AGM Information • Jan 5, 2026
AGM Information
Open in ViewerOpens in native device viewer

To be held on Thursday 29 January 2026 at 9.30am (London time)
THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take, please take advice immediately from an independent financial adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares, please send this document, together with the accompanying documents, at once to the purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
5 January 2026
Dear Shareholder,
On behalf of the directors of Hollywood Bowl Group plc (together the Directors), it gives me great pleasure to write to you with details of the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Hollywood Bowl Group plc (the Company) which will be held at Berenberg Bank, 60 Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8HP on Thursday 29 January 2026 at 9.30am (London time).
The formal Notice of AGM (AGM Notice) is set out on the following pages of this document, detailing the resolutions that the shareholders are being asked to vote on along with explanatory notes of the business to be conducted at the AGM. The AGM provides shareholders with an opportunity to communicate with the Directors and we welcome your participation.
The Company's existing long-term incentive plan (LTIP) for executive directors and other selected senior employees, and Save As You Earn Plan (SAYE) for all employees, were adopted at the time of the Company's IPO and expire for the purposes of new awards in September 2026. The Remuneration Committee has conducted a review of the existing plans and considered the practical implications of the expiry of those plans in 2026. The Remuneration Committee concluded that through resolutions 13 and 14, shareholder authority should be sought to extend the life of the LTIP and SAYE in advance of their expiry and to make other amendments for which shareholder approval is required and which reflect typical current practice for such plans. A summary of the principal terms of the renewed plans as amended is set out in the appendices to this Notice.
The AGM is an important opportunity for all shareholders to express their views by asking questions and voting. It will be possible to put questions to the meeting by raising your hand if you are attending in person. If you are unable to attend, you can still submit a question on the business of the meeting in advance. Please write to the Company Secretary at Focus 31 West Wing, Cleveland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 7BW, or email: [email protected]. You may submit questions related to the business of the AGM up until 9.30am on Tuesday 27 January 2026 and we will provide answers to any questions received as if they had been asked at the AGM and where we would have been required to do so pursuant to section 319A of the Companies Act 2006. We will consider all questions received and, if appropriate and relating to the business of the AGM, provide a written response and post a response on the Investors section of the Company's website.
In line with our continuing commitment to reduce our environmental impact, we will not be issuing hard copy forms of proxy for the 2026 AGM in the post. Instead, you may appoint a proxy online at https://uk.investorcentre. mpms.mufg.com. You will need your Investor Code, which can be found on your share certificate. If you require assistance, or if you would like to request a paper form of proxy, please contact our registrar, MUFG Corporate Markets, whose contact details are set out in this document. If your shares are held in CREST, you may vote electronically via CREST as detailed in the notes to the Notice of AGM on page 12. If you are an institutional investor you may also be able to appoint a proxy electronically via the Proxymity platform, a process which has been agreed by the Company and approved by the Registrar. For further information regarding Proxymity, please go to www.proxymity.io and refer to the notes to the Notice of AGM on page 12.
Whether or not you intend to attend the AGM, please complete and submit a proxy appointment in accordance with the notes to the AGM Notice set out in this document. To be valid, the proxy appointment must be received no later than 9.30am on Tuesday 27 January 2026.
The appointment of a proxy (whether online or in hard copy) and voting electronically will not prevent you from attending and voting at the AGM in person if you wish. If I am appointed as proxy I will, of course, vote in accordance with any instructions given to me. If I am given discretion as to how to vote, I will vote in favour of each of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM.
The Directors believe that the resolutions set out in the AGM Notice are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favour of all of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM. The Directors who own ordinary shares intend to vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM.
I look forward to seeing you at the AGM.
Yours faithfully
Chair
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of Hollywood Bowl Group plc (the Company) will be held at Berenberg Bank, 60 Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8HP on Thursday 29 January 2026 at 9.30am (London time) to consider and, if thought appropriate, pass the following resolutions of which Resolutions 1 to 15 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and Resolutions 16 to 19 will be proposed as special resolutions.
such authorities to apply in substitution for all previous authorities pursuant to Section 551 of the 2006 Act and to expire at the end of the next Annual General Meeting or on 31 March 2027, whichever is the earlier, but in each case so that the Company may make offers and enter into agreements during the relevant period which would, or might, require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares to be granted after the authority ends.
