Game On: How to Build a Winning Workforce During Euro 2024 and Beyond
- By Harri Insider Team | June 12, 2024
With three major sporting events and now a General Election thrown into the mix, hospitality venues across the UK can expect a busy summer season – and it starts this week with the beginning of Euro 2024.
A major football tournament is always a boom time for UK hospitality venues, but with the recent World Cup taking place at an unconventional time of year and the previous European tournament under lingering Covid restrictions, Euro 2024 has the potential to be amongst the most lucrative yet.
A recent study by VoucherCodes and GlobalData predicts an enormous £613.7m to be spent in hospitality over the duration of the tournament, a 39% increase on the 2022 World Cup. And Euros is not the only major event this summer: it’s simply the start of what could prove to be a hectic, but lucrative, three months for hospitality businesses.
As an operator, it’s time to make sure that you and your teams are well set up to deliver your best to hungry, thirsty and exuberant crowds. It might be too late in the day to hire new talent ahead of events like the Euros, but businesses can maximise revenue via efficient workforce management, smart scheduling and tech-enabled labour optimisation. And if you are looking for staffing solutions or talent acquisition ahead of the latter half of the season, the time to act is now.
We’ve put together a handy list of key event dates for summer 2024, along with our tips on how you can ensure a winning summer season for your team.
Euro 2024
14th June - 14th July 2024
England’s Euros group games are all at favourable times for crowds hoping to flock to their local pub, sports bar or restaurant for an after-work match: VoucherCodes’ study forecasts that 14.4 million Brits will tune in for an England or Scotland game from a hospitality venue. Add in a favourable outlook for the England team – currently the bookies’ favourite to win the tournament altogether – and, with a bit of luck, some long-overdue summer weather, and Euro 2024 could have more winners than one.
An agile approach might prove key as UK guest numbers, footfall and spending in sports-focused venues will fluctuate according to England’s performance in the tournament. Should England or Scotland make it to the semi-finals and beyond, the UK government has already announced that pubs will be able to extend their opening hours to 1 am. This will need to be accounted for in the revenue forecast, of course, but also in staffing: your team will likely appreciate an early heads-up about the possibility of later hours.
Glastonbury Festival
26th - 30th June 2024
Your venue’s footfall might not necessarily be affected, but chances are that many of your team have tickets to Glastonbury (or indeed any of the UK’s other festivals.) An influx of holiday requests can be a headache for operators, but Harri’s workforce management solution helps take the admin off your plate. Staff can easily submit holiday requests, and, once approved, the system can automatically generate optimised schedules without the need for manual spreadsheets.
Pride Events 2024
Cardiff Pride & Edinburgh Pride (22nd June)
Pride in London (29th June)
Brighton Pride (3rd Aug)
Manchester Pride (24th Aug)
Pride events happen in almost all of the UK’s major towns and cities throughout the summer – we have listed some of the country’s biggest celebrations here, but it’s worth checking dates for your particular location. Road closures and parade routes could impact footfall, especially for city-centre sites – but if you’re a wet-led or party destination close by, you can expect high-energy crowds. Either way, you should look to prepare your staff schedule accordingly, as even these one-day events can have a big impact on your bottom line.
Wimbledon
1st - 14th July 2024
Any venues with outdoor space should look to maximise Wimbledon fever. If you’re screening the tennis, it’s likely that you’ll see longer dwell times and less table turnover. Of note, the Wimbledon Men’s final will kickstart an epic sporting Sunday on 14th June, rolling right into the Euros final. It could be a bumper day for hospitality venues.
Of course, if your venue or hotel happens to be local to the All England Tennis Club, you should be prepared for large crowds in the area. Ensuring that you have the correct staff schedules in place will be key, as well as making sure that your staff have the training they need to be able to deliver a smooth service.
The Olympics
26th July - 11th August 2024
A favourable timezone for sports-loving Brits and Team GB’s recent sporting successes mean that hospitality businesses can expect enthusiastic crowds if you’re screening the Games, or have any extra marketing activity around them.
Consider your team’s nationalities, too: the Olympics is a great time to celebrate the international nature of the industry with a little internal comms activity. Harri’s workforce management can facilitate that via easy internal communications to make your team feel seen and celebrated during a busy few months.
Bank Holiday Weekend
24th - 26th August 2024
As ever, the summer is rounded off with the August bank holiday. Depending on your particular venue and location, you may see an influx of tourists (especially those in the South West), or guests looking to make the most of an extra weekend day. Keep your eye on the weather forecast if you’re an outdoor venue in particular, and adjust your staff schedule accordingly.
After a busy summer, it’s likely that your workforce may feel in need of a break. Harri’s workforce management system enables operators to check in with their team’s needs via sentiment surveys, so you can react to their needs and make changes if needed. And, as we touched upon, some internal comms or incentives can go a long way in ensuring that your team feel as engaged as your guests this summer.
If you want to find out about how Harri can support your business throughout the busy summer period, request a demo today!
