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- Thread starter Wannabe2
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In my long term dreamt up view the Devils owners will make a great success of IAW and sell the brand and sport to new audiences in and around the Cardiff area and in so doing be encouraged to invest in a new building totally owned by them with a capacity of 8,000 possibly based on the one in Kelowna. By that time the EIHL will have 12 teams, 3 conferences, and a mega TV deal. I will still be stuck 200 miles away but catching the Devils in MK on a regular basis; we can't have everything.
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I have been reluctant to be critical of the organisation of the off ice product at IAW but after yesterday I am wading in. Bear in mind my experience is based on a game which attracted a few hundred supporters - not a few thousand
Two things I hoped would change fairly promptly are
Smoking
Yes I am a siner but there is total lack of organisation. At the BBT the smoking area was clearly delineated so as to keep the entrance clear. We will, generally, self regulate on this front but there needs to be some input from the door staff (Absent BTW as presumably a Fire game is not considered important enough and/or spectator numbers are so low as to fall outside HASW requirements) Also this is mot the scruffy BBT and stubbing cigarettes out on the floor is no longer acceptable. There is serious lack of ash bins
Cafe
This is appalling. I assumed that in the knowledge that people were missing the start, if not the majority of a period this would be fixed but no - it is as bad with even low number at the game. I observed one lady rushing to the cafe at the end of the second period - as I came back in for the third she had only just been served. People were leaving just before the end of the period so whem she left she was stuck way back in the queue
I appreciate that it is difficult to staff the arena for unkown numbers but I would have thought that the investment of a bit of over staffing would help at this stage in the life of IAW. It is at the quiet times that reputations can be built. Were IAW even aware last night was a playoff game and thus likely to attract higher numbers than normal
At the moment I'm not sure that I have the confidence in their operational ability and they certainly show no signs of suporting and enabling Todd to deliver on his promise of delivering a better match night experience
Two things I hoped would change fairly promptly are
Smoking
Yes I am a siner but there is total lack of organisation. At the BBT the smoking area was clearly delineated so as to keep the entrance clear. We will, generally, self regulate on this front but there needs to be some input from the door staff (Absent BTW as presumably a Fire game is not considered important enough and/or spectator numbers are so low as to fall outside HASW requirements) Also this is mot the scruffy BBT and stubbing cigarettes out on the floor is no longer acceptable. There is serious lack of ash bins
Cafe
This is appalling. I assumed that in the knowledge that people were missing the start, if not the majority of a period this would be fixed but no - it is as bad with even low number at the game. I observed one lady rushing to the cafe at the end of the second period - as I came back in for the third she had only just been served. People were leaving just before the end of the period so whem she left she was stuck way back in the queue
I appreciate that it is difficult to staff the arena for unkown numbers but I would have thought that the investment of a bit of over staffing would help at this stage in the life of IAW. It is at the quiet times that reputations can be built. Were IAW even aware last night was a playoff game and thus likely to attract higher numbers than normal
At the moment I'm not sure that I have the confidence in their operational ability and they certainly show no signs of suporting and enabling Todd to deliver on his promise of delivering a better match night experience
One other point - there is a sign on reception stating no photographs without permission from the management. I'm assuming this is for general skating
But I also assume this means IAW management and not Devils management so they will need to be ready on game nights for a queue of people - a few hundred - asking permission
Seriously they need to be clear. For an event it should be down to the event management and this should be made clear
But I also assume this means IAW management and not Devils management so they will need to be ready on game nights for a queue of people - a few hundred - asking permission
Seriously they need to be clear. For an event it should be down to the event management and this should be made clear
Something else missing.
Despite a budget running into millions of pounds, the IAW doesn't have a clock. Yes, I know it has a fancy scoreboard, but this is switched off for most of the week. Skating lessons and junior hockey have, wait for it, a £2 supermarket clock stuck against the glass with blu-tac!!!
Despite a budget running into millions of pounds, the IAW doesn't have a clock. Yes, I know it has a fancy scoreboard, but this is switched off for most of the week. Skating lessons and junior hockey have, wait for it, a £2 supermarket clock stuck against the glass with blu-tac!!!