Business Enquirer Magazine | Issue 115 | June'23

LEMAY ID FROM IDEA TO IDENTITY

ARASCO THE KEY TO FOOD SECURITY IN SAUDI ARABIA

YOUR GUILT-FREE LONG-WEEKEND THIS SUMMER!

MEDIA FINANCE

Jamie Waite Partner & Creative Director jamie.waite@busenq.com

John Wilson Partner & President john.wilson@busenq.com

Charlotte Rope Project Director charlotte.rope@busenq.com

Ebony Tomkinson Project Director ebony.tomkinson@busenq.com

Claire Dunn Global Credit Controller claire.dunn@busenq.com

Bethany Waite Credit Controller bethany.waite@busenq.com

Tanya Rudd Head of Finance tanya.rudd@busenq.com

Kim Pearson Global Head of Accounts kim.pearson@busenq.com

DATA ANALYSIS

EDITORIAL

Laura Watling Editor in Chief laura.watling@busenq.com

Carol Gibson Lead Editor carol.gibson@busenq.com

PRODUCTION

Gary Smith Senior Project Director gary.smith@busenq.com

Glen Newton Senior Project Director glen.newton@busenq.com Lee Phoenix Project Director lee.phoenix@busenq.com

Marina Conrad Project Director marina.conrad@busenq.com

David Calaz Project Director david.calaz@busenq.com

Reece Plane Project Director reece.plane@busenq.com

Chrissy Jones Project Director chrissy.jones@busenq.com

Ryan Williams Project Director ryan.williams@busenq.com

Jack Coffey Project Director jack.coffey@busenq.com

Rob Morris Project Director rob.morris@busenq.com

Ben Saunders Head of Business Acquisition ben.saunders@busenq.com

Kumar Nil-Khan Senior Data Strategy kumar.nilkhan@busenq.com

Simon Ferrening Production Manager Commercial Performance Analysis

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM

Anita Terrell Social Media Manager anita.terrell@busenq.com

Lee Dixon Social Media Manager lee.dixon@busenq.com

HR

Susan Tumelty HR Partnered Company info@hrdept.co.uk

LEGAL

Chloe Bird Birketts LLP Norwich

Roisin Reynolds Head of Production roisin.reynolds@busenq.com

Cheraleigh Van Zanten Production Manager cheraleigh.vanzanten@busenq.com

Jamie Bolton Head of Design jamie.bolton@busenq.com

Adam Fulwood Head of Video & Content Creation adam.fulwood@busenq.com

Matt Hardwick Online Website Manager matt.hardwick@busenq.com

DESIGN WEBSITE PHOTOGRAPHY

Didie Nturo Lead Photographer didie.nturo@busenq.com

Welcome to July’s issue of Business Enquirer, issue 114.

June saw sweltering temperatures in the UK, with the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office having issued a yellow heat-health alert in seven regions of England.

And that can only mean one thing for Brits - the festival season is upon us.

However, if you missed the opportunity to bag some Glastonbury tickets, why not consider Sziget Festival? We revisit Budapest based event, taking a look at the six jampacked days which offers more than just music.

Whilst Sziget Festival gives you the opportunity for play, you may be more of a spectator than a doer. We speak with Ticketmaster Sport CEO, Chris Gratton, about the rise and rise of the sport events industry, as well as the innovations the business is implementing to tackle ticket fraud.

Laura Watling Editor in Chief

laura.watling@busenq.com

If you have a business story you wish to share in 2023, please contact our Head of Production via production@ busenq.com

A WORD FROM OUR EDITOR FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

Readers of Business Enquirer will know we have the privilege of speaking to business leaders and innovators from across the world. But this issue, I also had the opportunity to visit Royal Norwich, the country club based in Norfolk, to sit down in person with CEO John Kerr.

In our fascinating conversation, John discussed how Royal Norwich is a blueprint for golf for the future, including its role in the sport’s longevity. You can watch the full interview on our socials linked below.

So, whether you’re reading this issue from a tent at a festival, on a train on the way to a sporting event, or even as you wait for your tee time, I hope you enjoy.

Dr Mark Shanahan, Associate Professor of Political Engagement at the University of Surrey said:

“Today, former US Vice president Mike Pence will formally enter the race to win the Republican nomination to

face off against the incumbent President, Joe Biden, in the 2024 US Presidential Election. In so doing, he hopes to position himself as a champion of the Trumpist wing of the GOP, but without any of the legal, moral and political baggage of the former president. However, the far more likely outcome of his entry to an increasingly large field will be to split the non-Trump vote even further, and hand

the Republican nomination to Donald J Trump.

“Trump faces his own legal travails and offers up a low-energy campaign with nothing new on the table. 2024 is set, for him, to be American Carnage part three. He'll look to keep out of primary debates while his lawyers look to keep him out of a court room. Meanwhile, Pence lines up

with De Santis, Haley, Scott and probably Christie, at the head of the not-Trump campaign. But all are pale imitations of the original and all will cannibalise each other's vote.

“We'll be left with the old sluggers: 82-year-old Biden v 78-year-old Trump. Who ever said politics was a young person's game?”

HOW MUCH DO THE TOP FINANCE INFLUENCERS MAKE ON INSTAGRAM?

Humphrey Yang – the most popular finance influencer with 54.3M followers, likes and subscribers –can make up to £1,956 per sponsored post on Instagram.

The new research ranked 50 influencers based on their follower, like and subscriber count across Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Instagram earnings and engagement rates were also considered in the study.

1. Humphrey Yang – 54.3M –£1,956

Humphrey Yang has been crowned the most popular finance influencer. The 35-year-old “finfluencer” has accumulated an astonishing 54,317,401 followers, likes and subscribers across social media, with 501,000 Instagram followers, 3,300,000 TikTok and 49,500,000 likes on TikTok.

Their original content centres around personal finance, including savings and tax credit tips. Humphrey also works with non-profit organisations to help businesses and consumers, often handing out $1,000 in cash to members of the general public.

So, how much money does the most popular finance influencer make? Over on Instagram, Humphrey Yang has an average like count of 2,700, and can bring in up to £1,956 ($2,424) per sponsored post.

2. Tori Dunlap – 26.9M – £347

Tori Dunlap is the second most popular finance influencer. Overall, she has 26,911,980 followers, likes and subscribers across social media. Their most popular accounts are TikTok, with 2,300,000 followers and 24,500,000 likes, and Facebook, with 31,000 followers and 25,000 likes.

After saving $100,000 at 25-years-old, Tori has empowered women with knowledge about personal finance, including negotiating salary, paying off debt, building savings and investing, as well as publishing the book Financial Feminist in 2022.

The second most popular “finfluencer” has an engagement rate of 5.67% and can make up to £347 ($430) per sponsored post on Instagram.

The third most popular finance influencer is Taylor Price. This “finfluencer” is a “Gen-Z financial activist”, with 21,908,968 followers, likes and subscribers across social media, including 107,000 Instagram followers, and 1,100,000 followers and 20,700,000 likes on TikTok.

Taylor has a bright and bubbly personality that transpires on screen, discussing all things money, such as improving your credit score, analysing celebrity investments and exploring the intricacies of Bitcoin.

Taylor Price, a success with younger audiences eager to find out more about finance, can make up to £416 ($515) per sponsored Instagram post.

3. Taylor Price – 21.9M – £416

Steve, also known as the Financial Freedom Coach, comes in fourth place. This financial influencer has 15,101,585 followers, likes and subscribers – including 40,200 YouTube subscribers, 9,28,500 TikTok followers and 13,900,000 likes on TikTok.

Since reaching financial freedom at 33-years-old, Steve has been teaching people everything there is to know about personal finance, including investing, saving, taxes and more.

Steve can make up to £980 ($1,215) per sponsored post, with an average like count of 1,500.

Josh Rincon is the fifth most popular finance influencer, with 10,298,804 followers, likes and subscribers across social media. This includes 5,300,000 Facebook followers, 479,500 TikTok followers and 4,300,000 likes on TikTok.

This millennial “finfluencer” is a proud advocate of educational finance. The Program Director of a financial non-profit, Advance Latino, Josh also posts regular videos about digital money and discount hacks.

Josh brings in 1,300 average likes per post and can earn up to £942 ($1,168) per sponsored post on Instagram.

The sixth most popular is Poku Banks. This “finfluencer” has a total of 9,706,500 followers, likes and subscribers, with 339,200 followers and 9,300,000 likes on TikTok, as well as 29,500 subscribers on YouTube.

Poku is on a mission to help younger people make the most out of their money. The influencer is happy to meet the general public and discuss worthwhile money saving tactics, such as making the most out of the NatWest Thrive Programme.

With an engagement rate of 1.92%, this finance influencer can make up to £241 ($299) per sponsored Instagram post.

5. Josh Rincon – 10.2M – £942

4. Steve – 15.1M – £980

6. Poku Banks – 9.7M – £241

Parii Bafna is the seventh most popular finance influencer. Overall, the “finfluencer” has 5,728,161 followers, likes and subscribers across social media. This includes 324,400 followers and 5,400,000 likes on TikTok, and 2,251 followers on Instagram.

Parii creates engaging content around personal finance, including credit cards, drop shipping and Bitcoin. The 21-year-old is also the co-founder of Jumpstart, an organisation which helps students develop their businesses.

Parii has the highest engagement rate on the list, at 3.52%, and can make up to £37 ($47) per sponsored post.

In eighth place, Jeremy Schneider’s Personal Finance Club has 4,162,066 followers, likes and subscribers on social media. This includes 487,000 Instagram followers, 124,600 TikTok followers and 3,500,000 likes on TikTok.

Jeremy has a net worth of over $4 million and retired at 36-yearsold. To help other people reach the same level of financial freedom, this “finfluencer” posts inspirational content about money management and investment tactics.

Additionally, Jeremy has an average like count of 4,400 and can bring in up to £1,920 ($2,380) per sponsored post on Instagram. That’s the second highest amount on the list!

Delyanne Barros is the ninth most popular finance influencer. The retired attorney has 4,137,079 followers, likes and subscribers altogether, with 333,400 TikTok followers, 3,600,000 TikTok likes and 14,300 Twitter followers.

With 14 years of experience as a plaintiff-side employment attorney, this “finfluencer” has used their knowledge of investing to help people pay off their debt and start investing their money. Delyanne also hosts a finance podcast produced by CNN.

