In this featured GOT VISION facility we head to Larvik Golf Arena in Norway to catch up with Scilla T. Hokholt, chairman of Larvik Golf Course which most recently hosted the Stavernfestivalen attracting over 30,000 music fans and some of the worlds leading artists.
John: ‘First of all congratulations on the success of the Stavernfestivalen this year. Can you tell us a bit about the event?’
Scilla: ‘When Stavernfestivalen was founded in 2001, their show was compiled of four bands and an audience of 175 people. Since then it has increased in size, headlines and importance every year with this year hosting up to 30,000 guests and international featuring headliners such as Sir Elton John, Pharell Williams & The Kooks to name but a few.’
John: ‘What was the driving factor behind the bold move of hosting an International Music festival at your golf course?’
Scilla: ‘Golf in Norway is undergoing a challenging time. After the strong membership growth around the turn of the millennium, the number of golfers has stagnated and has now scaled back. Several golf clubs are struggling & some are bankrupt.
In demanding times the golf industry must be creative and innovative, we must look for new revenue opportunities. The agreement with stavernfestivalen gives us a new leg to stand on. Our large and flexible spaces can be used for multiple purposes than golf.’
John: ‘How did your members react to the event?’
Scilla: ‘The disruption to the members of the club was minimal and our members were very supportive of the event. During the event we constructed a temporary clubhouse for the members and the golf course was unaffected and in full use during the entire period. The concert venue was placed on the Driving range and the Clubhouse was used as backstage for all the artists with crew (36 bands and totally approximately 300 people being served every day for three days). With the additional revenue from the festival we plan to renovate the facilities both on and off the course in the coming year.
John: ‘Do you have plans to continue hosting festival at Larivk Golf Arena or was this a one off?’
Scilla: ‘Next years dates have been confirmed for 7-9 July 2016, so get your tickets now and start planning next year’s holiday in beautiful Norway!’
Fore more information on the Stavernfestivalen visit: http://www.stavernfestivalen.no/
For more information on Larvik Golf Course visit:
