Corporate Race Night for Eversheds Leeds

Bringing the races indoors

In March 2006 we provided a corporate Race Night for Eversheds Solicitors in Leeds. The evening was arranged as client entertainment and, as Ron remembers it, took place in a conference room at the firm's Leeds offices.

We supplied the complete Race Night system: the races, projection and video equipment, screen, PA, betting slips and everything needed to operate the Tote. Eversheds added their own touches, including customised race cards, while outside caterers provided the food.

The conference room set up before the Eversheds Race Night — Ready for the guests: tables arranged around the projection screen and race system before the evening began.

Projection screen and television set up for the corporate Race Night — The races were shown on the large projection screen with a second television display alongside.

The Tote gets ready

Eversheds provided four members of staff to run the Tote. Before the guests arrived they had calculators, betting materials and paperwork laid out ready. The photographs also show the customised race programmes and the piles of coloured paper which Ron remembers as the event's own “toy money”, ready to be issued to guests.

Eversheds staff preparing betting slips, calculators and toy money at the Tote — Preparing the Tote before the guests arrived — calculators, coloured betting materials and the event's toy money ready for the evening.

Four Eversheds staff wearing red Tote rosettes — The Eversheds Tote team, complete with red rosettes, ready to take the bets and calculate the winnings.

Ron on the microphone, Hazel on projection

We divided the job between us. Ron was the compère, explaining how the evening worked, introducing the races, calling for bets and keeping everything moving. Hazel was the projectionist, controlling the race footage and making sure the right race appeared on screen at the right time.

Before each race the guests made their selections and bought their betting tickets from the Eversheds Tote team. Once betting closed, Hazel started the race. Afterwards the Tote calculated the result and paid the winners before the process began again for the next one.

A horse race being shown to guests during the Eversheds Race Night — Once the betting closed, all attention turned to the race.

Eversheds guests watching a race during the corporate evening — Part of the fun is watching everybody discover whether their selection is going to make it home first.

A Race Night made their own

One of the strengths of a Race Night is how easily the basic format can be personalised. Eversheds produced their own race cards, staffed the Tote and, as Ron remembers it, used their own toy money. He also recalls the evening being run as a team event with prizes for the winners.

That turned our Race Night equipment and presentation into an evening that felt very much like an Eversheds event rather than an off-the-shelf entertainment package.

Client entertainment with plenty going on

The photographs show why Race Nights work particularly well for corporate groups. People can talk over food and drinks between races, but every few minutes the whole room has a reason to focus on the same thing. The betting adds friendly competition and gives everybody something to discuss as the evening develops.

Guests seated at a table with a customised race card during the Eversheds Race Night — Food, conversation and a little friendly competition between the races.

Nearly twenty years later, these photographs are also a useful record of how we ran our corporate Race Nights: all the equipment supplied, the client involved in the Tote, Hazel controlling the races and Ron keeping the evening moving from the microphone.

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