SUMMER BALL RETURNS FOR BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

University Summer Balls are a tradition in many towns and cities that go back years, and this tradition is no different for the Students’ Union at Bournemouth University (SUBU). However, not only is the SUBU Summer Ball unique in the fact that it hosts a boutique festival in a green field - it’s also the biggest student festival in the UK.

More than 4,500 students bounced back to the event in June as it returned for the first time in three years. Festival tents were lit up from day to night as students were treated to a star-studded line up across five stages, with performances from headliners Hybrid Minds, MS Banks, Wes Nelson, ABBA Gold and Dimension. Attendees enjoyed a variety of street food, on-site bars and free fairground rides to give students a spectacular send off before their summer break.

The event is organised as a fundraiser by the events team at SUBU, which is a charitable organisation. In previous years, the event has raised between £50,000 and £80,000, which has helped to ensure students have access to a host of outstanding opportunities beyond their degree at Bournemouth University.

The festival’s heritage includes a spectacular array of emerging artists that have performed on one of its multiple stages. The event has seen a mix of popular artists across all genres, including a performance from a young Stormzy before he took hold of the music industry.

Since the SUBU Summer Ball began in 1994, the festival has grown to a sell-out event with 7,500 tickets sold in 2019. As like many other events, the pandemic saw the ball suspended for two years, meaning nobody could remember how pivotal the event is in students’ calendars. With the understanding that many students this year had never been to an outdoor festival before, SUBU went back to basics and began to build trust in the event. They were confident that if they could get students over the line and to the ball, they’d then become huge advocates for the 2023 festival.

The team made real efforts to bring a focus on ‘people’ at the event. They saw a quality in an audience largely composed of people who know each other, or are friends of friends, bringing an atmosphere totally unique when compared to similar events.

The feeling of friendship and belonging became the key intangible ingredient of this years’ SUBU Summer Ball, and will continue to be amplified in the event for years to come.

2023 will once again see the team contracting big tops, stages, power and production to deliver the best night of students’ lives, with the double whammy of raising funds for the charity. The Summer Ball ensures that students leave Bournemouth University with a host of unforgettable memories – and we know that these memories cannot be matched with any other University in the UK.

PHOENIX EVENTS (EAST) LTD

RECEIVE DEFENCE EMPLOYER RECOGNITION SCHEME – SILVER AWARD

On Thursday, November 17, Adam Harding, Director/ Owner of Phoenix Events (East) Ltd, and Anna Ryan, Operations Manager, attended an awards evening at Madingley Hall to collect our Defence Employer Recognition Scheme - Silver Award.

The awards evening was attended by employers from across East Anglia in recognition of the support they provide to members of the Armed Forces Community. Company’s such as Cambridge City Council, Norwich City Football Club, EXCELR8 MotorsportLLP, Herfordshire Comunity NHS Trust and London Southend Airport to name a few of the companies selected. Anna Ryan Operations Manger said

“We are proud to have received the Silver Award in recognition of the work we do across the company in supporting current and previous members of the armed forces. We feel it is important to use this to recognise the work of our armed forces and remember those who have lost their lives in service of their country. One of our main reasons for striving for this award is in memory of our dearly missed member of staff, Todd. We look forward to continuing to support armed forces personnel and their families and highlighting the contribution they bring to us as a business and we look to take the next commitment to the Gold Standard next year. To enhance how much this means to the values and beliefs of our company.”

RISK VS. REWARD – THE USE OF ALTERNATE FUELS IN THE EVENTS INDUSTRY

NOEA recognises that hybrid generators running on biofuel, which charge an onboard battery are becoming more common. But what are the risks associated with alternative fuels? Richard Bate (CUBE International / E Bike Grand Prix) considers these challenges.

Fire Risk:

Electrical vehicles (BEVs) might not seem more dangerous than internal combustion engine (ICE) alternatives, but the component materials of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) mean the fires (thermal runaway) are very energetic and traditional firefighting techniques don’t necessarily work.

The estimated failure rate (and therefore risk of combustion) of an individual battery cell is one in ten million. However, given an average EV contains approximately 7,000 cells, the risk increases significantly. Although it is not clear whether EVs are more likely than ICE vehicles to catch fire, the consequences are potentially more significant.

Whilst it can be disconnected, the component that carries the fire risk in a BEV cannot be removed; the battery cannot be drained of electrolyte. Nor is there a tank of fuel which can be drained. An EV has chemical components that, in specific circumstances, can initiate and sustain an energetic fire.

With ‘normal’ firefighting techniques less effective, two common techniques are to let the vehicle burn out or submerse it in water, for which there are significant practical difficulties.

For a BEV, an event or venue strategy may be to back off and leave the fire to the professionals. However, this potentially risks letting the fire take hold to a point where even firefighters may not be able to contain it.

Hydrogen generators:

Hydrogen must be extracted and compressed in fuel tanks before being combined with oxygen in a fuel cell stack to create electricity to power vehicle motors. Whilst hydrogen is extremely flammable, it is no more or less dangerous than other flammable fuels, requiring a concentration of between 4-75% when mixed with air to become flammable. Because it dissipates so rapidly it would pose less risk in comparison to other fuel sources in uncontrolled conditions.

As an HFC generator doesn’t contain hydrogen, it is simply electronics with no inherent fire risk. However, whether in use or not, still contains the chemical elements for a thermal runaway with the attendant risks of toxic fumes.

What does this mean for event infrastructure fire safety?

It is the interface with the built environment that should most concern the event industry, as this brings a potentially serious fire risk that is not well understood. Industry is responding slowly to this change, especially for firefighting tactics for EVs in the most vulnerable settings. Whilst lithium-ion batteries in a workplace should be treated as any other fuel source, risk assessed and managed appropriately, the special nature of this risk must also be recognised.

Alternative fuel technologies will be a significant part of the event landscape in the very near future, so it is important in the events industry that we understand the nature of the associated risks and how adoption of new technologies can be safely incorporated into the design of events and event venues.

A CELEBRATION OF THE CITY’S MAKERS AND CRAFTERS

activities to enjoy, so they added an extra element to the Salisbury Street Sellers in 2022 by giving each market a theme. Ranging from Alice in Wonderland, Sports Sunday and Movie Madness, the market became a fun day out for all the family with a whole host of free fun things to do and see each month.

May 2022 featured perhaps the most popular Salisbury Street Sellers yet with dinosaurs taking over the Market Place! Crowds of people came to see the dinosaur characters as they danced in front of Salisbury Guildhall and took pictures with families. On top of this there were free dino-digs, workshops and music from popular local DJ, Disco Dion.

Back in 2018, Salisbury’s City Partners developed a new competitive positioning for Salisbury aiming to stimulate economic investment, attract visitors and build the reputation of the City back up following the Novichok poisonings. A City-wide consultation found that the Salisbury experience can be distilled into two simple words: Traditional. Original.

Following this, an exciting new Salisbury marque was developed which became engrained in the essence of the City and its markets and events. The city stakeholders now host a range of events that support the new brand positioning and shows what Salisbury has to offer. A great example of this is Salisbury City Council’s Salisbury Street Sellers market.

The market has become a fantastic celebration of our city’s great makers and crafters and brings in footfall in its thousands. With pitches starting at just £10, it supports our city’s makers and provides a unique shopping experience. Over 50 traders now sell at each market with their fantastic range of vintage, artisan, arts and crafts and other handmade products.

With the cost of living crisis, the City Council knew it was important to provide residents and visitors with free

Kellie from Handmade Kellie who is a regular trader at the market and sells items including jewellery, bookmarks and crystals, had this to say about Salisbury Street Sellers: “It’s always a great day on the Street Sellers Market for both traders and visitors. I love how each month there is a theme which includes free things for the kids/families to enjoy, as well as a strong mix of artisan stalls on the market. As a seller I always enjoy having a look around myself as you just don’t know what you’ll find! I’m very much looking forward to returning in 2023 and seeing what the market team have planned!”

Sonia from Sonia Jones Crafts who is another regular trader and sells handmade jewellery and crochet items said: “The Street Sellers markets have been a great opportunity to get my business known to the local community. As a disabled woman business owner the markets have afforded me the chance to meet new customers and build my customer base. I now have many returning customers, some of whom have also joined my local craft meet up to help build a supportive and inclusive craft community.”

The market is open every second Sunday of the month from May to October in Salisbury Market Place.