Galway Soccer Festival

Galway Soccer Festival
Jason Finn
Supervised by: Caroline Shanley & Derek McInerney
This Business Plan was submitted to the Department of Finance and Professional
Studies at Limerick Institute of Technology in partial fulfilment of the
requirements set out in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Studies with
Sports Management course outline (LC951)
Submitted: 21st of March 2014

Declaration Sheet
Limerick Institute of Technology
Department of Humanities
Examination for the Entrepreneurship and Business Planning Module
(Tourism/Event/Sport)
________________________________________________________
Certificate of student in respect to an individual’s work.
I certify that the whole of this work is the result of my individual effort, and that all
quotations from books and journals have been acknowledged.
Signed: _________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________
PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN AND
CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS BREACH OF EXAMINATION REGULATIONS.
FALSIFICATION OF DATA IN ANY WAY IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND
SUCH FALSIFICATION CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS BREACH OF
EXAMINATION REGULATIONS

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Contents
Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................................
Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................................
1.0 Market Research..................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Secondary Research........................................................................................................................3
1.2.1 Participation Rates in Sport ...................................................................................................3
1.2.2 Sports Tourism..........................................................................................................................3
1.2.3 Visitors to Galway.....................................................................................................................4
1.3 Primary Research ............................................................................................................................5
1.3.1 Surveys.......................................................................................................................................5
1.3.2 Interviews & Focus Group .....................................................................................................10
1.4 Market Research Conclusion.......................................................................................................12
2.0 Marketing............................................................................................................................................14
2.1 Competitor Analysis: .....................................................................................................................14
2.1.1 Porters Five Forces.................................................................................................................14
2.2 Environmental Analysis.................................................................................................................16
2.2.1 SWOT Analysis........................................................................................................................16
2.3 Marketing Mix.................................................................................................................................17
2.4 Sales Forecast................................................................................................................................20
2.5 Marketing Conclusion ...................................................................................................................20
3.0 Operations Chapter............................................................................................................................22
3.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................22
3.2 Finding the Venue..........................................................................................................................22
3.3 Space Requirements.....................................................................................................................23
3.4 Suppliers..........................................................................................................................................24
3.5 Security............................................................................................................................................24
3.6 Communication and Channels ....................................................................................................24
3.7 Registration and Tickets...............................................................................................................25
3.8 Festival Set-Up................................................................................................................................26
3.9 Health and Safety ..........................................................................................................................26
3.10 Safety Statement ........................................................................................................................27
3.11 Crowd Control...............................................................................................................................27
3.12 Waste Management ...................................................................................................................28

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3.13 Risk Assessment.........................................................................................................................28
3.14 Human Resources and Responsibilities..................................................................................29
3.15 Festival Crews & Volunteers......................................................................................................30
3.16 Areas of Staff Training................................................................................................................30
3.17 Festival Shut-down......................................................................................................................31
3.18 Festival Evaluation ......................................................................................................................32
3.19 Legal Requirements....................................................................................................................32
3.20 Insurance......................................................................................................................................33
3.21 Business Registration.................................................................................................................33
4.0 Finance Chapter.................................................................................................................................35
4.1 Financial Assumptions..................................................................................................................35
4.2 Capital Investment.........................................................................................................................35
4.3 Revenue...........................................................................................................................................36
4.4 Team Entries & Accommodation. ...............................................................................................38
4.5 Transport for Teams ......................................................................................................................38
4.6 Office Rent......................................................................................................................................39
4.7 Office Equipment & Expenses .....................................................................................................39
4.8 Venue Hire.......................................................................................................................................40
4.9 Merchandise Costs & Sales..........................................................................................................40
4.10 Marketing and Advertising.........................................................................................................42
4.11 Setting up Website......................................................................................................................43
4.12 Software Package .......................................................................................................................43
4.13 Setting – Up of Venues...............................................................................................................43
4.14 Launch of Festival .......................................................................................................................44
4.15 Entertainment Expenses ............................................................................................................44
4.16 VIP Guest Accommodation........................................................................................................44
4.17 Insurance......................................................................................................................................44
4.18 Wages and Salaries ....................................................................................................................45
4.19 Staff and Volunteer Uniforms....................................................................................................45
4.20 Emergency Services....................................................................................................................46
5.0 Overall Conclusion .............................................................................................................................47
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................................
Appendices:.....................................................................................................................................................

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Executive Summary
The reasoning behind making this business plan is to bring Galway City its first ever
soccer festival. It will be a three day festival held in the second last weekend in July
2015. It will consist of an international underage tournament followed by a professional
match between Manchester United and Galway United. The festival will offer potential
attendees the opportunity to witness some of Europe’s upcoming talent that may become
superstars in the foreseeable future. It will also give a chance for attendees to watch
Manchester United’s top players in action. There will also be an autograph session for
any attendee that may want to get any memorabilia signed by their favourite players.
This festival will be the first of its kind to be held in Ireland. People in the Connacht
area will have the opportunity to attend a festival at home in Ireland rather than travel
abroad. This will be the ultimate selling point of the festival and attendees will be
reminded that if they attend they will have a unique and memorable experience.
During this business plan, it will be evidently shown how a target market has been
distinguished. Soccer is one of Ireland’s most popular sports and is watched in most
households throughout the country. This establishes that there is a demand for this
festival and will be further explained the market research of the industry. This research
will also outline any competitors the Galway Soccer Festival might have before they
start up as a business.
The next stage of the report will draw up the operational chapter and all the roles
involved in setting up the festival i.e. staffing, team entries and all health and safety
requirements at both Drom Soccer Pitch and Pearse Stadium.
The final stage of the report will involve all the financial costs associated with the
festival. This will include what needs to be spent and how many tickets need to be sold
for the festival to attain a profit once all the costs of holding the festival are covered.
As with all business’s, Galway Soccer Festival’s main purpose is to retain a profit and
for it to be known as an exciting weekend for all the family

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Acknowledgements
The author of this business plan would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone
who has throughout the process of completing this feasibility study. The author would
like to thank the following people:
Caroline Shanley & Derek McInerney:
Special thanks to my supervisor Caroline and Derek who gave me support throughout
this study and guided me through the process.
Family and Friends:
Many thanks especially to all my family and friends who supported me through my
duration at Limerick Institute of Technology.
Participants:
Special acknowledgements to all participants of this business plan. Without them the
study could not have been completed.

1.0 Market Research
1.1 Introduction
‘The aim of the Galway Soccer Festival is to provide a competitive, safe and enjoyable
experience as Ireland’s only soccer festival. We will provide fun and entertainment for
the all the family’
The objective of constructing this business plan is to produce a new and exclusive
festival to be accommodated in Galway City. This festival will be called the ‘Galway
Soccer Festival’ and throughout this document it will be referred to as the GSF. The
festival will be a three day festival that will operate on an annual basis and will be of
demand to all soccer enthusiasts both young and old. The main aims for the festival’s
organisers will be to generate this festival into Ireland’s one and only soccer festival. By
doing this, it will be promoting Galway as an ideal destination for sport as well as
increasing participation rates children playing soccer in Ireland. By bringing over
professional outfits such as Manchester United, children will engage more in the sport if
they have first view of it.
“Market Research is the systematic collection and analysis of data that is relevant to the
particular product or service” (Rogan, 2011)
Market Research was carried out to distinguish the target market of potential attendees
for the Galway Soccer Festival. The outcomes of this study will help classify a clear-cut
target market for organisers of this festival to get in touch with when forming a
marketing campaign
Companies/Business usually performs secondary research first to find out what is known
about the area before undertaking their own primary research. It is less inexpensive than
setting up primary research but is also time consuming. This research contains both a
primary and secondary research analysis. (Kaplan, 2001).

