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It's one of the most prestigious events in the sporting calendar, yet The Championships does not have a procurement department. Helen Gilbert sees how it plays the buying game
Since the first championships in 1877, Wimbledon has grown from its roots as a garden party competition to a grand slam tournament with a global following of millions. The contest - which this year takes place between 22 June and 5 July - attracts around 470,000 spectators each year, who munch their way through 28,000 kilos of English strawberries.
Ian Ritchie, chief executive of The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), tel SM: "We are a private tennis club with a bit of a do in the summer."
Pristine lawn courts, magnificent floral displays, brass band players, security guards and, of course, the competitors who hit about 54,000 balls during Wimbledon and the preceding qualifying tournament, are among the ingredients which make it tick. Unquestionably, the procurement department has a huge task... except there is no procurement department.
It might come as a surprise that an event as big as Wimbledon does not have its own purchasing division, but The Championships is run by a private tennis club with members using the facilities throughout the year. Richard Oxborrow, who has been Championships co-ordinator for more than 16 years, says most purchasing decisions are delegated to heads of department with category expertise. Major projects, however, such as the new centre court roof are considered and approved by a committee, made up of 12 members of the AELTC club committee and seven from the Lawn Tennis Association.
CATEGORY EXPERTISE
Procurement is split into three areas. The first is covered by heads of department for grounds, IT and security. The second involves the marketing director negotiating official supplier agreements with firms such as Slazenger and Rolex, who pay a fee to provide their product in association with the event. And third, huge areas of operations such as catering and building projects are outsourced to commercial contractors.
Of the first category, Oxborrow says: "Staffare responsible for certain areas and procurement also falls within their remit. There's a purchasing role in nearly everything."
Many have worked at The Championships for decades - including the head groundsman, who is responsible...