For the purposes of this resolution, 'rights issue' means an offer to:
to subscribe for further securities by means of the issue of a renounceable letter (or other negotiable document) which may be traded for a period before payment for the securities is due, but subject in both cases to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient in relation to treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory.
such authority to expire at the end of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, at the close of business on 31 March 2027 but, in each case, prior to its expiry the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after the authority expires and the Directors may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
such authority to expire at the end of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, at the close of business on 31 March 2027 but, in each case, prior to its expiry the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after the authority expires and the Directors may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
By order of the Board
Bernwood Cosec Limited Company Secretary
5 January 2026
Registered in England and Wales No. 10229630 Registered Office: Focus 31, West Wing, Cleveland Road, Hemel Hempstead Industrial Estate, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England HP2 7BW
Resolutions 1 to 15 are proposed as ordinary resolutions. For each of these resolutions to be passed, more than half of the votes cast must be in favour of the resolution. Resolutions 16 to 19 are proposed as special resolutions. For each of these resolutions to be passed, at least three-quarters of the votes cast must be in favour of the Resolution.
The first item of business is the receipt by the shareholders of the Directors' report and the accounts of the Company for the year ended 30 September 2025 (the "2025 Annual Report"). The Directors' report, the accounts and the report of the Company's auditor on the accounts and on those parts of the Directors' remuneration report that are capable of being audited are contained within the Annual Report.
Resolution 2 deals with the recommendation of the Directors that a final dividend of 9.18 pence per ordinary share be paid. If approved, it is intended that the dividend will be paid to ordinary shareholders on 20 February 2026 that were on the register at the close of business on 30 January 2026.
This resolution seeks shareholder approval of the Directors' remuneration report for the year ended 30 September 2025, which is set out on pages 90 to 106 of the 2025 Annual Report. The Company's auditor, KPMG LLP, has audited those parts of the Directors' remuneration report that are required to be audited and its report may be found on pages 111 to 117 of the 2025 Annual Report.
This resolution is subject to an 'advisory vote' by shareholders. In the event that the resolution is not passed, payments made or promised to Directors will not have to be repaid, reduced or withheld.
In accordance with the Company's Articles of Association all Directors of the Company, having not previously been elected by shareholders, are required to submit themselves for election by shareholders. Asheeka Hyde will therefore submit herself for election by shareholders having been appointed to the Board since the Company's 2025 AGM. In addition, the Board continues to comply with the UK Corporate Governance Code requirement that all other Directors submit themselves for re-election by shareholders. As previously announced, Laurence Keen will step down from the Board at the AGM, and is therefore not submitting himself for re-election by shareholders.
Biographical details of each of the Directors who are seeking election or re-election appear on pages 13 to 14 of this document. The Board believes that each Director brings considerable and wide-ranging skills and experience to the Board as a whole and continues to make an effective and valuable contribution to the deliberations of the Board. Each Director has continued to perform effectively and demonstrate commitment to their role.
The Board carries out a review of the independence of its Directors on an annual basis. In considering the independence of the independent Non-Executive Directors proposed for re-election, the Board has taken into consideration the guidance provided by the UK Corporate Governance Code. Accordingly, the Board considers that Darren Shapland was independent on his appointment as Chair of the Board, and that Rachel Addison, Asheeka Hyde, Ivan Schofield and Julia Porter continue to be independent in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code.
It is the intention of the Board that all Directors will continue to submit themselves for annual re-election by shareholders.
The auditor of a company must be appointed or reappointed at each general meeting at which the accounts are laid. Resolution 11 proposes, on the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company's auditor, until the conclusion of the next general meeting of the Company at which accounts are laid.
As set out in the 2025 Annual Report, the Audit Committee has begun an audit tender process and KPMG LLP has been invited to participate in the tender.
