StandOut Magazine September 2024

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SEPTEMBER 2024

Recently, I drove down south and visited the operations team at Goodwood Festival of Speed. As a motorsport fan, it’s a fantastic event but you know me, I love to see an event come together so I grabbed my steelies and drove to Chichester for the build. Despite the rain, I had a great time, perusing the site alongside operations manager Jess Harmes. The 2024 edition of the four-day event featured big site changes, all designed to make the customer feel more connected to every aspect of the event.

That connection and enhancement of the customer experience has been a recurring theme since I hit the road back in May. For example, Dan Sewell has recently joined the team tasked with delivering the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT). As visitor experience director, it’s his job to listen to customers and work with the ops team to make improvements.

I met Dan when I visited RIAT’s ops team in Gloucestershire on a rainy Monday in July. I know that I am vocal about my trips on-site (sorry to drone on) but it is the one thing I love most about my job. It’s an opportunity to get under the skin of an event (be nosey) and bump into the great and the good of the events world (and, occasionally, the odd misery).

In this issue, we’ve gone to great lengths to chat with the teams behind Boardmasters, Bristol Harbour Festival, On The Beach, and Farnborough International Airshow. The event professionals we’ve interviewed have been kind enough to spare incredibly precious time to share their learnings so please do them a huge courtesy and have a read.

I want to make it clear that our interview with the Boardmasters team took place before the festival opened its gates so there are no comments on the crowd surge that happened on August 9. The incident that took place could happen an any site. I am sure that debriefs will be intense and draining so we have left the team to get on with the task at hand and when they are ready, I am sure that lessons will be learned and shared.

What I do want to say is whilst on-site we witnessed nothing but passion and professionalism, which is another recurring theme of the summer. Eventprofs, you should be proud of all you have achieved, especially when market pressures remain a concern for so many. I know it’s a crazy time right now but in the words of Dory from Finding Nemo, just keep swimming. And if you can spare ten minutes, please pop the kettle on and have a read of this latest issue. You won’t be disappointed.

Happy reading,

Caroline

10 EVENT TENDERS

Looking for new business? Check out the latest event tenders

13 ON BOARD

Licence capacity at Boardmasters 2024 increased by 5,000. Here the festival’s event and operations team give StandOut the lowdown on enhanced operational and safety measures

23 PLANE SAILING

Royal International Air Tattoo 2024 featured several event developments. Find out more with the Royal Airforce Charitable Trust Enterprises’ Dan Pigot and Simon Hough

29 FULL OF DRIVE

Goodwood Festival of Speed’s Jess Harmes walks StandOut through the big changes at this year’s motorsport event…

34 CHAMPIONING INCLUSIVITY

StandOut exclusively reveals the team of industry ambassadors who will be championing Event Buyers Live 2024

37 UNDER COVER

Temporary structures can transform the look and feel of an event

49 FLYING HIGH

Temperature control, protestors, and future-proofing. Farnborough International Airshow’s Ben Gleeson reveals all…

53 ROLL WITH IT

Toilet experts discuss best practice loo hire and new products

56 AHOY THERE!

Proud Events delivered Bristol Harbour Festival for the first time. Read all about it with Proud Events’ Harry Feigen

13 ON BOARD

56 AHOY THERE!

49 FLYING HIGH

23 PLANE SAILING

29 FULL OF DRIVE

This month’s

CONTRIBUTORS:

BEN GLEESON

Ben is an event operations and venue management leader with a wide-ranging experience of venues, exhibitions and event operations throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. A specialist in temporary structures, infrastructure overlay, building construction, contingency planning and risk management, Ben is the director of operations at Farnborough International, the organiser of the Farnborough International Airshow. In this issue, Ben walks StandOut through budgets and event developments at this year’s show, including the addition of protest response teams and how operational planning greatly impacts the customer’s experience.

JESS HARMES

Jess studied media production and studies at the University of Chichester, where she developed a love for event and project management. She initially worked for a local charity delivering an array of events, from golf days to zip wires, Burns Nights, and balls before joining the Goodwood Estate. Her first day on-site – in 2018 – was the first day of the build for Goodwood Festival of Speed, joining as an event planner. In November 2021, Jess became operations manager and has never looked back. In this issue, she talks candidly about developments at this year’s motorsport event and discusses site layout changes, sustainability and inclusivity.

SIMON HOUGH

Simon is head of commercial activities and hospitality at Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, organiser of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT). He joined the trust in May 2023, following 22 years working with Forestry England and the Forestry Commission, managing the commercial visitor and events activities at Westonbirt, the National Arboretum and the large commercial events programme for Forestry England. Now, Simon leads a small but growing team, managing RIAT’s commercial activities across retail, food and drink and hospitality. Turn to page 23 and discover what new measures RIAT introduced to elevate the customer experience and improve contractor safety.

Size | Strength | Style

Engage Works has appointed Rory Sloan as operations director.

,

Finland’s Weekend Festival 2024 outshone all previous editions with a laser show, boasting eight times more lasers than the 2014 event. This year’s festival featured 66 laser fixtures and more than 1,250 watts of laser power which required special permission from the Finnish radiation and flight authorities. To accommodate the laser spectacle, the festival’s custombuilt stage – featuring more than 150 square metres of mirror walls – was relocated.

Noble

Agency Cow has launched a dedicated events division called Experience. This will be led by Rachel Shaw.

Ellie Woodward is now event logistics manager at Hyve Group

ASM Global has appointed Ed Sanderson as executive vice president of business development for Europe.

LINKEDIN POST OF THE MONTH

Chantal Kerr-Sheppard, Event Cycle

While most people were focused on the gold throughout this year’s Olympics, I was more interested in the fact that Paris created a 60-km cycling network connecting all the Olympic venues! Isn’t that cool?

Being an avid cyclist myself, I love that the city embraced sustainability in this way. It perfectly encapsulates how major events can spark lasting environmental change, leaving a legacy that goes far beyond the Games themselves.

StandOut loves to read informative and genuine social media content. Is there someone we should follow? Let us know.

NEWS IN BRIEF

UKEvents has called on the new Government to develop a national event strategy, including tax allowances to incentivise new events in the regions and a reduction in VAT on festival and event admissions. Plus, the AIF has called on the Government for support as UK festival cancellations hit 60.

Purple Guide Lite has added a chapter on dealing with animals at events.

Vision: 2025 has launched a crowdfunding page to support the creation of the next Show Must Go On report and shape a new climate strategy.

Supplying the event industry with Traffic Management

Parking Solutions

Signage

ANPR Admissions

Campsite White Lining

Looking forward to a busy summer of events in 2024! www.eventtc.com

Clare Morris

former Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity marketing lead, will join SXSW London, as director of marketing and communications.

Federica Filocamo is now a project director at Smyle

Events has welcomed Craig Pugh as group account director.

ExCeL London has appointed Diana Frederiksen as head of business development.

Image: © Jaakko Meyn

Get ready to pitch

Looking for new business opportunities? Check out the latest event tenders that are up for grabs

The Prince’s Trust is looking for an event production company to organise The King’s Trust Awards. The deadline for this tender, worth £1,400,000, is 5pm on September 2. Contact David Washbrook on support@multiquote.com

Cheshire East Borough Council has issued a tender for car parking and traffic management services, including special events at Tatton Park. Email alex.jones@cheshireeast.gov.uk – the deadline for this tender is 12pm on September 9.

Sunderland City Council has issued a tender for event safety, road closure and front of stage pit barrier stewards. The deadline for this tender is 12pm on September 2. Interested? Email julie.rogerson@sunderland.gov.uk

Erewash Borough Council is seeking tenders for the provision of event security services for events such as Ilkeston Charter Fair and the Civic Fireworks Display. This tender is worth more

than £150,000 and the deadline is 12pm on August 30. Email procurement@erewash.gov.uk

VisitBritain/VisitEngland seeks to procure experienced exhibition stand design build and support services. The deadline for this tender, worth between £800,000 and £910,000, is 12pm on September 6. Email procurement@visitbritain.org

Penzance Council has issued a tender for an organisation to deliver Golowan Festival. The deadline for this tender is 12pm on September 20. Email info@penzance-tc.gov.uk

Lichfield District Council is looking for an event partner to help develop a dog show in Beacon Park between May and September. The local authority is looking for someone to operate the event, provide the relevant infrastructure and deliver the concept. Furthermore, it would look to negotiate a profit share agreement. Email louise.lewis@lichfielddc.gov.uk

GOLOWAN FESTIVAL

Image: © John Stedman

On Board

Licence capacity at Boardmasters 2024 increased by 5,000. Here, the festival’s event and operations team give StandOut the lowdown on enhanced operational and safety measures

BOARDMASTERS

All images: © Boardmasters/Will Bailey/Matt Eachus/Sam McMahon

tandOut is hunched over an A1-sized site map. The map’s corners are held down with cups of tea and Jasmine Hill and Sam Watkins, Vision Nine’s respective senior operations manager and operations director, are explaining every curve, line, and corner.

In just two days, Hill and Watkins will open the gates to Boardmasters, the five-day surf and music festival held in Cornwall. The festival’s coastal location means it’s a bit blowy. Hence, the teacup paperweights.

What we’re looking at looks like a complicated site plan that Hill and Watkins have pored over for months. But we are reassured that it all makes sense to the teams delivering the vital infrastructure needed to make 58,000 people happy, comfortable and safe.

FURTHER GROWTH

In February, Cornwall Council approved a licence application submitted by BM Management to increase capacity at the event. The application was successful and now the festival has a new total capacity of 58,000 (previously 53,000) and the application seeks significant increases in capacity over the next three years (up to 65,000 capacity in 2025 and 66,000 in 2026).

“Like any festival, I guess to some degree, you’re always considering growth,” explained Vision Nine’s Andrew Topham, Boardmasters’ CEO and festival organiser. “If you’re fortunate to sell your tickets, then it’s natural to want to do that. We’re always trying to balance that with how the show impacts the local community. Can we do that sustainably in the broader sense of that

word? Sustainably, environmentally, and economically.

“When we were confident we could do that, we started the licensing conversation.”

Topham is speaking with StandOut from the glamour of a spacious portable building with a pimped-up meet-and-greet area. It’s more palatial than the other cabins on site, each one designated to a different festival department; health and safety, sustainability, finance, site management, operations, marketing and PR. In fact, it’s a large production compound with a central seating area that is regularly used by team members for meetings in the fresh Cornish air.

Topham continued: “I think we’ll review how this event runs this week, to whether or not we kind of explore further growth.

“We think the site can safely run well at a slightly bigger capacity. We’ve got the demand and we’re fortunate to have sold our camping tickets six months ago. So yeah, we’ll see but it’s about us delivering, it’s about getting it right, it’s about our systems working, and us being confident they don’t need another year of further testing.”

BATTLE READY

Watkins and Hill are joined by Rebecca Foster, operations manager, and Tristan Betty, operations and production coordinator. Foster builds the site and looks after the infrastructure whilst Watkins and Hill run the show, keeping a close eye to ensure the festival’s new medical and traffic management plans run smoothly.

Last year’s event proved a test for the team with the great British weather causing some

challenges on egress and traffic building up in the local area.

“The show last year was dry except for the Sunday,” said Hill. “This year, I think we’ve been really lucky with the weather in the build. It keeps morale a lot higher when the sun’s out, especially when you’re by the sea, and you see that view. But when it’s raining, it’s a fun challenge as well. That’s how we learn. That’s how we grow and we’re ready to take the battle on again this year.”

Thankfully, as StandOut writes, the weather forecast is looking OK and the Boardmasters team should (fingers crossed) be in for an OK weekend. The biggest thing for the festival’s operations team is the increase in capacity and how that impacts the site.

“One of the things that we have had to reconsider is the traffic and Cornish roads,” Hill added. “Plus, sustainability is one of our key pillars so we have put a lot more tickets into packages with Big Green Coach and pushed people into using public transport.”

OPERATIONAL CHANGES

A lot of work has gone into Boardmasters’ traffic management plans. Shuttle buses for day ticketholders have been introduced, which pick up and drop off at 13 different points around Cornwall, the festival’s coach terminal has been revamped, the number of coaches arriving from further afield has increased and the event’s drop and collect area has moved. All of these measures hope to relieve local traffic routes.

Yet, there are further measures that have been implemented to help festivalgoers navigate the site once they have arrived.

MAIN ARENA

In 2023, the festival team introduced a walking route, which guided ticketholders from the campsites and loaded them into the right-hand side of the main arena.

“The reason we introduced it is because the site always loaded left-side heavy,” Hill explained. “We wanted to even the spread, especially with our main stage. Introducing the walking route allowed our customers to load from the west side.

“The walk from the edge of Mavericks [campsite] into the site is a fair distance. This route cuts out a bit of that and gets them [customers] into the arena easier and quicker. And it just helps even the spread of pressure on our gates.”

INVESTMENT IN SAFETY

Jim Davey, managing director of Redwood Event Solutions, has worked with the Boardmasters team for three years, advising on event safety. He said: “There’s a few new gates this year. We’ve got more people coming on Wednesday than previously, and more people will come in from the green gate on the south of the site. All of the gates are modelled and we work out how long it will take to process someone and welcome them in. That’s quite different when you look at someone with a day ticket to people that have come on the bus, with everything on their back. So they have all been modelled on the arrival profile.

“Plus, there’s been a huge amount of work around usable exit width around the whole site. So last year, we loaded them [ticketholders] into and out of the arena through a 12-metre gate. This year, we’ve got 30. That’s the massive difference. Two gates

of 15 metres and day ticketholders have their own very special, very beautiful gate, behind the Unleashed stage. That gives us way more flexibility to play with those gates. So we can have one way in, one way coming out. And at the end of the night, when the show’s over and everyone wants to go home, we can have them all pointing outwards.”

“All of that’s been developed, played with, pressure tested,” said Davey, who is Boardmasters’ silver safety officer. “So I think that’s a big change and a big investment from the organisers into safety and site management.”

ROBUST MOVES

According to Davey, one of the significant changes during the planning phase has been a more joined-up approach to strategic planning involving all relevant departments. Plans have been pressure-tested, turned upside down and things have been moved to make things work. That strategic process has been formulated in operational plans that are signed off and now that’s what the organising team is delivering on site.

