The summer of sport is kicking off on Sunday 14 June 2024, with the 17th edition of the UEFA European Championship. It’s set to be one of the biggest sporting events of the year, with the total revenue of the previous tournament, in 2021, amounting to nearly 1.9 billion euros. In pubs, this could look like a 129% increase in revenue, if previous statistics are anything to go by.

Moreover, research from Star Pubs revealed that 39% intend to visit a pub to watch the men’s UEFA Champions League Final, with many participants showing a keen interest towards the rest of the games, too. 

So, if you’re questioning whether you should show the game, the answer’s yes – and here are a few tips to help you stand out from other establishments.

It’s all about the atmosphere  

According to Design my Night, who conducted a survey ahead of the FIFA World Cup, asking what people looked for when looking for a venue to watch the football. Over half of the participants (51%) said atmosphere, while 13% said screen size and 30% location.  

With this in mind, now could be a good time to upgrade your screens, rent some projector screens or additional TVs, so the game can be viewed from all locations in your venue. And don’t forget to test if the sound is working, too.

Create a Euros menu

Draw customers in with special Euros offers. This could be anything from deals on drinks and food to themed food for each nation. 

Think croquettes and patatas bravas for Spain, Bratwurst sausage for Germany, fish and chips for England, Pizza for Italy, croque monsieur for France, and black pudding burgers for Scotland.

Sharing plates are a good idea too, from loaded nachos to calamari, honey and mustard sausages, and more. Even just a solid toastie menu, made with high-quality ingredients, can be a simple win, if our latest trend article is anything to go by.

If you have space in a garden, you could even get a pop-up in to offer food during the games, pizza and burger vans are still very much on trend.

Spread awareness

If you’re showing the game and doing something special for it, make sure you shout about it. This could look like:

• In-house marketing – place flyers on the table or give small cards with the bill
• An A-board clearly stating you’ll be showing the games
• Email marketing – send a newsletter to your customers with your offers
• Social media – if you have a presence, use it! This could be posts, stories or even paid for ads 

Make booking simple

An easy booking system is imperative to converting customer interest into a visit. Make sure your booking system is running well, without glitches, and the team briefed for any customers who call or email for bookings. 

Winning venues – UEFA 2024 

The summer of sport is just beginning, and the line-up is nothing short of spectacular, with the Olympics, Wimbledon, and Women’s UEFA still to come. Hospitality venues that successfully capture the essence of the European football tournament stand to gain not only during this event but also in the long run, as sports enthusiasts are likely to return for subsequent games throughout the year.