Bourne Leisure
Corporate Issues Management / Current
Introduction
Bourne Leisure owns Butlins, British Holidays, Haven Holidays and Warner Hotels and is Europe’s largest private independent leisure company. For more than 12 years, Media House has provided strategic communications advice and crisis management services directly to the private owners and to the company.
Objectives
To develop and implement a group-wide issues management strategy encompassing the range of incidents and potential issues affecting the leisure parks. To provide 24/7 crisis management support. To create and implement communications plans for specific activities including acquisitions, planning applications, marketing initiatives.
Results
Media House has helped Bourne Leisure navigate through a number of crisis scenarios over the years. For instance, when the super-tanker Sea Empress ran aground at the entrance to Milford Haven harbour in February 1996.
Bourne Leisure operate large holiday parks in the affected area. Media House demonstrated that the company had put a massive clean-up operation in place. Indeed tests showed that, following the cleansing operation, the beaches, rocks and pools were actually cleaner than they were before the oil spill. The media picked this up immediately and bookings to the parks were barely affected. We then collaborated with the legal team and helped orchestrate the financial claim to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund.
Testimony
"We have had a long and happy relationship with Media House for more than 12 years and they have handled many sensitive issues with tact, diplomacy and highly skilled media management. Our directors have total confidence in Jack Irvine and his colleagues and we look forward to receiving their strategic advice for many years to come."
Robert Seaton, Director, Bourne Leisure
