Why Do Sporting Club Ireland Events Cost What They Cost?
Why Do Sporting Club Ireland Events Cost What They Cost?
We want to build The Sporting Club Ireland in the open, so here’s a little insight into something we get asked about from time to time: ticket pricing.
I’ll start with complete honesty.
Would I bring my own family of four to one of our events and spend €600 or €700 on the night? Probably not. I’d find a cheaper family night out.
But that’s not really what our events are designed for.
The Sporting Club Ireland is a business community powered by sport. Our events are created primarily for businesses and businesspeople to use for client entertainment, hospitality, business development, rewarding staff, growing their network and building relationships.
They are designed to be more than simply a night out.
The aim is to create a room where a business can entertain an important client, bring a member of their team, strengthen an existing relationship or meet somebody new who could become valuable to them in the future.
So, where does the ticket price actually go?
Putting on these events properly involves a lot.
There’s the sporting guest, the MC, venue, AV and sound, photography and framed photographs, travel and accommodation where required, food, drinks and all the other details that go into making sure the night feels properly put together.
There are plenty of costs people never see, and plenty of work behind the scenes before anyone ever walks through the door.
But for us, the more important question is not simply what does the event cost?
It is: What can come from being in the room?
And already, we’ve seen some brilliant things happen.
People have met for the first time at our events and gone on to do business together.
Introductions have turned into proper conversations.
New relationships have started.
Existing client relationships have been strengthened.
Businesses have brought staff and clients and created experiences they could never replicate over a coffee or a Teams call.
And in some cases, a conversation that started casually over dinner has continued long after the event itself was finished.
That is the part of The Sporting Club Ireland that excites us most.
The sporting guest may be the reason somebody initially wants to attend.
But often, the real value is sitting beside them.
It might be the person they meet at the bar, the business owner across the table, the introduction made before dinner or the conversation that happens on the way out.
The best outcome for us isn’t simply that somebody says they had a brilliant night.
It’s that, a week or a month later, they can point to something worthwhile that came from being there.
From day one, our approach has been simple: Establish the standard first.
Bring brilliant guests. Get great people into the room. Look after them properly. Create an experience people want to return to. And, most importantly, build a business community around those rooms.
There’s a famous line from Field of Dreams: “If you build it, he will come.”
Our version is: If we build the right rooms, the right people will come.
We’re not trying to be the cheapest ticket in town.
And we’re not trying to create a traditional family night out.
We’re trying to create a room worth being in.
A room where you can entertain a client, strengthen a relationship, meet someone new, grow your network, open a door and potentially create business.
Because ultimately, sport gives us the reason to bring people together. What happens after that is the whole point.
