Bath Racecourse has achieved its best start to the flat racing season in three years with 20% growth in sales of its corporate hospitality packages and a 10% increase in sponsorship.
The figures include non-race day events at the Lansdown course such as conferences and meetings, parties, weddings and venue hire.
They have been released five months into the eight-month season and ahead of this Saturday’s Ladies’ Day – a high-profile meeting that traditionally brings one of the highest attendences of the season.
Sponsored by Imagine Cruising and Holland America Line, the event has already proved extremely popular with many of the hospitality, marquee and restaurant packages sold out. 
Bath Racecourse executive director Jo Hall, pictured, said the sales increase this season – which takes total revenues back almost to pre-recession levels – was partly due to a move to in-house catering at the course along with the strong return of business confidence in the Bath area.
The catering switch had allowed the course to be more competitive on price and gave it the ability to be very flexible in offering bespoke packages to meet client budget and requirements, including non-race days, she said.
“With key events such as the Bath Business Awards and the Christmas party bookings starting to come in, our order book is looking strong,” she added.
The course, one of 15 across the UK owned by Arena Leisure, has also firmed up its fixture list for next year with 21 meetings – the same number as this year – including highlights of such as Super Saturday, a cider race night and family fun days.
