Main Event October 2010

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Issue 44 October 2010 £4.75

Call for backing for campaign

Debate over Decade of Sport chances

By Christina Eccles A DEBATE has broken out over how the industry can benefit from upcoming major sporting events which are heading to the UK. The country is gearing up for a ‘Decade of Sport’ which involves hosting some of the biggest events in the world – including the 2012 Olympics in London, 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2015 Rugby World Cup. And it has been claimed that hosting these events could provide vital opportunities for organisers to engage with new audiences.

Peter Thomas is corporate communications and public affairs director at the RFU and is working closely with several host cities to deliver the Rugby World Cup in England in five years’ time.

According to him, hosting major sporting championships is not just about the event itself – but the opportunity it gives for stadiums and cities to work together to attract visitors and create an events programme centred around the tournament.

He explained: “As a nation we are passionate about sport and the British public will turn out to watch it.

“But we have got to find a way to

engage with every city hosting games to build the excitement and turn it into a complete experience for that city, not just a game of rugby.

“We know how to host a tournament.

Where we can really make a difference is engaging with the facilities and environments where we are playing the games. Otherwise we have missed an opportunity.”

But suppliers have been warned not to neglect clients who provide work on a regular basis in favour of one-off contracts on events such as the Olympics.

TAO Productions’ Andy Cotton added: “There has to be balance because the work we get day in, day out helps to keep us all going.

“I think it would be totally wrong to turn away clients we have had for years.

We need to have loyalty to them because this industry could not survive off the big one-off events.

“There is a value to working on these big events but I don’t think that value is worthwhile if it will jeopardise future contracts.”

Are you planning to get involved in major events coming to the UK or do you prefer to stick with regular clients? Let us know by emailing ce@whpl.net

The organiser of an independent festival has told how he fears for smaller events which are unable to compete with bigger rivals.

Joe Gibbs (pictured) successfully organises the Belladrum Tartan Heart festival and is also a member of the Association of Independent Festivals.

But Joe beleives there is a ‘real danger’ that smaller festivals may lose out on acts because of exclusivity deals favoured by the big boys such as Live Nation.

For more on Belladrum see Page 8

AN ANGRY organiser is appealing for the industry to back his campaign to support independent festivals and events.

Gold National Events’ Mike Forrester launched the Campaign for the Freedom of Music after winning a legal battle against Manchester City Council following the cancellation of an event he was planning to host in the city. To drum up support, Mike has created an online petition and dedicated Facebook group.

He explained: “I am calling on the music industry to support me in this public enquiry campaign so other promoters and festival organisers can give the public the freedom of music without the bureaucracy they have to endure.

“I have written to David Cameron and I’m in the process of approaching leading figures in the music industry to support an enquiry to ensure procedures with councils and police forces in the booking of events in public parks and open spaces are fair and transparent with consequences if they fail in their duties.”

The Main Event is the official magazine of the National Outdoor Events Association

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Don’t miss Part 4 of our 2010 Festival Round-up featuring events like Help for Heroes concert, Bingley Music Live, V Festival, Bestival and the Green Man Festival Starting on Page 15 Sun brings out the visitors to Autumn Flower Show Page 7

Local authority spotlight Papal Mass review

Page 4 Pages 12-13

Showman’s Show Preview NOEA Classified

Pages 28-37 Page 39 Page 43

CONTACTS

Picture credit: Michael Walter

Why festival attracts up to a million ...

A FREE event in London which attracts up to 1m people has revealed the secrets of its lasting success.

The Mayor’s Thames Festival takes place along the banks of the river, taking in some of the capital’s most famous landmarks such as The London Eye and Tower Bridge.

Features include dance and music stages, street art, an environmental zone and a dedicated children’s area which provide free activities and entertainment over an action packed weekend.

The festival is now in its 14th year and according to director Adrian Evans, fantastic weather and a well thought out programme made this year one of the best yet.

Although organising an event in the middle of such a big city could be a challenge, Adrian said that after 14 years of the festival, organisers have become used to working closely with the local authorities and emergency services involved as well as becoming more familiar with the landscape of the river and

what works well in each particular area.

