Wayne Marchant was in an unusual position when England played Canada in the World Cup recently as he was cheering on both teams.
Our new Hospitality Co-ordinator was born and raised in England but spent the last 10 years living in Canada, where he was able to stay in touch with the game and even play regularly.
But when an opportunity came up to return to the UK and work at Trent Bridge, the 31-year-old jumped at the chance.
“I’ve always loved cricket and used to play village matches when I was living down in Surrey,” he said.
“And when the opportunity came up to work at a famous Test Match ground, it didn’t take long to think about applying for the role.”
Wayne moved into his post in February and is responsible for taking bookings from clients and helping them during events and meetings, as well as looking after our executive members.
Over the course of the year he will handle thousands of bookings for matchday hospitality and claims the quality of service and opportunity to savour the atmosphere at the ground is making Trent Bridge more popular than ever.
He said: “The demand for boxes at our international fixtures has never been higher. The first day of the Test with India is already sold out and all our boxes for the One-day International with West Indies have gone.
“But it’s not only at an international level as our packages for the Twenty20 Cup are also selling fast. The nature and timing of the games makes them perfect for companies to hold their meetings with their clients in the afternoon ahead of enjoying the evening’s entertainment.
“We’ve been making a conscious effort to market the hospitality facilities at the ground to a broader range of companies in and around Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands.
“That seems to be paying off but there’s always room for more to be done.”
Wayne was able to settle into his job quickly, having gained valuable experience working as a host for the last three years at our major matches.
This season he will also be spending a lot of his time in the executive members’ area, making sure everything is in place to meet their needs.
“Executive members are very important to us,” he said, “and deserve to be recognised and looked after.
“We have a justified reputation as a ‘friendly club’ in the way we deal with clients, supporters and members, and we strive to maintain those standards with our executive members.”
Away from the office, Wayne is also working in the community on the Crime Concern project - a partnership between the Bulwell Youth Inclusion Project and Aim2, a national initiative designed to engage and encourage youngsters to get involved in social projects.
Wayne and Business Development Manager Mark Worrall are mentoring a group of youngsters from Bulwell as they undertake community projects in the area.
The project is being launched at Trent Bridge and financial incentives are in place for those who perform particularly well.
Wayne said: “The project is designed to promote social responsibility and I was very happy to get involved.
“While this is the first time the scheme has been run in Nottingham, it’s had plenty of success in Manchester, and I hope I can play my part in repeating that here.”
For more information about the hospitality packages available please click here to visit the hospitality page or should you have any queries please feel free to call the Sales Office on 0115 982 3002.