Every morning, I get up to walk my dog, not knowing whether I need my hat, scarf, and gloves, or just a t-shirt. The weather has certainly gone from one extreme to the other. Incredibly mild one minute and freezing the next. It is giving organisers a few headaches when it comes to planning heating and cooling systems. The summer of 2022 and the intense heat certainly caught a few organisers out. Guests are no longer tolerant of being too hot or too cold, and it’s an issue that’s raised in this February edition, as we take a small look at HVAC and temperature control (page 46).
Demand for infrastructure is higher than ever, as events, such as London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks and London New Year’s Day Parade, are back in full swing with capacity audiences. Event suppliers have reported an expanding summer calendar, and state that there is no wiggle room for “last minute” editions to an order. No, they won’t be able to throw a few extra cables on the truck, this year. So, you best hurry. Work out your budgets, set your prices, and tell them what you need. Especially if you want power (page 23).
From the conversations I have had so far, we’re in for an interesting ride. No one quite knows what the cost-of-living crisis will do to ticket sales, but we do know that a weekend festival ticket now costs more than £200. It’s one of the “trends” that has been highlighted by events professionals (page 34), as we asked them to predict the key issues to impact live events and festivals in 2023.
But it’s not the only forward-looking article you’ll find. I had a lovely, honest chat with David Edmunds, the new festival director of Scarborough Fair, who has been so inspired by Roald Dahl that his enthusiasm for his new role is infectious. Head to page 30 to read what he has to say and get ready to see the Yorkshire seaside town explode with colour, music, magic, and myth. Rather sounds like a Roald Dahl book, doesn’t it?
Happy reading, Caroline
Looking for new business opportunities? Check out the latest event tenders 12 BANG ON Identity delivered London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display, the first in three years to feature large-scale crowds 20
Destination Events produced the London New Year’s Day Parade. Read on, as Joe Bone, parade director, discusses event challenges and event developments
What impact has the red diesel ban had on organisers’ attitudes towards power? Power experts discuss the marketplace, best practices, key trends, and new products 30
David Edmunds, festival director of Scarborough Fair, talks about his new role and about plans to create a year-round programme of events on the Yorkshire coast
34
Event professionals reveal their industry predictions for 2023. What will the big trends be? 37 MAGIC MOMENTS
MK Experience’s Gilbert Menassa talks about the creation of LUMAGICA, the light trail brand which plans to expand into the UK market. He talks of lessons learned and passion 40 UNDER COVER Marquee experts talk about the upcoming event season, marquee trends, new products, and best practices
Experienced events professionals can find freelancing daunting. Here, Tara Hobson talks about how freelancing has opened her eyes to a life full of colour and authenticity
What issues should feature in an event company’s risk register for the year ahead? X-Venture Global Risk Solutions’ Simon Garrett discusses the question
Tara is the former director of Carnival Village Trust, the charity responsible for promoting Carnival arts. Through its subsidiary Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, Tara also had a huge role to play in delivering the world-renowned carnival. It was a job she loved but in 2021, she decided she wanted a change and made the leap into freelance life. Tara provides an insight into freelance life, including the projects she has worked on, and the highs and lows. In this latest edition, she talks about the importance of trusting your gut and advises freelancers to save for a rainy day.
David is currently festival director of The Arches Festivals in Worcester but will be based in Scarborough from March 2023 when he takes up his new role of festival director of the Scarborough Fair. His vast back catalogue of experience includes delivering several large-scale outdoor commissions during Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture and working as associate producer for Imove, a project involving artists throughout the UK, which was inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In this issue, David talks about his new role, the myth and magic of Yorkshire, and why the town deserves to have a year-round programme of events.
Joe is the executive director of London New Year’s Day Parade (LNYDP), managing the organisation and all aspects of LNYDP. Joe has an immense knowledge of LNYDP which has led him to be heavily involved in the television production of LNYDP and numerous other travel and event documentaries broadcast around the world. In this February edition, Joe discusses his new role as parade director; and reveals why he was nervous about producing the event.
London Marathon Events (LME), the mass participation events company, will take over the Brighton Marathon. The organiser has saved the event after Grounded Events Company, the former owner and operator of the Brighton Marathon, went into administration.
An agreement has been reached by Brighton and Hove City Council and LME for a licence to operate the event for the next five years (2023 – 2027) with the option to break the licence in 2025 if specified metrics are not met.
QMJ Group, organiser of Hillhead, has confirmed several site improvements for the 2024 event. The organiser is increasing the site’s welfare facilities and is making improvements to enhance the exhibitor experience.
Visitors to Hillhead will benefit from more toilets, a larger provision of urinals, more seating, more communal areas spread across the showground, two new hydration stations, and a larger main pavilion. Furthermore, the renamed Showground Pavilion (previously known as the main pavilion) is being extended by around 1,300 square metres.
QMJ has also confirmed that an extra 1,000 car parking spaces will be created, and a dedicated helicopter landing area will be available, maximising entry to the quarrying, construction, and recycling exhibition.
New for 2024, exhibitors will now have their own dedicated entrance taking them directly into the showground as part of a reconfigured Registration Pavilion. This will ensure fast-track access at the beginning and end of the day for exhibitors. Hillhead will take place June 25-27, 2024.
The Home Office has revealed more detail about plans for Protect Duty legislation to better protect against the threat that the UK faces from terrorism.
Protect Duty legislation, now to be known as Martyn’s Law in tribute of Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 other people in the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack, will require event venues to take steps to improve public safety, with measures dependent on the size of the venue and the activity taking place.
The first draft of Martyn’s Law is expected to be published in early spring 2023. It will ensure that security preparedness is delivered consistently across the UK, ensuring better protection of the public.
Seventy per cent of those who responded to a public consultation regarding Protect Duty agreed that those responsible for publicly accessible locations should take measures to protect the public from potential attacks.
Neptunus has appointed Pete Lemmen as site manager and Dan Perry as project manager.
According to a new YouGov poll , music fans are paying more than they bargained for to see their favourite acts play live following the introduction of dynamic ticket pricing. Figures from the YouGov survey suggest that a large majority of Britons (71 per cent) are against the pricing structure.
TPA Portable Roadways has launched SitePlotter, an app designed to assist event professionals in the better planning of temporary roadways.
Halo Solutions has introduced 75 new features and updates to its crowd management platform, the Halo System.
The Purple Guide’s chapter on Health and Safety Legislation has been updated.
ASM Global has appointed Caroline Ginnane as GM of Utilita Arena Newcastle.
Looking for new business opportunities? Check out the latest event tenders
The North of Tyne Combined Authority has issued a tender worth £500,000 as it wishes to find a contractor to develop concepts and provide event production services for a winter festival. The deadline is 12pm on February 6. Interested? Email joanna.elliott@northtyneside.gov.uk
Sheffield City Council is looking to set up a framework of event stewarding suppliers. Email tim.dent@sheffield.gov.uk – the deadline for this tender is 4pm on January 27.
The National Gallery is looking for several event service suppliers, including caterers, floristry, furniture hire, production (including lighting and sound) and entertainment. The contract is worth more than £3 million. The deadline is 12pm on January 30. Email contracting@ng-london.org.uk
Eventist Group has won the catering contract for RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The five-year contract will see Eventist Group mobilise its four catering and hospitality brands – Food by Dish, Zafferano, Tapenade, and AP&Co – and serve more than 100,000 guests over the six-day event.
London Stadium has issued a prior information notice for event day toilets. The tender – worth £80,000 – is expected to be issued at the end of January. Email procurement@londonstadium185.com for more details.
The Local Government Association is seeking a suitable supplier to design and build an Innovation Zone (exhibition and presentation stand) within Bournemouth International Centre for the LGA Conference and Exhibition. The deadline is 5pm on February 16. Email anna.morrell@local.gov.uk
Production Bureau has won a contract with the University of East Anglia to provide event graduation and production services.
The Department for International Trade has issued a prior information notice. It intends to tender for assistance with the planning, delivery, and management of ministerial events classified as specialist live events. Ministerial events include events commissioned by No.10 for the Prime Minister, and the Chancellor. Pre-market engagement is expected around February 2. Email sahina.ugradar@trade.gov.uk
Identity delivered London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display, the first in three years to feature large-scale crowds. Here, the agency talks about its involvement in the project and year one of its four-year contract to produce the world-class event
More than 100,000 ticketholders ushered in the New Year on the banks of the River Thames and watched the capital’s biggest show. London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display, organised by the Mayor of London, welcomed crowds to watch the spectacle which featured 12,000 fireworks and 400 drones. It was the first time in three years that large crowds had been allowed to gather to watch the world-class event, which sent a message of love to those watching around the globe.
Identity, the events agency, won the tender to deliver the event. It pitched for the work in March 2022 with a “With Love from London” theme and was awarded a four-year contract in July.
Hannah Clark, project director at Identity, joined the agency from Limelight Sports in mid-August. She knew that her role would involve her diving in at the deep end and got stuck into the planning as soon as she started.
Clark said: “I have worked at Limelight Sports and have delivered events such as the Royal Parks Half Marathon and London Triathlon. Plus, I led on the delivery of the road race events at London 2012, so I was particularly familiar with all stakeholders involved and the event’s footprint.”
Identity called on the expertise of event professionals who had worked on the event under Jack Morton. For example, Mike Kent was engaged as operations director, and worked alongside Clark and her team – including Jamie Beeson, show producer, Simon Dunnell, exec project director, and Angela Honeyman,
production manager – to deliver the creative vision of Dan Colborne, exec creative director at Identity. Colborne said: “The With Love from London theme remained true and dialled into all the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) campaigns. It was a strong brief and the GLA kept referring to our pitch. The story of love and passion and an outpouring of love for the world was key.”
Identity worked in close collaboration with the GLA and was very aware that the event had not taken place as a ticketed event since 2019. The 2019 event was considered a successful year and used it as a template for 2023. However, Clark and the Identity team could not make assumptions that everything was the same. Businesses, the landscape, and crowd behaviour have all changed in the last three years.
Michael Gietzen, managing director of Identity, said that the event enabled Identity to show off its capabilities in full colour.
He explained: “Producing London’s New Year’s fireworks and celebrations has been a personal ambition of mine for some time. It is the ultimate event of unmissable moments – 12 minutes of extravaganza to be precise – at one of the biggest celebrations of its kind in the world. What better way is there to showcase Identity’s talent, creative expertise, and project management capabilities than producing an event of this magnitude. The brightest, loudest, and in some ways a very poignant event shared with hundreds of thousands in people and millions more online and TV. It allowed us to ‘show off’ our capabilities and talent in full colour! This makes impact and certainly provides ‘cut through’ in the events sector!”