The ninth most popular “finfluencer” has an engagement rate of 1.11% and can make up to £746 ($925) per sponsored post.

In tenth place, Anthony O’Neal has 3,766,200 followers, likes and subscribers across social media. This includes 347,000 Instagram followers and 599,000 YouTube subscribers.

In addition to posting inspirational content, this “finfluencer” is the bestselling author of multiple books and the Chief Executive Officer of The Neatness Network.

Lastly, Anthony has an average like count of 1,900 and can bring home up to £1,389 ($1,721) per sponsored post over on Instagram.

8. Jeremy Schneider – 4.1M –£1,920

10. Anthony O’Neal – 3.7M - £1,389

7. Parii Bafna – 5.7M – £37

9. Delyanne Barros – 4.1M – £746

‘AI’ SEARCHES ROCKET TO THE HIGHEST POINT IN HISTORY

Search interest in ‘AI’ has more than doubled since the beginning of 2023, jumping from 17 million searches in January to 42 million in May

Google Trends data reveals ‘AI’ interest is now at an alltime high, climbing fifteenfold since 2004

The biggest search increases correlate with the public releases of AI chatbots ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Google Bard

According to TikTok, interest in artificial intelligence has soared tenfold since 2020, and virtual reality has more than tripled

39m Google searches past month up 125% past year

3m Posts last 3 years / all regions 32b views last 3 years / all regions

Analysis of Google search data reveals that online searches for 'AI,' or artificial intelligence, are at the highest point in history.

The findings by Digital-adoption.com reveal that 2023 has been a breakout year for AI, as search volume in the term has more than doubled from 17 million in January 2023 to 42 million in May. In comparison, there were 7.9 million searches in January 2022.

There is a correlation between the uptick and the public releases of accessible AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, released on November 30, 2022, and Bing AI and Google Bard, released in May 2023.

According to TikTok data, interest in artificial intelligence has soared tenfold since 2020, and virtual reality has more than tripled.

AI has been a big topic of conversation this year as accessible AI chatbots and new technologies were released and sparked rapid adoption, prompting tech leaders like Elon Musk to call for AI regulation.

Recently, Apple unveiled its new Vision Pro mixed reality headset at the Worldwide

Developers Conference in California on June 5. On the same day, searches for ‘VR,’ 'mixed reality,' and 'augmented reality' rocketed 300%, 1,130%, and 545% worldwide.

CEO Tim Cook began his introduction to Vision Pro with: "This is a day that’s been years in the making," describing the headset as a “revolutionary new product” that “augments reality by seamlessly blending the real world with the digital world.”

The new technology is described as a step in the “era of spatial computing,” where “digital content blends seamlessly with your physical space.”

A spokesperson from Digital-adoption. com commented on the findings:

“There has been a massive surge in AI interest this year. Apple’s announcement of Vision Pro has captured audiences at the right time, when new AI technologies, like ChatGPT, have become accessible to almost anyone. The latest announcement from Apple could start to tip the balance and encourage more users to adopt this kind of advanced tech into their homes and working lives”.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT EXPERTS REVEAL FIVE WAYS TO MOTIVATE REMOTE WORKERS AND WHY TIMETRACKING SOFTWARE ISN’T THE ANSWER!

It’s no secret that remote working has become widespread in the UK. In fact, 16% of employees reported solely working from home between September 2020 and January 2023.

There are many harmful misconceptions surrounding remote working, including the concern that employees may become less productive while working outside of the office.

However, a study found that 51% of employees are more productive when working from home, and 20% suffer from burn out in the office.

Here, employee engagement experts Weekly10, explore five ways employers can motivate remote workers, and why commonly used time tracking software isn’t the answer.

1. Thinking ahead with realistic goals

Employee engagement can be encouraged by setting professional goals. By thinking ahead and setting clear guidelines that coincide with personal development plans, managers and team leaders can help workers achieve their goals.

That being said, these goals should always be realistic. If workers do not have enough resources to meet their targets, this can have the opposite effect and discourage hard work. They may also feel the need to work overtime, which can quickly lead to employee burn out.

2. Creating incentive programmes

Once employers have established realistic goals, they can create incentive programmes for the workplace. It can be stressful to meet deadlines and targets, but financial and social rewards are sure to motivate remote employees.

These incentive programmes can offer anything that aligns the company and its values, such as commission, wage increases, profit sharing, bonus payments and more.

3. Remember to recognise and celebrate success

There’s no denying that a little recognition can go a long way. So, to continue motivating your remote workers, remember to recognise and celebrate their success. From passing probation to reaching monthly targets, there’s lots of things to highlight in the workplace.

Employers can praise employees on video calls, in monthly catch-ups or during team meetings. And, whether they use Slack or Microsoft Teams, it’s also a good idea to create an achievements channel for this very purpose.

By creating incentive programmes and remembering to celebrate success, employers are supporting intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. This

is motivation that either comes from within an employee, such as happiness and fulfilment in their role, or beyond, including incentives and rewards. These keep the team driving forward while catering to every employee’s needs.

4. Practicing and encouraging transparent feedback

Next, transparent feedback is important in the workplace. No matter the nature of the job, employees should understand the successes and potential pitfalls of their performance, thereby promoting constant growth for their remote workers.

However, communication is a two-way street. Employees should feel comfortable voicing any praise or concerns of their own. By conducting frequent 1-2-1 meetings, team members are more likely to feel comfortable sharing their feelings, and understand the option is there for them to do so.

With this clear line of communication, employers are better able to spot issues, find solutions and help the team develop.

5. Prioritising health and wellbeing

The health and wellbeing of employees is paramount. If they are suffering from a physical or mental ailment, for example, it will inevitably affect their performance at work. That is why they should feel comfortable confiding in managers and taking sickness leave.

To promote health and wellbeing in the workplace, employers can organise online mental health catch-ups, virtual guided meditation classes and more. Then, in turn, remote workers are more likely to engage with the business.

Why time tracking software ISN’T the answer!

It’s easy to consider businesses in a purely quantitative manner. However, these companies are made up of people from all walks of life with various personalities. This means that one method of encouraging

engagement, such as time tracking software, does not always work.

Time tracking software is a commonly used tool. It allows managers to oversee the daily activities of remote workers, including the level of work being completed at home.

Despite the visibility it gives employers, time tracking software is actually harmful to the productivity of remote workers. Not only can it put unnecessary pressure on workers to complete tasks, but it can also foster a mistrusting environment that demotivates workers.

A spokesperson at Weekly10 has commented: “Employee engagement is the driving force of success. There are multiple ways to encourage this, such as harnessing positive attitudes and encouraging personal development.

However, time tracking software is not the answer to improve business operations. While it tracks multiple factors – including the amount of time between actions – it is harmful to workplace productivity.

It’s also unrealistic to expect employees to stay at their desks all day. Employees cannot work at full speed all day, every day without experiencing burn out. Plus, regular computer breaks can prevent eyestrain, musculoskeletal disorders and circulation problems.

Alternatively, employees can measure outputs and inputs with regular meetings, use goal setting to establish clear expectations and build a culture based on trust, rather than using time tracking software.”

Weekly10 is a performance management software that boosts employee engagement through weekly employee check-ins.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/14/ working-from-home-revolution-hybrid-working-inequalities#:~:text=Yet%20according%20to%20data%20released,between%20home%20and%20the%20office

https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1811252/halfemployees-feel-productive-when-working-home-researchfinds

PIP INTERNATIONAL: MAKING WAVES IN THE PLANT-BASED PROTEIN INDUSTRY

Christine Lewington, CEO of Protein Isolate Plant (PIP) International, is making waves in the plant-based protein industry with her innovative approach and commitment to sustainability.

With a wealth of experience in the field, Lewington and her team at PIP are poised to lead the way in providing premium pea protein isolate to a rapidly expanding international customer base.

The success of PIP can be attributed to its commitment to excellence, innovation, and environmental stewardship. PIP’s wet fractionation pilot facility and commercial testing centre, situated in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada transforms yellow peas sourced from Alberta and Saskatchewan into high-quality plant-based protein products. The company has also secured an exclusive master license agreement for the rights to use and sub-license a transformative “coercion” technology, further solidifying its position as an industry leader.

One of PIP’s key differentiators is its stateof-the-art ag-tech traceability program that tracks every stage of production: from seed to final protein. This commitment to transparency and accountability allows PIP to guarantee the highest quality standards and build trust with customers and partners.

Looking ahead, PIP is on the verge of a significant expansion. Construction plans are underway for its new processing plant, valued at $150 million, that will have the capacity to process 126,000 metric tons of yellow peas per year. Once operational, this facility will support over $75 million in annual pea contracts for local and regional growers, making PIP the highest capacity protein processing plant in the world.

The new facility will also embody PIP’s commitment to sustainability. Powered primarily by a 17-megawatt solar farm, the plant will be net-zero electrically, with additional innovations such as thermal and hydrogen technologies, further reducing its environmental footprint.

PIP aims to reduce water usage by a minimum of 30 per cent compared to standard protein extraction processes, demonstrating its dedication to responsible resource management. Lewington’s vision and ambition are clear. She envisions PIP as a leader in plantbased processing and aims to expand into major markets including Europe and South Korea. With the exceptional quality of its premium protein and cost-saving production methods, PIP is poised to disrupt the plant-based protein market on a global scale.

Within less than a year, PIP has garnered $7 million in purchase orders, which

has enabled the company to transform from a PowerPoint presentation to a fully commissioned $30 million pilot facility. This remarkable growth is a testament to the effectiveness of PIP’s products and the confidence that industry leaders have in the company.

As the demand for plant-based protein continues to rise, PIP is at the forefront of delivering innovative solutions. With Lewington’s leadership and the dedication of the PIP team, the company is revolutionizing the industry, promoting sustainability, and shaping the future of protein production.

Are you ready to learn more?

Visit: www.pip-international.com

Contact us at: inquiries@pip-international.com

IHG GROWTH CONTINUES IN THAILAND WITH HOLIDAY INN RESORT PATTAYA

•

Family-friendly 318-key hotel to open in late 2024 following conversion

• Signing is third collaboration with partner Destination Group

Bangkok, Thailand – 23 June 2023: IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, today announces the signing of Holiday Inn Resort Pattaya in partnership with Destination Group, a leading hospitality and restaurant company in Thailand.