Watkins explained: “One of the big changes we wanted to do, and that’s the reason we went through our planning application, and we’ve now got planning in perpetuity, is that we can install some permanent infrastructure into the site.

“This will reduce build time but it also increases the robustness of supply. Also, one of our goals is to reduce our trucking. Especially in Cornwall, as it’s not exactly closest to people, so if we can take another 100 lorries off the road that we didn’t need to have, it makes production easier and also there’s less impact.

“We want to be a good neighbour to the residents and do what we can to reduce the impact we have, whether that’s waste, water, transport, whatever.”

CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION

Foster, Betty, Watkins and Hill are joined on-site by Davey’s extensive team, which includes Mike Leonard, lead safety officer, Dawn Grant, safeguarding manager, crowd managers Eddy Grant, Alex Lepingwell, Ben Eddie, Laura Gallop and Olly Galvin, and Scott Leven, safety controller.

They have worked together for months alongside Gaby Williams, festival director, ensuring the site will run smoothly when 58,000 people descend on it.

As well as new traffic plans, a new joint medical/welfare facility, which will triage festivalgoers, and new stages all feature in Boardmasters 2024. These new additions are being delivered by a trusted team of suppliers “who actually care about the show”, says Watkins.

He continues: “I love the morning you open a show because there’s an energy, everybody’s together, and everybody’s got that one goal. And I genuinely think it’s my favourite bit of running an event.

“We’ve also spent a lot of time redesigning the site and moving things around, alongside

our ELT team to look at the changes and pull everything apart.

“But 18, 19 and 20-year-olds can definitely find the one bit you didn’t pull apart and so it will be interesting to see how we respond to that challenge.”

Topham says that continuous evolution is important to the Boardmasters team. He comments: “You know, it’s about running each year, adapting, and changing the show, to make the customer experience better, and make the operations better.

“We’re always trying to challenge ourselves. Is there a better way of doing something? We’ll continue to do that. We want to invest in the show, look at different areas and continue to enhance how it runs,” Topham concludes.

SUPPLIERS LIST

Security – FGH Security, Pathway, and Coast

2 Coast

Stewards – Oxfam

Radios – Audiolink

Water – Water Direct

Portable buildings – Qdos Event hire, Wernick Events and Eagle Plant Hire

Toilets – Andy Loos and Gap Group

Fencing and barriers – Augusta Event Support and EPS

Waste management – Grist Environmental

Temporary structures – Neptunus, Cruck and Mobile Staging

Event medical – ACOS Medical

Welfare – I Thinc

Staging – ES Global and Lucid Creates IT – Lets Tech

Traffic management – Tracsis and The Traffic

Management Company

Power – Project Power

Accommodation – Bunkabin

Health and safety and crowd management

– Redwood Event Solutions

Tower lighting – Illumin8

Plant – Sunbelt Rentals

Crew catering – Food 4 Festivals

Fire – Red Rose Fire Protection

Structural calculations – Momentum

Engineering

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LIGHTING

Life’s a Beach

NW Live’s Joe Nichols discusses how recent changes to the event have increased efficiencies, enhanced the customer experience, reduced carbon emissions and saved fuel

Thousands of music lovers descended on Brighton last month, as Louder Entertainment and Joy Concerts’ On The Beach took over the much-loved city.

In 2023, the event expanded, taking place over two weekends and attracting more than 60,000 fans over six days.

Having delivered the event in 2022 and 2023, NW Live, the event production specialist, returned to On The Beach 2024, keen to build on the improvements that it had previously made.

This year’s show – which featured performances from Underworld, The Kooks, Carl Cox and The Libertines – featured a revised back-of-house area, enhanced VIP facilities, a second boneyard, one power farm and a new temporary event power solution.

Joe Nichols, managing director of NW Live, explained: “Last year, our VIP area featured a small viewing deck, a tented structure with a separate viewing area. The viewing platform was the hit so we decided to get rid of the structure and see what we could do to combine a bar, lounge, toilets and viewing platform.”

For 2024, NW Live has created a new VIP area comprised of a double-storey structure. Last year, the VIP area measured 281 square metres. This year, it measured 675 to meet a growing appetite for enhanced VIP facilities and a premium event experience.

Yet, it was not the only change for On The Beach 2024. The back-of-house area was redesigned in 2023 but further tweaks have taken place to ensure a smoother load-in.

Nichols continued: “We have looked a lot at how our cabins are loaded in and we have tried to be the most efficient with our lifting. Access on our site is really difficult so we’re trying to be as time and space efficient as possible.

“We’ve also been working with our bar management team on deliveries and scheduling. It was something we also needed to be more efficient on and more detailed on pre-production as a whole, getting under the skin of everyone’s deliveries, what they’re supplying, what size truck they are coming in on but also does it need to come on that vehicle.”

FUEL EFFICIENCY

One of the biggest changes to this year’s outing is the addition of battery power. In 2023, NW Live trialled Energy Management Solutions (Energy MS) Sustainable Power system. The system powered four production cabins, event control, the box office and a welfare tent and the solution worked well.

This year, Energy MS brought along a significantly larger battery to power the whole site whilst two synchronised Stage V generators ran the main stage.

Energy MS invested in the big battery technology for a long-term installation but had the opportunity to introduce it at On The Beach and collect data.

James Gunson, director of Energy MS, explained further: “The unique thing about this product is the way it acts.

“A lot of other batteries, you put a generator or a main source in, and it goes through all the electronics and comes out and gives you an output. This battery will sit and act like a synchronising generator with another battery.

“We’ve got it hooked up to one 300kVA generator and it’s programmed to load the generator to 70 per cent of its capacity so it’s in the best fuel efficiency band we can have.

“Last year, we powered the site with one 100 kVA for the food area with a backup and two 200 kVA synchronising for the bars. When we look back, we were under-utilising the capacity of the generators,” Gunson added.

“This is my sixth year of doing this job and my third with NW Live being in charge so we looked at the specification and I said, the battery unit will comfortably cope with the loads,” Gunson said.

SMART MOVES

NW Live took a chance on the battery. With a generator as backup. Gunson continued: “We ran the maths and looked at how much

fuel we used last year through our JCB Live Link. We looked at what the generators used last year, what fuel efficiency band they were in, and they weren’t in the most fuel-efficient state because they were being under-loaded.

“By removing the three generators around the site and connecting them to the battery, we have significant fuel savings. Obviously, the event’s not over yet, but we are gathering data.”

When StandOut meets Nichols and Gunson on-site in Brighton, the event site has been running for five days. In those days, roughly 2,000 litres of fuel have been saved. The 500kWh battery has powered the stage during production build and the site between show weekends. This has reduced generator run time. In addition, the production cabins have been powered by solar once more, saving more than two weeks of generator emissions.

Gunson continued: “We’re not just about putting big generators everywhere and just running them and letting the client pay for that. That’s a quick way to the end. Let’s be clever and let’s use technology.

“I don’t want to be the same as everybody else. I want to be recognised for doing a job and doing it very well, and bringing benefits, even if sometimes our way of doing things may financially cost more. You know, it’s about offsetting everything for the future of everybody.”

WORKING WITH SUPPLIERS

This year’s event has an increase in power demand. Therefore, the battery system is being monitored closely so that further efficiencies can be made in 2025.

Nichols admitted to being nervous when Gunson approached him and the team with the idea of the big battery system. Nichols said: “We were nervous to begin with because it is running a lot of the site, but we talked through the contingency and what mitigations were in place.

“So far, we’ve been really happy with it. It’s worked really well. Over the first weekend, we think we have saved roughly 2,000 litres of fuel, which is a huge amount.”

Gunson says that there is a one megawatt battery in production that could power the site and the stage. So could On The Beach 2025 be a guinea pig?

“We might be,” Nichols concluded: “We’re keen to work with suppliers with new ideas and new ways of doing things. If it makes us more efficient and if it doesn’t impact but improves the customer experience, then that’s a bonus for us. We are having lots of exciting conversations about what we could do, but I think our focus will be on improving what we’ve got.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

Power – Energy MS

Security – NDST

Health and safety – Harrier UK

Temporary structures – Brooks Marquees and Worldwide Structures

Flooring – EFS and Sunbelt Rentals

Portable buildings – Wernick Events

Staging – Acorn Event Structures

Plant – CW Plant

Waste management – Grundon

Barriers – Entertee

Radios – Marcomms

Toilets – Gigloo

JAMES GUNSON ( he/him) BIG BATTERY POWER

•

•

Plane sailing

Royal International Air Tattoo 2024 featured several event developments. Find out more with the Royal Airforce Charitable Trust Enterprises’ Dan Pigot and Simon Hough

e all know the feeling you get when it’s your first day in a new job. It can take a few days, even weeks, to get your feet under the desk and acquainted with the tasks at hand. But imagine starting a new job and then – just 19 days later – finding yourself in the middle of an airfield on day one of the Royal International Air Tattoo’s mammoth build.

This is the exact situation that Dan Pigot found himself in last year. The then newly-appointed ground operations manager at Royal Airforce Charitable Trust Enterprises (RAFCTE), organiser of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), was thrown in at the deep end. He had no choice but to get stuck in and deliver the famous airshow.

“I was straight in at the deep end,” explained Pigot. “Previously, I had worked on the show as a contractor but the 2023 event was my first time working on the show as an employee.

“I observed a lot but two things stood out for me,” Pigot continued. “I couldn’t believe the amount of vehicles that were present

and the number of heavy goods vehicles that came in during the construction phase. Add people, add aircraft, and add other vehicles to the mix, and it just becomes an extremely difficult environment to manage.

“The search lanes, the site’s first point of entry, were getting congested. We realised that the process that we were putting our contractors and visitors through wasn’t efficient enough. It was clumsy and timeconsuming so we sped up the process by taking the induction online so that contractors would do it before they got to site.

“People now watch an eight-minute video, which is in two parts [compared to a 12-minute video in 2023] and you watch it before you come to the site. That has taken the congestion out of that area.

“The second thing I noticed was down by our hospitality chalet line,” Pigot commented further. “Again, it was around the point of entry. It needed a one-way system because we didn’t want people driving while someone’s forklifting stuff in the opposite direction down a single-lane track.

“I got quite a bit of resistance at first from some contractors but I said if it doesn’t work, then at least I’ve done something but if something happens and I haven’t done something, then that’s worse. It has worked and it’s made the area a lot safer.”

NEW MEASURES

Pigot’s new measures for 2024 are just a handful of changes present at this year’s event, which welcomed 248 aircraft from 29 nations and 150,000 visitors. Some of the other event developments include additional shelter and shade for visitors, new marquee facilities for traders, changes to crew accommodation and hard wiring connectivity for every trader.

Simon Hough, head of commercial activities and hospitality at RAFCTE, explained: “In 2022 and 2023, we have had real extremes of weather. We had absolutely baking hot sunshine in 2022 and 2023, we had some of the wettest, windiest weather we’ve ever had. That focused our minds in terms of our resilience.

“For example, in 22, our customers were desperate for shade from the heat and in 23, they were desperate for shelter from the wind and rain. Obviously, this is an airfield so the whole point of an airfield is that it’s open and there’s nothing that’s going to get in the way of aircraft activity.

“This year, we’ve had to bring in a lot more shelter and shade and factor that into our planning. Therefore, we’ve gone from having three big – what we’ve traditionally called –service stations, where the food and drink are, and we’ve now got seven, spread out across the site.”

Hough continued: “We’ve also had to be more firm with some third parties, some traders that wanted to come in with a gazebo and a trestle table. They were a big safety concern because although they are quite light, small things, if one was picked up by the wind it could injure a lot of people. We’ve had to just say, look, actually, we have proper fit for purpose, retail facilities that are put up by a professional company, and you can hire those from us. The advantage of that is I think the customer experience is better because there’s a standard of branding and you can see more clearly what that company is, and what they’re selling from a distance.”

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Both Pigot and Hough are interested in small wins as well as big changes. They are working collaboratively to increase efficiencies across the vast site.

For example, the organising team is making a huge effort to measure everything on-site –power, water and waste – and benchmark so that it can do more in terms of sustainability

DAN PIGOT ( he/him)

DAN SEWELL ( he/him)

BIG CROWDS AT RIAT

and there is a huge push to develop closer working relationships with contractors.

This is important as the organising team has adopted an 18-month planning cycle. Hough continued: “We spent the beginning of this year planning 2025 and we’ll refine the plans and hone them depending on what feedback we get this year.”

Dan Sewell is RIAT’s new visitor experience director and joined the organising team just weeks before the 2024 event. He will gather visitor feedback from this year’s show, which will further influence planning for 2025.

Hough commented on Sewell’s appointment: “I think we have recognised the need to be customer-facing. The aviation community and aviation businesses know us and we’re very much on the radar of the hardcore aviation enthusiast. Globally, we’re the world’s biggest military airshow and a lot of what we do is unique. But increasingly, we are supporting a charity, the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. It is of national significance that children are aware of the defence and aviation industries and that these things exist. We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about that and this is the best platform to engage with people and talk about those things.”

Hough continued: “Dan’s been brought in to try and help broaden our appeal because it isn’t just about talking to the hardcore enthusiasts; it’s about speaking to that whole family and a broader range of society where we can explain the significance of what the defence organisations do.

“The word festivalisation is part of that lexicon we’re using because we want to be seen to be a good value and unique day out for people and not just about aviation. We’ve seen that from people just buying a general admission ticket to those even buying tickets in enclosures. They want a high-class day out.”

ACHIEVEMENTS

Some ticket types have increased in price for 2025 but some have stayed the same. Unique sponsorship deals mean that the organising team doesn’t have to add costs

to every ticket and under 18s can still attend the event for free. According to Hough, if you visited the event in 2024, you won’t wince at 2025 ticket prices because they are broadly in line with inflation.

Hough and Pigot are already working with contractors, building relationships that will take the event into 2026 and beyond.

But as we chat on-site, during the last stages of the build, what are they looking forward to the most?

“I had a realisation last year, it was about five o’clock in the morning and I was passing the end of the runway,” said Pigot. “It was a really beautiful morning, clear blue sky and you could just see the silhouettes of all the marquees and the RIAT Eye and that said to me: ‘Wow, I’ve been part of this’. I want to search for that euphoric feeling, again, but I’ll find it when I take stock of everything and think of everyone that’s been involved with this special event.”

Hough concurred and concluded: “The whole team have worked 18 months for that moment. It’s a celebration of everything they’ve done, and it’s fantastic. But equally, there’s always that satisfaction of knowing

everybody has got home safely and the event and infrastructure have been put away properly.

“I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the improvements we’ve made in the customer experience this year and as Dan says, there’s just that moment and you never quite know where it’s going to be, where you can take stock and take pride in what you’ve achieved.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

Trackway – TPA

Temporary structures and grandstands –GL events, Evolution Dome, Markey Group, and Danco

Power – Power Electrics and Impression

One

Water – MTD and Liquiline / Water Direct

Waste management – MJ Church

Toilets – PTL, Andy Loos, Prestige Toilets, and Site Equip

Portable buildings – Wernick Events

Fencing – SHS

THE RED ARROWS

Image: © Paul Emery

SIMON HOUGH ( he/him)

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Full of drive

Jess Harmes, operations manager at Goodwood Festival of Speed, talks StandOut through the big changes at this year’s motorsport event…

GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED All images: Kirsty Jane Russell/PA Media/Dominic James

Losberger De Boer

oodwood Festival of Speed (FOS) is a much-loved event. But even if you’re not interested in the roaring engine of a supercar or the grand unveiling of the latest car marque, the four-day automotive event is a true family-friendly day out with more than 200,000 annual visitors who would agree.

The event has entertained the crowds for years with its heady mix of cars and motorsport royalty. Yet, like the supercars that go full throttle on the Festival of Speed’s renowned Hillclimb, the event’s organising team do not sit still either. In fact, this year, the team has been working hard behind the scenes to implement a raft of changes in the pipeline since 2022.

The 2023 event featured some small tweaks to its layout such as new pay lanes and repositioned entry points. When we chatted on site, Jess Harmes, operations manager at Goodwood Festival of Speed, called this phase one of development. However, the 2024 event featured larger and more noticeable layout changes. Phase two of a much bigger vision. These changes not only opened up the site footprint but also connected both sides [park side and house side] of the extensive site; two areas divided by the Hillclimb track that runs through the Goodwood Estate.

“We’ve had some time to look at the layout,” explained Harmes, who talks with StandOut whilst taking shelter from yet another downpour. “We wanted to open up the site, give people more room but also,

in turn, give more space to our partners to activate and bring their big builds.

“We’ve opened up the cricket pitch area and we’ve framed it with our partners to create a hub and a centre. But Jenny [Jenny Miller, general manager at Goodwood FOS] has been talking with an architect to look at our site and think about sight lines.”

The 2024 event has some noticeable changes. For example, visitors sitting on the cricket pitch, soaking up the event’s atmosphere, can now see Goodwood House. Previously, the event’s famous “grid” and grandstand seating blocked the view of the estate’s grand country home. Now, there is a clear line of sight, allowing visitors to witness the special moments that take place in front of the house. This makes them feel connected to the wider site.

Furthermore, the cricket pitch area has been turned into a destination space with extra seating and an additional big screen and the event’s family zone has been moved and positioned in a higher footfall area.

MORE CHANGES

Harmes, Miller, and the wider Goodwood team have worked collaboratively to implement this year’s event developments. To accommodate the new view from the house to the cricket pitch, the automotive event now has two grandstands near the house instead of three, but each grandstand is larger and has more seats. A new grandstand has been built at turn one, additional crossing points

have been installed to relieve congestion on the start line bridge and there’s a new campsite to accommodate growing numbers of visitors with motorhomes.

Harmes continued: “We’ve also added additional information centres near the new crossing point with the hope that staff can direct people and customers where they need to go such as Cathedral Paddock or the house.

“We’ve also made some changes to the catering and hospitality areas in front of the house because there were some pinch points. We wanted to open up that area and make it more free-flowing so that when people come out of the paddock, they have good views of our central feature and everything going on in that area. We’ve pushed the structures [Porsche Café and Le Mans Public Restaurant] round to the side and adjusted some of the back-of-house layout to open up the lawns and the front area even more.

“Already, we can see changes that we would like to make for 2025, like move the bar along and the bandstand further round and add more seating,” Harmes commented.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

All of these measures aim to improve the customer experience yet the event’s backof-house areas have been given a makeover too. The Goodwood FOS team has installed a safe walking route throughout the compound, to reduce the risk of incidents between vehicles and pedestrians, and the staff welfare area has been moved to more level ground

CENTRAL FEATURE AT GOODWOOD HOUSE

A B O U T U S

A t Z o o E v e n t s G r o u p , w e b u i l d l a s t i n g

r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h o u r c l i e n t s t h r o u g h

t r u s t a n d d e p e n d a b i l i t y , c o n s i s t e n t l y

Contact us:

T h e Z o o V a c r a n g e w i t h a u n i q u e f o l d i n g

d e s i g n a l l o w s a n y c o m b i n a t i o n o r s

d e l i v e r i n g o u t s t a n d i n g s e r v i c e s t o

s u p p o r t t h e U K ' s t o p f e s t i v a l s a n d e v e n t s

W H Y C H O O S E U S ?

W e c o m b i n e s t r i k i n g s t y l e w i t h r o b u s t f u n c t i o n a l i t y C r a f t e d t o t h e h i g h e s t

s t a n d a r d s o u r t o i l e t a n d s h o w e r f a c i l i t i e s

b r i n g t h e “ w o w ” f a c t o r t o a n y e v e n t w i t h

u n m a t c h e d e l e g a n c e a n d q u a l i t y

because wet weather hampered the catering structure’s previous position.

This year’s event has also seen the introduction of a high winds policy in all contracts after last year’s freak weather forced the team to cancel the event on the Saturday. Now, all contracts state that everything needs to be operational up to a certain wind speed. But it’s not temporary structures that the team are concerned about but associated items –like cladding – that can fly around a site.

Again, it’s not the only change for 2024. The team has also taken huge steps to be more inclusive with the introduction of a family room with baby changing and feeding facilities, the addition of a multi-faith room, and an extra Changing Places unit on the house side of the estate.

“We’ve also had a big sustainability push,” Harmes added. “This year, we have a wood donation store called Good Wood and we’ve asked all contractors when building stands or dismantling them to donate good wood, with no nails or screws. This will be donated to local schools to use and then in 2020, we talked about composting paper hand towels

from the toilets but we had COVID. This year, we’re doing it.

“Our hand towels are made from a certain type of paper and so we are collecting all paper hand towels from the toilets. They will be turned into compost which will then be used by our forestry and grounds team. Each year, we plant thousands of trees so the compost will be used for the next lot of trees and then all our lawn cuttings are being turned into things like hay for cows.”

Harmes explained further: “We’ve done a lot with our power too. Everything is on 100 per cent HVO and we’re utilising more of Goodwood’s biomass boiler, which is powering the production office and the Heineken Bar at the cricket pitch. But we’re also looking at how to expand those networks in the future with extra transformers and in terms of generators, we’ve done a lot during build to make sure that we’re switching power on as late as possible. So we’re really considering when things go in, and when they go on to save fuel. Plus, we’ve looked at generator farms on site and generator clusters.”

EYES ON 2025

All of these changes will positively impact Goodwood Festival of Speed. Harmes and her team already have their eyes set on 2025 and have plans to create a hub near the Porsche Café and would like to add more drainage to the site.

But for Harmes, what makes FOS 2024 exciting and different? “For those people that come every year, I think the layout will stick in their minds as it’s different. You can clearly see the central feature in front of the house from the cricket pitch and that’s a huge a focal point. I also think the scale of the builds will be noticed. Everything’s gone higher, there are bigger partner builds. The event is definitely back to pre-COVID times and just everywhere you look, there’s something different to see and do.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

Temporary structures – Losberger De Boer, Be Manic, Markey Group, Chichester

Canvas, Stretch Tent Company, TT Tents and 10 x 15

Toilets – ZooEvents, Just Loos and Qdos Event Hire

Trackway – Sunbelt Rentals

Power – Aggreko

Water – Wicked Water

Big screens – ADI

Pedestrian bridges – Mitchell Bridges

Radios – Audiolink

Branding and signage – Cathedral Signs, Fuchsia Flags and New Shield

Carpentry – Falcon

Waste management – Proclean

Tower lights – Illumin8

Wi-Fi – Deliver Events

Medical cover – MB Medical

Buggies – Enterprise Buggies

Temperature control – Carrier Rental

Systems

Fit-out – Lock 5

Security – Vespasian

Stewarding and health and safety –

The Event and Exhibition Partnership

Traffic management – Tracsis

Sponsored by Losberger De Boer

GOODWOOD FOS PADDOCK

AVID CROWDS

Championing inclusivity

StandOut exclusively reveals details of Event Buyers Live’s expanding team of industry ambassadors, who are set to champion the 2024 event

Inspiring and influential event professionals well-versed in delivering large-scale, respected and high-end live events have pledged to support Event Buyers Live 2024 (EBL), specifically anyone attending the hosted buyer event when it returns this November.

Gabriel Clark, global event operations director at SailGP, Lisa Knipe, operations director of CarFest, Jen Motet, head of event operations at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), Katie Heaton, general manager of Massive, John Rostron, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) and Jack Saward, director of Saward Marketing and Events, are new and official ambassadors of EBL24. They will be on hand to enhance the experience of everyone in attendance.

These newly announced event ambassadors will join Clare Goodchild, director of Organise Chaos, Andrew Smith, CEO of Human Race, Waleed Jahangir, event director of MLS Events, and Ben Whur, director of Proud Events, who have pledged to return as ambassadors and support EBL for another year.

“Event Buyers Live is one of the best networking events for event operators in the industry,” said Clark, commenting on why he jumped at the chance to be an EBL ambassador and play a significant role at the event. “It offers a unique opportunity to connect directly with key suppliers and

event organisers tailored to your specific needs and features an impressive itinerary of engaging content sessions.

“But what sets EBL apart is its welcoming atmosphere,” Clark continued. “The organisers work tirelessly to ensure each attendee gets the most personalised and valuable experience possible. Their attention to detail and commitment to facilitating meaningful connections is truly commendable, so I’m honoured to return to the event this year as an ambassador.”

BEST BUDDIES

As leading figures within the live events industry, EBL’s ambassadors are available to “buddy” guests who are nervous about being on their own. EBL prides itself on being an inclusive event where every guest is made to feel welcome and safe.

“Our ambassadors play a vital role in enhancing the guest experience,” explained Neil Fagg, event director and co-founder of Event Buyers Live. “If any guest looks anxious or is apprehensive about networking, our ambassadors are on hand to be that friendly face. So if you are thinking about attending EBL this year but don’t believe you are a natural networker, or the thought of walking into a room on your own terrifies you, please don’t worry. The entire EBL team and our ambassadors are here to help.”

Clark concurred: “As ambassador, I’ll be available throughout the event to answer

any questions you might have, especially if you’re a first-time attendee. Whether you need help navigating the schedule, making introductions to other professionals, or simply want to discuss industry trends, I will be there to support you.”

WELCOMED AND SUPPORTED

Event Buyers Live facilitates procurement conversations between events professionals and allows organisers to discuss their event plans with suppliers ahead of 2025. It takes place at a key time in the calendar when event professionals are focusing on their plans for 2025 and beyond. However, with only 100 spaces available for hosted buyers, the event wishes to attract buyers from a large cross-section of the live event industry, ensuring everyone is represented.

EBL’s ambassadors operate and deliver much-loved and respected events including SailGP, London Eid Festival, cinch Championships at Queen’s Club, CarFest, Manchester Marathon, Bristol Harbour Festival, AfroNation, and We Out Here.

Goodchild explained why she is returning as an ambassador: “Event Buyers Live is one of the industry highlights of the year. As an ambassador, I am honoured to be able to represent and assist the EBL team during the show, ensuring that attendees are welcomed and supported during their time with us. This might include bringing people together for better networking and business

GABRIEL CLARK JEN MOTET

LISA KNIPE

opportunities, leading a NetWalk, or acting as a support to attendees.

“My highlight of every year has to be hosting the table on the first night, where different organisations are brought together to meet each other and have a night of hilarity and entertainment. It’s a great way to warm everyone up and it means I get to meet lots of new people from all across the different sectors of the industry.”

INCLUSIVE

The 2024 edition of EBL (November 11-13) will see the event mark its tenth anniversary. Only 100 of the live event industry’s most respected event organisers will attend the hosted buyer event at Carden Park Hotel and Spa, the luxury estate near Chester. Accompanying the 100 will be just 45 event suppliers and venues for unrivalled networking and pre-qualified faceto-face meetings.

Fagg continued: “I am so happy that Gabriel, Lisa, Jen, Katie, John, and Jack are joining our team and acting as ambassadors for 2024 and I am truly humbled that Clare, Andrew, Waleed and Ben are kindly giving up their time to support the event once more.

“2024 has not been without its challenges and I know time is precious so to have such a great team of ambassadors, championing the event and working together to make 2024 our most inclusive outing yet, is just amazing.”

TAKE THE PLUNGE

EBL is hailed as “the place to do business” and has been described as the “Rolls Royce” of industry events. As well as pre-arranged meetings that focus on procurement, EBL also features thought-provoking roundtable

discussions, practical workshops, and unrivalled networking.

Smith, returning as an ambassador for the third year, said: “It’s with great pleasure that I will be returning to Event Buyers Live and the brilliant surroundings of Carden Park. It is a stunning event for the industry, it’s incredibly well thought out by the EBL team, and it has

different insights. And it’s great to listen to the special guest, having a fireside chat with Caroline [Caroline Clift, editor of StandOut]. It’s funny and inspiring all at the same time.” EBL is the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the 2025 event season and arrange a one-on-one meeting with respected event suppliers. The meetings give everyone a

As ambassador, I’ll be available throughout the event to answer any questions you might have, especially if you’re a first time attendee. Whether you need help navigating the schedule, making introductions to other professionals, or simply want to discuss industry trends, I will be there to support you.

a balance and a flow that suits me and I think much of the industry.

