Key Changes to Stadium Pass

The Stadium Pass will continue to be offered as a way to play more badminton, more often. As part of the review (more info can be found below), we will be simplifying the Stadium Pass offering and it will become a permanent product offering at Wellington North Badminton. The new Stadium Pass offering will be available from 1 January 2023, and both the monthly and annual passes will be available on a rolling basis. (e.g. the annual pass will be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase)

Inline with these changes, the Stadium Pass Terms & Conditions has been updated.

Key Changes to Court Hire Rates

Key Changes to Peak Hours

Court access for players has become increasingly challenging, particularly during the competitive season. This is due to a combination of court allocations to clubs, our own performance, and development programmes. Whilst the launch of Stadium Pass has somewhat exacerbated the challenge, the root cause of the challenge is still down to the high demand generated by our offering of “the best badminton experiences”. Much of the strain on court capacity continues to be around peak hours. The proposed peak hours and restriction have considered court utilisation over the Stadium Pass trial period and it is reflective of the most popular time.

Key Changes to Court Allocation to Clubs

Feedback came through very strongly from players, that clubs are being allocated too many court bookings throughout the week, particularly during peak hours. There are some incidences in which some clubs are not fully utilising the courts that have been allocated, thus players found this increasingly unfair when they can’t access courts that are not being used.

Starting from 1 April 2023, court allocations for all clubs will be limited to 1 session per week during the proposed peak hours. Additional sessions can be negotiated for off-peak hours only.

Inline with these changes, the Court Booking & Fair Usage Policy has been updated.

Background

In March 2022, Wellington North Badminton launched a brand-new product trial – the Stadium Pass, that allows members and players to play more badminton, more often. The Stadium Pass intends to provide a cost-effective way for players to access courts, play amongst their friends, and practice badminton more often. The Stadium Pass allows pass holders to have unlimited* access to our badminton courts for a month at a set price, without additional court hire cost. This new court hire model is similar to squash and tennis, as well as comparable to a gym membership.

Since then, we have completed a review on both the viability of Stadium Pass as a product offering, and how we can manage the increasing demand on court at the stadium. A survey was conducted with a sample size of 66 players, make up of casual, club and competitive players.

Key Findings

• Majority of the users have found the Stadium Pass to be a great product
• 31 out of 66 players have purchased a Stadium Pass for 4+ months during the trial period
• Majority of the users have found the Stadium Pass easy to use
• Majority of the users are satisfied with their ongoing experience with the Stadium Pass
• Only playing at club sessions, and playing casually are the primary reason for those who didn’t purchase the Stadium Pass
• Majority of club players who responded only play badminton at club sessions
• Majority (50/66) would like Stadium Pass to continue as a product on offer
• As anticipated, Stadium Pass has exacerbated the capacity issue at the stadium, making the challenge more apparent
• Casual players also noted court-to-player ratio by some clubs also contributed to the cause of unease. (i.e. courts are not fully utilised, but they can’t access the empty/excess courts)