After the initial investment and loss, the Pittwater team was keen to have the opportunity to see the event pay dividends, and in 2022, it certainly did!

The event ran for 9 days in July, and boasted:

• Over 6,500 tickets sold (or excess of $75,000 in ticket revenue)
• For the first week of the Ice Skating Spectacular (9-15 July), food sales were 34.7% higher than the average of the previous three weeks. Beverage sales were 26.8% higher
• Return patronage over the event to skate, and utilise the Club’s facilities
• 700 new membership sign ups over the event period
• Increased brand awareness of Pittwater as a ‘Destination’
• Viral social media response to an appearance by the Manly Seabirds on the ice rink

“The Board and Leadership Team at Pittwater have always had a high tolerance to balanced risk… although Pittwater enjoys the benefits of Gaming / Responsible Entertainment, it is not a traditionally high value orientated Gaming venue as some may be in alternative Sydney Suburbs and or demographics… We don’t enjoy the luxury of being surrounded by medium density living, nor does Pittwater’s location lend itself to high volume transport exposure or access. As a result, it’s forced us to be more creative and aggressive in our approach to make sure we are appealing to new markets whilst ensuring we nurture our existing supporters” said Pittwater CEO Jason Manning.

“The Ice Skating Spectacular we hosted this July is a clear example of our willingness to think outside the box, and be bold. I’d encourage all Clubs to be brave and try something new. It’s innovation like this that see our team come together and build a deeper rapport and we are clever in the way we secure our success by partnering with other innovative suppliers like Hennessey Coffee whom when asked, called to action as a good business partner would, supplying products, equipment, additional training and support.

Then there was the on-point marketing from the team at Axis IQ, securing over 600,000 impressions on targeted social ad campaigns, 98% increase in reach on the Club’s Facebook page, and 117% increase in reach on the Club’s Instagram profile over the 30 days measured before and including the event. It’s always a team effort and we’re proud to lead the way and hopefully inspire other venues to take a calculated risk and back themselves… nothing is off limits!” (Pittwater CEO Jason Manning).