Issue 50 August/September 2011 £4.75
Praise for T in the Park revellers
Protests over Olympia tube closure plan By Christina Eccles LEADING industry figures have joined forces to protest against the proposed closure of the Olympia District Line Tube connection – warning of the ‘disastrous’ impact it could have on the venue. 20 senior executives from the UK events sector have signed a letter which has been sent to TFL managing director Mike Brown, highlighting the industry’s fear that if the Tube link does close many show organisers will think again about using Olympia and instead look for other venues with better transport links. Each year 803,000 visitors take the District Line from Earls Court to reach the conference centre – making up 73 per cent of the venue’s total visitors. CEO of the Association of the Event Organisers Austen Hawkins said: “Once the news came out that TFL wanted to close the tube link to Olympia, I have been absolutely bombarded by my members who are deeply concerned about the viability of their shows at Olympia if the District Line closes. In these tough economic times, it is difficult enough to get people to attend shows; taking
away a direct tube link could make it virtually impossible. “I call on Boris Johnson and TFL to see the huge economic importance of the events business to the West London economy and not to do anything that could threaten it. Otherwise this could be the start of the slow death of London Olympia.” London Olympia is currently one of the UK’s most important conference and exhibition centres, with over 1.1m people visiting it each year. The centre and its associated shows contribute over half a billion pounds to West London per year. Andy Center, CEO of CloserStill Media, has also signed the letter. He added: “We have based our events business close to Olympia as we run many shows there. We know that closing the tube link to Olympia will have a disastrous effect on our business, and will certainly make us consider whether to continue to use Olympia as a venue and also force us to reconsider where our business is based.” TFL created an online consultation on the closure of the station, via its website, and is currently reviewing the responses.
Harry Potter mania is sweeping the events world, with one event management company claiming it will be this year’s most popular Christmas party theme. Pretty Clever Events has reported a big interest in clients looking for festive events based on the hit books and film series, according to founding director Sam Harrington-Lowe. She added: “Each year we offer a wide range of themes. But by far the most popular in terms of enquiries is Harry Potter this year. So we’ve been up to our eyes in candelabras, bookcases, castle props, vintage luggage cases and so on. Not to mention brooms and wands.” Pictured Harry Potter star Emma Watson
FESTIVAL organisers and Tayside Police have praised revellers at T in the Park, billing it as one of the festival’s best years ever. According to figures, crime was down this year, with 53 arrests being made between Thursday’s opening night and top billing Foo Fighters closing the event at midnight on Sunday. This figure compares with 64 arrests at the same time last year, 59 in 2009 and 69 in 2008. Most of the arrests were for misuse of drugs, theft and breach of the peace. Festival director Geoff Ellis said: “We were delighted with the behaviour of the fans throughout T in The Park. Even a deluge of rain on Sunday failed to dampen the greatnatured and carnival spirit of the crowd. “Event commander chief superintendent Craig Suttie and his team led the way with the community style policing of his officers and it worked superbly well. This, along with the excellent work of the stewards, made this one of the best – and safest – T in the Parks ever.” For more on T in the Park see our festival round up feature starting on Page 9
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Festivals team up for ethical ticket exchange By Christina Eccles SOME of the UK’s best-loved festivals have teamed up to create an ethical ticket exchange, which allows ticket holders to buy and sell unwanted tickets at face value without fear of fraud. The Association of Independent Festivals and ethical merchandise and e-commerce specialists Sandbag have created online exchange The Ticket Trust where unwanted tickets can be bought and sold safely – minus often inflated secondary prices. Festivalgoers who need to legitimately return unwanted tickets will register them onto the site and send the tickets to The Ticket Trust for verification before they are made available for sale. The tickets will then be sold on at the normal ticket price, plus a handling fee, capped at a maximum of 10 per cent, payable by the buyer. On purchase, the tickets will then be either dispatched securely or held at the event box office for the buyer, with the seller being credited the full ticket price to their bank account. Only authentic tickets will be used by the service and counterfeit tickets will be intercepted and confiscated, helping to protect against fraud.
The Ticket Trust is initially being used by AIF member festivals, but the exchange can be used by any festival or gig promoters. AIF vice chair Ben Turner said: “AIF has pulled together its festival members to collectively make a simple message – AIF festivals do not and will not play the secondary ticketing market for profiteering. AIF stands for strong principles in the festival sector and we object to the practices of many of the so-called secondary ticketing market companies.” Festivals including Secret Garden, Bestival, Creamfields, End of the Road and Camp Bestival have all signed up to use the service. Bestival promoter Rob da Bank added: “The whole secondary ticketing situation makes me really angry, mostly because I just don’t feel many of the people paying vastly inflated prices actually understand the mechanics behind it ... and secondly because the people profiting are doing so driven by pure greed. The festivals who say they’ve sold out while blatantly putting hundreds or thousands of tickets through a secondary seller are just plain dishonest. I hope that the Ticket Trust can be a safe and secure place for honest ticket trading to take place.”
SIV earns place on award shortlist SHEFFIELD International Venues has been shortlisted for a prestigious industry award for the second year running. SIV has been named as a finalist in the Business Tourism category at the White Rose Awards following a successful start to the year, which saw Sheffield City Hall host the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in March. The event was held across three days, and attracted more than 2000 delegates, its highest attendance in five years. SIV Events’ general manager Dominic Stokes said: “To be shortlisted in this category is a real achievement for SIV. “Sheffield City Hall won the same award in 2009 and SIV was shortlisted for the category last year for our entire Conferencing and Events provision. “It is fantastic to gain industry recognition year on year for the work SIV does. “The Liberal Democrat Spring Conference was a hugely important business event and really put us in the shop window of the major conference market. It is those kinds of events that really give SIV a chance to showcase what we can do.”
Our Festival Round-up starts on Page 9
Local Authority Spotlight Page 20
Chelsea Flower Show Bomfest Royal Air Tattoo New Products & Services Classified
Page 10 Page 11 Pages 12-13 Pages 18-19 Pages 22-23
CONTACTS EDITORIAL Group Editor Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 editorial@themaineventmagazine.co.uk Reporters: Christina Eccles (ce@whpl.net) Dominic Musgrave (dm@whpl.net)
PRODUCTION Studio Manager: Stewart Holt (sth@whpl.net) Tel: 01226 734414 Group Deputy Editor: Judith Halkerston (jhalkerston@whpl.net) Tel: 01226 734458 Graphic designer: Laura Blackburn (lb@whpl.net) Tel: 01226 734711
ADVERTISING
Show-stopping finale A SPECIALIST team from XL Video were at this year’s Glastonbury Festival to coordinate the first ever mapped projection onto three sides of the legendary Pyramid Stage structure. The visual spectacular took place whilst Coldplay performed their latest release, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, as the finale to their Saturday night headline set. The event was project managed by XL Events' Robin Evans working with technical director David Mulcahy and XL’s IT expert Ian Woodall. Coldplay’s production manager Wob Roberts said: “The initial inspiration came from Coldplay's creative director Phil Harvey after seeing XL’s mapping of the Ralph Lauren building in London. Once the team had demo’d the concept to all of us, the band confirmed that they XL Video’s team co-ordinated the visual spectacular Picture: Jack Banks wanted to go ahead with it as a show-stopping effect.”
