Croke Park's 'prawn sandwich brigade' will enjoy a sports bonanza as it opens up to soccer and rugby, writes Róisín Ingle
On the hallowed turf of Croke Park, a newly delivered piece of machinery could be seen at work. A mobile lighting rig shone artificial sunlight over the bald patches of the pitch, encouraging the reluctant grass to grow.
Observed from high up in the luxury suites there was something space-age about the softly glowing bulbs. But state-of-the-art gardening technology is not the only sign that the soccer and rugby fans attending Croker from next year will, in terms of facilities, be light years away from Lansdowne Road.
Corporate match-goers are well aware that the Ballsbridge venue boasts only a handful of corporate boxes and that most of the client entertaining has to be done in marquees. The facilities at Croke Park for those Roy Keane would dismiss as the "prawn sandwich brigade" include more than 8,000 premium-level seats and almost 2,000 spaces in 84 corporate boxes. Premium level, with its restaurants and bars, offers good value at €6,500 for five years or €10,000 for 10 years.
In the new Monopoly Here and Now Irish edition, it costs players a cúl €1 million to purchase a corporate box in Croke Park. In real life the boxes cost an average of €300,000 for a 10-year rental which includes tickets for all GAA fixtures and first options on tickets for all other events including concerts and, from next year, international rugby and soccer matches. But even if you have the money to buy, you'll be left languishing on the lengthy waiting list for boxes and premium-level seats.
THE LOGOS OF banks, property developers, newspapers, sports companies and semi-State bodies are displayed on the outsides of their boxes, which are located on Level 6 of the stadium. In these rooms with their leather suites, polished wood bars and stunning views of the pitch, corporate movers and shakers rub shoulders, nibbling on everything from fried chicken to foie gras. The spread laid on by Croke Park's catering company Fitzers can cost up to €60 per head for a sit-down silver service while many opt for a more modest €20-a-head buffet of finger food.
Companies can also request a champagne reception on arrival or a free bar all afternoon, adding even more to the costly final bill. The people who receive gilt-edged invitations vary depending on the box owner and on which counties are playing. While coy about identifying guests, companies use big matches to schmooze important clients.
Siemens likes to ensure GAA fans among its customer base are rewarded with a ticket. "That could be anyone from the head of a bank to a sales guy," says Ciara Ní Chuinneagain of Siemens. "We also try to minimise the number of Siemens personnel in the box so it's not a sales pitch and people can relax."
AIB, which has two boxes and several premium-level seats, divides the tickets between bank managers in participating counties, who give them to customers.
The National Lottery invites retailers from around the country and has been known to use the box as a scratch card prize. Vodafone invites technology journalists and business customers. Occasionally, Vodafone staff will get the nod following internal company competitions and during the Special Olympics, both Colin Farrell and Muhammad Ali were seen enjoying the corporate facilities.
Sports companies such as Adidas invite soccer and rugby stars including Damien Duff, Shay Given and Brian O'Driscoll. Paddy Power holds competitions for punters in its betting offices around the country and hosts the winners in Croke Park.
While there is a certain amount of kudos in being able to invite customers, celebrities and sporting figures to your private suite, increasingly companies are thinking outside the box when it comes to entertaining clients. One CEO of a prominent Dublin company explained how it had given up its corporate box in favour of premium-level seats. "Different sections of our organisation like to bring a variety of clients to matches, and the premium-level seating suits better because it's a more flexible way to entertain. You meet a broader range of people and there is just a bit more craic," he says. His company, a financial outfit, held the box only for a short time. "I remember being in the box one time and thinking 'Holy Jesus, get me out of here'," he says. "If there is one wally in your party it can ruin it for everyone. That doesn't come into play when you are on premium level."
WHEN RUGBY AND soccer matches come into the equation next year, box and premium-level seat holders will be given the option to buy tickets at face value. Some might wonder what's to stop those tickets being sold on at grossly inflated prices. GAA stadium director Peter McKenna explains how corporate contracts state that ticket holders will lose their right to the seat if they are discovered selling tickets on the black market.
"Sometimes we will buy tickets advertised on the internet or in newspapers ourselves to see where the tickets originated," he says. "Anybody found selling concert or match tickets for more than face value will lose their seat or their box."
One company has managed to find a legitimate way to make money out of owning a box in Croke Park. As part of an "air-rights" deal during the redevelopment of the stadium in the late 1990s, CIÉ received a free 20-seat box from the GAA. CIÉ leases the free box back to the GAA, covering the cost of a 12-seat suite it bought at the time.
And while for the most part it is high-spending corporate clients who get invited, CIÉ has a different, more egalitarian policy in place. Before each match, CIÉ employees from the relevant counties enter a draw to win the chance to watch the sporting action in, as opposed to on, the box.
Box clever: the corporate entertainers
Eircom
National Lottery
Bord Gáis
CIÉ
AIB
Bank of Ireland Guinness
Vodafone
O2
DHL
Smurfit
New Ireland
Permanent TSB
Beamish
Readymix
Adidas
First Active
Jacob's Fruitfield Siemens
Paddy Power
MCR
Smart Telecom
Gaelic Gear
Fáilte Ireland
RTÉ
Bosch
Glanbia
National Irish Bank
Dimplex
Ulster Bank
United Drug
Bupa
Cabin Pac
Setanta
Druids Glen
Merlin Group
Citywest Hotel
Independent Newsand Media
Ballymore Properties Coca Cola
Irish Nationwide
Irish Examiner
The Star
Canada Life
Ericsson
Anglo Irish Bank
C & C