1.2 Secondary Research
“Secondary Research is any published information that is available to the marketer, for
example the census of population, industry reports or published industry reports”
(Rogan, 2011).
The aim of accomplishing secondary research concerning the GSF was to confirm
whether the festival model could be developed further. This was done by examining the
sports tourism industry as a whole and seeing the changes in attitudes of attendee
numbers to other sports festivals. It is quite often the cheapest form of research because
the data already exists for your acquisition. This research will be needed throughout the
project.
1.2.1 Participation Rates in Sport
In 2009, the Irish Sports Monitor conducted a study on participation rates in sport and
physical activity. It also provides statistics on volunteering, sedentarism and attendances
at sporting events in Irelands. The results of the study are as follows:
 Participation in sport increased from 30.8% in 2008 to 33.5% in 2009
 Sedentarism fell from 18.2% in 2007 to 15.5% in 2009
 Rates of volunteering in sport fell from 8.2% in 2007 to 6.8% in 2009
 Attendance at sporting festivals recovered to 17% after a drop in 2008
The results from this study indicate that sport is becoming increasingly popular amongst
all age groups in Ireland. This is due to the hard work that all the sporting
organisations/bodies around the country are doing. The study also confirms that
attendances at sporting events have increased the past number of years. This is
imperative information to have as it demonstrates that the Irish public attend all kind of
sporting festivals throughout the year. (The Irish Sports Monitor, 2009)
1.2.2 Sports Tourism
Failte Ireland is continually conducting research into just how relevant sports tourism is
to Ireland and how important it is for local economies around the country. The results of
the study are as follows:

 Expenditure by tourists visiting was estimated to be worth €4 billion in 2012, this
represents growth of 4.4% on 2011. Combining spending by international tourists with
the money spent by Irish residents taking trips here, total tourism expenditure in 2012
was estimated to be €5.4 billion.
 Overseas tourist visits to Ireland in 2012 grew modestly by 1% to 6.3 million. Britain
remains our biggest source market for overseas tourists, representing 44% of all such
visits.
 Domestic tourism expenditure amounted in total to €5.4 billion in 2012.
 Government earned an estimated revenue of €1.3 billion through taxation of tourism, of
which €1 billion came from foreign tourism
 In 2012 the value of exported goods and services was estimated at €176.7 billion of
which €4 billion can be directly attributed to tourism
 Total out-of-state and domestic tourism expenditure of €5.4 billion in 2012 represented
4.1% of GNP in revenue terms. (Failte Ireland, 2013)
1.2.3 Visitors to Galway
In 2012, Failte Ireland also provided statistics on how many visitors visited Galway.
This was broken into categories of where they came from and included Britain,
Mainland Europe, North America and other areas. It also disclosed how much revenue
was spent by these tourists when visiting Galway.
These statistics are as follows:
 968,000 tourists visited Galway in 2012
 Created €253 million in revenue to Galway City and county (63% of tourists used hotels
or B&B’s during their stay)
 70% of the reason why tourists visited Galway was for a holiday
 July and August were the busiest months with an accumulated percentage of 33%
visiting during that time.
 36% of tourists visiting Galway were in between the age of 19 and 34
 47% of the tourists that visited felt they got ‘good value for money’ while in Galway
These statistics prove that there is a market in the West of Ireland for this festival. There
are a huge number of tourists visiting Galway and this soccer festival would entice
people to visit Galway City. Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland are continuously at work

in putting together new plans that is directed at getting more tourists into the country to
generate revenue for local economies. In 2012 they contributed €3.7 million to achieve
this objective. (Failte Ireland, 2012)
Festivals are a growing sector in Ireland and these outcomes can have an important
impact on visitor figures in Galway City. As a result, these increased attendee numbers
may result in a wider target audience being approached.
1.3 Primary Research
‘Primary research is new research carried out to answer specific issues or questions. It
can involve questionnaires, surveys or interviews with individuals or small groups’
(Bodden and Smith, 2013)
1.3.1 Surveys
At this stage of the research development, a survey was amassed and set up online
through survey engine “Survey Money”. The survey was created so that essential
evidence can be amassed concerning the different demographics that will theoretically
be attending the festival. These requests were created based on the gender, age of the
respondents and the location of where they live. (Immink and O’Kane, 2009)
The first two questions were constructed to establish the gender and age profile of
potential attendees. The results of these questions confirmed that the expected target
market to appear at the GSF would be male with 72% of the respondents and between 18
and 35 years of age with 92% of the respondents in that category. Although the greater
part of the respondents who undertook this investigation was among the ages of 18 and
44, other demographics also indicated an interest in appearing at the festival. By
targeting a specific niche in the market (sports enthusiasts), potentially exercising a
marketing campaign constructed on this will be considered, as this may be of an
advantage to urge attendees of all ages to go to the GSF.

The following three questions were intended to expose the level of interest in sport
especially soccer. These questions were aimed to collect as much general information
concerning the probable attendees that will be appealed in attending the GSF. Over 50%
of the respondents were enthusiastic about soccer and quite often would attend a soccer
match either in the locality of further afield. This demonstrated that there is, at present, a
market for these sorts of festivals.

The next two questions were aimed to find out what club would they like to appear in
Galway and what time of the year would they like it to happen. Knowing that there is a
popular demand for soccer, this will help categorise the target market for the festival.
Manchester United was the most popular answer amongst the respondents with over 70
% of them would attend if they were playing. 85% of the respondents wanted the
festival to be on in late summer.

The second last question on the survey, and perhaps the most important, was aimed to
find out how much the target market would be willing to pay to attend the festival.
Knowing this is vital as it will help with the promotion of the festival. 51% of the
respondents would pay up to €40 to attend the festival. This is a particularly useful
phase of the market research as helps to confirm a suitable pricing arrangement for the
three day festival.

The last question on the completed survey indicated that 72% of the respondents would
travel between forty and hundred kilometres to attend this festival. All parts of the
country will be targeted to raise enough revenue so that the festival is a financial success.
The marketing campaign that will be shaped to making sure the GSF will not be focused
just on the Galway area. The emphasis on the marketing and advertising campaign will
be on generating a nationwide campaign that will inspire the general public to travel to
Galway City to be present at the festival.
The main goal of this survey was to discover a clear target market with the intention of a
marketing plan being devised. It can offer soccer fanatics the prospect to interact with
others who have the same interests as themselves. The information above provides that
there is a market for sustaining a successful soccer festival in Galway City.
(Surveymonkey.com, 2013)
1.3.2 Interviews & Focus Group
Another part of the primary research was to conduct an interview and focus group with
professionals in the area. This is people who work in the soccer industry in some
capacity within Ireland. The objective of doing this research is to collect further
information regarding possible attendees who might go to the GSF.

As the Kennedy Cup will be held in the middle of summer, one would be unable to
undertake a questionnaire at the moment due to time restrictions. An interview over the
phone with the organiser of the tournament would take place and he would answer any
questions one might have on how the tournament was structured and fulfilled.
A focus group compiles of a small group of people who are guided through a moderator.
The objective for this focus group is to get superficial answers and get an insight on
consumer attitudes and their behaviour.
The Galway Soccer Festival organisers contacted the following people in their areas:
1. Interview - Martin O’ Halloran – Kennedy Cup Organiser
2. Focus Group – Robert Winn & Mike Daly – Galway and District League
Representatives
The Galway Soccer Festival organisers composed a number of questions that were
planned to confirm, not only the interest of potential customers attending the festival in
Galway but whether or not they felt that this festival would be successful in the West of
Ireland. Both the interviewee and the focus group were asked different questions/topics
in their area and the answers were analysed.
The feedback received from the interview and the focus group were very positive and all
agreed that a festival of this kind in the West of Ireland would be a great success. Not
only would it raise the profile of Galway City, it would also increase the popularity in
soccer as it has being decreasing the last number of years due to the success of other
sports e.g. rugby and GAA. (Please see appendix A for transcript of interview and focus
group undertook)

1.4 Market Research Conclusion
The objective of conducting this market research was to see is there a requirement to
have a soccer festival in the West of Ireland. After overseeing the research, it has shown
that there is currently a market in Ireland for this festival. Although there were fears of
travelling distance for some possible attendees, research has shown that the majority of
the respondents would travel to Galway for the soccer festival.
Once the target market was recognised, the next stage of the research process was to see
what the age profile likely attendees would be. The research shows that the majority of
the respondents that said they would attend the festival ranged from 18 to 24 years of
age.
After discussions with people who filled out the surveys and the interviewees, a ticket
price structure has been put in place. The majority of the respondents are willing to pay
a maximum of €40. This will be further analysed in the operations chapter where there
will be a structure put in place depending on what category you fall into.
After all the research was gathered between primary and secondary research, it has
shown that there is a distinct target market for the organisers of the Galway Soccer
Festival to approach. Failte Ireland is trying to promote any innovative ideas by offering
an event and festivals grant of up to €10,000. This festival will be the first of its kind in
Ireland and the Galway Soccer Festival will use this to their advantage when promoting
and marketing the festival throughout the country.

2.0 Marketing
2.1 Competitor Analysis:
2.1.1 Porters Five Forces
Porters Five Forces is a competitive analysis business framework that has been
developed and is widely used in forming business strategies. These strategies determine
the five forces that are considered to be the biggest threat to any emerging business.
(Bradford and Duncan et al., 2000)
It includes the following five forces:
Rivalry among Existing Firms:
During the market research for the possible expansion of the GSF, this framework will
be used to evaluate the potential threats of its competitors. As the setting for the first
year of the festival is Galway, the potential threat from rival festivals of its kind is
moderately low at the present as this is the first time a festival of its kind will be run in
Galway. There have been solitary soccer games in Ireland before but none in
conjunction with an underage tournament. This is why the festival is a unique occasion
for every one of all ages.
It’s important that the organisers of the festival remain loyal throughout. As there is no
competitive rivalry at the moment, all elements of the festival must remain dependable
throughout. Prices must remain reasonable at all times with the aim of producing a
worthwhile experience. The main aim of the GSF is to produce a festival that offers
both value for money for the customer, but also a better experience and atmosphere than
ever before. If the festival is a success, there is huge potential for the festival to go
across the country.
As a result of this market research being conducted, a potential target market was
identified that would attend this festival in the desired location. The surveys carried out
were accomplished to identify a sufficient amount of people that would travel a long
distance to attend the festival.