This resolution seeks shareholder consent for the Audit Committee of the Company to set the remuneration of the auditor.
Shareholders are asked to approve the making of amendments to the Hollywood Bowl Group plc 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "LTIP") and the Hollywood Bowl Group plc Save As You Earn Plan (the "SAYE") (together, the "Plans"). The effect of the amendments for which shareholder approval is sought is summarised below.
Although shareholders are only being asked to approve the amendments to the LTIP and SAYE, as the amended plans will continue for a further period we have included a full summary of the Plans as amended are summarised in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 to this AGM Notice on pages 15 to 19.
The purpose of Resolution 15 is to renew the Directors' power to allot shares. The authority in paragraph (A) will allow the Directors to allot new shares and grant rights to subscribe for, or convert other securities into, shares up to approximately one-third (33.3 per cent) of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company (exclusive of treasury shares) which as at 20 December 2025, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this notice of meeting (the "Latest Practicable Date"), is equivalent to a nominal value of £556,173.
The authority in paragraph (B) will allow the Directors to allot new shares and grant rights to subscribe for, or convert other securities into, shares only in connection with a rights issue up to a further nominal value of £556,173, which is equivalent to approximately one-third (33.3 per cent) of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company (exclusive of treasury shares) as at the Latest Practicable Date. The Company currently holds no shares in treasury.
There are no present plans to undertake a rights issue or to allot new shares other than in connection with employee share incentive plans. The Directors consider it desirable to have the maximum flexibility permitted by corporate governance guidelines to respond to market developments and to enable allotments to take place to finance business opportunities as they arise.
If the resolution is passed the authority will expire on the earlier of 31 March 2027 and the end of the Annual General Meeting in 2027.
If the Directors wish to allot new shares and other equity securities, or sell treasury shares, for cash (other than in connection with an employee share scheme), company law requires that these shares are offered first to shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings.
Resolution 16 deals with the authority of the Directors to allot new shares or other equity securities pursuant to the authority given by Resolution 15, or sell treasury shares, for cash without the shares or other equity securities first being offered to shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings. Such authority shall only be used in connection with a pre-emptive offer, or otherwise, up to an aggregate nominal amount of £166,851, being approximately 10 per cent of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date (plus a further authority of up to 2 per cent of issued share capital to be used only for the purposes of making a follow-on offer of the kind contemplated by paragraph 3 of Section 2B of the Pre-Emption Group Statement of Principles). As at the Latest Practicable Date the Company holds no treasury shares.
The Pre-Emption Group Statement of Principles supports the annual disapplication of pre-emption rights in respect of allotments of shares and other equity securities (and sales of treasury shares for cash) representing no more than an additional 10 per cent of issued ordinary share capital (exclusive of treasury shares) (with a further authority of up to 2 per cent of issued share capital to be used only for the purposes of making a follow-on offer of the kind contemplated by paragraph 3 of Section 2B of the Pre-Emption Group Statement of Principles), to be used only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment. The Pre-Emption Group Statement of Principles defines 'specified capital investment' as meaning one or more specific capital investment related uses for the proceeds of an issuance of equity securities, in respect of which sufficient information regarding the effect of the transaction on the company, the assets the subject of the transaction and (where appropriate) the profits attributable to them is made available to shareholders to enable them to reach an assessment of the potential return.
Accordingly, and in line with the template resolutions published by the Pre-Emption Group, Resolution 17 seeks to authorise the Directors to allot new shares and other equity securities pursuant to the authority given by Resolution 15, or sell treasury shares, for cash up to a further nominal amount of £166,851, being approximately 10 per cent of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date, only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment which is announced contemporaneously with the allotment, or which has taken place in the preceding 12-month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the issue. Resolution 17 also provides for a further authority for no more than 2 per cent of issued share capital to be used only for the purposes of making a follow-on offer of a kind contemplated by paragraph 3 of Section 2B of the Pre-Emption Group Statement of Principles.
If the authority given in Resolution 17 is used, the Company will publish details of the placing in its next Annual Report.