Assistant Manager: Mandy Mellor Tel: 01226 734702 Mobile: 07540 283 269 Email: mm@whpl.net Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry Email: tb@whpl.net
CIRCULATION Kelly Tarff Tel: 01226 734695 email: circulation@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk
www.themaineventmagazine.co.uk
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The ACC Liverpool has hosted the live X Factor auditions for the first time. The X Factor team took over the Echo Arena for the recording of the live auditions and the BT Convention Centre was utilised for holding rooms, dressing rooms and behind the scenes areas. Picture: ITV
‘Sonisphere really did feel like a grown up’ By Christina Eccles
A charity ball attended by princesses Beatrice and Eugenie has raised £115,000 for The Children's Trust. The event, held at London’s Banqueting House, attracted 300 guests and was hosted by Phil Tufnell and Suzanne Dando. Guests were entertained by Mike d'Abo and His Mighty Quintet,
contemporary duo The Correspondents and dance performances by The Susan Robinson School of Ballet. Pictured: Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice with chief executive of The Children’s Trust Andrew Ross. Picture: Andy Newbold
Crowd welcomes Vulcan bomber plane ‘home’ THE only remaining flying Vulcan bomber plane has returned to its original hangar with a special celebration ceremony. A crowd of over 200 people gathered to see the Vulcan XH558 bomber plane at its new permanent home at Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster, the historic site of former RAF Finningley. LS-Live assisted aviation event company Directions
CIC by supplying staging and production, with the company building a 24’ by 12’ stage from which the Mayor of Doncaster, airport director Mike Morton, chief executive of Vulcan to the Sky Trust Robert Fleming and other guests made speeches. The iconic aircraft will now be open to the public and available for private and commercial events.
A JOINED up approach between organisers and suppliers delivered another successful Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire. This year, production company LarMac LIVE was brought in to production manage and coordinate all technical aspects of the festival, working for promoters Kilimanjaro Live. The UK leg is one of 12 events under the brand worldwide, making it the largest touring festival, and LML's Ian Greenway took up the production management reins working with regular suppliers such as PRG, Britannia Row, Star Events and XL Video. LML also brought in rental company STS to supply combined lighting, rigging and sound packages for stages three and four, which were both inside tented structures. Ian said: “Using one production supplier to supply full circle production in these tents is a much more efficient way to advance and deliver a show – simplified conversations, less trucking, streamlined technical cover – all of which helps us to deliver the wider event.”
The two main stages were positioned facing each other and programmed not to overlap, which had three main advantages – crowd management, ensuring that the audience had the option of seeing all the artists and in terms of noise containment, meant only one area was operating at once. Another area that maximised time and busy production schedules was the overnight lighting changeovers. The festival lighting design was evolved after discussions with the three main headliners – Metallica, Biffy Clyro and Slipknot – and designed so that no lights or guest fixtures needed installing in the roof over the weekend, apart from a truss reconfigured for a chandelier set piece for Biffy Clyro. Ian added: “For a festival that’s only three years old, Sonisphere really did feel like a grown up. The level of expertise that Stuart Galbraith and festival manager Zac Fox employ on the project really allows us to focus on the big issues and give the production values that extra level of detail, which goes a very long way with touring artists who see massive differences in the quality of festivals around the world.”
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UK festivals sign up for new charter Johnny joins Showman’s Show organising team ORGANISERS of The Showman’s Show have unveiled details of this year’s event, including a new addition to the team. The annual showcase for the outdoor events industry takes place on October 19 and 20 at Newbury Showground and this year Johnny Lance is joining the family business. In the last few years, Johnny has been involved as one of the stewards hosting the judges for the Stand Awards but from April, he became a fully fledged member of the organising team. This year’s show is shaping up well – with a number of new
exhibitors confirmed including Planet Gold Decor, Batmink and Media Structures – as well as the return of some familiar faces. Look out for the next issue of The Main Event, which will include a dedicated Showman’s Show preview. The feature will include news and views about the event plus a chance for suppliers to give visitors a sneak peak of what they will be showcasing this year. To make sure your company doesn’t miss out, contact Mandy on 01226 734702 or email mm@whpl.net to get involved.
LOVEBOX, Field Day and High Voltage are among the UK festivals which have signed up to a new charter that will make them more accessible to deaf and disabled people. Thanks to a partnership project with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, every festival that takes place on Victoria Park now has to adhere to Attitude is Everything’s Charter of Best Practice as an event standard. The charter is divided into three levels – bronze, silver and gold – and each one has conditions that must be fulfilled. Live music venues and festivals are expected to work through these levels and aim for the gold, which is a commitment to achieving best practice in access and attitude over a period of five years. The ethos of the charter is that deaf and disabled people should be able to be as independent as they want to be at live music venues and festivals. These Victoria Park based festivals join another 35 live music venues and festivals around the country, including Brixton Academy, Wembley Arena, Royal Albert Hall, and Reading
and Leeds Festivals, that have pledged to improve their access and work towards the gold benchmarks. For the first time, the UK Festival Awards have also included access in their award assessment criteria and Festival Republic’s managing director Melvin Benn has provided a £1000 bursary for access and disability equality training for the Best Grassroots Festival award winner to help the event assess the requirements of disabled festivalgoers, performers and staff. Managing director of UK Festival Awards James Drury said: “Grassroots festivals are real labours of love created on very tight budgets, so the chance to get vital advice and training from the experts at Attitude is Everything, thanks to the generosity of Festival Republic, will be really valuable for the winner of our Grassroots Festival Award. Access for Deaf and disabled people is an important criterion that our judges look out for when visiting festivals. I feel proud that Attitude is Everything chose our awards to distribute this bursary.”
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A new trade show for outdoor events professionals is preparing to shake up the industry when it launches next year. Christina Eccles spoke to event director Steve Richards about how plans are going.