“Last year, I learned so much from a roundtable on neurodiversity with little pointers that I could take back to the team in terms of our mass participation events and from the sustainability roundtable, where it felt like a support network to navigate our way through some challenges we all face.”

Smith continued: “Also, I always look forward to hosting a table and talking to a diverse range of people from different parts of the events industry who can then give you

chance to talk openly and honestly about business, what’s needed and what’s possible.

Clark concluded: “If you’re considering attending EBL for the first time, I strongly encourage you to take the plunge. The connections you’ll make and the insights you’ll gain are invaluable.”

• To register your interest in attending Event Buyers Live 2024, visit www.eventbuyerslive.com

ANDREW SMITH

BEN WHUR

Endless event solutions

From high profile sporting events, exhibitions and trade shows to conferences, local festivals and everything in between, GL events UK has the infrastructure you need for the perfect experience

Temporary Structures | Marquees | Seating | Complete Event Solutions

Under cover

Temporary structures can transform the look and feel of an event. Here, organisers and temporary structure specialists discuss the creative use of temporary structures, innovations and general market trends

oyal Ascot is the world’s most prestigious horse racing festival. Regarded as the jewel in the crown of the UK’s summer season, more than 250,000 visitors attend over five days to watch equine superstars and VIPs gallop across the racecourse’s sacred turf.

“Royal Ascot is our showpiece event of the year,” explains Sam Thompson, director of estate operations at Ascot Racecourse. “With a 2.8 per cent increase in attendance for 2024, it was important that we had the best infrastructure in place to provide our guests with a world-class experience.”

Ascot’s business and events team turned to Neptunus and asked the temporary structure provider to transform the centre of the historic racecourse into a festival-style experience. Neptunus needed to provide racegoers with high-end facilities in an eyecatching temporary village that doubled up as an after-race party venue for Smart Group, Ascot’s hospitality partner.

EYE-CATCHING DESIGN

Robert Bligdon, project manager at Neptunus, worked with Dan Waite, build manager at Ascot Racecourse, to ensure the enhanced Village Enclosure – comprised of 20 articulated lorry loads of equipment – was delivered on time.

Neptunus took just two weeks to erect 4,600 square metres of temporary structures. Alure Globe structures housed a private fine dining restaurant for 2,000 guests and a separate less formal “Villiers Club” hospitality area. Neptunus also erected multiple smaller Pluto and Apollonia structures for a further

2,000 guests in the Village Enclosure, situated at the centre of the racecourse.

The Apollonia has never been seen in the UK before but debuted at Royal Ascot 2024. Specially designed by Neptunus for food and beverage sales, the structures – created for major festivals across Europe – featured a cantilevered canopy into the design.

Neptunus introduced the Apollonia range to Royal Ascot to give the Village Enclosure a festival feel, a move that Thompson said gave thousands of racegoers an experience to remember.

Ben Keast, managing director of Neptunus, comments: “Our brief for 2024

was to work with the organisers to help bring their festival vision to life and play a part in the delivery of a really exciting development of the customer offering.

“For parts of the site, it was about tweaks to layouts but in the main ‘festival’ hub, it was to create a look and feel that was refreshed from previous years and be in keeping with a lively, vibrant theme offering great branding opportunities,” Keast continues.

“The Apollonia structure was the perfect fit as the curved frontage and cantilevered canopy offered an eye-catching opportunity to create clear lines of visibility for customer awareness and brand placement.”

THE SAIL TENT COMPANY

MEETING EXPECTATIONS

The Sail Tent Company also supplied temporary structures to Royal Ascot before moving on to the British Grand Prix and the Goodwood Estate.

Tom Basnett, managing director of The Sail Tent Company and Ten by Fifteen, worked with EI Productions to redesign a premium hospitality area at the world-famous five-day Qatar Goodwood Festival, affectionately known as Glorious Goodwood. Like Royal Ascot, understanding and meeting the high expectations of racegoers was paramount.

Flo Atkinson, sales director of The Sail Tent Company, led the project and was supported by Matt Lawson, operations manager. Having met with Marcus Rendle, operations director of EI Productions, and James Crespi, racecourse director of The Goodwood Group, Atkinson and Lawson set to work, delivering a 20m x 38m Sperry tent with contour flooring and luxury corn matting to seat more than 400 guests.

Basnett says: “Delivering an excellent event comes down to the collaboration of all suppliers and production teams forming a strong partnership, each party ensuring

every eventuality is covered. Combining pristine equipment, timely installation, flexibility when required and a clear focus on impeccable quality, allowed us to deliver real value for all parties involved.”

GETTING CREATIVE

According to Basnett, event organisers are looking for suppliers with a diverse range of structures, providing flexibility and one point of contact. Being able to give clients – such as Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, for example – access to stretch tents, tipis and Sperry tents provides the business with a great opportunity to get really creative, he says.

Beverley Laurie, senior project manager at Danco, concurs. She believes organisers want to more creative and make use of specialist structure companies to create focal points and house special feature areas within their events whilst opting for clearspan structures for more traditional uses.

She comments: “We have seen a resurgence in interest in our traditional rope and pole tents that we offer alongside our clearspan structures. Again, they offer a different look and feel to an event, less

corporate with a more relaxed vibe, as well as an interest in our more unusual products such as wood walls. These, combined with hard-glazed walling, can offer a very different feel. There has also been an increase in trade stand exhibitors keen to put a unique spin on their standard row plot with a number of our clients fitting out the basic structure with bespoke fascia designs.”

LOOKING FOR QUIRKY?

Earlier this year, Danco provided temporary structures to Badminton Horse Trials and in recent months, has erected roughly 90,000 square metres of structures at events across the country.

Many clients – including Danco’s – are entering into multi-year contracts to give them peace of mind about the availability of supply and future pricing. This enables temporary structure specialists to plan and see where they need to invest in new kit.

David Tunnicliffe, commercial director at GL events UK, agrees. For example, it has a multi-year contract with the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, the organiser of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT).

At this year’s event, GL events UK installed several new 6m x 6m Eclipse structures, each built with a 50cm gap in between them, enabling individual businesses to hold sensitive conversations within the structures.

But it’s not the only investment from GL events UK. It has also invested in five metre bifold doors as organisers, brands and agencies look to move away from “basic” tents. Tunnicliffe explains: “Clients are looking for a structure that already looks quirky rather than having to dress something to make it look quirky.”

SEAMLESS LOOK AND FEEL

Indeed, organisers are keen to stand out and make an impression on eventgoers who are deciding which events to attend as they experience rising costs in their daily lives.

Mical De Boer, managing director of Losberger De Boer UK, argues that the temporary structure specialist has seen a steady shift in the events marketplace towards greater customisation.

“Event organisers are increasingly demanding more unique and personalised venues, driven by the need to create highly memorable experiences that stand out,” he says. “As well as this, we are seeing a big drive across the board for increased documentation of procedures and policies. This heightened focus on regulations is elevating the industry as a whole, promoting safer, more reliable, and environmentally conscious event practices.”

Gareth Chappell, co-founder of The Halo Group, concurs. The structure specialist recently supplied additional structures to Wimbledon where the environment was key.

“Wimbledon was looking to improve the current offering with temporary structures,” comments Chappell. “They wanted them to look like permanent features seamlessly blending in with the current site. The other

SHOWPLACE FOR BREITLING

DANCO

big factor to play with was sustainability. Wimbledon are making big steps forward on the site and wanted the temporary structures to contribute to this progress not hinder it.”

In 2023, Halo Group delivered seven structures. In 2024, it grew the contract and supplied an additional five structures, with Halo’s black steel colour matched to Wimbledon green, providing a seamless finish. Halo Group’s project manager Claire Broise and Kamil Eden, site manager, reported to Mark Draper, venue operations manager at The Championships.

Chappell adds: “At the design stages, we took inspiration from the existing buildings on site, from the newer feature ribbed cladding on Court Number 1 to the more historic elements like the handrail features around Centre Court.”

Chappell continues: “For our structures, we use permanent materials in a demountable way so it was easy for us to achieve the

permanent finish. We design everything to be reusable, from the main structure to the fixtures and fittings, which meets our and Wimbledon’s sustainability targets.”

SOPHISTICATED STRUCTURES

Star Live and Losberger De Boer provided structures to The Championships too. For example, Losberger De Boer worked with Detail to deliver 3,500 square metres of space, including the Rosewater Pavilion whilst Star Live supplied structures and infrastructure across SW19, including the two-storey Centenary Restaurant, the Southern Village, Wimbledon Park screens and structures, multiple retail outlets, and media, ticketing and screen structures. Star Live’s Starbox units were once again used extensively across the site.

2024 also saw an expansion in scope to include seating, with Star Live installing “Wimbledon green” seats for The Hill

Grandstand. This new grandstand was positioned over the ornamental ponds at the top of The Hill offering unrivalled views of the big screen.

SLEEK, SIMPLE, CLASSY

According to Grahame Muir, chief executive officer of Star Live, the marketplace is getting busier as demand grows for better, more robust and more sophisticated structures for events, for use as hospitality, retail and bar units and brand activations.

For instance, Star Live and partner agency Firecracker were tasked by FRUKT Octagon to create a brand activation for Expedia. The installation featured a custom combination of modular Starbox units, staircases, and bespoke fabrication elements, all integrated to form a striking and structural centrepiece.

Star Live executed the overnight installation in Trafalgar Square and Firecracker delivered internal fit-out to create a structure that would allow Expedia to forge a connection with its audience at the UEFA Champions Festival fan zone in Trafalgar Square.

Yet, it’s not the only activation that Star Live has worked on this summer. It recently worked with Strata on an activation for Alfa Romeo at Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS).

The car marque wished to display the prototype 33 Stradale at FOS for invited guests including influencers, media and press. This was to be the first time the car would be on display in the UK.

Paul Banham, group head of automotive at Strata, explains: “We knew we had to display the car in a closed environment as guests needed to be controlled around the car. In addition, as the car is a prototype, the light and temperature also had to be controlled so a structure where we could do this had to be used. However, we still wanted the public attending Goodwood to be able to see the car from as many angles as possible. A glass box was the best option.”

PREMIUMMAX BY FEWS

THE HALO GROUP

Having previously worked with Star Live on another project, Strata chose Star Live’s Starbox product for this activation.

“We wanted to use a supplier who understood the needs and also the complexities of delivering based on the client’s brief and requirements,” Banham adds. “The brand [Alfa Romeo] looks for a high-end finish, which is clean and in keeping with the brand values. Starbox provided a 360-degree view of the car and its high-end design could be adapted for the brand.”

Gemma Strachan, head of automotive operations at Strata, delivered the project. She worked alongside Star Live’s Anthony Moore, technical project delivery manager.

Muir explains: “Strata is a great new client for us and our product has been a great fit for the automotive division because of its flexibility and the premium seamless glass solution we can offer. With our boxes being able to be delivered either flat-packed or ready-built, the Starbox solution is adaptable to any event location or requirements.

“Goodwood is notorious for its build complexity, with a lot of site limitations on both access and timing. Being able to drop the boxes in, built and ready to go, was a great bonus,” Muir continues. “Alfa Romeo wanted a fully seamless glass structure to display the concept car to its best. With our

usual battleship grey boxes painted black for the project, the branding and execution were sleek, simple and classy. Being a concept car, some very specific requirements regarding temperature and UV needed to be met to not damage the finish of the car. In a glass box in July, this was not without its challenges. However, we met these headon by covering the box in a clear UV film to restrict the sunlight going through the glass, and installing air conditioning.”

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Such attention to detail is critical in today’s highly competitive market, where clients and end-users have high levels of expectation.

Showplace recently supported Breitling at RIAT with 473 square metres of usable space. New for this year was a briefing room, which served as the home for The Red Arrows for the duration of the event.

Yet, it was not the only thing that Showplace had to consider when building the structure.

One of the highlights of its collaboration was the construction of a walkway around a unique exhibit; the Breitling Orbiter 2.

In 1998, the Orbiter 2 was the Breitling crew’s second attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Whilst it came to an unsuccessful conclusion with a controlled landing in Burma, the crew broke the record for the

longest time spent in the air by a balloon and for the longest-ever non-stop unrefuelled flight, until they had a third attempt in 1999 when Orbiter 3 successfully flew non-stop around the world and consequently extended that record. Delighted that this remarkable piece of aviation history was brought to the event, Showplace’s team built a functional walkway for guests to admire it up close.

INNOVATION

From an experience perspective, Breitling’s structure featured solid and glass walls, combined with air conditioning throughout. This created a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for the Breitling team and visitors. Again, it’s another key trend amongst event organisers. They want stylish structures that make guests feel comfortable but they also want a structure to be as efficient as possible.

For example, Losberger De Boer has launched Solar4Rental, which allows the integration of solar panels onto its structures to supply a renewable power source.

But this is not the only innovation to hit the temporary structure market.

Fews has launched PremiumMax, a large temporary structure available in 30 metre and 25 metre widths. It’s the “big brother” to Fews’ Premium structure. PremiumMax, with an apex height of 10 metres, is capable of large weight-bearing loads from its roof and a larger width span creates more space for larger events and increased capacity options. Also, Alternative Stretch is set to launch a new stretch tent this winter. With the ability to add walls and doors, the company hopes to show organisers that stretch tents make great event spaces all year round.

Plus, Worldwide Structures – fresh from delivering a VIP hospitality structure at On The Beach, Brighton – has launched Circulus III, a customisable structure, that is circular in shape and it is designed for quick and easy assembly.

“The Circulus III opens up design possibilities, providing the opportunity to create so much more than conventional box-shaped structures,” says Stuart Sowerby, general manager at Worldwide Structures. “Its’ circular form will make your event stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression on your visitors.”

