BACKGROUND
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 was the first time the tournament had been held in England and Wales since 1999.
The 2019 event featured the top 10 teams playing a round robin format to secure their place in the semi-finals before battling it out to reach the finals. The 46-day tournament was played across 11 world-class venues around the country with the final being played at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s on July 14, 2019.
The final saw hosts England take on New Zealand in what has been described by Wisden Cricket Monthly’s Phil Walker as: “The greatest game of cricket ever played.”
After a blockbuster 100 overs both teams were tied leading to a Super Over which went right down to the wire with the Hosts emerging as champions
Not surprisingly, the thrilling final was the most watched game of cricket in the United Kingdom with a unique audience of 24 million across live and highlights coverage.
OUR ROLE
STH was exclusively appointed by the ICC to operate and manage the Official Travel & Tours Programme for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
We ran an international awareness campaign, two years before the tournament began, to encourage suitable travel agents to apply to become an Official Travel Agent (OTA) for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. We received 628 applications and after a rigorous selection process we appointed 17 OTAs.
All selected agents were subsequently invited to an OTA workshop at Lord’s Cricket Ground where they learned about the travel and hospitality programme that was developed by STH which catered for every audience and budget with a wide range of match ticket inclusive experiences. Global sales began on May 1, 2018.
STH acted as the brand guardian for the Travel and Tours Programme by reviewing and subsequently approving all marketing and collateral from each OTA and monitoring black market activity.
We administer ticket allocations for each OTA for every event that we manage and ensure that all activity is compliant and within the terms of agreement.
RESULTS
The global awareness campaign attracted 628 applications to become an Official Travel Agent for the ICC Cricket World Cup.
17 OTAs were appointed to sell ticket inclusive packages from around the world
A further 21 sub-agents extended reach around the globe
A total of 33,126 match tickets were sold
19,000 fans travelled through the programme
All financial targets were exceeded.
Our world class sports and hospitality services ensure spectators can completely immerse themselves in the passion and drama of the occasion and enjoy a shared experience they will remember for a lifetime.
STH is a partner that you can trust. With the strong backing of our shareholders Sodexo, the foundations of our business is secure, and their expertise is also called upon when required to further enhance the professionalism and expertise we bring.
We are industry leading, innovative and trustworthy, with a long and enviable track record of consistent excellence across some of the biggest sporting events in the world.
