Have A Blast: Shoot To Thrill

In the current economic climate you need to get the biggest bang possible for your corporate entertainment buck, and a day of clay shooting can provide that – quite literally. Many executives seem to be getting a little tired of golf or a day at the races; if you are a golfer, great, but those guests who aren’t are at a big disadvantage.

A shooting event gives more one-to-one time with your clients and guests, as well as something exciting and different. Most of your guests will not be regular shooters, so they tend to start from a level playing field. For the odd one who is there’s a chance to shine – or be beaten by a complete novice.

How often do you get the chance to shoot a huge .500 double rifle? It’s so powerful you can feel the concussive blast standing yards away. A multi-activity day, combining shooting with driving hovercrafts and quads, and with something like falconry, gives your clients an experience they will remember and treasure forever, while associating it with your company. As you stand with a huge eagle owl about to land on your gloved arm, or run downhill chased by a peregrine falcon taking the lure from your head, trust me, you will feel a mixture of fear, awe and elation.

Inclusivity is a big part of corporate entertaining planning; you don’t want to exclude half of your clients from the off. Instructors on a well-planned shooting day will quickly be able to make everyone feel comfortable handling guns, and ensure that the targets are easily hit-able. People like breaking targets, and you want them to go away from the day with a feeling of success and achievement. A properly structured day with experienced instructors, a wide range of targets and a selection of guns of different weights and sizes is suitable for anyone from nine to 90. Often ladies will out-perform the chaps because they tend to listen better.

Usually, your guests are divided into teams of between four and six, who then stay with an instructor for the duration of the shoot, be it full-day, half-day or two-hour shoot. This way, your coach gets to know you and can wring the best performance out of you. While one team member is on the stand shooting, the others have the opportunity to mingle and network, and as a host you have relaxed one-to-one time with your clients, to build lasting relationships, find out what’s happening in their business, and what they may be planning for the future. Throughout the day there will be breaks for refreshments, when all will have a chance to catch up on phone messages, emails and compare war stories.

If you are planning a product launch, presentation or business meeting, you can think of shooting as the bait on the hook, have the meeting or presentation first followed by a shooting package afterwards, which will often prove far more attractive than a mere presentation on its own.

With 120 acres of rolling, manicured countryside well within the M25, with easy access from the M40, M4 and central London, Holland & Holland’s shooting school at Northwood is ideally located. After a hard day’s work you could entertain your clients with a summer evening shoot and barbecue, or a whole day out with spit-roasted lamb, at £195 a head for a full day, including wine. Trust us: most clients will be bang up for it.

To find out more about shooting packages and multi-activity events, call Steve or Sonia on 01923 825 349; for more information: hollandandholland.com