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Bringing events to life

Innovative solutions and meticulous planning are required to deliver large-scale and respected events. Read on as Losberger De Boer describes the important role it plays in prestigious events, such as Goodwood Festival of Speed and Farnborough International Airshow

I

n the heart of the UK’s bustling event scene, two of this summer’s most significant gatherings stood out: Goodwood Festival of Speed and Farnborough International Airshow. At the forefront of making these experiences unforgettable is Losberger De Boer, the go-to partner for the most complex and high-profile event projects worldwide.

GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) is renowned as the world’s premiere celebration of motorsport and car culture. Staged at The Goodwood Estate, the event offers an unparalleled experience for more than 210,000 visitors annually.

LOSBERGER DE BOER AT FOS

Rebecca Chipping, Account Manager at Losberger De Boer, has worked with the organising team behind FoS for the past nine years, managing the relationship and many projects on site. She explained: “We have been building venues for FoS for more than 30 years. This year, we built more than 10,000 square metres of premium hospitality space, including Hill, Gurney, Surtees and Moss Pavilions, Partners Lounge, GRRC Enclosure, Porsche Café, Kinrara Enclosure, and Future Lab.

“We are proud of our history with Goodwood, the creativity and collaboration between us to create unforgettable events that make FoS and Goodwood Revival really special to be a part of. The continued partnership means our team is very familiar

with the estate, the client’s expectations and the quality required.

“As we all know, Goodwood is a special venue with immaculate grass, protected trees and sometimes its own weather system, but our teams deliver each year, regardless of the challenges we face,” Chipping added.

“Every year, before the sheep have even moved back onto the estate, discussions for the next FoS have already begun between us and the team at Goodwood. We look forward to continuing our partnership, designing the unimaginable and providing first-class hospitality spaces for the event.”

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

“Losberger De Boer has been great to work with,” explained Georgio Villa, Project Manager at Goodwood Festival of Speed. “My main point of contact is Becky. She’s been great, really approachable, really friendly, I know I can go to her with anything, and she’s got a solution for me, which is great.”

Villa continued: “The relationship between Losberger De Boer and Goodwood is extremely important because we have multiple structures here in the most important areas of the event. I would definitely recommend Losberger De Boer to other event planners out there.

“They’ve been so easy to work with, no problem’s too big for them, which is incredibly important because at Goodwood, we strive for perfection, and we have a very high-end clientele in these fabulous venues, and they expect the best of everything.”

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW: THE APEX OF AVIATION

Since its debut in 1948, Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) has been the most important global platform for the aerospace, aviation, and defence industry.

Mical De Boer, Managing Director of Losberger De Boer, explained the company’s role at the event: “Losberger De Boer has been building at the FIA since 1996. It is an honour to have been a part of the exhibition’s success and to have watched it grow into the world’s best airshow.

“Globally, this is the largest exhibition we build on a consistent basis, creating more than 52,000 square metres of premium exhibition and hospitality space using ten different structures, including our Emperor, Alu Hall, Premier and Anova.

“Projects of this level require significant logistical planning to create. Once the show is finished, we start the planning process for the next event – which is two years later – almost straight away. For a project of this scale, we have a dedicated team who are onsite 24/7 for the six months it takes to build and dismantle the show.”

LOSBERGER DE BOER AT FIA

“Losberger De Boer created four huge exhibition halls and more than a kilometre of business chalets where the world’s leading aerospace companies can entertain VIPs and conduct business meetings in safe, secure and private surroundings,” De Boer explained further.

“Once the structures are up, an army of around 4,000 contractors descend on Farnborough to create state-of-the-art exhibition stands within the structures and to fit out the business chalets.”

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

Ben Gleeson, Director of Operations at Farnborough International, commented on the vital role that Losberger De Boer plays on site: “Losberger De Boer has been a key integral partner in delivering this year’s highly successful Farnborough International Airshow.

“We have a long-term partnership with Losberger De Boer and they deliver a wide range of structures to the show and our exhibitors,” Gleeson continued.

“The team are highly committed and pulled together to deliver more than 50,000 square metres of structures on time and to a high standard. The team have a great ‘can-do’ attitude and worked with us to support the delivery of a great show.”

THE JOURNEY TO MORE SUSTAINABLE EVENTS

Creating more sustainable events starts with innovative ideas, and that’s exactly what created Losberger De Boer’s new Solar4Rental service. Solar4Rental offers the first lightweight, plug-and-play, reusable solar panels designed specifically for semi-permanent structures.

The system was designed to supplement the power already in place for an event, contributing to a more sustainable energy mix. Long-term, Losberger De Boer aims to facilitate the transition to climate-neutral rental structures, taking a significant step towards hosting events that are both inspiring and environmentally responsible.

SOLAR4RENTAL AT FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW

After the successful pilot of the new temporary solar panels, Losberger De Boer set out to

test them at an event with an extensive build period, installing them on its welfare facilities at the airshow.

This pilot focused on training all teams to install the panels, analysing their output and performance over six months. Losberger De Boer installed 24 panels to generate a total of 8,520 Wp (watt peak). Each frame can save up to 7,741 kWh and 2,748 CO2 per year, equivalent to 131 trees.

The panels were installed in March and remained in place until August, resulting in a

total output of 5,473.34 kWh – enough energy to power two average-sized homes in the UK for a whole year.

WE

ARE LOSBERGER DE BOER

Losberger De Boer is the partner who can offer the complete package for your next big project, taking you from concept to completion. Contact the team today to start discussing your vision for your next big event. For more information, call 01280 846500 or email sales.uk@losbergerdeboer.com

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW

GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

Flying high

Temperature control, protestors, plumbing and future-proofing. Ben Gleeson, director of operations at Farnborough International, the organiser of the Farnborough International Airshow, walks StandOut through developments at the biennial event

he 45th edition of Farnborough International Airshow was declared a roaring success with £81.5 billion worth of deals agreed at the biennial event. For the UK alone, the deals revealed so far total £13 billion, cementing the aerospace, aviation and defence trade show’s world-class reputation for business and innovation.

Yet behind the deals and the handshakes is a team of dedicated event professionals, who spent months perfecting event management plans to deliver the five-day event.

Ben Gleeson, director of operations at Farnborough International, the organiser of the Farnborough International Airshow, heads up the team, which has had some time to take stock since the event last took place in 2022.

“2022 was a bit of a roller coaster because it was post-COVID,” explained Gleeson. “Our show planning cycle is normally two and a half years from start to finish. And it wasn’t until during the Omicron outbreak of COVID that we decided the airshow was definitely going to go ahead. We condensed what was – in the real world – 18 months of operational planning into six months, which every other organiser in the whole country seemed to be doing at the same time.”

He continued: “We got through it but the biggest challenge that we took from 2022 was the heat. The hottest day of the year ever recorded was not far from Farnborough. We had 40-degree heat but the air conditioning system didn’t quite cut it. It was still very, very warm so that’s the huge change that we put in place this year. We ran an extensive tender

and appointed Aggreko to deliver a new air conditioning system to the halls.

“It uses bigger chillers and we’ve got a bigger cooling capacity. It’s going to pull the really cold air out of the hall and rechill that and then in key locations, we’ve got air curtains between the halls to hold the temperature in each hall individually. We’re very confident that it’s going to work, though, with the weather at the moment, we probably won’t need it!”

IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE

With just 13 days to go until the airshow opens its gates to more than 80,000 visitors, StandOut meets Gleeson on-site. Rain is pouring down the site’s sloped avenues and all the work that Gleeson has done with Aggreko is unlikely to be used.

Yet it’s one example of the operational measures that Gleeson and his team have taken to improve the environment and experience for exhibitors and visitors. For instance, there has been a big investment in plumbing equipment, but a large threat comes from protests, given the nature of the aerospace and defence industry. The event’s security working group has spent a huge

BEN GLEESON ( he/him)

amount of planning time to be ready for protestors “when and if it does occur” and a protestor removal team will be deployed.

“We’ve changed our search regimes a little bit on the gates too, we’ve invested a huge amount in a new CCTV system and event operations, ground operations and flight operations have been brought under one hat,” Gleeson added. “We are one cohesive department and we’ve done that to ensure we’re staying current in terms of processes and it’s great to share ideas with the smaller air display community.”

LONG-TERM PLANS

Build for the airshow began in March and will finish in September but during the breakdown, Farnborough will also host The British Motor Show. It means that Gleeson and his team have to be ultra-organised with slick operational procedures and processes.

Gleeson works alongside Sarah Lindsay, assistant director of operational experience and sustainability at Farnborough International, Chris Dillon, head of facilities and security, Chelsea Hoskins, senior operations manager, Gemma Dennis, senior flight operations and space planning manager, and Del Cuttilan, group health, safety and environment manager. They work collaboratively to ensure that all stakeholders,

contractors and visitors have a positive experience whilst visiting the airshow.

“That customer piece is at the heart of everything we do,” commented Gleeson. “That’s how we approach everything. What is it that our customers need and want to enhance their experience here? This is where, in the long term, we are looking at how we evolve and future-proof the site and do it for the benefit of all of those customers.”

He added: “Roughly, 80 per cent of our structures on our site are temporary buildings. So in terms of how we can make that experience a better one, we have two sound stages on site that are semi-permanent buildings that have an alternative use outside of the show. We use them as exhibition halls.

“That’s the direction that we would like to take Farnborough in,” Gleeson confirmed. “It’s a huge investment for us but we’ve built Hall One permanently, when can we do Hall Two? When can we build more permanent chalet rows and how else can we utilise those outside of the main airshow for other activities we have going on?

“That’s where the experience piece will get far better because, in the long term, we won’t be reliant on temporary infrastructure such as temporary marquee-type buildings or toilet trailers when all of that can be put in permanently.”

Gleeson says that Farnborough has a long-term investment strategy and believes – by the 2026 event – that some semipermanent infrastructure will start to replace temporary overlay. The Farnborough team is already taking to suppliers that it works with because many temporary structure providers also offer semi-permanent solutions.

UNRELENTING PROGRESS

More than 100 companies have already rebooked for the 2026 event, which takes place from July 20-24, 2026. Signing for 2,500 square metres, the largest pavilion space in the airshow’s history, Kallman Worldwide is the first international partner to sign up for the 2026 event. Plus, Bell, MBDA, and Northrop Grumman have confirmed their support for Farnborough International Airshow too.

Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International said: “Farnborough International’s role has evolved substantially, progressing to an internationally esteemed change agent with significant influence that powers excellence and innovation. Labelled as the ‘most important event in the aerospace calendar’, the airshow is a physical manifestation of that unrelenting progress.

“It has been a joy to host the global industry to the UK once again and we look forward to welcoming them back to the 2026 airshow.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

Temporary structures – Losberger De Boer

Security and stewarding – G4S, RJA

Security and The Event and Exhibition

Partnership

Radios – 2CL

Flooring – Expo Floors

Temperature control – Aggreko

Trackway and fencing – Sunbelt Rentals

Portable buildings – Qdos Event Hire

CCTV – Mobile CCTV

Toilets – Qdos Event Hire and Site Event

Event medical cover – MB Medical

Wi-Fi – DB Event Networks

Cleaning – Stadium Support Services

AV – 4Wall

Health and safety – Ops Squad

BUILDING THE SHOW

VISITORS ARRIVING

KEIR STARMER ATTENDED THE SHOW

TOILET HIRE SPECIALIST

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& disabled wet rooms.

Also available: chiller trailers, generators, welfare units, canteens and storage units.

Roll with it

Get the loodown on event toilet best practices, event trends and new products hitting the market

n December 2023, Somerset Council’s communities scrutiny committee handed Glastonbury a list of recommendations for the 2024 festival.

The council’s head of regulatory services Dave Coles stated that the large-scale event was “overall” very well-run, but more toilets were needed after large queues were reported in areas of the vast site.

Glastonbury Festival took on board the council’s recommendations and sought to improve the festival’s toilet provision and sanitation facilities.

Home to 210,000 revellers from June 26 to 30, Glastonbury Festival 2024 featured six different types of toilets. From its famous long drop loos to 1,300 compost loos, portable toilets, and more than 700 urinals. But this year’s festival featured two firsts in the form of four period product washing stations situated next to the women’s urinals and a Disco Loo, a collaboration between artist Cyndi Lauper and WaterAid to highlight awareness of the one in five people in the world that don’t have access to a decent toilet.

Revellers could walk inside the giant disco ball – situated just a stone’s throw from the

Pyramid Stage – to discover mirrored walls, disco balls, wall art and a composting loo. Keeping toilet spaces and hygiene points clean, more than 700 WaterAid volunteers were also present at the festival. This was all necessary to ensure festivalgoers had a good time, demonstrating the necessary steps that organisers will take to ensure that visitors are not disgusted by the state of a toilet or annoyed by the length of toilet queues.

HIGHER STANDARDS

Adam Lockyer, managing director of Site Equip, which provided toilets to Royal International Air Tattoo 2024, says that toilet requirements have changed because higher standards of hygiene and convenience are being demanded. Dan Steel, managing director of Zoo Events concurs.

This year, Zoo Events provided toilets to the F1 British GP and worked alongside GL events UK. The company repositioned vacuum toilets and installed toilet units underneath grandstand seating. GL events UK created an aperture so that the units could be loaded in and a tunnel was created so that visitors could easily access the facilities.

It’s the perfect example of how organisers are making it more convenient for visitors to access essential services and use every bit of available space to them.

BETTER LOO EXPERIENCES

A1 Loo Hire recently provided toilet facilities to A2H Live for all Cardiff Castle concerts and worked with the organising teams behind Ride London, Truck Festival, WOMAD, Camp Bestival and Latitude. Zoo Events supplied toilets to Camp Bestival and Latitude too as well as RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Secret Garden Party whilst its sister company When Nature Calls provided luxury toilet facilities to CarFest, The Big Feastival and Rewind South.

Steel says that organisers of small events are looking to provide customers with better sanitation experiences, especially ones that can be charged for.

Commenting on the events marketplace, Steel says: “This summer is much the same. There are no signs of things slowing down across the events we are working with.

“At the start of the year, when there was some uncertainty, events were ‘pencilled in’ and some organisers were less willing to commit to larger contracts but now we are busy and working on some great events and with some great teams.”

