Title – Sports initiations banned
Source – London Student
Date – November 2006
University students are famed for the frequency of their drinking binges. To some on the outside it seems that they do nothing other then drink 24/7 and party every night leaving a trail of destruction and stolen gnomes, street signs and traffic cones in their wake.
It is a stereotype that is not without its foundation, students in the UK consumed hundreds of millions of pounds worth of alcohol every year and breweries and pub chains spend millions trying to attract them to drink even more. The market is fiercely competitive and sometimes goes too far. One of the stalwarts of the student drinking haunts has traditionally been the Students’ Union or Guild. Once viewed as venues where hay bails and cheep beer went hand in hand, these facilities have progressed over the years to compete in this market place and have positioned themselves in many cases at its heart.
They often have the advantage of location, loyalty and pricing as there are not the pressures of shareholders expecting handsome returns, but rather the pressures of stakeholders ensuring they are getting value for money. But in many cases the success behind Students’ Unions and Guilds is more simple and straight forward, they provide bars and venues where students are surrounded by other students, feel safe and are looked after by people that really care and understand them.
Not all Students’ Unions and Guilds are as progressive as others and in general those that have systems and training in place and carry that training through are more successful then their counter parts. The progressive organisation have long term strategies that involve providing environments that their customers will want to come back to time and time again. Those that can’t see past discounting as a way of making short term gain, will never fulfil their true potential.
Some practices within the University environment still raise eyebrows, by actively encouraging binge drinking and increasing peer pressure beyond acceptable levels. But even these practices are starting to be addressed by some like UCL, who have banned the practice of sports team initiations that lead to so many individuals to drink beyond their comfortable level and more then they would choose to do so, on their own.
Source – London Student
Date – November 2006
University students are famed for the frequency of their drinking binges. To some on the outside it seems that they do nothing other then drink 24/7 and party every night leaving a trail of destruction and stolen gnomes, street signs and traffic cones in their wake.
It is a stereotype that is not without its foundation, students in the UK consumed hundreds of millions of pounds worth of alcohol every year and breweries and pub chains spend millions trying to attract them to drink even more. The market is fiercely competitive and sometimes goes too far. One of the stalwarts of the student drinking haunts has traditionally been the Students’ Union or Guild. Once viewed as venues where hay bails and cheep beer went hand in hand, these facilities have progressed over the years to compete in this market place and have positioned themselves in many cases at its heart.
They often have the advantage of location, loyalty and pricing as there are not the pressures of shareholders expecting handsome returns, but rather the pressures of stakeholders ensuring they are getting value for money. But in many cases the success behind Students’ Unions and Guilds is more simple and straight forward, they provide bars and venues where students are surrounded by other students, feel safe and are looked after by people that really care and understand them.
Not all Students’ Unions and Guilds are as progressive as others and in general those that have systems and training in place and carry that training through are more successful then their counter parts. The progressive organisation have long term strategies that involve providing environments that their customers will want to come back to time and time again. Those that can’t see past discounting as a way of making short term gain, will never fulfil their true potential.
Some practices within the University environment still raise eyebrows, by actively encouraging binge drinking and increasing peer pressure beyond acceptable levels. But even these practices are starting to be addressed by some like UCL, who have banned the practice of sports team initiations that lead to so many individuals to drink beyond their comfortable level and more then they would choose to do so, on their own.
With over 15 years of experience of working within the Students’ Union and University sector, I understand the needs of the student market and the way to create success with all the constraints that are often placed on organisations within this system. We can help you make the most of the resources available to you, especially in the form of the students themselves. With our In-House Security Induction courses (IHSI), Licensed Retail Sector Consultancy Service and our portfolio of BIIAB Licensed Retail Sector courses as well as the National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS). Through these and the Event Management side of our business, we can help support and reinvigorate your business in almost any area where it needs to be supported.
Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment