The Festival is set to return to Cheltenham Racecourse next year from 14th to 17th March. Since the event was founded in 1860, the event has become one of the most exciting and well-attended of British racing calendar, attracting over 275,000 guests across four days as the finest horses, jockeys, owners and trainers battle it out for the highest racing honours, and over £4.5 million of prize money.
However, The Festival is about far more than the races alone. One of the attractions of the event for guests is an unparalleled selection of entertainment and hospitality a stone's throw from the final furlong. Case in point: The Orchard, which was established in 2019 as a specially-crafted area available to Hospitality guests, Owners and Trainers, and all Cheltenham Annual Members. Inside, visitors can find a selection of luxury brands showcasing the very best products, services and experiences.
Located in the Tented Village, it's a mini Bond Street right at the heart of the festival; an outdoor space that's been dubbed The Festival's most Instagrammable area thanks to the brands who participate and the lush. luxurious design of the space.
"The Orchard was created to provide the opportunity for the racecourse to work with exclusive partners delivering racegoers an additional, premium experience alongside the racing," says Abigail Thomas, Partnerships Account Manager at The Jockey Club, which runs The Festival. "This exciting addition at The Festival allows our partners to showcase and retail their products to a perfectly aligned audience."
"The Festival is Britain’s first major sporting event to take place in the calendar year. Home to four days of extraordinary action in the sports theatre of dreams," Thomas continues. "The Orchard gives all brands involved exposure to provide their own brand experiences as part of this major event and its loyal customer base."
Every year The Orchard attracts a superb selection of high-end labels – many of whom are Walpole members, such as Bentley Motors.
"We have been partnered with the Jockey club since 2016, with activation increasing year-on-year," says Rosie Harney, Product Marketing Manager of Bentley Motors. "At Cheltenham Festival 2022, we showcased our latest products – Flying Spur, Bentayga Hybrid pursuits edition and our GT Speed. As well as this, our show stopper was displaying a Bentayga on top of a 15m structure. We also offered over 1200 guest a product experience to and from the Festival."
Boodles, which also became the sponsor of the Cheltenham Gold Cup last year, also found The Orchard to be a powerful tool for connecting with new clients.
"Acquisition of new customers is crucial to any business and The Orchard has proved an extremely good place to meet new people who are keen to engage with Boodles," says Michael Wainwright, Managing Director of Boodles. "The business at our shop in The Orchard has grown year-on-year and there are a number of customers we only see at the Cheltenham Festival, especially from Ireland and areas of Britain away from our shops."
"The Orchard has quickly become an iconic location at Cheltenham and our members always find their way there at some point during the festival," says William Woodhams, Chief Executive Officer of Fitzdares, the world's oldest bookmaker. Last year Fitzdares constructed a small-scale version of its Mayfair club at The Orchard as a space for its members to relax away from the crowds in the stadium, complete with replicas of the club's trademark wallpaper and furniture, as well as over 30 paintings by the club artist Bill Butcher. "It was great to be adjacent to such marvellous brands as Bentley and Boodles, who represent the same values as us. And although our entrance was set back, the numbers that attended were phenomenal and beyond all expectation.
If you’re interested in learning more about opportunities at The Orchard in The Festival at Cheltenham 2023, please contact [email protected] or visit thejockeyclub.co.uk