Drones helped count down to the new year before Big Ben’s famous bongs rang out to begin the 12-minute celebration. The display celebrated the Lionesses winning the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, marked 50 years of Pride, sent a message of support to Ukraine, and honoured the late Queen Elizabeth II and His Majesty King Charles III. In fact, the show paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, featuring a voice recording from Her Majesty and words from Dame Judi Dench, and honoured King Charles III, together with a message from His Majesty about the need to preserve our planet’s future.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II changed the event’s narrative and course of direction. The story of love changed. There was a huge desire to honour Her Majesty. It was decided that drones would be launched from Horseguards Parade. No ticketholders were permitted into this area, which was “designed for broadcast only”.
“We didn’t want the drones to be miles away from the central show,” explained Clark. “We wanted them to be connected to what we were doing on the river. The Mayor of London was keen for the drones to be included as they bring an additional wow factor.”
Horseguards Parade was chosen as a suitable location because of its proximity to the Thames and its connection to the Queen. Colborne continued: “Because the drones launched from a different location, we could be more thoughtful and respectful. The drone imagery allowed us to include a ‘calmer’ section into the event and allowed it to be a different show.”
The spectacular consisted of three acts, which focused on reflection, honour,
and celebration. Colborne described the show as “very graphic” with simple colours, architectural shapes, and a lot of energy.
The show included 522 light fixings, 12,000 fireworks from Titanium Fireworks and 400 drones from Celestial, with lighting designed by Tim Routledge and music directed by Kojo Samuel, both responsible for Stormzy’s iconic Glastonbury headline set. More than 25 tonnes of equipment is used to rig the pyrotechnic effects, using 18 kilometres of cable and wire.
“We weren’t afraid to have a change of pace,” added Colborne. “We went from one story and focus in one message and then changed the pace. We fired one single shell, which provided a pause and a moment of reflection and then we were able to move on.”
Identity worked with Buckingham Palace to source quotes from both the late Queen Elizabeth II and His Majesty King Charles III. The agency wished to deliver a respectful show with integrity.
Clark commented: “We were honoured and proud to support the GLA in the delivery of London’s biggest New Year’s Eve show, the first time Identity has had the privilege of delivering this important event.”
Now, the agency’s attention has turned to 2024. Colborne concluded: “There are lots of positives to take forward. There are lots of debriefs happening and we need to start thinking about our theme. I am sure that the Coronation and Eurovision will come into it, but the show will always be about London, and we will find ways to use colour, light, and energy. I would like the event to be more theatrical, but first we have to work out what the story will be.”
Pylon One was privileged to be appointed by Identity, the new lead agency for the event, to deliver a fully integrated communications infrastructure for London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Since 2016, Pylon One has been involved in the delivery of connectivity to production, back of house areas, and the event leadership team (ELT) as well as ticket offices across London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.
This year, Pylon One was given an extended brief to not only provide sitewide IT infrastructure but also to provide integrated communications and CCTV systems ensuring both a safe visitor
environment and the connectivity for production teams, ticketing, lighting, sound, and pyrotechnics to ensure a successful event.
This included a comprehensive CCTV environment and the provision of more than 800 handheld radios to support the wider supply chain and those who were ensuring the safe movement and stewardship of more than 100,000 event ticketholders.
At the centre of operations was the event control room, based in Whitehall Gardens on Victoria Embankment. This temporary structure was home to the ELT, which consisted of the event management teams,
as well as stakeholders from the emergency services, local authorities, and other agencies, working together to ensure the safe delivery of the event.
One of the key elements of the network build was the Point to Point Siklu Millimeter Wave Microwave links that were installed on rooftops of iconic buildings, such as Elizabeth Tower [Big Ben], Royal Festival Hall, Charing Cross Station, and a further eight buildings along and around the River Thames.
Beyond the communication channels that utilised the network were 30 highspecification PTZ cameras, which enabled the ELT to have insight into crowd movements across a large area of central London. The CCTV cameras provided views of Parliament Square, Whitehall, The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Trafalgar Square, and much of the Embankment, as well as the bridges crossing the Thames to the South Bank.
Pylon One was involved in the initial production meetings in July 2022. Months of meticulous planning followed alongside many site visits and numerous negotiations with landlords/stakeholders for rooftop access culminated in Pylon One technicians being on site from early December for the initial installation and then again, after the Christmas break, from December 27 through to the beginning of January.
Millions of television viewers across the globe and the crowd on the banks of the Thames were treated to a spectacular show!
Pylon One has been appointed to deliver consultancy, connectivity, and supporting communications services to events, including world leader summits, COP26, London New Year’s Eve celebrations, The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, Sibos, Mobile World Congress, Cannes Lions, and many more.
For all enquiries regarding temporary Internet, Wi-Fi, CCTV, and communications, contact Mike Lang. Email mike@pylonone.com, call 01494 911170, or visit www.pylonone.com
Site-wide communications infrastructure from Pylon One was key to the successful delivery of London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations
Destination Events produced the London New Year’s Day Parade. Read on, as Joe Bone, parade director, discusses event challenges and event developments
Huge crowds lined the streets of London to watch more than 8,700 performers take part in the London New Year’s Day Parade (LNYDP) – the first time that the large-scale event has taken place since the pandemic.
A far cry from the inaugural parade in 1987, which consisted of 2,000 performers, LNYDP now attracts more than 8,000 participants from the USA, UK, Europe and beyond to delight street audiences of almost 650,000. They line the 2.2-mile route that starts in Piccadilly and ends in Parliament Street, in the heart of Westminster.
Joe Bone, executive director of LNYDP, is the parade director. He said: “Over the last 15 years, I have worked on the event in various positions. I’ve been a van driver, a director of logistics, and I’ve looked after merchandise. This year was
my first year as parade director and our first year back.”
Destination Events, organiser of LNYDP, kept the parade’s “wheels spinning” during 2021 and 2022, ensuring the brand was in a strong position to return in 2023. In 2022, Destination Events produced a small event with 1,000 spectators and 1,000 performers. Whilst a great event, it did not compare to the usual spectacle that consists of cheerleaders, marching bands, classic cars, acrobats, street performers, stunt riders, and giant inflatable balloons.
Bone continued: “The London New Year’s Day Parade in 2020 was the last big event in London to take place. We have been working on the event’s return for some time. Nothing has changed. To be honest, our plan has been to just get back and do exactly what we did in 2020, but we decided to increase the number of
performers in the parade and reduce the number of vehicles.
“That change has worked nicely. We would usually have 350 vehicles. This year, we had 100 with only the best vehicles on the route. Fewer vehicles meant we could allow for more singing and dancing, as we felt there was a huge desire to give the performers a platform, having been out of the spotlight for so long.”
But it wasn’t the only change. Destination Events engaged nvisible’s Mark Bustard, managing director, and Jim Baggott, production director, to help produce the event. Bustard, who has vast experience working on London New Year’s Eve fireworks events, brought valuable experience to the event, which had to source new suppliers.
“We tried to use as many suppliers as we could from the 2020 event and that wanted
to work,” Bone added. “Some decided they wanted time off and didn’t want to work on the event, so we had to find new suppliers. Also, we had trouble finding staff. I am hopeful that now we are back in full swing that these issues will be a thing of the past.”
The family event is free to attend. Now, Bone has turned his attention to 2024. He concluded: “The plan is to go again. I’ll admit to being a tiny bit rusty after a couple of quiet years and was pleasantly surprised at how well the event did go. After a couple of years out, you get a bit nervous, and that’s only natural, but I am optimistic about 2024. We will look at the event with fresh eyes and we will be working with nvisible agency again.
“I love the parade; it’s a beautiful, nonpolitical and happy celebration and my job is to make sure it stays that way.”
What impact has the red diesel ban had on the events industry?
Power experts discuss new products and market trends, and reveal what organisers are now doing about temporary power
n April 2022, the Government banned organisers from using red diesel and rebated biofuels to power plant and generators on event and festival sites. The Government introduced the ban as part of its drive to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and hoped that it would encourage people to use cleaner and alternative fuel sources. Now, with a full summer season under its belt, and almost one year on since the ban was introduced, what impact has the ban had on the industry, and have organisers turned to more renewable power sources?
“I think the ban has had a limited impact; using white diesel is still the cheapest method of powering the majority of events,” says Elizabeth Forsdike, director of operations and resources at Gofer. She explains that there was an initial shock amongst organisers about the additional costs involved, but then when they realised it was a legal change, they accepted that it was an extra cost that would have to be accounted for.
Tom Walker, marketing manager at Progen Power, says that all its clients in 2022 opted for a full rollout of HVO fuel across their events. “This was great to see but I don’t feel that it’s reflective of the whole industry,” he comments. “Some events simply don’t have the money in the budget to spend the extra 50 pence a litre to run HVO and that’s understandable.”
However, the ban has prompted organisers to ask questions about alternatives – for example, battery and HVO. Even though a limited number of people have made the switch.
Jerry Singleton, director of The Technical Department, concurs. He confirms that more organisers are enquiring about alternative energy sources and that the ban has caused organisers of smaller events to reevaluate their margins. As a result, they are increasing the size of their events and capacities to accommodate the extra costs.
Forsdike continues: “People are still cautious of using battery and/or solar power for some events and in some circumstances, it will never be possible to use this option, as they would need a field of solar panels.”
Matt Tooth, joint CEO of GMC Events, is not in total agreement with Forsdike. It’s not a matter of caution but more a cost issue. GMC Events, which specialises in
live event production, works with several organisers, including Boomtown and Shambala. It assists organising teams with site management, operations, and infrastructure. Naturally, power is a big consideration.
Tooth explains: “Batteries have been a staple topic of conversation for years but as battery technology improves, it remains at the forefront of organisers’ requests. The market for batteries is growing but at present, the event sector stumbles at the short-term requirements. Lots of battery suppliers (often once removed from the power suppliers we deal with) have a minimum hire term of 4+ weeks for larger units capable of dealing with a stage or area power. The economic impact of this just makes them unviable when it’s presented back to the event organiser.”
Tooth says that he and his team have successfully implemented batteries at some events to reduce fuel consumption but it’s a delicate balance. In 2022, GMC Events tested a new hydrogen generator at Boomtown Fair and used biofuel across the entire site.
