UNDER COVER

GLASTONBURY

Make your marq(uee)

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

If 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.”

OLD CHALLENGES

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.

EVENT IN A TENT IN ACTION

“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.”

NEW CONTRACTS AND PRODUCTS

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

ROYAL ASCOT

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.”

MEETING YOUR MARQUEE NEEDS

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.”

EVOLUTION DOME

Heat is on

Temperature control experts talk trends, products, and best practice

According 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.”

ALTERNATIVES

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.”

IMPORTANT CREW

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.”

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