The NRL finals series run over 4 weeks in September, commencing on Friday 7th September and ending on Grand Final Day Sunday the 30th of September. They provide a great opportunity to tap in to the increased interest from the NRL fan base to:
- Increase foot traffic to your venue
- Increase length of stay of regular customers
- Encourage brand switching from other draught beers to VB.
A combination of great facilities and increased activity in your venue will allow you to promote your venue as the place to watch all finals games.
Please note: For some venues, a NRL finals campaign will be appropriate, while other venues should consider creating an additional separate event for Grand Final Day. As the competition continues, you may also wish to revise your activities if your local team progresses through final rounds. |
Below is a list of suggested activity. To view details and costs associated with the activity, please click on the links under the activity heading.
THE ULTIMATE NRL VIP EXPERIENCE:
DETAILS: Rather than encouraging patronage through discounts, focus on the value you can add to your offering to make you stand out from your competitors, which include, the pub down the street, your customers’ couch or actual game attendance.
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Create an experience in your venue that is like being in a corporate box at the games and make this available to your customers at a great rate.
We will assist you to provide your customers with:
- Priority Seating within the “NRL Lounge”
- Footy Fare & VB Schooners
- Full Tray Service
- All NRL action live and loud on the Big Screens;
Made available across all finals games at a really attractive price: $20 - $25. With supplier support, we will create a pop-up area, service in the hotel which may feature the following items and services to give your customers an enviable experience:
- Stadium Backdrop
- Comfortable seating
- Additional TVs for viewing (if required)
- Table talker menus of complimentary food
- VB tower serviced by staff in VB branded outfits (stock will be supplier supported)
- Complimentary footy fare food, such as mini sliders & party pies etc.
- Special flooring & theming
- Bollards
- Tailored VIP access lanyards.
COSTS
This will be dependent on your specific offer. Some items will be covered through supplier support. If you wish to look at this option, please contact Jenny Smith & Tom Gerlach who will work with you to determine what costs you will need to include in your proposal and assist with maximum numbers, pricing etc. |
LIVE & LOUD ON THE BIG SCREEN:
DETAILS: Footy fans want to watch matches in a venue which has great facilities, and as such, it is important to focus on these facilities in your marketing material.
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Think about what you venue has to offer that is better than your competitors (which includes your customers’ own home), such as:
- Big Screens (how big and how many?)
- Surround sound - uninterrupted
- Platinum TAB
- Lounge areas
Please note: If you do not have these facilities, but feel you would see a return on a temporary upgrade, such as a large projector screen etc., then please submit this in your proposal with relevant costs.
COSTS
As these should be facilities already in your venue, there should be no cost. It is simply a matter of letting everyone know that these are available to them for the finals. |
COURTESY BUS:
DETAILS: As watching the footy is synonymous with having a couple of beers, providing your courtesy bus service during key matches will make your venue a desirable destination.
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If you decide to run your courtesy bus, make sure you are heavily promoting the additional service times in the lead up to the games.
COSTS
Dependent on your normal service hours and additional hours/labour required. |
THEMING:
DETAILS: f your local team has a good chance of reaching the finals, it will be in your interest to theme the pub in the team colours, to demonstrate your support and build atmosphere in your venue.
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HALF TIME BBQ:
DETAILS: Non-food venues should consider offering a complimentary half-time BBQ for important finals games. This will allow you to be competitive with venues nearby who may have a food offering.
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You may wish to approach one of your sporting sponsors to run the sausage sizzle as a way to fundraise, making it a gold coin donation per sausage. This will encourage your sporting sponsors to back your event.
Please include in your proposal:
- Who will be managing the BBQ – additional labour requirements?
- At what times you will be running the BBQ.
- What will be the price of the BBQ? Free or gold coin? If it is a gold coin donation, which of your sponsors will be involved?
- Costs
COSTS
BBQ should be no more than $150 |
FOOD & BEVERAGE SPECIAL:
DETAILS: Food venues may wish to bundle an F&B special for the finals series. Consider options that appeal to your footy fan base, in particular beer & footy fare items. These are both appealing and cost effective options.