“We’re seeing a lot of noise being made about hydrogen generators,” Walker continues. “As with any new technology, it is hugely exciting to see these units being used in action on events around the world. But we’re years away from this technology being viable on most event sites. Hydrogen is very dangerous so the storage and transportation of the gas are complicated and must be heavily controlled. As well as this, both the generators and the hydrogen to fuel them aren’t cheap, meaning the price per kilowatt hour generated will end up being far higher than running a standard generator on HVO paired with a battery to store the energy. The future is certainly exciting for hydrogen but it’s important that the message is clear – the technology is very much still in development and the end price for the client will be prohibitive for a while longer.”
GMC Events is currently looking at hydrogen-powered units (HPUs,) which use sustainable hydrogen and have zero emissions. Tooth argues that hydrogen technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years and is an exciting prospect to keep an eye on in the event market to integrate into power planning.
He adds: “Working alongside HydroLogiq, we integrated a hydrogen generator at Boomtown last year. It certainly has its challenges with larger exclusion zones and the cost of fuel and fuel storage. Whilst relatively still in its infancy as a sector, the biggest hurdle currently is sourcing green hydrogen.”
Tooth says that whilst it’s great that many event organisers are switching to HVO fuels, it’s important to understand where this greener fuel comes from. HVO, primarily made from feedstock waste vegetable oils, can, in fact, be from larger plantations of Palm Oil, which has an increasingly devastating impact on rainforests. Tooth advises organisers to look at the feedstock certificate for any HVO fuels to ensure that it comes from a sustainably sourced crop, and ideally from within Europe.
Jim Brown, general manager at Pearce Hire, believes that the temporary power systems and solutions at this year’s events will be more “refined” because of the data that has been captured in the last 10 months. Singleton agrees, adding that The Technical Department is spending even more time monitoring event power
consumption, to better design power systems to reduce waste. As a result, the company will soon roll out a new data capture service to help organisers understand their energy consumption.
James McDonough, director of Festival Power, has noticed that clients are becoming more conscious about overall fuel usage and interested in getting the right sized generators for their requirements. They don’t wish to overspecify so they can save on fuel.
Festival Power will be providing power services to Pub in the Park this year and Tokyo World. 2022 was the company’s first year of trading. McDonough’s plan for 2023 is to increase kit quantities. It has already expanded its stock of 16A cable by 40 per cent this winter and has added additional single-phase distribution boards to its stock with a plan to add more threephase kit this spring.
One of the latest developments is the news that GL events UK has launched a power distribution business called Flow Power Solutions, which will be headed up by Mike Whitehouse, former managing director of Power Logistics. Flow aims to offer a range of environmental power solutions, but details of these solutions are not available yet.
Many power providers are increasing their portfolios and adding new products to their inventories. For example, Visions is introducing battery storage units into its fleet, Gofer is introducing a mini off-grid system, as well as more Stage V generators and battery storage units, and Progen is adding more Stage V generators into its rental fleet too, along with battery storage units. The Technical Department is in discussions with generator suppliers to use LPG as a fuel source because it’s cleaner and doesn’t rely on Palm Oil crops and Pearce Hire is investing in more battery systems.
In 2022, Pearce Hire provided the Great Bristol Run with event power. Brown explains: “During the planning, we made a few calculations using data we’d gathered and thought we could do it entirely on batteries without running a generator. Steve Hicks, our project manager, put it to The Great Run Company and they were happy to go with our solution. The sums worked out and we powered a good size running event without burning a litre of diesel.”
Brown adds: “We’re continuing to increase the number of battery systems we deploy across the events we service to reduce generator running hours. We’ll continue to use mains supplies wherever possible as it’s the cleanest way to power
Showground; a new contract for 2023 which the company was awarded as a result of attending Event Buyers Live.
Forsdike continues: “There is still a great demand for events and people to celebrate and enjoy life, especially after the last few years. I can’t see that there will be many new festivals joining the market, and I think as an industry we need to support and work with the ones that we currently have until the cost-of-living situation improves.”
Tooth agrees. He says that event power is a hot topic for all event organisers to wrangle into something that makes sense for the budgets as well as the environmental impact report. He states that the power providers left serving the marketplace, are stretched and in high demand, making it imperative to
I
t’s early days when StandOut talks to David Edmunds, festival director of Scarborough Fair. In fact, Edmunds has not even started his new role yet. He begins his new post in March 2023 and will hit the ground running when he heads to the Yorkshire coast to re-establish and reimagine a once majestic and magical fair.
Established under Royal Charter in 1254, the original Scarborough Fair drew merchants from as far away as the Ottoman Empire to sell goods to hundreds of visitors each August and September. The fair
survived for 430 years, taking place for the last time in 1788.
After a 235-year absence, The Scarborough Fair is set to return under Edmunds’ stewardship. The plan is for it to become a year-round programme of arts, heritage, culinary, and sporting events at venues throughout the seaside town. Facilities based at Scarborough Open Air Theatre are to be used as the “engine shed” for an ambitious and innovative programme of music, light, sports, and arts events and
festivals, which will be marketed under the umbrella that is the Scarborough Fair.
Edmunds will lead on the delivery of the fair, which will span three years from 2023 to 2026 initially. He will work with local artists, communities, businesses, visiting companies, and established professionals to co-design and produce the festival. This has been made possible with investment from the Government’s Towns Fund, of which Scarborough was awarded £20.2m.
The first event – which could take place as early as autumn 2023 – is set to be a light festival. However, Edmunds’ first priority is to lock an events programme in place before the council and town moves into 2024.
“Scarborough has character and heart and I think we can create some ambitious events,” said Edmunds. “I am coming to the town with fresh eyes and ears. Yorkshire is full of myth and intrigue and it’s also a big county. The fair is about tourism, and we want to encourage
people to visit the town and drive that secondary spend but the fair is also for local residents.
Edmunds intends to “fully immerse” himself in the town. He expects residents to be totally honest with him and believes this “real honesty” will drive the fair’s agenda and programme.
“There’s a unique quirkiness to Scarborough,” he added. “It’s very easy to produce a programme of events in a big city but in a coastal, seaside town it’s different. But there’s momentum in
Scarborough and the conditions are right for us to have a good crack at it.”
Scarborough Borough Council is planning on developing a year-long programme of events, consisting of a winter lights festival, international street arts festival, affordable art trail, and a music and action sports festival; think Boardmasters and Bournemouth 7s.
The three-day sports competition and music festival, hosted at the Open Air Theatre, as a ticketed event in September is to be developed with the council’s delivery partner Live Nation and relevant sports events companies.
Edmunds confirmed that the council will work with both public and private organisations to develop the fair. Plus, Scarborough Fair intends to apply for Arts Council England funding to help produce the events.
“We want to boost the skills that are in the town and give local people an opportunity to develop more skills, and we will be bringing in people to help deliver the events so I will be dialling into the skills in the events industry.”
Edmunds is currently festival director for The Arches Festivals in Worcester. His vast back catalogue of experience includes delivering several large-scale outdoor commissions during Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture and working as associate producer for Imove, a project involving artists throughout the UK, which was inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Furthermore, he has also worked with England Rugby and Leeds City Council to develop and implement the creative vision and programme of work for the official cultural celebrations of the Rugby World Cup in Leeds in 2015. Therefore, he is well-placed to develop Scarborough Fair, which will play a central role in the town’s regeneration, progress the place-making agenda, and animate the local community.
“We need the festival to be sustainable,” continued Edmunds. “The fair will be a mix of free and ticketed events. So, for example, the sports and music festival will be more of a commercial event.”
Edmunds says that many announcements will be made in early summer. He concluded: “I have worked in events for a long time and have a lot of experience in this field. I have 20 years of creative contacts, energy, and enthusiasm.
“Roald Dahl once said that lukewarm is no good and that hot is no good either. White hot and passionate are the only things to be. Nobody achieves anything by being half-hearted. You have to be all in, so I will push to give the town what it deserves.”
AUK leader in supplying radio communications and security equipment, 2CL Communications designs, delivers, installs, and maintains bespoke integrated systems. Whether for purchase or hire, the solution is tailored to meet a client’s exact specifications and to meet any future challenges.
Having recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, 2CL has announced its exclusive partnership with Evolv Express, the world’s leading touchless security solution from Evolv. Invasive weapons screening such as metal detectors, wands, and pat downs are now a thing of the past.
Evolv Express uses artificial intelligence which quickly and accurately screens visitors to any venue or event, identifying concealed weapons and high-risk objects without the need to manually search belongings. The system allows organisers to maximise personnel safety and at the same time maintain continuous crowd flow at entrances.
A breakthrough for stadiums, arenas, any large public building, or major event, Evolv Express allows visitors – individually or in larger groups – to enter a venue safely and up to 10 times quicker. Without having to endure a slow queue, a visitor’s arrival experience is enhanced, and this has proven to have a positive effect on their overall experience and can influence event revenue.
Already deployed in the US as a next generation crowd screening system, Evolv Express is a cutting-edge solution that is exclusively available to hire in the UK through 2CL, either for permanent installation or a short-term “pop-up” package for mobile outdoor events.
Evolv Express is a development that slots neatly into 2CL’s extensive portfolio of the latest products and systems, encompassing a broad range of worldleading digital communication, security, and monitoring technologies.
From digital two-way radios with enhanced features and functionality, to fully integrated packages across video, surveillance, and control rooms, 2CL delivers enhanced security and convenience with no added complexity for the end user.
Fundamental to delivering on its promises is its highly qualified team – 2CL was the first UK mobile radio communications company to receive BS5750 accreditation for quality of service.
For 25 years, 2CL’s hire team has helped keep some of the biggest names and events in the UK stay secure and connected with the latest products and integrated communication and security solutions. From Glastonbury Festival to the London Marathon – all have benefitted
from 2CL’s vast experience, expertise and the highest level of service and support.
2CL Communications currently owns more than 20,000 hand portable and mobile radios with associated accessories and radio system infrastructure. It also has hire fleets for every product portfolio it supports. 2CL can offer fully managed long-term hire contracts (three or five years), giving customers all the benefits of a brand-new radio system without the up-front capital outlay.
For more information about Evolv Express and 2CL Communications’ broad range of products and services, visit www.2cl.co.uk
R ising costs, increasing ticket prices, a calmer supply chain, and a more settled events landscape. These are just some of the industry’s predictions for the next 12 months that will impact on the event sector, and how it does business.