New events show ‘will resonate across the whole events industry’ ACCORDING to Steve, the International Outdoor Event Expo will tap into areas which other trade shows for the industry can’t reach. The show – organised by UBM Live – takes place at ExCel London in March and will be co-located with International Confex, giving organisers of all types of events the chance to find something which is relevant to their business. IOEX will serve the entire spectrum of the outdoor events industry with a dedicated hall alongside Confex, focusing on everything from temporary structures and staging to lighting, security and crowd control, ticketing and insurance. The exhibition will also offer a seminar programme, with details of speakers and sessions to be announced in the run up to the show, as well as ‘little surprises’ to
engage visitors as they walk around the hall. Steve explained: “IOEX is an ambitious but wholly logical proposition, which will resonate across the whole events industry. “As a stand alone event it will have the scale and the importance the outdoor events production industry deserves – but also in tandem with Confex it presents a fantastic opportunity to anyone involved in event promotion and organisation, in all their different guises.” With several months still to go before the first event opens its doors, Steve told The Main Event that plans are shaping up well and feedback so far is that the industry is excited to see what a new show can offer. He added: “The launch of the show was triggered by the move of
Confex to ExCel. UBM and myself have always known Confex is not the full story and the events business is far broader. The two shows make really good stable mates and together make up a one stop shop for organisers. It will be an all encompassing event if we get the content right.” But Steve – who has 25 years of exhibition experience including launching The National Venue Show at the NEC – insists he’s a realist and knows the first year will only be the beginning of a long term plan rather than the finished article. “The long term aim is to build across this show and Confex to create a platform for the whole events industry. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. But what we will do is ensure we give people a feel for the vision we have going forward.”
Safety first as barrier team works through the night A TEAM from Mojo Barriers worked through the night to ensure fans were kept safe at a recent Foo Fighters gig. The band performed two sell out concerts at the Milton Keynes Bowl, which were attended by over 45,000 rock fans each night, and Mojo Barriers’ UK offices worked closely with the production and pro-
moter SJM Concerts, to install a 600m barrier system. UK manager Kevin Thorborn said: “Amidst a busy summer it is testament to our international logistics, support teams behind the scenes and our crews on site. “They deal with multiple simultaneous shows; some of the Foo Fighters system was shipped over
night from a Prince show in Paris and arrived in good time on Friday morning enabling the crew to complete the installation. “The remainder of the system was in our warehouse facility being pressure washed after being used at a very muddy Glastonbury festival. It took a full crew working through the night to turn it around.”
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Shakespeare’s birthplace will be transformed in September when the Stratford Food Festival returns to town. As well as lining the banks of the River Avon, this year the festival also hits the streets by joining with three food markets across the town.
Liverpool has celebrated the 100th birthday of its legendary Liver Building with a spectacular 3D event. The light show was the climax of a week of celebrations in the city and animated the Liver Building and newly-opened Museum of Liverpool with an 800-year chronicle of the city’s history. The project was the UK debut for Czech Republic company The Macula who have previously wowed crowds in Dubai and Prague with architectural projections.
Newbury Racecourse has used the power of social networking to interact with visitors ahead of one of its busiest events in the calendar. During the countdown to CGA Ladies Day, the venue used Twitter to engage with fans of the headline act Tom Jones, who was performing on the day once the racing action had finished. As part of its marketing strategy, the racecourse launched a competition via its Twitter page where one lucky eventgoer could win the chance to meet their idol ahead of his performance.
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The crowd at JLS in Swindon
Picture: Media Ink PR
Nine gigs in four weeks was the challenge for Andy Cotton and the team at TAO Productions. Christina Eccles caught up with him on site at JLS’ gig in Swindon’s Lydiard Park.
Summer gigs keep Andy busy AS the ‘Judith Chalmers of the music industry’, Andy has worked on projects all over the world. Although his latest gigs were slightly closer to home, they still involved visiting destinations all over the UK to deliver gigs by Rod Stewart, Bon Jovi and boyband of the moment JLS. Challenges for the team included switching from producing an event in a greenfield site – such as Lydiard Park for one of the JLS gigs – to bringing the large Bon Jovi production to a football stadium in Bristol. The ever unpredictable British
weather also played a part, with Andy also having to cater to audiences ranging from young kids upwards depending on who was playing. But despite having to work hard to meet the tight timescale, he told The Main Event he had enjoyed the experience of working on them all. He added: “Bon Jovi was amazing as it was an extremely large production going into a small stadium. JLS was also fun and Rod Stewart is also great to work with. It was a nice series of gigs but a lot in one go so we had to multi task.”
Andy Cotton with Rod Stewart
Staging: European Staging – Rod Stewart Stageco – Bon Jovi Serious Stages – JLS Toilets / Barriers / Fencing Event Wizards Lighting HSL – JLS Security AP Security Sound Major Tom – Rod Stewart Capital Sound – JLS Bon Jovi in Bristol
Power Powerline – JLS Backroom – Rod Stewart Event / Production / Stage / Safety Management TAO Productions TAO Crew Lists Event Manager – Andy Cotton Stage Manager – Darren Wring Event Medical – Kevin Hitchens Site Managers – Will Tonkin, Graham Jones
Safety Managers – Jon Perry, Chris Harvey Jamie Johnstone Infrastructure – Chris Fitzgerald Production Assistants – Justin Britchford, Poppy Roth, Ben Adams Security Manager – John Phillips Production Manager Bon Jovi – Jesse Sandler Production Manager JLS – Iain Whitehead Production Manager Rod Stewart – Lars Brogaard
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CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW Thousands of spectators enjoyed the sights at another successful Chelsea Flower Show. Here, The Main Event takes a look at the show in pictures...