Potential entry of new Competitors
As pointed out in the secondary research, the level of success of soccer festivals
throughout the world has being quite high and the industry has been extremely
successful. These results mean the threat of potential new competitors is very low as
there are very high risk barriers to enter the industry at the moment. Some festivals
outside Ireland have huge set up costs as they have bigger stadiums to fill and there
marketing will be more expensive. Poor attendances can occur and this would result in
the festival not making enough revenue to stay in business.
However, in Ireland, this is not the case as the soccer festival industry has never being
seen before. As mentioned earlier, there have been sole games but nothing of the stature
of this festival in conjunction with an underage tournament.
Due to the industry still being very pristine, there is an exceptionally low customer/brand
allegiance which can cause problems for the GSF. Despite there being no competitors in
the market at the moment, there is a risk that potential customers may decide to go to a
rival business that will set up something similar to the Galway Soccer Festival or
possibly go abroad. The barriers to set up in Ireland are quite low such as low start-up
costs with an extensive amount of stadiums to choose from
All these factors that can be used as a competitive advantage for the GSF as this can be
used to offer the tickets to the GSF at a reasonable price. This will be completed so that
potential competitors will scrap any ideas of entering the industry in which the GSF are
currently entering.
Bargaining power of Suppliers
The possible danger that suppliers present to the GSF is very small. The GSF main
suppliers will be the traders that will be approached to use both facilities in Salthill.
Salthill Devon and Galway County Board own Drom Soccer Pitch and Pearse Stadium
respectively. They will each charge a fee for the venue hire and this will be later
discussed in the study. There will be an agreement in place before the festival begins.
Although there is so much uncertainty about the country’s economic status, the GSF
organisers could use this to their advantage as this is the only festival of its kind in the
country. It is a great opportunity for them to target new potential customers

Bargaining power of Buyers
The most significant impact what will determine the success of the Galway Soccer
Festival will be its attendees. This will be the biggest threat the GSF will have with
regards to buyers. Powerful customers are able to exert pressure on the festival by
demanding lower prices. If this was the case, the GSF would have no other choice but to
do it as it would result in low attendances for both the underage tournament and the
professional game on the Sunday
To decrease the chance of any financial threats occurring, the ticket price for the festival
will be settled to be as inexpensive as possibly can to benefit all customers but ensuring
the organisers of the festival are not at a financial disadvantage. However, the risk from
the bargaining power of the consumer is extremely low as there is no other alternative
for going to a soccer festival in Ireland.
Potential Development of Substitute Products
The threat of potential development of substitute products is extremely high at this time.
Due to the GSF being the first of its kind within the country, other businesses can begin
to approach the potential target market as a less high-priced alternative, albeit in a
different county. This could affect the attendances for future festivals held in Galway
especially if rival firms locate in areas such as Dublin, Cork and Donegal. There is a
proposed business development with the GSF that it would go nationwide and offer the
same package in different county/counties.
2.2 Environmental Analysis
2.2.1 SWOT Analysis
This environmental analysis refers to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
of a business. It’s a process where the Galway Soccer Festival’s management team
identifies the internal and external factors that will affect the festival’s performance. The
festival’s strengths’ and weaknesses are the internal factors whilst the opportunities and
threats are the external factors. This analysis was completed to generate awareness of
the possible threats that can happen to prevent the effective running of the festival.
(Bradford & Duncan; 2000) (Please see appendix B for S.W.O.T Analysis of the GSF)

2.3 Marketing Mix
The marketing mix has four critical elements in marketing your festival. Each of the
four elements is a variable you control that will, in turn, attract attendees to the festival.
This process needs a watchful eye at all times as the success of the festival depends on it.
The way you use the four P’s will determine how the festival will reach its full potential.
(Druckner, 1999)
Product
Galway Soccer Festival will be a three day soccer festival held in Galway City
commencing over a weekend in July. The festival will include a sixteen club team
tournament, will incorporate a family day out and will involve one of the world’s
prestigious clubs, Manchester United, playing Galway United F.C to a capacity crowd in
Pearse Stadium. The tournament will take place in Salthill Devon’s state of the art
facilities on the Friday and Saturday with the final of the tournament taking place in
Galway GAA’s, Pearse Stadium, on the Sunday. The reason Pearse Stadium was chosen
as it has a capacity of 34,000 compared to Galway United’s 5,000. The tournament will
be for under sixteen’s and will showcase Europe’s fantastic talent up against some of
Ireland’s top clubs over three days.
The game between Manchester United and Galway United will take place at 6 pm on the
Sunday with the U16 Final taking place at 3pm. After the two games, there will be an
autograph session with the Manchester United players for any fan to get their jersey,
scarf or any memorabilia signed by one of their heroes.
Galway Soccer Festival will be aimed at soccer enthusiasts of all ages. It will be a great
chance for coaches to come and witness some of Europe’s upcoming talent that will be
seen on the television in the future. Coaches will be able to take notes on the different
brand of football that other clubs play throughout Europe. Coaches may hope to find a
strategy that is suitable for them. Each club in Ireland will be notified of when the
festival is on and will be encouraged to send a coach from each team they have. It will
also give the Manchester United fanatics the opportunity to meet with some of their
favourite Manchester United players, such as Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney who
will be signing autographs on the Sunday

Price
From the primary research that has been completed, questions were accomplished for
respondents to answer on how much they would be ready to spend to attend a
professional soccer game in Galway City. It was discovered that a price of between €20
and €40 for the game was considered reasonable to pay.
As a result of this, an academic pricing strategy would be sought to meet the needs of the
attendees of the festival. There will be different stages of prices that will be
contemplated for the attendees to look at it. This includes the general admission for the
two games on Sunday and this will be set at a price depending on what category you fall
into.
Adult - €25
O.A.P/Student - €15
Child (U-12) - €5
Family (Two adults & Two Children) - €50
Secondly, the general admission for the two days of the underage tournament will be a
once off fee of €10 for adults and O.A.P’s/Students and €5 per child. This is to
hopefully create an atmosphere at Drom so the players involved can cherish and
remember. No family package for tickets will be on offer for the underage tournament.
As this festival is the first of its kind, the price will have to be thoroughly considered and
be as coherent as possible. Beginning at a cheaper price at the start of the first festival is
crucial as once the success of the festival has been confirmed and the attendances
confirmed, new higher prices for future festivals can be introduced.
Place
There are two proposed locations for the Galway Soccer Festival with both of these
being used for the festival. Each is located in Salthill which is 10 minutes from Eyre
Square. Drom Soccer Pitch is home to Salthill Devon. It has four main pitches which
is a perfect set up for the underage tournament. Pearse Stadium is home to Galway
GAA since 1857. It holds many competitive games throughout the year involving all

inter county teams from Galway. The venue has an excellent surface which is ideal for
the professional soccer game
One other proposed location for the two games on Sunday was Eamon Deacy Park but
the reduced capacity of 5,000, compared to Pearse Stadium, meant the festival would be
at a financial disadvantage.
Promotion
There are a number of areas that will be targeted to promote the festival. These include:
1. Website – A website will be set up to promote the festival. The website will provide
information on all teams entering the underage tournament and on the squad Manchester
United will be travelling with. Customers will also be able to purchase tickets through a
number of payment options including debit cards and pay pal. It’s important for all
business’s to have an online presence as the power of the web has now become a major
advertising and promoting tool.
2. Social Media – A new page will be set up on both Facebook and Twitter to promote the
festival. These pages will be updated regularly on a daily/weekly basis with updates on
the progress of the festival (e.g. teams entered for the underage tournament, the
professional outfit playing on the Sunday, ticket prices and general information about
Galway City). It will also appear on all Galway United’s social media pages along with
their website
3. Print Media – Regional Newspapers will be used to advertise the festival on all
promotional material. This will involve 1/3 page advertisements and will appear on all
newspapers in Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Athlone. This will be
achieved for a two month period prior to the tournament taking place.
4. Radio Advertising – Galway Bay FM will be another source of advertising during the
festival. They will broadcast live coverage of the underage tournament final and the
senior game on the Sunday. There will be an allocated space for the station to set up
their van on the day. Updates from the underage tournament on the Friday and Saturday
will take place throughout the day as the results come in. They reach 139,000 listeners a
week and will reach our target market more effectively. (Galway Bay FM, 2014)
5. Personnel Selling – The festival organisers will target a number of companies and
business’s to look for possible sponsorship on the festival. A database to be complied

will include all potential sponsorship. Emails will be sent to everyone on the database
followed up by a phone call to arrange a meeting to discuss the criteria involved.
6. Direct Mail – Leaflets and brochures will be printed to be included in all newspapers
7. Public Relations – The festival director will head up the PR campaign organising press
releases, press conference for the announcement of the festival and any information that
will have advertising of the festival.
2.4 Sales Forecast
Based on the ticketing prices being set the way they are, it will be predicted that a total
of 34,000 tickets will be sold. It will be assumed that in the first year of ticketing sales
that the festival will take in €1,034,125 between Drom Soccer Pitch and Pearse Stadium.
This will be the same for the following two years with the assumption of both venues
being sold out every year due to the high demand of Manchester United. The success of
the festival will be based on all costs being paid up on the last day of the festival. This
will ensure the festival organiser retaining a profit once these objectives have been
fulfilled
2.5 Marketing Conclusion
The main objective for this market research was to see whether or not there is a necessity
for having a soccer festival in Ireland and specifically the West of Ireland. After
completing the research, it has been determined that there is a clear target market for the
Galway Soccer festival to aim for due to no festival of its kind happening in Ireland
before.
A marketing plan can now be drawn up to allow the organisers to move a step forward
and start planning the operations of the festival. This will ensure that the festival will
run successfully to maximise revenue for the business. This in turn will make it a
worthwhile experience for all customers attending the festival