He explained: “It is a challenge but because we have been doing it for many years, we have built up a good relationship with the local authorities.

“We create a varied programme with four zones, which also helps to keep the crowds spread out.”

Another challenge is striking the balance between creating a fresh programme every year and keep- Picture credit: Barry Lewis ing the crowd pleasers year. He added: “This year was brilwhich regular visitors expect to see. liant and we had fantastic weather.

This year, they kept the popular It was forecast to rain on the children’s choir but with freshly Saturday but it turned out to be commissioned music. Another beautiful. popular element – the night carni“The festival offers a high quality val – also returned. programme in a great location Adrian also revealed to The Main and when you do this kind of event Event why the festival manages to year on year it becomes much keep the crowds coming back every loved.”

EDITORIAL Group Editor Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 editorial@themaineventmagazine.co.uk Reporters: Christina Eccles (ce@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

ADVERTISING Group Sales Manager: Paul Allott Tel: 01226 734484 Fax: 01226 734478 Mob: 07500 905717 Email: pa@whpl.net Sales Executive: Mandy Mellor Tel: 01226 734702 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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LOCAL AUTHORITY SPOTLIGHT After organising two major town centre events this summer, there was no time for Bolton Council’s events team to take a well earned rest. With plans for Christmas already underway, Christina Eccles paid a visit to find out more.

Bolton team striving for bigger and better on smaller budgets ...

Celebrity chefs the Hairy Bikers

More on menu at food festival THIS year’s Food and Drink Festival was held over four days for the first time – giving visitors an extra day to take part in the activities and workshops on offer.

The event – which was held in Victoria Square – started five years ago as part of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival before becoming a stand alone event.

The first festival was based around offers at local restaurants and cafes before the council decided to make it more of a sense of occasion and brought in extra features such as a cookery theatre.

The cookery theatre idea took off and this year held demonstrations from celebrity chefs Gino D’Acampo, James Martin and the Hairy Bikers, which festivalgoers could watch for a £5 charge.

This was complemented by a range of free activities on show – including demonstrations from local chefs and 60 specialist traders showcasing local produce.

This year’s festival had an estimated 75,000 visitors over the August bank holiday weekend – 25,000 more than last year and the team put this increase down to a combination of winning factors.

Norma added: “We did an extra day this year but also the offer of the celebrity chefs and a wider variety of other activities brought people in. And we were lucky with the weather which also helps.

“Bolton is very much a family orientated town and this is one of our flagship events of the year.”

Future plans for the festival include extending it further into the town centre and the council’s leader coun Cliff Morris added that it will continue to grow and get better year on year.

He added: "It’s the biggest festival we've ever had in Bolton and the number of visitors shows it has been a major success. The feedback we've had from all the traders, the public and town centre retailers has been fantastic.

“All the celebrity chefs have gone down a storm and they've all said how much they've loved coming to Bolton. We are determined to make the festival one of the key foodie events in the country and continue to build on its success for years to come.”

WITH the Bolton Food and Drink Festival and the Iron Man UK Triathlon firmly under their belts for this year, principal events officer Norma Rutherford and events officer Chris Chadwick have turned their attention to all things festive.

Bolton’s Christmas offering combines a popular light switch on with a festive market and is a highlight in the events calendar for local people – who return to the town centre year on year to take part.

But while the team appreciate a loyal following, they admit it can be a challenge to create something which keeps within budget, engages people and is seen as being creative and different without straying too far from the traditional elements which locals have come to love.

Norma explained: “At the moment we are looking at our Christmas lights switch on.

“With this event, the same formula has worked for many years but a lot of the costs are in the infrastructure.

“We are trying to introduce bigger and better events but with smaller budgets. For the Food and Drink Festival we had sponsors but it’s not an easy climate to get sponsorship in.

“We are now having to look at more creative ways to do our events and give them that wow factor.

But people in Bolton are quite traditional so whatever we do needs to be a combination of the two.”

The team are now looking at ways to do things more creatively to maximise their budgets and are considering ideas such joining forces with other local authorities to bring artistes over to perform in more than one place and share the cost.