Electricians – AAC Power Solutions Tentage – Arena Structures Tentage – Ascot Structures Telecoms – CBA Spindlewood Tentage – DeBoer Structures (UK) Catering – Ice Cream – EC Soft Ice Cream Security – Equinox Security Management Safety Stewards – Event and Exhibition Partnership Traffic Management – Exhibition Traffic Management Services Shell Scheme – Expo Floors Mobile Catering – Express Cafes Scaffolding – Hi Pro Scaffolding
Mobile Toilets – Just Loos.com Reinstatement – Kestrel (Contractors) PA's – LCI Productions Trakway – Lion Trackhire Auto CAD – Micro Map CCTV – Mobile CCTV Signage – Octink Tentage – Owen Brown (GL Events) Waste Management – Sagum Events Health and Safety Advisor – Select Services Intl. Plumbing – Show Site Services Fixed Catering – Sodexo Prestige Furniture – T/A Thorns Group
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BOMFEST
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Festival builds from humble beginnings By Nicola Hyde A MUSIC festival which had humble beginnings in Barnsley has earned recognition as one of the most upand-coming events for unsigned acts in the UK. BOMfest – which was held in July at Worsbrough Mill Country Park – is in its eighth year and welcomed over
5,000 visitors. But a press campaign before the event saw it secure valuable free publicity from radio stations and even a national spread in Metro newspaper. The Bomfest (Barnsley Original Music Festival) event was the brainchild of pals Dave Hancock and Iain West who performed in a band called Gia but had trouble getting in to fes-
tivals to perform themselves. Dave said: “It’s not just a Barnsley thing – it’s a flagship music event for South Yorkshire now, I think and people on the national circuit are starting to recognise our hard work. “Barnsley is not a bigoted little town like perhaps it used to be 15 years ago, it’s turning a corner in a cultural way and BOMfest hopefully is a part of helping Barnsley to do that.” There were seven stages at the event which featured over 100 bands Golden Triangle – generators and lighting towers S.A.S – portacabins Shadow Security Services – security and stewards Showtec – PA systems and lighting U.K Bars – bars and marquees Jamboree Arts – marquees and staging Innovation Productions – PA systems and lighting
and 40 DJs with an eclectic mix of music from dub step and dance to folk, pop, rock and heavy metal. It was headlined by former Inspiral Carpets frontman Tom Hingley and 70s rock band Seventh Son. Previously chosen as one of the top 100 UK events in the Daily Telegraph, BOMfest has emerged as one of the highlights of the Yorkshire music calendar and plans are already underway for next year’s event. Emergency Response Training – first aid cover Dr. Loo – toilets Ladbrook Insurance – insurance services J. Raddcliffes – fencing Herbal Sessions – sound systems Striking Lighting – Visual FX and lighting
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ROYAL AIR TATTOO Keeping an annual event fresh and appealing after 40 years is one of the challenges facing the organisers of the world's largest military airshow. Dominic Musgrave found out more.
Challenge of keeping show flying high ... THE Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford attracts the best of the world’s aircraft and flying display teams, and a crowd of more than 155,000 over the two days. Crowd barrier/ security fencing – Wernick Event Hire Trackway – TRAC Ltd Temporary buildings – Portakabin/ Elliott Carpets – Floorex Cleaning – M&A Cleaning Workplace supplies – Greenham Event furniture – Thorns/ Event Furniture/ GLD Productions Grandstand – Star Seating Plant hire – Hewdens Tents – A3 Events/ De Boer/ Owen Brown/ Showplace Toilets – Portaloo/ Wessington/ Andy Loos Tool Hire – HSS
Washroom supplies – PHS Waste management – Grundon Drinking water – Water Direct Showground catering – Main Event Catering Hospitality catering – Tapenade/ Relish Power – Power Electrics Flags – SLS Floral decoration and AV equipment – 360 Event Services Transport – U Drive/ Northgate Hangar Dressing – Chinnick Theatre Services Security – G4S/RJA Security
It is organised by the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises and, according to sponsorship development manager Francesca Heap, aims to offer something for all the family. She told Main Event one of the main challenges is filling the vast space at the Gloucestershire airfield. “As well as always looking to getting new aircraft and display teams to come here, we are also always looking at improving what we offer on the ground, and also getting here because the traffic is the first thing people experience,” said Francesca.
“The event attracts various types of people, from enthusiasts who attend purely for the aeroplanes and helicopters to families who come here for a good time, which is why we have things like the fair rides and the Ford show arena. “This creates a challenge in itself as we have to try and please everybody, and for the first time last year we introduced mystery shoppers to tell us what they think. “We are always fine tuning the event and ask for feedback afterwards, but we found they can tell us what they want, which is why this year each of the static planes has a board explaining what it is because not everybody knows what things are.” Continued on Page 13
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ROYAL AIR TATTOO
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X-Factor winner Alexandra serenades air show crowds X-FACTOR winner Alexandra Burke wowed the crowds with her performance on the Sunday afternoon of this year’s event. The National Concert Band of the Air Training Corp always perform at the end of both days, but this was the first time the organisers have had acts performing throughout. Francesca added: “It was the first
Continued from Page 12 Several military aircraft that were scheduled to appear at this year’s show were forced to cancel at the last minute as they were sent to other parts of the world, but the organisers turned it into a positive. Francesca, who has been part of the team that puts the show together for the last four years, added: “We usually have all the aircrafts displaying based over the other side of the runway but, because of the extra space, we were able to tun them into an exhibit. “That meant visitors were able to
watch the pilots going through their pre-flight routines and get close to the aircraft, which they perhaps wouldn’t normally be able to do. “We are always looking at ways of raising the bar. We know coming here is expensive and naturally people’s expectations will rise, but we always hope to exceed them and want people to come here for the day rather than go somewhere like Alton Towers.” A full debrief takes place including the full 40 staff in September, where planning for next year’s show will also begin.
time we have had somebody of Alexandra’s profile on, and it was a massive success. “We always have a stage on one side of the showground, but in previous years it has only been used for the sunset concerts and not during the day. “This is an area we will be reviewing and perhaps something we will look to develop in future.”
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T IN THE PARK
A new site layout plus a strong focus on community – and communication – led to claims that this year’s T in the Park was the best ever. Christina Eccles spoke to site manager Colin Rodger.
Mingling pays off as festival is hailed the best ever COLIN has spent the last 18 years working on the event and said that from the very first festival, he always envisaged it would grow into the experience it is today. Good teamwork and constantly listening to audience feedback has been key to T in the Park’s success – with Colin adding that the most important thing for him is to get out there and ask festivalgoers what they are enjoying – and just as importantly – what can be improved. In recent years, the visitor experience has been enhanced with the addition of Citizen T – an initiative which encourages festivalgoers to take care of themselves, their surroundings and each other. Colin added: “This year was a delight, it went really well and we were able to focus in on making sure the customer experience was the best possible. “A couple of years ago there were some crime issues but we worked really hard to address them with the police.
“The Citizen T message is to look after each other. It’s definitely starting to have an impact and you can see the difference.” One area which organisers looked to improve this year was litter on site. People were encouraged to collect their rubbish and bag it up as they would at home, with a litter train running through the campsite to pick it up. The site layout was also changed as feedback from fans suggested the distance between stages could be shortened. Two exits were created out of the arena to help with egress and Colin said feedback showed this worked to improve the flow of the crowds. He added: “The key is chatting to people on site and, with social media, you do not need to do formal surveys. “The one thing I would stress about T is the team work. T in the Park sells out because we invest to make it a great, safe and well managed event. “We work very closely with the
police, fire and medical services, which leads to a great atmosphere and confidence in the event. “I feel table top planning should be a standard thing and all festivals should do it. Last year five out of six of our scenarios happened at the event but because we had planned for them, we were able to respond.
“I am absolutely delighted and proud of this year’s event. There are so many people working on it, we don’t always have the chance to say thank you to everyone from the contractors to the staff and the audience. This was the best one we have done.”