According to several events professionals, the industry is optimistic that life will begin to settle down, events will return with a bang, and good events will perform well. However, this is against a backdrop of rising inflation, financial pressures, tight margins, strikes, and other “disruptors”.
Marie Lindqvist, SVP operations Europe at ASM Global, comments: “Overall, it is shaping up to be a strong year for live events, as the industry makes a definitive bounce back from the pandemic. Lots of shows are back to touring in full, both internationally and domestically.
“Of course, there’ll be challenges and likely this year the entire industry will experience this in the form of rising costs, especially energy. Inflation, costs, strikes, and other disrupters are ongoing concerns that the industry will be keeping a close eye on and navigating accordingly.
“The cost-of-living crisis affects people at home, and in business, and could certainly impact ticket sales, although promisingly there is no sign of this yet, and there’s still
a very real appetite for live entertainment with major must-see shows out there.”
Steve Heap, general secretary of the Association of Festival Organisers (AFO), concurs with Lindqvist’s point on ticket sales. He believes that the big trend in 2023 will be a £200+ weekend festival ticket and thinks that customers will swallow the price increase if organisers deliver a “unique experience”.
“A flooded festival market is always an issue, but in real terms, only a tiny proportion of the 65 million people on this island have ever been to a festival. So, think about how you attract people for the first time,” he comments. “The big stars on stage are no longer the first selling point. The experience, and the atmosphere are what counts. Create a unique experience by doing something completely different at your festival and market that first, rather than who your headline acts are.”
Heap says that one of the biggest impacts will be a 15-25 per cent rise in hire costs, which is why he is encouraging organisers to make sure they have completed their budgets before they declare their ticket prices.
He adds: “The competition is an overseas holiday, city breaks, and the black screen in the corner of everyone’s living room. Rise
up and challenge those and we will have a successful festival season.”
John Rostron, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals, describes 2023 as an exciting year. He explains: “I predict independent festivals will become a priority for the music industry to develop and showcase artists. Like many in the event sector, festivals have had a lot to adjust to – rising supply chain costs, the energy crisis, skills shortages, and the costof-living crisis. But they are well-loved by their audiences, who are taking up offers of deposit schemes and payment plans –prioritising a trip to their favourite festivals when cutting other expenditure.”
Stephen Freeman, CEO of Freemans Event Partners, says that despite the cost-of-living crisis and soaring inflation, demand will be at an all-time high for tier-one events and spectacles despite external pressures on personnel finances and soaring ticket prices.
Frankie Tee, director of EnTEEtainment, states that 2023 will be a challenging year for events to make big profits but some clever working can ensure live events are still thriving and ensure a good return. She says: “I would like to see increases start to steady themselves but with the current
cost-of-living crisis, I feel continued increases are inevitable.”
Susan Tanner, CEO of the National Outdoor Events Association, recognises that the cost of doing an event is growing and margins are under extreme stress in an industry that is still trying to regain financial control post-pandemic.
She explains: “We do think this will be a major feature of 2023. But paradoxically, we also feel that more businesses will return to events, some of which will be new, others coming back from short-term diversification. There is a material and infrastructure resource issue within the industry and having innovative businesses with sustainable solutions for organisers could be a real plus point for the industry.
“We also believe we will start to see more talent coming into events as the industry continues to stabilise and people see the return of some of the event megabrands. This is also a major positive and one which could have lasting benefits. We do need to keep bringing in creative talent with new ideas. If we do, we will have a stronger and more robust industry in the long run.”
Heap predicts that the industry could see a shortage of trained staff to deal with the effects of Martyn’s Law (Protect Duty). This is a point raised by Caroline Harding, consulting director at Symphotech, who suggests that 2023 will see the live events industry “scramble” to implement Martyn’s Law measures.
James Gower, managing director of National Game Fair and Stable Events, comments that the event sector will continue to find a “new level” with strong events stabilising, the cull of weaker events complete, and innovations emerging to fill gaps and help modernise the industry. He says: “Attendances will remain strong with audiences remembering how much they missed events. The supply chain will settle down, but prices will rise under inflation with some contractors taking advantage and raising prices further. The result will be that many long-standing supplier relationships will be broken as organisers strive to protect margins.
“Where there is a choice, such as in the music festival sector, good events will perform well but consumers struggling with the costof-living crisis will be making selections and may not attend as many events.”
He continues: “What’s the outlook? Calm, mostly clear but with a few intermittent storms the odd unexplained shower of frogs and fish - it’s the events industry after all!”
Gower adds that marginal festivals will suffer and suggests that sustainability, the environment, and social drivers will continue to be important influences in decision-making and business modelling.
Freeman concurs and agrees that sustainability will continue to be a major focus for event providers as they continue to assess what influences consumer decisions and what green choices consumers are
more likely to make. For example, food and drink carbon footprint labelling on menus, paperless comms pre-event and during the event, recyclable or compostable packaging, plastic vs. cans, etc. Furthermore, regulations will have a huge influence on event costs which alongside inflation costs may be passed on to the consumer. For instance, the single-use plastic ban comes into force in 2023 and will provide more consistency around sustainability across events.
Anton Lockwood, director of live at DHP Family, agrees with Gower. It’s a challenging time but people still want to go to shows and festivals. When things are “miserable”, people want to do something they enjoy even more.
He explains: “We’re finding people are still buying tickets – people always want to watch live music but are being more selective about it. Lewis Capaldi sold out in minutes and we’re solid on Bearded Theory.
“How I see it is that audiences might go and see a band they love on a Saturday night in a great venue and will pay the ticket price even if it’s higher than before. But perhaps they won’t go to a gig every Monday, especially when factoring in the cost of a pint and taxi home too.”
He adds: “While Glastonbury can sell out even with a price hike, it’s challenging for smaller festivals. What it means is that we need to make every event feel special, a can’t miss event. We need to be more careful as a promoter and make sure everything we do is compelling as possible.”
In 2022, LUMAGICA, the light trail brand, expanded its presence in the UK. MK Experience, the company responsible for creating LUMAGICA, produced two light trails at The Wetlands Trust and Willows Activity Farm, St Albans. In this Q&A, Gilbert Menassa, managing director of MK Experience, discusses lessons learned and the future
LUMAGICA is a fairly new company. It has been around globally for three years and in that time, we have successfully delivered 28 light trails. In the UK, we currently have two trails and plan to grow this year to four.
The LUMAGICA name comes from lumen for light, coupled with magic, with the idea of bringing those two things together. It was conceived by our parent company MK Illuminations, which has been in the market for 25 years and created the lighting for many high streets and shopping centres in the world.
LUMAGICA was the natural next step in turning a lighting installation into a more interactive experience for the customerso that’s where the idea of creating light trails started.
We looked at multiple locations, but with the UK being such a competitive market, it was essential to find the right partner to work with. We get approached to do light trails on a weekly basis, but we must pick who we work with very carefully to ensure the right fit. Our goal for our first year in the UK [developing a trail at The Wetlands Trust] was really to assess the appetite for it, given it was already a developed market where light trails have been operational for the last 12 years.
As a lighting company with 25 years’ experience in that market, it made complete sense to enter the light trail field and test the ground to see how that could work. But being in a busy sector is a reason to think smartly about how you enter that market. If you have the right attitude, the right position, and the right offer, a busy market could be very interesting. It presents you with a challenge and, if you have a genuine passion for your product, you will always find a way to deliver something that works in that market.
In our first year, the light trail focused on set show pieces supported with some small areas of interactivity, so we could see how –and what – would appeal to our visitors. For the second year, we have introduced more interactivity. For example, with four different push buttons, we’ve created a personalised experience where visitors can create their own music or unique show. We also have a sound and vision show in St Albans [which launched in 2022], which is a repeating animation featuring a lion, jellyfish, and dolphins on the lake that starts every three minutes and lasts for six minutes.
IS
Obviously, every site we work on goes through several changes between conception and implementation! For example, the St Albans site started off as a succession of about 50 tunnels, with guests walking through a tunnel which changes and starts creating a new experience and new environment. The initial idea was to break the Guinness World Record for the longest illuminated tunnel in the world, but that just wasn’t feasible in the end. So, we developed an idea to have four tunnels on site – which, despite being far from our initial ideas – is still probably the site with the most light tunnels in the UK!
LUMAGICA St Albans has gone really well. The UK market is hugely competitive so we needed to enter cautiously to avoid any big mistakes. We consider our light trails to be good value for money for paying visitors. We’re not the cheapest, but the experience is absolutely worth every penny. As a result, the feedback from visitors has been immensely positive.
The main lesson from year one is that there needs to be the right balance between dwell time on the site, interactivity, immersive elements, shows and people’s enjoyment on site because this all plays into how they interact with our show.
As it’s an outdoor event, it’s vital to make sure people are taken care of and not walking in mud or puddles and that people feel warm and dry. All these factors play into how much people enjoy a trail, and how much time they spend on the trail.
We know the market is saturated so, moving forward, we need to consider how the trail can become more than just a light trail; to make sure that people see the differentiation between our brand and other brands.
The event was originally managed by me. Dale Fletcher, project manager, took over in August when he joined the company. Between the two of us, we have delivered both the projects that we have in the UK, supported by the MK Illumination team based in Blackburn.
Up until Dale’s arrival in August, the MK Illumination team undertook all the preliminary work to get LUMAGICA St Albans up and running; the purchasing, the production, and the operations, while I
focussed on the design, the ideas, and the execution of the project. Dale then took over the project management and was on site, in all weathers and over Christmas, to ensure the trail was a success.
The two main contractors we had were Vortex Events and Event Flooring Solutions. Flooring was essential in St Albans as the location was on a farm and we needed to make sure that people were not walking through wet grass and mud. In addition,
Media Ace had the genius idea of creating sustainable bamboo tunnels, as steel has become very expensive. As well as reducing costs substantially, this “thinking out of the box” was also an environmentally friendly option.
Like any company, we are always looking at how we can grow and what possibilities there are in the market. We plan to expand from two to four sites in 2023 and we are looking at multiple locations.
If you have the right attitude, the right position, and the right offer, a busy market could be very interesting
Marquee professionals discuss the current state of play within the event industry, and reveal details of new products, and challenges, that organisers need to be aware of
I f the last two years have shown us anything, it’s just how resilient the events industry is. The events industry is tough, and anecdotal evidence suggests that events and festivals will return in full force this year.
“We learnt a lot dealing with the upheaval experienced during lockdown, so I think we can use these lessons to overcome any challenges that we face in the coming months,” explains Rupert Lewis, managing director of TT Tents.
