Racecourse in Focus– Our Showcase Champions & Hosts Hamilton Park
Racing has been taking place in the town of Hamilton since 1782, but the recent history of the racecourse, specifically the past 18 months, represents some of the most noteworthy in the times of Hamilton Park Racecourse.
In the 11 years of hard work and dedication by Chief Executive Vivien Currie, there has been a plethora of awards and recognitions earned by her and her team. 2018 however was the year five significant awards all came at once. Vivien and her recently promoted General Manager, Ashley Moon, tell more about how it all came together for them.
A five-star rating from VisitScotland has been 11 years in the making under Vivien Currie’s stewardship
Famous Five
What are the famous five that have seen the champagne corks popping in the racecourse office of Hamilton Park? The Racehorse Owners Association Gold Standard, the highest mark of quality for owners’ experience, was shortly followed by the Racegoers Club’s Best Small Racecourse in Scotland & the North of England. As part of the RCA’s Quality Assured Racecourse scheme, VisitScotland awarded Hamilton Park five stars for the first time which set up the finale at the RCA’s Showcase & Awards where Hamilton Park was crowned Showcase Champion Racecourse in addition to picking up the #TopSpot Award for their fantastic starting stalls lift.
The five-star rating was one of the highlights of Vivien Currie’s tenure at Hamilton Park. “Since day one, it has been our aspiration to achieve five stars” explains Currie. “We’d been a consistent four-star venue, but as the assessments were conducted biennially we had to wait a long time between each assessment to see whether our changes had sufficiently improved us. This was compounded when we actually lost a meeting to the weather when the assessor was due to come, we were made to wait even longer!”
“We’re in such a competitive market place, so ratings do matter to both staff and customers” added Ashley Moon. “In Scotland we now have three five-star racecourses and we’re trying to attract racegoers who otherwise might be going to the football or any of Lanarkshire’s tourist attractions. We can now say that we’re amongst the best days out in the country and we’re incredibly proud of that.”
The new Hampton by Hilton hotel will open in summer 2019 at Hamilton Park
Little Details & Big Differences
What will five stars mean for the racecourse in 2019? “We’ve always worked within the parameters we have” said Currie, “but this doesn’t mean we can’t constantly look to improve every aspect of the racecourse. We have a significant project ongoing with our £10m hotel and all of the restaurants and hospitality boxes have been transformed over the past few years. The raceday experience at Hamilton Park is now on-par with some of the best bars and restaurants in Scotland which is vital as we know our customers will benchmark us against them.”
Perhaps disregarded as nothing more than a utility for some, toilets are given the Hamilton Park treatment to be one of the talking points of the day. “Between our Operations Manager John Currie and I, we’re slightly obsessed with our loos” explains Moon. “People remember the little things about their day, so John and his team have upgraded them in the same way we would any other public area, giving each their own unique design. For example, our ladies toilets have full length mirrors and light-up vanity mirrors, whilst in the gents we’ve made them smart and contemporary with some subtle humour included.”
Some would argue Hamilton Park’s facilities are the finest in Britain
Aces in Places
As ambassadors of the Hamilton Park brand, staff at the racecourse are integral to its success. “We’ve been innovative in how we communicate with raceday staff” explains Currie. “I can’t get around and meet all of them (although I do try), so we record short videos welcoming them to the team, explaining our brand values and the need for energy throughout the day. It really helps!”
Such enthusiasm has been a hallmark of Vivien Currie’s tenure as Chief Executive. “Vivien has always been an inspirational leader. The best part of being in the team is that we all feel like we can contribute and have a real impact on the development of the business” said Moon. “Vivien’s mantra is ‘aces in places’—we put the best people for the job in that role and then give them the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
Moon himself is a prime example of this. “When Ashley started he was ‘Commercial Manager’, but really this reflected a very small part of what he actually did” explains Currie. “Quickly we added more and more to the job title until we had to expand the team. Ashley has been with me since I began at Hamilton Park and he’s played a big part in the successes we’ve had over the years alongside the rest of the team.”
The Champions
The fruits of this work were recognised in spectacular style at the RCA Showcase & Awards in 2018. Already a multiple-winner in previous years, Hamilton Park claimed the prestigious Showcase Champion Award in addition to the #TopSpot Award for their innovative, immersive elevator design.
“We were absolutely over the moon to win this award” recalled Currie. “To join the illustrious company of the Champions is testament to how far we have come. It really did complete our dream year and I was delighted to toast the team with a bottle of champagne each as it would not have been possible without them.”
“We have always said to be nominated is in itself a fantastic achievement given the calibre of the Finalists” added Moon. “I was on holiday and almost fell of my sun lounger when it was confirmed we were 4x Finalists!”
With the recent news that the landmark 10th Showcase & Awards will be held at Hamilton Park on 14th November 2019, the team at Hamilton is eager to welcome the industry. “With all that has happened in the past 18 months, it will be wonderful to open our doors to the industry and put on a great show with the RCA” said Currie. “We’re excited to show off our new hotel, introduce some friends of the racecourse and include a few surprises along the way. It’s the 10th Showcase and the first in Scotland—we want to make it the best yet.”
Toasting the victory- the Hamilton Park team claim their inaugural Showcase Champion award
