for-profit Social Enterprise that operates more than 200 leisure centres within the public sector, employs 10,000 staff and generates 40 million visits per year through its venues.
GLL has now the largest estate of public indoor tennis courts in Britain. Barry will outline how GLL’s business model allows community tennis to be sustainable in an environment where the customer is king and demands on indoor sports space is acute.
Paul Burditt, LTA Head of Insight and Strategy returns to the Forum to update delegates on the LTA’s participation strategy and addressing the new challenges in the game. ‘Tennis in Britain – Rising to the Challenge?’ looks at how tennis is doing at a time when many other sports are now trying to increase their reach to get a share of the same market.
Oren Holtzman and Andy Kemp of Teach Tennis International and a new TIA UK member will be presenting their unique e-commerce digital coaching syllabus platform for young players, coaches, parents and clubs, providing the basic fundamentals of technique, strategy and tactics. This instant-access coaching syllabus is already producing champions, whilst introducing tennis to thousands of children and importantly has significantly reduced management and admin time within a very labour intensive activity. ‘TTI – the digital answer to greater participation whilst breeding the champions of tomorrow’.
SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC. is a company with many years’ involvement and expertise in providing insight and data for tennis. They are the official census provider for the All England Lawn Tennis Club at The Wimbledon Championships and have undertaken the Official Equipment Census since 1985. SMS Inc. delivered the European Tennis Report 2015 for Tennis Europe covering 49 nations and so have a detailed view of UK tennis within a European context. Ed Willis will be discussing ‘The State of Tennis in the UK and Europe’ at the Forum.
The annual Business of Tennis Forum is attended by key decision makers and influential leaders within the sport and is the only event that provides insight on the UK tennis industry and economy. It also aims to provide delegates with new solutions, products and services to help grow and improve their tennis businesses.
The 2017 event is sponsored by the LTA and illustrates the importance the governing body places on its relationship with the wider tennis industry and the desire to bring fresh thinking and new ideas to help grow the sport.
The 2017 event took place on April 4th. Details of the 2018 event will be available later in the year and be found on the Association’s website https://www.tiauk.org/the-business-of-tennis-forum