Together with the recently signed Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Surin Beach and Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Karon Beach, the agreement is the third collaboration for a conversion property in the country between the two partners.

Located just 10 minutes from central Pattaya and 200 metres from Pratumnak beach, Holiday Inn Resort Pattaya will open in late 2024 following its transformation from the former Mountain Beach Resort. It will offer 318 rooms and suites, seamlessly blending ergonomic design with modern layouts, three restaurants with contemporary culinary concepts and the brand’s signature hallmarks KidSuite and Kids Stay & Eat Free programme, making it the ideal destination for families, meetings, groups and bleisure travellers.

The signing is the latest milestone in IHG’s strategic growth in Thailand, where it has 34 open hotels and a 37-strong pipeline and aims to double the size of its estate within the next five years.

Saowarin Chanprakaisi, Senior Director, Development, South East Asia and Korea, IHG said: “We are continuing to expand the well-loved Holiday Inn brand, especially in resort locations across Thailand. We’ve recently opened two wonderful Holiday Inn Resort properties in Koh Samui and Krabi and this signing brings us to more than 20 opened and pipeline Holiday Inn properties in the country.”

“Pattaya is a fantastic destination where IHG is already a market leader thanks to wonderful properties including InterContinental Pattaya, Holiday Inn

Pattaya, Holiday Inn Express Pattaya Central and the upcoming Kimpton Pattaya. It’s a pleasure to collaborate with Destination Group, a leading hotel group in Thailand, on this project, through which we’re continuing our growth across the country.”

Gary Murray, Founder & CEO of Destination Group said: “Holiday Inn Resort Pattaya is going to be a wonderful stay destination for all visitors. Its location on Pratumnak Beach makes it perfect for

families and groups, while bleisure and business travellers will be able to take advantage of its close proximity to Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Centre, one of the largest MICE venue in the city.”

“The resort will offer exceptional venues for successful events with its expansive 1,450 square metres of meeting spaces filled with natural daylight, setting the stage for productive and inspiring gatherings.”

“Designed with families in mind, Holiday Inn Resort Pattaya will feature a Kid’s Club concept – Siam Adventure Club, that promises endless fun and excitement for young explorers. This exceptional facility ensures that children have an unforgettable vacation filled with joy, discovery, and cherished memories for their families.”

“This agreement for a third franchised Holiday Inn property reinforces our great

commitment to the world-famous brand and takes our relationship with IHG to a new level, through which we’re offering guests outstanding stay experiences in Thailand.”

Holiday Inn Resort Pattaya will be ideally located an hour’s drive from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and 30 minutes from U-Taopao International Airport.

The Holiday Inn brand continues to grow and has 1,192* open hotels, with 231* in the pipeline, representing about 20% of current IHG estate. It is a global beacon of mainstream travel that champions meaningful connections for all and brings people together for moments that matter.

*Figures as of 31 March 2023

www.ihgplc.com

REFLECTION TIME FOR THE PARISIANS

At the end of a season that saw Paris Saint-Germain become French champions for a record 11th time, our Red and Blues spoke to PSG TV about their season and their fondest memories of this historic year.

The Championship Title

Paris Saint-Germain were crowned Ligue 1 champions for the eleventh time, making them the most successful club in France. The Red and Blues are extremely proud of this achievement, as is Nuno Mendes: “We’ve become the most successful team in France. It was important for us, the players, to be part of the history of Paris Saint-Germain.”

The Parisians completed 2022 with a run of 16 matches unbeaten (14 wins, 2 draws) and a 7-point lead over second-placed Lens. “You can’t overlook anything. We’ve consistently been at the top of the table all season. We went to the World Cup with 0 defeats if I remember correctly. It was very positive, and I think it’s the culmination of a strong season in the league,” said Kylian Mbappé, once again top scorer and player of the season.

For some players, the title is also their first. Having arrived from Reims last summer, Hugo Ekitike has already won his first French championship and has no intention of stopping there: “Winning a league, especially Ligue 1 where I was playing for survival before ... And now to be able to win the title having been part of it, it makes me want to win more. It’s a crazy feeling!”

As well as winning a record number of league titles, the capital club also achieved the unprecedented feat of

topping the Ligue 1 standings from Matchday 1 to Matchday 38. Fabian Ruiz, also a first-time champion, underlined the difficulty of achieving this feat: “It’s difficult to stay in first place in the league all year round. We know that all the teams are highly motivated. I think we have to be happy with our season this year, especially in the league, because we achieved something difficult.”

The Best Memories From The Season

A great season would not exist without great matches. After 50 games, our Parisians look back on their fondest

memories of this historic season. In his first season, Hugo Ekitike particularly remembers the first time he scored a goal at the Parc des Princes: “I’d say my best memory was my goal and assist against Auxerre, my first in Paris. The weather was good, there were a lot of people in the stadium and it was a real celebration. It’s a really great memory.”

Despite nine French league titles and 22 “Classique” appearances to his name, it was the second match against Marseille that really stood out for Marco Verratti this season: “My best memory is the 3-0 win over Marseille. We were close in the league, playing away in a stadium where everyone wants you to lose. We had a great night, scoring goals, winning and keeping them at bay in the league.”

How can we talk about the season’s best memories without mentioning Kylian Mbappé’s goal record? The France international became Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time top scorer by overtaking Edinson Cavani with 201 goals, thanks to a last-gasp strike against Nantes in March. “It’s unprecedented, historic... I was getting closer and closer. To break this record, at the Parc des Princes and in front of our supporters, is something unimaginable. The ceremony was great, as was the situation, scoring that goal in the last minute was extraordinary. I’ll remember it and it’s a very positive memory,” recalled the 2018 world champion.”

For the ‘Titis’ like El Chadaille Bitshiabu, it’s the discovery of the professional squad and the Ligue 1 pitches that stand out: “It’s the first season that I’ve really started to play. I’m discovering the professional world, and it’s amazing. When I started out, I was surprised, and I had to get straight into the thick of things for my first game. I had to make a good impression on the coach, the fans and my family. It was like being on another planet. As soon as I stepped on the pitch, little by little, I got my bearings and things went well.”

www.en.psg.fr

HOSPITALITY

SZIGET FESTIVAL PAGE 26

TICKETMASTER PAGE 36

YOUR GUILT-FREE LONG-WEEKEND THIS SUMMER!

Sziget Festival, Budapest, Thursday 10th AugustTuesday 15th August 2023

Europe’s popular Sziget festival is back for 2023, and it comes with a lot more than a phenomenal line up.

Designed to be one of the world’s most inclusive and sustainably-minded festivals, Sziget allows you to party without the guilt - but it can’t guarantee no hangover, while also emphasising the importance of responsible festival-going.

With a line-up of world class acts spanning six jam-packed days, Sziget offers more than just different genres of music. The festival also features theatre and dance performances, circus shows, a travelling funfair, an ArtZone, a GameLand and even sport and yoga!

Importantly, the festival also comes with sustainability credentials to blow other festivals out of the water!

The Line Up

SZIGET FESTIVAL PROJECT DIRECTED BY: CHARLOTTE ROPE ARTICLE WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

With musical heavyweights such as David Bowie, Prince, Justin Beiber, Snoop Dogg, and Arctic Monkeys having graced the Sziget stage in the past couple of decades, Sziget 2023 won’t disappoint.

Headlining the festival this year is Florence + The Machine (Thursday), Imagine Dragons (Friday), David Guetta

In 2023 Central Europe's largest festival will celebrate premium beers

Budapest, 01.06.2023. - This August, the Budapest based Sziget Festival anticipates nearly 400,000 attendees. Dreher Breweries, part of Asahi Europe & International will honour European beer culture through two global and one local brands, each embodying a unique ethos. Peroni Nastro Azzurro, originating from Italy, will infuse the festival with a sense of la dolce vita, orchestrating engaging activities across various venues. The Czech brand, Pilsner Urquell, will represent the rich beer tradition, while Hungarian Dreher underscores the importance of responsible drinking.

Since the Festival’s inception, Dreher and Sziget have shared a symbiotic relationship, with the brand reigning as the festival's official beer for decades. This year, Dreher is set to curate a majestic beer pavilion adjacent to the main stage, which will feature performances by global music sensations including Lorde, Imagine Dragons, and Billie Eilish. Initiatives like hop stick

swings and reflex test games will be on hand to promote responsible alcohol consumption.

Last year, Pilsner Urquell unveiled a dedicated zone where guests could enjoy their expertly brewed beer while engaging with the brand's history and the art of beer-making through an immersive exhibit, complete with a beer cellar replica. This popular attraction is slated to return, inviting even larger crowds.

In prior years, Peroni Nastro Azzurro showcased the Italian lifestyle exclusively in the VIP sector, within its own lounge area. However, this year, all festival-goers will have the opportunity to experience the brand at multiple points of sale throughout the venue.

Echoing the message of moderation, Dreher will champion responsible alcohol consumption, offering an extensive selection of non-alcoholic alternatives to traditional beers at all points of sale, ensuring a festive and safe experience for all.

PREMIUM BEERS CAPTIVATE CENTRAL EUROPE'S LARGEST FESTIVAL

Dreher, Sziget Festival’s long-standing partner warmly welcomes its 400,000 visitors this August again. Asahi's distinguished brands, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell, will complement Hungary's iconic beer at this paramount cultural event.

www.dreherzrt.hu

(Saturday), Mumford & Sons (Sunday), Lorde and Macklemore (Monday), and Billie Eilish (Tuesday).

Sziget Festival, which is located on Budapest’s Óbuda-Island, is the perfect festival for eclectic music lovers, allowing you to visit with a group that has a diverse taste.

With acts spanning genres and continents, from YUNGBLUD to Diplo, Sven Väth to Shlømo, the festival’s roster of acts is a busy one, with 80 performers gracing the main stages over the six days.

Sziget is expecting up to 80,000 festivalgoers per day, so visitors may need a breather from the hustle and bustle of the Mainstage dedicated to Dan, FreeDome presented by Mastercard, and the Samsung Party Arena.

Ticket holders can get some downtime over at the ArtZone, the daytime venue offering a range of creative and interactive

programmes, enabling active relaxation. Visitors will be able to meet some of the most interesting people in the Hungarian art scene, as well as explore installations from students, designers, and galleries from across Hungary.

For a more light-touch musical experience, festival-goers can visit the Light Stage. Designed as a chill-out zone, the Light Stage will offer lived music from emerging musicians. Preparing you for the main stages, this area comes with its own bar and smoothie corner.

And for those seeking a bit of culture over the six days, Cirque du Sziget will showcase unique performances from jugglers, equilibrists, acrobats and more, from countries such as Canada, Morocco, Australia and Argentina.

If watching all of the breathtaking performances makes visitors want to give it a go themselves, head over to the Global Village, which will offer workshops in world

music. From Eastern Europe to South America and Asia to Africa, there really is an experience for everyone!

On The Island

Whilst it sounds like it could be an exhausting six days, Sziget Festival has paid careful attention to its accommodation offering.

Basic camping comes as standard, but ticket holders have the opportunity to upgrade their stay to one of several onesite camping options.

Siesta Camping offers shady camping spots, whilst Park Camping is close to the entrance for those not wanting to carry their luggage too far!

For those planning to stay somewhere Instagrammable, Sziget Ville and Podpadopolis offer a range of glamping options. Sziget Festival spans the 108-hectare Óbudai-sziget, which translates to Old Buda Island. The largest Danubian island in Budapest, the tree-filled location even has its own beach!

Off The Island

It’s unlikely that Sziget ticket holders are going to find themselves bored over the six day experience. However, for those taking the time to travel across the world to Hungary, it would be remiss to not take a trip to wider Budapest.

With the Sziget CityPass by Budapest Card, visitors can easily and cost-effectively explore the most beautiful parts of Budapest. It includes a one-time free entry to baths and beaches, free public transportation, Sziget boat service, and numerous additional discounts in collaboration with more than 60 partners of Sziget.

For the sixth time, Sziget festival is enabling visitors to take the festival to the river Danube on its Sziget Cruisin Boat Party! The elegant pleasure-boat takes in

Could ALDI Hungary be the MVP this festival season?

As you wake up bleary-eyed from hours of dancing, laughing, and celebrating the night before, there’s one thing on your mind: refueling. Luckily, for those visiting Sziget Festival in Hungary this festival season, ALDI Hungary has got you covered.

The international supermarket chain will be bringing its almost 300 square metre pop-up shop to this year’s Sziget Festival, from the 10th-15th August 2023.

Festival goers will be able to roam the aisles, choosing from a selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, chilled dairy products, cold cut meats, and BBQ products, energising you for the day ahead.

Does the thought of cooking instead of dancing fill you with dread? Not a problem, ALDI

Come visit us at Sziget festival again this year

Hungary is on a mission to enhance your festival experience. Take your purchased in-store BBQ products to chefs at the ALDI Grill Zone (found next to the festival pop-up shop) and they’ll cook them for you for free!

For those looking for a quick boost, the pop-up will also offer a selection of around 20 freshly baked pastries to choose from in the display bakery.

And, if in the eagerness to pack you forgot to bring some festival essentials, the ALDI Hungary pop-up also features non-food products.

The supermarket’s Sziget Festival pop-up will contain around 300 products, including its wellrespected own-brand range, as well as new products, and will of course offer the same price advantage you receive in store.

ALDI, making the everyday amazing. Making your festival experience even better.

The store offers food, fresh fruit and vegetables and locally baked pastries. Festival-goers can shop at the same price as in any ALDI across Hungary!

all the sights along the Danube, including Parliament, and the world-famous panorama of Budapest. The changing views are made more breathtaking by the accompanying music from the likes of Joris Delacroix, Bart Skils, and James Zabiela.

Whilst visiting Budapest, Sziget Festival also recommends a few other sites to visit during your stay.

As passed on its boat cruise, the Hungarian Parliament building is one of the most iconic buildings in Budapest. Whilst it offers its own breathtaking sight with its neo-gothic architecture, it also gives stunning views of the city.

Visitors can also check out the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Buda Castle, explore Budapest’s Jewish Quarter, featuring a number of synagogues, museums, and restaurants, and even do some relaxing at the thermal baths!

A Guilt-Free Stay

Under the umbrella of its Love Revolution initiative, Sziget Festival is on a mission to ensure its event is one of the most green festivals on the planet.

“The Love Revolution is our way of celebrating that, together, we can achieve sustainable development and environmental awareness in our daily lives,” says the festival’s website.

For 2023, Sziget Festival is implementing several sustainable measures to ensure it can be the greenest festival possible.

Guests can participate in small changes to their day-to-day to improve their individual footprint as part of the bigger picture. This includes using reusable water bottles to fill up at DRINKiQ water taps, only use straws at bars on request, and utilise one of the 30,000 pocket ashtrays which will be handed out on side.

Sziget is working with vendors on larger scale initiatives, including encouraging all food vendors to voluntarily comply with a baseline of sustainability measures, such as providing vegetarian and vegan options, reducing or eliminating red meat, as well as utilising environmentally friendly cleaning products, and monitoring and reducing food waste. In addition, all caterers are required to buy fruit and vegetables that are seasonally available in Hungary from a centralised food retailer that exclusively sells local and domestic in-season produce.

The festival also has several recycling initiatives in place, including Re-Cup, which aims to reduce the amount of plastic cups going to landfill. There’s also the Collective Composting Lab, which was the recipient of the European Innovation Award in 2019. The humus material collected from compostable plates from three of Sziget Festivals diners will be used during the recultivation of Óbuda Island.

To ensure Sziget’s sustainable initiatives are measured, it has partnered with Green Deal Circular Festivals, which will strengthen its data provision systems, as well as work with third party vendors to provide data on energy, waste and raw material usage.

To find out more about Sziget Festival, the Love Revolution, and to purchase tickets, visit: www.szigetfestival.com

NOT JUST THE TICKET!

DIRECTED BY: CHARLOTTE BILLIG ARTICLE

WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

The sports event industry in the UK is set to continue to grow over the next four years at a rate of 2.9%, with a projected market volume of £1.63bn by 2027. Globally, the sports event market is projected to reach $29.97 billion by the close of 2023.

Of course, with millions of tickets flying off the proverbial shelves, event hosts and their customers need a robust sales platform.

Enter Ticketmaster Sport, the subsidiary of the global market leader in live events ticketing - Ticketmaster.

The business is driven by innovation, focussed on bringing results to clients and a heightened experience to sports fans from the minute they consider attending an event.

Ultimately, Ticketmaster Sport is focused on getting tickets in front of sports fans, with an unrivalled marketing database, technology, and brand power to do just that.

“We’re powering the products and solutions that transform the way fans access live entertainment,” said Chris Gratton, UK Managing Director of Ticketmaster Sport.

Chris, whose first foray into sport was working on the 2006 FIFA World Cup at the Leo Burnett Advertising agency, joined the team at Ticketmaster to bring his unique perspective to the ticketing business through a sporting lens.

Meeting Client’s Requirements

Ticketmaster Sport has three core offerings for its business clients - Retail, White Label, and Self Service.

Hosted from Ticketmaster.co.uk, Retail markets sporting events directly to fans, and hosts them on a discovery platform. Often the choice for one-off events like WWE, Retails uses the power of Ticketmaster’s internationally known brand to drive sales.

Football, boxing, or wrestling. Whatever your sporting penchant, you’ll need a ticket for entry.

Meanwhile, the White Label solution is deployed for high touch, high frequency, and high volume sporting clients such as football clubs and tournaments

“White Label is regularly the choice for clients where they want to own the fan conversation but have Ticketmaster Sport facilitate that interaction. We’ve just signed Premier League clubs Brentford FC and Crystal Palace FC to that platform,” explained Chris.

Finally, Self Service utilises the business’ Universe platform, which gives event owners the autonomy to set up and selfserve.

“A number of our clients use Universe for tickets which wouldn’t fit within the traditional club ticketing requirements like museum tours and one-off conferences,” Chris continued.

Better Solutions for Better Results

“Our support structure ensures we embed ourselves in our clients’ businesses to get a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges they face,” explained Chris, “this allows us to address them through our technologies”.

Whether an event attendee is first in the queue when tickets launch, or it’s a 3am impulse buy, the ticketing industry is always on. Therefore, Ticketmaster Sport offers always-on support, with a personalised account team of business and operational leads to assist clients through every stage of ticketing.

Ticketmaster Sport takes an innovative approach to ticketing solutions, ensuring its technology is unrivalled.

In 2022, the business launched 3D Virtual Venue, a market-leading 3D venue visualisation service allowing fans to browse different areas of the event venue, compare seats and hospitality options, and decide specifically where they want to sit with life-like views.

The first client to implement this was Tottenham Hotspur Football club.

Chris Gratton, UK Managing Director of Ticketmaster Sport

“The launch with Tottenham Hotspur was hugely successful, and we’ve continued to build out new stadiums and onboard clients. Fans love it,” said Chris.

Continually looking to innovate to uplift both the client and customer experience, Ticketmaster Sport recently launched its digital away-day ticketing service.

“Traditionally this had to be delivered through hard stock being sent back and forth between teams, at high cost and manual handling. We’ve developed a solution which allows for fully digital sales and fulfilment that is now in use widely through the Football League, taking this operational overhead completely out of a ticket office,” explained the Managing Director.

Fighting Fraud

It’s recently been reported that in 2022, £6.7 million was lost in the UK to event ticket fraud, with over 7000 reports to Action Fraud1

Ticketmaster is on a mission to curb this activity, having launched its revolutionary SafeTix technology in the UK.

“SafetTix has been built with leading-edge technology, providing encrypted mobile tickets which offers powerful fraud and counterfeit protection,” said Chris.

On closing his conversation with Business Enquirer, Chris commented “Relationships are at the heart of everything we do. And in a business that never stops, it’s so important to take the time to create and grow that rapport with our clients. In doing so, I have learned so much from them and how they approach this incredible industry”.

www.ticketmaster.com

1. https://www.avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk/news/2023/04/dont-getticked-off-with-ticket-fraud-this-summer/

HEALTHCARE RENAISSANCE CARE

ENRICHING LIVES IN SCOTLAND

Starting with three care homes in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2004, the business has grown to a portfolio of 16 boutique residential care properties, expanding its bed capacity from 80 to 723 in that time.

“While our team provides the very best in one-to-one, compassionate care, you can also be confident that it is underpinned by 16 years of professional rigour, process and qualified experience,” says Renaissance Care.

Person-Centred Care

With his background in hospitality, CEO Robert started his journey in the care sector by establishing Four Seasons in Fife in 1987.

During his 13 years at the business, Four Seasons became the fifth largest care home provider in the UK with more than 101 homes and employing over 7,000 staff. The public-private take-over of CrestaCare Plc and the simultaneous sale to Alchemy Partners in 1999 concluded in a deal with an enterprise value of £127 million.

With his 35 years of experience in both business and the care sector, he has established himself as a trusted voice in social care, regularly consulting on government policy.

Robert has also provided philanthropic support to a range of organisations, most notably Macmillan Cancer Support.

“I was very honoured to be appointed their first ever Ambassador in 2018,” he says.

It is with Robert’s clear commitment to others, that Renaissance Care is focussed on person-centred care.

“This is true of our residents where they are encouraged and supported to be in control of their care, but also with our workforce who are encouraged to use their skills and talents, in any and every capacity, within their working day. This means that regardless of role; domestic, laundry, maintenance, care, management,

administration to take some time each day to do something they love with residents. Not only does this brighten up our resident’s day, but it also fulfils our staff group in ways far beyond that of just their job role,” says the business.

Its care homes, which span the length and breadth of Scotland (with residences in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Blairgowrie, Aberdeen, Inverness, Foreres, Uddinston, and Peterhead) range from boutique style homes with just 20 rooms, to larger purpose-built care homes for assisted living, which offer specialist nursing and dementia care.

Renaissance Care’s nursing care provides 24-hour care to residents requiring rehabilitation, support for physical disability, or more complex care needs.

Whilst around the clock support is available to those in residential care, Renaissance Cares’ residential team focuses on providing lifestyle choices to enable and assist residents to live as independently as possible.

The care home organisation also provides more specialised care for residents with Alzheimers and Dementia, and end of life.

The organisation prides itself on enhancing the wellbeing of residents, empowering personal decisions, enabling dignity, and providing support to families.

Finally, respite care can be found at all 16 of Renaissance Care residencies, which ensures family members can take a short break from care responsibilities, safe in the knowledge that their loved ones will receive personalised care by qualified professionals.

Enriching Lives through Nutritional Wellbeing

Renaissance Care has recognised the important role food can play in the wellbeing of its residents.

Meal times can become “a social highlight for residents where they share a love of

good food and good company,” its website explains.

Ensuring its key value of personal connection shines through, it considers its catering a ‘dining experience’, with the care homes’ chefs meeting new residents to understand personal preferences to incorporate into the seasonal menus.

Through its years of experience, Renaissance Care has also identified the vital role its meal time and settings play for those with dementia.

“With over 25 years' experience our team has the knowledge & skills to take a commercial flooring package from conception to completion.

We pride ourselves on being reliable and that we consistently meet our customers' requirements in terms of quality, cost & delivery.”

info@floorsafesolutionsltd.com

Office 01592 722 459

“Our environments cater for individuals with a diagnosis of dementia where colour schemes, place settings and crockery contrast, to promote visual recognition and independence during mealtimes. We also cater for a variety of dietary and nutritional requirements including vegetarian, vegan, dysphasia needs, religious and cultural choices to name a few,” the business says. www.floorsafesolutionsltd.co.uk

Recently, Renaissance Care’s chef, Sean Mathieson, who is based at Rosepark Care Home in Uddinston, was shortlisted in the regional finals of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) Care Chef of the Year.

The shortlisting highlighted his approach to nutritionally balanced, budget-friendly meals that are innovative and pass the taste test for residents of the care home.

Sean’s seasonal menu featured braised beef shin, roasted garlic and chive mash, potato fondant, roasted shallot and carrots finished with carrot purée. This was followed by a lemon posset with Chantilly cream, shortbread crumb, topped with mint.

Renaissance Care’s Catering and Dining Operations Manager, Stuart Middleton, said of Sean’s recognition:

“We are so pleased for Sean, not only does this provide him with the validation that he is a fantastic chef but brings Renaissance Care’s commitment to nutrition and catering into focus for families, residents and the wider sector,”.

The business is committed to investing into its catering, ensuring it will continue to provide nutritionally balanced meals which offer enhanced wellbeing to residents.

Continued Growth Ensuring Vital Care

Ensuring vital care facilities can continue throughout Scotland, Robert has recently played a role in the buy-out of assets of Craighead Care.

Renaissance Care is due to take on the operations of Riverside Care Home, in Aberdeen, with the intention of retaining existing staff.

“Riverside Care Home is a strategic decision for the Renaissance Care Group and will, in time, add to our existing portfolio of homes which are built on the foundations of providing high quality, industry-leading care,” said Robert.

www.renaissance-care.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION

LEMAY ID PAGE 52 COBOD PAGE 60

Qualls Benson

FROM IDEA TO IDENTITY

From Montreal’s first smart vertical community, Humaniti Hotel Montreal, to the exquisite London Residence penthouse, Lemay_ID’s designs are renowned worldwide.

LEMAY ID

PROJECT

DIRECTED BY: CHARLOTTE ROPE

ARTICLE

WRITTEN BY: LAURA

WATLING

Formerly known as Lemay + Escobar, since Business Enquirer last spoke with the New York headquartered architect it has undergone a transformation, rebranding to Lemay_id.

After more than 60 years since being founded in 1957, the brand has updated its identity to strike a balance between its history, transdisciplinary expertise, and the forward-thinking change-making attitude the business has become known for.

The rebrand intends to celebrate Lemay_id’s reaffirmed values of creativity, innovation, diversity and resourcefulness. Its new identity expresses what drives the studio’s creative process for hospitality, living environments, and beyond.

Taking a bespoke approach to interiors, Lemay_id uses narratives and artistry to make space for a form of storytelling.

“The launch of Lemay_id is a reaffirmation of our team’s dedication to their craft, and this brand captures their honed ability to explore concepts presented by clients and express them through the mediums of design and space,” shares Robert Fiorino, Chief Marketing Officer at Lemay, on its website.

The rebrand aims to elevate Lemay_id’s impactful work and highlight its team of talented designers, heralding a new period for the architects. Discussing the design elements its rebrand, Lemay_id shared:

“The whole concept behind the new brand is centred around the lowercase “l” in Lemay’s long-standing logo. The letter acts as a line, a starting point to express values and personality, as well as approachability through its lowercase stature. It’s a symbol that’s informed the creation of a new series of glyphs, ones we use daily to express ourselves to one another and to the world.

Our rebranding also extended to the typefaces we use: We went for Helvetica Now—a modern twist on Helvetica, which, coincidentally, shares the same birth year as Lemay—and the Montreal-born font Grafier Display to allow a more emotive and diverse typographic lexicon. And the pièce de résistance: a new colour spectrum, adopted to proudly show off the wide range of values shared by Lemay’s interconnected teams, and to provide a new identity system for the firm.

This new spin on the brand encompasses Lemay’s wide range of diversity in people, projects, talents and expertise. The new look says more than just “This is Lemay”; it says “We are Lemay” and tells the story of every person—employee, client, and user—who has shaped the firm into what it is today”.

Throughout its lifetime, the business has collated quite the trophy cabinet,

Colin Miller Photography

A Creative Vision Requires Creative Solutions: The Metro Solution

Metro Wallcoverings is Canada’s leading distributor of commercial wallcoverings and cutting-edge interior finishes, servicing the Architect and Design community since the early 1970’s.

“We work with our suppliers and clients from beginning to end to create the best experiences. We collaborate with our clients every step of the journey, to make their vision come to life.” said Metro Wallcoverings Director of Marketing Services, Ernestina Drago. “Our client’s vision is our inspiration.”

The latest addition to the Metro Wallcoverings portfolio is its acoustical collectionEco-board. Eco-board is made from 60% Recycled PET, which is a combination of regular and low melt polyester fibres, giving it a stiff board like feel. The solution is available in 35 vibrant colours with custom shapes and cuttings.

In addition to their extensive commercial wallcovering brands, Metro Wallcoverings offers an unparalleled selection of textiles, decorative woods, metals, custom digital wallcovering and specialty paints and films.

“We find creative solutions to fit our clients design needs, with the ability to customise and tweak any existing wallcovering design, or help them develop their own custom design,” said Ernestina.

“Over the next 12 months we will continue to bring innovative new products to our Architect & Design community, sourcing niche solutions from across the world,” Ernestina continued, “and we will strive to maintain our position as the number one wallcovering distributor in Canada”.

Metro Wallcoverings seasoned Account Managers can be found across Canada with four showrooms, located in Toronto, Montreal Calgary and Vancouver. Metro’s full range of solutions can also be found on their website: www.metrowallcoverings.com

A Solution for All Markets

Canada's leading distributor of beautiful wallcoverings and specialty finishes to the architectural & design community for over 40 years! Come explore our unparalleled portfolio of products, visit our gallery of inspiration, or contact us directly for expert advise.

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not only for its rebrand which received an honourable mention at the 2022 International Design Awards (IDA).

At the 2022 IDAs, Lemay_id was also recognised for its project for Centre de glaces Intact Assurance, which won gold in the Architecture – Commercial Buildings category; the Nortera head office project in Brossard which was awarded Bronze in the Interior Design category; and 425 Viger West’s restoration of the Read Building, which received an honourable mention.

Most recently, the architectural design firm has announced two of its projects have made it through to the finalist stages at the Architizer A+ Popular Choice Awards. Once again, the Centre de glaces Intact Assurance has been recognised (in the Sports & Recreation - Stadium & Arena

category), as well as SOPREMA Woodstock (Factories & Warehouses category).

With intentions firmly set by its mother company, Lemay, the business also received a Special Mention from the Architizer A+ Popular Choice Awards in the Best Sustainable Firm category.

Net Positive™ is Lemay’s rigorous, awardwinning framework for maximising sustainable strategies.

The approach, which is considered an ambitious, distinctive and replicable approach to creating sustainable living environments, takes a three-fold approach: health, the environment, and carbon emissions reduction.

The sustainable initiative aims to support Lemay_id’s clients in reducing their

Le Sherbrooke Montreal, Quebec

ecological impact, enhance their brand image, save on operating costs and generate higher and longer-term return on investment – without (necessarily) incurring more capital costs than a standard project.