If these resolutions are passed, the authorities will expire at the end of the next AGM or on 31 March 2027, whichever is the earlier.
The Board considers the authorities in Resolutions 16 and 17 to be appropriate in order to allow the Company flexibility to finance business opportunities or to conduct a rights issue or other pre-emptive offer without the need to comply with the strict requirements of the statutory pre-emption provisions.
In the event of the Company issuing shares non-pre-emptively for cash pursuant to the general disapplication of pre-emption rights authorities described above, the Board intends to adhere to the Pre-Emption Group Statement of Principles, including, but not limited to: consulting (where reasonably practicable and permitted by law) with major shareholders prior to the announcement of the issues; providing an explanation of the background to and reasons for the offer and the proposed use of proceeds; as far as possible, making the issue on a soft pre-emptive basis; giving due consideration to the involvement (in the placing and/or in a followon issue) of retail investors and existing investors not allocated shares as part of a soft pre-emptive process; involving management in the process of allocation of the shares issued; and, after completion of the issue, making a post-transaction report as described in Section 2B of the Pre-Emption Group Statement of Principles.
The effect of Resolution 18 is to renew the authority granted to the Company to purchase its own ordinary shares, up to a maximum of 16,685,190 ordinary shares, until the Annual General Meeting in 2027 or 31 March 2027, whichever is the earlier. This represents 10 per cent of the ordinary shares in issue (excluding shares held in treasury) as the Latest Practicable Date. The Company's exercise of this authority is subject to the stated upper and lower limits on the price payable. The Directors believe that it is advantageous for the Company to have the flexibility to purchase its own shares, and this resolution provides the authority from shareholders to do so. The authority to purchase the Company's own ordinary shares will only be exercised if the directors consider that there is likely to be a beneficial impact on earnings per ordinary share and that it is in the best interests of the Company at the time. Any shares which would be bought back may either be cancelled or held in treasury (pursuant to the Companies Act 2006).
The Company will not, save in accordance with a predetermined, irrevocable and non-discretionary programme, repurchase shares in the period immediately preceding the preliminary announcement of its annual or interim results as dictated by the Listing Rules or Market Abuse Regulation (as applicable in the UK) (UK MAR) or, if shorter, between the end of the financial period concerned and the time of a relevant announcement or, except in accordance with the Listing Rules and the UK MAR, at any other time when the Directors would be prohibited from dealing in shares.
Options to subscribe for a total of 1,895,199 shares, being 1.13 per cent of the issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares), were outstanding at the Latest Practicable Date. If the outstanding authority given at the 2025 AGM and the authority being sought under Resolution 18 were to be fully used, these would represent 1.37 per cent of the Company's issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares) at that date.
Under the Companies Act 2006, as amended, the notice period required for all general meetings of the Company is 21 days, though shareholders can approve a shorter notice period for general meetings that are not Annual General Meetings, which cannot, however, be less than 14 clear days. Annual General Meetings will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice. The shorter notice period for which shareholder approval is sought under Resolution 19 would not be used as a matter of routine for such meetings, but only where the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole. In the event that a general meeting is called on less than 21 days' notice, the Company will meet the requirements for electronic voting under The Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009. Shareholder approval will be effective until the Company's next AGM, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed.
Non-Executive Chair
Darren joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in 2024 and became Chair in January 2025.
Darren has 40 years experience in retail and consumer businesses serving in leadership, executive and Non-Executive positions.
He held both financial and general management roles at Burton Group plc including Supply Chain Director for the fashion brands, Finance Director for Top Shop/Top Man and Managing Director for the Home Shopping business. Subsequently he was Chief Financial Officer for Superdrug, Carpetright plc and then Sainsburys plc. He completed his executive career as Chief Executive of Carpetright plc.
More recently Darren has been a Non-Executive Director and Chair at a number of public, venture capital and private equity backed businesses. Darren's public Chair roles have included Poundland plc and Topps Tiles plc. He was also Audit Committee Chair at Ladbrokes plc and Ferguson plc. He is currently a Non-Executive Director at JD Sports plc where he chairs the ESG Committee.
