Issue 36 January 2010 £4.75
Group plans for 2010
Promoter in court action over festival By Christina Eccles A PROMOTER is claiming damages and loss of earnings from a local council over the cancellation of a Bob Marley tribute festival, which was expected to attract 15,000 people. Gold National Events – headed by Mike Forrester – is claiming £153,000 plus costs from Manchester City Council, after it pulled the plug on the event over concerns about public order. The festival was due to take place at Platts Field Park in August 2008 and artists confirmed to perform included reggae star Sean Paul and Bob Marley’s son Ky-Mani. But it was cancelled after the council claimed it had been advised by Greater Manchester Police that the event should not go ahead. However, GMP deny this and claim that although they did have concerns, they had not issued instructions to cancel and would have supported the festival. The case went to the High Court in November and was reserved by the judge, with judgement expected later this month. And Mike revealed he would have liked to have resolved the issue ami-
cably, but the council’s reluctance to communicate left him with no choice but to start court proceedings. He said: “The police had allegedly given advice to cancel but when I raised questions with the council, I got nothing back. What gets me is the lack of communication and transparency. They completely ignored me and engaged in no dialogue. The only time we got a response was when they were served a High Court writ.” Mike said he was left ‘absolutely devastated’ by the cancellation of the festival as he was expecting it to be a great event for the whole community. He added that it would have been a family event, which would have given festivalgoers the opportunity to see Sean Paul – a big international star – for a reasonable price of £15 per ticket. He added: “I am very disappointed. As my local council, I would have expected them to give me support. I was trying to do something good for the community.” A Manchester City Council spokesman told The Main Event that as court proceedings are ongoing, the council could not comment at this time.
A GROUP set up to tackle issues faced by local authority event organisers has unveiled ambitious plans for 2010. The Local Authorities Event Organisers Group (LAEOG UK) was formed after a group of neighbouring authorities met to discuss issues they had with fun fairs on council land. It soon expanded to talk about other common issues and grew in membership numbers, meeting twice a year. After consultation with members, LAEOG has now become an independent formally constituted group, chaired by Andy Grove from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. This year, it will be pushing to attract as many members as possible – becoming a voice for local authority event organisers and engaging and consulting with key industry organisations. Committee member Vanessa Mitchell from Bradford City Council said: “I believe its really important for local authorities to join together as there are so many common issues.” A homecoming concert in Reading to welcome back local X Factor star Danyl Johnson included the use of two of the world’s largest plasma screens. The whopping 103” screens flanked Danyl on each side of the stage and showed footage filmed at the event. The screens were sourced by PSCo, which joined forces with Surtees Reading for the event, held at the Penta Hotel. Danyl played a set of his most popular X Factor songs to an assembled audience of VIP guests.
The Main Event is the official magazine of the National Outdoor Events Association
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Cash-free zone plan for major festivals By Christina Eccles MAJOR festivals could soon become cash-free zones as increasingly ambitious technology is introduced at events. As festivalgoers become increasingly vigilant about taking valuables with them to events, new technology being developed could mean spending money on site could soon become a thing of the past. Festival giant Live Nation has been working with Barclaycard to develop a product for its festivals – which include Download, Wireless and Hard Rock Calling – which would allow visitors to purchase cards or wristbands that could be topped up with an amount before the event, meaning
they do not have to bring any money with them. Head of sponsorship at Barclaycard Daniel Mathieson said this would have many benefits for both festivalgoers and organisers including: Festivalgoers no longer have to worry about looking after cash at events. Visitors may spend more at the bar or on concessions because queuing and transaction times will be reduced. Parents of younger festivalgoers would get added piece of mind as they could buy a card or wristband for their child and when topping up, specify that so much is spent on essentials such as food. Daniel said: “Cash on site at festivals
can be quite a headache for the consumer because of the speed of the transaction at the point of sale. “Ultimately we want to remove cash from a festival site, which will speed up payment at bars – meaning organisers will spend more money and it will improve the experience for the customer on site. “There would be specific payment technology in the form of a card or a wristband, which festivalgoers can top up before coming on site. They could also have option of an auto top up when it reaches a certain amount.” Live Nation’s John Probyn added that it is the way forward at events and when the idea has been mentioned on festival forums, it has received positive feedback from fans.
Winter carnival kicks off 2010 in Newcastle Page 8
Green accolade for City of London festival Page 9 ‘First is first, second is nowhere‘ for Liz Page 12
Local authority spotlight Page 11 The Event Production Show Pages 18-21 Training and recruitment Page 25 NOEA Page 24 Classified
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CONTACTS EDITORIAL Group Editor Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 editorial@themaineventmagazine.co.uk Reporters:
Award double for team
Christina Eccles (ce@whpl.net) Mary Ferguson (mf@whpl.net) Louise Cordell (lcordell@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: Kyle Wilkinson (kw@whpl.net) Tel: 01226 734711
A COUNCIL’S events team has scooped two awards for its efforts organising the UK’s biggest Diwali celebration.
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Brent Council walked away with gongs at the International Visual Communication Association (IVCA) Livecom awards, which celebrate creativity and excellence for live events and experiential marketing.
Group Sales Manager: Paul Allott Tel: 01226 734484 Fax: 01226 734478 Mob: 07500 905717 Email: pa@whpl.net
The team received gold prize for The Festivals Award and The Cultural and Arts Award.
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Brent Diwali will now be automatically nominated for UK event of the year at the main IVCA awards in March.
Sales Executive: Mandy Mellor Tel: 01226 734702 Email: mm@whpl.net Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry Email: tb@whpl.net Kelly Tarff Tel: 01226 734695 email: circulation@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk
An event management company is looking for work experience students to support a busy 2010 event diary. After taking on over 40 placements in 2009, Event Cornwall is looking for more people to help out on events this year. Director Claire Eason-Bassett said: “Candidates support us with everything from outlining planning of a project to managing the event on site and we encourage participants to really get involved. Feedback we’ve had from previous people is that it’s challenging but hugely exciting and fulfilling.”
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4 Manx Radio has been chosen as the exclusive radio media partner for the 2010 Bay Festival – taking place over three nights in June. The station will host star interviews – with acts including JLS, Calvin Harris and Diversity – and compere the event live. Manx Radio’s business director John Marsom said: “This is a tremendous opportunity for the station to be the exclusive radio partner. The event will see 30,000 people in the three days and we are honoured to have been chosen to be a key partner.”
New industry body set to launch A NEW body set up to promote the live events industry is set to launch early this year. Founded by the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), the Association of Event Venues (AEV)
and the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA), the organisation will work to raise the profile of live events with marketers and business leaders. Its name, branding and website will be revealed at a later date.
Firms create one-stop shop EVENT Floor and Majestic Marquees have joined forces to become The Structure Group (TSG). The move creates a one-stop shop for organisers looking for flooring systems and structures.
