Launch PR, creator programme and opening-night activation for the UK's largest independent boutique bowling brand as it took over the former Par 59 site on St Mary Street.
Appointed after a competitive pitch to take Lane7’s Cardiff opening from announcement to opening night.
Lane7 is the UK’s largest independent boutique bowling and competitive socialising operator. For its Cardiff venue, taking over the former Par 59 site at Imperial Gate on St Mary Street, the brand ran a competitive process to appoint a PR agency with real reach into the Welsh market. WCS Agency won it.
We split the story so Cardiff heard about Lane7 twice. An announcement release took the opening date and live bookings to national and regional press, then a second release landed in opening week with the full detail on the venue: six lanes, tech shuffleboard, Big Putts golf, a private karaoke room, interactive darts, beer pong and pool.
Nine days before opening we ran an exclusive press and creator preview inside the unfinished venue, giving Cardiff media first access and putting content into the feed while anticipation was still building.
We built the creator list around genuine South Wales reach rather than follower count, then briefed and hosted 14 creators across the preview and launch night, from city guides to food and lifestyle accounts.
An invite-only launch party on the eve of public opening, managed end to end, with staggered arrival times for creator and press guests to control flow through the venue.
Cardiff knew Lane7 was coming well before the doors opened on 18 September 2026.
Online, offline and social clips across titles including WalesOnline, Nation Cymru, Business News Wales, Wales 247, It’s On Cardiff, Cardiff Daily, Penarth View and Cardiff Life.
WalesOnline ran an exclusive first-look photo gallery from inside the venue, the highest-reach piece of the campaign in the Welsh market.
Every creator who attended posted. Reels and carousels landed into Cardiff-first audiences across preview week and the opening weekend.
The invite-only launch party drew more than 230 RSVPs, with arrivals staggered through the evening to keep the venue moving.
"Team Wales have been working with Chelsea and the WCS Team for over a year now and have found the agency to be a real asset to our business. Their creativity and knowledge of the digital and social media sector has been intrinsic to our planning for Glasgow 2026. We are currently working on our G2026 Marketing Campaign and are extremely excited to launch this in the coming months with the WCS Team."
"As a Welsh brand, it was a pleasure working with a team who truly understood our story and knew how to amplify it. WCS helped us boost engagement and brought fresh energy to the way we showcased Toca Vida Gin — always creative, collaborative, and a joy to work with. From content creation to social strategy, they captured our brand in a way that felt both authentic and impactful."
"Working with WCS Agency has been a brilliant experience for both Wales Netball and Cardiff Dragons. From the outset, their team brought care, creativity, and serious energy to everything we’ve collaborated on. Their service is second to none – responsive, thoughtful, and always one step ahead. We especially love the spark they bring to our campaigns and events – it’s helped elevate our brand and engage our audiences in fresh, exciting ways. It’s a partnership we truly value and enjoy!"
"WCS Agency delivered expert, creative, and professional digital campaigns and content marketing that exceeded our expectations, and we highly recommend them!"
"The services we have received from WCS have been fantastic! The content created for the hospitality lounges was modern, perfect for social media but also kept our values in mind; everyone involved behind the scenes was super friendly and got the job done efficiently. WCS/Cardiff Life also recently reached out in support of our women’s programme. Not only did they offer a platform to push our message they also sent down content creators to film an entire match, giving up their Sunday to support women’s sport in Wales. Diolch WCS you have been truly incredible. "
"Sinead has been an absolute star to work with on the launch of Square and Fair. She was incredibly proactive and flexible, which made all the difference when things got hectic. Honestly, Sinead and the whole team at WCS helped me keep my sanity throughout the whole process! It felt like having an extra team member in our corner."
"We’ve been working with WCS and Sinead now for a few weeks and have to say I’m very pleased with how things are going. Sinead is very warm and welcoming and has a calm head in stressful situations. She is diligent and keeps good time so when we make plans for meetings I can be confident that they will be adhered to. It feels like we’re on the same team and even if there are things she may disagree with, she relays that information constructively. All in all, an asset to the team."
"I’ve been working with WCS for around a year and honestly cannot praise them enough. From the very beginning, collaboration has been easy, effective, and enjoyable. Caitlyn’s account management is second to none (nothing is ever too much trouble), and the wider WCS team have been fantastic during our more recent content and video projects, bringing energy, ideas, and a forward-thinking approach to everything they do. WCS are not just an agency; they genuinely feel like an extension of our marketing team and it’s a real pleasure working with them."