SUSTAINABILITY

Zoo Events is currently working with IMG on Hyde Park Winter Wonderland towards ambitious sustainability goals by introducing

DISCO LOO

more and more vacuum toilets, and gradually phasing out full flushing loos.

Similarly, PTL has been working in collaboration with LS Events on toilet plans for American Express presents BST Hyde Park and this year, installed new vacuum modular toilet facilities within a marquee, increasing the toilet spec in the event’s Ultimate Garden VIP hospitality area.

“Sustainability has made us focus on our vacuum range which only uses 450ml of water per flush,” explained Ben Cruise, managing director of PTL. “We have also recently added two 3,000-gallon wagons to our tanker fleet so that we have the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.”

BEST PRACTICE

Sustainability is a big focus for many organising teams. For example, this year, the organising team behind Isle of Wight Festival took significant steps to improve sustainability on-site. Laurence Wigfield, operations director of Ontrax Rentals UK, worked on Isle of Wight Festival with event production specialist APL Event, which was contracted to the event for the first time.

Working with sanitation expert Vicki Smith, Ontrax made several tweaks to the festival’s toilet plans. For instance, the event features three large toilet blocks [situated in Octopus Gardens, Riverside and Netball Courts] but considerable use can put the toilets in one area [Netball Courts] under pressure. Therefore, Ontrax put in an additional 18k VAC tank to ease pressure on the facilities.

NEW PRODUCTS

Ontrax Rentals UK has new three-bay VIP modules within its fleet as well as new discharge pumps (which discharge directly from a VAC tank into a main sewer system). But it is not the only supplier to add new equipment to its portfolio.

Site Event’s sister company Site Build has completed a build programme featuring an all-new plastic-framed shell for its sixbay vacuum toilet pods – which made an appearance at Royal Ascot in June. Peequal is working on a new product – to be launched in 2025 – that is made to make transport, waste management and labour time easier, and Zoo Events has invested in 12-bay cabins.

Furthermore, PTL has doubled the number of accessible vacuum pods and high-dependency units within its portfolio and Zoo Events has increased the number of accessible toilets in its toilet fleet too, as organisers prioritise accessible facilities.

ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE

Like Wigfield, Lucy Woodward, sales and marketing manager at Loos for Dos, says reputable toilet suppliers are committed to providing quality equipment and building lasting relationships with organisers, sharing knowledge that helps facilitate the efficient build of event infrastructure, enhancing the event for all visitors.

Loos for Dos recently supplied toilets to Moonwalk London, working to strict

timeframes and logistics plans and it will soon be on-site at Victorious Festival, an event it has supported for almost ten years.

It’s a similar story for Site Event too, which will also be on-site at Victorious.

Lockyer concluded: “The current event and festival marketplace is dynamic, with many opportunities and challenges. Rising operational costs have forced some organisers to reconsider their plans, leading to a few event cancellations. However, the

demand for high-quality, efficient, eco-friendly sanitation solutions remains strong.

“By continuously revolutionising and expanding our product offerings, we aim to meet these evolving needs and support the success of events across the UK.

“While the marketplace presents challenges, we remain committed to providing exceptional service and innovative products to help organisers deliver memorable and seamless events.

SITE EVENT AT RIAT

PTL

INSIDE THE DISCO LOO

Ahoy there!

Proud Events delivered Bristol Harbour Festival for the first time. Here, Proud Events’ Harry Feigen discusses why it was so important to produce an event that celebrated the city’s strong local identity and take the event programme back to the water

The people of Bristol are very passionate about their city, the events they have here and how things are run,” explains Harry Feigen, managing director of Proud Events. He is talking with StandOut, whilst drinking lemonade, overlooking Bristol’s famous harbourside.

Feigen has one eye on a truck loaded with barriers and there’s news of a crane, which has arrived ahead of schedule. There are just three days until more than 250,000 people visit Bristol Harbour Festival, the city’s annual celebration of maritime magic, music and cultural heritage.

Feigen and his team are working in partnership with Bristol City Council, Bristol City Centre BID, and Redcliffe and Temple BID for the first time to curate, produce and deliver the large-scale public event.

In January, Proud Events and Swans Events, the immersive theatre and events company, revealed that they would organise the city centre event following a competitive tender process. Now all eyes are on the team. Feigen adds: “To be able to build

something for the people of Bristol and focus on them has been really exciting and for the team to be thinking about a different type of show has been great too.”

DIVERSIFY

Proud Events was founded after Feigen met Ben Whur whilst working on Pride in London. The pair started Proud Events so the

team is not fazed by the delivery of largescale, unticketed public events. Proud is well-versed in producing commercial music festivals and outdoor events in greenfield locations, for other people. So the events production agency jumped at the chance to widen its scope of work, diversify who it works with and have greater influence over what people experience.

TEAM PROUD EVENTS

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BRADSHAW EVENT VEHICLES

TO PERFORM, THE CLUB

Feigen continues further: “It’s nice to be creating something from scratch and it’s nice to be doing something for the city. Rather than working with a client to produce a music festival, for them, which is centred around their idea, this is something we’re bringing to Bristol.”

INCLUSIVE

Feigen acknowledges the added pressures of working in a built-up city environment, and by water. This contract is allowing the team to put its stamp on the three-day event as the council has been open to new ideas.

“We’re activating in areas that have not been activated in for a while,” Feigen comments. “For example, the amphitheatre has not been used as the main music venue for a couple of years.

“But our big focus was to bring the whole festival to the water. Feedback from reports and the local community is that the water focus has been less front and centre. Therefore, it was really important to bring the main stage back to the amphitheatre and rethink the water programme.

“We’re also working with local traders, such as the Harbourside Market, to activate them and include them in the footprint because they’ve been excluded in previous years.

“I think that’s been because when the weather is good, in particular, and this is such a well-attended and large event, there’s been a focus on food vendors that are built for capacity. Sometimes local traders have been excluded but we think there’s room for both.”

COMPLEXITIES

Feigen, Bristol Harbour Festival’s festival director, is joined on-site by Joe Sheals, Proud Events’ director of production, and Izzy Engler, site coordinator. They form the festival’s senior

management team and are supported by Aisha Francis, senior event manager, who is one of three zone managers. Swans Events’ Noemi Antonelli and Alex Mahoney are the festival’s creative producers. Together, they have worked hard to ensure the programming is spot on, event direction is clear, and that the show is “of Bristol”.

For instance, 82 per cent of artists performing are from the local area and Greenpeace has been engaged to programme the main stage on Saturday. Such measures have been important introductions, as the entire team is keen to engage local audiences and get the most from the budget.

But what about the SAG process? As it’s the first year of a four-year contract, has Feigen felt additional pressure and expected additional scrutiny as an entirely new team is at the helm? “We’ve been suitably grilled by the council,” Feigen explains. “With the nature of the event, how central it is and how many people are involved, I was expecting to go down to the minutiae detail.

“They’ve asked the right questions and to pay homage to the people who have operated this event previously [Richmond Event Management], there’s a lot that’s been tried and tested over the years. We’ve inherited a lot of that and we don’t take that for granted. We might be doing some new things, and we might bring in some new ideas, but we’re not reinventing the wheel.”

That said, Feigen and his team have gone through more than 20 iterations of a site plan to get the event footprint right. Small tweaks have been made but Feigen admits that it would be hard to pick the show up and turn it on his head.

“More than anything, we have to be careful with the budget so we haven’t got any big

activations that take weeks to build. The complexity of the build comes when we build activations in four places at once.”

But what will stand out about this year’s Bristol Harbour Festival and what is Feigen looking forward to the most? “There’s some really exciting activations we’re bringing to the water that will stand out,” Feigen explains. “For example, on the Sunday, closing the on the water programme, we have a parade of sail with different vessels that are going to sail down the harbour. This has not been done before and I know the team that has been working on that is nervously excited.”

Feigen concludes: “I just hope that what comes through is how much we care about what we’re doing and that every decision we’ve made is for the better of the festival. Obviously, you have to balance the books, and obviously, you need to create an event that is sustainable but really, we’ve designed this event for the people of Bristol and I hope that shows.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

Staging, PA and audio – Kings Sound Reinforcement

Temporary structures – Bisley Marquees and Vintage Marquees

Fencing, barriers and ground protection

– Arena

Toilets – SF Loos

Plant – Rocket Rentals

Power – Pure Power

Waste management – Bristol Waste Health and safety – Harrier UK

Event medical cover – EMFS Group

Security and stewarding – Showsec

Traffic management – ETM Group

BRADSHAW EVENT VEHICLES

On brand

The branded items you might need for your event are endless. From site signage and merchandise to event passes and stencilled infrastructure, StandOut talks looks at event branding that stands out and new products on the market

n August 3, thousands of spectators lined Newcastle’s iconic quayside and watched Enduro racing legend Jonny Walker crowned winner of the inaugural Red Bull Tyne Ride. Walker beat fellow British rider Mitch Brightmore in an epic final to win the “world’s toughest urban motorcycle head-to-head”.

In total, 16 riders battled it out over three rounds, before Red Bull athlete Walker overcame Brightmore to claim a 2-0 victory.

Red Bull Tyne Ride, which was free to the public, drew a huge crowd, bringing headto-head racing to the heart of the city centre. The riders competed on a branded course comprised of a BMX-inspired dirt spine and a more typical motocross dirt rhythm section before they launched themselves 40 feet in the air, over a finish line jump.

InEvent Branding worked with Red Bull’s Laura Nesbitt, event marketing manager –sports, to brand various elements of the track and course, including branded sea containers and stencilled track ramps, delivering eyecatching branding for the extreme urban race.

The race’s organisers had fewer than 24 hours to de-rig the city centre track and hand it back in time for the city’s Quayside Sunday Market to open. Therefore, an efficient and collaborative approach to the build and derig was required.

REUSE

Event infrastructure that is quick to dismantle and de-rig is in demand, as organisers and agencies look to deliver memorable events and experiences in high-footfall areas, often up against the clock. However, that requires products and solutions that can be built quickly and safely and dismantled in the same efficient and safe manner too.

Describing the current events marketplace as “busy”, Linzi King, managing director of InEvent Branding, said that alongside growing enquiries for sustainable branding, more organisers are looking for branding solutions that are easy to install and can be reused.

For instance, King and her team are working with the University of Southampton

on branding for a 10m x 10m marquee at the Southampton International Boat Show. The branding must not feature any Correx or metal and must be able to be used again by the university.

KEY FOCUS

This is demonstrative of the ever-increasing demand for sustainable branding, which is a key focus for many event organisers.

For example, Grapefruit Graphics worked with Gorilla Events to apply branding to hospitality areas at this year’s British Grand Prix. It produced several elements, including a 25m x 7m gable end and reused some elements from 2023. For instance, last year, Grapefruit Graphics produced branding – a 15m x 5m gable end – for the International Paddock enclosure. This made yet another appearance at Silverstone for the 2024 event and is the perfect example of reuse.

FRESH LOOK AND FEEL

Before jumping on-site at Silverstone, the

RED BULL TYNE RIDE

Image: © Red Bull Content Pool/Patrik Lundin

EVENT BRANDING

Grapefruit Graphics team could be found at Hurlingham Park. It has worked on the Chesterton’s Polo in the Park event several times but this year, the organising team wanted a fresh new look.

Grapefruit Graphics worked with Chesterton’s event marketing team to ensure new designs encapsulated the fresh approach they were looking for. Again, sustainability was a priority but Grapefruit Graphics met this aspect of the brief by reusing some materials for branded boards, reducing carbon emissions and minimising waste.

BRANDING CHOICES

This summer, branding and graphics specialists have been busy, supporting organisers with a wide range of events and activations, including film and TV premieres and sporting events.

Industrial Abseiling helped to install backdrops for the House of the Dragon Premier in Leicester Square, Henson Franklyn provided branding services to the CAZOO World Championships at Sheffield’s Crucible and Northern Flags printed ginormous crowd banners that paid tribute to rugby league legend Rob Burrow at the Betfred Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.

Service Graphics’ sustainable pitch covers and banners made an appearance during the UEFA football season, including the Euros. Furthermore, the company recently worked alongside Cestrian and The Image Group to deliver event branding to the organiser of the 2024 Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women.

Eyecatchers, a promotional products and branding company, has worked with OMG Racing since 2023, providing the British Superbike team with specially printed VIP hospitality passes and lanyards for all OMG Racing events.

Serving as a lasting souvenir of all the BSB events, the passes and lanyards are just two products that feature within Eyecatchers’ portfolio, which features wristbands, hanging vehicle passes and satin sticky passes.

Eyecatchers has recently introduced tearproof/waterproof festival guides and polypropylene event/conference badges, just some of the branded items that an organiser might need. Yet, they are not the only new products and services to hit the market.

ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS

Moss, a branding and signage provider, has launched a closed loop scheme for UK customers choosing to use its Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP).

The new service collects panels – that have been used for signage, innovative displays and exhibition stands – for recycling at their end of life. These are returned to Moss’s headquarters to join any waste collected during the production process.

Once collated, all waste is trimmed using a guillotine cutter and separated into aluminium and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) streams. The aluminium is baled, crushed, and shipped to a UK aluminium smelter, contributing to the UK’s supply chain. Meanwhile, the LDPE core is ground

into small pellets, which are returned to Multipanel UK and formed into a new core.

Mark Rose operations director at Moss commented: “We are excited to be part of this recycling initiative, offering products with robust green credentials. Multipanel UK’s ACP sits alongside the rest of our range of eco-friendly materials, giving our customers more choice than ever when it comes to selecting sustainable products and services.”

Moss recently launched the SustainaTex Ocean fabric, a 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled content fabric exclusively available through the company, into the UK graphics market.

Rose concluded: “Sustainability is fundamental to all Moss’s global operations and these initiatives highlight the group’s dedication to offering sustainable and innovative solutions for our client base.”