TSG’s new identity has been enhanced by the launch of its new website, which brings together all the facets of Event Floor and Majestic Marquees under one roof.
Festivals told to unite to drive down prices By Christina Eccles FESTIVALS worried about the rising costs of artists should work together to drive down prices, according to key industry figures. Malcolm McKenzie, a manager at Supervision Entertainment, has supplied artists to several major festivals. And he says that one of the reasons why the cost of headliners keeps increasing is because competition from rival festivals is pushing up fees. He said: “Artist fees are going to get worse as there is always going to be competition. Headliners are a serious problem as there isn’t the investment in the industry to create those kind of artists for the future.” Organiser of the Isle of Wight Festival John Giddings added without decent headliners, festivals will struggle to compete with their rivals. He added: “People go to festivals because of the headliners but bands are wising up to the fact that if you give them an exclusive, they can only
do one or two shows per year.” He suggested that instead of competing with each other, events could split popular artists so that they are not tied to just performing at one festival. Christof Huber, who organises OpenAir St.Gallen in Switzerland, said that although in the past the festival has managed to secure artists including Metallica and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, it is now too expensive to book this kind of act. Because of this, they have been forced to change the style of the event. He added: “It is just not possible for us to have that kind of act so we are using the idea of the festival having an identity and being a brand rather than it just being about the acts we are booking. It is tough to get an exclusive act so we find out what else our audience want. We are incredibly close to our community and they are really connected with the festival.” The dates have been revealed for this year’s Great Yorkshire Show – with organisers expecting over 130,000 visitors to come through the gates. The 152nd Show takes place on July 13-15 in Harrogate and every year attracts over 12,000 entries across the competitive classes. Honorary show director Bill Cowling said: “The popularity and reputation of the show is based on its commitment to staying true to its farming roots, whilst ensuring it is innovative and has plenty to attract the general visitor. So whether your interest lies in farming, fashion, food or flowers, there will be plenty to entertain and inform.”
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Now in its third year, the NFL Tailgate Party offered a true NFL experience when 23,000 American football fans travelled to Wembley Stadium for the only game of the series to be played in the UK. The Main Event found out more.
Celebrating all things NFL FANS could apply for the limited number of free tickets for the party which acted as a warm up for the game. And to ensure a safe experience for visitors, Mojo Barriers worked closely with site manager Dave Walton to devise and install the crowd control and barrier system. The event celebrated all things NFL at the Palace of Industry, outside Wembley Stadium and of the 85,000 fans that bought tickets for the game, 23,000 also went to the party. Dave explained: “The idea is to bring a piece of the action to the UK each year to entertain and give fans the opportunity to experience everything that comes with the sport. In the NFL Hall of Fame we displayed some of the most historic treasures including the Vince Lombardi Trophy given to the winner of every Super Bowl and all 42 Super Bowl rings. “With each ring being worth £15,000, this obviously meant the security system had to ensure these features were safe.”
Mojo Barriers brought in 1,100m of perimeter fencing marking out the event site, with 800m of crowd control barrier across the site. As part of the system, 24 Line Up gates were used to control the ingress and egress of the crowds Dave added: “We have worked with Mojo Barriers since the event began, bringing in the Line Up gates in 2008 and seeing their effectiveness, we used them on the exit as well as the entrance this time. This meant we could count the number of exiting people and therefore calculate visitor numbers on site at any time.” Features of the event included a 500 people capacity 3D cinema, which gave fans the chance to see the sport in 3D from a player’s eye view. There were also performances on the outdoor stage by different bands and the NFL cheerleaders. The Mojo Barriers team – headed by Chris Kordek – started work on the site Tuesday prior to the event building the perimeter fencing, before installing the complete barrier system across the week.
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Maximising the potential of events as a way to boost tourism was the theme of a conference held at Leeds Metropolitan University. Christina Eccles went along to find out more.
Newcastle has a thriving events programme designed for both residents and visitors
Events bank cash for cities EVENTS have long been recognised for the benefits which they can bring to the tourism industry – but some areas have been managing to cash in on this more successfully than others. Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture saw the city come to life with a huge variety of inspiring events, which got everyone talking. Events – such as the MTV Europe Music Awards, La Machine and The Tall Ships’ Race – gave residents a tremendous sense of pride in their area as well as attracting huge numbers of visitors. And the pace didn’t slow down in 2009, with organisers fulfilling their objectives to keep Liverpool a thriving place to host events. Liverpool City Council’s head of tourism Keith Blundell explained to delegates how the council had the
job of maintaining momentum post Capital of Culture year, even though the budget and workforce had been slashed. He said: “We looked at a new tourism strategy and established a major events group, which looked at bidding for events. We also tried to build our core events to make them bigger and better quality.” A dedicated organisation – Culture 10 – has also been set up with a remit to develop a strong programme of cultural events in the North East. Culture 10 was initially set up as part of Newcastle’s bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008, but even though the city lost out to Liverpool, it made a commitment to keep the project going until 2010. When it winds up in March, events will still form part of the
Showsec rounds off the year with Sheffield Arena security SHOWSEC rounded off a successful 2009 by providing event security for the biggest ever Sports Personality of the Year awards at Sheffield Arena. The company supplied a team of security professionals, who ensured the safety of guests in the VIP preshow party, securing all transport between venues and strategically placing response teams around the
VIP audience. Julian Kumah took on the role of head of security for the awards, supported by special projects manager Steve Reynolds and supervisor Mark Wilcock. The event was attended by 11,000 guests, which including some of the world’s most prestigious sporting personalities.
Camp Bestival plans unveiled THE organisers of Camp Bestival have revealed dates and the first big names for this year’s event.
The festival will be held from July 30 to August 1 and will include performances from Madness, Calvin Harris and Chipmunk.
area’s tourism offering – with projects in the pipeline including a programme of events surrounding the illumination of local landmark Hadrian’s Wall. Creative director Stella Hall added: “The aim is to build a cultural reputation in the North East, which raises aspirations and stimulates activity, while also inspiring business confidence and developing skills. We want to attract visitors from outside the region and encourage them to stay longer. We collect facts and figures at every event so we get a sense of who is coming, where they are from and what they are spending. “The appetite is growing for extraordinary events. Some of the programme has to be about local engagement but we are also hoping to grow the visiting friends and relatives market.”
Liverpool carried on its success with events throughout 2009, including Go Penguins over the festive season
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Organisers told: stick together
2010 got off to a flying start in Newcastle with a spectacular carnival, which attracted thousands of people to the city centre. NewcastleGateshead’s New Year’s Eve winter carnival was organised by Culture10, in partnership with Newcastle City Council and produced by Walk the Plank. This year’s event had a theme of fire and ice and culminated in a firework display at Newcastle Civic Centre.