Like many other marquee hirers and providers, Lewis says that finding competent staff will be the biggest issue that the industry will face in 2023. “It’s always about getting good people who are motivated and love the industry,” Lewis continues. “With good people, you can overcome most, if not all challenges.”
Matt Stephenson, director of Event in a Tent, Dean Foster, managing director of Cambridge Marquees, Lee Dalton, sales director at Roder, and Ashley Austin,
director of Evolution Dome, concur with Lewis. The industry is feeling the strain because rigging crews are in short supply and staffing levels are a concern.
Austin comments: “All areas of the industry are feeling the shortage of specialised crew, and I think we will feel the pinch more if lead times continue to shorten. Fewer people and shorter deadlines with the same workload will create barriers in all stages of the process.”
Johnny Cooper, director of Coopers Marquees, describes the marketplace for events as a positive place to be. He says: “Most of our annual events are taking place on their set dates as in previous years. The one variant from last year is organisers are looking to make savings in anticipation of potentially lower attendance from the public or indeed lower average spend per person. The savings are to be made by reducing square meterage of cover, fewer loos, cheaper carpet etc. The result to us as suppliers
is we effectively are going to have our net profit reduced. This is occurring right at the point when our margins are being squeezed with greatly increased staff, fuel, and component costs.”
Coopers Marquees recently worked on The Winter Hutte project in York, which consisted of a timber clad twin-deck structure with an upper floor restaurant, and lower floor bar area. The site was a tricky one to work on with tight access making the build difficult. To be able to create such projects that are intricate and require more planning and consideration, time is needed.
Austin continues: “COVID greatly shook the events industry, and I think for many event organisers there is still some uncertainty in the market; there’s an anxiety about committing when plans may change. However, things are improving and reverting to how they were before.
“The main change I have noticed is that compared to Q4 of 2022, we are already seeing a large change in lead times, which have been significantly shorter. The post-pandemic return to ‘normal’ saw a longer planning process in events which greatly helped suppliers to anticipate demand and prepare, allowing us to build better experiences for organisers. Returning to how things were before brings back old challenges.”
Joe Chalk, general manager at MUTA, who is preparing for MUTA’s Members Day on March 9, is looking forward to a prosperous season. He says: “With the industry virtually caught up on postponed work from the pandemic, tent companies should be able to plan their year with some certainty and dare we say normality. Admittedly, there remain challenges with labour shortages but that hasn’t prevented new companies from emerging. So, there is plenty of work in the marketplace.”
This year, TT Tents will continue supporting Goodwood, working across its Members Meeting, Festival of Speed and Revival events. The supplier is also confirmed to work at Badminton Horse Trials and Glastonbury too. Evolution Dome recently supplied inflatable structures to Castlemas at Tonbridge Castle and has signed a new contract with OMG Racing for the upcoming 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, where
it will provide two inflatable structures (hospitality suite and merchandise stand) to 11 events across the UK. Event in a Tent has won a contract to supply Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place Festival and will also return to Donington Park for Download.
Event in a Tent supplied its timberframed 15m Geodome for the Glade Area at Glastonbury festival for the first time last summer. It was looking for a stage that could fit within the wooded area and stay in keeping with the natural vibe. The Geodome stage’s circular base fitted perfectly.
Stephenson continues: “Our original structure, the Nordic tipi, is forever a firm favourite for events. However, awareness of our timber-framed Geodome has increased and is often the main product we are approached about. The Geodome is unique with its timber beams. What also makes this structure unique is it can be transformed into a Geodome stage.”
He adds: “We launched our new Quad Dome last year – we’re the only UK supplier who has this structure. Last year, we had a stock of a 5m x 5m quad and an 8m x 8m quad. This year, we’ll be introducing our 10m x 10m Quad Dome, which we feel is going to give event organisers an exciting alternative structure to wow their audience.”
Evolution Dome has a “few things prepared for 2023”. It recently expanded its modular inflatable cube system. At a width of 20 metres, and with the ability to create a clear open space as long as required, the system has been a game changer for Evolution Dome.
Austin comments: “We previously trialled the 20m x 40m structure in 2022
at Graduate Fashion Week in Kings Cross, London, which was a big success for us. By cutting the build time from four days to just one, and removing the need for cranes or heavy plant, the 20m x 40m cube was able to greatly reduce disruption and inconvenience to residents, businesses, and the public, despite being large enough to accommodate the range of catwalks, live talks, showcases, and exhibitions. 2023 will see us continue to expand upon the structure and our modular approach.”
According to Cooper, for those event organisers who do not have a previously contracted supplier, the choice of supplier is reduced thanks to COVID and the staffing issues within the industry. As such, many event companies are furiously looking for new suppliers to help them
with their marquee and structure needs. Hannah Field, head of group brand and marketing at Mar-Key Group, which provided services to Royal Ascot, says that offering multi-year contracts will help organisers to secure a preferred supplier. But for Robert Carter, managing director of J&J Carter, the advice is simple: Be prepared. He says: “Don’t leave it to the last minute as you may be sorely disappointed. Book and pay your deposit early to secure equipment for your event.”
Stephenson, Dalton, and Foster all agree. Book earlier than usual to avoid any huge headaches. Austin concludes: “With the shortages in staffing and the market’s slow return to post-COVID practices, it’s becoming vital to engage with suppliers earlier in the process. It gives us more opportunities to support you and helps us better understand what resources we need to meet your event needs.”
A ccording to Met Office figures, 2022 was the warmest year on record. In the summer, temperatures topped 40C, but it was not the only weather event to have an impact. Months of below average rainfall and a crazy cold spell in December impacted summer festivals and festive events, as organisers grappled with tricky builds, and made sure event environments were safe.
Long-range prediction experts at the Met Office and the World Meteorological Organisation are already suggesting that we’re in for another year of extremes. So, what impact will this have on events?
In 2022, requests for air conditioning units and even heaters went through the roof. Plus, there was a huge demand for air purification equipment, as organisers looked to improve ventilation within temporary structures.
Richard Ferrand, project director at Watkins Hire, explained: “The intense heat of the summer caught out several clients in two respects – firstly, those who hadn’t booked any air conditioning and were now desperate, and secondly, those that had booked AC but had allowed design/look criteria to override the actual cooling requirement and
hence, were short on cooling capacity when it really mattered.
“Don’t delete internal equipment for the purposes of design/look – it can cause problems if extreme temperatures are around your event.”
He continued: “With regard to heating, it seems clients have a better understanding and don’t in the main go against our advice to be warm enough.
“Guests are no longer tolerant to being too hot or too cold.”
Ferrand believes that air source heat pumps will become more popular in the future. Jim Bush, head of business at Arcotherm, says that the continuing rising costs of energy and fuel are pushing manufacturers to develop alternative fuel options for their heating products. At the same time, current models are being adapted to make them more fuel efficient, although this can affect the heat output.
Bush commented: “We have a lot of customers looking to lower their carbon footprints. Coupled with the rising cost of fuels, many are looking towards biofuels like HVO, as well as purely electric-fired heaters. “2023 will see new versions of our cabinet heater ranges – the Vertigo and Confort. These are going to be purely electric, not oil-fired, and there is also a 235kW Scudo heater that will use wood pellets as an alternative fuel source to oil or gas.”
Bush states that there are many factors to consider when choosing suitable temperature control products. For example, fuel consumption, thermal efficiency, and air flow. But ultimately, you should ensure your chosen product can heat your required space efficiently.
This winter, Watkins Hire worked with Best Parties Ever and has recently won a contract to supply temperature control to all three of Goodwood’s motor racing events.
According to Ferrand, events professionals should make enquiries early on to get the right equipment specified at the right price. Plus, you should never wait to see what the weather does!
Ferrand concluded: “Being part of the Carrier Group enables us to have access to the very latest technology and equipment. Carrier has a large fleet of chillers and boilers and we as Watkins (being a subsidiary company) can access that. We also have a fantastic team of on-site engineers, who understand the vagaries of working on events and with production managers along with other suppliers. As I always say, the equipment is the easiest bit, the crew are the most important in the delivery of the event.”
Experienced events professionals can find freelancing daunting. Here, Tara Hobson talks about adjusting to freelance life and how freelancing has opened her eyes to a life full of colour and authenticity
M y events career started many years ago as an event manager at Earls Court and Olympia (ECO). This job gave me a fantastic grounding and I’m lucky that I’m still friends with many of the people I met. I left ECO to work for a few years at Dubai World Trade Centre as an event manager before heading back to the UK, and in 2013, I found myself taking on the role of director of Carnival Village Trust, a Notting Hill-based arts charity that supports and promotes Carnival arts.
At the start of 2020, I was looking forward to the coming year. As director of Carnival Village Trust, it was a particularly exciting time as this would be our third year – under our subsidiary Notting Hill Carnival Limited – of working with the Carnival community to organise the iconic Notting Hill Carnival. I was the charity director for seven years and I immensely enjoyed my job, its challenges, and working in such a culturally rich environment with a small, creative, passionate, and dedicated team. However, I
made a hard decision; I wished to create new opportunities and work on other projects.
After Notting Hill Carnival 2020, I was going to take the plunge and go freelance. Then, of course, the pandemic hit. Everything changed. I was fortunate that I was not furloughed and there were still projects that Notting Hill Carnival could work on. In 2020, we produced a wellreceived online event called Access All Areas and we started looking forward to life when the world of events would be back.
I presented to Matthew Philip, the CEO of Notting Hill Carnival, the idea of taking Carnival to Glastonbury Festival and set the wheels in motion to make that happen.
As we edged towards August 2021, ticketed events had started to return. But due to several reasons, there was to be no Notting Hill Carnival on the streets of London for a second year. This left a massive gap in many people’s lives.
Some of you may be familiar with that weird gut feeling that tells you that you need to do something, even though the thought of it both terrifies and excites you. Can I? Should I? Suppose it all goes wrong? What if I’m not good enough? As I ventured into the freelance world, that’s how I felt leaving the security of a regular salary and an environment I was familiar and comfortable with.
My first contract was with LS Events, working with the team as a stakeholder manager for Operation London Bridge, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. In July 2021, I signed an NDA and couldn’t tell any of my old colleagues or friends what I was working on. I was so tight-lipped that one of my friends was convinced I was working for MI5.
The stakeholder manager role had some synergies with my previous posts. For example, being able to communicate, and making sure that the right people had the
right information at the right time. But the world of Carnival could not be further away from Operation London Bridge.