3.0 Operations Chapter
3.1 Introduction
In this section, the Galway Soccer Festival will deal with all the aspects of the operations
plan on how the festival will be set in place to ensure the smooth running of the festival.
This will include festival set up, opening of the festival, festival breakdown and
evaluation on how the festival was run.
3.2 Finding the Venue
There are two venues chosen for the festival to accommodate the international underage
tournament and the professional soccer game between Galway XI and Manchester
United.
Two Venues:
Drom Soccer Pitch, Salthill – This venue was chosen as it has held other successful
soccer tournaments in the past couple of decades. It’s the third biggest soccer stadium in
Galway behind and Eamonn Deacy Park and Fahy’s Field. It’s the home ground to
Salthill Devon who up until this year had being playing in the League of Ireland First
Division. The clubhouse was built in 2002 and was opened by the FAI’s chief executive
John Delaney. It has 3 full-size soccer pitch, eight 5-a-side astro pitches and a beautiful
clubhouse. Its open is open to the public all year and has a capacity of 500 for games
held there. It has four main pitches which is a perfect set up for the underage
tournament. It also has adequate parking around the facility which is free to use.
Pearse Stadium, Salthill – This is the principal GAA stadium in Galway but has held
other sporting festivals in the past including Aussie Rules (its first outside Croke Park) in
2006. It was opened in 1857 with a then capacity of 16,000. The site on which the
stadium was built is 17 acres (69,000m2). The stadium was renovated in 2002 and was
reopened in May 2003 to a new capacity of 34,000. It has held many big games down
through the years including National League Finals and Connacht Senior Football Finals.
The venue has excellent facilities with four changing rooms in the main stand so it can
incorporate more than two teams at a certain time. It also has parking facilities around
Salthill with a Park and Ride system in places for big games played there. It’s a perfect
venue for the professional game involving Manchester United as it has the required
capacity to fulfil the public’s interest in attending the game.

One of the determining factors in choosing these facilities is its central location in
Galway City and the necessary infrastructure in the surrounding areas. Galway City is
only ten minutes’ drive from both facilities by car. There are also adequate taxi and bus
services to and from the city centre on a daily basis. Galway is well known for its
stunning accommodation. It has one of the highest standards of hotels in the country
with a number of hotels in the city having a 4 or 5 star rating. This accommodation is a
5 minute drive from both facilities which is ideal for all teams involved. The facilities
are also located beside a main road that leads to the new bypass onto the motorway
(Galway – Dublin - M6) which provides access to all clubs who would be travelling
from Dublin Airport. The facilities are also within fifteen minutes of the Galway City
bus and rail stations. Each of the routes that will be used to attract the general public to
attend the festival will be sign posted in and around Galway City and County.
Both facilities have sufficient car parking areas for attendees who want to use them.
There will also be a park and ride facilities planned at chosen locations around Galway
at selected times which will be decided nearer starting date.
3.3 Space Requirements
There are no restrictions for wheelchair and disabled access in both Drom and Pearse
Stadium. As both venues were purposely built for sporting reasons, they both have the
requirements of all the essentials that are needed for this festival. (e.g. electricity, heat,
water etc.) One of the draw backs of these facilities is the nonexistence of closed in-
space that can be operated for office areas. As a result, the setup of truss and draping
will happen at both venues. This will be distinctly marked out with the right signs
outside and sufficient space allocated for each office to give the necessary amount of
privacy.
Lounge area will be assigned for the attendees to avail of during the festival with seating
and tables made accessible where possible. A section outside each stadium will be used
for ticketing booths. As most of the festivals will be held in daylight and both facilities
having adequate electricity, no special power supplies such as generators will be needed
during the festival.

3.4 Suppliers
Galway Soccer Festival will have to buy and pay for a number of things during the set-
up, during and close-down of the festival. This planning and costing’s will be worked
out six months prior to the festival during the planning process involving the director of
festivals and the festivals co-ordinator. The suppliers will need to be informed well in
advance to avoid disappointment and any disorder between the two clients. (See
appendix C for outline of the festival’s schedule) (Parry and Shone, 2004)
3.5 Security
The festival’s organiser will be using a security business to guarantee all safety and
security rules and regulations are adhered to at the festival. Each staff member will be
trained in the correct emergency procedures that are required. All areas will be
monitored by security as well as nearby areas such as car/coach parks and food and
beverages units that may be set up outside both at Drom and mainly Pearse Stadium (due
to bigger capacity)
A security presence will be there on site throughout the professional game to have a
watch out for theft and any unsporting behaviour from the crowd i.e. throwing of
objects, racist chanting and flares being set off. Although the game will be an all-ticket
affair, security will also need to be in full view at the ticketing booths outside the ground
and other areas on site that will have any cash handling facilities. Each person working
at the festival will use an accreditation system that will be carried out prior to the start of
the festival. There will be limited areas onsite that only approved personal will have
access to such as areas where the players will be in attendance.
3.6 Communication and Channels
The festival director of Festivals will operate a communication system throughout the
festival. This will be vital for the smooth running of the festival. All key festival,
security and volunteer personal will be in radio contact throughout the festival and each
member of t will be given a call number. Each member of the team will be trained in
how to use the system correctly. Again, this training takes place prior to the festival.

A contact list will be written up and clearly presented showing each member of staff
their mobile number as a back-up of being unable to contact each other through the
radios. In the festival of any incident that may take place, the Safety Officer needs to be
told so he can contact any other relevant people that may be needed at that time e.g.
Emergency services. The incident is then recorded.
3.7 Registration and Tickets
The Galway Soccer Festival will make tickets available to buy to the general public
through the website. All suitable payment systems will be in place including PayPal and
all major credit and debit cards.
The festival organisers will consider introducing a software programme such as
‘Festivals Pro’ to handle with all the registration process both for the teams taking part in
the tournament and for the general public attending the tournament and the match. On
the website there will be a list of tickets available to the public. A pricing strategy in co-
ordination with the underage tournament would be sought to meet the needs of the
attendees of the festival. The pricing structure will be as follows:
Underage Tournament (each day)
Adult - €10
O.A.P / Student / Child - €5
Professional Match & Underage Tournament Final
Adult - €25
O.A.P / Student - €20
Child (U-12) accompanied by adult - €10
Family (two adults & two children) - €60
This material from the website on the figures will then be recorded into ‘Festivals Pro’
and exercised on each day of the festival. Tickets for both the tournament and the two
matches on the Sunday can furthermore be purchased on the day at a detached ticketing
booth outside the grounds.