The festive programme mostly takes place in Victoria Square – one of Bolton’s most versatile event spaces – which stands against the backdrop of the town hall.

Many of the town’s most popular events take

The team, from left, Michele Boustead, Chris Chadwick, Norma Rutherford, Jackie Casey, Nick White and Salma Nakhuda place there and on a visit to the square, Chris told The Main Event why it is so useful.

He added: “It is quite easy to secure the site – we just need to make sure we work with qualified event stewards and contractors – and Victoria Square has also got very good access.

“There are also access points at each end which means we are able to get everything in and out easily.”

According to Norma, events are a valuable addition to the town and in the current climate, the free or low cost element makes them even more appealing to local people.

She added: “Events bring a feeling of well being and also economic prosperity. The bigger events especially cement the town’s reputation.

“In future, we want to make sure that we keep engaging people with events. We get a really good response from local people. They are so supportive and whatever the weather they always turn out when there is an event on.”

Keeping Square in shape ANOTHER job which the team is tasked with is managing Victoria Square as an events venue – both for council events and for use by other community groups.

According to Chris and Norma, some groups organising an event need more support than others and it is up to the events team to help them out where necessary.

The team also facilitates filming requests in the town and liaise with the local football ground – the Reebok Stadium – and Bolton Arena when these venues are putting on events which may impact on the town.

Weekend entertainment is used in Victoria Square to attract shoppers into the town centre.

Ironman contestants hit Bolton ANOTHER of the town’s major events is the the Ironman UK Triathlon.

The event had traditionally been based in Dorset, but Bolton’s central location and good transport links made it a good choice of destination to move to last year.

About 1,300 athletes took part in this year’s event, which combines cycling, swimming and a marathon race – giving competitors 17 hours to complete the course.

The finishing line of the race was in Bolton’s Victoria Square but as the course is so spread out, it also takes in neighbouring towns and villages which come under other local author-

ities – meaning close collaboration and partnership working is a key factor in its success.

Liaison with the Highways Agency and traffic management experts is also necessary to create a safe and successful event and Chris told The Main Event that after working on the event for the first time last year, this year they could use what they learned to make the job run even more smoothly.

He added: “The biggest challenge we had on this event was its scale and pulling it all together. Last year was our first time hosting it but this year we were much more geared up on what to expect.”

Fraser Cartmell, winner of the Ironman race, pictured crossing the finish line in Victoria Square

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London’s Victoria Park is fast becoming one of the country’s most popular outdoor venues – hosting events ranging from the Lovebox Weekender and LED Festival to the borough’s annual fireworks display. The Main Event found out more.

Park pulls in the crowds but doesn’t disturb its neighbours ACCORDING to Tower Hamlets Council, more and more people are flocking to Victoria Park to enjoy its unique offering, which includes large music festivals as well as some of the area’s most popular community events.

But although it’s great that local residents have the opportunity to access top quality performances on their doorstep, it is important to ensure that the council and its partners work hard to minimise any disruptions which staging these events may cause.

More than nine months of planning goes into each event, and on the day there are well over 100 police and council officers on hand. Their presence is key to making sure that the event runs smoothly and disruption is kept to a minimum.

Along with the council’s arts and events team that works closely with the organisers, licensing, noise monitoring, health and safety, enforcement and the council’s waste management contractors Veolia Environmental Services all play their part. On the day, the group meets up every couple of hours to discuss issues and manage the event as it develops.

Police events’ guru Police Sergeant

Andy Fittes attends nearly every event in the borough.

He explained: “Throughout the day the issues change. For the police, the busiest times are at the beginning and end of the event.

“At the beginning we’re there with the drug dogs to carry out searches.

We have an on-site custody suite and are able to process everything then and there. When the event finishes we have to deal with around 25,000 people leaving the park at the same time, and that’s a big challenge.”

Each event is different, catering for variety of musical tastes and age. But one thing is always the same – the main stage is positioned to limit the noise impact for residents, while the smaller stages all face in towards the venue.

The council’s noise monitoring team also makes sure that noise levels do not breach the organiser’s licensing agreement. They respond to each resident’s complaint, taking hand-held monitors with them to measure the volume.

If it breaks the licensing agreement they immediately phone through to the organisers to make sure they turn down the volume.

And the money generated from

holding these commercial events in Victoria Park is then used for the benefit of local residents.

Cabinet member for Culture and Creative Industries at Tower Hamlets Council coun Denise Jones added:

“The income generated from these events helps to pay for popular free community events such as Paradise Gardens and the fireworks, also local businesses get a boost during festivals due to increased customers.”

Bringing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to a stage near you IMAGINE your fantasy concert lineup, add this to a three-day festival and you are entering the world of Tribfest – a concept which has grown and grown over the past four years and is now Europe’s biggest and best tribute band festival.

Ed Entertainments was established in October 2006 with a view to stage the very first event of its kind in East Yorkshire in 2007.

It has now grown into an established music festival with people coming from all over Europe and has

played to thousands of festivalgoers in East Yorkshire, who have seen performances from everyone from U2 to ABBA, Guns & Roses to the Scissor Sisters, Prodigy to Madness and even Michael Buble – well the tributes!

Tribfest is a family focused festival that has grown from 700 people in 2007 to 4000 as it gathers momentum by the year. The quality of the acts is outstanding and the festival has been nominated for the Best Small Festival Award. All of this is available for an £80 weekend pass including camp-

ing, so it is also outstanding value for money.

Tribfest 2011 is now underway and with record half price ticket presales, it’s looking better than ever.

In addition to this, event director Ed Faulkner is looking to develop additional festivals or tribute stages across the country He said: “Tribfest can be as big or as small as you like. We would love to be able to drop it in to one of the bigger festivals.

“One of the the key elements of our

success has been the development of a team providing the stage, the sound, event coordination and the artists themselves. The entire Tribfest experience can be replicated elsewhere from a tribute stage at a large festival or complete festival elsewhere in the country.

“We have the team, we have the expertise, we have the performers and we are now looking for other festivals and councils to spread the Tribfest word.”

For more information contact: info@ edentertainments.co.uk Tel 07802533414

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Sun brings out the visitors to show

By Christina Eccles

Always a stylish finish ...

Advertiser’s announcement MAINTAINING a unique and professional service is a top priority for the team at PMG Events.

Spokesman Trish McGhee said: “Presenting a stylish finish always with our clients’ desire for perfection in mind and almost two decades of experience in the events industry, my vision for PMG is to ensure that we maintain our reputation for providing a unique and professional service.

“Whether it’s the planning of a romantic wedding, hosting a corporate event or a private dinner, our experience has presented us some of the most breathtakingly beautiful stately homes, castles, luxurious hotels and marquees to work with.

“Our expertise in providing fabulous hired linens and theming events have recently been joined by our bespoke manufacturing service available at realistic prices and always with the same flawless finish.

“You provide us with the fairytale and let us bring it to life and add the sparkle.”

AN increase in visitor numbers combined with good weather over the weekend kept the organisers of the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show happy this year.

The show attracted just under 35,000 people – slightly up on last year – putting organisers, the North of England Horticultural Society, in a strong position for its centenary next year.

The show is held twice a year – in spring and then again in the autumn – and features include competitions for best fruit, vegetables and floristry as well as displays of local produce and crafts.

Show director Martin Fish explained: “We are very pleased.

Figures are a little up last year on the gate, which shows we can hold our own even in a difficult climate.”

One of the biggest challenges faced by organisers is keeping the show fresh year on year without alienating its core audience who expect to see certain things.

Martin added: “My background is in horticulture so I want to get as much gardening content in to the show as possible. We use an online questionnaire to get feedback and from that we can fine tune the event.

“We don’t want to change the show as it is very well established but at the same time you have to move forward each year.”

Changes this year included Kitchen Garden Live and a new cookery theatre. Organisers also worked closely with local farm shop, Fodder, to showcase the best in local produce.

Martin told The Main Event that the Great Yorkshire Showground provides the ideal venue for the show because so much infrastructure – such as exhibition halls and toilets – is already in place. There is also plenty of hard standing

ground for outside exhibitors and plenty of permanent car parking.

And he added that following the success of the autumn show, they are already gearing up for next year’s centenary celebrations.

