Everything to consider when screening the UEFA Euro 2024 championship

The EURO 2024 Championships, arguably the highlight of this year’s events calendar, are almost upon us.

Kicking off on Friday 14th June, just ten days away, the opening game is programmed to take place at Munich’s Allianz Arena, with hosts Germany taking on Scotland.

Steve Clarke, manager of the Scottish national team, has led his side to back-to-back qualifications for the first time in 25 years, conceding only one goal in their five group matches. Meanwhile, England, under Gareth Southgate, secured a 3-0 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a recent international friendly and head to the tournament in Germany as favourites to win the coveted Henri Delaunay Trophy.

With England backed to win and Scotland in good form, excitement among football fans in the UK is palpable right now. Perhaps a little less so in Wales and Northern Ireland however, with both sides unable to advance from the groups. Regardless of the latter, we are already seeing huge numbers of ticket sales for screening events taking place across the upcoming 4-week contest, with fans eager to head out to pubs and venues to cheer their sides to victory.

If you are a pub or venue proprietor planning to screen the games, or an event organiser creating a fan zone, it’s essential to consider the logistics of hosting such an event. To ensure your screening events go smoothly, we’ve created a handy list of considerations for you to refer to.

Keep scrolling down to discover everything you need to consider when screening the UEFA Euro 2024 championships.

Choosing a venue

Sounds simple enough, though you might have overlooked your anticipated audience size. Make sure to pick a venue that can accommodate your guest list whilst still providing the best possible viewing experience. Consider the seating capacity, screen size, and audio-visual equipment required.

Scoring the correct licenses and rights

Although screening the upcoming Euro tournament is free and doesn’t require a license, if you plan to show qualifiers or friendlies leading up to similar tournaments in the future, you must ensure you have the necessary licenses and rights. This may involve purchasing broadcasting rights.

Tackling how to market your event

Cutting through the noise and going one better than your competitors is much easier said than done. You’re going to need to build a thorough marketing strategy to promote your screening event, giving thought to how to use channels such as social media, email newsletters, and local advertising creatively and collectively, to reach and engage your target audience.

Skiddle also offers a range of marketing tools and services to help you achieve your goals. Check out our Event Promotion page for more.

Choosing the right ticket and pricing strategy

Consider offering early bird discounts, payment plans, if you offer tickets with a pricier tag, and VIP options to appeal to different segments of your audience, and research what’s being offered by your competitors. Do the leg work. Survey and listen to your patrons to understand their financial limits, make your events more accessible, and reap the rewards.

Safety and Security

The safety of your guests should be paramount. Introduce measures such as crowd control and security personnel and promote these safety elements to your customers. It could make all the difference between a potential customer opting to buy a ticket or looking elsewhere.
You should also consider consulting with local authorities to ensure compliance with safety regulations, to prevent being shut down.

Food and Beverage Options

Food and drink enhances any event experience. Fact. By offering a variety of food and beverage options for attendees to enjoy during the screening, you’re likely to increase attendee numbers and general customer satisfaction. Why not think about partnering with local vendors or caterers to provide a selection of snacks, drinks, and meals in between or during the games. Offering something different.

Entertainment and Atmosphere

In the build-up to and in the wake of the games you screen, you could book entertainers, live bands or DJs to gee-up the crowds. Enhance the atmosphere of the event by incorporating halftime shows, or even through interactive games or quizzes with prizes. You could also consider decorating your venue with football-themed decor to create a more immersive experience.

Technical Support

Ensure that you have adequate technical support to handle any audio-visual equipment or streaming issues that may arise during the event. Consider hiring professionals or partnering with AV companies to provide technical assistance, if you’re planning something really elaborate.

Got big numbers of fans attending your events? Why not download our RapidScan app to help get your customers through the doors quickly so they can begin spending money at the bar.

Fan Engagement

Encourage fan engagement and interaction during the screening event by organising activities such as trivia contests, fan giveaways, or photo opportunities. These sorts of activities work especially at family-friendly screening events. If you’re planning to harness the power of social media during your events, why not think about creating your own hashtags to facilitate online engagement and conversation among your patrons.

Post-Event Evaluation

Finally, after the final whistle has blown and the dust has settled, conduct a post-event evaluation to assess its success and identify areas for improvement. Be sure to gather feedback from your attendees, make improvements based on their thoughts and opinions, and keep them updated of your future event planning efforts.

There you have it. everything you need to consider when screening EURO 2024. Be sure to bookmark this blog and refer back to it, should you need advice or ideas over the coming international football spectacle.