Oak View Group (OVG), the global venue development, advisory and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries, today welcomes a new member to its International Venue Alliance, Ascot Racecourse: the iconic British venue known the world over for Royal Ascot, QIPCO British Champions Day and numerous other high-profile events.
Ascot Racecourse is the third UK-based member of the International Alliance and fourth overall, alongside Silverstone Circuit, the NEC Group and Germany-based D.Live venues. Ascot is also used as a location for banqueting, exhibitions, conferences and commercial launches. Nearly 600,000 people visit per year, and its racing is broadcast in over 200 countries around the world.
Ascot Racecourse’s membership of the Alliance and relationship with OVG will specifically focus on gaining international sponsors for the venue.
Sam Piccione III, OVG’s international president said: “Ascot is one of the world’s best-loved venues, and we’re proud to have them as the newest International Venue Alliance member. It is an honour to be an extension of Juliet Slot’s commercial team as we will help grow their partnership line-up via our international network. Having been to Royal Ascot and numerous other horseracing events at Ascot this past year, there is no better venue in their industry for brands to align and we can’t wait to get started.”
Commenting on the announcement, Juliet Slot, chief commercial officer at Ascot Racecourse, said, “We’re delighted to have joined the OVG International Venue Alliance, and we’re looking forward to having OVG as a strategy partner to attract international sponsors to Ascot and also to working with the other like-minded members to share best practices of being a world-leading venue.”
The Venue Alliance is modelled on OVG’s highly successful Arena and Stadium Alliance in North America, an invitation-only partnership of 28 arenas which enables independent venues to attract global sponsorship opportunities, drive additional events and content, and achieve efficiencies of scale by buying together.
The relationship follows the launch of OVG’s International office in March; the announcement of its first European development project – the Santa Giulia arena in Milan; and the announcement that OVG is undertaking public consultations on the construction of a new arena in Manchester, England.