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To create a very attractive price point you may need to allocate portions of the sell price to Bar/Food promo or arrange for supplier support. Please speak to the food channel before submitting your proposal.
Consider tying in a beverage product such as Fat Yak & ½ Kilo Beef Ribs “Yaks & Racks”
COSTS
Dependent on your offer. |
MATES’ PLATES:
DETAILS: Food venues may wish to offer a share plate to target groups of mates who are looking for a venue to watch that game and grab a bite to eat.
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 Suggested Options:
- Mate’s Plate – to feed 3 Sell price of $25 (as in photo)
- 1Kg of wings with a range of sauces available.
Please note that these are only suggestions, there may be other great options more suitable for your venue and customers.
Please speak to Craig Milnes prior to submitting your proposal to run through your costing.
COST
Dependent on your offer. You can price your item to fit within your GP, or alternatively, you may wish to allocated a portion to food promo, if you have room within your budget. |
GRAND FINAL FAMILY FUN DAY/COMMUNITY DAY:
DETAILS: For family/community venues, the Grand Final & long weekend presents an opportunity to encourage local families to come down to your venue to watch the game.
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You may wish to consider teeing up with one of your larger sponsored clubs, making the event a club fundraiser.
Consider hosting a range of activities such as:
- Jumping Castle
- Pass the footy
- Face painting
- Sausage Sizzle
- Auction items
- A kids animal show relevant to your local team (eg. Belrose have a bird expert in with an eagle, etc.)
Please include detailed information on all proposed activities within your proposal.
COSTS
Dependent on your selected activity. If your proposed activity’s cost exceeds $800, a more detailed ROI will be required to be submitted in your proposal. |
GRAND FINAL GAME DAY:
DETAILS: For venues with a huge NRL following in your customer base, the Grand Final presents an opportunity to host a larger created event.
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Consider hosting a range of activities such as:
- First try scorer sweeps
- Sausage Sizzle/spit roast
- Auction items
- Pass the footy
- Raffles
You may wish to consider teeing up with one of your larger sponsored clubs, making the event a club fundraiser.
Please include detailed information on all proposed activities within your proposal.
COSTS
Dependent on your selected activity. If your proposed activity’s cost exceeds $800, a more detailed ROI will be required to be submitted in your proposal. |
BOOK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!:
DETAILS: To ensure you have bums on seats on game days, consider offering an incentive for people to book their spots and commit to coming to your venue.
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This may be appropriate for food venues who wish to encourage lunch & dinner bookings on Grand Final day, or for other venues just to ensure they have all of their tables filled during the game.
Consider:
- Free starters for large lunch & dinner bookings. This may be footy fare style food.
- Free NRL or NRL team merchandise for those who reserve a spot – eg. team flag etc.
- First round on us for all bookings (within reason and must be VB).
- Book a table on Grand Final Day and go into the draw to win a major prize.
COSTS
This is completely dependent on your offer and what support can be provided. Please speak to Jenny Smith before submitting your proposal to see what may be available and suitable for your venue and your customers. |
FACEBOOK - CAPTION CONTEST:
DETAILS: A great way to get patrons interested in your venue via the game is to get them to participate in a contest. A caption contest involves posting an image on your venues Facebook Page and asking fans to caption the image.
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It is a fun way of making online fans aware of your venue as a place to watch the game and showing a playful side to your brand. When fans comment with a caption, their friends will see you post appear in their newsfeed, and you will gain a higher reach.
Contest Detail
- The contest should be posted 4-3 days before the game.
- Use a playful image that will compel footy fans to have a say
- Make this a sponsored post to gain more reach
- Sponsored post images have certain requirements such as the amount of text used. Get your image approved by Nitasha or request a suitable image to use.
- You can also request fans to tag their friends who would like to participate in the contest.
- Examples of prizes are: $50 bar voucher, food platter for the next game, bistro voucher etc. Prizes will depend on your venues budget
- The winner does not have to be at the venue to claim the prize, however the prize should only be valid at the venue during a NRL final game.
COSTS
Suggested prize is $100 (in the form of bar / bistro voucher) - however, this will depend on your venues budget. Suggested spending for sponsoring this post is $10/day. |
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