As an example of its work within sustainable design, in May 2023 Lemay announced that its Phenix project has been selected from hundreds of submissions from 32 countries to receive the prestigious Green GOOD DESIGN Sustainability Award.

Putting its Net Positive™ initiative into action, Phenix is Lemay’s own Montreal office and sustainable design laboratory for innovations in sustainability and workplace design.

Instead of designing a new building for the laboratory, Lemay chose to transform a neglected 1950s-era warehouse into offices for its growing transdisciplinary team, now at around 350 people.

Using it as an opportunity to trial its own Net Positive™ approaches, greenery permeates the indoor space year-round: a living green wall, climbing plant modules and a green room improve indoor air quality and balance humidity. All office areas have access to daylight and views, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

Phenix boasts a rare (maximum) 3-star Fitwel rating, as well as Zero Carbon Building Standard and is LEED-Platinum certified – Performance and Living Building Challenge – Petal Certification.

Whilst Lemay_id’s rebrand aligns its values to the modern day, it continues to hold closely its storied history and its original essence: “Avant-garde creators using design as a catalyst for a better world”.

Though its six-decade long journey so far remains close to its heart, it is clear that this innovative architect will only remain ahead of the curve.

www.lemay-id.com

Montreal, Canada

Humaniti Hotel Montreal

© Brandon Barré

DIRECTED BY: JAMIE WAITE ARTICLE

WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

CHALLENGING THE CONSTRUCTION LANDSCAPE

A survey by world leader in 3D construction printing solutions, COBOD International, shows that in 2022 the business dominated the market, being responsible for 56% of the world’s printed buildings (of which there were 129).

COBOD PROJECT

COBOD’s primary solution to the market is the BOD2 3D construction printer, which uses unprecedented technology to print buildings in a range of shapes and sizes, using a wide range of materials, and of speeds of up to 1000 mm/s, while most customers print with 250 mm/s.

Since its last feature in Business Enquirer, the business has expanded both its geographically footprint and its expertise, and in 2022 saw its revenue grow by 40%. COBOD CEO, Henrik Lund-Nielsen spoke with Business Enquirer about the developments.

Enhancing Its Global Footprint

COBOD is on a mission to disrupt the traditional construction industry, by constantly improving the printing speed of its products, improving efficiency, and reducing labour needs and material cost.

Since being established in 2017, COBOD has worked with major industry players. Having built strong relationships with these, several have entered into shareholder agreements with the business.

With GE Renewables, Peri, and CEMEX already on board, the most recent business to invest into COBOD International is Holcim, the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions.

Whilst its strategic partners collectively own 41% of the business, COBOD (Holdings) remains the main shareholder with 59%.

“Holcim is already a very important partner to us and their focus on making cities greener, build smarter infrastructure, and improve living standards is well aligned with our mission at COBOD,” shared Henrik, “With Holcim on board COBOD now covers both distribution, applications, and materials in 3D construction printing and together we will be able to shape the future of 3D printing in construction”.

SCG Medical centre

Alongside its international growth via its shareholders, COBOD has also established strategic regional competency centres to support its international customers.

COBOD’s head office in Denmark is well placed to support its European clients. Meanwhile, in 2021, the business established subsidiaries in Miami, USA (COBOD North America Inc.) to better serve its North and Latin American customers, and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (COBOD Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd.) to support clients in Asia Pacific.

Now, COBOD is establishing a competency centre in Dubai, UAE to closely support its Middle East and Africa customers.

“Creating a global footprint of competency centres means that we can react quicker to clients needs, with a more local understanding,” explained Henrik.

Setting Records: Tallest, Largest, Fastest 3D printed buildings

Recently, COBOD have been able to stake claim to three milestones - being part of the suppliers responsible for the tallest printed building, the largest printed building, and the fastest printed building.

COBOD supplied another BOD2 to Printed Farms, who used it to print a 10,104 square foot luxury horse barn in Wellington, Southern Florida. The building, which has been constructed to withstand extreme local weather conditions including hurricanes and tropical storms, is 50% larger than the previous record holder.

“The versatility and benefits of 3D printing technology has been demonstrated clearly on this project. Through the structure’s 3D-printed walls a cavity and air gap has been created, which provides natural cooling to the building,” said Henrik.

In November 2022, Dar Al Arkan, a real estate development company located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia revealed their first

Europe’s first 3d printed building, Denmark, Copenhagen

bases for wind turbines

COBOD will, together with GE Renewable Energy, co-develop optimized 3D printed concrete

COBOD supplied another BOD2 to Printed Farms, who used it to print a 10,104 square foot luxury horse barn in Wellington, Southern Florida

Nairobi

project: a 3-story 3D printed villa. With a total height of 9.9 metres, the building has taken the title of tallest on-site 3D printed building in the world.

The building is situated within a new development project of 12 million m2 of land, which is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and was printed with COBOD’s BOD2.

Having completed the build of three buildings in just eight days, GUtech in cooperation with COBOD has taken the moniker of fastest 3D printed buildings.

Together, the first 3D printed coffee shop in the world, a public restroom and a Fisherman’s house was 3D printed in respectively 22, 13 and 19 hours with the total duration including movements of the printer was eight days.

In total, barely US$3,600 was used for the concrete for the three buildings. All buildings have load bearing walls with no columns, roof slabs and 3D printed parapets.

“All the 3D printed buildings were made in cooperation with Teejan, as a general contractor. The buildings were 3D printed with locally available raw materials and the Dfab solution developed by COBOD and CEMEX, which makes it possible to 3D print concrete with 99% locally sourced materials at a very low cost,” explained Henrik.

Most recently, COBOD has also supported 14Trees to print 10 buildings on one site in 10 weeks in Kenya.

The business has also supported the rebuild of Ukraine, 3D printing a school.

Venturing Into New Markets

According to the World Economic Forum the housing deficit will be 1.6 billion in 2025. COBOD and its partners are on a mission to tackle this by building affordable housing.

Whilst COBOD has spearheaded the roll out of 3D printed construction in the housing market, its progress is heavily influenced by economic development.

“The need for affordable housing is there, but we are seeing the housing crisis worsening, and the financing is currently an issue due to the high interest rates,” shared Henrik, “new houses being built in the US, for example, has dropped by a third in the last year”.

As such, COBOD has started to expand into other areas to help benefit the future of the planet and its people.

With the right processing, biogas made from manure can be upgraded to replace mined natural gas and used as a fuel for electricity production, ground transportation, and commercial and residential buildings, and therefore can form part of the wider energy solution.

Additionally, biogas helps to mitigate methane emissions that would have otherwise escaped from the manure. Using methane as a fuel dramatically reduces the climate impact of farming and manure by converting the manure into biogas and further to methane. This emits CO2 when used, and is up to 34 times less potent as a greenhouse gas1

COBOD has started to utilise its expertise to 3D print biogas tanks, which will play a vital role in regions such as Europe, where there is a target reduce the dependency of Russian gas and replace at least 30% of fossil fuels by biofuel.

Additionally, COBOD’s solutions are being used to 3D print water tanks and water treatment tanks across the globe.

1 A survey by world leader in 3D construction printing solutions, COBOD International, shows that in 2022 the business dominated the market, being responsible for 56% of the world’s printed buildings (of which there were 129).

MINING CODELCO

BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE: TRANSFORMATION FOR THE FUTURE OF CODELCO

The transformation, which saw increased success during the Covid pandemic, seeks excellence in operations and projects, aiming to capture increased value from its assets, and a cultural change that promotes new ways of operating.

Over the next 50 years, the Chilean stateowned copper mining company is on a mission to maximise its economic value and its contribution to Chile through copper mining.

Through its transformation, it aims to enhance its surplus by $1 billion per year (from 2021 onwards) whilst ensuring the financing and development of its structural projects.

Important to the future of any modernday mining company, Codelco also aims to become a world standard example in terms of sustainability, transparency and probity, innovation, and people development.

Codelco’s operations focus on seven mining divisions across Chile, with a collective personnel of 14,000. The projects, the oldest of which dates back to 1905, are Chuquicamata, Ministro Hales, Radomiro Tomic, Gabriela Mistral, Salvador, Andina and El Teniente. The projects’ reserves

Starting in 2020, Codelco (the National Copper Corporation of Chile) is on a journey of transformation.

represent 6% of global copper reserves.

In addition, Codelco operates Ventanas Smelter and Refinery refinery which produces more than 400,000 tonnes of cathodes per year.

Leading the Charge

Driving Codelco’s transformation is recently appointed CEO, André Sougarret Larroquete, who took on the role at the end of August 2022.

If André’s name seems recognisable, it's because he gained significant respect and recognition for his outstanding performance in leading the rescue of 33 trapped miners in the San José Mine accident.

"The complexities and urgent tasks that this company must face, but especially the expectations that Chile has of the country's main company, require leadership like André's, which I have no doubt is widely recognised. In addition

CODELCO PROJECT DIRECTED BY: GARY SMITH ARTICLE WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

to his technical capacity, we value his demonstrated ability to empathise with the multiple sensitivities that he must address from his role," said Codelco’s Chairman of the Board, Máximo Pacheco.

André is a well-regarded industry professional, having been awarded "Mining Engineer of the Year 2010" by the Institute of Mining Engineers of Chile (IIMCH), and "Engineer of the Year 2010" by the College of Engineers of Chile for his work during the San José Mine accident.

The perfect candidate to lead Codelco on its upcoming journey, André returned to Codelco at the end of 2020 to take over as Vice President of Northern Operations. He had previously taken on senior roles at Antofagasta Minerals, Enami, and Minera Fresnillo.

Of Codelco’s plans for the coming years, André said:

“Our focus is to solve the challenges of structural projects. They are being reviewed, we are better defining the roles and responsibilities, we will reinforce the teams so that they efficiently solve construction challenges and prepare their implementation. We will also manage the increasingly complex environment around logistics and input prices. At the end of the decade, we want to fulfil the promise of giving our operations 50 more years of life and recovering a production of 1.7 million tons, including our participation in El Abra and Anglo American Sur.”

Transformation in Action

On its journey to transformation, Codelco is investing significantly into its various assets.

Throughout 2021, the mining operations invested $1,226 million, a figure that

STRABAG and ZÜBLIN Chile: Greener Operations For A Better Future.