INDUSTRIAL ABSEILING

EYECATCHERS

ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION

Eventwell

T: 0800 470 0958

E: bookings@eventwell.org

W: EventWell.org

ASSOCIATION

Event Hire Association

2450 Regents Court, The Crescent, Birmingham Business Park, Solihull, B37 7YE

T: 0121 380 4600

E: membership@eha.org.uk

W: www.eha.org.uk

MUTA

10B Red House Yard Gislingham Road, Thornham Magna, Eye, Suffolk IP23 8HH

T: 01379 788673

E: info@muta.org.uk

W: www.muta.org.uk

AV, SOUND & LIGHTING

Event Production Services

The Pack House, Drayton St. Leonard, Oxford, OX10 7BG

T: 01844 278446

E: info@epsoxford.com

Hire Frequencies

T: 0203 3026947

E: enquiries@hirefrequencies.co.uk

W: www.hirefrequencies.co.uk

Press Red Rentals Limited

Unit H11, Halesfield 19, Telford, TF7 4QT

T: +44 (0) 1952 587049

W: www.pressred.biz

BALLOONS, BUNTING & FLAGS

B-Loony Ltd

Cape House, 105 Bellingdon Road, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2HQ

T: 01494 774376

E: sales@b-loony.co.uk

W: www.b-loony.co.uk

BAR

Bar Live Events

Unit D215, Parkhall Studios, London, SE21 8DE

T: 0208 761 8424

E: nick@barlive.co.uk

W: www.barlive.co.uk

Cambridge Event Bars

T: 01223 785401

M: 07837 707057

E: Info@cambridgeeventbars.co.uk

W: www.cambridgeeventbars.co.uk

Pop-up-Pubs

T: +44(0)1993 832155

E: info@pop-up-pubs.com

W: www.pop-up-pubs.com

Symonds Event Bars

Drakewell, Stoke Lacy, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4HG

T: 01885 490267

E: info@eventbars.co.uk

W: www.eventbars.co.uk

BAR/DRINK DISPENSE EQUIPMENT

Innserve Ltd

T: 01937 535000

E: eventsandstandby@innserveltd.com

W: www.innserveltd.co.uk

BRAND ACTIVATION & EXPERIENTIAL

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063

www.instantmarquees.co.uk

BUGGY HIRE

CABINS

Bradshaw Event Vehicles

New Lane, Stibbington, Peterborough, PE8 6LW

T: 01780 782621

E: enquiries@eventvehicles.co.uk

W: www.eventvehicles.co.uk

Twitter: @Bradshaw_EV

Event Buggy Hire

T: 0113 393 4100

E: info@eventbuggyhire.co.uk

W: www.eventbuggyhire.co.uk

Hopkins Machinery

T: 01633 680754

E: hire@hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

W: www.hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

Qdos Event Hire Ltd

Fernside Place, 179 Queens Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0AH

T: 0845 862 0952

E: enquiries@qdoseventhire.co.uk

W: www.qdoseventhire.co.uk

Twitter: @QdosEventHire

: www.facebook.com/pages/Qdos-Event-Hire/ : @qdoseventhire

Wernick Events

Joseph House, Northgate Way, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8ST

T: 01922 472 900

E: events@wernick.co.uk

W: www.wernick.co.uk/events

: @WernickEvents

: @WernickEvents

Event Traffic Control Limited

Baldersby Gardens, Ripon Road, Baldersby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4PS

T: 08000 246 800

E: info@eventtc.com

W: www.eventtc.com

CATERING

Peaks Catering Ltd

T: 07702189920

E: Info@peakscatering.co.uk

W: www.peakscatering.co.uk

CLEANING & SUPPORT SERVICES

Falcon Cleaning

The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA

E: admin@falconteam.co.uk

W: www.falconteam.co.uk

COFFEE BARS

Markey Ltd

39b Park Farm Ind Estate, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, SG9 9AZ

T: 01763 271110

E: info@markey.co.uk

W: www.markey.co.uk

CORPORATE CREW

Rodeo Crew

128 Wey House, 15 Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8NA

T: 020 8075 7799

E: bookcrew@rodeocrew.uk

W: www.rodeocrew.uk

CREW SERVICES

BTN Crew LTD

T: 07780 621 860

E: info@btncrew.com

W: www.BTNCrew.com www.facebook.com/BTNCREWltd/ www.instagram.com/btncrewltd/

Falcon Festival Services

The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA

E: info@falconteam.co.uk

W: www.falconteam.co.uk

Optimal Events Group Ltd / Trading as Optimal Crew

Marsh Mill Village, 5A, Fleetwood Rd N, Thornton-Cleveleys FY5 4JZ

T: 07375 843976

E: jordan@optimalcrew.co.uk

W: https://optimalcrew.co.uk

S3K Group

The Old Mill Building, Rookery Farm, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO22 6EP

T: 0845 299 7991

E: office@s3kgroup.com

W: www.s3kgroup.com : @s3kgroup

Trojan Crewing Solutions Ltd

57 Eastbourne Avenue, Acton, London W3 6JS

T: 07341 922974

E: chris@trojancrew.com

W: www.TrojanCrew.com

DIGITAL PLANNING

Iventis

Think Tank, University of Lincoln, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL

T: 01522 837205

W: www.iventis.co.uk

E: info@iventis.co.uk

Eamon Kerrigan: E: Eamon.kerrigan@iventis.co.uk

DRONE DISPLAYS

FlightShows

T: 020 3151 6891

E: Hello@FlightShows.com

W: www.FlightShows.com : www.facebook.com/FlightShows/ : www.linkedin.com/company/flightshows/ : www.instagram.com/flightshows/ : www.tiktok.com/@flightshows_drones

EQUIPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

Falcon Site Equipment

The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA

E: admin@falconteam.co.uk

W: www.falconteam.co.uk

EVENT ACCOMMODATION

Bunkabin

Tweedale Way, Oldham, OL9 7LD

T: 0345 456 7899

E: hires@bunkabin.co.uk

W: www.bunkabin.co.uk

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk

W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

EVENT CONTROL, RADIO & WI-FI SERVICES

Controlled Events

T: 0203 286 6392

E: info@controlledevents.com

W: www.controlledevents.com

First class Resilience, Readiness, Communication & Control for incidents or pre-planned events.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

CM Production Management Ltd

T: 020 8056465

E: hello@cmpm.co.uk

W: www.cmpm.co.uk : facebook.com/cmpmlive

: @cmpmlive

Crow Leisure Group

T: 07500 592692

E: info@crowleisuregroup.co.uk

W: https://crowleisuregroup.co.uk/

LFX Events

Unit 10 Merchants House, Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1EU

E: enquiries@lfxevents.co.uk

W: www.lfxevents.co.uk

Victorious Events

T: 07869 701 616

E: info@victoriousevents.co.uk

W: victoriousevents.co.uk

EVENT PASS PRINTING

EVENT SAFETY

EVENT STAFF

Eyecatchers

T: 01772 681000

E: sales@eyecatchers.co.uk

W: www.eyecatchers.co.uk / www.myeventpass.co.uk

EVENT STAFFING SOFTWARE

uTRAC

24A Lower Abbey St, Dublin 1, Ireland

T: 0808 189 0334

E: hello@utraconline.com

W: www.utraconline.com

EXHIBITION TRAILERS & MOBILE UNITS

DWT Exhibitions

FESTIVAL GAS

Trailer Hire, Sales & Management

Jubilee Park, Honeypot Lane, Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, NG33 5LZ

T: 01476 860833

E: pip@dwt-exhibitions.co.uk

W: www.dwt-exhibitions.co.uk

Inchmere Event Design Ltd

Swan Close Studios, Swan Close Road, Banbury, OX16 5TE

T: 01295 661000

E: alastair@inchmere.co.uk

W: www.inchmere.co.uk

TCM Trailers Ltd

Watery Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 7SE

E: emily@tcmtrailers.co.uk

W: www.tcmtrailers.co.uk

Eep Safety Team

Unit 42, Dunsfold Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU6 8TB

T: 01483 266486

E: tom@eepteam.com

W: www.eepsafety.com

LFX Safety

Unit 10 Merchants House, Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1EU

E: enquiries@lfxsafety.co.uk

W: www.lfxsafety.co.uk

Festival Gas

Priors Revel, Church lane, Middleton, Nr Tamworth, B78 2AL

T: 07930 758893

E: simon@festivalgas.co.uk

W: www.festivalgas.co.uk

The Occasionall Group:

Festivall Staff | Occasionall Staff

The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield S1 4FW

T: 01144 055 044

E: hello@theoccasionall.group

W: www.theoccasionall.group

Moorepeople Event Staffing Agency

1st & 2nd Floor, 169 A High Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 4LF

T: 0208 508 0555

E: bettina@moorepeople.co.uk

W: www.moorepeople.co.uk

Aero Fire & Rescue Ltd

27 Old Gloucester Street

London WC1N 3AX

T: 0330 111 3635

E: contact@aerofireandrescue.co.uk

W: www.aerofireandrescue.co.uk

Red Rose Fire Solutions Ltd

6 Brissenden Close

New Romney

Kent

TN28 8JD

T: 01995 503504

E: info@redrosefiresolutions.co.uk

Fuchsia Exhibition Services Ltd

13 Oak Park Industrial Estate, Chelmsford Road, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1XN

T: 01371 644800

E: info@fuchsiaevents.co.uk

W: www.fuchsia-exhibition-services.com

FIRE COVER

FLAGPOLE HIRE

FLAGS

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063 www.instantmarquees.co.uk

FLOORING & FLOOR COVERINGS

Coir Store

E: andy@coirstore.co.uk

T: 07884303082

W: www.coirstore.co.uk

Event Flooring Solutions Ltd

T: 01509 768 252

E: sales@efseurope.co.uk

W: www.efseurope.co.uk

Gigtent UK

Sonas House, Button End Harston

Cambridge, CB22 7NX

T: 01223 870935

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

FURNITURE HIRE / SALES

Furniture On The Move

Unit B, Canada warehouse, Chittening industrial estate  Worthy road , Avonmouth, Bristol, BS110YB

T: 0845 459 9875

E: info@furnitureonthemove.co.uk

W: www.furnitureonthemove.co.uk

GBJ Event Hire

Graham Jones

T: Office. 0207 205 4226

E: hire@gbjeventhire.co.uk

W: www.gbjeventhire.co.uk

Innovative Hire

Unit N, Lion Works Estate, 543 Wallisdown Road

Bournemouth BH12 5AD

T: 01202 941 068

W: http://innovativehire.co.uk

HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS

BiemmedueUK & Arcotherm

Unit 12, Wilson Road, South Wigston Leicester LE18 4TP

T: 01773 836999 | E: sales@biemmedueuk.com

W: www.biemmedueuk.com

Spica Temperature Control Solutions Ltd

20 Crowsport, Hamble, Hampshire, SO31 4HG

T: 02380 453841

M: 07780 638976

E: kay@spicasolutions.com

W: www.spicasolutions.com

INFLATABLE STRUCTURES

Dawsongroup tcs

Export Drive, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 6AF

Dawsongroup | tcs

T: 01623 518538

E: info@dgtcs.co.uk

W: https://dgtcs.co.uk/inflatable-cold-rooms/

INSURANCE

Arc International

St. Clare House, 30-33 Minories, London, EC3N 1PE

T: 0207 977 7637

W: www.arc-int.co.uk/

Tysers Insurance Brokers

71 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BS

T: 0203 037 8000

E: tim.rudland@tysers.com

W: www.tysers.com

Vento

LASER & FX

Event Insurance by Event People

107 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 5JF

T: 0333 090 7589

E: freddie@ventoinsurance.com

W: www.ventoinsurance.com

Laser Grafix

Unit 4A Stratton Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8QS

E: info@lgfx.co.uk

W: www.lgfx.co.uk

UK office: 01767 315948

Dubai office: +971 4887 9808

LED SCREENS

EMF Technology Ltd

Unit 27 Freemantle House, Kingsclere Business Park, Kingsclere, Hants, RG20 4SW

T: 020 8003 3344

E: info@emftechnology.co.uk

W: www.emftechnology.co.uk

Lightmedia Displays

Mobile & Modular LED Screen Hire

T: 0333 600 6000 - 24 hour response

E: sales@lightmedia.co.uk

W: www.lightmedia.co.uk

LIGHTING

Tech AV Ltd

London, Essex, Birmingham

T: 0345 257 9969

E: lee@techav.events

W: www.techav.events

YSLV

London & York

T: 0800 080 3310

E: hire@yslv.co.uk

W: www.yslv.co.uk

Illumin8

Nick: 07593437891

E: sales@illumin8lights.co.uk

W: www.illumin8lights.co.uk

MARQUEES

Alternative Stretch Tents

Building 15, Gateway 1000, A1 (M) jct 7, Stevenage, SG1 2FP

T: 01920 830256

E: info@alternative-stretch.co.uk

Fews Marquees

Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS

T: 01527 821789

E: info@fews.co.uk

W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk

Gigtent UK

Sonas House, Button End Harston Cambridge, CB22 7NX

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063 www.instantmarquees.co.uk

TT Tents Ltd

North Waltham Business Centre, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 2DJ

T: 01256 397 551

E: sales@tttents.co.uk

Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd

Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP

T: 0121 7401385

M: 07826 843099

E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

Top Cat Big Tops Tents & Marquees Ltd

The Old Stable Yard, Gasworks Ln, Achynlleth, SY20 8BY

T: 01654 700030

E: info@topcatbigtops.co.uk

W: www.topcatbigtops.co.uk

Alliance Pioneer Group

Event Medical, Frontline Ambulance & Patient Transport Services

Hawthorne House, 2nd Floor 25 Darklake View, Estover, Plymouth, PL6 7TL

T: 01752717720

E: mail@alliance-pioneer.co.uk

W: https://alliance-pioneer.co.uk/ : @alliancepioneergroup : @AlliancePGUK

: https://www.facebook.com/Alliance.Pioneer : https://uk.linkedin.com/company/alliancepioneer-group