“The show works well as we have kept a lot of the gardening content.

Some of the other shows have

drifted away from that but we decided that was the route we wanted to take.

“But it is important that all shows aren’t the same.

“We are already looking forward to next year, which marks the centenary of the society, so it will be a celebration.”

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This year’s Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival drew 13,000 festivalgoers to its beautiful Scottish highland location.

Festival director Joe Gibbs spoke to The Main Event.

How Joe flings all his efforts into Highland event ...

FAR up in the Scottish highlands, near Inverness there is an intimate festival packed with great acts ... Belladrum’s site perfectly fits the 13,000 crowd and Joe wouldn’t want it any larger as he thinks the intimacy of the festival is an integral feature of the event.

Music from KT Tunstall to the mosh pits of Feeder, varying local folk and ceilidh bands to The Wailers and Glasgow based Twin Atlantic, kept everyone entertained. The family focused festival also had a busy daytime kids’ area, while those looking for a late night could head to the ‘Mothers Ruin’ area with dedicated DJs, plus a late night headphone disco.

Joe explained: “Belladrum is a 21st century version of the old highland fair; the traditional country games are still very popular. It’s all very much centred around the highland community, but we are catering much more for the urban community.”

The festival has local production companies and staff on site, traders and caterers with locally sourced food and local artists. In fact the only national company they use is Showsec.

Joe added: “The new SIA regulations made us look at the security element of the festival and I saw the huge difference that Showsec made at

Rockness, also based in Scotland. There is no one locally of their calibre and with their versatility to deal with everything from stage pits to teenagers and kids’ fields.”

Belladrum maintains its family priority by allowing under 12s to be admitted free of charge.

They also provide separate wristbands to all those 17 and under, who must be accompanied by an adult into the site.

Joe is also a member of the Association of Independent Festivals – an organisation which he is proud to be involved in.

But he told The Main Event, he has concerns over the monopolisation of the industry by some of the festival’s bigger rivals.

“We are constantly tweaking and developing the festival. We listen to our audience and word of mouth has created an ever growing loyal following. I am a member of the independent festival organisers association and am concerned at the near monopolisation of the festival industry

by Live Nation.

“There is a real danger that their exclusivity deals, that also extend to venues, may limit our access to a lot of artists who would be ideal for our event. I’m amazed that monopolies have not looked at it.”

Fresh technology brings improvements at folk festival PEARCE Hire introduced fresh technology and ideas when providing all the power, site and stage lighting at the 2010 Cooperative Cambridge Folk Festival.

Managing director Shaun Pearce and project manager Dan Shelton worked with festival manager Eddie Barcan and production manager Andrew Keightley to introduce new ways to reduce carbon footprint, improve site aesthetics and technical production at the event.

The urban location of the site meant an existing 500amp mains

power supply provided most of the site power and this year the company introduced new equipment for greater efficiency.

Meter readings were taken at the start of the build and at the end of the event to gauge what power reductions were made.

The site was also given a new look with the introduction of low energy festoon lighting over the bars and solar power decorative lights on the wicker models, in conjunction with the festival’s new arts coordinator.

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Teamwork keeps festival visitors safe

By Christina Eccles ABOUT 40,000 festivalgoers were kept safe at this year’s Creamfields after close collaboration with the festival’s organisers and local police.

Cheshire Police worked with the organisers of the two-day event to ensure it ran safely and smoothly – and to minimise any impact on the local community.

Planning for the policing of the event started several months in advance – with a dedicated team involved in the process.

Plans were put in place to deal with everything from security to traffic – in conjunction with the organisers, the two local authorities and other agencies – as well as in consultation with local residents.

Nicola Linder, who was part of this year’s planning team, explained: “We are once again extremely pleased with the policing operation for this year’s Creamfields music festival.

“We worked closely alongside the

organisers of the event to build on the success of last year.

“Our main aim was to ensure the safety of festivalgoers and to minimise disruption for the local community.

"We are pleased with the results – especially given the fact that there were an extra 10,000 people attending the event this year and the fact the weather improved substantially on the Sunday meaning the majority of people chose to camp out for a second night rather than head home.

“There were no reports of any serious incidents during the event and, as a result of meticulous planning, a high-profile police presence and a proactive approach by police and the organisers, a good-natured crowd were able to enjoy the event safely.”

Officers were assigned a variety of roles at the event which included dealing with crime and disorder incidents, patrolling the campsite and supporting security staff.

One of London’s most iconic attractions is to get its own ice rink for the first time this Christmas. The rink at the Merlin Entertainments London Eye will be available from November 20 to January 5 – with all tickets also including the London Eye’s spectacular 4D experience.

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The White Rose Winter Festival is a new event taking place in December against the spectacular backdrop of Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire. In the first of a new series, festival directors Emma Ramply and Shan Robinson share their event diary – focusing this month on the story so far ...

Winter Festival plans hotting up WE are absolutely delighted with the response we are receiving since we introduced and started promotion for the festival.

The concept and format for the Winter Festival came together through a combination of influences from past event experiences and creating something unique which has real affinity with Yorkshire.

We met with Ripley Castle and Raymond Gubbay back in October last year to confirm the overall plans for the festival and agreed a well balanced and varied programme which we felt would have wide appeal amongst our target market.

We already had a very good working relationship with Ripley Castle through previous concerts we had worked on, so our ideas for creating a huge undercover auditorium in the castle courtyard were fortunately very well received by Sir Thomas and Lady Ingilby.

One of our main remits is to use Yorkshire suppliers wherever possible and this started in January when we contracted York based

Pinnacle Marquees to provide us with the all important structures for the festival. We are joining two clear-span framed marquees together, one 10m x 65m long (the main foyer bar and artist area) and a 25m x 45m structure for the auditorium, seating and stage. More recently we have contracted SEP Events from Boroughbridge to do the outdoor stewarding and signage, FTAV, Harrogate, the sound, lighting and staging. The festival website has been developed by Ripon based web-designers Bronco and went live in March, when the festival went on sale and we launched the promotional campaign.

We secured sponsorship from Welcome to Yorkshire, the region’s tourism body in March and more recently Jaguar, Harrogate Advertiser and Thorncroft soft drinks have come on board as new sponsors. We are currently sourcing beer sponsorship from one of the well known Yorkshire breweries as well as other drink and snack sponsorships to support the bar operation.

Emma Ramply and Shan Robinson We are planning a very targeted and multi-channelled promotional campaign to penetrate as many of the different social and corporate pockets within our market using targeted promotional partners, media partnerships, e-marketing, direct mail, posters, banners, flyers etc. We signed up the local newspa-

per group, the Harrogate Advertiser series as the festival’s main media partner in July.

Tickets and hospitality sales are looking strong for this stage in the campaign and the campaigns planned for October and November should take us to where we want to be in our first year.

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Gates provide key to success at Fiesta ...

THIS year’s Bristol Balloon Fiesta provided new challenges for AP Security when the company worked on the event for the first time.

Now in its 32nd year, the fiesta attracted 500,000 visitors who enjoyed the spectacle of over 100 hot air balloons of different shapes and sizes, a display by the legendary RAF Red Arrows and a range of complementary ground based attractions.

AP was brought on board by organisers Richmond Event Management to deliver safety and stewarding services at the event.

And according to northern regional manager Simon Miller, working on the fiesta meant adapting to an event which is vastly different to the live music circuit which tends to dominate the company’s summer workload. He explained: “We were really looking forward to the new challenges that the Fiesta presented.

“As always we started planning well in advance, in this case in April, and attended monthly meetings in Bristol where all the partners would meet and discuss the event and their roles within it.”

AP’s staff covered the entire site

except the car parks, including all staff gates and public entrances.

Simon added: “It is a festival of gates, so to speak. Making sure each gate works in tandem with the others is the real key to smooth operation.”

But one major difference at this event is that there is no real focal point on the ground.

“The public treats this differently because all the action takes place in the sky. It’s a very family focused, picnic audience, with the ground based attractions an aside to the main show going on as the balloons are inflated and take off above them.

“The fact that everything takes place in the air does alter things for us. There’s no real crowd movement for any of the different elements. The site is also very weather dependent and it's easy for the balloons to be grounded. So if you have a couple of bad days weather-wise and then a nice one, the site will have three days worth of attendance at once.

“This is almost the exact scenario that we faced on the Sunday of the event, but the advance planning worked and everything went very smoothly.”

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PAPAL MASS

As event manager at Scotland’s biggest music festival, T in the Park, Colin Rodgers is no stranger to organising a major outdoor event. But working on the Papal Mass at Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park threw up a whole new set of challenges ... Christina Eccles reports.

Why Papal Mass made Colin proud WITH tasks including safely managing an estimated crowd of 75,000 people, to laying trackway which could support the four and a half tonne Popemobile on its journey through the park, Colin and his team were always going to have their work cut out on this event.

But throw in the fact that DF Concerts was drafted in just eight weeks before it was due to take place and the task suddenly became a whole lot harder.

The open air mass marked the first day of Pope Benedict XVI’s historic visit to the UK and such a short timescale created a race against time to get everything ready.

As the company was brought in with just weeks to spare, one of the biggest challenges they had was dealing with decisions which had already been made and sometimes having to change things around.

Colin explained: “Part of the problem was that we inherited a lot of decisions which had already been made. But with things such as the stage position and layout of the park, we said this is the way we should do it and changed things.”

Multi agency meetings formed a big part of the planning process and as

the mass formed just one aspect of the Pope’s UK visit, it was vital that everyone involved was kept up to date to ensure a seamless schedule at each city he was visiting.

But although regular meetings were needed to ensure a coordinated event, one of Colin’s biggest concerns was that there wasn’t enough focus on what was needed in Bellahouston Park. He added: “A lot of the meetings were focusing on planning for the Pope visiting Scotland rather than specifically the event in the park. So I decided to take the bull by the horns and introduce focus meetings about Bellahouston Park – and we had one per week for the last six weeks before the event.”

Although the park had been used for the last Papal visit in 1982, many things had changed over the years – meaning that although aerial photos of that event had been studied, it was impossible to stick to the same layout this time round.

“We studied photos but had to put modern thinking in as there was no existing formula we could use. Also there were a lot of challenges with the site because trees had grown in some areas so we couldn’t use the same layout as last time.

Continued, Page 13

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PAPAL MASS

Continued from Page 12 “There are also old mining works in the site, so structurally it had to be assessed and we had to put in trackway to counteract the weight holds, which involved working very closely with the local council.”

Another challenge was budget and ensuring that the event did not become too expensive. Because the mass wasn’t seen as part of the Pope’s state visit, the church had to pay for all costs – meaning only a small budget was allocated.

Colin added: “For all our clients, we try to keep costs as low as possible but budget was a big challenge in the early weeks as we weren’t able to move forward and give suppliers confirmation until we knew how much we had to spend.”

DF Concerts are best known for organising T in the Park and Colin said that although there were major differences between organising a music festival and dealing with an event such as this, their experience of working in greenfield sites proved invaluable.

“At the end of the day, it was a greenfield site so there were principals that were similar and all that festival knowledge we built up from T in the Park, we were able to apply.

“But the biggest difference was the culture of the audience. The audience profile was much older than we anticipated and not as mobile or used to travelling in groups – a different demographic to what we are used to dealing with. But they were a very responsive and responsible audience.

“One thing we thought would be a challenge, in fact turned into an asset – which was working with the guys from the church. Every Sunday they are putting on a mass where they are

‘One thing we thought would be a challenge, in fact turned into an asset – which was working with the guys from the church’ Contractors effectively event managers so they could relate to what we were doing quite easily.”

Another challenging area was security and crowd management, which involved close collaboration with security providers G4S. With such a high profile figure in attendance, the obvious fear was the threat of a terrorist attack so security had to be high on the agenda for everyone involved.

An anti terrorism ring was put around the entire site so all vehicles had to be in the day before as everything was searched and sealed.

The team also had to work with local police who were dealing generally with the Pope’s visit to Glasgow plus his close protection team.

And throughout the whole project, partnership working was the key to getting it right.

“We worked with departments such as the Foreign Office, the Police, the local council and the Fire Brigade and it was all about working in partnership.