Being part of the planning team for Operation London Bridge and returning to work on the ground as part of the delivery team was a humbling experience and I still pinch myself that I was part of such a monumental event in history, a very tiny cog in a ginormous wheel.
In the spring of 2022, my contract with LS Events ended and I started to look for my next venture. My career has varied from event operations and business strategy to the creativity of writing funding bids. Sometimes, this made me feel a little bit like a round peg in a square hole as I’m not “strictly ops”. I was beginning to question how I was going to balance all this experience into something meaningful that would work for me.
The spring and summer of 2022 did not disappoint. I started to work with an organisation called Deaf Rave, as its funding and strategy consultant. Deaf Rave is a deafled arts organisation with the vision of giving Deaf and disabled artists and performers a platform to display their love for music. Troi Lee, the artistic director and founder of Deaf Rave, commissioned me to work with him on the business strategy for the organisation and write an application to the Arts Council
for National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) Funding. This would help stabilise the company and give it the opportunity to flourish and grow. Having secured the NPO funding for Carnival Village Trust, I welcomed the challenge. But as we all know, there have been massive cuts in arts funding and being awarded new NPO status is a rarity. We submitted the bid in May but had to wait until October to find out if we’d been successful.
I have gained so much professionally and personally from working with Troi and the Deaf Rave team. This was a new experience for me, and it has given me a fresh perspective on diversity and inclusion.
It was encouraging this summer to see promoters, such as AEG, embrace inclusivity and diversity as Deaf Rave performed at BST Hyde Park and All Points East in Victoria Park.
Later that year, I was delighted to take on some freelance work with Notting Hill Carnival as project manager for the Judging Zone on Carnival weekend. It was amazing for the event to be back and to be part of it. Although a familiar ground in some ways, I felt that my time away working on other projects gave me a new perspective and I could bring new experiences to the team. I was also able to witness my idea of combining two cultural titans when we took Notting Hill Carnival to Glastonbury Festival. Working with Block9, I spent a few sunny days in Somerset, helping manage the Carnival parade of masqueraders in their stunning costumes. They entertained the Glastonbury crowds, and it was a delight to see.
As the summer moved on, I took on a temporary contract as the event manager for Hackney Carnival. I acted as a conduit between the artistic directors, production, Hackney Council, the Police, and other stakeholders. This was a great opportunity to bring my Notting Hill experience to the event, and although there are similarities, they are very different events.
I closely collaborated with Deb Mullins and Manuela Benini – the artistic directors – to help programme the stages, activity areas, and sound system sites. I was to deliver their artistic vision, whilst accommodating event logistics and operational requirements. I was very much looking forward to the weekend, and it was great to work with Liam Worthy at LW Event Consulting and Alex Curtis and his team at CJA Events, but it was not to be. Due to the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Hackney Council took the decision to cancel the event two days before it was due to take place.
As the summer ended, the announcement regarding the NPO result from the Arts Council was upon us. I’m not sure who screamed
louder as Troi and I opened the funding portal to see that Deaf Rave had been successful in securing NPO status. As we move into 2023, it’s a very exciting time for Deaf Rave. There is much to do as but we have established a strong and knowledgeable board, which includes Mel Wilds from Continental Drifts, Gideon Feldman from Attitude is Everything, and Richie Littler from Grooveschool. We have a festival tour in our sights and an incredible programme of workshops and activities for children and young people.
I’m still a newbie to freelancing and yes, it can still be a bit daunting when you are accustomed to the regularity of working for one organisation. There have been some speed bumps, but I have also learnt a lot whilst it being thoroughly enjoyable. I think it’s important to be adventurous and to save something for a rainy day. I think you should listen to that nagging inner voice that’s telling you to do something; your gut feeling should not be underestimated. I also believe that you should keep your door open to all opportunities and be prepared to say no. But most importantly, yes; you are allowed a holiday.
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What issues should feature in an event company’s risk register for the year ahead? Read on, as Simon Garrett, managing director of X-Venture Global Risk Solutions, discusses the question
The Collins English Dictionary has declared “permacrisis” to be its word of the year for 2022. It defines it as an “extended period of instability and insecurity”. Unsurprisingly, many event companies are revising and practising their crisis plans for 2023. Permacrisis seems to be where the world is heading right now. This time last year, I said that the financial fallout from lockdown may turn out to be the lesser evil compared to the economic fallout if either Russia or China act on their revanchist ambitions. Many queried whether I was being alarmist. In coming to this view, I looked at not just what was being said but who was saying it. Retired generals of the Cold War era not only predicted that Putin would invade but also, correctly, how, and when he would do so because they had spent almost their entire professional life focused on the Soviet threat and the Putin mindset. That is the narrative that I tapped into. I then looked at what economists were saying based on the assumption that he would invade, which gave me a pretty accurate picture of what would follow regarding the energy crisis and the consequential outcomes. The point is that in compiling a list of strategic risks to an event business there must be an element of analysis of the source of the basic assumptions. This time last year, the bulk of the punditry on Putin was that he was bluffing or could be reasoned with; the generals knew better. I make no claim to any unique insight, but simply looking at open-source material can give event businesses a useful steer on the challenges that may be faced in the coming year. With that in mind, these are what I believe will be the issues that present risk challenges to events businesses in 2023.
The war in Ukraine is clearly going to dominate the global scene. The old Soviet doctrine was always about exploiting success, but the problem is that the war for Putin has been an unmitigated disaster on all fronts as has his attempt to weaponise energy supplies. So, expect something different.
The West has shown remarkable resilience to the resultant rise in food and energy prices in the sense that it has not caused a complete economic or political implosion. However, the impact is likely to cause problems in less resilient and less stable countries. The resultant political and social unrest could have unpredictable socio-political consequences in places like Africa and the Middle East.
In China, President Xi has more power and resources at his disposal than any other autocratic despot in history. In his mind, the “retaking” of Taiwan by force is a case of when and not an if but undoubtedly the West’s largely successful response to Ukraine will have given him pause for thought. There are no signs that China will invade any time soon, but it should be on the watch list.
More alarming are the effects and potential consequences of the relaxing of China’s zero-COVID laws. Some predictions put China on course for 800 million infections and a million or more deaths. It is unlikely therefore that China is going to be viable as a market for events any time before mid-2023 and given the planning timelines for most events that probably takes out 2023 altogether.
There has been a notable decline in social order in some city centres, once considered reasonably safe, with rising crime, some of it very violent. This seems to be particularly prevalent in the West, although South
Africa, has also seen rising crime rates, which makes moving around Johannesburg and Cape Town riskier. For example, some 5,866 car jackings took place in Johannesburg between April and June last year. In the US, the cause appears to be a mix of so-called progressive policies such as defunding the police and legalising drugs which have led to crime waves in places like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. At a recent event in Chicago, in the four days I was on site, five people were killed and 36 injured in shootings in the city.
Many cities have become more dangerous to move around. Only individual event companies can assess whether the risk has got to the point where they are no longer desirable or safe to hold their events. Either way – at an operational level – event teams need to monitor these risks to ensure that staff are properly briefed about how to travel safely in these locations.
Historically, the threat of terrorism in the UK is comparatively low. Prior to the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, not a single civilian was killed in a terrorist attack on the UK mainland in the 12 years following the 7/7 attacks in 2005. There have been isolated attacks such as the incident on London Bridge in 2019 when three people were killed, the last of which was in 2020. The point is that statistically, the risk of being killed in a terrorist attack in the UK is vanishingly small. Of course, that does not mean that we do not need to assess threats or prepare and plan for terrorist attacks, but assessment and planning needs to be done in context of the actual threat level, not based on press hype. One of the reasons that our statistics are so historically low is that our security services are so effective at containing the threat, but they cannot prevent everything.
The context above is important because 2023 will usher in a new law whereby those responsible for public places will have duties placed upon them to assess and plan for terrorist attacks under Protect Duty. It is highly unlikely that this legislation will take effect in 2023 but it should be high up on the agenda for risk review for event companies with operations in the UK because it could have a significant impact and introduce higher security costs.
The last thing the events industry needs is a powerful new agency justifying its existence with overbearing diktats on how to run security at events or a new normal of disproportionate security measures as a new industry of Protect Duty “advisors” talk up the compliance requirements. Fortunately, there are several event operations working groups that are tracking the progress of this law and working on possible compliance templates so that we can ensure a measured and proportionate approach when it does come into law.
In November, at least 38 people were injured, two critically, in a fire at a high-rise apartment building in New York. It appears that a lithium-ion battery connected to a micro-mobility device may have caused the fire. New York firefighters have counted 200 fires generated by this type of device in the last year alone.
The essential problem is that event venues are designed to contain “A Class” fires from wood and card etc with additional arrangements for higher risk areas such as the presence of fuel. Lithium batteries in electric road vehicles (EVs) or in e-bikes and e-scooters are present in increasing numbers in our venues. Failure in one of these batteries can lead to a thermal runaway reaction, which creates toxic fumes and intense heat, both of which could easily overwhelm the types of fire containment measures we have in venues. Failure in a battery cell can occur even when the device is not being charged. Most fire separation in venues is in units of 30 minutes so one set of fire doors provides 30 minutes of fire separation. Escape routes are usually doubly protected with 60 minutes. The London Fire Brigade has issued advice that stipulates a minimum of six hours fire separation where EVs are being charged. For example, in a loading bay. I ask: Does every event venue have this level of fire separation? Even that advice is based on ensuring escape not necessarily saving the venue. In an arena or exhibition hall, where a contractor’s e-bike is charging in an outfield area there would be no fire separation just an open space full of potentially flammable content. The toxic
fumes given off would make it impossible for firefighters to respond without smoke hoods so the fire would take hold. Wood and fabrics, which are treated to be zerorated, are not designed to withstand the kind of heat generated by a lithium battery, so it would spread. The events industry could incur huge costs in preventative fire measures imposed by law while it got its head around how to manage this risk effectively. 2023 needs to be spent doing just that before a major fire followed by a combination of public outcry and legislation forces our hand.
The events industry is fortunate to have managed to build a cadre of highly competent event operations and safety staff. Unfortunately, that cadre was reduced during the pandemic. In some sectors, like rigging, the deficit is particularly acute with warnings from senior staff in that sector that safety could be compromised. Competent event ops and safety staff enable event companies to operate at a high level of complexity and intensity, giving them a competitive advantage. Eroding that capability ultimately will impact that competitive advantage. There is a danger of that capability being eroded not just by losses from the industry, but by overworking those that remain. Additionally, new staff do not always seem to be taking to the role as well as some of their predecessors. This observation has been obtained from talking to operations staff.
