Sandy Park

What Sandy Park does

Sandy Park is the South West England's leading conference, banqueting and events centre located in Exeter, Devon, and is operated by Exeter Rugby Group Ltd (the private parent entity that also owns Premiership Rugby club Exeter Chiefs). The venue serves corporate clients, trade associations, public-sector bodies, and private customers across multiple event formats — conferences, multi-day events, exhibitions, Christmas parties, weddings, gala dinners, and wakes — using a portfolio of seven configurable event suites (Exeter Suite up to 1,000 delegates, County Suite, Estuary Suite, Chiefs Suite, Baxter Suite, Seminar Suites, and Boardroom) plus corporate boxes. Revenue is generated through a mix of venue hire, in-house catering led by award-winning chef Craig Beacham, ticket sales, and multi-day corporate packages priced from £14 for individual comedy entry to £1,500 for premium gala tables.

The underlying technology stack comprises an online ticketing and booking platform (tickethub.sandypark.co.uk, powered by third-party vendor Secutix), an interactive virtual tour for remote venue assessment, and an automated ANPR parking system supporting 500+ on-site spaces. Since April 2022, the site has been connected via glazed bridge to an adjacent 250-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel, materially expanding the venue's capacity for multi-day events with on-site accommodation. The venue is also a Chartered Meetings Industry Association accredited site and holds the 2026 ECOsmart Silver sustainability certification.

Commercially, Sandy Park operates a sales-led go-to-market via a small in-house team (Sales & Event Manager Bev Gratton, Sales Executives Emily Jackson and Ben Parsons) targeting repeat corporate business from clients including the University of Exeter, Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Devon & Cornwall Police, Jewson, Bradfords, Michelmores, Pennon, Vertu, and Decco. Multi-channel marketing spans a website with newsletter signup, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter), the tickethub platform, Exeter Chiefs cross-promotion, and a partnership with Chris Bentley (NOTWORKING NETWORKING) signed in May 2026 to deliver a calendar of sporting dinners and networking events. Disclosed venue income reached a record £2.5 million in FY 2023/24 (up 19% YoY from £2.0M in FY 2022/23), with the venue serving 7,563 Christmas party guests in the December 2023/January 2024 season alone.

Name

Sandy Park

Legal name

Exeter Rugby Group Ltd

Website

https://sandypark.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sandy Park is a conference, banqueting and events venue in Exeter, UK, operated by Exeter Rugby Group Ltd, serving corporate clients, associations, and private customers across the South West with seven configurable event spaces, in-house catering, and an adjacent 250-room Marriott hotel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference & Banqueting Venue Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Traveler Accommodation (7211), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integrated Convention & Expo Complex Hotels (THAGALAE), Conference & Convention Center Catering (THAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Conference venue hire
• Banqueting event services
• Corporate event hosting
• Wedding reception venue
• In-house catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Venue Rental and Event Services: Conference and banqueting venue hire including use of multiple suites (Exeter Suite, County Suite, Estuary Suite, Chiefs Suite, Baxter Suite, Seminar Suites, Boardroom). Revenue from room rental, setup, and event management services.
2. Catering and Hospitality: In-house catering services delivering bespoke menus crafted by award-winning chef Craig Beacham. Covers corporate dinners, weddings, Christmas parties, and event catering.
3. Ticket Sales: Online ticket sales for hosted events including sports dinners, comedy nights, business networking events, and anniversary celebrations through tickethub platform.
4. Multi-Day Event Packages: Full-service event packages combining venue hire, catering, and accommodation partnership with Courtyard by Marriott, generating revenue from entire-site or whole-floor bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sandy Park operates a multi-purpose conference, banqueting and events centre in Exeter, offering hire of seven configurable event suites (Exeter Suite, County Suite, Estuary Suite, Chiefs Suite, Baxter Suite, Seminar Suites, Boardroom) alongside in-house catering and on-site accommodation via the adjacent 250-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel. The venue hosts corporate conferences, exhibitions, gala dinners, Christmas parties, weddings, multi-day events, and ticketed public events such as comedy nights and sports dinners.

Product overview

Sandy Park is the South West's leading conference, banqueting and events centre operated by Exeter Rugby Group. The venue offers a portfolio of seven configurable event spaces (Exeter Suite, County Suite, Estuary Suite, Chiefs Suite, Baxter Suite, Seminar Suites, and Boardroom) plus corporate boxes, accommodating events from intimate meetings to large-scale exhibitions for 1,000+ delegates. Catering is provided in-house by award-winning chef Craig Beacham. The venue is connected via glazed bridge to the 250-room Courtyard by Marriott Exeter Sandy Park Hotel. Online ticketing is handled through the Ticket Hub platform powered by Secutix. A virtual tour tool enables remote venue exploration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exeter Suite

Quantifiable outcome

• Record income of £2.5 million in 2023/24, up 19% year-over-year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chris Bentley (NOTWORKING NETWORKING)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2026Former Exeter Chiefs player signed as official events partner. Committed to delivering full calendar of events at Sandy Park generating six-figure annual revenue. Hosts sporting dinners featuring rugby greats, THE NOTTY business awards, and Building Brands marketing conference. Also founded NOTWORKING NETWORKING club hosting networking events at Sandy Park.
• Ludo Sports & Live LoungeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Exeter Chiefs End of Season Awards Dinner hosted at Sandy Park.
• Babcock International GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Event partner for Great South West Conference 2025, joining other partners Deloitte, Leonardo UK, Browne Jacobson, KPMG, Plessey Semiconductors, Supacat, and UCS College Group.
• DeloitteminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Event partner for Great South West Conference 2025 focusing on region's role in UK Industrial Strategy.
• Leonardo UKminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Event partner for Great South West Conference 2025 showcasing defence capabilities and innovation.
• KPMGminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Event partner for Great South West Conference 2025 focusing on innovation and productivity.
• Institute of Physics (IOP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hosted four-day IOP conference on space weather and space environment celebrating 10 years of 24/7 UK space-weather operational forecasting. Co-organized with UKRI STFC RAL Space and Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre.
• Courtyard by Marriott Exeter Sandy ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Four-star 250-room hotel adjacent to Sandy Park with glazed bridge link providing direct access to conference venue. Offers exclusive room rates and packages for event attendees. Features exercise centre and top-floor cocktail bar with panoramic views. Group bookings of 10+ rooms available at preferential rates. Supports multi-day event hosting capability.
• GallagherminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain sponsors of Gallagher PREM (top domestic men's rugby competition in England). Co-hosted networking event 'Finding the Edge' at Sandy Park with Exeter Chiefs featuring panel discussion with club captain and head of communications.
• Exeter Chiefs FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable arm of Exeter Chiefs benefiting from Sandy Park events. Raised over £20k at Christmas charity lunch and £70k+ at Lord's Taverners event. Supports Feeding the Community at Christmas campaign providing 1,000+ festive meals. Generated £3 million in grants over five seasons to 117+ causes.
• GWR (Great Western Railway)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRail partner offering up to 80% off standard return rail tickets for conference delegates attending events at Sandy Park.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ExeterChiefs
• Facebookfacebook.com/ExeterChiefs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sandy-park
• Instagraminstagram.com/exeterchiefs

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sandy Park