Chief Executive Officer
Stephen joined the Group as Business Development Director in 2011. He was promoted to Managing Director in 2012 and became Chief Executive Officer in 2014.
Before joining the Group, Stephen worked within the health and fitness industry, holding various roles within Cannons Health and Fitness Limited from 1999. He became Sales and Client Retention Director in 2007 upon the acquisition of Cannons Health and Fitness Limited by Nuffield Health, and became Regional Director in 2009.
In 2011, Stephen was appointed to the operating board of MWB Business Exchange, a public company specialising in serviced offices, meeting and conference rooms, and virtual offices.
Stephen is Chair of the Inn Collection Group.
Chief People Officer
Melanie joined the Group as Talent Director in October 2012.
Melanie has over 20 years of HR experience across the leisure and hospitality sectors.
Starting her career in retail operations before moving into HR, Melanie has held HR roles at Pizza Express, Holmes Place Health Clubs and Pizza Hut UK, as well as obtaining a postgraduate diploma in personnel and development.
Most recently, she headed the People function at Zizzi Restaurants, part of the Gondola Group.
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
Rachel joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in September 2023.
A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Rachel has held senior financial, operational and board level roles throughout her career. She was Chief Financial Officer at both Future plc and TI Media Limited; Managing Director for Reach Regionals; both CFO and Chief Operating Officer for Local World Limited and Northcliffe Media Limited; and Head of Risk Management at Boots the Chemist.
Rachel is currently a Non-Executive Director of Watkin Jones plc, a housing developer and manager of student and build-to-rent accommodation; Gamma Communications plc, a leading supplier of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) into Western European markets; and Wates Group, the UK's leading family-owned development, building and property services company.
Independent Non-Executive Director
Ivan joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in October 2017.
Ivan has extensive experience in the leisure sector in the UK and across Continental Europe. He held a number of senior roles for Yum Brands Inc. over 15 years, notably as Managing Director of KFC France and Western Europe and more recently as CEO of itsu. Prior to this, he held roles at Unilever and LEK Consulting.
Ivan runs his own executive coaching and leadership development business and was previously Non-Executive Director of Thunderbird Fried Chicken Limited.
Ivan holds a BSc in economics with econometrics from the University of Bath and an MBA from INSEAD and is a graduate of the Meyler Campbell Business Coaching Programme.
Independent Non-Executive Director
Julia joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in September 2022.
Julia has more than 30 years experience encompassing executive and non-executive roles in advertising, media and the technology sectors in the UK and globally. She has held Executive Director roles in a number of businesses including IPC Magazines, Getty Images and ITV plc. Most recently, Julia was Director of Consumer Revenues at Guardian News & Media where she developed and delivered subscriptions and customer data strategies.
Julia is currently a Non Executive Director of Sage Homes and Chair of the Remuneration and Nomination Committees.
Previously she has been a Non-Executive Director of Freeview (the UK's largest free to air digital TV platform), Safestyle UK Plc and Origin Housing, and was a Trustee at Worldwide Cancer Research. She holds an MBA from London Business School.
Independent Non-Executive Director
Asheeka joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in June 2025.
Asheeka has almost 20 years of experience building, developing, and leading award-winning agile Data, Analytics, and AI teams. She is currently the Group Technology Director – Data, Analytics and AI for SSP Group, a global leading operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations.
She was previously Head of Trading Analytics at Dunelm, and has experience working across multiple geographies and in different industries including retail (Walgreens Boots Alliance), automotive (Jaguar Land Rover) and financial services (Capital One Bank).
The principal terms of the Hollywood Bowl Group plc 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "LTIP") are set out below, reflecting the terms of the LTIP as it is proposed to be amended as referred to in resolution 13.
The LTIP may be administered by the directors or a duly authorised committee or delegate. It is intended that the LTIP will be operated by the Company's Remuneration Committee (the "Committee"), which will always be the case in respect of awards granted to executive directors of the Company (the "Executive Directors").
