29 April 2008

CUSTOMER SERVICES

Single Queue
After discussion with all the relevant authorities involved in administering the Queue, and predicated on the Club’s wish to retain on-day sales as a key element of its ticketing strategy, the Club has decided to move to a single queue operation (was two): 

• Queue will be established in Wimbledon Park (including overnight queuers) and progress through the Wimbledon Park Golf Club, through the Search operation, over the bridge and into Gate 3.
• The new arrangements will offer better and safer conditions for queuers (more pleasing ambience in the Park and more lavatories) as well as making it easier for the stewards to manage the operation. 

Security
The Club has been working in close liaison with the Police to ensure the safety and protection of all concerned with the event.  Ground entry security procedures will be at an appropriately high level.  The main measures affecting spectators are:

• Off-site searching and scanning of persons and baggage for on-day queues. 
• Bag restrictions for all ticket holders – only one bag per person will be allowed.  No larger than 18x12x12ins (45x30x30cm). 
• No hard-sided hampers, cool-boxes or brief cases allowed into the grounds.
• No Left Luggage facilities inside the grounds (facilities located outside the grounds on the Golf Course, Car Park 1 and St Mary’s Church car park). 

Scoreboards/Hawk-Eye

• New digital scoreboards combining both scores and Hawk-Eye on Centre Court and No.1 Court will allow greater flexibility, including live and recorded video, player information and match stats, and general messaging. 
• 3+1 Hawk-Eye Challenge system first adopted at The Championships in 2007 has been accepted as standard practice throughout professional tennis.

Player Amenities
Following feedback from the players, the Club has made improvements to the gym, in particular:

• New equipment, information screens and renovation of the air conditioning in the existing gym.
• Creation of a stretching and warm-up area outside the existing gym.
• Setting up of an alternative gym in the Covered Courts.

MARKETING/COMMERCIAL
(see Press Release – Marketing and Commercial – for full details)

Television

• BBC - new deal covering 2010-14 inclusive. 
• NBC - renewal until 2013.  
• ESPN – renewal until 2013.
• The Tennis Channel – new partner until 2013.
• NHK - renewal until 2010.
• Major European markets – renewal until 2010.

Official Suppliers
Two new official suppliers have been appointed:

• HSBC has been appointed as the ‘Official Banking Partner’ and become the sponsor of the HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 and Under Challenge.
• Evian has been appointed as the ‘Official Bottled Water’

TICKETING

Centre Court tickets online
Following a successful introduction in 2007, the Club intends to repeat the operation of selling around 500 Centre Court tickets on the eve of the day of play as ‘print your own’ e-tickets.  Details of any similar arrangements for this year will be communicated initially to those people who have registered for regular Wimbledon e-mail newsletters via the Wimbledon website www.wimbledon.org.

Order of Play
While the 2007 event successfully finished on time thus vindicating the tough decisions made at the time by the referee and his staff, a full review of the impact of the bad weather on the playing schedule has nevertheless been carried out.  The conclusions reached are:

• The decision not to play on Middle Sunday was correct at the time given all the information to hand and the poor weather expected for the Sunday itself. 
• Play on middle Sunday creates its own tensions in the future Order of Play (shortage of matches elsewhere) and therefore at Wimbledon will continue to remain an emergency option. 
• There are no plans to start the Fortnight earlier, eg on the Sunday.

THE DRAW AND SEEDINGS

• The draw will take place on Friday 20 June, 10.00am
• Seedings to be announced on Wednesday 18 June, around midday.