ORGANISERS should form strong partnerships in order to enhance their events, experts have revealed. The theme of this year’s National Outdoor Events Association’s conference was delivering through partnership and a number of industry experts revealed to delegates how important a joined up approach is when it comes to planning an event. One example of an event benefiting from a successful partnership is Leeds Pride, which started off as a small scale community event. As it grew, Leeds City Council’s events team stepped in to help organisers with their planning and to ensure a safe and successful event for both visitors and the people working behind the scenes. The event started as a small gathering and parade in Millennium Square – but organisers found they were struggling to hold visitors’ attention who ended up disappearing into the city’s many pubs or restaurants. Feedback from participants was that they wanted something bigger and better, which was a real celebration of Leeds’ vibrant gay community and raised its profile within the city and in Yorkshire as a whole. After moving to a new site, the
organising team approached the city council and was directed to the events department, headed up by Sylvia McCann. And Leeds Pride committee member Mark Thomson said the decision to join forces with Sylvia and her team – although it was initially met with apprehension by some committee members – has allowed the event to flourish. He said: “We had been run by volunteers but we needed someone who could take control. There was some fear as the event was going from being community controlled to having a lead agency come in. Some people thought it could take away its identity.” By bringing in Real Radio as a media partner, the event has successfully managed to raise its profile and now attracts up to 35,000 participants but Mark added that even though other parties are now involved, it is vital that the community still see it as their event. He added: “The events team provide a valuable service and we are now thinking ahead when it comes to the event. But we want it to remain a community event and not become commercial.”
A spectacular new production from Cirque Du Soleil is touring UK arenas later this year. Saltimbanco is Cirque du Soleil’s longest running, major touring show, which has toured the world to widespread acclaim and enjoyed sell-out success – performing to over 11m fans. It will appear at arenas in cities including Sheffield, Liverpool, Glasgow and Birmingham.
Comedy festival Pride contracts are awarded set to return THE Bath Comedy Festival will return in April after a successful first event last year. Dates have been confirmed as April 1-11 and it will again take place in venues across the city plus events out in the streets of Bath. Organiser Alex Timms said: “It was always our dream to create an annual event and we are delighted to be able to stage the Bath Comedy Festival again.”
THE organisers of Pride in Brighton and Hove have awarded new contracts for event production and security and stewarding at Pride 2010.
The contracts are awarded on a four events basis, to commence at this year’s event and run to 2013 or 2014, pending a decision on what will happen in 2012. The companies chosen are Fisher Productions and Select Security and Stewarding.
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Capital festival rewarded for green efforts By Christina Eccles THE City of London Festival has been rewarded for its efforts in promoting sustainability and environmental awareness at the event. The event was recognised by A Greener Festival, which assesses events on various aspects of organisation including office management, supporting green initiatives, travel and transport and recycling. The festival takes place over a threeweek period and combines innovative performances in the City of London – utilising both its historic buildings and outdoor spaces. And last year the festival placed green issues high on its agenda. General manager Lindsey Dear said: “Over the last couple of years we have been increasingly including sustainability not just in terms of our own practices but also in the way we programme our events.” As part of this, for the 2009 event, the festival renewed its environmental policy and introduced a number of practical measures such as using recycled paper and producing digital brochures instead of paper ones.
The festival also promotes the use of public transport to get to its events so also worked to locate cycle paths and walking routes. For the outdoor performances, LED lighting and biodiesel generators were used to minimise the impact which the event has on the environment. As well as practical steps, the festival also works hard to promote the sustainability message. The festival included a parade with the theme of recycling where rubbish from the City of London – such as plastic water bottles discarded at the London Marathon – were collected and used in works of art which were then displayed. Lindsey added: “We are very aware that we are working in an ancient and historic area and we don’t want to contribute to it not being there for as long as it should be. “At the heart of it we are an arts festival. But what we are able to do is put a scientific and political issue at the heart of our artistic process. “The arts have an interesting role to play in profile raising.”
Event worth £5.8m to counties THE 2009 Tour of Britain was worth £5.8m to the Somerset and Devon economies, according to new figures. Over 230,000 spectators attended the South West stages, boosting the area’s economy across the two days of the race. Somerset County Council’s cabinet member for resources Coun David Huxtable said: “The Tour of
Britain has yet again proven to be a great success in the South West. “The economic benefits for Somerset have far exceeded Somerset County Council’s expectations according to the survey, which is great news for local businesses – particularly in these difficult economic times.”
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RSVP plans unveiled PLANS have been announced for RSVP 2010, which takes place in April at London’s Business Design Centre. New additions to this year’s event include RSVPA – a new show within the show aimed at PAs and office managers. Other features will include a cocktails and canapés area and the return of the ideas trail.
Lovebox set for expansion LOVEBOX is expanding this year to provide festivalgoers with three days of music. The event at London’s Victoria Park will now begin on Friday and will include a headline performance from Dizzee Rascal. It takes place from July 16 to 18.
New members welcomed TWO new members have been welcomed onto the board of the Association of Independent Festivals. Danny Newman (Get Loaded in the Park / South West Four) and John Empson (Eden Sessions) have been voted in by the existing board.
Bestival was one of only 13 festivals worldwide to be judged outstanding
Being green still high on agenda ENVIRONMENTAL sustainability is still high on the agenda for organisers despite the recession forcing some events to tighten their belts, according to new research. A Greener Festival analysed the environmental assessments made at 37 festivals in 2009 and 32 in 2008 and the results showed that despite a difficult economic climate, organisers are still focused on making their events as green as possible. The research showed that 97 per cent of festivals implemented green good practice and 94 per cent and 97 per cent respectively promote lift sharing and the use of public transport.
But there was mixed news when it comes to recycling – as although 94 per cent of festivals have plans to prioritise recycling, there was a 24 per cent reduction in recycling plastics and glass. There was also a big jump in the number of festivals who now promote environmental awareness on site or on their websites, jumping 17 per cent to 94 per cent in total. A Greener Festival co-founder Ben Challis said: “Overall we are delighted with our awards scheme in 2009. We had five more festivals applying and we judged 13 festivals to be outstanding. We were really encouraged by the number of festivals who are engaging
with music fans and promoting sustainable lifestyles and implementing environmental good practice. “The biggest area of concern remains audience travel and we are delighted that almost all of the participating festivals now promote lift share and public transport as a matter of course, with many working with new partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from audience travel. “The other good news is that we are extending the awards. The scheme currently covers The UK, Europe, Australia and the USA and we now plan to roll out the Awards scheme into India and South East Asia."
AN historic monument in St Andrews provided the perfect backdrop for a spectacular festival, commemorating the home of Scotland’s patron saint. Projection artist Ross Ashton from E/T/C London was commissioned to create three special art works for the three day St Andrews Festival – including two at the ancient ruined cathedral of St Andrews. The third site was in St Mary's Quadrangle, part of St Andrews' famous university – the third oldest in the English speaking world. These were the only light works in the 2009 Festival. Ross came up with a trio of separate but related storyboards for the three different locations, which were all completely different shapes and sizes. The projections were themed to reflect the rich culture and heritage of the area and the myths and legends of St Andrew. He said: "It was a great privilege to be asked to work on this project to honour Scotland's patron saint in such an amazing location. “There were many technical and imaginative challenges in producing an engaging, informative and fun show.”
LOCAL AUTHORITY SPOTLIGHT
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York is one of the UK’s most historic and best loved cities – attracting thousands of tourists every year. Christina Eccles found out how the council’s events team keeps the crowds coming back while also keeping local residents happy.
Looking after residents and the tourists STRIKING a balance between looking after the interests of the people who live in York and of those who come to visit is just one of the interesting challenges facing the arts and culture team at York City Council. The team – headed up by Liz Topi – has had great success with large scale spectacles such as the Festival of Rivers but is already thinking where improvements can be made or what new things can be added to this year’s programme. One of 2009’s biggest successes was hosting a leg of the Tour of Britain, which started in Scunthorpe before finishing in York. The event was introduced to the council by Yorkshire Forward and hosting the finish was the perfect opportunity to showcase what York itself has achieved as a ‘cycling city’ and tie it into a major event. Liz explained: “We based it on a community event and it was one of the best-attended on the tour, seen by 125,000 people “The event was fantastic. We had sideshows ranging from cycling challenges to Punch and Judy and it was also a good opportunity for our own cycling initiative in the city.” Another popular event is the World Music Festival, on which the council works with students from the University of York. Initially the students had an idea to put on a world music event in the city and the council was brought in to help with the organisation. Liz said that one of the best things about this event is how it has closed the gap between residents and the city’s student population. She added: “My vision was to have a
bridge building exercise because up to then it had been the people of York and then the students – there was a big divide. The festival is a two-day event with a stage and carnival procession and has grown every year into something which the city looks forward to. “It gives the students a sense of achievement and has also built a bridge between the two universities.” Liz also revealed what the main focuses are for this year and beyond, which include building on existing events, while also adding new projects to the events calendar. “The Festival of Rivers is getting bigger and better. We are also thinking about doing something different and special for 2012 – going for the tourists who aren’t interested in the Olympics. Local authorities should be looking for an alternative as the Olympics aren’t for everybody. We can have Olympic fever but it doesn’t have to be sport based.” Events are also being considered which can utilise not only city centre spaces but York’s parks and rural areas. “People expect there to be music in the streets of York and that should be taken out more into the community. We want our parks and open spaces to do more so then tourists would venture into them. But we can’t just concentrate on tourists. We also have our own residents to think about so it has got to be a package. “Times are hard and that’s going to be our biggest challenge. Like in all local authorities, budgets are taking cuts and it is going to be a matter of doing the most with what we have got.”
The Ice Factor
Ice Factor in danger after chilly court reception YORK’S flagship festive attraction may not return to its traditional location after the county court threatened an injunction if the ice rink was set up in 2010. The Ice Factor is situated on the Eye of York – between popular attractions Clifford’s Tower and the Castle Museum and York Crown Court. But although the ice rink pulls in thousands of visitors, the court is objecting to it being set up there again. Liz added that everything has been
done to ensure that the setting up of the rink and visitors attending it do not disturb the court – but it has made no difference. She added: “The ice rink has never cost the city a penny. It attracted 45,000 people last year and is a fabulous thing for York. “We have worked during the night to set up and have not played music in the day for four years. The ice rink is our Christmas so it is very sad. It would be nice if we could come to a sensible compromise.”
Why Liz goes that extra step ACCORDING to Liz one of the best things about working on events such as the Festival of Rivers is close collaboration with community groups and volunteers. And she says she likes to help them out wherever possible. She added: “With the Festival of Rivers we work with some fabulous people and that makes the job worthwhile. If I can help them in someway – such as lending radios or marquees – then they know there is somebody who cares and will go that extra step.”
Liz Topi
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As a sporting world champion, Liz Hobbs MBE’s motto was ‘first is first, second is nowhere’ – an attitude she has continued to aspire to with her work on events. Her business, Liz Hobbs Group is now celebrating its 20th anniversary and Christina Eccles paid a visit to discover the secrets of her success and why she is continuing to strive for more.
Liz sticks with ‘first is first, second is nowhere’ motto AFTER becoming World Water-Ski Racing champion at the age of 21, Liz broke the British, European and World Speed records before retiring as undefeated champion of the world. Following on from her sporting success, she forged a successful career in presenting, which included hosting her own shows on BBC Radio Two and ITV. Liz then moved behind the camera to produce and direct TV programmes before deciding to concentrate on the development of Liz Hobbs Group, which started in 1990 as a management agency for sports personalities. LHG is now the UK’s number one provider of entertainment to sporting venues and has also successfully produced corporate events, weddings and festivals, as well as offering artist management and booking services. Liz said: “I used to breed racehorses and loved going to the races. But I felt there could be so much more added to the experience if there was entertainment there. At that time racing was very male dominated and perceived to be a male sport, but as female jockeys started riding a lot more, I felt there was an opening to do something that would get more couples to go to the racing and make it more of a day out. “Yorkshire Television gave me my first break. I loved it but I always thought there was something missing. I couldn’t work out what until I developed the events business and then I found out what I had been missing since I retired from world level sport.” After her divorce in 2003, Liz admits she threw herself into the business, over the years growing
Bryan Adams performing at Newmarket Racecourse the company from just herself into a team of 18 people. She told The Main Event that it has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point and not only has it been important to expand and develop her staff, she has also been keen to stretch herself and learn new skills. She explained: “It has taken a long time to get where we are now. We have got a fantastic team and because we have grown organically and everyone has worked in different departments, they all understand the business. It is really important that the whole team understands what we do. “From 2003 onwards, the busi-
ness has shown meteoric growth and has doubled every year since then. “But the resource we have now is probably half way to where I want it to be. That’s what is still exciting to me. We are still hungry enough to want more growth.” Liz’s sporting background has given her the individual competitiveness and drive to make events the best they can be but as the business has grown, she has also learned the value of working together as a team. She added: “Having a sports background made me an individual before a team player so I’ve had to make changes myself to keep
that individuality but also become a team player. “I have realised how much I rely on the team and recognise the value and importance of training. What I put in I get back tenfold in terms of enthusiasm, knowledge and ideas. “That’s what training is about. It broadens people’s horizons and makes them more receptive to being creative and taking on board new ideas.” Plans are already in place for this year, including expanding the artist management section of the business, investing heavily in staff training and working on both established and some new events.
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Durham Lumiere attracted an estimated 75,000 people over four action-packed nights. Christina Eccles spoke to co-producer David Bilton about how the event captured public imagination and contributed to the city’s cultural programme.
Light transforms historic Durham LUMIERE was staged as part of Durham’s bid to be UK capital of culture in 2013 and was the largest festival of its kind to take place in the UK. After achieving so much success, plans are now in discussion to make it a biannual event – and if Durham’s bid is successful, it could play a key role in the 2013 celebrations. The event involved transforming Durham’s famous architecture and landscapes – including its world heritage site cathedral – using artworks and light installations and included seven new commissions and more than 50 UK and international artists. Lumiere was organised by Artichoke – the company behind La Machine, one of Liverpool’s flagship Capital of Culture events – with David’s company DGB Events dealing with production. But working in such sensitive and historic spaces, provided a challenge for the team. David explained: “It took a lot of negotiation. We talked to the cathedral and built up a partnership with them to see what they wanted to get out of the event as well as what we wanted. “Throughout the whole process, we kept them involved. “We had to be very respectful of the place but also wanted to do something different and encourage people to look at the spaces differently.” He added that the sheer scale of the event and the number of people it attracted could also have been a headache for organisers – but careful planning and flexibility once the event was underway meant it went off without a hitch. He added: “We had a huge number of people who came to the event so we were constantly trying to adapt our plans.
Pictures courtesy of Matthew Andrews “We didn’t want to create a trail as we wanted people to be able to move freely. “But we did put in a one-way system down a riverside walk as the footpath wasn’t very wide and the artwork could be viewed better from one direction than the other.” David said that the whole team and partners – who included the local council and Sky Arts – were delighted with the event and learned a lot which they could apply to future projects. “We had a fantastic response and hugely positive feedback so we are very pleased. “The beauty of Durham is that it is very compact so we could take over the city. “We spent a lot of time walking around the city, looking at spaces. We wanted to people to view places differently.”
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ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
Let it rain! AS the Met Office has announced that November 2009 was the wettest November on record, breaking a previous high which had stood since 1929, seasonal events up and down the country were being cancelled or abandoned in howling winds and lashing rain, leaving many event organisers suffering significant financial losses. A surprising number of event organisers do not bother to buy cancellation insurance for their events leaving them exposed to unnecessary losses should the unexpected happen. Whereas others asked were unaware of what insurance protection was in place for their event and the specific risks that can be covered, despite a second year of unprecedented weather disruptions. The misconception that financial loss is a risk limited to major event
‘Any organiser who puts on an event, whatever the size or cost is exposed to the risk of financial loss from the cancellation of that event’ organisers is fast becoming a realisation to the ever increasing event market. Any organiser who puts on an event, whatever the size or cost is exposed to the risk of financial loss from the cancellation of that event.
Once a cost is incurred, insurance should become a significant priority, inevitably the costs will only escalate as the event draws nearer, and naturally terms will become restricted as risks such as weather conditions become preexisting. Most insurers operate a 14-day period prior to policy inception for risks relating to adverse weather on outdoor events but may take a more lenient approach on indoor events where a weather risk may still be evident but maybe not pivotal. Addressing all of the risks involved with an event as early as possible during the planning periods should be paramount. Organisers exposed to a risk beyond their control face irrecoverable costs in the result of cancellation, abandonment, postponement, interruption or even relocation of the event.
Whilst cancellation insurance is an optional purchase, it is both realistic and affordable whilst encompassing a wide range of cover and flexible terms.
ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
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Alleviation, lessening, improving, easing ... THE early organisation of event cover can be a major factor and huge benefit to the organiser and the insurer of an event when the unforeseen occurs – offering the opportunity to be able to negotiate with suppliers, re-arrange services and limit or reduce losses is in everyone’s interest. Naturally contracts differ but invariably the costs will escalate as the event draws nearer, the risk will increase and the terms will become restricted, so the need for long term planning is essential.
Once you start to make a financial commitment to a project you should seriously consider insuring it. The unavoidable cancellation of an event is not in anyone’s interest, not the organiser, their suppliers, the public or the insurer. This is where cancellation cover and a proactive insurer can endeavour to save the day. Access to a network of first class loss adjusters can quickly get all parties working together to find the solution and enable the insurers immediate access to the necessary facts to
make an informed decision. At the end of the day nobody sets out to cancel an event. Some situations, however, have no feasible solution, avenues explored, a decision has to be reached, and here again a proactive insurer and first class loss adjusting can make a huge difference not only financially but personally – taking some of the pressure off the organiser in reaching a satisfactory solution to an unsatisfactory situation and helping to maintain good relationships for future ventures.
‘Insurance becoming more socially acceptable’ INSURANCE is a market I am sure if most people were honest is not one they would choose to work in. Think again! Event insurance is the most amazing porthole into the world of the events industry without actually stepping onto the stage so to speak. Every day hundreds of enquiries flood the phones, email, fax machines and post, each one different, each one unique, each one special, from the sublime
to the ridiculous, all needing insurance of one form or another. Insurance, once a taboo subject, is finally becoming more socially acceptable. Offering products specifically designed with a single market in mind, backed by specialist insurers and first class underwriters, providing this industry with the security it needs. The knowledge that whatever happens, it’s covered.
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TAO stands for try anything once – a saying which Andy Cotton and his team apply to all their events. And after over 20 successful years in the industry, he told The Main Event what changes he has seen and where improvements could be made.
Why Andy and his team will still try anything once FORMER policeman Andy Cotton has stuck to the ‘try anything once’ motto throughout his time in the industry – working on events ranging from outdoor stadium concerts, festivals, corporate parties and awards ceremonies. Recently the company has also moved into the international market with events in Africa, the Far East and throughout Europe. TAO Group started off with TAO Productions but has expanded to include different divisions including medical, fire, traffic management and event safety – meaning clients can take advantage of full event management services or pick which divisions they need assistance from. As head of TAO, Andy is also a respected figure in the events industry and after winning many awards over the years, his latest venture is lecturing on event management, which he recently did for the Polish Event Managers Association in Warsaw. Something which Andy feels particularly strongly about is the professionalism of organisers working on events.
Andy Cotton He told The Main Event that one of his biggest concerns is the lack of regulation for event organisers and
he thinks this is something the industry should address. He said that although he has seen major changes since he started work on events, there is still room for improvement. He said: “At the upper levels things are changing. But when you drop down the levels, I don’t think it is any better than 20 years ago. “It frightens me that anyone can put on an event. We should be licensed as event organisers. People should know what they are doing.” He added that one way to improve things is by the sharing of knowledge and ideas and he said he would welcome more forums where organisers can get together with the emergency services to ask questions and share information. He added: “The industry has got better and there are some exceedingly professional people out there. But we need a group of people who can advise. “People shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions. “There needs to be a forum where the emergency services can get further information.”
Red Sea challenge for TAO ONE of TAO’s most recent projects was a high-profile concert in Egypt headlined by superstar Beyonce. But the concert was not without its challenges – with the company being brought in just 21 days before the show. Creative Entertainment Group’s CEO Peter Brightman asked Andy to assist with the concert, which took place at the new resort of Port Ghallib on the Red Sea coast. As well as Beyonce’s performance, the event also included a support show of aerial performance art – for which CEG initially required production consultancy from TAO. The first issue for TAO was the staging structures, which had been newly purchased from Eurotruss. Although the stage roof had sufficient weight loading for the Beyonce rig, globally there was a requirement for a 7.5 tonne touring video wall to be flown from the rear arch. Andy worked with industry colleagues Darren Wring of Fineline Lighting and rigging specialist Nick Evans, who joined him in Egypt to redesign the structure for safety with Henk Tiekstra, Eurotruss’ structural director, and to the satisfaction of Beyonce’s head rigger, Bill Rengsti and lighting chief, Storm Sollars. TAO also advanced requirements for the support show prior to travelling to Cairo, which included a 90 tonne crane that needed to cross a bridge onto the island at Port Ghalib
– that had a weight limit of 60 tonnes. This interesting problem was solved when a crane became available via promoter Ahmed Beltagy that could shed its counter weights, allowing it to travel over the bridge in three separate parts. TAO’s crew of Andy, Darren Wring and Nick Evans flew to Egypt to meet with Peter and Beyonce’s advance security consultant Alf Samuels. Andy said: “A site visit to the stunning Port Ghalib Marina saw a VIP raised seating structure for 2,500 extremely important people that looked like it would collapse in a bad wind.” To deal with this, the company started discussions with Beyonce’s crew, the client The Al-Kharafi Group and Peter – with three extra TAO crew flown in from the UK four days from the show. Andy and his team had the task of solving problems with site design issues, structural safety and even had to train the local Egyptian security
team that were to be deployed in the front of stage pit, as they had never worked in that position before. The planning also involved liaison with local police to finalise security and safety arrangements, which included sniffer dogs, metal detectors and road checks. The resort was also hosting The EU Conference of the Montreal Protocol and the second round of the UIM F2 World & Continental Powerboat Championships – with races taking place only ten yards from the backstage of the concert site resulting in noisy soundchecks. With production in place including two projection screens, one video wall, a six tonne lighting rig and 200 steel props to support the newly designed VIP structure, the arena was completed. Over 6,000 people arrived together with 2,000 VIPs to see the aerial and staged-based performance art provided by Newsubstance, followed by a performance from Beyonce.
Advertiser’s Announcement
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THE EVENT PRODUCTION SHOW
Show dedicates area to sporting venues THIS year’s Event Production Show will include a new area dedicated to sporting venues wanting to promote their services to organisers. The Stadia Zone will incorporate a football pitch featuring live sports related entertainment and there has been space allocated for up to eight football clubs, sports venues and racecourses to promote their facili-
ties to professional event organisers, plus space for associated exibitors. Event manager Michelle Tayton said: “With the global credit crisis still affecting many businesses, those involved in the management and marketing of sporting venues are aware that by utilising the venue on non-match days for pop concerts, festivals and corporate events, not
only do they have a huge impact on turnover, they also broaden the appeal of the venue by attracting new audiences. “The Event Production Show is packed with exhibitors who can provide sports marketing professionals and event organisers with inspirational ideas and products that have never been seen before.”
The relationship between events and sponsors will be explored in a seminar at this year’s Event Production Show. The Brands on the Run session will look at sports and events sponsorship and how even with budget constraints, brands can use events to promote their products. The panel of experts includes Karen Earl, chairman of the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and Peter Spencer, managing director of the Gaymer Cider Company – which appears at events including Lovebox, Reading and Leeds. Pictured: the Gaymers stage at Lovebox
THE EVENT PRODUCTION SHOW
John Probyn
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Michael Eavis
New name, new venue and a facelift for Event Production Show ORGANISERS are gearing up for this year’s Event Production Show, which has had a facelift for 2010. The show has had a name change, moved to a new venue and revamped its speaker programme – in order to maximise exhibitor and visitor numbers. A major part of the show – which now takes place in the Grand Hall at London’s Olympia – is the Access Sessions. The seminars will be focusing on
‘The show has had a name change, moved to a new venue and revamped its speaker programme’ the biggest issues affecting the industry and predictions for the future.
Sessions include: Glastonbury guru Michael Eavis discussing the festival’s first 40 years and plans for 2010. Rugby Football Union tournament director Terry Burwell detailing the process behind winning the 2015 Rugby World Cup and how the event can inject up to £1bn into the British economy. Live Nation’s John Probyn chairing a panel debate.
Terry Burwell
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THE EVENT PRODUCTION SHOW
World dance champions and stars of Britain’s Got Talent, Flawless will be one of the acts appearing at this year’s Event Production Show. The group appears courtesy of Showbizworks.com who are arranging all the entertainment for Live at the Grand. Other acts appearing live during the show include classical pop group Blake.
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During a six-month break from writing for The Main Event, Dan Schofield has experienced both the highs and lows of working in the events industry, as he explains in this month’s column ...
Why redundancy was best thing that could have happened to Dan TRACKING back six months it started with me getting made redundant from my role with one of the leading events delivers in the Middle East. I wasn't the only one – 16 of us went in total – and I’m not allowed to talk about the ins and outs but I'm assured it was purely financial and not performance related, so I figured you roll with the punches and you move on. In hindsight it was the best thing that could have happened to me So this was me in July 09, a British events guy in Qatar with no job, no home, no visa and some decisions to make. My thought process went like this – I love it here, the work here is good, I've got a good group of friends here, I can earn a good living and my life is now set here – not really that tough a decision to stay now was it? With the decision made to stay, I just needed to find my next chal-
lenge and that challenge came just four days later… The Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) is a joint partnership between the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and the Qatar Museum Authority and has now been my life for a good chunk of the past six months. I won't go into much detail but check out www.dohatribecafilm.com and have a look at the highlight videos to see some of the things we got up to over the four days including the LED red carpet and the biggest stage rig ever seen in Qatar. For me, I love the fact that quality counts in this industry and there is no greater recognition of quality than when different production managers, most of whom have never met or spoken before, bring in the same core group of suppliers because of the fact that quality speaks for itself. And my experience of events in
Qatar is that the UK is usually strongly represented within those core suppliers, as was the case at DTFF. And this from a country that has the resource to bring kit in from any corner of the world that it wants. The DTFF production management team of Sarah Whitmarsh and Daryl Payne (and the Tribeca team from NYC) brought in a lot of the usual suspects I have seen on many of the biggest events Qatar has seen – PRG on lights, CT on screens and ESG on stages – all familiar faces just different sites and different projects. As I type this, Tribeca, like so many events when they are wrapped-up has become a distant memory and it's onto my next gig as project manager on the Qatar Marine Festival's carnival events. Another biggie that will literally close off the road network in Doha, so that should be fun ...
Dan Schofield
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NOEA
Welcome back darlings. I do hope the Christmas festivities went well for you all. I know for some of you it would have been work all the way through but for some of us it was the best time to kick back, feet up and mourn the loss of both Terry Wogan and Paul O'Grady. On the SAME day! See what happens when you retire – my my! I had a nice postbag, however, which kept me going for a week or so and it was lovely to roll in the family again to help with your burning issues and queries.
Bulging post-bag for Auntie NOEA ... Dear Auntie Noea, Why is it that everyone gets paid on site and yet, the medical provider who are the first in line for dealing with an emergency which could have possible implications on the organiser, are often expected to be a voluntary organisation? Under all the health and safety legislation to ensure the well-being of our wonderful festival goers, do event organisers need to call in the professionals or can volunteers do the job just as well? Sarah, welfare manager My Dear Sarah I'm not sure why this is so to be honest. Maybe it is an historic provision, similar to Florence Nightingale and her band of nurses providing voluntary care? The Red Cross and St John after all have been doing this in both war and peace time for hundreds of years. Maybe it's that volunteers can only be found to provide medical care and no-one volunteers for the more dirty mundane litter picking (although some festival organisers get these) or toilet cleaning? Or it could just be the uniform. My own experience is that these voluntary organisations are not ever free to the event organiser and you usually pay around half to two-thirds of the cost of a professional outfit (for their admin, vehicle costs etc) but have on site volunteers, trained first aiders. I suppose it all comes down to 'you pays your money…' Hope the sticking plaster works, Auntie Noea Dear Auntie Noea I have been told that the stewards we employ to re-direct traffic when the High Street is closed for our carnival have to be SIA registered. Is this a load of rubbish? Steve of Dartford Hello Steve Despite my best efforts, I have failed to get a definitive answer for you although my lovely niece, Amelie, has
been very helpful. She is the security and stewarding queen and has passed on the following advice; Shutting of roads could either be seen as authorising access OR as redirection. Authorising access would be licensable (SIA) whereas redirection roles would not be. Therefore, write your paperwork carefully! Pressed on this issue, the SIA have no consistent stance and two SIA reps gave Amelie two different answers. Her own opinion is that a traffic management qualification could well be more applicable than an SIA licence but that probably opens up another can of worms ... If there's anyone out there who can add anything more to this grey area, please do drop me a line! Good luck with the writing of that paperwork Steve. Auntie NOEA Dear Auntie Noea I am a production manager with a bit of a dilemma. You see, when working on site I usually have a radio to communicate with everybody on site, with an earpiece for my left ear. I also tend to use my mobile phone quite a lot in order to communicate with all my suppliers, and with this I have another earpiece for my right ear. Now this has up now been something of a problem as I only have the two ears, and it is often difficult to communicate face to face with people on site. I’ve thought about an ear transplant to give me the aural advantage of a third ear, but this is yet to be available on the NHS. But now there is a further problem. Since last year’s Noise At Work regu-
lations, if the sound levels in an area are above 85dBA, I need to be wearing ear protection. Can you suggest where I should be shoving these ear plugs, as my aural orifices are already filled? Also, since the communication in my earpieces is quite loud, does this legislation mean I also need to have earplugs inserted before I put my earpieces in? Dale – A (fashion conscious) production manager.
Don't forget to get your questions in – just email secretary@noea.org.uk and it'll be sent down the wire to me.
Dearest Dale Yes, I can see this is all quite a dilemma. Firstly, I would suggest you're taking on a lot on your own - consider getting a runner or PA to take on some of the communication burden but in these times that's not always viable. So as for other options, I have conferred with cousin Ralph who is a hotshot on communications and he says you're approaching it the wrong way round. You don't need to stick earplugs in anywhere and instead the ear defence goes over your earpieces. Take a look at the new super noise cancelling headsets. You can either plug in your 2 way radio and/or your phone or have your earpieces in your lugs under the defenders. The headset will only activate as full defenders if the ambient noise goes above 85dBA so you can hear people near you and some models even have something called Bluelips connectivity or maybe thats Bluetooth. Ralph says many specialist comms suppliers stock these and will help. Fashionable? Surely yes – doesn’t Madonna use these? Happy Talking, Auntie Noea
Calendar of events 2010 February 2-3
Event Production Show, London – NOEA Stand
February 3 Show)
Spotlight on Local Authorities (Event Production
February 24 - 26
NOEA Convention/Tribute Celebration Evening – Derby Conference Centre
March 11
The Main Event Exhibition, Glasgow - NOEA Stand
April
Exeter Conference (tbc)
April
North West Wales Conference (tbc)
Other Conferences to include Teesside, Bath, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Channel Islands and Cornwall, (tbc) = all to be confirmed
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT
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Conference looks at festival crime THE issue of crime at major festivals will be tackled at a conference hosted by Festival Republic. After a successful first conference last year, the follow up event will discuss crime during the 2009 festival season and share tactics for events in 2010. Promoters of large scale events have been invited to attend, along with their security companies and police intelligence. Promoters invited to include representatives from Glastonbury, Leeds, Bestival, Isle of Wight and Creamfields. The conference will be chaired by managing director of Festival Republic Melvin Benn and chief supt Andy Battle of West Yorkshire Police. The morning session will be structured around working groups divided by agency – putting police forces, security companies and promoters in separate groups to review crime during the 2009 season and whether intelligence sharing worked for them, and how it might be improved in the future. The afternoon session will include short presentations from a number of speakers. Melvin said: “This follow-up conference will be an opportunity for promoters, security agencies and police forces to review our progress and take the next steps to further develop
PSCo has recruited two new members of staff in order to support its network of UK offices and sister company in the UAE. Rental expert Karen Davis returns to the PSCo fold, bringing with her 12 years’ experience in the industry. She is joined by Alison Livemore as part of the rental desk team. Rental director Mike Nield said: “This team expansion is designed to improve our client handling and operations systems, as well as helping us give clients more comprehensive technical support for our portfolio, as we introduce new technologies.”
General council appointed Melvin Benn our intelligence sharing systems so we can make greater efforts in 2010 and beyond. “Organised crime is a real concern for the festival industry and it’s crucial that we keep the momentum going on these initiatives.” The conference will take place on January 25 at the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre at the Madejski Stadium in Reading.