Some of the new generation of event professionals emerging from universities are, through no fault of their own,
ill-prepared for the rigours of event operations work. Some who studied event management never actually got to cover a live event. I speak to a great deal of these new entrants when they arrive as delegates on IOSH courses and many of them bring a different mindset which requires more nurturing than previous cohorts. Not only does this potentially impact operational capability but also some staff will need to be carefully managed when assigned to tricky events, especially overseas.
It is remarkable how hard it is to kill off live events. Around the time of the invention of the Internet, it was thought that live events would fade away. Why go to an exhibition when you can look up the product online? Since then, we have had the fallout from 9/11, a global financial crash, a global pandemic, and the outbreak of the first nation on nation land war in Europe since 1945. Even so, any conversation between two event operations managers usually begins with complaining about just how busy they are. This is because people want to go to live events.
We do face a unique combination of challenges in 2023 with a global permacrisis and yet most operations staff would regard permacrisis as the natural state of things on an event site, whether building events or running them! Whilst it is nice to be right, I sincerely hope I am wrong about most of the possible harmful outcomes from the issues identified in this article. Even if I am not, the events industry will cope, adapt, and change as it always does.
Event Hire Association
2450 Regents Court, The Crescent, Birmingham Business Park, Solihull, B37 7YE
T: 0121 380 4600 W: www.eha.org.uk E: membership@eha.org.uk
Event Production Services
The Pack House, Drayton St. Leonard, Oxford, OX10 7BG
E: info@epsoxford.com T: 01844 278446
Press Red Rentals Limited
Unit B10 Court 2000, Bridgnorth Road, Madeley, Telford, TF7 4JB
T: +44 (0) 1952 587049 W: www.pressred.biz
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 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
Instant Marquees
DD: 01840 219047 | M: 07748 165 827 www.instantmarquees.co.uk
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
Electric Wheels Ltd
Units C1 & C2, Neaton Business Park, Watton, Thetford, IP25 6JB
T: 01953 882175 M: 07711 648707 M: 07725 761970 E: info@electricwheelshire.co.uk W: www.electricwheelshire.co.uk
Event Buggy Hire
T: 0113 393 4100 E: brian@eventbuggyhire.co.uk W: www.eventbuggyhire.co.uk
Hopkins Machinery
T: 01633 680754
E: hire@hopkinsmachinery.co.uk W: www.hopkinsmachinery.co.uk
Cube Modular Ltd
Unit 1, St. Modwen Park, Norton Road, Broomhall, Worcester, WR5 2QR T: 01905 955814
E: theteam@cubemodular.co.uk W: www.cubemodular.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cubemodular/ Twitter: @CubeModularLtd Instagram: @cubemodularuk
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 Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Qdos-Event-Hire/ Instagram: @qdoseventhire
Joseph House, Northgate Way, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8ST
T: 01922 472 900
E: events@wernick.co.uk
W: www.wernick.co.uk/events
Twitter: @WernickEvents
Instagram: @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
Just Go Parking
Unit 7 Broadway Green Farm, Lightwater, Surrey, GU18 5SU
T: 01276 590325
E: contactus@justgoparking.com
W: www.justgoparking.com
Phoenix Events (East) Ltd
St. Georges Works, 51 Colegate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 1DD
T: 01603 952312
M: 07592 739928
E: admin@phoenixeventseastltdco.uk
W: www.phoenixeventseastltd.co.uk
Falcon Cleaning and Support Services Ltd Specialised Cleaning and Support Services (Nationwide)
31 Oldbury Road, Enfield, EN1 3QN
T: 0208 798 2699
E: events@falconcss.co.uk
W: www.falconcss.co.uk
Markey Ltd
39b Park Farm Ind Estate, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, SG9 9AZ
T: 01763 271110
E: info@markey.co.uk
W: www.markey.co.uk
Ace Crew Ltd
Units 3 & 7, Princess Court, Horace Road Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2SL
T: +44(0) 20 7924 6569 M: +44(0)7947 88 66 99 W: www.acecrew.co.uk
Rodeo Crew
128 Wey House, 15 Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8NA
T: 020 8075 7799
E: bookcrew@rodeocrew.uk W: www.rodeocrew.uk
Site and Stage Ltd (SAS)
Festival and Event Crew Nationwide
T: 0207 205 2434
M:07770 521521 W: www.siteandstage.co.uk
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
Odin Events Ltd
Unit 1 RoundHouse Farm, Marston Meysey, SN6 6LL
T: 0800 030 6881 E: info@odinevents.com W: www.odinevents.com
Airstream Facilities Ltd
T: +44 (0) 1885 400223
E: info@airstreamfacilities.com W: www.airstreamfacilities.com
Bunkabin
Tweedale Way, Oldham, OL9 7LD T: 0345 456 7899
E: hires@bunkabin.co.uk W: www.bunkabin.co.uk
Caboose & Co
Unit 1, St. Modwen Park, Norton Road, Broomhall, Worcester, WR5 2QR T: 01905 955814
E: theteam@cubemodular.co.uk W: www.cabooseandco.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/caboose&coltd/ Twitter: @CabooseandCo Instagram: @CoandCaboose
Zoo Events Group Ltd
Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ T: 01258 840233
E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk
Controlled Events
T: 0203 286 6392
Victorious Events E: info@victoriousevents.co.uk T: 07869 701 616 W: victoriousevents.co.uk
Ethix Management
Unit 15 Kempton Gate Business Centre, Oldfield Road, Hampton, TW12 2AF T: 0208 487 3508 M: 07836 736734 W: www.ethixmanagement.com
Productions Hire Limited Unit 20, Glebe Farm, Fathinghoe, Brackley, NN13 6DN W: www.productionhire.com E: Louise@productionhire.com T: 01280701117 M: 07566202535
Blue Yonder Events Ltd T: 07432 214607 w: www.blueyonder-events.co.uk
First class Resilience, Readiness, Communication & Control for incidents or pre-planned events.
E: info@controlledevents.com W: www.controlledevents.com
EVENT MANAGEMENT
2Can Productions
T: 029 20 100256
E: info@2canproductions.com W: www.2canproductions.com
Blue Yonder Events Ltd T: 07432 214607 w: www.blueyonder-events.co.uk
LFX Events
Stockport BIC, Gtr Manchester, SK5 7DL T: 0161 408 2220
E: enquiries@LFXevents.co.uk W: www.LFXevents.co.uk
LFX Safety Stockport BIC, Gtr Manchester, SK5 7DL T: 0161 408 2220 E: enquiries@LFXevents.co.uk W: www.LFXevents.co.uk
Symphotech Safety. Production. Noise Management Claire Feeney T: 0871 711 5264 E: claire@symphotech.co.uk W: www.symphotech.co.uk
Festivall Services
www.controlledevents.com
Saltem Ltd
Eliot Park Innovation entre, 4 Barling Way, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7RH T: 02476 796455 W: www.saltem.co.uk
The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 4FW E: hello@festivall.services M: 07547 509 409 T: 01144 055 044 W: www.festivall.services
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
uTRAC
24A Lower Abbey St, Dublin 1, Ireland
T: 0808 189 0334
E: hello@utraconline.com W: www.utraconline.com
DWT Exhibitions
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
Festival Gas
Priors Revel, Church lane, Middleton, Nr Tamworth, B78 2AL
T: 07930 758893
E: simon@festivalgas.co.uk
W: www.festivalgas.co.uk
1st Defense Fire & Rescue Services Ltd
Morris Farm, Old Holbrook, Horsham RH12 4TW
T: 01483 200911
F: 01483 200994
E: admin@1stdefensefire.co.uk
W: www.1stdefensefire.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
Instant Marquees
DD: 01840 219047 | M: 07748 165 827 www.instantmarquees.co.uk
Coir Store
E: andy@coirstore.co.uk T: 07884303082 W: www.coirstore.co.uk
CTN Exhibitions Limited
Unit G3A, Halesfield 19, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4QT
E: Sales@ctn-uk.com T: 00 44 1952 680423 W: www.ctn-uk.com
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 E: info@gigtent.co.uk W: www.gigtent.co.uk T: 01223 870935
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. +44(0) 207 205 4226 E: hire@gbjeventhire.co.uk W: www.gbjeventhire.co.uk
BiemmedueUK & Arcotherm
Units 15 & 16, Ecclesbourne Park, Clover Nook Road, Alfreton, DE55 1RF
T: 01773 836999 | E: sales@biemmedueuk.com W: www.biemmedueuk.com
Cooling and Heating Solutions Ltd
T: 01590 681 434
E: sales@candhs.co.uk
W: www.coolingandheatingsolutions.com
Spica Temperature Control Solutions Ltd
20 Crowsport, Hamble, Hampshire, SO31 4HG
T: +44 (0) 2380 453841
M: +44 (0) 7780 638976
E: kay@spicasolutions.com W: www.spicasolutions.com
Arc International
St. Clare House, 30-33 Minories, London, EC3N 1PE
T: +44 (0)207 977 7637 W: www.apex-ins.co.uk/arcinternational
Tysers Insurance Brokers
71 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BS
T:+44 (0)203 037 8000 E: tim.rudland@tysers.com W: www.tysers.com
Laser Grafix
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
Contact details: Neil - 07710 700759 or Nick - 07593437891 E: sales@illumin8lights.co.uk W: www.illumin8lights.co.uk
Essential Supplies UK Ltd
Unit 22, Trevol Business Park, Torpoint, Cornwall, UK, PL11 2TB t: 01752 817 140 e: sales@essentialsupplies.co.uk w: essentialsupplies.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/esssupplies/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/essential_supplies/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/3015168/admin/ Twitter: twitter.com/ESSSupplies
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
Unit 4A Stratton Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8QS W: www.lgfx.co.uk UK office: +44 1767 315948 Dubai office: +971 4887 9808 Lightmedia
T:
E: sales@lightmedia.co.uk W: www.lightmedia.co.uk
Alternative Stretch Tents
Building 15, Gateway 1000, A1 (M) jct 7, Stevenage, SG1 2FP
T: 01920 830256
E: info@alternative-stretch.co.uk W: www.alternative-stretch-tents.co.uk
Crocker Bros
8 – 18 Station Road, Chellaston, Derby, DE73 5SU
T: 01332 700699
W: www.crockerbros.co.uk E: sales@crockerbros.co.uk
Event-in-a-tent
Unit 108, Abby Road South, Wrexham Industrial Estate, LL13 9RF
T: 01978 661449
E: info@event-in-a-tent.co.uk W: www.event-in-a-tent.co.uk
Fews Marquees
Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS
T: 01527 821789
