Clodagh Fleming

Following the Festival in March, a significant amount of feedback was received from racegoers that highlighted their growing concerns over the cost of accommodation locally in Cheltenham. The issue was so extreme it created newspaper headlines both sides of the Irish channel. We were left with little doubt that hotel prices had now developed into a major deterrent for people contemplating multi-day attendance at our event. Furthermore, those responsible for promoting Cheltenham and the Borough in general, were concerned about the perception the elevated hotel costs were having on the towns image as a whole. Together, we staged a number of meetings with local accomodation providers, as well members of the hospitality trade. Those who run restaurants and pubs in town were claiming they were seeing business decline as a result of raceday patrons opting to stay out of town, where overnight accomodation could be sourced much cheaper. The Festival wasn’t as good for business as it had been in the past. There was some fascinating and thought provoking debate, and I think discussing the situation so robustly and openly has led to many hotels taking a seemingly more customer centric view in regards to their prices for Festival 2025. The best outcome from all the discussion for me though was the creation of Room To Race, in partnership with Venatour Sports Travel. Room To Race is a “one stop shop” for racegoers wanting to secure accomodation, transport to and from the races, as well as other experience enhancing benefits. It’s a first in British racing, as far as I know. It is pleasing that many of the hotels who were prepared to meet with Cheltenham Racecourse post Festival have signed up to be part of the concept and I am sure those racegoers who opt to book their accommodation through Room To Race in its initial year will reap the reward. The service will only go from strength to strength as we learn what our customers want and need. Room To Race is not the final answer to tackling high accomodation costs, but it does go some way to providing a good solution for our visiting racegoers —- and along with initiatives such as the multi-day ticket offer, groups of six incentive, should bring down the cost of attendance at the Festival for many. https://lnkd.in/eJ8TZ6Rk

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In our brand new customer story, learn how #RevolutionFitnessBelfast use ClubRight to manage their 24-hour gym with ease and prevent members from sharing their pin codes with non-members 🔐 ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ghvbze-s #IndependentGyms #MemberManagement #GymSoftware

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📣 Grow Sport Announcement: iGolf Review and Tailored Strategy for Clubs At Grow Sport, we’ve been carefully reviewing the newly launched iGolf initiative by Golf Ireland, designed to offer non-club members access to an official handicap. While the debate over whether this should have happened will continue, the fact is that it’s now live, and we can’t afford to sit back and wait to see what unfolds. While this presents a valuable opportunity to attract new players, we also recognise the concerns many clubs, particularly smaller ones, have regarding the potential impact on their membership base. Mark Ruddy, our CEO, brings a wealth of experience, having worked with a similar model in the UAE under the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Membership. "While there are clear differences between Ireland and the UAE in terms of climate and club structures, there are key lessons and strategies that can be applied to help clubs capitalise on iGolf without undermining their current membership." With over 350 golf clubs across Ireland, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, we recommend a holistic approach that takes into account your club’s size, financial position, location and community dynamics. Here are a couple of suggestions that might help clubs navigate this shift: ▪️ Evaluate Membership Structures: Clubs should consider reviewing their membership pricing and benefits. ▪️ Focus on offering value beyond a simple handicap, including social engagement, competition access and benefits, which iGolf cannot replicate. ▪️ Engage with iGolf Users: Clubs can use iGolf as a stepping stone, creating events, offers, or social rounds to introduce iGolfers to the club environment. This way, casual golfers can experience the full benefits of membership. ▪️ Collaboration: Engaging with nearby clubs to discuss strategies can help form a united front in your community. Sharing ideas and solutions will ensure clubs within the same region maintain strength and mutual support. Ultimately, these are just a few suggestions. Every club must develop a strategic plan that aligns with its unique circumstances. Grow Sport is here to assist in creating that customised plan, ensuring the best possible outcome for your club and its members. Stay tuned for more insights and detailed guidance from Grow Sport. #GrowSport #iGolf #GolfIreland #GolfClubStrategy #SupportingSmallClubs #MembershipGrowth #CommunityEngagement

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We Do Not All Have 24 Hours In A Day… And Here Is Why ☝️ #TimeManagement #Priorities #HealthAndFitness #eca #belfast #ecagym #gym #fitness #health #belfastgym

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The “ONLY” Three Proven Ways To Improve Your Nutrition Which of the three is the best choice for you? #eca #ecagym #ecagymbelfast #belfast #gym #belfastgym #health #nutrition #fitness #coaching

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🏉This year we launched our Emerging Athlete Programme with Irish Rugby XVs and Sevens star Aoibheann Reilly🏉 This initiative is designed to empower and nurture the next generation of athletic talent worldwide, starting in Ireland. By offering emerging athletes the essential resources and mentorship they need, EPS Global is committed to identifying, supporting, and developing the most promising young athletes, paving the way for their future success. This programme will have a specific focus on female athletes and on young male and female athletes starting out on their high-performance journey. https://lnkd.in/ekPZSnwG

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Another weekend, another game of rugby 🏉 Heading to Belfast this weekend to Assistant Referee, Ireland v Scotland, in the final round of the Women's Six Nations. We've also been handling a fair few recruitment processes at JLB, and as the game this weekend is getting closer and closer, I can't help but think how refereeing a game of rugby is just like navigating a recruitment process. For refereeing and recruitment you need a fine balance of fairness, strategy, and decisive action. Like referees ensure fair play, recruiters uphold equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion. Just as referees make split-second decisions, recruiters must swiftly evaluate candidates. Maintaining order, recruiters oversee the process, ensuring clear communication and timelines. Guiding candidates through each stage, recruiters empower them to shine. Lastly, accountability is key - recruiters hold themselves to unbiased decision-making. Both roles aim for success through integrity and precision and achieving winning outcomes. #Recruitment #FairPlay #Strategy #Integrity #Womeninsport

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Our exclusive episode featuring @ajlynn__ has just dropped!!! FULL PODCAST now live over on Spotify & YouTube, check it out🎙️ #podcast #content #contentcreator #marketing #contentcreation #belfast

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Day 1 ECA Summit 🔥🔥🔥🔥 2 about to go down 🚀 #eca #ecasummit #ecasummit2024 #ecabelfast #ecafitnessbusinesssummit

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If you're serious about achieving your full potential in golf, you have to be willing to do what others won’t. That means putting in the work—especially when the conditions are less than ideal like they certainly are here at the moment in Ireland ⛄️ ☘️ The image says it all: "Today I will do what others won’t, so that tomorrow I can do what others can’t." Snow, rain, wind—elite golfers find a way. If you can’t get to the course or range today, ask yourself: • Can I work on my putting stroke on the carpet at home? • Can I sharpen my mental game by reading or listening to a Dr. Bob Rotella podcast? • Can I make use of a home workout to strengthen the muscles that will ultimately help support my swing? • Can I perform slow, deliberate dry drills (that don’t require a ball being struck) to engrain the swing change I’m working on with my coach? Excuses don’t lead to results. Every small step you take today will separate you from the competition tomorrow. Remember, if you have aspirations of reaching a high level in this game, your future opponent is likely putting in the work during this stretch of 24hrs. Are you prepared to match their effort—or surpass it? The decision is yours. How will you take action today?

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Enjoyable morning out on the paddock with Connacht Rugby Jack Carty in Athlone… Working on all aspects of his game, sharing thoughts & ideas while focusing in on the variations of his kicking game. Building that mindset & confidence throughout training by replicating the different scenarios faced in games can help build that consistency in performance which will be crucial when it matters most. #kicking #training #consistency

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🌟 Empowering Excellence in Leadership 🌟 Sport Ireland’s Governance Conference brought together industry leaders to share insights on building stronger, more transparent organisations. 💡 Discover the key takeaways that are shaping the future of governance in sport. Read more here 👉 https://bit.ly/40tHLIC #SportIreland #Leadership #GoodGovernance #SportsLeadership

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🚀 Leveraging Major Sports Events as a Marketing Tool for Your Sports Club

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5 Tips To Lose Weight Quickly & Effectively #eca #ecagym #ecabelfast #ecagymbelfast #weights #conditoning #health #fitness #tips #nutrition

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Ep. 26 with Pat Gilroy is out now. Have you checked it out yet? The former Dublin All Ireland winning manager and player gives us a fascinating insight into his approach to man management in both sport & business. In the episode Pat goes into great detail about how he reacted to suffering a humbling defeat to Kerry in the quarter final in his first year in charge. He chats openly about how he had to adjust his own management style in order to get the best out of the players and to ensure they bought into his new approach. Which ultimately led to a famous All Ireland Championship win against old foes Kerry in 2011. If you have interest in sport, performance psychology and/or leadership in business, this episode is packed with nuggets you can take into your own career or coaching role. You can listen or watch in full on all major podcast platforms here: https://lnkd.in/gTKh_Mbd #gaa #dublingaa #leadership #ireland

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**Celebrating Irish Athletics: The Unseen Power of Coaching** This year, Irish Athletics made history at the European Championships, bringing home two gold medals and two silver medals. This achievement signals a remarkable progression and shows that Ireland is becoming a formidable force in the world of athletics. What can Tennis and other sports learn from this success? The answer may lie in coaching—specifically, the tailored development of performance coaches that meet the unique needs of the specific context rather than a generic approach. **Coaching: The Unsung Hero** The importance of coaching is often overlooked, yet it is clearly a critical component of success. Great coaches provide more than just training; they offer mentorship, motivation, parental support and a long-term strategic vision that can transform good athletes into great ones. **lessons learned** -Put coaching at the forefront, invest in the people that make it happen on the ground. -Invest in performance coaching post qualification, getting the badge is not the end, its the start. Performance coaches need ongoing support, similar to any profession. -Make coaching professional and recognise coaching as a legitimate career in society with a clearly defined path. -Coaching models need to consider the unique environmental, cultural, and personal contexts in which the athletes and coaches operate. What works in one country may not work in another! Athletics take a bow! #Coaching #Athletics #IrishAthletics #SportsLeadership #PerformanceExcellence #AthleteDevelopmentw

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As a leader you should always be looking to help develop the readiness, capacity and skills of your team. Here’s an example of how Mikel Arteta is building a culture of continuous development at Arsenal. #leadership #coaching #culture #work #managers https://lnkd.in/gQ2_Fyik

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