MEMBERS of NOEA general council were appointed at the annual general meeting. President: Richard Limb, director of leisure safety, Capita Symonds Ltd Vice presidents: Philip Day, solicitor, Horsey Lightly Fynn; Jan Booth, managing director, Sunbaba Hon treasurer: Keith Allen, partner, Allen-Drake Management Limited General Council: PJ Aldred, Aldred Associates Ltd Michael Bell, safety practitioner, Bellensen Associates Tom Clements, NOEA Scotland chairman, managing director, Specialized
Security Robert Corp, special events manager, Cardiff Council Andy Grove, events officer, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Sylvia McCann, events manager, Millennium Square, Leeds Conor Moss, programme leader, University of Derby Craig Oldfield, consultant Alan Pope, partner, 1st Class Entertainments Agency (Entertainment Agents Group) Dean Parker, Wilde Ones (International) Ltd Terry Waller, (Details to be announced)
Audio Visual SRD Group Limited The Studio Shipbourne Road Tonbridge TN10 3DJ T: 01732 373920 info@srdgroup.co.uk www.srdgroup.co.uk
Bars Creativevents Earls Court Exhibition Centre London SW5 9TA T: 0207 370 8685 general@cevents.co.uk www.creativevents.co.uk Peppermint Bars 7 College Fields Business Centre 19 Prince George’s Road London, SW19 2PT T: 0845 226 7845 info-me@peppermintbars.co.uk www.peppermintbars.co.uk
Backline & PA Hire Sensible Music Group 90-96 Brewery Road London N7 9NT T: 020 7700 9900 F: 020 7700 4802 Studio@sensible-music.co.uk www.sensible-music.co.uk
Communications Midland Radio Links Unit 4, 181-187 Moseley Street Birmingham B12 0RT T: 0121 7667661 paul@midlandradiolinks.com www.midlandradiolinks.com Murphy Comhire Ltd Communications House Sheffield S9 1LD T: 0114 243 4567 mandy@murphy-com-hire.com www.murphy-com-hire.com Smye-Rumsby Limited 123-125 Snargate Street Dover Kent CT17 9AP T: 01304 248900 info@smye-rumsby.com www.smye-rumsby.com
Crowd Management A.P. Security (North) Ltd. 33 Metro Centre Dwight Road Watford Herts WD189SB T: 0870 412 2232 johnphillips@apsecurity.co.uk www.apsecurity.co.uk Event Security Solutions Limited B1-B6 The Alison Business Centre 40 Alison Crescent Sheffield S2 1AS T: 0114 283 5948 info@eventsecuritysolutions.co.uk www.eventsecuritysolutions.co.uk
G4S Events Sutton Park House 15 Carshalton Road Sutton Surrey SM1 4LD T: 0800 085 9899 sales@uk.g4s.com www.g4s.com/uk-events Specialized Security 4 Fairways Business Park Deer Park Livingston EH54 8AF tel: 01506 442255 tom@specializedsecurity.co.uk www.specializedsecurity.co.uk
Towergate Coverex 2 County Gate Staceys Street Maidstone Kent ME14 1ST Tel 0844 8921619 Fax 0844 8921624 Email eventorganisers@towergate.co.uk Web www.towergatecoverex.co.uk
Staging
Robertson Taylor 33 Harbour Exchange Square London E14 9GG T: 020 7510 1234 enquiries@rtib.co.uk www.Robertonson-taylor.com
CPS Seating & Staging Co Brunel House Brunel Close Harworth Doncaster DN11 8QA T: 01302 741888 jason.hughes@seatingandstaging.co.uk
Marquees Emergency Marquees 43 London Road Heating & Cooling Piggotts Stanford Rivers Cool Services Building 26 Bay 4 The Pensnett Estate Kingswinford DY6 7TB T: 0800 9705656 kevin@event-heating.co.uk www.coolservices.co.uk Carrier Rental Systems Wigan Road Leyland Preston PR25 5XW T: 0800 026 4717 Info@CarrierRentalSystems.co.uk
Event Branding Piggotts Branding 43 London Road Stanford Rivers Ongar Essex CM5 9PJ T: 01277 363262 kelly.seymour@piggotts.co.uk www.piggotts.co.uk
Event Production Sledge The Mill House Millers Way London W6 7NH T: 020 8743 3232 ian.irving@sledge.co.uk www.sledge.co.uk
Health & Safety Event Safety 12 Vale Avenue Bury BL9 9LW M: 07812 159 339 T: 0161 763 7020 kevin@event-safety.org www.event-safety.org
Insurance Services Event Insurance Services Limited Event House 20A Headlands Business Park Ringwood BH24 3PB T: 01425 470360 info@events-insurance.co.uk www.events-insurance.co.uk
Ongar Essex CM5 9PJ T: 01277 363262 richard.treml@piggotts.co.uk www.piggotts.co.uk
Marquee Stakes and Accessories Ansell Hand Tools 72 Catley Road Darnall Sheffield S9 5JF T: 0114 244 8098 ansellhandtools@aol.com www.ansellhandtools.co.uk
Medical Management SP Services (UK) Ltd Unit D4, Hortonpark Estate Hortonwood 7 Telford Shropshire TF1 7GX T: 01952 288 999 F: 01952 606 112 sales@spservices.co.uk www.spservices.co.uk Venture Event Medical Management Copperfield House 47 Leeds Road Gawthorpe Ossett West Yorkshire WF5 9QW T: 07988 388461 enquiries@ventureemm.co.uk www.ventureemm.co.uk
Revolving Stages Movetech UK A division of British Turntable Co Ltd Emblem Street Bolton BL3 5BW T: 01204 537682 rental@movetechuk.com www.movetechuk.com/rental
Screen Hire XL Video 2 Eastman Way Hemel Hempstead Herts HP27DU T: 01442 849400 info@xlvideo.tv www.xlvideo.com
Centre Stage Events Unit 108a Leyland Trading Estate Irthlingborough Road Wellingborough T: 01234 783234 info@centrestageevents.com www.centrestageevents.com
Steeldeck Rentals Ltd Unit 58 T.Marchant Estate 42-72 Verney Road London SE16 3DH T: 020 7833 2031 richard@steeldeck.co.uk www.steeldeck.co.uk The Outdoor Staging Company Ltd 1 Langley Drive Castle Bromwich B35 7AD T: +44(0)7866 470 293 info@outdoorstage.co.uk www.outdoorstage.co.uk
Temporary Fencing Beaver 84 Beaver House Crompton Close Basildon SS14 3AY T: 01708 861821 info@beaver84.co.uk www.beaver84.co.uk
Ticketing Performance Ticket Printers Ltd The Smithy Brownlow Heath Congleton CW12 4TJ T: 01260 276164 austin@ticketprinters.co.uk www. ticketprinters.co.uk Tungate Group Brookhouse Way Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 1SR T: 01538 755755 F: 01538 756062 info@tungategroup.co.uk www.tungategroup.co.uk
Venues Fabric London Level 2 Greenhill House Cowcross Street London EC1M 6B T: 020 7549 4844 celine@fabriclondon.com www.fabricevents.com
Waste Managemen Morris Holdings (UK) Limited 17B Mile Oak Industrial Estate, Maesbury Road Oswestry Shropshire SY10 8GA T: 01691 680373 info@morrisholdings.co.uk www.morrisholdings.co.uk
POWER SUPPLY
FAIRGROUNDS
TOILET HIRE WASTE MANAGEMENT
CATERING
MEDICAL
VEHICLE HIRE
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
BARS
EVENT HIRE
BALLOONS
PORTABLE ROADWAY
FIREWORKS
RADIO HIRE
RECYCLING
HEATING & COOLING
EVENT BRANDING
LARGE SCREEN HIRE