StandOut Magazine October 2023

• Large high-capacity bar – footprint of 66ft x 36ft (approx. 20m x 11m).

• Incorporates 80+ indoor seats and standing room for 120 guests for all weather entertainment.

• Large high-capacity bar – footprint of 40ft x 35ft (12.2m x 10.7m)

• Fully heated internal seating bar area.

• Incorporates 80 indoor seats and standing room for 120 guests for all weather entertainment

• Large 50” TV Screen in the bar area.

• Full integrated music and PA sound system.

• Can be supplied with a fenced and gated outside ‘beer garden’ area which can be tailored with tables and chairs to match the bar theme (perfect for watching the world go by) – meets alcohol licensing laws and is suitable for 280 + additional guests.

• Can be supplied with a fenced and gated outside ‘beer garden’ area which can be tailored with tables and chairs to match the bar theme (perfect for watching the world go by) – meets alcohol licensing laws and is suitable for 280 additional guests

• Total capacity of approx of 480 guests (when operating on a TENS)

• Total capacity approx. 480 guests (when operating on a TENS License).

• Themed and fully customisable for any occasion (Pilot’s Mess, The Pit Stop, Christmas for example)

• Themed and fully customisable for any occasion i.e. Pilot’s Mess, Jolly Sailor, The Pit Stop and any Christmas theme.

• Small bar available for smaller locations – faster set up – equal capacity as large bar

• Small bar available for smaller locations – faster set up – equal serving capacity as large bar.

• High dispensing capacity for beers, wines, spirits, soft drinks and hot and cold beverages – this is to cope with high footfall at large events and festivals.

• Dispensing capacity for beers, wines, spirits, soft drinks and hot beverages – is designed to cope with this high volume of people to avoid any disappointed customers

• Hot and cold water supplied

• The bars carry hot and cold running water within an integrated stored supply.

• Our state-of-the-art Moose bar looks and feels like a real cosy village pub –not just a standard pop-up bar.

• Our state of the art bar looks like a real pub – not just a pop up bar

• The Bavarian Bar meets all current H&S regulations for mobile entertainment equipment. It also complies with all food hygiene regulations

• All bars meet all current H&S regulations for mobile entertainment equipment. It also complies with all food hygiene regulations.

• We operate in conjunction with the Heineken, Peroni, Krombacher and Paulaner breweries, but we can source any brand of drink you require. We also serve Pimms and Sangria on request.

• We operate in conjunction with the Heineken, Peroni and Krombacher, Paulaner breweries but we can source any brand of drink you require. We also serve Pimms and Sangria on request

• We operate a very strict challenge 25 policy with all challenge, accept and refusals recorded on the electronic EPOS till system.

• S&D can arrange all licensing requirements for your event.

• We operate a challenge 25 policy with all challenge, accept refusals recorded on the electronic till system

S&D are always looking for new venues at festivals, shows and city centre locations for our bars. Do you have an empty space that could accomodate the Moose bar?

Its a great meeting point that can be themed to your event to attract visitors and generate rental income for your company.

OCTOBER 2023

The last time I looked, sliders were not appropriate PPE. However, on a recent site visit, that’s exactly what three crew members were wearing. Thankfully, two of the crew had the foresight to wear socks as they kicked the feet of a load of barriers. I must have missed the email about steel-toe-capped trainer socks!

I know I am being rather sarcastic about my recent observation but when you’ve spent weeks talking with event safety professionals to get the low-down on life on-site then common sense and proportionate approaches to risk do rub off. You can read their valuable opinions regarding hot safety topics in this issue, as we discuss everything from weather and train strikes to safeguarding and crowd behaviour.

Of course, giving contractors enough time to build a site safely is a key consideration but we know what the realities are; promoters are looking to cut costs and some event suppliers continue to over-commit. What the industry needs is more frank conversations between organisers and suppliers and decent budgets that enable people to get paid a decent rate.

Pay is an emotive issue. Having spoken with promoters, suppliers, and freelancers, I appreciate all arguments and challenges, but deeper discussion is needed. When you factor in the hours that are actually worked on-site, lots of event professionals are being offered day rates that work out at below minimum wage. And that’s not exactly the perfect advert for people to join our amazing sector.

What’s clear is that successful events are built on the strength of relationships, and passion, and because they are produced and delivered by people who care about other people. Lakefest’s Lee Martin recently told me his life would be empty without his festival, and that’s not an uncommon story. What I loved about talking with Lee and Lakefest’s Andy Winmill was that they were both brutally honest about our world. They had no issues with saying how it is and acknowledged where their event needed some work.

I say it every month, I really do love jumping on-site and finding the best characters with the best stories. Well, this edition of StandOut is packed with insight so if you want to read about Victorious, The Big Feastival, SweetSpot’s Tour of Britain, Lakefest or the UIPM 2023 Penthalon World Championships, or if learning more about event waste is your bag (no pun intended) then read on. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Now, where did I put my flip flops and black hi-viz?

Happy reading, Caroline

Cover image: © Steve Stringer

12 GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS

Victorious Festival’s organising team discuss changes at the 2023 festival, including an extended arena, a new park-and-ride facility, and bigger budgets for talent

17 BIG MOVES

The Big Feastival’s Heather Garrett on introducing a Parent’s Pitstop, enhanced creative production, and increased content sessions

23 DO YOU HAVE A PERFECT PRODUCTION PARTNER?

Support, strong supplier relationships, and safety. Organisers reveal what they look for in an event production specialist and why they are integral to a wider organising team

28 EVENT BUYERS LIVE

Who will be speaking at this year’s Event Buyers Live? StandOut reveals the most amazing speaker line-up

31 HOW FLEXIBLE ARE YOU?

Becs Leach talks about her experience – the pros and cons – of organising the UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Championships using flexible working practices and a part-time workforce

35 SAFETY FIRST

Car parking. Adverse weather. Train strikes. Protect Duty. Zone Ex.

Event safety professionals discuss the challenges of the summer, safety best practices, and issues to be aware of.

40 MONEY TALKS

Lakefest has taken big steps to professionalise its operations, deliver efficiencies on site, and improve the customer experience, including a new cashless system. Lakefest’s Lee Martin and Andy Winmill chat

57 GREAT STAGES

A raft of new staging products has hit the market. StandOut looks at staging best practice and trends

61 PEDAL POWER

SweetSpot Group’s James Robinson talks about the challenges of organising mass participation events and building longer-term legacy projects with stakeholders

65 TALKING RUBBISH

Waste ambassadors, sorting at source, AI, vape bins, and sorting tables. Organisers discuss their different approaches to waste management and how they are reducing waste and tackling rubbish at their events and festivals

70 COMPETITION

Win a £250 spa voucher with Event Buyers Live

12 GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS

61 PEDAL POWER

CONTRIBUTORS: This month’s

JAMES ROBINSON

Former managing director of LimeLight Sports Club, chief commercial officer of LimeLight Sports, and global head (CEO) of mass participation sports at IMG, James is a highly motivated, senior leader in sports, media and entertainment. Now managing director of SweetSpot Travel, a joint venture between SweetSpot Group and Destination Sport Group, James now works closely alongside SweetSpot’s founder, Hugh Roberts, with the aim of growing the group’s events and commercial partners.

In this issue, James, who has a deep understanding of budgets, business development, operations, and forecasting, discusses plans for SweetSpot Group and the Tour of Britain, including strong partnerships with local authorities and creating relationships with spectators.

HEATHER GARRETT

Heather is a dedicated and creative event director with 11 years’ experience in the events industry.

Growing up at the Edinburgh Festival kick-started Heather’s passion for live events, which inspired her to seek a career within the industry. She went on to be selected for the Young Festival Producers course at Roundhouse London, where she was tutored by leading event professionals which led to opportunities in the industry.

Heather then spent years on the management team of Bestival and Camp Bestival and as a freelancer delivered large cultural events for brands such as Dishoom, Patron, and Moniker Art Fair. Now in her fifth year at IMG, she is passionate about growing The Big Feastival into a leading UK family festival and delivering the best possible audience experience.

JOE ROBINSON

Joe is the director of operations at Cuffe and Taylor, the promoter and organiser responsible for a series of live events and concerts at venues including Chepstow Racecourse, Cardiff Castle, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, and The Piece Hall in Halifax. Joe has worked in the events industry for several years and has worked his way up the ranks. From event manager to senior manager and now director of operations, Joe is responsible for delivering a significant number of live shows. In this latest edition, Joe talks to StandOut about event production and reveals what he looks for in a production partner.

TICKETING TREND REPORT

Each quarter this exclusive report will offer valuable insight into the ever-changing buying habits of event- goers, providing you with the essential analysis you need to optimise your event listings and increase ticket sales.

APPOINTMENTS OF THE MONTH

Jamie Cooper is the new head of event experience at Salon Privé.

Fully Charged Live has appointed Natalie Vaughan as head of operations.

Top Banana has appointed Charlotte Jarman as senior account director

Opus Agency, a global experience agency and member of The Opus Group network, has hired Matt Culverhouse as director of strategic accounts and growth for EMEA.

Hollie Taylor is the new head of group operations at Troubadour Theatres and Troubadour Studios.

Chorus has made several new appointments. Jessica Davis is head of projects and Hannah Hay and Miran Barry are project coordinators.

The 25th edition of Goodwood Revival featured the first-ever fully sustainably-fuelled race, a Revive and Thrive Village with new vintage fashion and heritage crafts areas, and the Les Skuse Tattoo Parlour where the rebellious spirit of the 1960s came alive through the art of tattoos. The free (yet very permanent!) tattoos were available to visitors across the weekend, in addition to a series of temporary transfers. Revival revellers were also taken by surprise as the main entrance transformed into a circus with performers celebrating the story of The Greatest Show on Earth. Goodwood Revival will return on September 6-8, 2024.

LINKEDIN POST OF THE MONTH

NEWS IN BRIEF

A research paper – Festival Feels: Exploring the motivations of Generation Z festivalgoers in Ireland – has been published.

The Association of Independent Festivals has set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for independent festivals.

The National Counter Terrorism Security Office has signalled it intends to launch Competent Person in the Workplace workshops.

Correction: In the Summer issue of StandOut, we stated that Sunbelt Rentals supplied trackway to Tall Ships Races 2023, Hartlepool. TPA provided trackway to the event.

Katie Street

MD and founder of Street Agency

What happens when your target market dies?

A morbid thought. But a very valid question… as if you don’t understand and include younger generations in your marketing strategies, then the clock is ticking for your brand. Not only will your current target market age (and eventually die) but the disruptor brands will snap up Gen Z before you’ve even started!

Meet and Potato has announced Karen Clarkson as managing director, with founder Jon Kelly moving to CEO.

I would love to know what you are doing to engage with GenZ? And what’s working?

#Podcast #MarketingPodcast #GenZ

© Ph by PA

Perfect time to pitch

If you’re looking for new business, discover details of the latest contract wins and event tenders

Aberdeen City Council has contracted Live Event Management to curate and produce Spectra, Scotland’s Festival of Light, which will be held in February 2024.

Following a rigorous selection process, FGH Security has won the contract to provide exclusive security and crowd management services to Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Markets.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is looking to create a framework agreement for event security services for indoor and outdoor events. Email roseena.sheikh@blackburn.gov.uk – the deadline is 12pm on October 9.

The University of Worcester has signalled that it will soon be tendering for event management services for two large events – Graduation and Welcome Week. Email Nicola Brecknell on n.brecknell@worc.ac.uk

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has issued a tender for security and stewarding for North End Road trafficfree events. Email jason.barrett@lbhf.gov.uk– the deadline for this £90,000 tender is 12pm on October 11.

The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport is looking to establish a multi-operator framework agreement for general event management services, including infrastructure and equipment. If you are interested in this £200,000,000 tender, the deadline is 12am on February 29, 2024. Email commercial@dcms.gov.uk

Cirque Bijou has won a contract with Renfrewshire Council to deliver events for Paisley’s Halloween Festival 2023.

Luton Council has appointed BT Events and White Label Publishing to its event management framework. The local authority wishes to develop and deliver a programme of events over the next four years.

The University of Central Lancashire issued a £1.2 million tender for event solutions, including staging, lighting, sound, video, and staffing. Following a tender process, the university has appointed Grace and Tailor

Ofcom has appointed Giggabox to deliver event production services for several Ofcom corporate events (in-person, hybrid, and virtual). The tender is worth £432,000.

BIRMINGHAM FRANKFURT CHRISTMAS MARKETS © Korng Sok/Unsplash

Glorious Victorious

n August Bank Holiday weekend, a 60,000-strong crowd at Victorious festival watched Sergio Pizzorno climb up a ladder and encourage fans to sing. The Kasabian frontman navigated the steps in front of Victorious’ new triple-storey front-ofhouse tower. He delivered a rousing set that saw fireworks close an epic Saturday night at the festival that prides itself on being family friendly and affordable.

Jamiroquai and Mumford and Sons were the festival’s other headline performers. “We spent more on talent for our main stage to get the best quality people to play, but because of that, we had to spend more on sound,” explained James Ralls, Victorious’ festival director and managing director.

More than 180,000 fans descended on Southsea Common, Portsmouth, for three days of incredible performances, family-themed

entertainment and comedy. Ticketholders benefited from an extended arena, a new parkand-ride facility, a massive new comedy tent, and enhanced production values.

‘We’ve always wanted to make the arena bigger, but we have always known that the council would be doing work on Southsea’s sea defences,” said Ralls. “We drew up a plan that would give us more room but to do that we had to move our car park and create a park-and-ride facility.”

CREATING MORE SPACE

According to Ralls, Portsmouth’s air quality is quite poor so preventing 2,000 cars from entering the city was a beneficial move. Not only did it help reduce the festival’s carbon impact in the city centre, but the area previously used for car parking could now be used to create a bigger main stage arena.

Ralls continued: “A lot of our visitors are not traditional festivalgoers. Last year, we received some feedback; people wanted more space. I think they kind of expect Victorious to be as big as Hyde Park so to deliver that we needed to push the main arena back.”

That’s exactly what the Victorious team did; pre-Christmas, it pressed the button on the new move that would effectively add an additional 7.5 football pitches of space. The 2023 arena was 350 metres longer than 2022 and the feedback from visitors has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We’ve been planning this move since the end of last year,” Ralls added. “It’s meant we’ve needed more of everything in the main area because we don’t want people to queue, but the supply chain has been fine. There are still fewer people available to quote and everything is more expensive, but price rises

O

Victorious Festival’s James Ralls and Terri Ralls discuss 2023 festival developments , including an extended arena, a new park-and-ride facility, and bigger budgets for talent

have slowed and everything we wanted has been available.”

VALUE FOR MONEY

Victorious’ new park-and-ride facility could hold 2,700 cars and a further 2,300 could be accommodated at the festival’s campsite. Some customers complained that they had to pay for the park-and-ride bus separately on top of a £5 car parking charge. It’s an area that the Victorious team will look into for 2024 when the team meets for a huge debrief. Especially, as it was not the only development this year.

