Pontefract Racecourse has been listed amongst the Finalists for two prestigious awards at the Racecourse Association’s annual Showcase & Awards event.
Nominated in the ‘Events’ and ‘All About The Horse’ categories, Pontefract Racecourse impressed the independent judging panel sufficiently to become one of the finalists in each category and will be hoping to be crowned winners at the award ceremony at Doncaster Racecourse on November 17.
The ‘Events’ Award celebrates superb events that provide memorable days out and attract new customers to racecourses. The ‘All About The Horse’ Award celebrates initiatives that enhance racegoers knowledge of and engagement with horses and horseracing. Submissions demonstrated how racecourses had done this using bespoke campaigns.
Racecourses were asked to demonstrate a defined strategy and excellence in execution in their submissions, along with a clear link to the racecourse brand and encouragement of return visits.
The 2016 Rugby League Evening has been shortlisted in the ‘Events’ category. Rugby League fans from across Yorkshire flocked to the course as season ticket holders for Castleford Tigers, Featherstone Rovers, Huddersfield Giants and Wakefield Wildcats took advantage of discounted tickets and fantastic Meet & Greet packages. The inaugural Art of Racing Raceday has been shortlisted in the ‘All About The Horse’ category as racegoers learnt about all sides of horse racing – from commentating to what happens at the start, from tipping to how the Best Turned Out Horse is chosen.
Celebrating excellence and innovation on British Racecourses, the RCA Showcase & Awards feature a daytime seminar with a variety of speakers from racing as well as other sports and leisure industries, before the awards ceremony in the evening.
The seventh edition of the RCA Showcase & Awards is supported by Moet Hennessey, and is as competitive as ever with racecourse submissions increasing by 10% to 77. There are ten main awards in total, covering all aspects of racecourse operation, with the ultimate goal of celebrating and rewarding initiatives which enhance the customer experience.
Pontefract Racecourse Manager, Norman Gundill , said:
“These nominations are just reward for the innovative skills and hard work of our promotions and marketing team lead by our Assistant Manager, Richard Hammill, and demonstrate the forward thinking and customer friendly approach that we think is so essential to keep us at the forefront of the local sporting and recreational life of the area.”
Racecourse Association Chairman, Maggie Carver, said: “The RCA Showcase & Awards is one of the highlights of the year for racecourses and we have seen the number and standard of submissions increase yet again making 2016 another difficult one for our judging panel.
“It is an amazing achievement to be named as a Finalist and inspiring to see such a wide range of racecourses on the lists.
“I am delighted for the team at Pontefract Racecourse and it is testament to the hard work they put in all year round. We are now looking forward to finding out who all the winners are at Doncaster on 17th November.”