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T IN THE PARK
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Rental group ensures a smooth operation for organisers for fifth year Advertiser’s announcement ARNOLD Clark Car and Van Rental is part of the Arnold Clark Group, Europe’s largest independent car dealer. With over 30 branches throughout the UK and an extensive range of vehicles available, Arnold Clark Car and Van Rental operates one of Scotland’s leading fleets while providing a professional and easy to use service. Arnold Clark Car and Van Rental also has a dedicated special events division with a highly-skilled team on hand to tailor make rental packages to suit all business requirements. The special events division provides: A vast range of modern vehicles Vehicles supplied with beacons, tow bars, roof racks and without livery Exclusive rates for all special events companies Large volumes of vehicles with little notice Delivery and collection available on request Our broad range of expertise has attracted major clients including: Hydro Connect Festival Rockness Festival
Belladrum Festival Scottish Rugby Union Women’s British Open The Senior Open Golf Championship
T in the Park Most recently Arnold Clark Car and Van Rental has for the fifth consecutive year, supplied a variety of vehi-
cles for the famous T in the Park festival including 4x4 pick-ups and SUVs, seven and nine seater people carriers, cars, small vans, Ford Transit Lutons, minibuses and Ford Transit Flatbeds. The dedicated corporate account managers, who are a one-point contact for the client, ensure the entire hire process for such events is as
smooth as possible. From having meetings prior, during and after T in the Park ensuring the client’s needs are met, to reacting to last minute hire requests and changes to bookings, the corporate account manager ensured the service provided to the T in the Park organisers was faultless, giving them one less area to worry about.
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GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW
‘Superb crowds, record entries and lovely weather’ THE organisers of The Great Yorkshire Show are celebrating another successful year after visitor numbers almost equalled the event’s all time record. This year 135,086 people came through the gates over three days, just short of the 135,111 record established in 2006. Guests included TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, who delighted the crowds as they
toured the showground, adding an extra hour to their visit as they chatted to visitors and exhibitors. There were also record figures in the competitive classes with around 1,000 cattle, 2,000 sheep, over 2,000 horses and 400 pigs, which underlined the show’s popularity with exhibitors. Show director Bill Cowling said: “We have had a tremendous Great Yorkshire Show – superb crowds, record entries across the competitive
classes and lovely weather. Our aim is to provide a great day out and showcase the farming industry. I believe we have achieved that – reenforcing our reputation as England’s premier show. Next on our agenda is our autumn event, Countryside Live which takes place here at the showground in October.” Next year’s Great Yorkshire Show runs from Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12 July.
John Whitaker and Peppermill, winner of the Ripon Select Foods Cock o’the North Show Jumping Championship.
Iconic sculptures craned in to show
Yorkshire Agricultural Society chief executive Nigel Pulling with Sophie Ryder’s Crawling bronze statue of a lady hare/human hybrid on loan from Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
TWO iconic sculptures from the Yorkshire Sculpture Park were carefully craned in to their temporary home in time for the start of the show. The two 3.6m high works of art, which have a combined weight of 14 tonnes, took pride of place in front of the President’s Pavilion at the 250-acre showground. ‘Crawling’ and ‘Héros de Lumière’ – believed to be the first time sculptures of such importance have been displayed at an agricultural show – arrived at the showground on board a 16m long trailer
before being carefully lowered by a giant crane. Alan Mackenzie, head of sculpture and estates at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park said moving the two gigantic pieces of artwork involved a team of technical experts to ensure all went smoothly and that they arrived in their new surroundings without a hitch. He added: “We wanted to bring pieces of art that were of a scale and would be noticed, and enjoyed by the thousands of visitors that come to the Great Yorkshire Show.”
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INSURANCE
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Focus on the high points and use insurance to protect against the lows Advertiser’s announcement THE recent proliferation of events may provide excellent fund raising opportunities or new revenue avenues for entrepreneurial businesses, but organisers can also put themselves at risk of compensation claims or financial losses if things go wrong. The adrenalin rush of organising and executing a fantastic event is intoxicating. The minefield of legal responsibilities coupled with today’s rampant compensation culture can, however, also become a significant headache. That is, of course, unless some of the event budget is utilised to purchase specialist insurance through a knowledgeable broker. Fortunately, this cover is becoming less expensive. Head of sales at Robertson Taylor Insurance Brokers, Steven Howell, said: “Premiums have dropped by up to 15 per cent as a result of improved management, better health and safety regimes and discounts for things like green initiatives.” While the organisers of large events recognise the importance of protecting themselves, their employees and their business,
many of those who put together smaller local and charity events don’t. The problem is that damage or an injury leading to a compensation claim can just as easily occur at a church garden party as at the heavy metal music gig. Events have one common denominator – people. While the health and safety team will do all it can to protect attendees, situations arise and injuries happen. This Public Liability (PL) protection is, however, one of the easiest to arrange and the premium paid will depend on the event type, venue, the expected number of attendees and the level of cover. The owners of the venue will also want to know that adequate protection is in place before the gates open. Attention must also be paid to protecting employees. One additional key point to note is that in law unpaid staff, volunteers and crew are treated the same as a paid team and must all be covered by Employers’ Liability insurance (EL). Utilising a huge amount of equipment required to put on an extravaganza also brings its own insurable financial risks. From audio visual equipment to cutlery and crockery,
anything hired in has a financial value and the owners will demand compensation for loss or damage. In the same way, don’t overlook the significant loss if any monies you collect on the day from ticket sales or bar takings go missing. Overall, while insurance cannot increase the transient high points generated by organising events, investing a proportion of your budget in buying specialist tailored cover can prevent any lows from inflicting permanent financial damage.
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NEW PRODUCT SERVICES AND SUPPLIER NEWS
Specialist supplies facilities for Paris Air Show Message on a bottle ... THE Bottle Boutique is a totally new and unique concept in luxury bottle branding, promising superb standout at any event. Choose from a wide selection of award-winning wines, champagnes and cava then have them branded all over with your desired logo, event design or message. The bottle is simply your canvass to feature whatever you want! Order just a handful of bottles or thousands, in magnum, standard and miniature sizes. The finish is luxury, high-end but at a price that is anything but. Ask us for a quote, you will be surprised. All branding is coated directly onto the bottle (no shrink wrap or sticky labels!) and colours can be pantone matched. We can also create metallic colours if you wish and all bottles have the option to be finished in a matte or high gloss. With 100 per cent record of super-satisfied customers so far, with big names such as Google, Ferrari, Jaguar, Virgin, Harley Davidson and several premiership football clubs taking stock of their own branded bottles, why not get in touch yourself and see what we can create for your next event. Visuals created free of charge. For more information: 0161 976 6104 or email sales@thebottleboutique.com
TEMPORARY structure specialist, Neptunus supplied exhibitor and visitor facilities at this year’s Paris Air Show, which took place in June. Neptunus installed two linked Evolution structures to form over 3,000 sq m of exhibition space. This housed the latest technologies and innovations from the aviation industry’s major manufacturers. A third Evolution structure also provided a VIP restaurant serving gourmet French and international cuisine to guests. Part of Neptunus’ semi-permanent range, the Evolution is the most technologically advanced temporary structure available in today’s market. Its robust design not only creates a very stable structure, but also offers impressive hanging loads for rigging and AV lighting inside the exhibition halls.