For 2023, Victorious also opened up its gates on Friday morning. Ralls explained: “Since 2015, we have opened on the Friday but later in the day, and then we’ve only opened up half the site. This year, we opened up the full site for the full day and it certainly felt a lot busier.”

Sponsored by Acorn Structures

VICTORIOUS FESTIVAL

Images: © Steve Stringer/Tom Langford/Elliot McRae

KATE NASH

This new measure further cements the festival’s reputation for being affordable with a weekend ticket now offering “immense” value for money, said Ralls.

OH F&*K

A newly expanded Kids Arena saw a multitude of activities included in the price of a ticket and the festival’s “biggest ever big top” housed comedians including Jason Manford and Dara O’Briain. “We trialled the comedy tent in our Fringe Field in 2022,” Ralls commented. “Our Fringe Field sits next to our Kids Arena, but a sweary comedian meant we got a few complaints from customers in the Kids Arena. The Fringe Field and the Kids Arena rub along nicely together so for 2023, we made the Kids Arena bigger, and we moved the comedy tent into the main arena.

“Next year, we might get our Seaside Stage back, depending on how work goes on the sea defences so we will have to see.”

LISTEN AND LEARN

Held in the seaside location of Southsea overlooking the Solent, Victorious Festival is incredibly family-friendly. However, its close

proximity to the sea does pose additional safety considerations. The festival team – comprised of Tiffany Gaskell, head of operations and infrastructure, Katie AndersonWeaver, operations and infrastructure assistant, and Graham Gaskell, head of site production – has always worked alongside the Coastguard, which could be contacted via the RNLI, but this year, the Coastguard sat in event control with other key stakeholders, and it was an efficient move.

“This year there have been a lot of learnings,” continued Ralls. “We now have a more accurate idea of who is using our parkand-ride facilities, we know how popular the comedy tent and know we need more space for a bigger big top, and we know people like the new main arena with better sound and big screens.”

Terri Ralls, Victorious head of community development, explained: “The feedback we’ve received has been incredible. Normally, you have a percentage of people who hate you and everything you do but they have gone. We’ve listened and changed things – nothing major – but we’ve done things on a scale that’s been noticed and felt,” she concluded.

SUPPLIERS LIST

Staging – Acorn Event Structures

Toilets – Site Event

Trackway – Entertee

Security and stewarding – Vespasian

Event control – Select Security and Stewarding

Portable buildings – Wernick Events

Concessions – Freemans Event Partners

Traffic and parking – Road Traffic Solutions

and Show and Event Traffic Solutions

Waste management – TJ Waste

Event medical – ACOS Medical

Fencing and barriers – Steelshield, Gap Group, and Arena

Merchandise and print – UK Flyers

Water – Wicked Event Water

Temporary structures – Lewis Marquees, Buchannan Events, Yes Tents, and Roaming Tent Co

Health and safety – Chaos Management

Radios – Mark Comms

Power – Templine

Crew – Spartan Crew

HAPPY FESTIVALGOERS

Steelshield was introduced in 1991 for the Happy Mondays Concert in Heaton Park with a 1000m of fence installed. The stock now stands at over 40,000 metres with 170,000 metres of Steelshield erected in the 2023 season.

Marquee block scaffolding attachments

NEW PRODUCTS

45-degree Steel overhangs

Products:

■ 2.25m, 2.4m, 2.85m, 3.0m and 3.3m high Steelshield fence panels, pinned or ballast.

■ Timbershield.

■ Vinyl wrapped Steelshield.

■ Scaffolding blocks for signage.

Export edition Steelshield - available for shipping anywhere in the world

T: 01335 344 569

E: hello@steelshield.co.uk or daveblackshaw@steelshield.co.uk

www.steelshield.co.uk

Big moves

THE BIG FEASTIVAL

All images: © Fanatic Creative/James Bridle

Every year, everyone says it was the best one yet, but this year really was,” explains Heather Garrett, festival director of The Big Feastival. When we speak, Garrett is tired. She’s just returned from the festival’s Oxfordshire site, and she’s all set to do some life admin. In other words, washing.

Thankfully, for Garrett and her extensive team, the family-friendly event passed without any major stress and the threeday food and music extravaganza made huge leaps in terms of production values, creativity, and content.

The festival’s 2023 outing was Garrett’s fourth and after a rough couple of COVID years (like every organiser experienced), it was time to build on event improvements made in 2022.

“Last year was interesting,” Garrett continues. “We introduced two areas to the show – The Smokery and Hidden Hollow. The Hidden Hollow was near the campsite, and we found that our day visitors said that they didn’t know the space was there. This year, we worked with Partridge Events to produce some creative signage and a big, beautiful door to guide people to the area and that worked really well.”

It was just one of several changes that The Big Feastival team made to the event. The main stage featured bigger screens and investment was made in creative production. For instance, Visual Architects produced huge Big Feastival letters and Partridge

Events also created a fascia for the Sundown Saloon, a new stage in The Smokery, which also featured a new fire-pit stage and demo area devised by Area 51.

The new cookery demo area allowed The Big Feastival team to ramp up timetabled content. This change enabled the festival to double its chef talent. However, this increase in content also meant that Garrett had to think about a new and fairer booking system that would allow more festivalgoers to experience all that the event had to offer.

“Our cookery schools are incredibly popular,” Garrett explains further. “We decided to increase on-site activities and increase the number of participants attending the cookery schools by using much bigger structures, producing more table sessions and providing more workstations. But because they had grown so much [35 per cent], the time had come to move away from a manual booking system.”

The Big Feastival utilised a new pre-bookable system, which enabled festivalgoers to book cookery workshops with famous chefs before they arrived onsite. The increase in on-site activity required more staff and home economics specialists. Demand for such content was so high, that children’s cookery sessions were fully booked in less than two minutes.

NO LICENCE CHANGES

The above move was a festival first and gave more festivalgoers the opportunity

to experience more on-site and enjoy new developments. But it wasn’t the only change.

Garrett continues: “We opened up our campsites earlier and let people onto our site on Thursday afternoon. For some customers, it felt like a camping holiday. We arranged some family-friendly content to entertain people on Thursday evening and came up with some creative content for the children. We were able to do this with no change to our licence and had no alcohol or amplified music on Thursday night.”

This development had a big impact, easing the volume of traffic coming to the site on Friday. Garrett says that the move went down well and describes it as a “great improvement” that again, she and the team wish to build on for 2024.

PARENT’S PITSTOP AND WELFARE

Working alongside Garrett were Mike Leonard, site manager, Ella Moffatt, accessibility coordinator, Linda Burford, Katie Cains, and Aileen McTiernan, all operations, and Jodie Cumbers and Libby McClellan, both event coordinators. Together, they delivered a new welfare tent and hub in the accessible campsite, continued to build on pre-pitched camping solutions, expanded the campervan field by 12 per cent, and began the installation of a permanent water network.

Yet again, these were not the only changes to on-site infrastructure and operations. Garrett explains: “We were looking for

someone to help with our lost child points and we felt it was time to rethink and readdress our welfare provision, so we chose to work with TLC Welfare. Plus, we introduced the Parent’s Pitstop, a sensory area for breastfeeding and nappy changing that included bottle sterilisers, microwaves and changing mats. It was run by The Wild Tribe, and it was so well received that we’ve now been asked to put it in our campsites and look at its operational hours because we did close it in the evenings.”

Garrett concludes: “We’re moving in the right direction. I am fresh off-site, and we have yet to go through a load of debriefs but I know we definitely want to keep growing the festival and put on the best UK family festival that we can.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

Power – Project Power

Waste management – DC Site Services

Staging – Acorn Event Structures and SWG Security (campsite) – Alliance

Event safety – Redwood Event Solutions

Temporary structures – All About Me

Welfare – TLC Welfare

Portable buildings – Qdos and Bunkabin

Trackway – Sunbelt Rentals

Radios – Audiolink

Trader management – Select Services

PARENT’S PITSTOP

Perfect partners?

What do organisers look for in an event production partner and do organisers expose themselves by not having a direct relationship with their supply chain? Event professionals chat

Earlier this year, Hartlepool Borough Council called on the expertise of Richmond Event Management (REM) to help it source suppliers for Tall Ships Races Hartlepool 2023. The local authority was struggling to find a suitable supplier that would deliver the relevant equipment for this one-off, large-scale event.

The council’s tender process put off many contractors but when REM asked its contacts to tender for the Hartlepool contract, alongside several other outdoor events, quotes flooded in.

“When you apply the REM factor to a tender, you can have influence,” said Mike Richmond, founder of REM, who was site managing the project.

This scenario is a reality of the industry. No one wants to go through an incredibly long-winded tender process for one job. However, suppliers will jump through hoops to get a foot in the door with event production, operations, and site

management specialists, who work with more than one organiser.

Helen McCabe, managing director of Harrier, says that the event production company on an event makes a huge difference to Harrier when deciding which events to quote for and how much to quote. She also looks to work with event production companies – such as Proud Events, Method Events, and NW Live – that have a “people-focused attitude”.

Andy Smith, co-founder of From the Fields, agrees and believes that passion is a big factor too.

TRUST AND PASSION

For years, From the Fields – the organiser of Bluedot and Kendal Calling – has worked with Engine No 4. So what qualities does it look for in a production partner? Smith explained: “I’ve known the people at Engine No 4 for over a decade and we’ve built up a great working relationship in that time.

“There are two important qualities I look for. The first is trust. We trust them to do their utmost to deliver a great show to spec, and they’ve never let us down in this respect. The second is passion.

“They’re a very committed team who love the events they work on. They’re incredibly experienced and qualified and I’m sure could have far easier jobs at other events or in other industries, but they do this because it’s what they love – which is the same for everyone else who runs these events. It’s important we’re all coming from the same place. Their love of these events is what allows the shows to be so good –the subsequent attention to detail is what raises an average show to an unforgettable weekend.”

UPPING THE ANTE

Last year, Tribe Festivals issued a tender. It wished to find a production partner for its 10,000-capacity Wychwood Festival.

“When we tendered, we knew that we wanted to deliver version two of Wychwood and bring back Wychwood to what it was,” said Iain Game, festival director of Wychwood Festival. “It was the perfect time to bring someone in. We wanted someone to oversee the budget and someone who could bring in new ideas, understand my long-term vision, pivot if needed, and be able to have those difficult discussions.”

Game continued: “Whoever I appointed, I wanted them to be part of our team and help us to get to our end goal. I didn’t want to work with someone who felt like another supplier.”

Ten companies tendered and Game appointed Proud Events to help him improve the festival offering, layout, and customer experience.

Game added: “Over the years, we had seen a decline in sales. 2022 was my first year on the festival and the first year I got to see it. The promoters needed help with marketing. The festival had a weird layout, which wasn’t good for the customer experience. This is why we moved to improve the festival in terms of line up and offer.

“I did a full rebrand and changed the marketing strategy. It brought in a new crowd,” Game said.

These changes were vital, but Game needed the new production to meet the promises and expectations he had set. Proud advised on a range of changes and brought in new measures.

Game explained: “We are still small but growing fast so some things, like accreditation, were still done on a spreadsheet. Proud brought in new ways of doing accreditation and budgeting and they helped with supplier relationships.

“They made the site look incredible. The previous production company didn’t care about the festival, it was just a job to them,” Game continued. “I got the dream team

BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION

DANIEL CUFFE, JOE ROBINSON, AND PETER TAYLOR IAIN GAME

in Harry [Feigen] and Joe [Sheals]. Joe wanted the festival to be of a high standard and at no point did he let things slip.

“The team morale was, well, I’ve never felt anything like it. Everyone wanted to work together and push the festival forward. I hold them [Harry and Joe] responsible for why we are seeing a great increase in ticket sales [200 per cent increase on this time last year]. I think it’s down to them for upping the ante.”

FRESH EYES

Rebecca Scott, senior operations and logistics lead at British Heart Foundation (BHF), works with CJA Events on several BHF events and has recently appointed Threshold Sports to produce the charity’s London to Brighton Bike Ride in June 2024. The charity chose to tender the bike ride contract as it wished to have “fresh eyes on the event” and work with a company that could support future strategic growth.

“Threshold Sports have a good reputation,” Scott commented. “They were really personable when they tendered, they delivered on our strategic goals, and could offer so much more than event delivery.”

Scott says that it’s helpful to draw on the event experience of others and likes to work with production partners that can feed into her event management and serious incident plans. She likes to learn from her agencies

and being able to discuss challenges with others brings peace of mind.

She recognises that mass participation events are labour-intensive and that it’s “trickier” to resource an event if an internal member of the team leaves.

DEFINE PRODUCTION

Like Game and McCabe, Scott acknowledged the importance of strong supplier relationships. That’s an important factor to her when appointing a production partner. However, Joe Robinson, director of operations at Cuffe and Taylor, part of Live Nation, believes that having direct communication with a supplier is imperative but firstly, he wishes to define production.

“Define event production,” he said. “It’s a loose term and to us, production is what happens on the stage. It’s sound, lighting, video, the stage and set, and all the people that make that happen.

“For our portfolio, Daniel [Cuffe, co-founder of Cuffe and Taylor] has a production background and procures all the audio, video, and local crew etc. He gets the riders for our artists and then the trick is to find a rig that appeases the most amount of people. When we’re looking at lighting, we want something that matches 75 per cent of the requirements the promoters are booking.

“Would I have a site manager procuring lighting and video? No.”

DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS

In the past, Cuffe and Taylor – which produces Lytham Festival and shows at Scarborough Open Air Theatre, and The Piece Hall, Halifax – has worked with companies such as Event Design, Production Box and Proud Events. So, what does Robinson look for in an event production specialist? He continued: “I look for experience. I look to see if they have the ability to draw CAD plans and produce and review documents. Do they bolster our event management plan and help with the heavy lifting?”

Robinson is astonished that some organisers don’t know which contractors are working on their sites. For him, it’s a big concern and thinks it’s crazy.

“Costs are so sensitive at the moment and there are so many moving parts, how can you viably be procuring for things three or four years down the road? I know how much ped barrier should cost and its transport costs and that means I can validate whether or not it’s a good or bad deal.

“Whilst we work with production companies, it’s our relationship and I want to know who I am working with.

It’s fundamental that I know what is being procured and I think it leaves you [organisers and promoters] exposed if you don’t know who [suppliers] is being booked,” Robinson concluded.

SCARBOROUGH OPEN AIR THEATRE

FIREFLY FESTIVALS to return for 2024

Firefly Festivals is headed up by experienced festival and event organiser Emer Druce. Operating principally within the New Forest area, but with commissions UKwide, Emer specialises in boutique festivals. Firefly puts on full events from toilets and fencing to stage and sound, curating, stage managing, insurance, infrastructure etc.

READY TO SUPPLY THE UK LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY AGAIN, WITH...

• MARKING OUT: Flags, Line Marker & Fencing Pins

• SCRIMS & FENCE COVER: Hessian, Tildenet, Bamboo Screen, FR Ranges & Cable Ties

• SITE BUILD & SAFETY: Site Signage, Pipe Lagging, Plastic Sheeting, Hazard & Warning Tape

• STAGE & ARTISTE SUPPLIES: Artiste Towels, Clocks, Ear Plugs, Pit Cups & Stage Brooms

• PPE CLOTHING & COVID: Printed Tabards, Hard Hats, Hi-Vis Masks, Sanitisers & Wipes

• BARS: Optics, Trugs, Ice Buckets, Jiggers, Bar Caddies & Waiters Trays

• SITE CLEANING & WASTE: Toilet Rolls, Cleaning Supplies, Litter Pickers & Work Gloves

• STAFF WELFARE & OFFICE: Coffee, Hot Cups, Extension Leads & Fans

WE GUARANTEE... THE FULL RANGE ON SITE, ON TIME, EVERY TIME: BACKED UP BY OUR DEDICATED STAFF CONTACT AND SUPPORT SERVICE CALL OUR SALES TEAM ON 01458 274020 OR VISIT WWW. CONCEPTPRODUCTSLTD.CO.UK

emer@fireflyfestivals.co.uk | www.fireflyfestivals.co.uk

SETTING THE STANDARD FOR TEMPORARY POWER SOLUTIONS

Wide range of HVO Generators available for nationwide hire, and suitable for various applications across all sectors. Progen Power’s fleet of rental generators range from 18kva, ideal for providing power to smaller sites, up to 500kva appropriate for powering a large main stage, data centre or major construction equipment. We also stock various distribution boards, festoon lighting, and cable available for hire.

Progen Power is built around a team of power experts who support our diverse clientele with dependable Turnkey Temporary Power Solutions.

0330 165 5720

info@progenpower.co.uk

Belvedere House, Pynes Hill Exeter, EX2 5WS

“We couldn’t recommend working with Emer enough, it really is always a pleasure!” Shannon Bennett, ROCK OF THE POPS We look forward to working with Emer again in the future!”

Paul Sienna Flores, BODACIOUS

The Best Content

rotect Duty, festival operations, safeguarding, flexible working practices, and value engineering your event. These are just some of the topics to be discussed at this year’s Event Buyers Live (EBL), which returns to Carden Park, Cheshire (November 13-15).

Protect Duty will be the focus of EBL’s only workshop. Caroline Harding, chief executive of Symphotech, will lead the session alongside Garry Jones, director of Storm4Events and course director for the UK Police Counter Terrorism Security Coordinator training, Graeme Timms, head of health and safety at Alexandra Palace and chair of the Safety Advisors Group for Entertainment, and Lloyd Major, director of Halo Solutions.

Harding said: “I’m delighted that Protect Duty will be taking centre stage at EBL this November. There has been a lot of discussion around counter terrorism this year. With so much speculation and uncertainty around new legislation, the details of which are yet to be confirmed, I look forward to joining Garry, Graeme, and Lloyd, who bring a huge amount of experience and knowledge, to share with delegates. We hope that we advise guests on how to prepare their events and discuss practical steps they can take.”

Event Buyers Live is respected for its informal roundtable discussions which give organisers an opportunity to have

productive discussions around real-world topics that pose interesting challenges on site. Arc Event Consultancy’s Becs Leach and freelance safeguarding specialist Dawn Grant will deliver roundtables on flexible working practices and safeguarding respectively. Plus, the Association of Independent Festivals – chaired by John Rostron – will deliver a festival-focused roundtable too.

This year’s EBL will also feature a dedicated panel session delivered in partnership with GL events UK. It will look at how event organisers and suppliers can work together to value engineer an event. The session will feature the expertise of Sam Herd, head of event planning and delivery at the Lawn Tennis Association, event management specialist Jack Saward, owner of Saward Marketing and Events, and David Tunnicliffe, commercial director of GL events UK.

Tunnicliffe said: “With increases in commodity costs and event budgets tighter than ever, winning a contract or appointing a supplier can often be only the start of a tense process of negotiation which can risk making or breaking the event supply chain. When clients and suppliers are able to work together to value engineer a costeffective solution for the delivery of event infrastructure, without compromising on the essentials of the event, you know you’ve found a relationship worth maintaining.

And when a supplier can bring innovation, imagination, and ideas to the table, using their experience and flexibility to make a client’s life easier, you’ve really hit the supply chain jackpot!

“GL events talk a lot about client collaboration, so I am looking forward to putting my money where my mouth is and taking this conversation to a wider audience at Event Buyers Live this year. I am delighted to be joined by Sam and Jack. We won’t be the only members of the panel – there’s a bit of a twist here so I won’t spoil the surprise. What I can promise is a frank, lively and insightful discussion around the challenges, pitfalls and successes of value engineering event solutions.”

Caroline Clift, editor of StandOut magazine and EBL’s content manager, said: “Our content programme reflects the challenges being faced by our sector and provides an opportunity to spark conversation and gain different perspectives. That’s why it’s so good… our sessions are honest and relatable, so if you would like to attend #EBL as a hosted buyer, get registering now. There are still more speakers to be revealed but with a lineup this strong, why wait?”

Registration for the industry event closes on November 1. Register at www.eventbuyerslive.com

Who will be speaking at this year’s Event Buyers Live? StandOut reveals the most amazing speaker line-up

EVENT BUYERS LIVE © Aniseed Photo/Jonathan JT Taylor

Modern movement

Have you thought about organising an event with an entirely part-time workforce? Here, Becs Leach talks about her experience – the pros and cons – of organising the UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Championships using flexible working practices

Whilst Elena Micheli of Italy and Joseph Choong of Great Britain were busy winning gold medals at the UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Championships, Becs Leach, championship director and co-founder of Arc Event Consultancy, was busy running things behind the scenes.

Leach’s life is entrenched in the world of sporting event management. However, her love of women’s sports and sporting events has not taken precedence over her first love and her priority; her family. Therefore, every event project she takes on has flexible working at its core.

It’s the main reason that she has invited StandOut to Bath University to the championships. Leach wishes to talk to StandOut about the pros and cons of flexible working, as the UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Championships have been delivered with a part-time workforce. Yes, all team members are part-time and work flexibly, so that’s nine great minds, nine skill sets, and greater resilience in the team when it comes to delivery. On the other hand, that’s also eight people that Leach has to manage.

“I have always worked part-time and flexibly,” Leach explained. “Since Clare [Hartley] and I set up our consultancy, it’s been part and parcel of how we operate and how we deliver our events and we’ve always been clear with everyone we work with on exactly how we operate.”

Leach continued: “When we were setting up this event, we had a budget for staffing and instead of having one event operations manager and having a budget for that, it was kind of like well, actually, we could split this role and bring in two or three people and have them all working part-time.”

TRUST YOUR TEAM

Leach has empowered her team to work how they want to work and has given all team members the option to join her on-site at Bath University every Tuesday if they want to meet up – a base if people fancied a break from working at home. It’s demonstrative of the autonomy that Leach has given the team. They have the ability to work in a way that suits them and allows them to work to their strengths.

“I wanted to take a holiday to France, so I would work in the mornings and then

I’d spend time with my family,” Leach commented. “Another team member wanted to do a cycling challenge so took three weeks off in June, another has three children and was not able to increase her workload during the school holidays whilst another wanted to fit in her work with school hours and she flexed, depending on what other projects she had going on. She would tell us in advance which two days she was working or say she was splitting her two days over four. If someone needed to take a week off and do more hours the following week, fine. Basically, I didn’t really mind. Flexible working is more about getting the work done.

“You have to fully trust your team. Give them their roles, tell them what they’re accountable for – their roles and responsibilities – what you’re expecting from them and obviously, get them to create their project plans and then say: ‘Yep, that will work with the wider plan’. I think project management is key, and kind of knowing when all the deadlines are but it’s also that trust element, knowing that you’re giving people the opportunity to work flexibly and generally, people pay you back in spades.”

FENCING

All images: © UIPM World Pentathlon/Nuno Gonçalves

LESSONS LEARNED

There are so many reasons why people have a desire to work flexibly such as going on holiday, caring for parents, working on other events, or doing the school run. Leach feels that this project has been successfully delivered – using flexible working practices – because recruitment worked well, and she has brought on board the best people with a breadth of skills.

The team is “female-heavy” and comprised of a mix of ages [from under 30s to over 50s] and lots of working mums. Each team member had the right experience, but their part-time availability didn’t mean a 50 per cent commitment.

Leach is a big advocate for flexible working. This was the first time that she had worked on a project and hired an entirely part-time workforce. As much as there were lots of positives, there have also been some learnings. “When everyone is working separately and people are working different hours, sometimes it’s hard to always know when everyone’s working. We decided to start a weekly update that everyone fed into so you could see when everyone was working that week. That never seemed to be much of an issue until probably the last couple of months when things got really busy, and you needed quick answers. I think sometimes that’s when it can get frustrating.

“Also towards the end when the project got bigger, I think we should have looked a bit sooner at expanding everyone’s hours.”

PEOPLE MAKE EVENTS

“People make events,” Leach added, who contracted Elev8, ADI, Gap Group, and InEvent Branding to supply equipment and services to the event. “For me, looking after people and making sure that they’re well looked after means your event’s going to be so much better. Generally, the events where you don’t think about people early on, you end up spending way more on contractors coming in at the last minute. I think it’s a false economy sometimes thinking that not

looking after people is going to benefit you in the end. I see so many events where they suddenly realise that they’re not in a position to deliver it and they suddenly bring in contractors who are on day rates that are significantly higher.”

So, how does Leach feel this project has gone? Has a fully part-time event management and operational team worked?

“I just feel that we’ve got so many good people who have left the event industry because it’s just too much for them and there hasn’t been that flexibility,” Leach commented, reflecting on the project. “People are being expected to go and work in offices or work full time and I just feel that actually doesn’t need to be the case.

“This project has been really, really good,” she said. “If we want to move forward and get the best talent, especially female talent and if you want to bring in more mums, flexibility is required.”

Leach explained that you get more commitment from people if you trust them, and she argued that rapport is important when building teams. It’s vital that team members know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Leach said: “If anyone is thinking about adopting flexible working practices on an event, just do it. I think there are definitely learnings and things to look at.

“Being completely flexible does have its challenges and for an event like this, it has worked but there does need to be a few constants and that end bit needs consistency so your decision-makers can make decisions quicker,” she concluded.

SHOOTING ACTION

BECS LEACH

Safety first

Weather. Train strikes. Traffic. Protect Duty. Event safety professionals discuss the challenges of the summer and issues to be aware of

ay one of this year’s annual Shrewsbury Flower Show was severely disrupted after an anonymous bomb threat was made. The call – confirmed to be a hoax – forced the show’s organising team to evacuate thousands of visitors.

Organised by Shropshire Horticultural Society and held within The Quarry – a 29acre parkland – the two-day event has been a mainstay of the horticultural calendar for more than 130 years.

Midland Fire Rescue Services secured all the catering stands and units, turning off electricity and Calor gas bottles, and local businesses offered refreshments and extended their opening hours to the police and security teams that worked together to ensure the site was safe for visitors to return on day two.

It’s demonstrative of the clear safety and communication strategies needed to ensure that the safety of the public is put first, and an event site is evacuated quickly, efficiently, and safely. But it was not the only evacuation this summer.

WEATHER CHALLENGES

Watergate Bay, home to Boardmasters, was also evacuated. But not during the event. Storm force winds and horrendous weather

during the build forced Vision Nine, the festival’s organiser, to evacuate the site under the advice and leadership of Jim Davey, founder of Redwood Event Solutions.

“It was our second year working with Boardmasters [53,000-capacity],” explained Davey. “We enacted our severe weather plans across the week. We lost one venue before we opened to the wind, but we got a new tent and rebuilt the venue in two days.”

Davey was happy that the severe weather plans “stood up”. “When you’re hit with 80mph winds, it sharpens the focus, and when you face that scenario, you quickly realise how reliant you are on comms and not just radios,” Davey continued. “I think weather extremes will increase in frequency and organisers all over the country are far more likely to be enacting weather plans. Organiser buy-in to those plans needs to be unwavering but I also think you need to think about communication. A steward is not going to read a 60-page plan so how do you disseminate that plan to the people on the floor? That’s the challenge.”

CAREFUL ANALYSIS

Harrier delivered safety services to several UK festivals this summer, including On The Beach, Black Deer, Bluedot, and Truck

Festival. Weather impacted some of these shows and Harrier also had to activate “show pauses” at Manchester Pride and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds gig at Wythenshawe Park.

Helen McCabe, managing director of Harrier, said: “On The Beach was expecting windy weather conditions and had good mitigation plans in place.

“The night before the event we were having conversations about the wind, but the problem with weather is it’s so changeable and you have to make your decisions on a forecast.”

The On The Beach team had to ask the question: “Do we open or not?” It did, but only after careful analysis of all the information available.

Safety is a priority to McCabe and her team, who work extensively with clients –such as On The Beach – to make decisions and manage expectations. It’s a fine line to walk. Becky Stevens, managing director at Hybred Events, described the weather at this year’s Brighton Pride as “grim” and confirmed that weather was definitely a challenge for many promoters/ organisers this summer. On top of train strikes, audience behaviour, general traffic management, dealing with protestors,

BOARDMASTERS © Will Bailey

and Zone Ex – event professionals faced a true smorgasbord of issues.

ONE SIZE FITS ALL?

Stevens provided safety expertise to Live Nation’s new Brighton Valley Festival Series, four separate concerts (Tom Jones, Ndubz, Chic and Nile Rodgers, and Paolo Nutini) held at Stanmer Park, Brighton. This model – four different headliners over four consecutive nights – is a popular model being adopted by promoters, considering the cost of infrastructure. However, different target audiences presented the organising team with different challenges and scenarios. For example, Tom Jones’ audience had a higher demand for access needs compared to Ndubz’s audience – a younger crowd that wished to drink.

Stevens said that safety is never “one size fits all” and event/team briefs need to be different. She explained: “We did a lot of work around the Zone Ex piece. We knew that local transport hubs would not be open [Falmer Station] and communicated its early closure, so the promoter spent money on buses. But we could tell who and who hadn’t looked at their travel arrangements. Lots of people decided to come in a taxi, and so we had people queuing for taxis and they wouldn’t use the bus. We were telling them: ‘Get on the bus’.”

EVENT CONTROL

Luke Fitzmaurice, director of LFX Events, worked alongside Stevens at Brighton and Hove Pride. LFX Events has led event safety for Brighton and Hove Pride across the official Pride events (Fabuloso in the Park, Community Parade, Pride Village Party, and the Pride Campsite) for the last two years, and for 2023 instigated a complete rewrite of Pride’s command and control structure, with Stevens sitting as Pride liaison in the multi-agency joint control room.

In previous years, Pride’s command and control processes were integrated into the city-wide multi-agency control. However, as this was based 12 miles away at Sussex Police HQ in Lewes, Fitzmaurice felt it left a decision-making gap at local level, and facilitated the perception that everything that happens in Brighton across Pride weekend is linked back to Pride.

He said: “The wonderful thing about Brighton Pride is that it’s a real collaboration across a wide range of partners and stakeholders. It was essential that we kept that joint working collaborative approach, whilst re-balancing the command and control processes to move decision making back to a local level.“

Fitzmaurice added that the refocus has been accompanied by a revitalisation of the SAG process supported by Ian Baird, outdoor events development manager at Brighton and Hove Council, and Kathryn Adderson, SAG chair.

Anne Marie Chebib, managing director of Select Security, created the new C3 command, control, and communications

plan, enacting enhanced local controls with full decision-making authority for all individual Pride sites. NW Live provided production and event management at both Community Parade and Pride Village Party, with Wilde Ones delivered site, production, and event management in Preston Park for Fabuloso Pride in the Park.

Fitzmaurice appointed a dedicated event safety advisor to each event who worked alongside the event manager within the local control room, with both Chebib and Stevens located in the multi-agency control room relaying and updating partners with information from the local controls. Information for the multi-agency control was gathered by a combination of regular ELTs and through a multi-site implementation of event control logging software Raven. Raven was specified by NW Live, which also oversaw the successful implementation of a long-distance radio network from Roadphone NRB that worked flawlessly across a range in excess of 15 miles.

Fitzmaurice continued further: “Although still a work in progress, the changes implemented already helped ensure that the events were delivered without any issues, and that’s despite being the only city on the UK covered by two overlapping yellow weather warnings.”

TRAIN STRIKES

Brighton Pride was also impacted by serious travel disruption to train services. No trains were running on the Saturday of Pride weekend. This summer, train strikes have caused organisers major headaches. “Because of the train strikes there is a lack of confidence in transportation,” Fitzmaurice explained. “People are not prepared to rely on trains and so they wait to see if they are running and then they find it’s too late or too expensive to book a hotel, so then people have to drive, and they don’t buy parking passes in advance.”

He continued: “I think an increase in cars coming to site is one to watch. At Slam Dunk, we saw a 50 per cent increase in vehicles coming to site against a 20 increase in ticket sales and a reduction in the number of passengers in a car.”

IMPACT ON PROVISIONS

Caroline Harding, chief executive of Symphotech, says she experienced real issues with traffic this summer and thinks that it’s down to an increase in teetotalism. More people are attending events and choosing to stay sober. Therefore, more people are driving to event sites.

Also, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to pinch, and some people can now only afford to attend one festival instead of two or three, their tolerances are less.

Kirsty Care, director of safety operations at Symphotech, says that festivalgoers are pushing themselves past their comfort zone. Care explained: “Young people are making themselves more vulnerable because they have had a few years of being shut away,

LUKE FITZMAURICE

DAVID TUNNICLIFFE

CAROLINE HARDING

Wicked Event Water Services provides quality assured water solutions.

Satisfied long-term clients include Glastonbury festival, Victorious Festival, The BBC, ITV and Netflix. During the pandemic we were involved in two nightingale hospitals and a temporary mortuary in London.

being told what to do. They live behind a screen without having developed a level of maturity, listening to the voice of an artist, and then party hard. Then that impacts the provisions we have in place.”

SAFEGUARDING

Event organisers are rethinking their welfare and safeguarding protocols, especially as there has been an increase in sexual assaults on event sites.

People assume that safeguarding sits within medical provision and is a medical provider’s responsibility, but it isn’t. Others think security is responsible for handling any safeguarding issues.

This year, Davey spent a lot of time looking at safeguarding on behalf of Vision Nine and worked with freelancer Dawn Grant to deliver safeguarding measures at both Boardmasters and NASS.

“We put a huge effort into what safeguarding means,” said Davey. “We created a first aid, welfare and safeguarding, protection and sexual assault team because each needs a unique set of skills, and it can be a difficult scene to manage.”

This year’s Boardmasters worked extra hard to provide a series of informative workshops and webinars to tackle tricky topics such as consent and to equip young people with the information they needed before arriving on site. The Boardmasters team also introduced parent workshops, designed to inform parents what to expect on site and what their children might be subject to.

“The work we did was unbelievably well received and is an ongoing piece of work,” Davey explained further. “The commitment from Vision Nine was fantastic. They genuinely have a huge moral compass and want to do things the right way.”

SAFETY CULTURE

Care continued: “I think the acid test of any good and safe festival is ‘Would I be happy if my kids went there?’. But also, would you feel happy if they went there and would they come back happy, not feeling too restricted? That’s the sweet spot.”

Care believes that good safety professionals are adaptable, and challenges on site and developments give everyone an opportunity to improve. McCabe concurred and so did Rob Walley, director of Controlled Events. “People plan to the last risk they experienced and not to the next one,” Walley said. “Organisers are being pragmatic, but they do need to plan further ahead if they want quality safety professionals working on their events.

“Mass participation events are growing, and numbers are going up so there is pressure on Zone Ex and infrastructure.”

David Tunnicliffe, commercial director at GL events UK, argued that contractors need to be given enough time to build a site safely and that there currently appears to be a lack of awareness of CDM regulations, the roles and responsibilities of a principal contractor, and consistency.

Tunnicliffe commented: “For example, take safety inductions. They are so different as you move from one site to the next. There is no consistency and therefore, people are left confused. I think we should develop a core site safety induction process with site-specific variations or make everyone have a CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card.

“As an industry, we should be planning any dangers out and then managing the risk when we’re on site,” Tunnicliffe concluded. “Safety is a culture where everyone should be learning and moving best practices forward.”

KIRSTY CARE

ON THE BEACH

© Elliot Young

JIM DAVEY

Money talks

A growing family festival at Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Lakefest has taken big steps to professionalise its operations, deliver efficiencies on site, and improve the customer experience. Lakefest’s Lee Martin and Andy Winmill chat

f you listen to Lee Martin’s life story and festival journey it would be fair to say that he has had a tumultuous time. However, no matter what life has thrown at him, he has battled through both professional and personal scenarios with a sense of hope that one day everything is going to be fine.

Any festival owner will know the highs and lows that come with organising an event for thousands of people and will no doubt have tried many things to make the books stack up and ticket sales fly.

Martin is one of those organisers, who owns his mistakes, recognises his strengths and weaknesses, and continues to laugh. He is brutally honest when he chats with StandOut and says that despite the “hard slog”, his life would be empty without the festival he founded – Lakefest.

“Last year, we delivered the festival, came out of the field and said: ‘It’s do or die now, we’ve got to put the work in this year’, and so that’s what we’ve done.”

In 2022, Martin thought he had an amazing line-up that “would sell” but that wasn’t enough. He needed to maintain Lakefest’s family vibe and push the festival’s appeal at the same time. He needed guidance.

“In 2021, Tom Jones was due to play but the stage didn’t turn up,” explains Andy Winmill,who is now Lakefest’s event director [he wasn’t in 2021]. “Lee was running around trying to find a stage. I said: ‘Have you spoken to this person or that person?’ and he said: ‘I don’t know these people’. I found a stage.”

Martin considers Winmill to have rescued the festival. Winmill continues: “Then, I found out that Lee was giving everyone in the campsite power, for free. There was massive naivety. He needed guidance and I am now working with Lee to help take Lakefest to the next level and to develop the show.”

CASHLESS

Winmill and Martin made several changes to Lakefest 2023, including the introduction of a fully open cashless system across the entire site.

Lakefest engaged Fan Engagement Group (FEG) to install cashless infrastructure – including 220 terminals – and deliver data insight across all festival bars, traders, fairground rides, and markets. The company, founded by Paul Pike, supported Lakefest (capacity 19,999) and ensured all transactions were processed in a matter of seconds across the weekend. The system could operate for offline payments, which mitigated any potential issues with connectivity and ensured continuous trading while the festival was running (August 10-13).

It also allowed for all transactions to be reported back in real-time, so Martin and Winmill could see what was going on at the cashless office located in the festival’s production village.

ROBUST INTERNET

In 2018, Lakefest’s Friday bar takings were stolen. Martin knew that he wanted to go down the cashless route and in 2019, opted to work with PlayPass. PlayPass’ merger

CASHLESS BY FEG

BASEEVENT STRUCTURES

with Weezevent in 2020 resulted in several changes to the cashless payment service that Lakefest received.

As with anything, things move on and Lakefest wished to move away from RFID and a cashless system that required festivalgoers to “top-up” a wristband.

Pike’s solution is fully open, and ticketholders can use the system by tapping their phone or card.

“I wanted a system that was more mainstream, with no rigmarole of loading wristbands and pairing wallets,” continues Martin. “In the past, we have found that

people wouldn’t top up their accounts towards the end of the festival because they didn’t want to go through the process of having to get a refund.”

Winmill adds: “We went with Paul because his system is a deferred authorisation system. It’s like when you’re flying and buying something in the air, as soon as you land, the terminal pings and your money gets taken. So Paul’s system is great because it means that even if your Internet goes down, your terminals still take the money.”

Winmill says that the success of any cashless system comes down to a robust

Internet service. It’s a cost that causes promoters to wince, but Winmill says that the benefits pay you back four-fold.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

At Lakefest 2023, Spindlewood provided the IT system that enabled the new cashless system to run smoothly. The system helped Winmill and Martin to understand audience behaviour, look at live stock levels, and see which traders were performing well.

“Operationally, it’s been such a useful tool,” says Winmill. “The data that comes out the back will help us to develop the festival moving forward.”

Winmill and Martin are already looking at developments for 2024, including a redesigned site to improve crowd flow, new ingress and egress plans, and tweaked camping and parking areas.

Martin concludes: “There’s more to life than making money. There are significant risks that come with putting on a festival, so I think event professionals need to be rewarded for the amount of work we put in to make our events the best we can.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

Staging – Base Event Structures

Structures – Albion Woods

Security – WillSecure

Showers – Andy Loos

Toilets – B&W Hire

Sound and lighting – Bluestone Audio

Internet – Spindlewood

Cashless – Fan Engagement Group

ANDY WINMILL AND LEE MARTIN

MCFLY PERFORM AT LAKEFEST

Show time

StandOut previews The Showman’s Show 2023. Discover what new products and exhibitors will be at this year’s event when it returns to Newbury Showground

This year’s Showman’s Show returns to Newbury Showground on October 18 and 19 and there will be more than 70 new exhibitors demonstrating innovative products and services at the event.

“We’ve seen exhibitor bookings bounce back pretty much close to pre-pandemic levels,” explained Johnny Lance, event director of The Showman’s Show.

“We already have more than 70 brand new companies who have confirmed their exhibition space for 2023. We added more stands to the Exhibition Hall and that is now almost at capacity. Businesses joining the exhibitor line-up for the first time include suppliers and manufacturers showcasing everything from essential plant and equipment to technology, caterers and entertainment.”

A host of outdoor event suppliers are set to exhibit everything from new temporary structures to battery technology when the outdoor event services exhibition opens its gates this autumn.

New services and equipment on display include new units from Tor Luxury Toilet Hire, AJP Logistics’ generators, X-Eco lithium hybrid lighting towers, and picket white fencing, Batmink’s high definition, modularised video wall and Lumaform battery LED furniture, and there are Stage V generators, Punch Flybrid and hybrid battery technology from Falcon Power Generation.

ZND, a manufacturer of temporary fence panels, barriers, hoarding and associated products, will showcase several products, including its latest stabiliser that is designed for extreme conditions, and the newly redesigned ground pin with an accompanying lever that makes retrieval easy.

NOQ will be unveiling the newest features and enhancements that further elevate the NOQ experience. Its team will be available throughout the event to demonstrate the capabilities of the company’s point of sale and payment solutions. Plus, TicketSellers will be demonstrating TicketBoost which not only unlocks revenue opportunities for event organisers but also guides and encourages customers to buy more.

Phil Hayes, CEO of TicketSellers, explained: “A few years ago the main goal of ticketing platforms was rapid checkout. Get the customer on the event listing page, let them choose their tickets and get on their way as quickly as possible. Eventbrite really pioneered this approach and at the time it was the right one. But festival ticketing has become more and more complicated.

“You can’t view a ticketing platform as just a way to sell tickets, organisers need to tap into multiple revenue streams alongside tickets: VIP upgrades, camping pitches, glamping packages, showers/toilets, merchandise etc. This is our solution, developed in partnership with leading festival brands that wanted a smarter, data-driven way to provide more value to attendees while boosting sales revenue and margins.”

INNOVATION

The Tipi Company will return to The Showman’s Show for a ninth year this October showcasing a new product and celebrating the launch of its platform The Tipi Academy, designed specifically to support the Tipi rental market. The Tipi Academy is a progression of the company’s online training portal

TWO-WAY RADIO HIRE, SALES AND SERVICE

A simple solution for those who need temporary communications. This solution has proven to be invaluable for sectors such as event organisers, council teams, TV and film crews, security and parking to name but a few, with both short and longterm contracts available.

Organising any event or general on-site communication requires total dedicated support and at DCRS, there is always a team on-call or on-site ready to assist you.

Call FREE: 0800 043 2688 email: sales@dcrs.co.uk www.dcrs.co.uk

WE BOAST A COMPLETE HIRE SERVICE INCLUDING:

Bespoke radio solutions for large, wide area events

Motorola digital and analogue radios, mobiles and repeaters

Wide area Nationwide coverage WAVE PTX POC LTE & ICOM portables

A full range of audio accessories, radio allocation systems and voice recording available

Free radio license or free programming to your own frequencies Delivery and collection to your specified addresses

On-site support and out of hours call-out, 24/7 if required

that covers the safe build and de-rig of its extensive tipi range.

Plus, if you are looking for temporary structure inspiration and innovation, Neptunus will be at the show with its Alure Globe Dome. The circular structure has a free span of 20 metres and a 314 square metre floor area and can be built with side wall heights of 3.85 to 5 metres.

Ben Keast, managing director of Neptunus, said: “It’s vitally important to keep innovating and refreshing our offer to our clients. While the events sector in the UK remains strong, eventgoers are being more selective about what they go to. Consequently, suppliers need to ensure standards are high, budgets are met, and deadlines are reached whilst still offering that point of difference that makes an event stand out from the crowd. This is why we are introducing a new product to our extensive temporary structure range, a new Alure Globe Dome that we will be showcasing for the first time in the UK at The Showman’s Show in October.”

IDEAS

The popular Vision: 2025 Sustainable Event Summit is making a welcome return on October 18. This will be the eighth edition of the conference that brings together a community of sustainable event organisers and innovators for a series of workshops and panels with a focus on action.

Lance continued: “As the organiser of a show that’s dedicated to the event industry, it’s important for us that the conversation around sustainability continues. The

SUSTAINABLE EVENTS SUMMIT

Showman’s Show and the Sustainable Event Summit within it are a melting pot for ideas and innovation. We’ve seen increased engagement in sustainability, what we need now is action and solutions that really tackle the everyday challenges that suppliers and organisers face.”

The Sustainable Event Summit, presented by Vision: 2025 and supported by Festival Republic, includes the official launch of the new Environmental Chapter of the Purple

Guide, a keynote from EarthPercent’s executive director Cathy Runciman, a climate communications panel collaboration with Music Declares Emergency, a session on Climate Justice with Julie’s Bicycle, a Green Leaders workshop on establishing industry standards, and sessions on food sustainability and battery technology.

To register for The Showman’s Show, visit www.showmansshow.co.uk

FALCON POWER GENERATION

The Showman’s Show

18-19 October 2023 | Newbury Showground

MEHLER TEXNOLOGIES LTD

SKIDDLE

Stand 56 Exhibition Hall

HR STRUCTURES GMBH

Stand 107 Avenue A

At this year’s Showman’s Show, we will be focussing on the personalization of our material. We are happy to have our partner Printable Technical Textiles on the booth, who will be able to show you all kinds of possibilities to individualize our material. For example POLYMAR®, printTent that has been designed to make customizing easy. Furthermore, we will show all the advantages of using material made out of Low-Wick yarn. Meet us on our booth No. 53

E: info-uk@mehler-texnologies.com

W: www.mehler-texnologies.com

Meet our team of experts at the 2023 Showman’s Show and explore how Skiddle’s industry-leading services can improve the success of your events. Discover how features such as Discount Codes and Payment Plans can help to boost your ticket sales, learn more about our acclaimed Skiddle App and our RapidScan fast-track entry solution, and find out how our in-house marketing and support teams can assist you in managing and promoting your listings.

W: www. skiddle.com

HR-Structures GmbH are rapidly becoming one of the major suppliers of Aluminium Frame Structures to the Events Industry complemented by a wide range of Accessories. Our structure range names may not be as familiar at present so feel free to contact us to find out which products we supply that are compatible with your current hire stock.

T: 07393 728464 (Andrew Robinson)

E: a.robinson@hr-structures.com

W: www.hr-structures.com

CURRENT RMS

Stand 46 Exhibition Hall

Discover the perfect cloud rental management system designed specifically for the AV, Production, Broadcast and Events industries. From instant job creation and easy inventory management, to effortlessly coordinating your labour, freelancers, vehicles and venues - with Current RMS, you can easily manage your rental business remotely within one centralised system. Make sure you stop to see the Current RMS team at Stand 46 at this year’s Showman’s Show. W: www.current-rms.com

FALCON POWER GENERATION

Stand 154 Avenue B

Falcon Power Generation, part of the Falcon Group, provides generators from 20kVA to 500kVA, and associated ancillaries to meet all your temporary power requirements. Our depots are strategically placed across the UK to provide a national service to all.

Our environmentally friendly products including our brand-new Stage V generators, Punch Flybrid and Hybrid battery technology, are assisting many of our customers with our mission: “The Path to Diesel Free Power”.

T: 01362 821048

E: enquiries@falconpowergeneration.co.uk

W: www.falconpowergeneration.co.uk

THE STAGE BUS

Stand 176 Avenue C/G

The Stage Bus is an event production and stage hire with a difference; all of their stages are solar-powered! Based in Birmingham TSB proudly boasts an eightstrong fleet of stages that are amongst the most innovative around. So what makes their stages stand out from the crowd? In addition to being solar-powered, TSB stages are fully-integrated, with lighting, PA and sound system built in. They are fast-deploy and can be set-up in around an hour. TSB stage units are contained in one vehicle, reducing carbon footprint and can be operated by one crew member. These stages really are super low-maintenance whilst being efficient and sounding and looking great!

W: www.thestagebus.com

Stand 53 Exhibition Hall

PASSENGER VEHICLE HIRE

TRANSPORT GUESTS IN COMFORT AND STYLE WITH OUR TWO, FOUR, SIX, AND EIGHT SEAT PASSENGER BUGGIES AND WHEELCHAIR ACCESS VEHICLES.

The Showman’s Show

18-19 October 2023 | Newbury Showground

Stand 87 Exhibition Hall

Stand 113 Avenue A

With over 10 years of experience working with events, we have become the trusted partner to deliver IT solutions to events both onsite and virtually.

Complete event IT solutions including CCTV, Internet Access, Payment Services (EPoS & PDQ), Telephony, Site Wide WiFi and Live Streaming.

Delivering 300+ events per year, we continuously innovate cost effective solutions that deliver and are supported by our multi award winning team.

We look forward to getting your next event #simpliconnected W: www.simpliwifi.agency

Specialists in event presentation, technical production and LED screens, ADI work with some of the world’s biggest sports, brands, festivals and live occasions. On Stand 113 we’ll be showcasing innovative event solutions including mobile screens from the market-leading iCONIC fleet, modular LED concepts, creative content and interactivity.

T: 0800 592 346

E: info@adi.tv

GIGANTIC TICKETS

Stand 8 Exhibition Hall

One of the UK’s leading ticket agencies, Gigantic deliver a spectrum of key services to the promoter, venue and festival sectors. Supplying industry leading services traversing the full live music sphere, Gigantic are integral in delivering a cutting-edge service across account management, customer care, marketing activity, plus onsite scanning and support. Key clients include Kilimanjaro Live, UK Live, FORM, Fane Festival Republic, FKP Scorpio and Crosstown Concerts. Gigantic also provide venue box-office systems, and the ticketing infrastructure for DHP Family and Alt-Tickets. Alongside their extensive live music inventory, Gigantic also work with local authorities, and other key stakeholders on large scale events, ranging from Christmas light trails, family fairs, beer festivals and sporting events. W: www.gigantic.com

ONTRAX RENTALS UK

Stand 172 Avenue C

LTD

SILENT

NOIZE EVENTS LTD

Stand 31 Exhibition Hall

Join us on October 18th and 19th, 2023, at Stand 172 C at the Showman’s Show!

We’ll be showcasing our diverse range of modules, including our stunning 3-bay showers. If you’re looking to elevate your event to the next level, be sure to drop by and discover how we can help you get “ontrax.” We can’t wait to see you there!

E: hello@ontraxrentals.com

W: www.ontraxrentals.com

Silent Disco hire specialists Silent Noize Events stock over 10,000 high quality wireless headsets and cater for festivals and events right across the UK. Dry hire the kit or let their team of experienced event staff and DJs provide a party the punters will never forget!

3 channels of music means you can cater for all tastes and ages as well as navigating your way round those pesky noise restrictions. The Silent Disco is fast becoming a must for festival organisers and Silent Noize Events are the go-to name in the industry.

W: www.silentnoizeevents.com

DCRS

Stand 62 Exhibition Hall

We are excited to return to The Showman’s Show again this year. On stand 62 in the exhibition hall, we will showcase some of the latest two-way radio technology and hand portables, including the Mototrbo R2, the Mototrbo R7 Series, the complete WAVE PTX Portfolio and our full range of hire equipment

E: sales@dcrs.co.uk

W: www.dcrs.co.uk

SIMPLIWIFI

ADI.tv

1s t event is free!

Event site planning made easy!

The collaborative way to plan, trusted by 25,000+ events worldwide.

Import your existing CAD

Concrete Barrier

Length: 21 m

Quantity: 9 segments

The Showman’s Show

18-19 October 2023 | Newbury Showground

ATTEND2IT

Stand 67 Exhibition Hall

Stand 152 Avenue B

ILLUMIN8 LIGHTS LTD

Stand 156 Avenue B

At attend2IT we understand a reliable connection is not only vital for a successful event but an expectation from today’s cashless generation. We provide a full range of bespoke IT services that are dependable and user friendly for a variety of occasions. Our in-house development team are on hand to fulfil any bespoke software projects while our team of Project Managers liaise directly with agencies, venues, and end clients to ensure a smooth and reliable delivery.

T: 01763 877477

E: Info@attend2it.co.uk

Energy Management Solutions (EMS), founded in 2022, provides comprehensive event energy services to meet client’s generator hire, distro and site lighting needs.

EMS is committed to making positive changes in the provision of progressive event power, launching its proprietary ESP (EnergyMS Solar Powered) solar-powered battery system at the Showman’s Show. Batteries, powered by renewable solar power, create a modular energy source, offering a more economically and environmentally efficient power option.

E: gventer@energyms.co.uk

W: www.energyms.co.uk

Illumin8 Lights are a specialist supplier of Lighting Towers to the event industry. The unique combination of eco-friendly lighting, along with purpose designed vehicles and a bespoke delivery and installation team, is what makes Illumin8 the go-to choice for events of all types. Leading the way as an environmentally friendly supplier, Illumin8 are lighting the way towards a low carbon future. Many events are now requesting Illumin8 only Lighting Towers on their sites, because of this. Come meet the team on Avenue B, Stand 156 to find out more.

T: 01245 208031

E: sales@illumin8lights.co.uk

W: www.illumin8lights.co.uk

ILLUMINATE DESIGN

Stand 244 Avenue G

Stand 117 Avenue A

We are excited to be exhibiting at the Showman’s Show for the first timeIlluminate Design create memorable experiences with creative event design incorporating illuminations, immersive audio, video, architectural features and dynamic effects. Specialising in outdoor winter events since 2015 we can offer a complete solution for your event or, rental from our extensive range of IP-rated equipment including, generic lighting, production lighting, audio and effects plus show control, networking & cabling.

E: info@illuminatedesign.co.uk

W: illuminatedesign.co.uk

Davis Trackhire is the UK’s Largest Independent Supplier of Aluminium Trackway. Offering a comprehensive UK-wide service from their depots in North Lanarkshire & East Midlands, Davis Trackhire boasts one of the most modern and versatile portable roadway systems on the market. Whether a backstage area for your festival or a ring road around your event site, we have the skills, products and experience to handle your requirements.

W: www.davistrackhire.com

NEWMAN EVENT SERVICES LTD

Stand 57 Exhibition Hall

Newman Event Services is the leading provider of comprehensive crowd management and event safety services in Oxfordshire and the surrounding regions. Our team of highly experienced event safety professionals have a wealth of experience serving major events including concerts, festivals, sporting competitions and public events.  You can rest assured that our expertise in the planning, coordination and provision of world-class crowd management services will help you deliver a safe and successful event.

E: enquiries@newmanevents.co.uk

W: www.newmanevents.co.uk

DAVIS TRACK HIRE LTD

ENERGY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD

We are proud to be the chosen drinking water supplier to premier events & festivals across the UK

• Design and build of pressurised & chlorinated water networks

• Tested, quality-assured supplies

• Full compliance with BS8551, UK & EU Water Regulations

• Advice and planning for events of all sizes

• Bulk water storage

• On site water treatment

• Drinking water tankers and tanks

• Bottled water, delivered by the pallet

• Bottle refill stations

• Sinks with hot and cold water

• Waste water management

• Full on-site management during your event

For more information please call: Tel. 01258 830324

ITA ROBUST Models

• 45 Kw and 75 Kw outputs

• Fuel tank for 16 hours burning duration

• Large ball bearing wheels

• Fork lift slots

• Fuel Gauge

• Optional lifting hook

IMA Series

• High efficiency heat exchangers

• Radial fans for powerful heat distribution

• Protection bars all around

• Lifting hooks & fork truck slots

• Tigerloop standard

• Burner with rain cover and lower tray for oil containment during servicing

• Available with 1 and 3 phase radial fans

• Outputs of 65kw, 110kw, 150kw & 200kw

IMAC Series

• High efficiency heat exchangers

• Stainless steel frame on box girders with fork truck slots & lifting hooks

• Lockable door panels for control box and burner area with feed through glands for cable and fuel hoses

• Return air flanges are optional

• 120kw, 145kw, 200kw & 220kw models with options of 2 stage burner and 2 speed fan on the 200Kw & 220 Kw models

• IMAC 4000E model has a 2 stage burner & 2 speed fan wth heat outputs of 261kw or 383kw and heated air outputs up to 24,000 cubic metres per hour

is golden

Take your silent disco experience to new levels with Silent Noize Events Silence

The silent disco is fast becoming a must on the festival scene, particularly for organisers grappling with noise restrictions. With no amplified sound, they offer a wonderful way to control and filter crowds at the end of a festival when everyone leaves but the hardcore party revellers want to carry on into the early hours! On top of this, creative minds within the events industry are now beginning to see the abundance of opportunities that the wireless, noisecancelling headsets have to offer.

Silent Noize Events is seeing increasingly interesting and exciting silent disco-style activations being implemented across the festival and live event scene. Over the years, it has worked at many festivals, including Parklife, Sundown, Pub in the Park, Glastonbury, V Festival, Party in the Park, and CarFest, which this year took the silent disco experience to new levels.

Teaming up with BP Pulse and Silent Noize Events, CarFest brought the world’s first-ever electric vehicle-powered silent disco to more than 13,000 festivalgoers. The ultimate truly off-grid entertainment experience proved to be a historical moment, demonstrating that silent discos can happen anywhere.

Over the weekend, there were several silent disco slots, each holding a capacity of 600. Coupled with celebrity brothers, AJ and Curtis Pritchard, showing off their DJ skills, plus appearances from festival creator, Chris Evans, crowds were entertained and thrilled to be a part of something so unique and entertaining.

This is just one way to highlight the versatility of the silent disco kit. Festival producers and organisers can utilise the headsets in a number of different ways including a traditional silent disco, wellbeing areas and classes, immersive experiences, chill-out areas, festival walking/ nature tours, and even on-site brand launches and promotions.

However large or small your event is, Silent Noize can provide packages to suit all festivals and budgets. Planners can simply dry-hire the headsets and transmitter and provide their own music, hire Silent Noize’s music-loaded iPads or opt for the full experience, and hire DJs and event staff to manage the whole activation.

Earlier this summer, Capital FM’s One Fest booked the full Silent Noize experience and had three DJs each playing a completely different genre, battling it out for the attention of the crowd. One channel rocked the crowd with a mash-up of indie, rock, and power ballads whilst channel two played house, dance, and chart. The third DJ went old school and played an eclectic mix of 80s, 90s, and party classics!

If you want to discuss your festival ideas with the team at Silent Noize Events, visit www.silentnoizeevents.com, email info@silentnoizeevents.com, or scan the QR code opposite.

BP PULSE EV SILENT DISCO

AJ AND CURTIS PRITCHARD CHRIS EVANS

Raising the roof

A raft of new staging products has hit the market. StandOut looks at staging best practices, trends, and new solutions…

All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) highly anticipated UK debut took place in London at Wembley Stadium on August 27. It was the first time that professional wrestling has taken centre stage at the iconic venue in more than 30 years.

Tony Khan, CEO and head of creative at AEW, expressly desired the event’s European debut – delivered by Live Nation UK – to be “epic” in scale. AEW’s ambitious production values required a stage that could deliver on a structural and aesthetic level, so it turned to NoNonsense Group to provide a Zeus roof on four slender legs. The staging choice provided the 81,305-strong crowd with great sightlines, which was paramount on AEW’s first UK outing.

CREATIVE STAGING

AEW was such a success that Khan has already confirmed that the event will return to Wembley on August 25, 2024. It’s demonstrative of a growing appetite for live events and niche events that have incredibly

loyal fanbases and of an organiser’s desire to deliver the best customer experiences with creative staging and event infrastructure.

For example, at The Big Feastival 2023, SWG provided IMG with a new stage for Sundown Saloon, located within The Smokery, and the King’s Coronation Concert in June was a prime example of how a stage can “wow” an audience.

IN DEMAND

Star Live’s Titan stage provided the focal point at the King’s Coronation Concert, featuring a unique curved roof with video header and an expansive 960 square metre surface area. As industry rolled into summer, Star Live’s systems rarely returned to their base, constantly in demand at some of the UK’s most high-profile festivals and events, including BST Hyde Park, Silverstone, Edinburgh Castle Summer Concerts, Parklife, and many more. Simon Broyd, chief commercial officer of Star Live, said: “As the

UK summer season draws to a close and planning starts in earnest for 2024, the Star Live team is busy preparing for a full winter schedule, following the sun and expanding our presence in the Middle East and Asia. One of our VerTech stages is currently enroute to China and Singapore, where it will play a pivotal role in the HallyuPopFest and ZoukOut events.”

PUSH THE BOUNDARIES

Silverworks Island, an open-air music destination, recently called upon Five Star Projects. It required certain expertise. Barry Lawford, managing director of Five Star Projects, explained: “The organiser of Silverworks Island Festival expressed a desire to amplify the video walls on their stage. They were initially uncertain if their vision could materialise due to the weight constraints of conventional stage roofs. Enter our Galactic Stage – a cutting-edge and design-led system, engineered to support loads in excess of five tonnes

ACORN’S SONIC STAGE

All images: © Steve Stringer/James Bridle/Jake Davis

per arch. At 23 metres wide, the roof has more than 32 tonnes of rigging capacity in its standard configuration, as well as a multitude of options for larger point loads in almost any location. This innovation allows for significant flexibility in rigging plots and production design, enabling us to accommodate their needs and bring their vision to life.”

The Galactic Stage is a new addition to Five Star Projects’ portfolio. Tailored for festivals and events, this stage offers “flexibility and strength”, and Lawford says its design makes it a game-changer for organisers who seek to push the boundaries of stage design, especially in terms of lighting and video equipment.

UNIQUE AESTHETIC

Five Star Projects was the exclusive provider of all staging and structures for the event. Lawford continued: “Working collaboratively is at the heart of what we do. For Silverworks Island Festival, it was essential to integrate the event’s unique aesthetic into our stage design. We worked closely with the client’s creative teams, devising a seamless way to incorporate their cladding system. The result was a bespoke look for our Galactic Stage, tailored to resonate with the festival’s distinctive design and vibe.”

But it’s not the only new development and product in the staging market. The Stage Bus has taken the decision to actively market The Stage Box – a solar-powered

stage built into a converted 20ft container – for sale or long-term lease and Acorn Structures has launched the Sonic Stage, which was recently used at Victorious Festival as the Castle Stage and at several Heritage Live Concerts for Giles Cooper Entertainment.

The key features of the Sonic Stage include black finish on the truss, a larger eyebrow, wider sightlines, improved rigging, and reduced transportation.

Andy Nutter, co-founder and managing director of Acorn Structures, said: “Initially rolled out in July for the Heritage Live

Concert at Englefield House near Reading, which included the second Flackstock Festival, the Sonic Stage appeared at other Heritage Live Concerts at Sandringham and Audley End, was branded the Castle Stage at Victorious Festival, Portsmouth and featured in the 20th anniversary celebrations at Beautiful Days, Devon.” Nutter added: “More clients wanted the aesthetics of the black finish truss and we listened to what they said. We are extremely pleased with the Sonic Stage feedback, and we already have bookings for it in 2024.”

FIVE STAR PROJECTS

SUNDOWN SALOON BY SWG

Five Star Projects is a temporary infrastructure supplier to the live events and Film / TV industries, specialising in the supply and installation of a wide range of temporary structures & rigging. Our services include design, engineering, supply, delivery & installation. We deliver a complete package from initial brief to activation, ensuring an end to end service for all our clients needs. We are able to offer a wide range of scaffold, bespoke, TV & Film Structures, including our brand new Galactica 24m Main Stage with over 30 tonne rigging capacity.

LEVEL UP YOUR FESTIVAL

BASE EVENT STRUCTURES

Pedal power

SweetSpot

orkshire is no stranger to hosting largescale mass participation cycling events. The county was once the proud host of the Tour de Yorkshire, but today (September 5) all eyes are on more than 90 world-class riders as they take part in stage three of the Tour of Britain, the multi-stage cycling race.

Organised by SweetSpot Group, the 153.8-kilometre stage from Goole to Beverley sees the riders pass through major Yorkshire towns before crossing the finish line near Beverley Racecourse on Beverley Westwood. It’s where StandOut is standing and watching all the cycling action. Suddenly, following a huge cavalcade of cars and police outriders, the cyclists whizz past. In 12 seconds, it’s all over. The pack is a mere blur and all you can hear is the sound of bells, clapping, and cheers as the crowds further up the road get behind the athletes.

“Stickability,” says James Robinson, managing director of SweetSpot Travel. “We as a business are challenged with stickability. You were there. You see the cyclists for 12 seconds. How can we keep crowds in towns and villages for longer? It’s something we’re

trying to resolve and think of new ways to get people to stay.”

Despite looking after SweetSpot Travel, which delivers consumer travel experiences at premium pro-cycling events, Robinson also works closely with Hugh Roberts, SweetSpot Group’s founder. Together, they want to grow the sport, and the group’s events, and bring in more commercial partners.

But it’s hard. As StandOut enters the Yorkshire town of Beverley, there is little branding. On one side of town, you wouldn’t know the event is here. Robinson acknowledges the observation and agrees that it’s difficult when council budgets are being both scrutinised and cut. So, how does SweetSpot Group plan to encourage more investment from councils in the form of money, resources, and time, and how can the organisation help local authorities create legacy projects off the back of races?

“We are looking to create long-term partnerships with local authorities,” continues Robinson. “There is no doubt that events such as the Tour of Britain have an impact and are a great showcase of an area when the event is

broadcast on TV, but councils want to create sustainable legacy programmes, so we have to think how we can help local authorities use events as moments in time that embed cycling strategies.”

SPECTATOR RELATIONSHIP

The Tour of Britain visited Manchester in 2019 and went back to the city in 2023 for the Tour of Britain’s Grand Depart. In 2024, the Women’s Tour will finish in Manchester. This is the perfect example of the kind of long-term relationship that Robinson and the SweetSpot team are trying to develop. He wants councils to agree to multi-year deals, which would allow both parties to capitalise on opportunities and make savings.

Yet it’s hard when councils such as Birmingham City Council declare themselves bankrupt and Robinson says it’s difficult when you have to arrange contracts with multiple local authorities.

“There are eight stages of the Tour of Britain so that’s 16 contracts because there are eight starts and eight finishes. The Women’s Tour has six stages and then there’s the Tour Series,

Group’s James Robinson talks about the challenges of organising mass participation events and building longer-term legacy projects with stakeholders

TOUR OF BRITAIN

All images: © SWpix.com/ Olly Hassell/Simon Wilkinson/Alex Whitehead

so we have to arrange 38 separate local authority contracts every year.”

Robinson says that cycling events such as Tour of Britain enable councils to actively promote cycling to local communities and enter into conversations with local residents. SweetSpot’s events are the perfect “advertisement” for the sport, which is watched by millions in various territories. However, whilst the sport’s appeal and popularity cannot be doubted, one of SweetSpot’s biggest challenges is data.

“We don’t ticket our events, so we don’t have a ticketing relationship with our spectators. We don’t know who they are,” Robinson admits. “We need to develop a strategy so we can capture data and find out who our fans are so that we and our commercial partners can have a direct relationship with them.”

SweetSpot Group is currently talking to various providers about apps to provide a better experience for spectators and the organisation is keen to explore ideas on how to engage with spectators more.

POSITIVE WINDS

SweetSpot Group wishes to grow the number of sporting events it owns and organises and is looking to see where the additional “opportunities” exist. Robinson continues: “We specialise in cycling at the moment, but we could go into other areas.

“Our technical team worked on the UCI Cycling World Championships so we are

looking at where we could use those skills as a third-party agency, and we are looking to see what products we could launch that have a charitable angle, but our priority is to get the tours [Tour of Britain, The Women’s Tour and Tour Series] established.”

Robinson concludes: “Like every other event organiser, we‘ve had a hard couple

of years and last year’s Tour of Britain was impacted by the death of HM the Queen. It’s not really been a great few years for events, but I definitely feel like positive winds are blowing in the direction of the sport which makes us more optimistic about the future. There’s work to be done but momentum is behind us.”

A RACE TO THE FINISH

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE

Be a Binfluencer

Waste ambassadors, sorting at source, AI, vape bins, and sorting tables. Event professionals discuss their approaches to waste management and how they are tackling waste at their events and festivals

In March, Vision 2025 published its Toward Zero Waste Festivals Report which identified a knowledge gap among event organisers. Organisers admitted they struggled to fully understand waste regulations and what to ask their waste contractors. In response, Vision 2025 published a detailed briefing – Festival Industry Materials and Waste – that not only provides a comprehensive picture of waste challenges experienced by event organisers but also outlines recommendations that will help event professionals make progress on sustainable waste management.

The report and the briefing are elements of a three-phase plan that aims to help organisers shape future waste strategies and best practices.

Currently, organisers have just a few weeks left to take part in vital waste research before data is processed and published to give the events industry an important benchmark. Organisers are encouraged to submit data about the type of bins they use and their waste communications. At the end of the year, the results are expected to be published and a waste toolkit and waste webinars are expected in early 2024.

Julie’s Bicycle’s Richard Phillips, a climate change specialist, told StandOut that the report highlighted a huge disconnect between the expectations of festival managers and waste contractors; especially between what organisers think happens to waste and what actually happens.

SHARE YOUR DATA

Now, organisers are being encouraged to share their data – good and bad – to give the sector a starting point. However, given the horrendous weather that organisers have experienced this summer – because we have to remember that sodden waste weighs a lot more – will the data be a true representation of the event waste landscape?

Phillips hopes that enough organisers will provide basic data but acknowledged that the industry’s experiences of the summer show that data can only get the sector so far. Qualitative data is essential too so it’s important that the industry is honest and that includes waste management companies providing full breakdowns of waste streams and giving organisers more detail than “we diverted 100 per cent of waste from landfill”.

AI

Vision 2025 has commissioned further research into waste infrastructure.

Interestingly, companies such as Greyparrot and SortFlow have started to implement AI into materials recovery facilities (MRF) to work out the exact composition of waste.

Both Greyparrot and SortFlow exhibited at the recent Resource and Waste Management Expo, organised in association with the Environmental Services Association (ESA), to demonstrate how AI is being used in MRFs. It’s a great example of the massive leaps that are being taken to find out the make-up of our waste. But what’s also great is that ESA’s

communications strategy working group can help facilitate visits to MRFs for organisers who wish to learn more about how they work.

TOO MANY BINS?

Rupert Bassadone, head of operations at WOMAD, works with MJ Church on the music festival. Previously, the waste contractor would provide WOMAD with multiple bins, recycling would be separated, and waste would be sorted back of house. Now, MJ Church sorts WOMAD’s waste back at its facilities.

Bassadone says that his problem is with signage. He argues that terminology [determined by contractors] is not understood by festivalgoers, waste terminology and signage are angled towards household recycling, and he also thinks that WOMAD has potentially too many bins on site.

“I have just been to CarFest and The Big Feastival and I noticed that they don’t have loads of bins everywhere,” comments Bassadone. “We have lots of bins on the WOMAD site. We have so many bins – and they are Eurobins so they’re not pretty –that I think we have an untidier site. From visiting other events, I have learned that more bins do not equal a cleaner site. I know our audience is willing to walk to a bin, so are they willing to go that extra mile if we remove some bins next year?”

RECOGNISE AND REUSE

Norfolk and Norwich Festival has stated that it wishes to work towards eliminating

bins altogether but for now, is using recycling stations so that it can determine and recognise the materials it uses

Cheltenham Festivals has partnered with Gloucester Resource Centre – home of the Scrapstore Gloucester – and will forge a relationship with it over the coming months.

James Kitto, head of operations at Cheltenham Festivals, explains: “We are hoping that Cheltenham Literature Festival will be the first festival that we work with the Scrapstore. The idea is that we will send them images of all the waste from the festival and they will let us know if they think they can reuse it.”

Kitto authored Cheltenham Festivals’ three-year sustainability plan alongside Andrew Lansley. The plan covers Cheltenham Festivals’ portfolio of festivals – Jazz, Science, Literature, and Music – with the aim of reducing carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2025. Kitto adds: “Our plan’s strands are aligned with Vision 2025’s Green Events Code and we are trying to meet the ambitions of the Green Events Code, but as we try to interrogate waste suppliers, and we really want to recycle more waste, contractors are increasingly saying that it’s better to mix different waste streams together.”

WASTE STATIONS

“As head of operations, the challenge is to try and find innovative ways to deal with waste,”

Kitto continues. “I know that one festival made their ticketholders take their waste to one central point. They handed their waste to volunteers who put it in the correct bin. As the one who is dealing with the waste, this is potentially the best solution.”

This exact solution was adopted by London Marathon Events (LME) at this year’s TCS London Marathon and The Big Half after being trialled at The Big Half 2022.

Stewart Caithness, production manager at LME, says: “We were finding that our bins were getting cross-contaminated, so we trialled waste stations [big bins that were fenced off] at The Big Half in 2022. They were staffed, people gave their waste to staff, and the staff put the waste in the correct bins. It removed any confusion as to what waste goes in what bin.”

LME worked with Cawleys and Falcon Cleaning and Support Services on this “sort it at source” solution, which saw Falcon’s teams working in waste compounds. The team split out as much waste as possible from the bins and then the remaining waste went to an MRF for further sorting.

Caithness continues: “Tom McGlynn (LME sustainability champion) and Kate Chapman (sustainability consultant) spotted the waste station approach at another event. It relies on it being staffed but we trialled it at The Big Half, rolled it out across the start and finish lines of the marathon, and then stepped up

our approach at The Big Half 2023. It means we can manage waste across all our sites and keep it separated and segregated. We don’t have any data yet because it’s too early, but the compound looked the best I’ve seen it.”

WASTE AMBASSADORS

This approach to sorting waste and advising eventgoers about where to put their waste is becoming the norm.

Iain Rogers, senior site operations manager at LS Events, says that waste management has always been a priority at American Express presents BST Hyde Park and LS Events’ aim – after delivering nine sell-out shows with a combined audience attendance of more than 550,000, and a free midweek programme of entertainment – is to leave no trace.

He explains: “We are continually looking at ways to reduce our tonnage, reuse, recycle and adopt circular solutions where possible. We first introduced waste ambassadors and composting bins to BST Hyde Park in 2019 and this approach has since been adopted as best practice by many event operators. A return to live events in 2022 revealed a huge step-change in audience attitudes towards single-use plastics which we had embraced by not allowing them anywhere on site. All food and beverage vendors must comply with this by offering cans rather than plastic bottles, reusable or compostable paper cups and serveware.

LONDON MARATHON EVENTS

“Our commitment to waste circularity is also evident in the back of house areas where our partnership with Refactory is helping us meet the challenge of increasing our capacity to recycle soft plastic such as cable ties, vinyls, and wristbands. All of these items are collected in separate waste streams from offices, accreditation cabins, and tech production zones.”

This year, at BST Hyde Park, LS Events introduced separate waste streams for cigarette ends and vapes. The ESA warns that due to their flammable nature, no one knows how to dispose of vapes properly. When not recycled correctly, vapes can seep dangerous metals, battery acid, and nicotine into the environment and when compacted they can cause fires in recycling and sorting facilities. Organisers are now being advised to introduce vape and battery bins or take Glastonbury’s lead and ban disposal vapes from being sold on site. It is one way that organisers can control their waste. But what waste is being brought on to site? Can that waste be controlled?

FOOD WASTE

This year, Bluedot looked at how it could reduce food waste from traders and crew catering because food waste is a massive issue on festival sites.

Kevin Moore, operations director at From the Fields, comments: “Trying to work out how much food to purchase for our crew is hard. The numbers can go all over the place and when accreditation kicks in, things change even more.”

According to Moore, crew catering waste “felt within our control”. However, he also feels that crew catering waste is something that people can be held accountable for.

“We use Eventree, so we could see who was using their food vouchers, who was requesting food and who wasn’t,” Moore continues. “In 2022, we found that 25 per cent of meals were not claimed. You find that someone in the office fills out accreditation on behalf of the whole team and says that everyone wants food but some days, only half of the team is on site. It’s easy for suppliers to say, we don’t know the staffing situation currently so just give us food, or the crew get fed up with crew catering and want a mix, or sometimes crew members feel they are too busy to eat.

“In the end, we took a punt. We rolled the dice and ordered 25 per cent less food for crew catering and found that almost to the meal, we were bang on. We’re really pleased with our results, and it has given us the impetus to get further data, build out further processes and pinpoint which sittings on which days are the most popular.”

But it wasn’t the only change. From the Fields also introduced a crew tuck shop at Bluedot where crew members could order frothy coffee and toasties. Crew members had to pay but the tuck shop was subsidised. This solution “struck a balance” if Bluedot had “push back” with certain suppliers about paying for all meals for all the team.

Moore adds: “People talk about recycling and plastics, but food waste is such a big issue. Next year, we want to tackle food waste in our campsites because people bring food, and it ends up in a skip. So, how can we work with our audience to make them reduce what they bring, especially if their children’s tastes are quite particular?

“Could food in crew catering be sold in our campsites at a reduced price or can we encourage people to eat at the show at a more affordable rate so there’s less food being thrown in a skip in the campsites?”

Moore states that food waste is a big challenge for the festival industry. Phillips concurs, urging organisers to look at the waste hierarchy and prevent waste from coming to site. Plus, he advises organisers to think about a materials policy that bans problematic materials like disposable vapes, and then think about waste separation.

PRACTICAL IDEAS

At Royal Ascot, Ascot Racecourse worked with Grundon, which deployed and measured its new segregation methods for the first time, resulting in 25,460kgs of food waste being sent to anaerobic digestion facilities for processing into bio-fertiliser and electricity.

This year was Grundon’s second year working at the event, which hosts some 300,000 people across five days.

Grundon’s data-driven approach has seen its performance greatly surpass what

was achieved in 2022, with headline figures including 56 per cent increase in waste recycling, up to 210,725kg from last year’s figure of 135,355kg, glass recycling up by 36 per cent, to 123,220kgs, and non-recycled material reduced by 27.5 per cent year on year from 2022 to 2023.

Alongside the provision of more than 450 extra bins this year, these results have been achieved by the introduction of new policies, including an on-site sorting table staffed by Ascot’s cleaning teams and supervised by Grundon. Waste which was disposed of incorrectly was sorted by hand, providing useful information on where further education and signage may be needed next year.

Peter Watts, managing director of Rockvolt, a specialist consultancy for stadia, venues and events, says: “The big thing to take away is to understand that data collection is really important and should be celebrated. The granular information we now have from Grundon – and our wider information around reducing carbon emissions – means we can present hard facts to our colleagues, providing the necessary impetus to effect change for the future.

“These lessons will take us through the rest of this year and beyond. I would urge anyone focusing on how to save carbon emissions, improve recycling etc., to work with a waste supplier that is really engaged with thinking outside the box and coming up with practical ideas and solutions.”

GRUNDON AT ASCOT

Win a £250 Carden Park spa voucher with EBL23

Get your 2023 diaries at the ready #Eventprofs – Event Buyers Live (EBL) will take place from November 13-15 at Carden Park, Chester, and StandOut, the organiser of the exciting industry event, wants you to be there.

Event Buyers Live uses a specialised one-on-one meeting format. Live event organisers – only 100 – can partake in multiple pre-arranged face-to-face meetings with valued industry suppliers – just 45 event suppliers – providing the perfect opportunity to discuss procurement requirements ahead of a busy event season. Furthermore, the event prides itself on a packed seminar and workshop programme that promotes knowledge sharing.

The end result is three incredibly productive days of networking, learning and new business opportunities. In fact,

HOW TO ENTER

Event Buyers Live is widely regarded in the industry as “the place to do business”.

Neil Fagg, event director of Event Buyers Live, said: “Carden Park Hotel and Spa is the perfect location for EBL 2023 and features a host of facilities that will be available exclusively to guests and will enable us to deliver something very special this year.”

Carden Park Hotel – an independent hotel – has an award-winning spa and is located within 1,000 acres of beautiful Cheshire countryside, with a mile-long drive leading through the Nicklaus golf course, just one of the two championship golf courses on site.

Fagg concluded: “Event Buyers Live 2023 will be the place to focus and plan for 2024, and in an environment that is not only relaxed but conducive to business.”

StandOut is encouraging event professionals to register now for #EBL23.

To enter, simply visit www.standoutmagazine.co.uk/monthlycompetition and fill in the coupon online. The closing date is October 23, 2023.

Visit www.eventbuyerslive.com, as hosted buyer places are limited.

To mark this call to action, Event Buyers Live is offering StandOut readers the opportunity to win a £250 voucher to spend at the award-winning Carden Park Hotel and Spa, Cheshire.

To win, we want you to get creative on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or X). Create a social post that stands out, tag Event Buyers Live in the post and use the hashtag #EBL23. The “best” social post will win.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The winner is entitled to one voucher worth £250 to spend at Carden Park Hotel and Spa, Chester. There is no cash alternative, and the prize is non-exchangeable. One winner will be selected by the competition organiser whose decision is final. Standard terms and conditions apply.

BRAND ACTIVATION & EXPERIENTIAL

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

AV, SOUND & LIGHTING

Event Production Services

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

E: info@epsoxford.com

T: 01844 278446

Press Red Rentals Limited

Unit H11, Halesfield 19, Telford, TF7 4QT

T: +44 (0) 1952 587049

W: www.pressred.biz

BALLOONS, BUNTING & FLAGS

B-Loony Ltd

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

T: 01494 774376

E: sales@b-loony.co.uk

W: www.b-loony.co.uk

BUGGY HIRE

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063

www.instantmarquees.co.uk

Ace Plant Blackpit Farm, Silverstone Road, Stowe, Buckinghamshire, MK18 5LJ

T: 01908 562191

E: hire@aceplant.co.uk

W: www.aceplant.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 B & C Neaton Business Park, Watton, Norfolk, IP25 6JB

T: 0333 3582175

E: enquiries@electric-wheels.co.uk

W: www.electric-wheels.co.uk

Event Buggy Hire

T: 0113 393 4100

E: brian@eventbuggyhire.co.uk

BAR

Bar Live Events

Unit D215, Parkhall Studios, London, SE21 8DE

T: 0208 761 8424

E: nick@barlive.co.uk

W: www.barlive.co.uk

Cambridge Event Bars

T: 01223 785401

M: 07837 707057

E: Info@cambridgeeventbars.co.uk

W: www.cambridgeeventbars.co.uk

Pop-up-Pubs

T: +44(0)1993 832155

E: info@pop-up-pubs.com

W: www.pop-up-pubs.com

Symonds Event Bars

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

T: 01885 490267

E: info@eventbars.co.uk

W: www.eventbars.co.uk

CABINS

W: www.eventbuggyhire.co.uk

Hopkins Machinery

T: 01633 680754

E: hire@hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

W: www.hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

Qdos Event Hire Ltd

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

T: 0845 862 0952

E: enquiries@qdoseventhire.co.uk

W: www.qdoseventhire.co.uk

Twitter: @QdosEventHire

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Qdos-Event-Hire/

Instagram: @qdoseventhire

Wernick Events

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

T: 01922 472 900

E: events@wernick.co.uk

W: www.wernick.co.uk/events

Twitter: @WernickEvents

Instagram: @WernickEvents

CAR PARKING

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 Event Services Unit 7 Broadway Green Farm, Lightwater, Surrey, GU18 5SU

T: 01276 590325

E: contactus@justeventservices.co.uk

W: www.justeventservices.co.uk

CARPENTRY SERVICES

Crewsaders Carpentry

T: 0345 094 4884

W: www.crewsaders.com

CLEANING & SUPPORT SERVICES

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

CREW SERVICES

Crewsaders Ltd

T: +44 (0)345 094 4884

W: www.crewsaders.com

S3K Group

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

T: 0845 299 7991

E: office@s3kgroup.com

W: www.s3kgroup.com

LinkedIn, Facebook & Instagram: @s3kgroup

Site and Stage Ltd (SAS)

Festival and Event Crew Nationwide

T: 0207 205 2434

M:07770 521521

W: www.siteandstage.co.uk

Trojan Crewing Solutions Ltd

57 Eastbourne Avenue, Acton, London W3 6JS

T: 07341 922974

E: chris@trojancrew.com

W: www.TrojanCrew.com

DIGITAL PLANNING

Iventis

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

T: 01522 837205

W: www.iventis.co.uk

E: info@iventis.co.uk

COFFEE BARS

Markey Ltd

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

T: 01763 271110

E: info@markey.co.uk

W: www.markey.co.uk

CORPORATE CREW

Ace Crew Ltd Units 3 & 7, Princess Court, Horace Road Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2SL

T: 020 7924 6569

M: 07947 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

CORPORATE AND CHARITY EVENTS

Big Bang Promotions, Charity and corporate Bungee jumping, Zip wires and Abseils nationwide

T: 07711037150

E: jon@bigbang-promotions.com

W: www.bigbang-promotions.com

ENTERTAINMENT

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

EQUIPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

The Renegade Group

Unit 6a , Mostyn Road Business Park, Mostyn road, CH8 9DQ

T: 01244 631224

E: info@therenegadegroup.co.uk

W: www.therenegadegroup.co.uk

EVENT ACCOMMODATION

Airstream Facilities Ltd

T: 01885 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

EVENT SAFETY

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk

W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

Eep Safety Team

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

T: 01483 266486

E: tom@eepteam.com

W: www.eepsafety.com

Controlled Events

T: 0203 286 6392

E: info@controlledevents.com

W: www.controlledevents.com

Halo Solutions Ltd

T: 0800 920 2014

W: www.halosolutions.com

E: hi@halosolutions.com

EVENT MANAGEMENT

Award Winning Results

2Can Productions

T: 029 20 100256

E: info@2canproductions.com

W: www.2canproductions.com

LFX Events

Stockport BIC, Gtr Manchester, SK5 7DL

T: 0161 408 2220

E: enquiries@LFXevents.co.uk

W: www.LFXevents.co.uk

Victorious Events

E: info@victoriousevents.co.uk

EVENT CONTROL, RADIO & WI-FI SERVICES First class Resilience, Readiness, Communication & Control for incidents or pre-planned events. www.controlledevents.com

T: 07869 701 616

W: victoriousevents.co.uk

EVENT PLANNING

OnePlan

Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

W: www.oneplanevents.com

E: hello@oneplanevents.com

E: sophie.mcallister@oneplanevents.com

EVENT PRODUCTION

Productions Hire Limited

Unit 20, Glebe Farm, Fathinghoe, Brackley, NN13 6DN

T: 01280701117

E: Louise@productionhire.com

W: www.productionhire.com

Symphotech

Safety. Production. Noise Management  Claire Feeney

T: 0871 711 5264

E: claire@symphotech.co.uk

EVENT STAFF

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

Festivall Services

The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 4FW

M: 07547 509 409

T: 01144 055 044

E: hello@festivall.services

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

EVENT STAFFING SOFTWARE

uTRAC

24A Lower Abbey St, Dublin 1, Ireland

T: 0808 189 0334

E: hello@utraconline.com

W: www.utraconline.com

EXHIBITION TRAILERS & MOBILE UNITS

DWT Exhibitions

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

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

FENCING & BARRIERS

MOJO Rental UK Ltd

Unit 3-6 Longpond Works, Wrotham, Borough Green

Kent TN158DE

United Kingdom

T: 01708 687440

W: www.mojorental.com

FESTIVAL GAS

Festival Gas

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

T: 07930 758893

E: simon@festivalgas.co.uk

W: www.festivalgas.co.uk

FIRE COVER

Aero Fire & Rescue Ltd

27 Old Gloucester Street

London WC1N 3AX

T: 0330 111 3635

E: contact@aerofireandrescue.co.uk

W: www.aerofireandrescue.co.uk

Red Rose Fire Solutions Ltd

6 Brissenden Close

New Romney

Kent

TN28 8JD

T: 01995 503504

E: info@redrosefiresolutions.co.uk

FLAGPOLE HIRE

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

CTN Exhibitions Limited

Unit G3A, Halesfield 19, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4QT

T: 01952 680423

E: Sales@ctn-uk.com

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

T: 01223 870935

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

FURNITURE HIRE / SALES

Furniture On The Move

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

T: 0845 459 9875

E: info@furnitureonthemove.co.uk

W: www.furnitureonthemove.co.uk

GBJ Event Hire

Graham Jones

T: Office. 0207 205 4226

E: hire@gbjeventhire.co.uk

W: www.gbjeventhire.co.uk

HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS

FLAGS

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063

www.instantmarquees.co.uk

FLOORING & FLOOR COVERINGS

Coir Store

E: andy@coirstore.co.uk

T: 07884303082

W: www.coirstore.co.uk

BiemmedueUK & Arcotherm Unit 12, Wilson Road, South Wigston Leicester LE18 4TP

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: 02380 453841

M: 07780 638976

E: kay@spicasolutions.com

W: www.spicasolutions.com

INSTALLATION & RECYCLING OF FLOORING

CTN Exhibitions Limited

Unit G3A, Halesfield 19, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4QT

T: 01952 680423

E: Sales@ctn-uk.com

W: www.ctn-uk.com

INSURANCE

Arc International

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

T: 0207 977 7637

W: www.apex-ins.co.uk/arcinternational

Tysers Insurance Brokers

71 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BS

T: 0203 037 8000

E: tim.rudland@tysers.com

W: www.tysers.com

MARQUEES

Alternative Stretch Tents

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

T: 01920 830256

E: info@alternative-stretch.co.uk

Event In A Tent

The Malthouse Business Centre, Regent Street, Llangollen, LL208HS

T: 01978 661449

E: info@event-in-a-tent.co.uk

W: www.event-in-a-tent.co.uk

LASER & FX

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

W: www.lgfx.co.uk

UK office: 01767 315948

Dubai office: +971 4887 9808

LED SCREENS

EMF Technology Ltd

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

T: 020 8003 3344

E: info@emftechnology.co.uk

W: www.emftechnology.co.uk

Lightmedia Displays

Mobile & Modular LED Screen Hire

T: 0333 600 6000 - 24 hour response

E: sales@lightmedia.co.uk

W: www.lightmedia.co.uk

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

LIGHTING

PART OF

Illumin8

Nick: 07593437891

E: sales@illumin8lights.co.uk

W: www.illumin8lights.co.uk

Fews Marquees

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

T: 01527 821789

E: info@fews.co.uk

W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk

Gigtent UK

Sonas House, Button End Harston

Cambridge, CB22 7NX

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063 www.instantmarquees.co.uk

Marquee Magic

137-139 Nathan Way, London, SE28 0AB

T: 0800 085 1405

E: info@marqueemagic.co.uk

W: www.marqueemagic.co.uk

TT Tents Ltd

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

T: 01256 397 551

E: sales@tttents.co.uk

Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd

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

T: 0121 7401385

M: 07826 843099

E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

Top Cat Big Tops Tents & Marquees Ltd

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

T: 01654 700030

E: info@topcatbigtops.co.uk

W: www.topcatbigtops.co.uk

Yes Tents

4b Hall Farm Business Park, London Road, Weston, Beccles NR348TT

T: 07932 642689

E: paul@yestents.com

W: www.yestents.com

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

safety and medical

AlfaMed Specialist Emergency Care and Training

T: 07920 851 232

E: ben@alfamedsect.co.uk

W: www.alfamedsect.co.uk

Alliance Pioneer Group Event Medical, Frontline Ambulance & Patient Transport Services

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

T: 01752717720

E: mail@alliance-pioneer.co.uk

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

Twitter: @AlliancePGUK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alliance.

Pioneer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/ alliance-pioneer-group

Canopy Medical Services Ltd

T: 07514 780025

E: jules@canopymedicalservices.co.uk

W: www.canopymedicalservices.co.uk

Enhanced Care Services

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

T: 02380 201561

E: admin@enhancedcareservices.co.uk

W: www.enhancedcareservices.co.uk

First Aid Cover Ltd

T: 020 8875 5758

E: enquiries@firstaidcover.co.uk

W: www.firstaidcover.co.uk

Location Medical Services Ltd

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

T: 0870 750 9898

E: mail@locationmedical.com

W: www.locationmedical.com

Medirek

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

T: 07776 128 409

E: ryan.soper@medirek.co.uk

W: www.medirek.co.uk

MET Medical Ltd

T: 0203 627 9042

E: info@met-medical.co.uk

W: www.met-medical.co.uk

Trident Medical Limited

Based in Essex, cover events all over the UK

T: 01279 319039

M: 07379 244718

E: events@tridentmedical.co.uk

W: www.tridentmedical.co.uk

NOISE MANAGEMENT

Symphotech

Safety. Production. Noise Management  Claire Feeney

T: 0871 711 5264

E: claire@symphotech.co.uk

PLANT HIRE

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

PORTABLE TOILET HIRE

Four Jays Group

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

T: 01622 843135

E: enquiries@fourjays. co.uk

W: www.fourjays.co.uk

LOOS FOR DOs Ltd

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

T: 01420 588 355

E: info@loos.co.uk

W: www.loos.co.uk

Just Loos

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

T: 01962 867808

E: office@justloos.com

W: www.JustLoos.com

Ontrax Rentals

Elmwood Farm, Bampton OX18 2PL, England

E: hello@ontraxrentals.com

W: www.ontraxrentals.com

Site Event

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

T: 01256 384 134

E: event@site-equip.co.uk

W: www.site-equip.co.uk

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk

W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

POWER & GENERATORS

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

Fourth Generation Ltd

220 Cricklewood Lane, London, NW2 2PU

T: 020 8450 2943

M: 07741 052565

E: tweed@fourthgenerationltd.com

W: www.fourthgenerationltd.com

Gofer Ltd

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

T: 01473 282530

E: info@gofer.co.uk

W: www.gofer.co.uk

IDE Systems

T: 01543 574 111

E: enquiries@idesystems.co.uk

W: www.idesystems.co.uk

Head Office & Manufacturing Centre

Unit 3, Swaffield Park Hyssop Close, Cannock

Staffordshire, WS11 7FU United Kingdom

Lifos Advanced Battery Technology Ltd

Stafford Park 5, Telford, TF3 3AS

T: 01952 200198

E: hello@lifos.co.uk

W: www.lifos.co.uk

Midas Productions (UK) Ltd

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

T: 0333 772 0772

M: 07949 007 603

E: info@midas-uk.co.uk

Newburn Power Rental Limited

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

T: 0845 077 6693

E: info@npr-uk.com

Power Events

T: 01277 424800

E: enquiries@powerevents.co.uk

W: www.powerevents.co.uk

Power Revolution

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

T: 01359 256 265

E: info@power-revolution.co.uk

W: www.power-revolution.co.uk

Powerline

Knowle Hill Farm, Beeks Lane, Marshfield, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8BB

T: 01225 892336

E: info@thepowerline.co.uk

W: www.thepowerline.co.uk

PRINTERS

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

PRODUCTION AND PROJECT SUPPORT

Smartrad Creative Ltd

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

T: 07711469787

PROJECTION

EMF Technology LTD

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

T: 020 8003 3344

E: info@emftechnology.co.uk

W: www.emftechnology.co.uk

RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

2CL Communications Ltd

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

T: 0800 389 2278

E: contact@2cl.co.uk

W: www.2cl.co.uk

DCRS

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

T: 0800 043 2688

E: sales@dcrs.co.uk

W: www.dcrs.co.uk

SFL Mobile Radio

6 Woodway Court, Thursby Road

Bromsborough, CH62 3PR

T: 0151 334 9160

E: sales@sflmobileradio.co.uk

W: www.sflmobileradio.co.uk/

REUSABLE CUPS

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

Blue Planet Washing Solutions

Unit 15 GIDC, Cobham Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9RX

T: 01293 302007

T: 07917 040044

E: info@blueplanetws.co.uk

W: www.blueplanetws.co.uk

SHOWERS

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk

W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

SEATING

Ace Seating Hire

T: 01832 279333

E: info@aceseating.co.uk

W: www.aceseating.co.uk

SITE SUPPLIES

Concept Products Ltd

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

T: 01458 274020

E: ben@conceptproductsltd.co.uk

W: www.conceptproductsltd.co.uk

STAGING & RIGGING

IPS (Impact Production Services)

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

T: 01908 657950

E: enquiries@ips.co.uk

SECURITY

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: 01295 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

Right Guard Security

Experts in Crowd Management and Event Security

T: 01227 464588

E: info@rightguard.co.uk

W: www.rightguard.co.uk

SET & SCENERY CONSTRUCTION

Staged Events Ltd

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

T: 01256578055

E: info@stagedevents.com

W: www.stagedevents.com

W: www.ips.co.uk

The Stage Bus

19 Prestwood Road, Birmingham, B29 5EB

T: 0121 585 9264

E: info@thestagebus.com

W: www.thestagebus.com

STEWARDS / MARSHALLS

Road Traffic Solutions

60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe, DN15 7PQ

T: 01724 848 246

E: dan@roadtrafficsolutions.com

W: www.roadtrafficsolutions.com

TEMPORARY ROADWAYS

Cap Trac Limited

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

T: 01603 880448

E: info@captrac.co.uk

W: www.captrac.co.uk

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES

Event In A Tent

The Malthouse Business Centre, Regent Street, Llangollen, LL208HS

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

E: info@fews.co.uk

W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk

Gigtent UK

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

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

LH Woodhouse

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

Delivering successful events

T: 01159 899 899

E: sales@lhwoodhouse.co.uk

W: www.lhwoodhouse.co.uk

Losberger De Boer

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

T: 01280 846500

E: sales.uk@losbergerdeboer.com

W: www.losbergerdeboer.com/uk

Mehler Texnologies UK Ltd.

Hollinwood Business Centre

Albert Street, Oldham, Lancs. OL8 3QL

E: info-uk@freudenberg-pm.com

W: www.mehler-texnologies.com

NEPTUNUS Ltd

Cob Drive, Swan Valley, Northampton NN4 9BB

T: 01604 593820

E: sales@neptunus.co.uk

W: www.neptunus.co.uk

Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd

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

T: 0121 7401385

M: 07826 843099

E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

The Dome Company

T: 07876673354

E: info@thedomecompany.co.uk

W: www.thedomecompany.co.uk

The Theatre Tent Company

Unit 4 Grimes Close, Birstall, Leicester LE4 3EN

T: 01162674151

E: sayhello@theatretent.eu

W: www.TheatreTent.co.uk

TT Tents Ltd

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

T: 01256 397 551

E: sales@tttents.co.uk

W: www.tttents.co.uk

Worldwide Structures Ltd

Ayrshire Farm, Sharcott, Pewsey, SN9 5PA

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

E: enquiries@w-sl.com

W: www.worldwidestructures.com

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES - MANUFACTURERS

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

TICKETING

Citizen Ticket

84 Commercial St, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6LX

E: info@citizenticket.co.uk

W: www.citizenticket.com

RedBox Events

Balbir House, Norton Green Road,Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2LP

T: 0333 242 7920

E: info@RedBoxEvents.com

W: www.redboxevents.com

Skiddle Ltd

Ashley Hall Farm

Inglewhite Road, Goosnargh PR3 2EB

W: www.skiddle.com

TRACKWAY

All Weather Access Ltd

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

T: 01371 700510

M: 07801 751137

E: henry@all-weatheraccess.co.uk

W: www.all-weatheraccess.co.uk

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

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Event Traffic Control Ltd

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

T: 08000 246 800

E: info@eventtc.com

W: www.eventtc.com

Right Guard Traffic Management

Event Traffic Management

CSAS Accredited Traffic Officers

Car Parking

Event Signage

T: 01227 464588

E: info@rightguard.co.uk

W: www.rightguard.co.uk

Road Traffic Solutions

60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe,DN15 7PQ

T: 01724 848 246

E: dan@roadtrafficsolutions.com

W: www.roadtrafficsolutions.com

TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS

Stagefreight

Evanston Avenue, Leeds LS4 2HR

T: 0113 238 0805 / 0113 279 7898

W: www.stagefreight.com

WIFI, INTERNET & STREAMING

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

Fli-Fi Ltd

UK Wide

T: 020 3778 0454

E: enquiries@fli-fi.com

W: www.fli-fi.com

RedBox Events

Balbir House, Norton Green Road, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2LP

T: 0333 242 7920

E: info@RedBoxEvents.com

W: www.redboxevents.com

VEHICLE HIRE

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

VENUE MAPPING

Iventis

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

T: 01522 837205

E: info@iventis.co.uk

Eamon Kerrigan:

E: Eamon.kerrigan@iventis.co.uk

W: www.iventis.co.uk

WATER & PLUMBING SERVICES

Liquiline Ltd

Ash Tree House, Tarrant Hinton, Blandford, Dorset, DT11 8JA

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

T: 0800 298 9434

E:  hello@simpliwifi.agency

W: https://simpliwifi.agency

DRINKING WATER

PURE & SIMPLE

T: 01258 830324

E: office@liquiline.co.uk

W: www.liquiline.co.uk

MTD (UK & Ireland) Ltd

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

T: 01264 773 818

E: sales.uk@mtd.net

W: www.mtd.net

Wicked Event Water Services

Kevin: 07909 771996

E: info@wickedeventwaterservices.com

W: www.wews.biz

Featured in our next issue...

Editor Caroline Clift caroline@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Publication manager

Sarah Bourne sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Account executives

Holley Wilkinson holley@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Will Smith will@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Marketing executive

Katie Goldsmith marketing@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Design and production

Jonathan Graham

Colin Swaffer

Jemma Heslop studio@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Digital and web developer

Matthew Coppard

Credit control

Janine Walmsley creditcontrol@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Managing director

Neil Fagg neil@standoutmagazine.co.uk

T: 01795 509101

CEO John Denning

StandOut Multimedia Limited, 3 The Metford, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX

T: 01795 509113 www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

No part of this magazine may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical or physical – without express prior permission and written consent of the publisher. Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and addressed envelope. Manuscripts should be typewritten. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor’s hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographic or artistic, belongs to StandOut Multimedia Limited. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement. Information about products and services featured within the editorial content does not imply an endorsement by StandOut magazine. © 2023. StandOut Multimedia Limited, 3 The Metford, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX

GALLOPING AHEAD

Stable Events delivered Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. We talk with key team members about the changes and challenges at this year’s equestrian event

SECURITY BEST PRACTICES

Several organisers have taken active measures to improve crowd flows on site. Event professionals talk security and crowd management

IN FULL SWING

StandOut headed to Rome to go behind-the-scenes of the Ryder Cup build with Paul Dunstan, operations director, and the event’s contractors

© ElmarGubisch

A group of established event companies offering over 100 years combined experience. We bring fresh and creative ways to deliver complete technical solutions for events of any shape or size. We understand events.

Lighting : Sound : Rigging : Audio Visual

Scenic : Power : Streaming : Staging : Print

www.theeventtechnologygroup.co.uk

Proud sponsors of EBL 2022 and 2023