Devils take over lease of IAW??

Ejercito Rojas

Well-Known Member
Thread starter #1
Rumour is that the Devils ownership has taken over the lease of the IAW. Whether this is the case or they have just taken over the day to day management of the facility I don’t know.
Hopefully we will hear from the ownership and they can confirm the former.
Fantastic news if true tho.
 

Hedd Wyn John

Well-Known Member
#3
Todd said the Devils are now running the IAW and they’re looking to improve customer service for both ice hockey & public skating. Oh and there will be WiFi, no timescales given on that though.
 
#4
Todd mentioned it at the end of the Q & A. Devils have taken over the day to day running of the place.

The first port of call is WiFi apparently.

There should be an announcement tomorrow.
 

august04

Well-Known Member
#5
Anyone know if the dance studio gets used? I’m not even sure where it is in relation to the other areas of the rink but if not in use, surely that could be utilised for something else, especially with the limited cafe facilities on match nights?
Hope the new arrangement allows the club to change the decor of the bar/arena eventually and to 'brand' the arena in time, so it’s clear to the passing public just what goes on in there.
So much more could be done with that facility and if anyone can turn it around and make it profitable, then I’m sure Kelman can.
A first step to owning outright?
 
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Leighton

Active Member
#7
Anyone know if the dance studio gets used? I’m not even sure where it is in relation to the other areas of the rink but if not in use, surely that could be utilised for something else, especially with the limited cafe facilities on match nights?
Hope the new arrangement allows the club to change the decor of the bar/arena eventually and to 'brand' the arena in time, so it’s clear to the passing public just what goes on in there.
So much more could be done with that facility and if anyone can turn it around and make it profitable, then I’m sure Kelman can.
A first step to owning outright?
Yes it's used, they were in there tonight.
 

pjj365

Well-Known Member
#10
Don't know how the money splits between IAW (owners) and Devils (operators) but the guides were in on a package of pre game skate and the game. They were not freebies

We may see more of this and if it improves revenue to provide a better off ice experience and the club can pocket some cash it is all to the good
 
#11
Fantastic news. This will make for a very interesting Q&A with Todd on Friday! Looking forward to hearing their plans and exactly how far they can/will implement changes.
 

Koop11

Well-Known Member
#12
An exciting development for the club and the whole skating community. IAW is a fantastic facility but there have been fair questions to date about the scope to reach its full potential. From a match night experience then there is clearly more work to be done, particularly around phone/wifi signal, catering facilities, and the bar (its look and the queues).


The biggest and probably most important challenge is how to maximise revenues from the day to day use of the facility. I would imagine the Devils games pretty much take care of themselves but the normal weekday during school terms must be a drain on costs.


Looking forward to the club’s official line on this recent news.
 

James

Administrator
#13
This has the potential to be huge for the longterm self sustainability of the Devils. It also can only have positive effects on the rink itself. I know its been challenging at times coordinating with IAW for the Devils but all their concerns should now hopefully be within their own hands. It also means the large file of issues with IAW the Fan Council have had from the fans can now be shifted to the Devils to fix :D
 

Ocko

Well-Known Member
#14
Both a blessing and a curse for the owners and Todd. A whole new load of responsibility with many shortcomings but a chance to make clear improvements.

The problem now is to manage expectation with reality. If the Devils are now operators, they can make improvements however they are likely to be minor. It's still Greenbank's rink afterall.
I know a number of fans will be expecting a new second tier to add 10,000 seats, fibre optic broadband and phone signal in your seat, a multi storey car park that empties in 6 seconds, prices at the bar displayed in a font at a minimum size of a foot per character and an extension to the cafe with a 3 course menu and 300 tills. Now the club are operators it gives the chance to make the best of what we'e got.
 

Johnnybravo1927

Well-Known Member
#15
Any changes will be subtle but effective. There will be improvements but nothing huge imminently. I would expect to see changes in the catering first. Potential gold mine there not being exploited. Todd is a businessman and will make his decisions based on profit not emotion
 

Foxy

Well-Known Member
#16
I would imagine Todd will fetch in someone with oodles of experience to help with the running of the general rink. Also someone professional on the catering side.

Hopefully this will be the first step to ownership.

I do like Ocko suggestions. if only:rolleyes:
 
#20
I ask the question 'What's in it for Greenbank?'
Not a lot probably? Maybe less losses.
Honestly no idea.

On the face of it would appear to be of benefit to the Devils. It could also pose several possible negative impacts. The facility wasn’t designed particularly well. It is going to need investment, will that investment bring return. Don’t get me wrong Todd and the owners have been in enough rinks to know how to run them, my fear is that unlike North America the UK has closed many rinks in recent years. The challenges are great, businesses with far more practical experience have failed to run rinks in the UK successfully. Greenbank had/has no interest in owning or running the IAW, one reason why basically it’s a turd with some paint on it, dull grey paint. The concept of the IAW never had enough potential to warrant investing in it, hence the 10 yrs and several different options, designs and many more potential investors unable to conclude viability and walking away. As a multi purpose Arena it will continue to struggling. Cardiff Council recently revealed its plans for future development around the city with the winter sports area of Cardiff Bay being one potential site for the CIA’s replacement facility. Are the Devils being paid to manage the site, hopefully yes and hopefully a budget for refurbishment, improvements has been agreed and provided by Greenbank or the Council. What happens to the relationship if Todd cannot either get funding/permission to implement improvements or if those improvements fail to make a return. I hope this isn’t a test by Greenbank to provide enough evidence to warrant a complete demolition of the site to make way for an Arena to replace the CIA.


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