How a tired product, an unsold £5m stockpile, and no CRM data became a Premier League hospitality sold-out success story.

A Slow Start — and Then the Real Work Began

There’s something quite humbling about being handed the keys to one of the most famous stadiums in the world… only to find no one’s coming.

When I joined Manchester United’s venue sales team, the situation wasn’t exactly glamorous. A product no one wanted. £5 million in unsold inventory. A team that had been left to its own devices. And absolutely no usable data. To add some flavour: half the season had already passed, and the hospitality offer had all the sparkle of week-old champagne.

The task was simple — sell it out.

Simple. Not easy.

Start With the People

We didn’t start with a marketing campaign. We started with the people.

The team needed structure, clarity, and belief. We introduced proper KPIs, targeted sales training, and a bonus system that rewarded initiative and delivery. Most importantly, we stopped waiting for the phone to ring.

Within six months, new business had increased by 48%. People hadn’t changed — but the culture had.

Let the Data Speak

After the team, came the data. Or rather, the lack of it.

We rebuilt our CRM from scratch, profiled existing clients, and realised something important — the match-by-match audience looked nothing like the seasonal crowd. One was largely international and consumer-led, the other, local and corporate.

With that knowledge came intelligent marketing: personalised content, segmented campaigns, and consistent A/B testing. We even tested the sequence of contact — email before phone call, it turns out, converts best.

Tracking everything — from open rates to inbound calls, it gave us what we needed: performance visibility and accountability.

Fixing the Product

You can’t just market harder — you have to make the product better.

One of the more contentious changes was moving box guests from behind the glass to open-air seating. A simple change. A massive impact. We rebranded “Seasonal Hospitality” as the “Executive Club” and simplified our packages, giving customers confidence to act quickly.

Discounting was scrapped. Premium packages were introduced. And we introduced feedback loops to shape ongoing developments.

Turning Strategy into Results

Eventually, the hospitality side wasn’t just functioning — it was sold out before the first home game.

We overhauled the sales funnel. Tickets were released earlier. Member access was bundled with hospitality offers. Each product created demand for the next. Even when pitch performance dipped, the venue still performed.

This wasn’t luck, it was alignment. Sales, marketing, and operations all working to the same rhythm.

Why This Still Matters Today

The hospitality landscape has shifted. Clients expect clarity, consistency, and real return on investment. Gloss alone won’t do it anymore.

Selling out a stadium wasn’t about star players or big budgets. It was about listening, refining, and consistently delivering — especially when the ‘headline act’ wasn’t performing.

The principles are timeless:

  • Know your audience
  • Build something worth returning to
  • And follow through, every single time

Experience First: A Natural Evolution

Much of what worked back then — the discipline around process, the obsession with data, the belief in people — still underpins the approach we take today.

At Experience First, we’ve recognised that while the appetite for exceptional experiences remains, time is the new luxury. People’s lives are full — professionally, personally, emotionally — and the last thing they need is more admin.

That’s why we’ve evolved what we do into something quieter, more intuitive. A concierge-style service that’s as seamless behind the scenes as it is memorable in the moment.

We work quietly alongside businesses and individuals to bring structure to chaos, precision to planning, and the right experience to the right audience — without fanfare. Because when it’s done well, it shouldn’t feel like effort at all.

Author Bio

Caroline McEleney is co-founder of Experience First Events. With decades of leadership in elite hospitality environments — including Manchester United — she now helps businesses and individuals deliver unforgettable experiences with impact and ease.

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