Canopy Medical Services Ltd

T: 07514 780025

E: jules@canopymedicalservices.co.uk

W: www.canopymedicalservices.co.uk

Enhanced Care Services

Unit H9, Adanac Park, Adanac Dr, Nursling, Southampton SO16 0BT

T: 02380 201561

E: admin@enhancedcareservices.co.uk

W: www.enhancedcareservices.co.uk

First Aid Cover Ltd

T: 020 8875 5758

E: enquiries@firstaidcover.co.uk

W: www.firstaidcover.co.uk

Location Medical Services Ltd

The Medical Centre, Shepperton Studios, Studio Road, Shepperton, Middx, TW17 0QD

T: 0870 750 9898

E: mail@locationmedical.com

W: www.locationmedical.com

Medirek

8 Primrose Place, Portsmouth Road, Godalming Surrey, GU7 2JW

T: 07776 128 409

safety and medical

E: ryan.soper@medirek.co.uk

W: www.medirek.co.uk

MET Medical Ltd

T: 0203 627 9042

E: info@met-medical.co.uk

W: www.met-medical.co.uk

Trident Medical Limited

Based in Essex, cover events all over the UK

T: 01268 438899

M: 07379 244718

E: events@tridentmedical.co.uk

W: www.tridentmedical.co.uk

Hopkins Machinery

T: 01633 680754

E: hire@hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

W: www.hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

PLANT HIRE

Four Jays Group

Barling Farm, East Sutton, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3DX

T: 01622 843135

E: enquiries@fourjays. co.uk

W: www.fourjays.co.uk

LOOS FOR DOs Ltd

Bakers Court, Forge Road, Kingsley, Hampshire GU35 9NZ

T: 01420 588 355

E: info@loos.co.uk

W: www.loos.co.uk

Just Loos

Paddock Barn, Manor Farm, Itchen Stoke, Hampshire, SO24 0QT

T: 01962 867808

E: office@justloos.com

W: www.JustLoos.com

Ontrax Rentals

Elmwood Farm, Bampton OX18 2PL, England

E: hello@ontraxrentals.com

W: www.ontraxrentals.com

Site Event

The Depot, The Avenue, Lasham, Hampshire GU34 5SU

T: 01256 384 134

E: event@site-equip.co.uk

W: www.site-equip.co.uk

Vacant Event Hire

Unit C White Oak Technology Park, London Road, Swanley, Kent BR8 7AG

T: 01322 761 117

M: 07960 301178

E: info@vacant.events

W: https://vacant.events/

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk

W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

POWER & GENERATORS

ATD Electrical Unit 93, Greenway Business Centre, Greenway, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5QE

T: 01279 507890

E: office@atdelectrical.com

W: www.atdelectrical.com

Energy Management Services Ltd

T: 0333 305 5144

E: admin@energyms.co.uk

W: www.energyms.co.uk

Festival Power Ltd

Unit 2, Temple Bridge Business Park, Bristol, BS39 5AA

E: info@festivalpower.co.uk

W: www.festivalpower.co.uk

Fourth Generation Ltd

220 Cricklewood Lane, London, NW2 2PU

T: 020 8450 2943

M: 07741 052565

E: tweed@fourthgenerationltd.com

W: www.fourthgenerationltd.com

Gofer Ltd

Unit 7 Arkwright Road, Hadleigh Road Ind. Est, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 0UB

T: 01473 282530

E: info@gofer.co.uk

W: www.gofer.co.uk

IDE Systems

T: 01543 574 111

E: enquiries@idesystems.co.uk

W: www.idesystems.co.uk

Head Office & Manufacturing Centre

Unit 3, Swaffield Park Hyssop Close, Cannock Staffordshire, WS11 7FU United Kingdom

Lifos Advanced Battery Technology Ltd

Stafford Park 5, Telford, TF3 3AS

T: 01952 200198

E: hello@lifos.co.uk

W: www.lifos.co.uk

Midas Productions (UK) Ltd

Unit 1, Uplandside, Manor Road, Clopton, Suffolk, IP13 6SH

T: 0333 772 0772

M: 07949 007 603

E: info@midas-uk.co.uk

Newburn Power Rental Limited

Unit 36 Lidgate Crescent, Langthwaite Business Park, South Kirkby, Pontefract, WF9 3NR

T: 0845 077 6693

E: info@npr-uk.com

Power Events

T: 01277 424800

E: enquiries@powerevents.co.uk

W: www.powerevents.co.uk

Power Revolution

23C Shepherds Grove Ind Est, Stanton Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2AR

T: 01359 256 265

E: info@power-revolution.co.uk

W: www.power-revolution.co.uk

Progen Power Ltd

Belvedere House, Pynes Hill, Exeter,Devon, EX2 5WS

T: 0330 165 5720

E: info@progenpower.co.uk

W: www.progenpower.co.uk

Stuart Power Ltd

Stuart House, Hargham Road, Shropham, Norfolk, NR17 1DT

T: 01953 454540

E: enquiries@stuartpower.co.uk

W: www.stuartpower.co.uk

Summit Power

T: 0333 0349433

E: enquiries@summitpower.co.uk

W: https://summitpower.co.uk/

Wernick Power Solutions

Joseph House, Northgate Way, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8ST

T: 03334 001 247

E: power@wernick.co.uk

W: www.wernick.co.uk/power : twitter.com/WernickGroup : www.linkedin.com/company/wernickgroup

PRINTERS

UK Flyers

Suite 210, Victory House, Somers Road, North Portsmouth, HampshirePO1 1PJ

T: 023 9229 3050

E: sales@ukflyers.com

W: www.ukflyers.com

PRODUCTION AND PROJECT SUPPORT

Smartrad Creative Ltd

5 George Street, Snaith, DN14 9HY smartradcreativeprojects@gmail.com www.smartrad.org

T: 07711469787

PROJECTION

EMF Technology LTD

Projection Mapping, Water Screens, Flame Effects, Lighting, Mains Distribution

T: 020 8003 3344

E: info@emftechnology.co.uk

W: www.emftechnology.co.uk

RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

2CL Communications Ltd

Unit C, Woodside Trade Centre, Parnham Drive, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 4NU

T: 0800 389 2278

E: contact@2cl.co.uk

W: www.2cl.co.uk

DCRS

Edison Road, St.Ives, Cambs, PE27 3LH

T: 0800 043 2688

E: sales@dcrs.co.uk

W: www.dcrs.co.uk

SFL Mobile Radio

6 Woodway Court, Thursby Road Bromsborough, CH62 3PR

T: 0151 334 9160

E: sales@sflmobileradio.co.uk

W: www.sflmobileradio.co.uk/

REFRIGERATED STRUCTURES

Dawsongroup tcs

Export Drive, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 6AF

Re-uz UK Less is now Limited

Unit 1A Walrow Industrial estate, Commerce Way, Highbridge TA9 4AG

T: 01278 238390

E: info.uk@reuz.com

W: www.re-uz.com & www.green-goblet.com

SEATING

Ace Seating Hire

T: 01832 279333

E: info@aceseating.co.uk

W: www.aceseating.co.uk

SECURITY

DBD Group Services

T: 01934 286000 and 07955314124

E: info@dbdgroupservices.co.uk

W: www.dbdgroupservices.co.uk

Newman Event Services Ltd

Crowd Management, Festival & Event Security/Stewarding.

Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Oxfordshire, OX15 4FF

T: 01295 722844

E: enquiries@newmanevents.co.uk

W: www.newmanevents.co.uk

Right Guard Security

Experts in Crowd Management and Event Security

T: 01227 464588

E: info@rightguard.co.uk

W: www.rightguard.co.uk

Trojan Security

Unit B7 Loughton Seedbed Centre

Langston Road

Loughton IG10 3TQ

T: 0330 113 9966

E: info@trojansecurityuk.co.uk

W: www.trojansecurityuk.co.uk : @trojan-security-uk-ltd : @TrojanLondon :@trojan_security_UK

WH Management Group

PO Box 230, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 1DX

T: 01889 500 164

E: info@whmg.co.uk

W: www.whmg.co.uk

SET & SCENERY CONSTRUCTION

Staged Events Ltd

Meadow View, Newnham Lane, Old Basing, Hampshire, RG24 7AU

Dawsongroup | tcs

T: 01623 518538

E: info@dgtcs.co.uk

W: https://dgtcs.co.uk/inflatable-cold-rooms/

T: 01256578055

E: info@stagedevents.com W: www.stagedevents.com

SHOWERS

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk

W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

SITE SUPPLIES

Concept Products Ltd

10 Cary Court, Somerton Business Park, Somerton, TA11 6SB

T: 01458 274020

E: ben@conceptproductsltd.co.uk

W: www.conceptproductsltd.co.uk

STAGING & RIGGING

IPS (Impact Production Services)

29 Mount Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK1 1LS

T: 01908 657950

E: enquiries@ips.co.uk

W: www.ips.co.uk

The Stage Bus

19 Prestwood Road, Birmingham, B29 5EB

T: 0121 585 9264

E: info@thestagebus.com

W: www.thestagebus.com

Steeldeck Rentals

Unit 58, T. Marchant Estate, 42 - 72 Verney Rd, London SE16 3DH

T: +44 (0)207 833 2031

E: rentals@steeldeck.co.uk

W: www.steeldeck.co.uk

TEMPORARY ROADWAYS

Cap Trac Limited

The Stables, Loke Farm, Weston Longville, Norwich, NR9 5LG

T: 01603 880448

E: info@captrac.co.uk

W: www.captrac.co.uk

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES

Fews Marquees

Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS

T: 01527 821789

E: info@fews.co.uk

W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk

Gigtent UK

Sonas House, Button End Harston, Cambridge, CB22 7NX

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

LH Woodhouse

Wolds Farm, The Fosse, Cotgrave, Nottingham, NG12 3HG

Delivering successful events

T: 01159 899 899

E: sales@lhwoodhouse.co.uk

W: www.lhwoodhouse.co.uk

Losberger De Boer

Castle Park, Boundary Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 7ES

T: 01280 846500

E: sales.uk@losbergerdeboer.com

W: www.losbergerdeboer.com/uk

Mehler Texnologies UK Ltd.

Hollinwood Business Centre

Albert Street, Oldham, Lancs. OL8 3QL

E: info-uk@freudenberg-pm.com

W: www.mehler-texnologies.com

NEPTUNUS Ltd

Cob Drive, Swan Valley, Northampton NN4 9BB

T: 01604 593820

E: sales@neptunus.co.uk

W: www.neptunus.co.uk

Stunning Tents

Creative House, Station Road, Theale RG7 4PD

T: 0118 380 5590

E: team@stunningtents.co.uk

W: www.Stunningtents.co.uk

Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd

Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP

T: 0121 7401385

M: 07826 843099

E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

The Dome Company

T: 07876673354

E: info@thedomecompany.co.uk

W: www.thedomecompany.co.uk

The Halo Group

T: 020 787703210

E: info@thehalogroup.co.uk

W: www.thehalogroup.co.uk

TT Tents Ltd

North Waltham Business Centre, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 2DJ

T: 01256 397 551

E: sales@tttents.co.uk

W: www.tttents.co.uk

Worldwide Structures Ltd

Ayrshire Farm, Sharcott, Pewsey, SN9 5PA

T: 01672 565 060 / +44 (0) 7875 027369

E: enquiries@w-sl.com

W: www.worldwidestructures.com

TRACKWAY

All Weather Access Ltd

County Farm, High Roding, Dunmow, Essex CM6 1NQ

T: 01371 700510

M: 07801 751137

E: henry@all-weatheraccess.co.uk

W: www.all-weatheraccess.co.uk

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Event Traffic Control Ltd

Baldersby Gardens, Ripon Road, Baldersby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4PS

T: 08000 246 800

E: info@eventtc.com

W: www.eventtc.com

Right Guard Traffic Management

Event Traffic Management

VEHICLE HIRE

CSAS Accredited Traffic Officers

Car Parking

Event Signage

T: 01227 464588

E: info@rightguard.co.uk

W: www.rightguard.co.uk

WASTE MANAGEMENT

D C Site Services Ltd

Fenland District Industrial Estate Station Road, Whittlesey Peterborough PE7 2EY

T: 01733 200 713

E: info@dcsiteservices.com

W: www.dcsiteservices.com

Falcon Cleaning

The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA

E: admin@falconteam.co.uk

W: www.falconteam.co.uk

WATER & PLUMBING SERVICES

MTD (UK & Ireland) Ltd

Unit 1 Westerngate, Hillmead Enterprise Park, Langley Road, Swindon, SN5 5WN

T: 01264 773 818

E: sales.uk@mtd.net

W: www.mtd.net

Water Direct

T: 0345 345 1725

E: enquiries@water-direct.co.uk

W: www.water-direct.co.uk

VENUE MAPPING

Bradshaw Event Vehicles

New Lane, Stibbington, Peterborough, PE8 6LW

T: 01780 782621

E: enquiries@eventvehicles.co.uk

W: www.eventvehicles.co.uk

Twitter: @Bradshaw_EV

Iventis

Think Tank, University of Lincoln, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL

T: 01522 837205

E: info@iventis.co.uk

Eamon Kerrigan:

E: Eamon.kerrigan@iventis.co.uk

W: www.iventis.co.uk

VENUES

Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference centre

T: +44 (0) 1252 532800

E: event-enquiries@farnborough.com

W: www.farnborough.com/ : @farnborough-international-ltd : @Farnborough_Int : @farnborough_int : @farnboroughinternational/ : @farnboroughinternationalex4694

Wicked Event Water Services

Kevin: 07909 771996

E: info@wickedeventwaterservices.com

W: www.wews.biz

& STREAMING

Fli-Fi Ltd

UK Wide

T: 020 3778 0454

E: enquiries@fli-fi.com

W: www.fli-fi.com

SimpliWifi

Unit 13, Leominster Enterprise Park, Leominster, Herefordshire, Hr6 0LX

T: 0800 298 9434

E:  hello@simpliwifi.agency

W: https://simpliwifi.agency

WIFI, INTERNET

Editor Caroline Clift caroline@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Publication manager

Sarah Bourne sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Account executives

Jen Crisp jen@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Holley Wilkinson holley@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Marketing executive Katie Goldsmith marketing@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Design and production

Jonathan Graham

Colin Swaffer

Neil Hepden

Jemma Heslop studio@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Digital and web developer

Matthew Coppard

Credit control

Janine Walmsley creditcontrol@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Managing director

Neil Fagg neil@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509101

CEO John Denning

StandOut Multimedia Limited, 10 The Metford, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX T: 01795 509113 www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

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CROP

© Geoffrey Hubbel

© Danny Howe