The LTIP permits the grant of awards in the form of conditional share awards, options or forfeitable shares (each referred to as "Awards") over ordinary shares in the Company (the "Shares"). An Award may have any award price (including that it may be nil cost).
All employees (including executive directors) of the Company or a subsidiary of the company may be eligible to participate in the LTIP.
The Committee will determine which employees will be granted Awards and what type of Awards will be granted.
Awards may be granted at any time (except where prevented by dealing restrictions), but will usually be granted within a period of 42 days starting on (i) the day after the announcement of the Company's results for any period; or (ii) the date of any AGM of the Company.
No Award may be granted more than 10 years after the approval by shareholders of amendments to the LTIP at the 2026 AGM.
The maximum total market value of Shares which may be subject to an award granted to any employee (including an executive director) in respect of any financial year will be 200 per cent of the employee's annual basic salary. Awards granted to a new recruit in respect of remuneration forfeited in connection with joining the Company will not be subject to this limit.
In any 10-year period, the number of Shares issued or issuable under the LTIP and any other employees' share plan adopted by the Company must not exceed 10 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company from time to time.
For the purposes of this limit, treasury shares are treated as newly issued until such time as guidelines published by institutional investor representative bodies determine otherwise. Shares subject to an Award which the Committee has determined shall be satisfied otherwise than by the issue of Shares or transfer of treasury shares, will not count towards this limit.
The vesting of Awards may be subject to the satisfaction of performance conditions which will be measured over a performance period determined by the Committee. The application of performance conditions and the length of the performance period for Awards granted to Executive Directors will be in line with the Directors' Remuneration Policy in force from time to time. The Committee will determine the extent to which any performance conditions have been satisfied at the end of the performance period.
The current intention is that Awards under the LTIP will generally vest on the third anniversary of grant, subject to the participant's continued employment and the satisfaction of any applicable performance conditions. If any performance conditions are determined after the third anniversary of grant, the Award will vest when the conditions have been determined.
The Committee may adjust the level of vesting of an Award under the LTIP, including adjusting any formulaic outcome, if the level of vesting that would otherwise apply is not deemed to be a fair and accurate refection of business performance, the performance of the individual, or the experience of shareholders.
LTIP Awards may also be granted subject to a post-vesting holding period. During a holding period, the participant cannot normally sell or transfer any Shares received on vesting, except to cover tax and in other limited circumstances such as in connection with certain corporate events. The Committee also has discretion to implement a holding period through other means, including by delaying delivery of the Shares in respect of which the Award has vested until the end of the holding period.
For Awards granted to Executive Directors, the Committee will set the length of any holding period at the time of grant in accordance with the Directors' Remuneration Policy in force from time to time (currently two-years).
An Award may be granted on the basis that the number of Shares in respect of which the Award vests will be increased to take account of dividends paid over such period as the Committee determines ending no later than the date of vesting on the number of Shares which vest. The basis for calculating dividend equivalents will be determined by the Committee and may assume notional re-investment of the dividends. Dividend equivalents may be paid in Shares or in cash and may take account of special dividends and/or dividends paid during a holding period if the Committee so determines.
Participants who leave employment prior to vesting will normally forfeit their Awards. However, Awards will not be forfeited if participants leave due to: (i) ill-health, injury or disability; (ii) retirement with the agreement of their employer; (iii) the sale or transfer of their employing company or business out of the Company's group; (iv) redundancy; or, at the discretion of the Committee, for any other reason, or in the event of a participant's death (a "Good Leaver").
Awards held by Good Leavers will generally continue and vest at the end of the vesting period, unless the Committee determines that the Award will instead vest on leaving. Awards subject to conditions will only vest to the extent the Committee determines that any conditions have or were likely to have been met and, unless the Committee decides otherwise, the number of Shares under Award will be reduced on a pro rata basis to reflect the proportion of the vesting period that had elapsed at cessation. The same will apply in the event of a participant's death provided that the Award will vest on the date of death and the Committee may deem any conditions to have been met.
