Operational Updates
Prior to the pandemic, we had identified the need to secure an 'anchor' tenant in the north and Liverpool FC was a potential target. Whilst we operate in the north on special and golf events, we felt the time was right to consider a northern hub. The opportunity arose this year when Liverpool FC tendered out their car parking/traffic management operation. We are selective in which tenders we enter as they need to be accepted in our Capacity Capability Expertise Risk model, and we also need to feel comfortable that the process is not just benchmarking to use against the incumbent operator. Venues may change operator due to dissatisfaction with existing operator, price or just requiring a fresh approach, so the time and investment spent on any tender has to be in the belief that the venue has an appetite for change. We do not speculate on the reason, but in this case, were satisfied that there was a desire for the client to review alternative options.
Beyonce opened the stadium concert season this year with a stunning 5 nights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the London leg of the Renaissance World Tour. Those lucky enough to get a ticket (around 200,000 across the 5 nights) were truly entertained with a fantastic stage set, costume changes and, of course, the music. Truly spectacular.
CSP have provided traffic management services to The Boat Race since 2016, and whilst it moved to Cambridge during the pandemic, it's great to see it back in its rightful home on the Thames.
Over the last 5 years we have seen an increase in the demand for temporary HVM (Hostile Vehicle Movement) systems, as the Police withdraw from venue footprints and also with the terrorist risks attached. These systems were also used during the pandemic to allow external restaurant expansions and support wider footpaths. We provide 2 solutions: one is a heavyweight ATG solution which is suitable to maintain in place for more than a day, with pins which can be dropped to allow emergency vehicle access. The second is our lighter weight Mifram system which is is more beneficial where there are limited build or break periods available for road closures, as can be installed and demounted in under 30 minutes, and is easily rolled back to allow emergency vehicle access.
We were very proud to be awarded the traffic management contract at ExCeL London in December, following a period of off-site management to support the busy event schedule at the venue. Our history at the venue goes all the way back to the start of the millennium, when we were instrumental in the design of the traffic management plans and managed the operations on-site. After a few years, ExCeL London implemented a strategy of taking the operation in-house and so our team there switched employer and continued to provide an excellent service for many years to come.
Our Premier Fantasy League, CSP - Living the Dream, has had the highest numbers of competitors since we started it in 2017, with 138 teams entered to date, made up of a combination of both staff, suppliers and clients. A constant over the last few years has been the inclusion of George Mayanja and O'Neil Mclean (now our client at Tottenham Hotspur FC) battling in the Top 5, but we have seen a much more open contest so far this year with George in 7th place whilst O'Neil, clearly distracted by a busy season at Tottenham Stadium, all the way at 57th (even behind yours truly at 45th !!)