To make all purchasing options available, phone lines will be set in place so that tickets
can be obtained over the phone. Each person purchasing a ticket will be given a print
out of their ticket purchase through an email. They will then be instructed to bring this to
whichever part of the festival they are travelling to. Email will also consist of layout of
both stadiums, the seating areas, car parks available, and other useful information too.
3.8 Festival Set-Up
The festival set up will begin three days before the opening day takes place. This will
give everyone involved the chance to prepare the festival before it is opened to the
general public. This will involve all ensuring all stadium requirements are maintained,
lighting and sound are working and all rigging and truss is secure i.e. Temporary
offices. The production company’s main job will be to set up office spaces for the
security and medical teams in case of an emergency. This facility will be highlighted
throughout the facility. This area will also be used for all festival crews, volunteers and
production team who will have their own required space. This will be main contact area
for all staff employed with the Galway Soccer Festival and this is where they will be
briefed each day and their schedule given to all relevant personal.
Both Drom Soccer Pitch and Pearse Stadium are well maintained throughout the year
due to other games being played in each venue. They are both well equipped to hold this
festival and have all the requirements necessary to run it. This will mean little
production will take place when setting up each venue for the festival.
3.9 Health and Safety
Safety, Health and welfare Act at Work 2005 has been complied by the HSE to cover the
responsibility of employers regarding health and safety in the work place. This acts sets
out the guidelines by which all employers must follow such as the requirements of health
and safety, the systems in place to help complete these objectives and the responsibilities
and role the employer must take in this area. (Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act,
2005)

This is a crucial part of the operations plan that everyone involved must severely pay
attention to. They must provide a ‘Duty of Care’ to all its employees, volunteers,
suppliers and attendees. The organisers of the festival will also deliver information and
training to all employees and volunteers to ensure that all parts of the health and safety
act in the workplace are protected to help decrease the danger of any incidents taking
place that may hurt any of the employees and attendees that are on site. (Bowdin et al,
2001)
3.10 Safety Statement
As the festival is one of the biggest of its size ever to be held in Ireland, there are a
number of factors to be taken into concerned about when dealing with the tests of all the
health and safety issues. A person from the festivals team will be appointed as ‘Safety
Officer’ who will keep a record of any incidents that may occur throughout the festival.
This will be delivered in the form of an ‘Accident Report’. The Safety Officer will also
arrange any training that may be essential and will be the main point of contact for any
incidents that may need emergency services. To be called in. A number of systems will
be put in place throughout the festival to safeguard any of these incidents occurring e.g.
Correct barriers in place to avoid overcrowding and separate entrances and exits for both
attendees and suppliers. As the festival is available to the general public, there will be
security and paramedic services on site at both Drom and Pearse Stadium. There will
also be an area reserved for both of these at each venue which will be clearly signposted
on site.
To avoid any confusion throughout the festival all staff members will be given all
information regarding the contact numbers and specific locations for briefings to be
taken place each day. Housekeeping volunteers will make regular checks throughout the
festival to ensure all waste material is cleaned up to evade any possible trips and falls
that may happen.
3.11 Crowd Control
Throughout the festival there will be a crowd control system in place to avoid any
incidents that may cause harm to any member of staff or attendees of the festival. As
there is bigger crowd expected at Pearse Stadium (capacity 34,000) for the two matches

taking place there, strict procedures will be in place. The entrances to the stadium will
be designed to avoid bottlenecks from forming near any entrance including the same
areas where the emergency services will be using throughout the festival.
A ‘snake system’ will be implemented to ensure an easy flow into the stadium. These
barriers will ensure no surges in the crowd and allow the security and stewards an
unhindered view of any confrontations that may happen. As always with big sporting
festivals, the general public will be advised to arrive early at the match to avoid
disappointment
3.12 Waste Management
Throughout festivals across the world, the ability to produce huge amounts of waste is
high and can create difficulties in and around the facility. The organisers of the Galway
Soccer Festival main objective are to reduce the amount of waste generated during the
weekend to a minimum by implementing a recycling programme. During the festival
setup, there will be an area isolated for any cardboard, paper, packaging, plastic food and
drink containers and metal cans to be recycled. No glass will be allowed inside Drom
and Pearse Stadium due to health and safety reasons.
Implementing these strategies will reduce the cost of any rubbish that will be built up
throughout the festival both in Drom and Pearse Stadium. Despite this strategy tasking
place, each venue will have a number of recycling bins in designated areas to encourage
all attendees to help continue with this procedure. Volunteers will be hired to take on
the role of housekeeping throughout each facility for the festival. Routine checks will be
carried out each day to make certain that there is no build-up of waste materials
throughout each venue to prevent any accidents occurring in the stadiums.
3.13 Risk Assessment
To continue with the health and safety policy throughout the festival, a risk assessment
will need to be accomplished so that the festival organisers and crews are alert to what
could possibly happen and how to prevent it from occurring. (Please see appendix D for
a full breakdown of this) (DCC Guidelines for festival Organisers, 2012)

3.14 Human Resources and Responsibilities
Due to the festival itself only having three full days, most of the employees required
won’t be needed to start until closer to the festival start date. In the early planning
process of the festival, only the Festival Director and the Festivals Co-Ordinator will
have full-time rolls. The duties of the festival director and the festival coordinator will
be a joint co-ordinated attempt to plan the Galway Soccer Festival and the processes and
plans methods this entails. The planning for this festival will start 18 months out from
the festival start-up date. (Please see appendix E for the key responsibilities of the two
full time positions with the Galway Soccer Festival)
In the early stages the festival director and the festival coordinator will work together to
begin creating comprehensive documents to secure both stadiums that will be used. They
will also work closely in sourcing all the teams that would be interested in participating
in the tournament. A special request will have to be put forward to Manchester United
to ask them to send over a team to play against a Galway XI. They will also be
accountable for producing a proposal to attract sponsorship for the festival.
The marketing and public relations plan that was highlighted in market research section
to promote the festival, will also involve input on the production of all tickets, posters,
brochures and signage requirements. The festival director and festival coordinator will
communicate with will all people associated with the festival (i.e. teams, suppliers etc.)
to make sure the festival is run as smoothly as possible.
The festival director and the festival co-coordinator will confirm that all health, safety
and security regulations are secured and followed by the all staff members closer to the
festival starting date. This is to be monitored throughout the festival as the festival
coordinator will be employed as safety officer when the festival is up and running.
(Bowdin et al, 2011)
The festival coordinator will be responsible for compiling the festival structure and
specifications that will confirm starting times of each game for the tournament and the
programme of festivals for the Sunday which will include the two big games.

3.15 Festival Crews & Volunteers
The festival organisers will assemble a team of around 15 staff members to work within
the festival. They will be looking for seasonal workers who have experience in working
in the festivals industry (e.g. Targeting Galway Institute of Technology festivals
management’s students in the surrounding areas). This group will be involved with tasks
such as moving in, set up and close down of the festival, general preparation of the
stadiums for the games, ticketing, administration, cashiers, working on the merchandise
booth for the Galway Soccer Festival memorabilia and supporting the festival
management team when necessary.
The organisers of the festival will also have to consider recruiting around thirty to forty
volunteers to work within the festival. These volunteers will be given the same training
as the paid staff member. They will also be made customary to all the rules, regulations
and procedures that will be applied throughout the festival. Their main roles and
responsibilities will include housekeeping, stewarding, information booths, lost and
found and general assisting people at the stadiums who may want to find their seat.
Every member Uniforms will be given t-shirts with the festival’s name printed on the
front of them. This is to ensure they are recognisable from the crowd. Each staff
member will be allocated their job before the start-up date to ensure no confusion take
place in the lead up to the festival. As mentioned in the health and safety act, staff
washroom facilities and a break area will be provided for all staff members including
volunteers to use during the festival
3.16 Areas of Staff Training
The festival crew and volunteers will be given training prior to the festival beginning to
ensure the success of the festival and enhance the overall attendee’s experience. These
will include all health and safety training such as manual handling, fire safety training
and crowd control. All of these procedures will relate back to the safety statement risks
which is mentioned above. Other training the staff members will receive will include
briefing on safety procedures and customer care procedures. This will ensure consistency
between all employees and again ensuring a worthwhile experience for the attendee

3.17 Festival Shut-down
As soon as the festival finishes up, the concluding arrangements of shut-down and the
clean-up of the venues can begin. The main component of the clean-up operation will be
centred on in and around both stadiums. This will start on the Sunday morning in Drom
after the competition has being concluded the previous evening. On the Monday
morning, all members of the house keeping team will be in Pearse Stadium to do the
clean-up from the previous day. This will be a full day project as there would be a full
capacity crowd at the venue the day before. As a result of the games finishing late
Sunday evening, light would be an issue for that time. Therefore the clean-up would
commence early Monday morning. The clean-up crew will also ensure that all catering
facilities are removed and no waste is left behind.
The festivals crew will be on hand to remove all equipment that was needed at both
venues throughout such as all tables, chairs, railings etc. They will work in conjunction
with the security business employed for the festival. As with all procedures throughout
the festival, health and safety regulations will be followed when removing equipment to
ensure no incidents happen.
Once this has being finalised the Festival Coordinator will examine both stadiums to
confirm all procedures have being followed and that both stadiums were in the same
condition that they were prior to the festival. (Shone and Parry, 2001)
Once all the above tasks are completed, all administration accounts will need to be
finalized to take care of any costs that need to be paid after the festival is concluded.
This included paying both Drom and Pearse Stadium for the venue hire and also any
final marketing details that need to be addressed such i.e. press release that need to
follow up on the festival’s future plans

