You may have seen our recent feature in The Argus newspaper, responding to criticism aimed at stag and hen groups in Brighton by the national press. We put our case forward to the newspaper that the city welcomes the trade from these groups to support out thriving and exciting cosmopolitan town. Read the article below:
Published in The Argus 9th June 2011
We’ve all seen them; we’ve all been on them. The iconic stag and hen weekend is an ever-present highlight in the calendar when you bid your closest friend farewell to their new life in wedded domestic bliss with a fitting send off. The days of a stag night consisting of a few pints at the pub topped off with a bag of pork scratching is long behind us as a younger, more financially independent generation leads the way for a stag or hen night turning into a long weekend or short break, and cities like Brighton are reaping the rewards of this burgeoning industry.
Brighton’s reputation as a vibrant, fun and inclusive party town makes it a popular choice for all types of hen and stag groups, from the party animals joining the rest of the city’s clubbers on West Street to the action-packed itineraries that take a group from tumbling down the South Downs to rolling around a muddy woodland and making waves out of the Marina.
The companies who operate these dedicated activity sites rely on the growing stag and hen weekend industry to supply a steady stream of groups, embarking on unique activities led by experienced instructors and spending additional money on food and drink sold on or near the site, another revenue stream for businesses surrounding the South Downs that don’t have the same passing footfall of a city centre.
The most unlikely of businesses are forging a way in to this growing industry as demand for the newest, boldest or quirky stag or hen weekend idea increases year-on-year. Boutique bakeries and chocolatiers attract new business by offering private workshops in cupcake decorating and truffle making, and smart bars which might otherwise be closed can open their doors out-of-hours to welcome a cocktail mixology masterclass group, learning tips from the pros and providing trade to a venue that would have otherwise missed out on. Art teachers share their guidance with a complete beginners’ class in nude life drawing. Networks of pubs and bars form the base of a city-wide organised treasure hunt where groups are challenged to explore all corners of a city in the name of fun, complete tasks to obtain the next clue and visit participating local pubs and bars along the way. At what other opportunity, than a stag or hen do, would you take up the opportunity to try your hand at orbing, deep sea fishing or choreographed cheerleading?
Companies like Eclipse Leisure have specialised in stag and hen weekend group travel for over ten years, and employ up to fifty members of staff to manage all outgoing events and incoming enquiries from customers looking to do something bigger and better to outshine all stag or hen weekends before it. Forging links with suppliers all over the UK and throughout Europe puts us in a fantastic position for building connections with all manner of companies, seeking new opportunities to ensure our business goes from strength to strength, offering our customers so many new and interesting things to do with tried and trusted suppliers. Our formidable reputation on feedback websites like Review Centre and Trust Pilot are testament to the fantastic quality of service we provide, and our award-winning personalised group website innovation makes the actual organising of the weekend a doddle for the customer and is unique to Eclipse Leisure.
Shame, then, that the efforts of these dedicated and diversifying businesses is somewhat overshadowed by the grossly exaggerated misrepresentation by certain sections of the media that stag and hen groups are here to consume copious amounts of alcohol, frighten the locals and put off the tourists. The only way you could point out a stag or hen party from any other gaggle of girls or guys on a typical night out is the ubiquitous fancy dress, which itself has grown from pink tiaras and personalised t-shirts to all-out costume hire and of-the-moment oddities like the ‘Mankini’ or more recently brightly coloured ‘Morph Suits’. By simply making themselves more conspicuous makes them an easy target to blame for problems, but by welcoming the stag and hen trade in a fair and open way, the city can benefit from the increased footfall across all of Brighton, as opposed to a minority of venues in a concentrated area serving to exacerbate a challenging patrol of densely populated nightlife hotspots.
In a time when pubs are struggling to survive, perhaps there needs to be a rethink on the strength of the stag pound and our frightfully English prudishness needs to open its eyes to the interesting and creative world of the modern hen and stag weekend.
