Arena Racing Company Scaled Premium Hospitality Across Their Portfolio With Seat Unique
David Leyden Dunbar, Group Director of Commercial Strategy at Arena Racing Company
As the largest racecourse operator in the UK, our commercial strategy must operate at scale. Across multiple venues and high-profile fixtures, we required a premium sales solution capable of modernising our digital journey while driving measurable revenue growth.
Seat Unique has become a central part of that strategy.
Since the partnership commenced, their platform has powered premium ticketing and hospitality sales across our 16 racecourses. Our objective was always clear - maximise yield from our premium inventory, reduce reliance on offline processes and create a seamless digital experience for supporters.
Within the first year, we saw a strong uplift in key commercial metrics. Seat Unique expanded the digital reach of our premium inventory and optimised conversion across the online journey, resulting in a significant increase in hospitality sales compared with our previous model. At flagship events such as the St Leger Festival, attendance rose by approximately 14% year-on-year, with more racegoers choosing to upgrade their experience.
David Leyden Dunbar, Group Director of Commercial Strategy at Arena Racing Company“We were already exceptional on the racecourse. Now, the first point of the buying journey matches that same high standard.”
A key enabler of that progress has been the API integration between our systems. The two platforms now work seamlessly together, giving us greater agility and deeper commercial insight. We are able to track demand in real time, identify purchasing trends and respond more quickly to customer needs. With more than 1 million sessions per month recorded on the Seat Unique platform, we benefit from exposure to a substantial audience already predisposed to premium live experiences.
The operational transformation has been equally important. By managing the end-to-end online customer journey - from discovery through to checkout - Seat Unique has reduced administrative burden and strengthened our digital commercial infrastructure. Presenting our premium inventory within a unified marketplace has enhanced brand consistency across our venues while supporting upsell and cross-sell opportunities that increase average order value.
Crucially, the improved digital journey now mirrors the premium standards we deliver on race day. The first interaction our guests have with ARC reflects the same quality and professionalism they expect once they arrive at the course.