FAI Launch New Stadium’s Vantage Club

The Football Association of Ireland today (Thursday, 18th September) launched the Vantage Club which will house the premium seats and corporate boxes in the New Stadium at Lansdowne Road and bring corporate hospitality in Ireland to a new level.

The four Vantage Club 10-Year Premium Ticket options are based on seat location – Halfway Line, Sideline, Corner and Behind-the Goal. The prices of the four Vantage Club 10-Year options are:

Vantage 1; For halfway line seats, there is an initial fee of €12,000 and an annual fee of €2,000 per annum.

Vantage 2; For sideline seats, there is an initial fee of €9,000 and an annual fee of €1,000

Vantage 3: This covers the seats in the corners and can be purchased for an initial fee of €7,000 and an annual fee of €750

Vantage 4; These are the behind-the-goal seats in the south stand and can be purchased for an initial fee of €7,000 and an annual fee of €500.

There are three 50-seater, twenty 24-seater and ten 12-seater corporate boxes in the new stadium. These can be bought for three, seven or ten years.

The sales process will be managed by ISG, a world leader in the sale and marketing of premium facilities at sports stadia. They have an unparalleled track record of working with sports venues worldwide to research and subsequently manage the sales process for their premium facilities. The company has been responsible for revenues in excess of €700m from premium facilities at the new Wembley Stadium.

The pricing scheme for Vantage Club tickets follows extensive research carried out by Comperio Research, market leaders in premium seating market research, and detailed examination by ISG and the FAI at similar models around the world to see what works best in today’s marketplace. One of the key findings was to have different price points as this is more reflective of the marketplace as it offers large corporates, small firms and individuals the opportunity to participate and have access to Vantage Club 10-Year Tickets of their choice.

Speaking at the launch overlooking the New Stadium, FAI Chief Executive John Delaney, said that the launch of the Vantage Club sales campaign comes at an exciting time for the FAI.

“We are at the start of a new era in Irish football. Our new home will provide a world class facility in which we will make many new memories. It will provide steady funding for the grassroots of our game in years to come and will give all of us involved in Irish football a place we can truly call home. Today’s launch of the Vantage Club and the involvement of ISG, worldwide leaders in the sale of premium facilities, is hugely significant for the development of our game. The product on offer to Vantage Club clients is second to none and, with an exciting 10 years ahead of us, I have no doubt that this marks a significant milestone for Irish football.”

A Vantage Club ticket holder will receive a ticket or tickets to all Ireland’s senior international. They will also receive a ticket to FAI Ford Cup Finals. Premium ticket holders will have access to exclusive stadium restaurants, bars and cafes. There are also opportunities to access tickets and facilities to other sporting and entertainment venues and the ability to re-sell your ticket, subject to demand, through the FAI if you cannot attend an event. Vantage Club members are also automatically included in the FAI’s Croke Park block booking scheme which means they will have access to a ticket for all home international games between now and 2010.

Another key feature of Vantage Club participation is that for every premium ticket bought, the FAI will invest 2.5% of the initial fee back into the game at grassroots level with the purchaser free to choose the club, league or affiliate they want the money to go to. If no preference is indicated the FAI will invest the money in grassroot development schemes.

An extensive marketing campaign including press, radio and TV advertising will roll out in the coming weeks to support the sales launch. Further information on both Premium Tickets and Corporate Boxes sales is available at www.faivantageclub.ie or by calling 1890 20 2010.