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 T: 01223 870935
Instant Marquees
DD: 01840 219047 | M: 07748 165 827 www.instantmarquees.co.uk
Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd
Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP
T: +44 121 7401385
M: +44 7826 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
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
First Aid Cover Ltd
250 York Road, Battersea, London, SW11 3SJ
T: 020 8875 5758
E: enquiries@firstaidcover.co.uk
W: www.firstaidcover.co.uk
MET Medical Ltd
T: 0203 627 9042
E: info@met-medical.co.uk
W: www.met-medical.co.uk
E: jt@aniseedpr.com
W: www.aniseedphoto.com
Twitter: @aniseedphoto
Instagram: @aniseedeventphotography
Ace Plant
Blackpit Farm, Silverstone Road, Stowe, Buckinghamshire, MK18 5LJ
T: 01908 562191
E: hire@aceplant.co.uk W: www.aceplant.co.uk
Hopkins Machinery
T: 01633 680754
E: hire@hopkinsmachinery.co.uk W: www.hopkinsmachinery.co.uk
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
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
Zoo Events Group Ltd
Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ T: 01258 840233 E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk
CB Potts Electrical
Rose Cottage, Watergore, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5JQ
T: 0780 8049034 E: ben.potts@zen.co.uk W: www.cbpottselectrical.co.uk
Festival Power Ltd
Unit 5, Parkway Trading Estate, St Werburghs, Bristol, BS2 9PG 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
Midas Productions (UK) Ltd
Unit 1, Uplandside, Manor Road, Clopton, Suffolk, IP13 6SH
T: +44 (0)333 772 0772
M: +44 (0)7949 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
Phase Hire Ltd
140A Kents Hill Road, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 5PH
T: 01268 792648
E: info@phasehire.com W: www.phasehire.com
Power Events
T: 01277 424800
E: enquiries@powerevents.co.uk W: www.powerevents.co.uk
Powerline
Knowle Hill Farm, Beeks Lane, Marshfield, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8BB
T: 01225 892336
E: info@thepowerline.co.uk W: www.thepowerline.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@stuartgroup.info W: www.stuartgroup.ltd.uk/power
UK Flyers
Suite 210, Victory House, Somers Road, North Portsmouth, HampshirePO1 1PJ
T: 023 9229 3050
E: sales@ukflyers.com W: www.ukflyers.com
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
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
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
Green Goblet Ltd
Unit 1A Walrow Industrial Estate, Commerce Way, Highbridge, TA9 4AG
T: 01278 238390
E: info@green-goblet.com W: www.green-goblet.com
Ace Seating Hire
T: 01832 273353
E: info@aceseating.co.uk W: www.aceseating.co.uk
McKenzie Arnold
Grove House, Faulkbourne, Essex, CM8 1SH
T: 01376 350999
E: martin.jackson@mckenziearnold.com W: www.mckenziearnold.com
Newman Event Services Ltd
Crowd Management, Festival & Event Security/Stewarding.
Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Oxfordshire, OX15 4FF T: +441295 722844
E: enquiries@newmanevents.co.uk W: www.newmanevents.co.uk
Protegimus Security Ltd
Unit 1, Station Terrace,Station Road, Kegworth, Derbyshire, DE&$ 2GE T: 01509 670424 T: 01332 792991 (voicemail)
E: admin@protegimus-security.com W: www.protegimus-security.com
Provide SESS Ltd
The Courtyard, 87 Southampton Street, Reading, RG1 2QU T: 01189 875949
E: info@provide-security.com W: www.provide-security.com
Right Guard Security Event Security Consultancy Security & Crowd Management Traffic Management
CSAS Traffic Officers T: 01227 464 588 T: 0207 241 5525
E: info@rightguard.co.uk W: www.rightguard.co.uk
Staged Events Ltd
Meadow View, Newnham Lane, Old Basing, Hampshire, RG24 7AU
T: 01256578055
E: info@wearestaged.com
W: www.stagedevents.com
SafeSite Facilities Ltd
Unit 1, Martello Enterprise Centre, Courtwick Lane, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 7PA
T: 0800 114 3228
E: info@safesitefacilities.co.uk W: www.safesitefacilities.co.uk
Social media platforms: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ safesite-facilities-ltd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/safesitefac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SafeSiteFacilities-Ltd-467996143326191
Complete Staging Ltd
T: 01282 862777 | W: www.completestaging.co.uk E: gary@completestaging.co.uk
IPS (Impact Production Services)
29 Mount Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK1 1LS
E: enquiries@ips.co.uk W: www.ips.co.uk T: 01908 657950
Triple A Events Ltd
Unit D4, St Georges Business Park, Castle Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3TB T: 0800 7723242 M: 07875492625 W: www.tripleaevents.co.uk Twitter: @tripleaeventsuk Facebook: /tripleaeventsuk
Phoenix Events (East) Ltd
St. Georges Works, 51 Colegate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 1DD
T: 01603 952312 M: 07592 739928
E: admin@phoenixeventseastltdco.uk W: www.phoenixeventseastltd.co.uk
Road Traffic Solutions
60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe, DN15 7PQ
T: 01724 848 246
E: dan@roadtrafficsolutions.com W: www.roadtrafficsolutions.com
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
Fews Marquees
Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS
T: 01527 821789
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
Mehler Texnologies UK Ltd.
Hollinwood Business Centre Albert Street, Oldham, Lancs. OL8 3QL
E: info-uk@freudenberg-pm.com W: www.mehler-texnologies.com
LH Woodhouse
Wolds Farm, The Fosse, Cotgrave, Nottingham, NG12 3HG Delivering successful events T: +441159 899 899
E: sales@lhwoodhouse.co.uk W: www.lhwoodhouse.co.uk
NEPTUNUS Ltd
Cob Drive, Swan Valley, Northampton NN4 9BB
T: +44 1604 593820
E: sales@neptunus.co.uk W: www.neptunus.co.uk
Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd
Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP
T: +44 121 7401385
M: +44 7826 843099
E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk
The Theatre Tent Company
Unit 4 Grimes Close, Birstall, Leicester LE4 3EN
E: sayhello@theatretent.eu W: www.TheatreTent.co.uk T: 01162674151
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: + 44 (0) 1672 565 060 / +44 (0) 7875 027369
E: enquiries@w-sl.com W: www.worldwidestructures.com
J & J. Carter Ltd
Unit 2, 34 Walworth Road, Walworth Business Park, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5LH
T: 01264 721630 E: sales@jjcarter.com W: www.jjcarter.com
RedBox Events
Balbir House, Norton Green Road,Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2LP T: 0333 242 7920 W: www.redboxevents.com
Zoo Events Group Ltd
Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ
T: 01258 840233
E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk
All Weather Access
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
GT Trax Ltd
High Tree Farm House, New Road, Warboys, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2SS T: 01487 823344 E: info@gttrax.co.uk W: www.gttrax.co.uk Twitter: @GTTrax
Exhibition Traffic Management Services Ltd
Perton House, Roslin Road, London, W3 8DH
T: 0203 567 1479
E: ops@exhibition-traffic.co.uk W: www.exhibition-traffic.co.uk
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
Unit 20 H T M Business Park, Abergele Road, Rhuddlan, Rhyl, LL18 5UZ
T: 01745 590056
E: steve@jt-m-signs.co.uk W: www.jtmsigns.co.uk
Road Traffic Solutions
60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe,DN15 7PQ T: 01724 848 246
E: dan@roadtrafficsolutions.com W: www.roadtrafficsolutions.com
Expo World Logistics Ltd
Unit 5, Norton House,Fircroft Way, Edenbridge Kent, TN8 6EL
T: 01732 866881
E: info@expoworldlogistics.com W: www.expoworldlogistics.com
GAC Pindar
Medina Chambers, Town Quay, Southampton, SO14 2AQ
T: 02380 489924
E: pindar@gac.com W: www.gacpindar.com Twitter: @GACPindar
Stagefreight
Evanston Avenue, Leeds LS4 2HR
T: 0113 238 0805 / 0113 279 7898
W: www.stagefreight.com
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
The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD)
Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland T: 00353 1 856 0000
E: sales@theccd.ie W: www.theccd.ie
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
Grist Environmental Event Services
Head Office, William Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 3EW
T: 01380 735045
E: events@gristenvironmental.com W: www.gristenvironmental.com
Liquiline Ltd
Ash Tree House, Tarrant Hinton, Blandford, Dorset, DT11 8JA
T: 01258 830324
E: office@liquiline.co.uk W: www.liquiline.co.uk
Show Site Services Ltd
Unit 18 Weybridge Business Centre, 66 York Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 9DY
T: +44 (0)1932 228416 W: www.showsiteservices.co.uk
MTD (UK & Ireland) Ltd
Unit 1 Westerngate, Hillmead Enterprise Park, Langley Road, Swindon, SN5 5WN
T: +44 (0)1264 773 818 M: +44 (0)7557 868 909 E: oliver.smith@mtd.net W: www.mtd.net
Wicked Event Water Services Kevin: 07909 771996
E: info@wickedeventwaterservices.com W: www.wews.biz
Attend2it
Unit 8 Park Farm Industrial Estate, Ermine Street, Buntingford, SG9 9AZ
T: 01763 877 477 T: 01763 878 086 E: info@attend2it.co.uk W: www.attend2it.co.uk
RedBox Events
Balbir House, Norton Green Road, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2LP T: 0333 242 7920 W: www.redboxevents.com
Unit 13, Leominster Enterprise Park, Leominster, Herefordshire, Hr6 0LX
T: 0800 298 9434
E: hello@simpliwifi.agency W: https://simpliwifi.agency
Editor Caroline Clift caroline@standoutmagazine.co.uk
Publication manager Sarah Bourne sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509113
Sales executive Holley Wilkinson holley@standoutmagazine.co.uk
Design and production Jack Witcomb studio@standoutmagazine.co.uk
Digital and web developer Matthew Coppard
Credit control Janine Walmsley creditcontrol@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509113
Publisher Neil Fagg neil@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509101
Managing director John Denning
StandOut Multimedia Limited, Park Grange, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX www.standoutmagazine.co.uk
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