By Rob Pittam

You might not think it from the weather, but the summer sporting season is under way.

The Derby, held at Epsom on Saturday, is traditionally one of the big events not just in the sporting calendar but in the corporate hospitality world, too.

There's a host of events at which companies can treat clients and staff to a day out.

Sumptuous entertaining while watching the tennis, racing and rowing contributes to what has become a multi-million pound industry.

At Wimbledon, companies spend �1.5m every day on champagne and five course lunches.

Swings and slides

But for those looking for something a bit diiferent - and a bit more exciting - there are a growing number of options.

We recently visited Go Ape, where clients run amok on the swings, slides and rope bridges which have been strung between trees in a Norfolk forest.

A different buzz

Now, for those looking for more of a buzz, there is Ultimate High, which allows customers to pilot an aerobatics plane.

The idea comes from Mark Greenfield, who - with his team of former RAF pilots - already flies at airshows and offers flying instruction.

Now he has combined his flying skills with his experience working in the City to tap into the corporate hospitality market.

The company has two Extra 300 aircraft, soon to be supplemented by three Bulldog military trainers.

Flying basics

Depending on how many people are in the group - and which planes are used - the cost for a day can vary from �250 to �500.

That includes a thorough briefing covering safety and the basics of flying and plane and at least one 30 minute flight.

Clients can opt for a Top Gun programme or, for the more ambitious, extreme aerobatics. During the flight they can take over the controls from the instructor.

However, programmes can be tailored to a client's requirements, to be as exhilirating or sedate as they wish.

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I have to say that for someone who normally hates flying, I found it a fantastic experience.

The loops and 360 degree rolls are all in a day's work for the pilots, but for me they were a once in a lifetime thrill.

Mark Greenfield: Flights tailored to businesses

There's no doubt that if it's an adrenaline rush clients are after, something like this would be hard to beat.

"It does have a straight client entertainment angle, but we take that one step further and go through team building exercises," says Mark Greenfield, chief executive of Ultimate High.

"We take the fighter pilot mission cycle and try to apply that in a more formal training environment.

Demand for excitement

"We don't just show them what we do, but we show them what a fighter pilot does and how that can apply to their own business and can improve their teams in the way they operate together."

For many years, hospitality has been the main thrust of corporate entertainment, with companies prepared to spend upwards of �100,000 to keep clients happy.

But more businesses are developing new markets in this sector, capitalising on the demand for excitement and adventure.

It won't be long before the attractions of champagne and strawberries pale next to the chance to take part in a simulated dogfight in the skies.