3.18 Festival Evaluation
Throughout the festival, a number of the volunteers will be accountable for collecting
information from the people who attended the festival. This was completed through a
series of questionnaires and surveys on what improvements could the GSF make for
future festivals. This is also achieved to improve the reputation of the Galway Soccer
Festival and evaluate all staff members’ performance during the festival. They will also
want feedback on all the staff employed for the festival for any contribution they feel
could improve the festival from their point of view from due to communicating with the
general public during the festival.
The organisers of the festival will be focusing on a number of areas to receive feedback
such as attendee’s thoughts on the variety of services available at the festival. This
observation will include the tournament standard, match day experience, concerns
regarding crowd control, waiting time in queues and parking availability and access to
and from the venues. This information will become critical for future planning of the
GSF. (Parry and Shone, 2004)
The security company employed for the festival will be responsible to provide feedback
on any incidents that occurred on site and how they were dealt with it. This feedback
will be discussed in order to prevent it happening in future festival
3.19 Legal Requirements
Prior to the festival occurring, the will need to be made mindful of the legal
consequences that can affect the festival and its employees. At the moment there is a
number of Government Legislation that all festivals must adhere to and comply with.
This is accomplished to ensure the safety and welfare of the employees and attendees
The Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 states that ‘a duty of care must be
given to all employees and a safe environment to be provided at all times’. Due to a risk
assessment been carried out, all hazards have being identifies that could perhaps happen
at the festival. (DCC Guidelines for Festival Organisers, pp. 1 - 45)

The Fire Services Act 1981 will need to be obeyed accurately in the festival set-up and
throughout the festival. This is needed in a number of areas that will be needed to be
checked for potential hazards. This Act will furthermore cover all regulations that need
to be monitored inside and outside the stadium and also the walkways throughout to
ensure they are not blocked by anything during the festival (Bowdin et al, 2011)
3.20 Insurance
As with all major events, insurance will be a mandatory element. The organisers of the
festival chose O’Driscoll & O’Neill who are based in Dublin. They provided a policy
that will cover all aspects of the festival. This will include public and employee, loss or
damage to properties, damage to the venue and more. They were also the most
inexpensive option available to the GSF. (See appendix F for copy of quote received)
3.21 Business Registration
The festival will be listed as a Sole Trader and will be registered under the trading name
GSF Festival Management. This was decided as being a sole trader makes you directly
responsible for all aspects that are mandatory to be assembled in the organisation of the
GSF

4.0 Finance Chapter
4.1 Financial Assumptions
Sales Highest Assumption Lowest Assumption
Ticket Sales 1,034,125 750,000
Merchandise Sales 65,240 62,000
Failte Ireland Grant 10,000 5,000
Sponsorship 10,000 20,000
Team Entries 56,000 56,000
Total Sales 1,194,045 893,000
These assumptions are based on the Galway Soccer Festival organisers successfully
selling 34,000 tickets for Pearse Stadium and 500 tickets for Drom Stadium. It is
necessary that the organisers are successful in attracting these numbers in order to cover
the all costs that will be associated in producing a festival of this size. If the lowest
revenue assumption is met, it’s important that the organisers have a plan in place for a
smaller scale festival with the use of an alternative venue.
The accounts have been compiled on the basis that the highest assumption will be
generated. They also outline the expenses that the organisers will incur during the
planning process. This is year one’s assumptions and any changes to this for the
following years will be shown in the profit and loss accounts.
4.2 Capital Investment
This business plan will be entirely funded through a Bank of Ireland business loan. The
bank loan which the author will avail of will be for €80,000 with repayments being paid
over a sixty month period at 5.74% APR. The initial break down of the €80,000 loan is
€1,536 each monthly payment. Overall including interest the loan repayment in full will
mount to €92,160. The organisers needs to be able to prove that each loan repayment
will be made on time, to do this a full set of financial projections should be prepared
along with a well-established business plan to secure the loan. This loan is to help with
any cost that will be sustained throughout the first stage of organising the festival. (See
appendix F for quote on bank loan)

An application for funding from Failte Ireland which is now obtainable that is
specifically for festivals and events in Ireland. This will be the amount of €10,000 and
will be paid in full after the festival is finished. This will go in relation to marketing and
advertising expenses for the festival.
The next cash injection will come from sponsorship from mobile network business Three
Ireland. Three Ireland already sponsor the Irish National Soccer Team and will be able
to provide an Irish Senior International who will be essential in selling tickets to the
festival. This sponsorship will be in the equivalent of €10,000 starting off with this
rising by 50% each year
4.3 Revenue
The main cash inflow will come from ticket sales both Pearse Stadium and Drom Soccer
Pitch. These tickets will be divided up into different categories depending on the
underage tournament and the professional game and which one (if both) you are
attending. These categories will include Adult, O.A.P, Student, Child and Family. The
prices will be charged as follows:
Day Adult
Price (€)
O.A.P/Student
Price (€)
Child
Price (€)
Family
Price
(€)
Friday/Saturday 10 5 5 N/A
Sunday 25 20 10 60
Due to Pearse Stadium’s capacity of 34,000, the organisers feel that there is a huge
potential in making a sustainable profit for holding this festival. Despite this, all costs
must be taken care of first for this to be accomplished. These ticket sales will be based
on the assumption that the full capacity of Pearse Stadium (34,000) and Drom (500) is
sold. This profit will then be put back into the business for the following year for it to be
improved on in its second year. The following table will further explain how this will be
broken down:

Pearse Stadium Ticket Revenue
Ticket Category Quantity Price (€) Total (€)
Adult 20,000 40 800,000
O.A.P/Student 6,000 20 120,000
Child
(U-12
accompanied by
adult)
2,000 10 20,000
Family (Two
adults & Two
Children)
1,500 (6,000
people)
60 90,000
Total Sales 1,030,000
Drom Ticket Revenue
Ticket Category Quantity Price (€) Total (€)
Adult 325 10 3,250
Child/O.A.P/Student 175 5 875
Total Sales 4,125
Combined Sales
Stadium Sales (€)
Pearse Stadium 1,030,000
Drom Soccer Pitch 4,125
Combined Sales 1,034,125
The predicted revenue for the coming two years (2016 & 2017) will be established on
the theory that ticket sales will continue to be the same each year. This will be shown in
the set of accounts that have been collected in this section.

4.4 Team Entries & Accommodation.
Each team entering the underage tournament will be charged a team entry fee for
participating in the tournament. Galway Soccer Festival will also provide food and
accommodation for all teams that are staying. For the underage teams, the best option is
student accommodation as its close to the city centre and Drom Soccer Pitch. Each team
will have to contact the festival organiser to book a team in the tournament. They will
then be allocated a location for the duration of the location. Each team in total will be
charged €3,500 and will be available to be paid through all payment options. The
following table is a breakdown on prices for teams entering the tournament
Location Nights No in Squad
including
Managemen
t
Half
Board
Team
Entry
Fee
Total
per
Team
Corrib
Village
3 20 €160 300 €3,500
Gort na
Coirbe
3 20 €160 300 €3,500
For Manchester United, the Galway Soccer Festival organisers will recommend the
Salthill Hotel just outside Galway City. This is a beautiful three star hotel just off
Salthill beach. Manchester United would pay for these themselves as they always when
travelling abroad for pre-season matches. However, the organisers have put together a
quote for them to let them know of the price involved for staying in Salthill. (Please see
appendix G for invoice on Salthill Hotel).
4.5 Transport for Teams
Donoghues of Galway will provide the transport for all teams. The festival will
subsidise this expense for all teams. Due to the number of teams involved, there will be
four buses in operation for the duration of the festival. This amount will be €1,600 per
day with a total charge of €4,800 for the whole weekend. (Please see appendix H for
invoice on bus transport)

4.6 Office Rent
As this is a yearly festival with the possibility for further expansion to different parts of
Ireland, the festival organisers feel it would be mandatory for a festival of this size to
have an office rented for the day to day management of the administration side of the
festival. After viewing other properties in Galway City, the festival organisers chose
Fairgreen as this is the best option available. This will be a fully furnished office and
has been located in Galway City Centre. The office is moderately priced, in a central
location and comes with added facilities such as parking, toilets, reception area. It also is
hard furnished that will be necessary such as tables and chairs. The office space itself is
12,000 square feet with is an adequate amount of room for all employees working there.
After discussion with the landlord, the office would cost in the region of €7,000 - €8,000
per year including VAT and rates. (Please see appendix I for overview of the office)
4.7 Office Equipment & Expenses
Due to the office that’s being rented is fully furnished, the only equipment the festival
organisers will essentially need to buy will be the following:
 Two desktop computers,
 Two Printers,
 Phones
 Stationery
 Office Chairs
All purchases will be from Galway Stationery Supplies and Curry’s Ireland. Both are in
Galway City and are easily accessible to buy from. This will be a significant part of the
purchases as it will be of major influence towards the daily administration tasks that
need to be performed. (Please see appendix J for full list of equipment and costs)
An amount of €10,000 will be assigned each year that the festival will be run and will be
divided up over the twelve months running up to the festival date. This will cover day to
day costs that can be incurred during this period. These costs include:
Travel – The team will incur these costs when promoting the festival throughout the
year around the country.
Light & Heat – The team will incur these costs when they are in the administration
throughout the year

