De Boer on crest of a wave at Henley Royal Regatta
De Boer has provided hospitality facilities for visitors to one of the greatest sporting and social occasions of the summer – the Henley Royal Regatta.
And fittingly for such a high-profile event, De Boer created the unique hospitality venue in the grounds of historic Leander Club, the world’s most famous and successful rowing club, which was founded in 1818.
De Boer was appointed by Leander Club in 2006 to supply structures for the Regatta and the relationship has since evolved with the award of a long-term contract for the company to service the event.
At this year’s Regatta, staged over five days from July 1, De Boer provided a 600-square-metre Alu Hall, which formed the main dining area and The Olympians Suite for guests, with a separate 120-square-metre facility creating a ‘River View’ bar, complete with elevated terrace allowing excellent views of the rowing action.
A series of Pyramid structures were also constructed to form an entrance, merchandising area, toilet and washroom facilities. In addition the company supplied walkways, glass handrail systems, floor coverings, carpets and Astroturf along with external furniture to complement Leander Club’s own outdoor tables and chairs.
Paul Budd, General Manger of Leander Club, said: “De Boer provides us with an exceptional level of professionalism and excellent project management skills while also being able to offer a vast range of structures that can be tailored to meet our specific requirements. We were delighted to once again work in partnership with the company.”
The Royal Regatta is steeped in history with the first event held in 1839. It was scheduled to last just one afternoon, but the rowing was so popular that it ran for two days. Ever since, there has been an annual regatta on the River Thames at Henley with the event receiving Royal patronage in 1851 when Prince Albert became the first Royal Patron.
Each year thousands of visitors line the river banks along the 2,112-metre-long course which runs between Temple Island and Henley Bridge. Henley Royal Regatta has been transformed into a major international sporting extravaganza attracting rowers from around the world including Australia, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe.
John Cochrane, De Boer’s Sales Director – Events, says: “The Royal Regatta is one of the great sporting and social events of the summer season. Leander Club is renowned and respected throughout the rowing world, and is the ideal location from which to watch the action. It’s a beautiful riverside setting – all in all an absolutely stunning location.”
Background on De Boer
De Boer is the leading international supplier of temporary accommodation for large events and festivals, storage purposes, airport baggage handling and supermarkets. De Boer was established in 1924 and is headquartered in Alkmaar, The Netherlands. The company now has offices in The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria, France, Spain, Sweden and Dubai. De Boer is also represented in Qatar, Russia, China and the USA.
It employs more than 350 people internationally and during high season another 150 temporary workers are deployed. NPM Capital has been major shareholder since August 2005.