Internally, the finish is neat and practical providing exhibitors and visitors with modern and comfortable surroundings. As a sectional building, the Evolution is quick to construct and the roofs were assembled at ground level and raised with hydraulics to ensure a speedy installation. Neptunus can also provide event structures in countless styles, dimensions and combinations, from simple pergolas to three storey penthouses complete with balconies. Neptunus has provided structures for high profile events including The Wimbledon Tennis Championships and Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. For further information contact Faye Baker or Rebecca Draper on 01530 276550 or Email: faye@q-storm.co.uk or rebecca@q-storm.co.uk
Wristband project proves a success at Isle of Wight SECURITY wristband specialists, ID&C helped provide Isle of Wight Festival VIP guests with the UK’s first ever prepaid contactless payment wristband. The project, led by MasterCard, saw festivalgoers in the VIP arena put the PayPass prepaid wristbands to the test, unanimously rating them as a must-have for future live events. Research conducted by MasterCard amongst those using
the ID&C-supplied wristbands found they were their preferred payment method at the festival, with an astounding 100 per cent of users stating that they’d use the wristbands again at other festivals, concerts and sporting events. Pre-loaded with £30, the wristbands could be used to purchase food and drink with a simple tap of the wrist. ID&C’s operations director Steve Daly said: ‘‘It’s the simplicity and
speed which make contactless wristbands so attractive to festival organisers and punters alike. “The opportunity to work on this groundbreaking project at one of the UK’s most established festivals has been fantastic and the results have clearly revealed how contactless wristbands can enhance the user experience.’’ For further information contact Steve Daly on 01892 548 364 or steve@idcband.co.uk
Company continues to grow 2CL Communications supplies and hires two-way radios and CCTV systems to the events industry. The company is well-established with 39 years of experience and provides comprehensive support to its customers. Thanks to its product and service quality, 2CL has been witness to growth year upon year. 2CL’s hire department is at its busiest in the summer period when the event season really kicks off. However, despite the high levels of activity, the com-
pany always strives to maintain its quality of customer service. For example, this summer 2CL has stepped in to help a number of companies with their last-minute requirements, some of which had been let down by their existing suppliers. For more information about 2CL Communications and its products and services please visit www.2cl.co.uk or call 0800 389 2278.
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NEW PRODUCT SERVICES AND SUPPLIER NEWS
Firm goes from strength to strength in outdoor market PICCADILLY AV installed a 24sqm high resolution LED screen for the new RAF on AIR Experience exhibition at the Waddington International Airshow. Special guests included Carol Vorderman, Miss England Jessica Linley and The Red Arrows Team, including the first ever female Red Arrow, Kirsty Moore. Piccadilly AV are live event technical specialists, with over 30 years’ experience in the events and music industry, and have recently invested in the latest LED screen technology. The new screens are 10mm resolution making them ideal for any event, indoor and outdoor and most importantly – they are affordable. Managing director Mike Newton
said: “We were originally rooted in indoor corporate events, but our expansion into the outdoor event market is going from strength to strength. The introduction of our new LED screens now completes our position as a full service technical support provider. Our work at RAF Waddington is another example of the service we can provide for all types of events.” Piccadilly AV also provided the complete stage set, lighting including moving head and LED fixtures and sound systems for the event. For more information contact siansmith@picc.co.uk or Manchester: 0161 238 9090 Cardiff: 02920 480806 Rugby: 01788 576296.
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Acquisition brings Wernick investment to £40million HARSCO Eventlink and Harsco Rovacabin are now part of the Wernick Group of Companies. Eventlink will continue to operate as Wernick Eventlink following the takeover by the largest independent supplier of specialist event cabins and modular and portable buildings in Britain. Eventlink has always been an industry leader in the provision of temporary grandstand seating, barriers, fencing, staging, truss and inflatable gantries, flooring, roadway and other event equipment, but Eventlink’s clients can now take advantage of Wernick Event Hire’s extensive range of event accommodation and order all their requirements from just one company. This acquisition brings the total investment by Wernick in new fleet and freehold depots to over
£40m in the last 18 months and consolidates its position in the top three within the markets that it operates in. Chief executive David Wernick said: “We are delighted to announce this acquisition as Eventlink and Rovacabin have excellent reputations within their specialist markets. “Wernick Hire will be delighted to continue to offer their clients the service they have previously enjoyed, with the additional benefit of a much larger depot network and a wider range of products. “We are totally committed to continuing to meet the demands of both our existing and our new customer base.” For more information contact 02476 588000, or email emily.ibbotson@wernickcoventry.co.uk
Spread the word on risk EVENT professionals should do much more to educate clients about the risks inherent in events, claims event consultant and Derby University consultant Richard John. Richard is part of the team at University of Derby Corporate, where the popular Diploma in Event Safety Management has been joined by a new Certificate in Temporary Demountable Structures. Richard was speaking at the launch of his new book “Risk It!” subtitled “How to Run Great Events and Live with the Risk”.
He explained the rationale for writing the book with co-author Paul Cook, an industry insurance specialist. He said: “We wanted to write a very practical book full of tips and hints to ensure that clients aren’t scared off from doing great events. The book is written in a simple chatty style, free of jargon and with no assumption knowledge or experience.” The book is available in hard copy or as an electronic download from http://t.co/2xAwl6F
Introducing our Product Showcase feature If you would like to be featured please contact Mandy Mellor on 01226 734702 or email: mm@whpl.net
www.themaineventmagazine.co.uk
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LOCAL AUTHORITY SPOTLIGHT
The Wirral International Kite Festival forms the centrepiece of the local council’s events programme – attracting thousands of locals and tourists for a fun-filled weekend watching some of the world’s most spectacular kites. Christina Eccles paid a visit to find out more about the festival and how it fits into the council’s wider events agenda.