Determined to leave a better world for future generations, the STRABAG Group has set itself its most ambitious goal to date: to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

The company recognises the key role that the construction and mining sectors must play in building an emission-free future by taking active measures to make their vision a reality.

STRABAG and ZÜBLIN’s sustainability strategy in Chile encompasses every aspect of their operations, such as establishing partnerships with eco-conscious suppliers and gradually transitioning to electric machinery. They are also rethinking processes and methods, recycling waste materials and implementing innovative technologies on site. And by extending their expertise in mechanised tunnelling to the mining industry, they are opening the door to cleaner operations, with improved performance and safety.

In addition, as the energy that powers the industry is a major environmental concern, the company intends to participate in many renewable energy projects in the region.

Mario Theurl, Managing Director of STRABAG and ZÜBLIN Chile, emphasizes the significance of green energy in shaping the future. “We are also expanding our services in the renewable energy sector, where there is significant enthusiasm and momentum. We are currently building the concrete foundations for two wind farms in northern Chile, one of which is the largest in Latin America. In this way, we are contributing to Chile’s green future with a solid base, while at the same time providing clean energy to the mining industry, in line with both our sustainability goals and market demand”.

With a clear vision and an unwavering commitment to innovation STRABAG and ZÜBLIN Chile is determined to be a key player in paving the way for a carbon-neutral world.

Rethinking construction.

STRABAG is the strongest motor for building a better future. The STRABAG Group is the leading European-based technology group for construction services and technology, overseeing 12,000 project a year with a workforce of 79,000 employees worldwide. It operates under two brand names in South America: ZÜBLIN, a household name in mining, and STRABAG, specialized in tunnelling and infrastructure

With a 30-year history in Chile, we are positioned at the forefront of the construction and mining industries, where we combine our local experience with the know-how from Austria and Germany. We are committed to working daily with our partners to ensure we deliver excellent service values such as fellowship, sustainability and the innovative spirit that characterizes our work.

www.strabag.cl

Ed. Züblin AG, STRABAG AG Alonso de Córdova 4355 oficina 1001 Vitacura, Santiago

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Sandvik is a high-tech and global engineering group offering products and services that enhance customer productivity, profitability and safety. We hold world-leading positions in selected areas – tools and tooling systems for metal cutting; equipment and tools, service and technical solutions for the mining industry and rock excavation within the construction industry; products in advanced stainless steels and special alloys as well as products for industrial heating. In 2021, the Group had approximately 44,000 employees and revenues of about 99 billion SEK in about 150 countries.

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Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is a business area within the Sandvik Group and a global leading supplier of equipment and tools, parts, service, digital solutions and sustainabilitydriving technologies for the mining and construction industries. Application areas include rock drilling, rock cutting, loading and hauling, tunneling and quarrying. In 2021, sales were approximately 41.4 billion SEK with about 15,500 employees.

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represents 45% of the total investment for the year, in the execution of the structural projects Chuquicamata Subterránea, Teniente Project Portfolio, Andina Transfer and Rajo Inca.

Among the developmental achievements, the advance investments of the Chuquicamata Underground mine stand out, including the "Level 1 continuity infrastructure" and the "Development of mining works".

This structural project at Chuquicamata is transforming the century-old, largest open pit mine, the largest in the world, into a large-scale modern underground operation.

By implementing a block caving method, Codelco is extending the life of the project by at least 40 years.

The project at Chuquicamata began its operation in 2019 and in 2021 more than eight million tons of ore were extracted from the underground mine during its ramp up.

Meanwhile, at El Teniente, which is the largest underground copper deposit on the planet, the business is implementing its recovery plan, which has allowed a sustained increase in the development of Andes Norte, Diamante and Andesita.

Implementing Innovations

Highlighted in its vision, sustainability is high on the agenda for Codelco, and is considered by the business to be fundamental in ensuring it remains viable in the long term.

Codelco has announced its six key initiatives to advance its 2030 sustainable development commitments.

Firstly, it aims to lower its carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70%. By innovating, the mining operation aims to replace all production and logistic equipment in underground mines with electrical equipment. It will also actively participate in the search for new clean energy sources such as green hydrogen.

In April 2023, Codelco announced the renewal of its clean energy contract with the Pampa Elvira solar thermal plant.

Currently, the clean energy project with Pampa Elvira enables Codelco to reduce emissions of 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, and save the business more than $2 million dollars a year.

Additionally, it will reduce its water footprint by 60% and its PM10 emissions by 25%. As part of this initiative Codelco will incorporate a desalination plant and plans to reuse water from its reservoirs. The business also plans to implement new technologies in dust suppression and a detection system for adverse weather conditions to control and reduce particulate matter.

Ensuring its role within the circular economy, Codelco intends to recycle 65% of its industrial waste, including 100% of mining tires. Within this initiative it aims to increase the recycling of the main nonhazardous solid industrial waste from its operations and projects.

As part of its sustainability plans, Codelco aims to set a standard in tailings deposits, with world-class sustainability and safety measures. Using innovative systems the business will monitor the physical and chemical stability of the tailings deposits, enabling it to apply infiltration control systems.

Finally, and crucially for a business which is state-owned, Codelco plans to uplift its social value, by increasing its local supply chain by 60%, as well as increasing its local workforce.

“At Codelco we are not sitting idle; we have the resources and capabilities to resume the development path, despite the incidents of these years, and extend the life of our company for 40 or 50 more years. All of us who are part of this company are looking for the best formulas that allow us to ensure the contribution of resources to the country,” said André.

www.codelco.com

AGRICULTURAL SERVICES ARASCO

THE KEY TO FOOD SECURITY IN SAUDI ARABIA

Celebrating its 40th year in business this year, ARASCO (Arabian Agricultural Services Company) is one of the leading organisations specialising in food supply and food security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Leading the business’ continued growth, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, is ARASCO COO, Yusuf Wazirzada.

Diversity, Trust and Servitude

“There are lots of opinions on and strategies for leadership, but “servant leadership” resonates with me the most,” said Yusuf when speaking to Business Enquirer.

Yusuf’s vision of leadership is, in part, formed by his decades of experience working around the world, and the opportunities he has been afforded by his own mentors.

From Pakistan to Minneapolis, Shanghai to Saudi Arabia, Yusuf has spent a majority of his career working in commercial and management roles for the likes of ICI Pakistan and Cargill, before being invited to take on his current role at ARASCO in October 2022.

ARASCO

ARASCO PROJECT

DIRECTED BY: JAMIE WAITE ARTICLE

WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

The customer we care most about

To feed 9.7 billion people by 2050, sustainably and responsibly, and within our planet’s finite resources, the time to change is now.

At DSM, we’re focusing our passion and expertise on 6 key areas to support the livestock and aquaculture value chain and address the challenges facing our planet:

• Improving lifetime performance of farm animals

• Making efficient use of natural resources

• Reducing emissions from livestock and aquaculture

• Helping tackle antimicrobial resistance

• Reducing our reliance on marine resources

• Improving the quality of meat, milk, fish and eggs, while reducing food loss and waste

We strongly believe in sustainable food systems and that the livestock and aquaculture industry can transform itself from within to be a part of the solution. We want to play a key role in this transformation and work at species and country level, with our partners, to provide tangible and actionable solutions to create brighter lives for all.

If not us, who? If not now, when?

WE MAKE IT POSSIBLE

“I had some fantastic opportunities during my 25 years at Cargill, for example working in the strategy and business development group, leading a food ingredients business in Asia, working in China for 5 years, including becoming the first hire and then as President of its biobased polyurethanes start up,” he said.

It is through his long career with Cargill that Yusuf was seconded to MEFSCO, a joint venture between Cargill and ARASCO, and from there, ARASCO itself.

“I believe in embracing diversity, and enabling colleagues to feel empowered to disagree. This is how I can support future leaders to grow,” shared Yusuf.

He also bases his leadership vision on building trust with colleagues by showing his authentic self.

“You must build credibility with your

team and show clarity of direction, as they’re taking a risk in following you,” he continued.

“Finally, people need to see you servingit's not about you, and it’s not completely about results. At the highest level it is about the people. I believe in coaching, mentoring and helping to develop people into their best selves - it’s my duty to pay back”.

Enabling Food Security

In its very essence, ARASCO is about people. The business’ purpose is to be a key enabler of food security in Saudi Arabia.

“Each segment of the business plugs into the bigger picture of enabling growth through feed,” explained Yusuf.

To support its vision, ARASCO is underpinned by six business units.

ARASCO Feed produces compound feeds, which combines ARASCO’s own milled grains and protein-rich pellets with highly specific additives sourced from a robust supply chain.

Undertaking thorough research and development, and implementing sustainability and technology measures has enabled ARASCO Feed to become number one in the sector in Saudia Arabia, producing more than 4 million tons of compound feeds per year.

Meanwhile, supplying 600,000 fresh poultry to retail per day, ARASCO Foods (via its brand Entaj) is one of the most prominent chicken producers in Saudi Arabia.

With quality at the forefront of ARASCO Foods, Entaj has invested in state-of-theart equipment and world-class facilities, along with its highly qualified staff, for each stage of the production process. Adding to ARASCO’s accolades, its Foods enterprise is considered within the top four poultry producers in Saudi Arabia.

In addition, MEFSCO is the number one producer of starch, glucose syrup, and glucose-fructose syrup in the region.

Enabling the business to provide valueadded service to agriculture, ALEMAR International is the leading distributor of agricultural and veterinary products in the Kingdom.

IDAC Merieux is ARASCO’s pioneering provider of integrated food analytical services and solutions. IDAC works in partnership with the public and private sector, including national retailers, supporting them in food safety and quality testing.

Finally, the business’ logistics arm, ARASCO Logistics, handles and transports over five million metric tons of agri-bulk commodities and 180 million chickens per year, with a fleet of 550 trucks and 150 railcars.

As part of its joint venture with Bahri, the

National Shipping Flag Carrier, ARASCO has a fleet of Panamax vessels, each capable of carrying 70,000 tons of grains to and from South America (or other origins), supported by its stevedoring and storage capabilities in Dammam.

With its wealth of activities, ARASCO’s divisions are supported by 2300 employees across its various facilities in Riyadh, Dammam, and Kharj.

Feeding the National Vision

Each of ARASCO’s business units are actively playing a role within Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy.