Phone & Internet – The team will incur these costs when they are trying to get in
contact with clubs in Ireland and in Europe.
Ticketing – The team will print out the right number of tickets for distribution every
year.
4.8 Venue Hire
Each venue will be needed for duration of time and not just for the actual festival. Both
venues will involve three move-in days which will ensure all crews to be punctual. For
Drom they will have two actual festival days and Pearse Stadium will have one for the
festival. Finally one move-out day will be required for each venue for the breakdown.
After lengthy discussions with each stadium manager over the phone, the following table
below will demonstrate how each venue will come at a different cost:
Venue Festival
Move-In
Days
Actual
Festival
Even
Move-
Out
Days
Total
No. Of
Days
Total
Price
(€)
Drom
Soccer
Pitch
3 2 1 6 3,000
Pearse
Stadium
3 1 1 5 17,000
4.9 Merchandise Costs & Sales
A merchandise stand will be offered to the general public at each venue for the attendees
to buy clothing materials with the Galway Soccer Festival symbol on them. Selections
of t-shirts, hoodies and hats have been chosen for selling during the festival. A number
of clothing companies around Ireland were researched but a decision was made and the
organisers went with Camden Clothing Business in Dublin. They are the cheapest option
but have the best quality on offer. The following table shows a rundown of the costs in
buying and selling these items. (Please see appendix K for quotation from Camden
Clothing)

Merchandise Quantity Price Per Unit
(€)
Total (€)
Men’s Hoodies 1,000 10.95 10,950
Ladies Hoodies 1,000 10.95 10,950
Kids Hoodies 1,000 9.25 9,250
Men’s T-Shirts 1,000 3.70 3,750
Ladies T-Shirts 1,000 3.70 3,750
Kids T-Shirts 1,000 3.50 3,500
Caps 1,000 2.95 2,950
Beanies 1,000 4.15 4,l50
Total
Purchases
49,250
Once these items arrive, the festival organiser will put a fixed price on each item
purchased. Merchandise that is leftover after the first year can be used in the next year.
This will be the case as the Galway Soccer Festival’s logo will not have a date applied
underneath so therefore can used again the following year.
The subsequent table explains how much each of the clothing items will be sold for and
the profit that will be got from this retail option at the festival. This will be a vital aspect
in the possible profit that be made throughout the three day festival.
Merchandise Quantity Price Sold (€) Total (€)
Men’s Hoodies 850 14.99 12,741
Ladies Hoodies 850 14.99 12,741
Kids Hoodies 900 12.99 11,691
Men’s T-Shirts 700 9.99 6,993
Ladies T-Shirts 650 9.99 6,494
Kids T-Shirts 700 7.99 5,593
Caps 600 4.99 2,994
Beanies 750 7.99 5,993
Total Sales 65,240

These figures are for the first year of the festival. The revenue generated from the ticket
sales, the merchandise cost of purchases and retail sales revenue will increase by 5%
each year which is shown in the profit and loss accounts for the forthcoming years.
4.10 Marketing and Advertising
To successfully promote the Galway Soccer Festival, it is crucial that a specific amount
of advertising is completed. Various options will be used including flyers brochures,
banners, print media and radio. Galway Print was selected for the printing. The
following table will further explain how much each one of these will cost: (Please see
appendix L for examples of advertising costs) (Advertising Rates. 2011)
Advertisement Business Quantity Description Total
(€)
Flyers Vista Print 12,000 Full colour
both sides
336
Brochures Vista Print 1,000 Full colour
all sides
289
Festival Day
Banner
Vista Print 15 Full colour
(Large)
369
Print Media Connacht
Tribune
8 weeks 1/3 page
full colour
8,400
Print Media Galway
Advertiser
8 weeks 1/3 page
full colour
5,120
Print Media Athlone
Advertiser
8 weeks 1/3 page
full colour
5,120
Print Media Galway
Post
2 weeks 1/2 page
full colour
4,624
Radio Galway Bay
FM
3 Days Live Show
from
Sunday
Free
Public
relations(PR)
In-house 5,000
Total
Advertising
29,528

4.11 Setting up Website
Due to the size of the festival, it is essential to promote it to the best of its ability. A
crucial part in this will be designing a website that will give all the relevant information
regarding the festival including teams competing and dates and times of each match.
There will also be links to the Facebook and Twitter pages and these will be used as part
of the PR campaign that will run. This link will also be set up on the Galway United
website that will link any potential customers to the new website. The general public will
also be able to purchase tickets sales on it. This will be a one off cost in year one
amounting to €1,200 and will be created by a business called Ionic Web-Design in
Dublin. They offer the best price with regards of what the Galway Soccer Festival want
to incur into their website. All updates for future festivals will be done in-house as both
the Business Director and the Festival Co-Ordinator hat will be hired are both trained
using HTML Design (Please see appendix M for example of quote)
4.12 Software Package
This software is for all types of festivals and can be set to handle all registration tasks.
This will keep on record and can be used as a project management tool. All information
regarding the people who attend will be stored on this programme along with different
aspects of the festival, registration for teams and attendees, budget consideration and
supplier information. This again will be a one off cost and will cost the business €3,133
but can be used for all future festivals. This is an excellent software package to have and
is only available to buy at Certain Inc. Festival Software Programmes (Please see
appendix N for a price on the software)
4.13 Setting – Up of Venues
As both stadiums are well equipped with all main festival requirements in place, there
will be little production costs needed compared to other such festivals. Despite this, a
verbal conversation was held with Production Ireland and an allocation of €15,000 has
been allocated for this part of the festival. This will cater for all staging requirements,
lighting and sound and all rigging and truss (i.e. Temporary offices) that’s needed for
the set-up of the festival. After (Productionireland.com, 2014)

4.14 Launch of Festival
Prior to the festival happening, there will be an official launch of the Galway Soccer
Festival. The launch will be held in Drom Soccer Pitch and anyone interested in
attending the festival is invited to come along. The launch will be marketed through all
local mediums. This launch is critical for the start-up of the business. It creates
awareness and publicity of the festival to the general public. The launch will be
responsible of the immediate sales of tickets to the festival post-launch. The idea of a
launch is to create a buzz around the festival. Republic of Ireland International Robbie
Keane will be ambassador for the festival. He is Ireland’s top goal-scorer and is a role-
model for all young people who are aspired to play football. The Galway Soccer
Festival will have an allocation of €2,000 for the launch and this will cover all costs that
will be incurred by having the launch.
4.15 Entertainment Expenses
A number of lesser events will happen at the same time the festival will be on both at
Drom Soccer Pitch and Pearse Stadium. These will be mainly focused on kids and will
include face painting and fancy-dress competition. This will add colour to the venue and
it will make it a worthwhile experience for all the family. An allocation of €1,000 has
been allocated for prizes for these competitions.
4.16 VIP Guest Accommodation
Although the sponsor, Three Ireland, is available to cover the costs of providing an Irish
Senior International to the festival, the organisers will have to allow for covering the
accommodation and transport of the player. An initial budget of €1,500 will be assigned
for this aspect.
4.17 Insurance
Public Liability Insurance will be necessary to safeguard the festival and the attendees
going. O’Driscoll & O’Neill insurance broker in Dublin specialises in these festivals
and festivals. They stated that the festival was a “sizeable” one and that the premium
would be a bit more expensive than any other festival. However this premium will cover
all aspects including injury to players throughout the tournament. The insurance cover
will cost €5,615.

4.18 Wages and Salaries
This aspect of the budget will be in two separate categories, both full-time and part-time
employees. The Director of Festivals and Festival Co-Ordinator will be hired on a 2-
year contract with the first 18 months effort to plan the Galway Soccer Festival and the
procedures and plans that it entails. The Director of Festivals will be a vast experienced
person who has planned other festivals before whilst the festival co-ordinator will be a
festival management graduate. Both employees will work 30-hours a week. The
Director of Festivals will be on €15 per hour whilst the Festival Co-Coordinator will be
on an hourly rate of €11. They will be paid on a monthly basis.
The festival crew will be made of 15 casual workers who have experience in the festivals
industry. A staff timetable will be consigned after the staff have been employed based
on their specific skills and experience. They will work three twelve hour shifts and will
be paid €8.95 per hour. This will accumulate to €4833
Although the volunteers (30-40 people) won’t get paid, they will be provided uniforms
in the form of a t-shirt in advance of the start-up date. This will make them recognisable
over the three days for any attendees that may want to find out something.
The security firm employed would be Sword Security. They have done security in many
major festivals in Ireland including the Galway Races and Oxygen. This security will be
twenty four hour and each employee will work 12 hours a day spread over the three
festival days. They will employ 20 security staff members at an hourly rate of €9.85.
This will accumulate to €7,092.
4.19 Staff and Volunteer Uniforms
A collection of t-shirts will be purchased for all staff members to wear during the
festival. These will be worn so that they will be instantly familiar to the festival
attendees. This t-shirts will be bought with the merchandise. Again, they will have the
festival logo printed on them. In addition, they will have the employee position printed
on the back so the attendees know who to ask if they have any problems throughout the
festival.