Unvested LTIP Awards will lapse if a participant is dismissed on grounds of misconduct.
Awards which do not lapse on leaving can be exercised, to the extend vested, for a period of 6 months (or 12 months in the case of death) from the date of leaving or, if later, from the date on which the Award vests. In all cases, the Board may determine a longer period in which an Award may be exercised.
The LTIP rules include both malus and clawback provisions. Under these provisions, the Committee can:
Clawback may be applied within two years from the date on which an Award vests.
Circumstances in which malus or clawback may be applied are: (i) a material misstatement resulting in an adjustment in the audited consolidated accounts of the Company or the audited accounts of any Group Member for a period that was wholly or partly before the end of the period over which a performance condition applicable to an Award was assessed; (ii) the discovery that the assessment of any performance condition or condition in respect of an Award was based on error, or inaccurate or misleading information; (iii) the discovery that any information used to determine the number of Shares subject to an Award was based on error, or inaccurate or misleading information; (iv) evidence of fraud or serious misconduct by the participant; (v) material reputational damage (including regulatory censure) to any member of the Company's group or business unit where the Board is satisfied that the relevant participant was responsible for the censure or reputational damage and that the censure or reputational damage is attributable to them; (vi) material corporate failure.
Awards will vest early in the event of a takeover or scheme of arrangement, or, if the Committee so determines, certain other corporate events such as demerger, distribution or other transactions.
The Committee will determine the extent to which Awards vest, taking into account such factors as it considers relevant, including but not limited to the extent to which any applicable conditions have been or are likely to be satisfied and the time for which the Award has been held.
As an alternative to vesting, the Committee may decide that Awards will not vest on a change of control but will be automatically exchanged in consideration for the grant of a new equivalent award on terms agreed with the acquiring company.
In the event of a variation in the share capital of the Company or a demerger, special dividend or distribution or other similar event (which might affect the current or future value of any Award), the Committee may adjust the description, number and/or class of Shares or securities subject to the Award and any award price as it determines appropriate.
The Board may amend the rules of the LTIP in any way. However, provisions relating to eligibility, individual and plan limits, the basis for determining a participant's entitlement to cash or shares, the adjustment of Awards on a variation of capital and the amendment of the LTIP cannot be amended to the advantage of participants without prior approval of the shareholders in a general meeting.
The Board can without shareholder approval amend performance conditions and make minor adjustments to benefit the administration of the LTIP, comply with legislation or changes in legislation, and maintain favourable tax treatment, exchange controls or regulatory treatment for the Company, any subsidiary or participant. The Board may adopt further plans based on the Plan in other overseas territories with modifications to take account of local tax, exchange control or securities laws. Any cash or shares provided under such plans will be treated as counting towards the individual and overall participation limits set out in the Plan.
The Committee may waive or change a performance condition if the Committee considers that such action is reasonable and appropriate and that any changed performance condition is not, in the opinion of the Committee, materially less challenging than was intended when it was originally set.
Awards may be satisfied using cash, newly issued Shares, treasury Shares or Shares purchased in the market (e.g. through an employee trust).
Any Shares issued pursuant to awards will rank equally with Shares in issue on the date of allotment except in respect of rights arising by reference to a prior record date.
The LTIP may be terminated at any time.
Awards are not transferable (other than on death or in exceptional circumstances) and are not pensionable.
The rules of the LTIP (marked up to show the amendments for which approval is sought as referred to in respect of resolution 13) will be available for inspection: (i) at the AGM venue from 15 minutes before the AGM until it ends; and (ii) on the National Storage Mechanism from the date of this Notice of AGM.
The Hollywood Bowl Group plc Save As You Earn Plan (the "Plan") is intended to qualify for favourable tax treatment under UK legislation. Accordingly, its terms are largely prescribed by that legislation. The principal terms of the Plan are set out below, reflecting the terms of the Plan as it is proposed to be amended as referred to in resolution 14.
