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#Post#: 1743--------------------------------------------------
Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: DOK
Date: July 24, 2018, 3:03 pm
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The proposed £50m expansion will increase the capacity from
14,800 to 25,000, while a hotel is also being considered.
HTML http://cityam.com/289688/alexandra-goldschmidt-interview-harlequins-commercial
#Post#: 1751--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: July 24, 2018, 3:59 pm
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Whilst it's short on details (which is only to be expected so
early in the planning) I'm cautiously optimistic that they're
doing this the right way. Plus, if they have a hotel on site,
then it's better on the late evening kick-offs: you can stay at
the Stoop after enjoying an evening in the bar!
#Post#: 1753--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: Rocker
Date: July 24, 2018, 4:40 pm
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Sounds good so far. Very little detail at this stage of course
but the noises all seem to be correct.
#Post#: 1758--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: Samquin
Date: July 25, 2018, 1:38 am
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It would be interesting to know if the thoughts are for the new
stadium is to be built in the current footprint or will it be
moved more into the depot next door?
#Post#: 1764--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: July 25, 2018, 2:45 am
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HTML https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-goldschmidt-80491411
#Post#: 1771--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: July 25, 2018, 3:18 am
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--- Quote from: Samquin link ---
>
> It would be interesting to know if the thoughts are for the
new stadium is to be built in the current footprint or will it
be moved more into the depot next door?
>
--- End Quote ---
Just my personal opinion, but I think we need to have at least
some of the depot area in order to make it work. If we can take
over part or all of the depot, that means we can sell it to the
locals as a) moving slightly away from the houses and b)
removing the main reason for the large gull population that can
be seen as a blight on the area.
The first is important if you remember the fuss that was caused
when we put the current South Stand up, because the height was
seen by some of the locals living the other side of the Duke of
Northumberland's river as encroaching into their skyline. Moving
us onto the depot area would make the stands a little further
away, so height isn't an issue. With the addition of the removal
of the cause of the gulls will also go down well with residents.
We're restricted because of the flats & the road about what we
can do on our current footprint. Shuffle us down & rotate the
pitch, and you can fit in larger stands easier. Yes it means a
complete rebuild, so we'd have to play elsewhere for a season
(over the road maybe?). But in order to do a proper job, I'd
prefer that to a piecemeal approach on the current stadium.
#Post#: 1778--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: July 25, 2018, 3:36 am
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--- Quote from: DOK link ---
>
> The proposed £50m expansion will increase the capacity from
14,800 to 25,000, while a hotel is also being considered.
HTML http://cityam.com/289688/alexandra-goldschmidt-interview-harlequins-commercial
>
--- End Quote ---
They are blocking my adblocker and want me to pay to read it!
Anybody able to cut and paste it?
#Post#: 1779--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: WellingQuin
Date: July 25, 2018, 3:42 am
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Harlequins are a rugby club in motion. But this summer has been
busier than normal in Twickenham as they look to implement
improvements, both on and off the pitch.
Paul Gustard, who left his role as England’s defence coach a
year out from the World Cup, is the man charged with turning
things around on the pitch with the men’s team following a
disappointing 10th place finish in the Premiership last season.
Meanwhile, the woman at the forefront of changes behind the
scenes is Alexandra Goldschmidt. Having presided over the growth
of American football in this country at the NFL, Goldschmidt
joined Quins last year to focus her efforts on a different
sport.
She moved swiftly through the roles of head of business
development and head of commercial to arrive where she is now as
Quins’ new commercial director. As she tells City A.M. the club
is very much one on the move.
“Harlequins are going through a transition this off-season,” she
says. “We have a new coaching team and that’s very exciting for
everyone at the club. Everyone is full of hope for what the
future might hold.
And while the focus of many is on what impact Gustard and new
general manager Billy Millard can make on the performance side
of things, Goldschmidt has her eyes locked on another area.
“We are an innovative club,” she says. “We try to do things
first and lead from the front.” And that’s where the club’s
business membership program comes in.
Goldschmidt is keen to maximise the crossovers between sport and
business – after all Harlequins have a foot in both camps.
To do this the club are hosting events for clients or outside
organisations which draw on the expertise of Quins’ players and
back-room staff.
“We recognise that day-to-day business have problems,” explains
Goldschmidt. “Be that market share, brand awareness or tackling
difficult issues that they can’t manage on their own. That has
been our driver in creating our product – it’s very bespoke,
it’s been tweaked and refined to address the very specific needs
of particular businesses.”
Topics range from mental health and managing stress to marginal
gains and using data.
“There are a lot of crossovers and synergies in how you create
an elite sporting environment and the corporate world,” says
Goldschmidt. “It’s unique and is a great way of accessing a club
people feel familiar with, allowing them to gain an insight into
what it takes to put an elite team out on the pitch.”
Goldschmidt gives the example of a global business which came to
Quins with a group of employees going through a year-long
training program to improve performance. The club held a focused
workshop involving their data analyst and a long-serving player
to outline the theory of marginal gains and the impact it can
have.
Next month Quins are putting on a session entitled ‘performance
under pressure’ where sports psychologist Pieter Krueger will
present on using the psychology principles of elite sports teams
in the workplace.
The business membership may be a key area of growth for the
club, but Goldschmidt also has plenty of other plates to spin.
While still in the consultation stage, the redevelopment of
their home ground, The Stoop, is a major project. The proposed
£50m expansion will increase the capacity from 14,800 to 25,000,
while a hotel is also being considered.
Talks with the council are ongoing and Goldschmidt says the
timescale is still fluid, but the aim is to expand on behalf of
the men’s and women’s teams at the club. That equality of
thinking is another thing Goldschmidt is passionate about.
The formation of the Tyrells Premier 15s last year saw women’s
rugby come on leaps and bounds in its pursuit of a level playing
field with the professional men’s game.
Harlequins are at the forefront of the game’s growth, helping to
increase interest and participation and drive up standards.
Although not yet professional, the women’s side stand shoulder
to shoulder with the men in all of the club’s campaigns and use
the same facilities.
Quins may have lost out narrowly to Saracens in the final of the
inaugural season of the Premier 15s in April, but they enjoyed a
great deal of success along the way.
The club played three matches at The Stoop and welcomed a
British record crowd of 4,542 to the ground to watch their match
against Richmond in March. It’s been extremely encouraging for
Goldschmidt, who hopes to stage as many matches as possible at
their base this coming campaign.
“The women’s team is one of the things I’m most proud of in the
last year,” she says. “It’s been a long time coming, but we were
very much championing the elevation of women’s rugby, to bring
it in line with the men as quickly as possible. It’s still a
side of rugby which is in a stage of growth but we’re very
ambitious – not just for ambition’s sake, but because we believe
it should be standing side by side with the men’s.”
There’s expansion elsewhere too. Harlequins are strategic
partners of New Zealand Rugby and USA Rugby – and while the
benefits of the former are obvious, it’s the latter which
provides the most intrigue.
Quins have essentially invested in what they see as the future.
World Rugby estimates there are 30m fans of the sport already in
the United States, while the introduction of Sevens to the
Olympics and the improvement of the national sides are powering
growth which the club hopes to capitalise on.
“The partnership came in recognition of what the future of the
sport in the USA could hold, but we also feel we can add value
to that growth and lend expertise to how USA Rugby go about
growing,” says Goldschmidt.
It’s just one more reason why Quins are a club to keep a close
eye on in the coming years.
#Post#: 1780--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: DOK
Date: July 25, 2018, 3:44 am
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£50m redevelopment. Is this also being funded by Duncan Saville
or are we now self funding? If it's DS then you have to admire
the commitment from a man who lives far from these shores.
#Post#: 1782--------------------------------------------------
Re: Harlequins' commercial director on new stadium plans
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: July 25, 2018, 4:04 am
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Thanks WellingQuin.
DOK I think there might be a bit of Resi/Retail to offset that
investment...
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