A CLEAN SWEEP FOR LSS - RICOH ARENA AWARDS TOP CONTRACT

The cleaning contract for the flagship Ricoh Arena, which includes a 32,000 seat stadium, four-star hotel and casino, health club, state-of-the-art exhibition and conference facilities and banqueting for 5000 people, has been awarded to five star stadium cleaning business, Leisure Support Services.

The prestigious three year contract will ensure the highest standards in cleaning for the 40 acre, £113 million complex which attracted one million visitors in its first twelve months of operation last year.

Announcing the contract award, Leisure Support Services managing director, Peter Watts said: “This is an enormous endorsement of our unique approach to the provision of first class cleaning services in the specialist field of sports, leisure and entertainment. It recognises the need to go beyond the call of duty in quality and customer service and to provide fast turnaround to maximise business potential without sacrificing attention to detail.”

The contract was awarded against bids by five other top cleaning companies and involves the provision of a permanent housekeeping team, all trained in customer services. It covers year-round cleaning throughout the complex, including conference and banqueting facilities, offices, the hotel and all communal areas as well as major events. It also incorporates new operational synergies with the Arena’s catering teams to dovetail the cleaning response to customer needs as well as a new approach to waste management which will greatly improve recycling and resource recovery – bringing a greener approach to the cleaning function. Daniel Gidney, CEO of the Ricoh Arena said of the deal: "I was very impressed by the professional and structured approach of Leisure Support Services. They will be a key partner in our ongoing journey to maximise the customer experience."

Ricoh Arena is ideally located to the north of Coventry and sits within a two hour journey of 75% of England’s population. Apart from its role as the home of Coventry City FC, it has hosted major concerts for world class entertainers such as Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams. One of the first challenges for Leisure Support Services under the new contract came with the sell-out concert by Rod Stewart at the venue on 10 July.

Leisure Support Services believes that maximising the efficiency of the cleaning role has a direct impact on the way a venue is perceived and that this, in turn, helps generate high levels of user satisfaction and repeat business. “The Ricoh Arena is a vibrant venue with a diverse mix of facilities leading to dynamic changes throughout each day as its role and function changes. This demands a highly structured management approach to the cleaning task yet it also requires built-in flexibility and strong customer service ethic from our people,” concluded Peter Watts.