Flyers drawn from all over the world THE kite festival has been running for the last nine years, going from strength to strength thanks to positive word of mouth and more recently, the rise of social media. As it is a free non-ticketed event, visitor numbers can be difficult to quantify but surveys have shown that spectators come from all over the North West – and further afield – to visit the event for the day or tie it into a longer break. The event always takes place over a weekend in June and according to event manager Chris Higgins has now become a permanent fixture in the calendar – both for festival fans and the professional kite flyers who travel from all over the world to take part. As with any outdoor event, one of the challenges faced by organisers is the weather and this year was no exception. While Saturday provided perfect flying conditions – dry and gusty but not too windy – heavy
rain on the Sunday meant a downturn in visitor numbers and a reduced number of kites flying. Chris said: “It was slightly disappointing because we had such a good start and expected really big crowds, as Sunday is always our busiest day. But because we knew the weather was forecast to be slightly dodgy, we managed to put on a really good show on the Saturday.” Another challenge is actually getting the kites off the ground. As well as having to take into account the weather conditions, there are also restrictions as to how high they can fly, as well as making sure the inflatable kites aren’t too heavy and that flyers are spaced far enough apart to ensure the kites don’t get tangled up. She added: “We are restricted to flying 500ft in the air because we are near to Liverpool Airport so the CAA stipulate how high we can go.
“Some of the inflatable kites are also quite big so can be heavy when there is not a lot of wind.” Like many local authority event organisers, Chris doesn’t have a huge marketing budget to play with but is still managing to keep on successfully promoting the event. A recent appearance on BBC’s Countryfile raised the festival’s profile, as well as videos on YouTube and photos posted on Facebook, which also generate interest. “We have a tight budget but we try to do as much as we can. Finances are fairly tight, particularly when we are bringing in the international kite flyers from all over the world. That can be costly but we feel they add a lot to the event. “We could have more stalls but there’s only so much that I can physically do. It’s more important we run the event safely and not try to overstretch ourselves.” As well as organising their own events, the council also takes on an important facilitating role – with its safety advisory group helping others stage their own events in the local area. Recent examples include the Port Sunlight Summer Festival and Food Festival and the Festival of Transport in Birkenhead Park, pictured.
Marketing campaign working well for Wirral TOURISM bosses in Wirral are also using events as a way of attracting more visitors into the area. Tourism is annually worth about £250m to Wirral and visitor numbers have increased steadily over the past few years, with spectacles such as the Kite Festival playing an important part. To make the destination more appealing, the council has also launched a dedicated marketing campaign – Play, Eat and Stay – which capitalises on the three key themes of coast, countryside and
food as popular reasons why people visit Wirral. And destination marketing manager Juggy Landay told The Main Event that focusing on the themes which make Wirral special, rather than generic campaigns, is working well for them. He explained: “The themes have worked really well for us. We did some visitor research in 2006, which told us what does and doesn’t work. We are an undiscovered jewel in the North West and have a wonderful offering.”
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365 - SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
Access Control
Event Hire
Ticket Alternative UK ltd Unit 333 Ashley Rd, London N17 9LN T: 0800 011 2894 E: orders@ticketalternative.co.uk www.ticketalternative.co.uk
Elliott – Event Hire St Georges House Rearsby Business Park Rearsby Leicester LE47 4YH T: 0800 1313314 E: events@elliottuk.com www.elliott.com
Air Displays TSA Consulting Ltd Lodge House 15 Gosditch Street Cirencester Gloucestershire GL7 2AG T; 01285 659590 E: info@tsaconsulting.co.uk www.tsaconsulting.co.uk
PW Hire Bode Business Park Ball Haye Green Leek Staffordshire ST13 6BW T: 01538 384008 F: 01538 384016 E: info@pwhire.co.uk www.pw-hire.co.uk
Backline & PA Hire
Event Production
Sensible Music Group 90-96 Brewery Road London N7 9NT T: 020 7700 9900 F: 020 7700 4802 E: studio@sensible-music.co.uk www.sensible-music.co.uk
Car and Van rental
Ethix Management 100 Kingsgate Road West Hampstead London NW6 2JG T: 0207 691 1960 E: enquiries@ethixmanagement.com www.ethixmanagement.com
Event Power
Arnold Clark Rental Head Office Kerse Road Stirling FK7 7RU T:01786 468 700 E: car.rental.sales@arnoldclark.co.uk www.arnoldclarkrental.com
BRM Productions Limited Unit 12 Canalside Industrial Park Kinoulton Road Cropwell Bishop Notts NG12 3BE T: 0115 989 9955 M: 07860 285305 E: power@brm-productions.co.uk
CCTV Hire
Fireworks
2CL Communications Ltd Unit C, Woodside Trade Centre Parham Drive Eastleigh Hampshire SO50 4NU T: 0800 389 2278 F: 02380 720038 E: sales@2cl.co.uk www.2cl.co.uk
21cc Fireworks
Mobile CCTV Ltd Unit G 4 Doman Road Kendall Court Yorktown Industrial Estate Camberley Surrey GU15 3DF T: 01276 469 084 E: info@mobilecctv.co.uk www.mobilecctv.co.uk
Crowd Management Pro Touch Security Ltd 4C Queensway business Centre Dunlop Way Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire DN16 3RN T: 01724 279522 E: office@protouchsecurity.co.uk www.protouchsecurity.co.uk
` Event Branding Principle Group 2270 Silverstone Technology Park Silverstone Circuit Northants NN12 8TN T: 01327 858 614 F: 01327 858 287 www.principle-group.co.uk
Hopetoun Sawmill Hopetoun Estates Edinburgh EH30 9SL T: 0800 612 4509 E: info@21ccfireworks.co.uk www.21ccfireworks.com
Insurance Services ARC International St. Clare House 30-33 Minories London EC3N 1PE T: +44 (0) 207 977 7630 F: +44 (0) 207 977 7631 E: twaller@arc-int.co.uk Robertson Taylor 33 Harbour Exchange Square London E14 9GG T: 020 7510 1234 E: enquiries@rtib.co.uk www.Robertonson-taylor.com
Marquees Danco Plc The Pavilion Centre Frog Lane Coalpit Heath Bristol BS36 2NW Tel: 01454 250 222 Fax: 01454 250 444 www.danco.co.uk GD Marquee Hire Western Brake Tedburn St Mary Exeter EX6 6EY T: 01647 24455 E: info@gdhire.com www.gdhire.com
GL events Snowdens Second Drove Eastern Industry Fengate Peterborough PE1 5XA T: 01733 344110 F: 01733 314985 E: info@snowdens.co.uk www.snowdens.co.uk
Steeldeck Rentals Ltd Unit 58 T.Marchant Estate 42-72 Verney Road London SE16 3DH T: 020 7833 2031 E: richard@steeldeck.co.uk www.steeldeck.co.uk
The Stage Bus
Medical Management SP Services (UK) Ltd Unit D4, Hortonpark Estate Hortonwood 7 Telford Shropshire TF1 7GX T: 01952 288 999 F: 01952 606 112 E: sales@spservices.co.uk www.spservices.co.uk Paramedico No 1a Storage unit Tannery close Croydon Industrial Estate Beckenham, Kent BR3 4BY T: 02086565956 M: 07515287962 E: events@paramedico.info www.paramedico.info