The Kingdom’s strategic framework aims to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy, reduce its dependence on oil, and develop key sectors such as agriculture.

Between now and 2030 ARASCO plans to triple its growth. It will do so by expanding ARASCO Feeds and IDAC. Its ARASCO Logistics division also has a fiveyear growth strategy in place.

“Each sector of the business will grow organically and through investment,” explained Yusuf.

In addition, the business is partnering with Cargill and NEOM to incubate a new aquafeed business, supporting Vision 2030’s aim to become self-sufficient in the aquaculture sector.

“This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in the sustainable production of feed to support fisheries,” said Yusuf.

Formulating the Future

Yusuf highlighted three challenges that are being faced across industries around the world, which, of course, ARASCO are not immune to.

“Firstly, there is a war for talent. If you can acquire, nurture, and retain the talent, you can win the war,” explained Yusuf, “there is also an increasing demand from customers for businesses to meet their rising standards”.

And, like every organisation, ARASCO is developing an understanding of how AI and digitisation will affect and align with the business.

Whilst the challenges are apparent, Yusuf can see how they also offer clear opportunity, and strategies are being formulated to tackle them.

“The Kingdom’s vision is being executed flawlessly with clear leadership, and we are proud to align with that vision. When it comes to investment I see no better place than in Saudi Arabia,” said Yusuf.

www.arasco.com

Manchester United is the most Googled UK football team Sport

The Future of Golf is in Norfolk’s Hands

Royal Norfolk

Leisure & Hospitality

Manchester United is the most Googled UK football team

Chelsea F.C. are the tenth most Googled team with over 8.5 million average search volume over the last year

The study by online casino and comparison experts at CasinoAlpha. com analysed Google search data from the past year to find the top ten football teams. The analysis used a combination of terms such as ‘city team’, ‘club name’ and ‘city club team’ in order to compile the results.

1. Manchester United

Average search volume: 39,787,900

One of the world’s most popular clubs, Man U was originally founded as Newton Heath LYR in 1878. In 1902 the club’s name was changed to the familiar Manchester United. Under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson, Man U won 38 trophies including two Champions League titles. The club also became the first English football team in history to achieve the European treble (winning the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.)

Manchester United is the most Googled team with an average search volume of over 39 million across the last 12 months

2.Leeds United

Average search volume: 37,788,180

Leeds was most successful under the management of Don Revie during the 1960s and 70s. The club won the League title twice and the FA Cup once among other competitions during this time. Leeds had spent sixteen years out of the Premier League prior to 2020 but in July of that year the club was promoted back to the top-flight.

3.Newcastle United

Average search volume: 20,692,370

Founded in 1892 when Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End merged, the club has been in the top-flight for 90 seasons as of 2022 and has never dropped below the second tier since joining the Football League in 1893. The club’s top scorer is Alan Shearer, who scored 206 goals in all competitions from 1996-2006.

4.Liverpool F.C.

Average search volume: 20,462,760

Liverpool are one of the most valuable teams in football and were the first professional English club to feature a sponsor’s logo on the shirt in 1979. The team have played at Anfield during home games since being founded in 1892 and have won 8 FA Cups and 1 FIFA Club World Cup.

5.Aston Villa

Average search volume: 19,340,000

One of the oldest clubs in England, Aston Villa was founded in 1874 and has numerous accolades including winning the FA Cup seven times, the League Cup five times and the UEFA Super Cup once. The club had a rocky period from the 1940s to the 1960s but recovered in the 70s under the management of Ron Saunders.

The top ten is rounded out by Nottingham Forest, Rangers, Celtic, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Tudor Turiceanu, CEO for CasinoAlpha.com commented on the findings:

“Footballisthemostpopularsport intheUKandthestudyshowsus thatamongthemostGoogled teamsacrossthenation,thesame namesappearfrequently.

“TeamssuchasManchesterUnited andLiverpoolhavebeenpartof thenewscyclenationwidefor decadesandoftenyoungpeople hearabouttheseteamsbefore lookingintotheirhometeam.

“Areportin2019byErnstand YoungLLPonbehalfofthe PremierLeagueestimatedthatthe League’scontributiontoUKGDP was£7.6billion,theequivalent ofaround100,000full-timejobs Footballhasaworldwideappeal, anditwillbeinterestingtoseehow thebeautifulgamechangesin thefutureandifsmallerclubscan breakintothemainstream.”

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Royal Norwich is working closely with the R & A (The Royal and Ancient Golf Club) to shift the perception of golf from the “stuffy, retirement sport” of old, to an inclusive sport, open to all.

Opening on its new site just four years ago, Royal Norwich, now based in Weston Longville, Norwich, is taking strides to shape the future of golf, using its facilities and ways of working as a blueprint for the future of golf courses and their accompanying country clubs across the world.

Captaining the various projects at Royal Norwich is CEO John Kerr, who is ensuring the Club is taking a philanthropic, sustainable, and inclusive approach to its development.

Changing Perceptions in Golf

Since taking on the role of CEO in 2022, one of John’s missions has been to attract a wider demographic of people to the Country Club, as well as the sport in general.

Launching at the Club’s new home in 2019 could feel like unfortunate timing for Royal Norwich. However, the Club saw the pandemic have an inverse effect on the business, being one of the only safe activities people could participate in.

“This has opened the door for the government to consider the positive effect golf can have on people’s mental wellness,” said John, “being outdoors, socialising with others, and the lowimpact activity of walking are all known to have positive effects on mental health”.

Now, in one of Royal Norwich’s flagship projects, it is embarking on a triple-

Whilst the historic sport of golf has its heritage (dating back to the 15th Century), in Scotland, its future is set to tee off in Norfolk, England.

CEO John Kerr

line study alongside the R & A and Professor Charlie Foster to encourage the government to socially prescribe Golf as a support to mental health.

“Golf is more quickly accessible than other therapies offered by the NHS, which we know is under a lot of strain. We are excited to be one of the first industries to be able to offer alternative, complementary support,” shared John.

Challenging the perception that golf is for retired, middle to upper class men, since its move four years ago Royal Norwich has brought its average visitor age down to 51. Now, John is establishing a full set of facilities to entice 20-45 year olds.

“To encourage both men and women in this age range to spend their time and money at the club we have completely modernised how we approach the traditional members-only golf club,” explained John, “anyone can come and enjoy the facilities at Royal Norwich, you don’t need to be a member, there is no dress code, and the whole family is welcome”.

A key component in getting the whole family golfing, particularly those in the 2045 demographic, is seeing more women on the green.

Again, Royal Norwich is working in partnership with the R & A, becoming a registered signatory in the Women in Golf charter.

Additionally, the introduction of its 6-hole golf course is the perfect starting point for any person looking to start in the sport.

“Not only is it a good entry level, the 6-hole course allows younger people who may be more time-restricted to enjoy a game of golf,” John continued, “we have 20:20 cricket in addition to Test cricket, so why not offer more variety of play in golf?”

Royal Norwich also runs a successful Junior Academy, which currently engages 120 young people per week. Its aim is to encourage fun over competition.

“By offering a facility where the parents can play alongside their children at the 6-hole means we’re aiming for organic growth from the Juniors upwards,” explained John.

Based on 350 acres of historic estate, the championship 18-hole golf course only uses around half of the land, so there is plenty of room for other activities at the club.

As well as its bar and restaurant, The Stables, Royal Norwich has just launched its gym facility, and in the summer will open its Paddle Court to visitors, too.

“We built Royal Norwich from years of research into the needs of our Club visitors, and now we are on the way to offering a full spectrum of facilities meaning that people can enjoy the Club week on week, whether they choose to golf, come for food, enjoy one of our finedining experiences, or attend a wedding!” said John.

Royal Norwich received its wedding licence in December 2022, hosting its first wedding at the venue in May 2023.

“The beauty of marrying at Royal Norwich is that we can cater for all,” shared John. “Whether it’s an intimate wedding of 10, or a bigger scale of up to 300 people, we have rooms to suit, from our more traditional oak panelled setting to the contemporary and light The Stables”.

And John should know - he and his now wife, Izzy, were the first to marry at the venue.

Whilst Royal Norwich’s offering is already vast, John and his board of member directors don’t have intentions of standing still. As well as a woodland walk opening on the estate in July 2023, John foresees the potential to expand the residence to include a spa and hotel rooms.

“Norfolk is lacking a luxury hotel and spa, and I believe Royal Norwich can be the answer to that,” he said.

Philanthropy and Education Golf

Royal Norwich’s woodland walk is the perfect symbol of the biodiversity of the grounds, where untouched areas of land remain ecologically diverse.

The purpose built venue has taken the environment into account from a business perspective, too, ensuring investments into sustainability have been made across the estate.

The country club boasts water sustainability, utilising a reservoir to harvest water, rather than taking it from the grid. This is coupled with an intelligent irrigation system which can be managed remotely dependent on weather conditions. In addition, Royal Norwich has invested in solar, with the buildings being powered in this manner where possible.

With every industry being expected to meet the demands of Industry 4.0, Royal Norwich are once again, blueprinting for the future with its Turfcare Academy.

“The Turfcare Academy, which encompasses the full management of a golf course and club, is an opportunity to teach the next generation of leaders in golf,” John explained, “it gives students the opportunity to learn at a championship golf course, and then roll out their technological and sustainable learning across the world - we’ve partnered with international golf courses to facilitate placements once students have qualified”.

As well as turfcare education, which plans to offer a degree course, the academy also gives students the opportunity for golf performance coaching.

“I believe if we give students the opportunity to not only love playing golf but love working in it, we will retain them in the industry for the future,” John continued.

The Turfcare Academy is an example of Royal Norwich’s philanthropic work, reinvesting any profit into both the development of the course and country club, as well as the community.

The Race to Royal Norwich

Despite having only established itself at its Weston Longville home in 2019, Royal Norwich is already getting a name for itself at a high-level within the industry.

In October 2023, the estate will host the Championship Finals of the Clutch Pro Tour, the Race to Royal Norwich.

The course expects to welcome over 200 spectators and the best young talent in Europe at the prestigious event.

“We’re really excited to host the Clutch Pro Tour, and it’s a tremendous accolade for such a young course. In the future, we would like to see LIV play at Royal Norwich,” said John, “I believe in planning big - even if we get half way there we can be proud!”

www.royalnorwich.co.uk