All UK employees and full-time directors of the Company and any participating subsidiary can participate in this Plan, excluding those who have not met any qualifying period of service (of no more than five years) set by the Board. When the Plan is operated, the Board must invite all eligible employees to participate and can invite others if it wishes. All eligible employees must be invited to participate on broadly the same terms.
Participants in the Plan are granted an option to acquire Shares on the basis described below. The Board sets the exercise price of the options which must be at least 80% (or such other percentage as may be permitted by the relevant legislation from time to time) of the market value of a Share when invitations to participate are issued. The number of Shares subject to each option is normally the number which can be bought, at the exercise price, using the expected proceeds of the savings contract (including any interest or tax-free bonus).
Invitations to participate in the Plan will normally only be made in the 42 days following any general meeting of the Company or the preliminary announcement of the Company's results for any period but may be granted at other times such as following a change in applicable legislation or in other exceptional circumstances.
In connection with the option, each participant must enter into a savings contract under which they agree to save between £5 and £500 per month by deduction from their salary (or any higher amount allowed by the tax legislation or any lower amount set by the Board). The savings contract can last for three or five years.
In any 10-year period, the number of Shares issued or issuable under the Plan and any other employees' share plan adopted by the Company must not exceed 10 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company from time to time.
For the purposes of this limit, treasury shares are treated as newly issued until such time as guidelines published by institutional investor representative bodies determine otherwise. Shares subject to an Award which the Committee has determined shall be satisfied otherwise than by the issue of Shares or transfer of treasury shares, will not count towards this limit.
Options can normally only be exercised for six months following the end of the savings contract using the amount saved under the savings contract (including any interest or bonus), or equivalent amounts.
If a participant leaves the Group, their option will normally lapse on leaving if it is less than three years old. But they can exercise their option early if they leave because of: (i) injury, ill-health or disability; (ii) death; (iii) redundancy; (iv) retirement; or (v) sale of their employer out of the Group; (vi) or if they leave for any other reason other than misconduct and the option is more than three years old. In these circumstances, the participant can only exercise for six months from the date of leaving (or 12 months from the date of death) using savings made to the date of exercise (including any interest or bonus), or equivalent amounts.
If the Company is taken over, options can be exercised using savings made to the date of exercise (including any interest or bonus) or equivalent amounts, for a limited period, after which they will lapse. Alternatively, the Board may allow or require participants to exchange options for equivalent options over shares in the company which has acquired the Company, or a related company.
In the event of a variation of the Company's share capital, the Board may adjust the number of Shares subject to options and/ or the exercise price applicable to options in such manner as it considers appropriate.
The Board may, at any time, amend the Plan rules in any respect. The prior approval of the Company's shareholders must be obtained in the case of any amendment which is made to the advantage of eligible employees and/or participants and relates to the provisions relating to eligibility, individual or overall limits, the basis for determining the entitlement to, and the terms of, options granted under the Plan, the adjustments that may be made in the event of any variation in the share capital of the Company and/or the rule relating to such prior approval. There are, however, exceptions to this requirement to obtain shareholder approval for any minor amendments to benefit the administration of the Plan, to take account of the provisions of any relevant legislation, or to obtain or maintain favourable tax, exchange control or regulatory treatment for any participant or member of the Group. The Board may adopt further plans based on the Plan in other overseas territories with modifications to take account of local tax, exchange control or securities laws. Any cash or shares provided under such plans will be treated as counting towards the individual and overall participation limits set out in the Plan.
Options granted under the Plan will not confer shareholder rights on a participant until that participant has exercised their option and received the underlying Shares. Any Shares issued will rank equally with other Shares then in issue (except for rights arising by reference to a record date prior to their issue).
Awards are not transferable (other than on death or in exceptional circumstances) and any benefits received under the Plan are not pensionable.
The rules of the Plan (marked up to show the amendments for which approval is sought as referred to in respect of resolution 14) will be available for inspection: (i) at the AGM venue from 15 minutes before the AGM until it ends; and (ii) on the National Storage Mechanism from the date of this Notice of AGM.
Building tools?
Free accounts include 100 API calls/year for testing.
Have a question? We'll get back to you promptly.