Portable Kitchens Elliott – Event Hire St Georges House Rearsby Business Park Rearsby Leicester LE47 4YH T: 0800 1313314 E: events@elliottuk.com www.elliott.com
Revolving Stages Movetech UK A division of British Turntable Co Ltd Emblem Street Bolton BL3 5BW T: 01204 537682 E: rental@movetechuk.com www.movetechuk.com/rental The Revolving Stage Company Ltd Unit F5, Little Heath Industrial Estate Old Church Road Coventry CV6 7ND T: 024 7668 7055 E:enquiries@therevolvingstagecompany.co.uk
Sound & Lighting Stage Electrics Third Way Avonmouth Bristol BS11 9YL T: 0844 870 0077 F: 0117 916 2828 sales@stage-electrics.co.uk www.stage-electrics.co.uk
Staging Daytona Stage Hire P.O. Box 43 Huddersfield HD8 9YU T: 01484 605555 M: 07889 132580 F: 01484 602806 E: daytonastagehire@mac.com www.daytonastagehire.com
19 Prestwood Road Weoley Castle Birmingham B29 5EB T: 0121 603 8367 M: 07738 900 762 E info@thestagebus.com www.thestagebus.com
Toilets Eventloos.com 12a Bold Industrial Park Neil’s Road St Helens Merseyside WA9 4TU T: 0845 544 0513 E: info@eventloos.com www.eventloos.com Elliott – Event Hire St Georges House Rearsby Business Park Rearsby Leicester LE47 4YH T: 0800 1313314 E: events@elliottuk.com www.elliott.com
Walkie Talkies 2CL Communications Ltd Unit C, Woodside Trade Centre Parham Drive Eastleigh Hampshire SO50 4NU T: 0800 389 2278 F: 02380 720038 E: sales@2cl.co.uk www.2cl.co.uk Wall to Wall Communications Unilink House 21 Lewis Road Sutton, Surrey SM1 4BR T:020 8770 1007 F:020 8770 9700 E:hire@walltowallcomms.co.uk www.walltowallcomms.co.uk
Water supplies Water Direct Ltd B-26 Earls Colne Business Park Earls Colne Colchester Essex CO6 2NS T: 0845 345 1725 F: 01787 223354 E: enquiries@water-direct.co.uk www.water-direct.co.uk
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Why events need to take sustainability more seriously Rory Sloan, Head of Production, RPM HISTORICALLY the events industry has been perceived as wasteful, and arguably in the last few years sustainability has slipped down the agenda as the current economic climate overshadows it. Despite this, the events businesses has long recognised the importance of improving sustainable performance, by increasing resource efficiency and reducing carbon emissions and waste. As the economy stabilises, sustainability is likely to return to the top of the agenda again. Environmental standards and Corporate Social Responsibility have been a good way of setting a clear standard for the industry. More firms are taking the environmental impact of shows and conferences into consideration and highlighting the positive steps they are taking to address these concerns. Organisers are often bound by certain sustainability criteria dictated by venue owners and councils who enforce different standards such as British Standard (BS 8901). Although all events should be at least reaching the minimum requirement, event organisers should really be looking to go far beyond that level. In fact, when you examine some of the most successful larger corporations sustainability has been a cor-
nerstone of their business for a long time. Sky and M&S, for example, require suppliers to demonstrate what they are doing to make sure their events are as sustainable as possible. Creating an environmentally responsible event isn’t always about overtly beating the environmental drum. For example the annual SkyRide events by their very nature are highly sustainable. They have seen a year on year growth in popularity, with 80,000 consumers enjoying a fun entertaining day out at the London event last year. The events directly connect with Sky’s CSR policy, without preaching to consumers. Consumers’ expectation that brands and business should take their environmental responsibilities seriously has increased dramatically over the last few years. That said, brands must be careful not to be seen as jumping on the environmental band wagon just as part of a single campaign. If sustainability is one of the brand’s core values then that needs to run throughout the entire business. For most brands, events enable them to come face to face with their consumers so they need to be living and breathing their core ethical values.
Don’t forget you can also keep up to date with the latest event industry news by following us on Twitter @TheMainEventmag Here’s what we have been talking about on Twitter recently ...
The first of four UK wide community celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games has taken place in Skegness, hosted by East Lindsey District Council. A crowd of over 11,000 people visited this year’s SO Festival to see the premiere of Games Time, a large scale outdoor spectacular involving 200 volunteer performers.
Festival Republic launches festival in America FESTIVAL Republic has launched a new music festival in America, which will celebrate the country’s rich music scene. Orlando Calling will take place in November at Citrus Bowl Park and will include four stages of American artists, such Saturday night headliners The Killers, as well as providing a platform for up and coming acts. The team behind the event already produce a number of the UK’s largest
festivals including Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and Latitude as well as Electric Picnic in Ireland and Hove in Norway, CEO Melvin Benn said: “I am massively excited at the thought of creating an American Music Festival in the sunshine state. “This will be the first of many festivals to be held on an annual basis in this wonderful city, and to be able to present such amazing artists in the first year is very special indeed.”
CLASSIFIED SILENT DISCO
STAGES
Twitter talk ... Beyonce’s performance at Glastonbury: @ConversisGlobal – Loved her - she really got in the festival spirit and the crowds loved her too! Who got Olympics tickets: @a1nag – yippee I got tickets for judo and gymnastics which are great personally but not opening ceremony for @sgievents :( What events people are working on: @Walk_The_Plank – We're on site @SOFestival preparing for @GamesTimeUK with @dedaderby We're collaborating on creative content, production including staging, projection, lighting, and adding sparkle with pyro! @Charjar22 – Working @tastespain #event on London Regent Street - should be great! :) Which events we should be visiting and covering:
@JellyFestival – Check out coolest boutique festival, (Jelly fest). Get a wobble on and go to www.jellyfestival.com
WASTE MANAGEMENT
FAIR GROUND
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CLASSIFIED BALLOONS
BARS
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EVENT BRANDING
CATERING
EVENT HIRE
FESTIVALS
FREIGHT
HEATING & COOLING
LARGE SCREEN HIRE
MEDICAL
The Event Medicine Company Unit D, Central Estate, Albert Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 1SZ Tel: 01252 313005 Email: info@eventmedicinecompany.co.uk www.eventmedicinecompany.co.uk
POWER
PORTABLE ROADWAY
RECYCLING
REVOLVING STAGES
RADIO HIRE
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