Pitch services in the centre of the second ESSMA Spotlight session: livestream & highlights
During the second ESSMA Spotlight session, John Ledwidge - Head of Sports Turf & Grounds at Leicester City FC - joined us to discuss the club’s new training ground. Furthermore, Geoff Webb, Jason Booth and Daniel Bradley from The Grounds Management Association shared their insights on data gathering, climate change and sustainability!
Creating a grading system to secure investment
Aiming to get more funds for the pitch maintenance at Leicester City FC, John Ledwidge had to come up with a way of convincing the board to invest in staff and equipment. Inspired by the energy efficiency labelling system often seen on washing machines and other household appliances, Mr. Ledwidge created a grading system to visually show the board what was needed to create a "grade-A" pitch and how significant the investment would be. Converting complicated, technical specifications into easy-to-grasp, visual concepts has allowed his team to continuously convince their board to secure the funding that they needed to bring the club to the next level.
How collecting data can improve pitch management
“Often it is more important to know why you use data and when to use it than to know how to use it.” Jason Booth, Chief Operating Officer at The GMA
According to The Grounds Management Association, data collecting can help pitch managers in many different ways as it can assist them with planning, maintenance and making more educated decisions. Furthermore, they believe it can improve the communication upwards in an organisation to receive more funds.
Managing a pitch in a sustainable way
As water shortage is becoming more and more of a problem, the irrigation of a pitch will not only be about keeping the grass healthy but also about wasting as little water as possible, according to The GMA. In addition, John Ledwidge believes combining a high-quality pitch with sustainability will be one of the main challenges in the upcoming years.
Join us at 14:00 CEST for our Business Services session!
During the third ESSMA Spotlight session, we will be focussing on creating additional revenue streams as Koen van Loon - Operator KICK Offices - joins us to discuss the operation of flexible workspaces at Philips Stadium. In addition, Paul Turner will share his insights on US Venues and how their design allows for multifunctionality and non-matchday use.