You would be amazed therefore the pulling power of football stadiums, and in fact how good the facilities are within them. Long gone are the days when the venues catering manager was trying to do his bit to add to the clubs bottom line by doing the odd dinner or meeting, these days it's big business.
The power of football in the conference market can be seen clearly at Arsenals new ground, or to give its correct name the Emirates stadium. Since moving from its old ground just around the corner the new location has allowed them to quadruple the number of meeting rooms they have to offer. Rather then being conversions of club rooms and members lounges, these are purpose built state of the art facilities which rival any major conference venue.
Chelsea's stadium, or Stamford Bridge to give it it's correct name, re-launched its meeting facilities recently, calling them Evolution, and it has certainly evolved to be the best conference facilities in the area, exuding a sense or restrained opulence. And although not the most extensive facilities available, Manchester United has real pulling power and produced the highest number of attendees to a conference I ran, just so people could see the world's most popular team's home ground.
St James' Park in Newcastle is another great example of a stadium with exemplary facilities for conferences and meetings. The stadium has an astmosphere of gravitas and delegates that use the facilities are sure to feel a sense of awe when they enter - even if they are not Newcastle fans and even if they are not football fans. the stadium also accomodates dress up balls and is extremely popular with the local Universities.
There are many many other football grounds with fantastic conference facilities within all the divisions of the premier league, and a marketing and reservation organisation called Stadium Experience can make your life even easier, as they work with over 50 Stadiums and are a great resource for conference and event agents and corporate meetings organisers.
Even for non-football fans there is still a sense of wonderment when you visit a football stadium, the 20-40,000 seats surrounding a small patch or perfectly manicured lawn which is used probably less than once a week is incredible, it's a good job really that they have great meeting facilities otherwise they would be lonely places.
Since the amount you can pay towards these items is predicated by your income level, a decision normally has to be made between investing and paying off your debt.
What should you do? The answer depends on two variables:
1. The rate of after-tax interest you are paying on your debt 2. The after-tax rate of return you expect to earn on your investments
Before you answer the first question, you must understand that there are two different kinds of debt. On one end of the spectrum is high-interest credit card debt that originates from things such as credit cards and department store charge accounts. This type is the deadliest and generally should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
The second type of debt is the lower interest variety; your mortgage, student loans, etc. Often, the interest on these types is partially or wholly tax-deductible, making it even more attractive.
With that in mind, the answer to the debt reduction vs. investing problem can be solved with this one statement: If you can earn a higher after-tax return on your investments than the after-tax interest rate expense on your debt, you should invest. Otherwise, you should pay off your balance.
Example of Debt Reduction vs. Investing - Calculation
Scenario 1 Assume you have a thirty year, $150,000 mortgage with a six percent rate. Also assume you are in the 25% tax bracket. Due to the itemized deduction of mortgage interest, your after tax annual percentage rate is really 4.02% (not the 6.00% you are paying).
Hence, if you expect to earn an after-tax return higher than 4.02% on your investments (odds are substantial you will if you have a long-term horizon), then you should invest.
Scenario 2 You have a $10,000 balance on a credit card with a 22% annual percentage rate. Credit card interest expense is not tax deductible, meaning you should only invest if you think you can earn a 22% after tax return on your investments.
Given that the historical long-term return on equities has been somewhere around 11-12%, this seems highly unlikely. In this case, it would be foolish to invest.
The Bottom Line
Although you may be encouraged to invest your money, you need to do what is best for your overall financial health. Regardless of which is the best course of action at this stage in your life, your ideal goal should be to be debt free and also work towards a portfolio of lucrative investments.
Take the time to figure out what you can and cannot live without. What extra expenses you can cut. Create a budget and stick to it. Remember to make your minimum monthly payments on time. Before you know it, with enough patience and hard work, this is a goal that you can, and will attain.
Both Shaun Parker & Christina Costa are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Shaun Parker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Online Marketing, Auto Insurance and Wedding Bells. Shaun Parker has a great deal of experience in finding for a wide range of different occasions. Why not make life easy by utilising a venue finder?. Shaun Parker's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.
Christina Costa has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home loans, Cars and Debt Reduction Consolidation. Christina Costa, a freelance debt settlement writer, recommends Equotegrabber - where you can get a free debt repair quote online in seconds!