4.20 Emergency Services
It will be mandatory that a festival of this size have a number of medical assistance in
each venue. In order to act in accordance with this, The Order of Malta ambulance will
be in presence throughout the festival. There will be two ambulances at each venue in
order to look after the players and also any freak injuries that might happen to any
attendees (e.g. Any trips or falls around the stadium). After a verbal conversation with
the Order of Malta, this will cost €500 in total and will cover the entire duration of the
festival. (Order of Malta Ireland, 2013)
Below are the set of accounts for the years 2015-2017

Galway Soccer Festival Profit & Loss Accounts 2015
Sales (€) (€) (€)
Ticket Sales 1034125
Failte Ireland Grant 10000
Sponsorship 10000
Merchandise Sales 65240
Team Entries 56000
Total Sales 1175365
Cost of Sales
Opening Stock
Purchases 49250
Total Cost of Sales 49250 49250
Gross Profit 1126115
Expenses
Office Rent inc Rates 7500
Depreciation 63
Venue's Hire 20000
Insurance 5615
Marketing 29528
Office Expenses 10000
First Aid 500
VIP Guest Accom 1500
Entertainment Costs 1000
Setting Up of Venue's 15000
Transport 4800
Wages & Salaries 49365
Bank Interest 4592
Website Design 1200
Software 3133
Launch 2000
Total Expenses 155796 155796
Net Profit 970319

Galway Soccer Festival Cash Flow Account 2015
Cash Inflows March April May June July August
Ticket Sales — — 258531 258531 517063 —
Loan 80000 —
Failte Ireland Grant — — — — — 10000
Sponsorship 10000 — — — — —
Merchandise Sales — — — — 65240 —
Team Entries 56000 — — — — —
Total Cash Inflows 146000 0 258531 258531 582303 10000
Cash Outflows
Purchases — — — 49250 — —
Marketing & Advertising 5906 5906 5906 5906 5906 —
Venue Set-Up — — — — 15000 —
Wages & Salaries 8228 8228 8228 8228 8228 8228
Office Rental 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250
Venue Hire — — — — — 20000
Insurance 5615 — — — — —
Office Expenses 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667
Office Equipment 1251 — — — — —
First Aid — — — — 500 —
Web Design 1200 — — — — —
Events Pro Software 3133 — — — — —
Entertainment — — — — 1000 —
VIP Guest Accommodation — — — — 1500 —
Launch 2000 — — — — —
Transport — — — — — 4800
Bank Loan 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
Total Cash Outflows 31249 18050 18050 67300 36050 36944
Net Cash 114751 -18050 240481 191231 546253 -26944
Opening Balance 0 114751 96701 337183 528414 1074667
Closing Balance 114751 96701 337183 528414 1074667 1047723

Galway Soccer Festival Balance Sheet 2015
Fixed Assets Office Equipment Total
Cost 1251
Accum Depreciation 63
Net Book Value 1188
Current Assets
Bank 1047723
Total Assets 1048911
Current Liabilities
Short-Term Loan 6000
Non-Current Liabilities
Long-Term Loan 72592
Total Liabilities 78592
Equity
Net Profit 970319
Total Equity & Liabilities 1048911

Sales (€) (€) (€)
Sponsorship 15000
Team Entries 56000
Total Sales 1170365 1170365
Cost of Sales
Opening Stock
Purchases 49250
Expenses
Depreciation 59
Venue's Hire 20000
Insurance 5615
Marketing 29528
First Aid 500
Transport 4800
Bank Interest 4511
Launch 2000
Net Profit 969737

Ticket Sales — — 258531 258531 517063 —
Team Entries 56000 — — — — —
Cash Outflows
Purchases — — — 49250 — —
Venue Set-Up — — — — 15000 —
Wages & Salaries 8228 8228 8228 8228 8228 8228
Office Rental 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250
Venue Hire — — — — — 20000
Insurance 5615 — — — — —
Office Expenses 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667
First Aid — — — — 500 —
Launch 2000 — — — — —
Transport — — — — — 4800
Net Cash 46335 -17050 241481 192231 547253 -35944
Opening Balance 1047723 1094058 1077008 1318490 1510721 2057974
Closing Balance 1094058 1077008 1318490 1510721 2057974 2022030

Cost 1188
Net Book Value 1129
Current Assets
Bank 2016030
Equity
Net Profit 969736.58
Retained Earnings 970319
1940056

Sales (€) (€) (€)
Sponsorship 20000
Team Entries 56000
Total Sales 1175365 1175365
Cost of Sales
Opening Stock
Purchases 49250
Expenses
Depreciation 56
Venue's Hire 20000
Insurance 5615
Marketing 29528
First Aid 500
Transport 4800
Bank Interest 4426
Launch 2000
Net Profit 974825

Ticket Sales — — 258531 258531 517063 —
Team Entries 56000 — — — — —
Cash Outflows
Purchases — — — 49250 — —
Venue Set-Up — — — — 15000 —
Wages & Salaries 8228 8228 8228 8228 8228 8228
Office Rental 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250
Venue Hire — — — — — 20000
Insurance 5615 — — — — —
Office Expenses 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667
First Aid — — — — 500 —
Launch 2000 — — — — —
Transport — — — — — 4800
Bank Loan 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
Net Cash 50335 -18050 240481 191231 546253 -36944
Opening Balance 2022030.04 2072365 2054316 2294797 2486028 3032281
Closing Balance 2072365 2054316 2294797 2486028 3032281 2995337

Cost 1129
Net Book Value 1073
Current Assets
Bank 2022030
Equity
Net Profit 969737
Retained Earnings 974825
1944562

5.0 Overall Conclusion
The aim of this business plan was to determine whether or not the Galway Soccer
Festival could be produced successfully in the West of Ireland. There are three main
areas that are discussed in this document: market research, operations and financials.
In the first section, a target market was identified that the festival organisers could
contact. This was looked at through surveys, interviews and a focus group. A target
market was achieved and the result showed that people aged between 18 and 24 were the
main people to approach to attend the Galway Soccer Festival. It was also learnt that the
tickets for the professional game could be charged up to €40. Travelling was not an
obstacle for potential attendees as the surveys showed that a high percentage of the
participants would travel over a hundred kilometres to attend the festival.
The next section of the business plan was the organisational and planning process. This
included all main areas such as venue selection, hiring of staff, health and safety issues
and crowd control. As the festival organisers will be qualified in these fields, all of these
aspects of the planning process will be addresses efficiently. This process was achieved
to make sure the festival organisers have the necessary resources in place before the
festival start-up date.
The final section incorporated the financial section. This section involved all the inflows
and outflows the festival will have over the year. Although the festival is only three
days long, there is a lot of planning involved for a festival of this stature. Two staff were
employed on 2 year contracts to plan the process of this festival. Even though this came
at a cost to the festival, it was fundamental in the success of the festival. The financial
assumptions that will be generated from this festival are an achievable goal as long as
the whole team involved work together. All the areas mentioned in the report need to be
properly addressed for the festival to be a success. The Galway Soccer Festival team
feels that they have a unique festival not only for the West of Ireland, but for the whole
country. The festival has the potential to go all over Ireland and further afield if the right
structures are in place. It can grow in popularity in years to come and be a successfully
run festival. It is a great chance to see a professional outfit in your local area. For many,
this is a once and a lifetime experience and one they will remember forever.

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Appendices:
Appendix A:
Interview with Martin O’ Halloran - Kennedy Cup Organiser
What were the attendances for the Kennedy Cup?
Martin: No attendances have ever being recorded. The association is looking to
introducing this into next year’s event.
Which day of the week was the busiest?
Martin: Thursday. This was due to all competitions being at the quarter final stage. At
this stage the quality of football on show is quite high and this is the reason for the
higher attendances on these days. A lot of football scouts travel from England for this
day of the event.
How much was the entry fee for each game?
Martin: Throughout the tournament the admission was free. The association feel that
due to the tournament being under thirteen, it should be free for all. We do this to make
the tournament a memorable experience for the players and one they will cherish
forever.
Where the attendances male dominated and if so have you any suggestions to increase
the female attendances for the festival?
Martin: Yes, the attendances are male dominated but we have no plans at the moment to
entice women to watch the tournament.
Did people enjoy the festival and did you carry out any questionnaires to see could you
improve it?
Martin: People who attend the tournament always enjoy it. We get good reports every
year from attendees. At the moment we don’t carry out questionnaires but again we are
looking into it for next year’s tournament
Why did you choose summer for the time of the tournament?
Martin: We chose June in the summer because we were very conscious of summer
exams. As the tournament is held from Monday to Friday, this would clash with schools
and players wouldn’t be released to play for their teams.
How many teams participated in the tournament?
Martin: We are proud to say that 32 teams enter the tournament each year.

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