Events / Event Types / Client Entertainment
Client Entertainment

THE REASON TO BE
IN THE ROOM

Client entertainment has a specific failure mode: an activity so absorbing that nobody talks, or so dull that everyone checks their phone. Racing sits in a useful middle, as long as you do not run it like a competition.

Why It Works

THE RACING IS THE BACKDROP

At a trade show the simulator is the objective. At a client dinner it is the excuse. That difference should change almost everything about how it is set up, and usually does not, which is why hospitality activations often feel like a corporate event that wandered into the wrong room.

The job here is to give people something to do with their hands and something easy to talk about. It is not to establish who is quickest. A structured competition forces everyone to pay attention to the same thing at the same time, which is the opposite of what you want when your team is trying to have four separate conversations.

What changes for hospitality

  • Fewer rigs, longer sessions. Nobody should feel hurried out of the seat because a queue has formed.
  • No formal competition. A quiet leaderboard people can look at if they want, rather than a scheduled bracket.
  • Our staff run it. Your team should be talking to clients, not resetting sessions or explaining the pedals.
  • Volume matters. Headphones or lower audio, so the room stays conversational.
  • Check their policy first. Regulated industries, government clients and many large firms have gift and hospitality rules. Worth confirming before you invite.
Where It Fits

THE OCCASIONS

01 / Dinners
CLIENT DINNERS
A rig in an adjacent room or corner, running through the evening.
02 / Suites
HOSPITALITY SUITES
Small spaces where one simulator does more than a bigger setup would.
03 / Thanks
CLIENT APPRECIATION EVENINGS
Larger thank-you events where the racing is the draw but not the agenda.
04 / Pitches
PITCH AND PROPOSAL EVENTS
Something memorable attached to a business conversation, subject to your client’s own gift and hospitality policy.
05 / Race Days
RACE-DAY HOSPITALITY
Watch parties with a rig running the circuit on the broadcast.
06 / Golf
ALTERNATIVES TO THE USUAL
For clients who do not play golf and have been to enough dinners.
Practical

PLANNING IT

One rig is often the right answer

For a group of ten to twenty, a single simulator running all evening usually works better than two. It becomes a focal point people gather around rather than an activity everyone has to take a turn at.

Where to put it

Adjacent to the main room rather than in it. People should be able to drift toward it and away again. Allow around 10 feet by 10 feet per simulator, and remember the 49 inch ultrawide display is the widest part, so a private dining room or a suite is usually workable.

Brief your own team

The most common mistake is your people spending the evening running the simulator because they are enjoying it. Our staff handle the activation so yours can do the job they came to do.

Delivery, setup, calibration, staffing and teardown are typically included, and your quote sets out exactly what is covered and for how many hours.

Related

ALSO WORTH READING

Elsewhere at Academy

TWO OTHER WAYS TO RACE

Questions

WHAT PLANNERS ASK

What is the smallest group you will do?
We do not publish a minimum. Small hospitality events are quoted differently from large activations, so tell us the group size and we will give you a sensible number.
Will it be too loud for a dinner?
Not if it is set up properly. We can run the simulators on headphones or at low volume so the room stays conversational.
Do we need a competition or prizes?
For hospitality we would usually suggest not. A leaderboard people can glance at works better than a structured bracket that pulls everyone away from their conversations.
Can you set up in a private dining room or suite?
Usually yes. Allow around 10 feet by 10 feet per simulator and check the access route. Send us photos or dimensions and we will confirm before you commit.
Will our team have to run it?
No. Our staff run the activation for the booked hours so your people can concentrate on your clients.
Can it be branded for the evening?
Yes, through rig wraps and on-screen branding, though for a small hospitality event most clients prefer it understated.

ENTERTAINING CLIENTS
IN FLORIDA?

Tell us the group size and the venue. Small hospitality formats are quoted differently from large activations.