“We had the best people working on this event, who all had the right attitude and we got a lot of compliments on the day.

“We weren’t quite sure how it would go but it was a wonderful experience.

We are really proud.”

AC Inc – site management Forwood Thinking – site management Safety First Solutions – H&S Portakabin Events – cabins and sanitation UK Forks – plant Buffalo Power – power Beaunosh – crew catering Arnold Clark – hired vehicles CBA Ltd – telecomms EventServ – fencing Cannon Safety – fire extinguishers Golf Buggy Hire Main Event – posts National Radio Bank Fencing for Fun – site crew WAAP – marquees Speedy Hire – plant Stagehire Scotland – camera platforms, media area TPA – trakway John Brown Caterhire – furniture Nationwide Platforms – cherry picker Interserve – scaffold G4S – security Paramed UK – build/break paramedic Express Inn by Holiday Inn – accommodation

Second award for City of London festival THE City of London Festival has been awarded a Greener Festival Award for the second year running – in recognition of its efforts to prioritise sustainability and promote environmental awareness.

The festival is one of 14 UK winners, which also include Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight

Festival and the Bristol Harbour Festival.

Festival director Ian Ritchie said: “We are delighted to have been awarded our second Greener Festival Award.

“We have an ongoing commitment to sustainability and the environment and we aim to reflect this not only in our actions but also

our programming.

“The 2010 Festival promoted and celebrated the biodiversity of the City of London in a range of artistic activities, particularly our City Bees initiative which saw eight beehives installed throughout the Square Mile where they will remain for years to come.”

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Induction courses run by venues are becoming more popular. But do they really contribute to better health and safety knowledge? Here, Heath Freeman, managing director of Pinnacle Crew, looks at the pros and cons

Tour of Britain riders will return to Scotland THE Grand Depart of the Tour of Britain will return to Scotland next year, organisers have revealed.

EventScotland has been working with key partners – including organisers SweetSpot – to steer riders north of the border and as part of the event, competitors will be riding through the regions of the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

EventScotland’s chief operating officer Paul Bush said: “The Tour of Britain is a highlight on the cycling calendar for top international cyclists

and enthusiasts from around the world.

“EventScotland are delighted to announce that this world class event will return to Scotland next year and we are already in the planning stages to ensure that our stage will be one of the best of The Tour for everyone involved.”

Scotland held Stage Three of the event last year in the Borders town of Peebles and organisers are hoping to replicate the same success with this event.

How effective are venue-based safety courses?

EVERY company operating in whatever element of the live event industry has a responsibility to ensure good health and safety practice and training, and most will have in-house training associated with a regulated accredited body.

But the importance of a coordinated effort in maintaining health and safety standards cannot be over-emphasised. It is up to all of us in the industry – venues, production companies, organisers, contractors – to work together to ensure that there is comprehensive knowledge of the health and safety implications at each and every event.

So it is good to see that more and more venues are taking the issue seriously by running health and safety induction courses before events. Anything that contributes to good health and safety practice is to be welcomed.

We have always said that even a five-minute walk-round the venue adds to health and safety awareness, so with some of these induction courses being quite long and very comprehensive there is bound to be a benefit to be had.

However, having had experience of a variety of these induction courses, I do question whether “health and safety induction course” is something of a misnomer. It often seems that they offer guidance on house rules such as “do not drag materials on this expensive marble floor”, rather than precise health and safety guidance that should have

been “this is how you carry materials across this floor to prevent injury or accident.”

In a way, this is understandable and inevitable. The courses are bound to be venue-focused when run by the venues. They do, after all, have a vested interest in maintaining the standards of their buildings. But this means that the courses are not necessarily aimed at the people with responsibility for health and safety, and that the basic rule of health and safety - “look after your own safety first, and then look after the safety of those around you” – is ignored.

This is a missed opportunity and as a result, it is often left to the production or event organisation companies, very few of which run health and safety induction courses, to make sure that health and safety hazards are explained to everyone in the team.

Given all this, one cannot help but wonder whether venues are being forced into running health and safety induction courses by their insurance companies.

Such courses may be a welcome addition to the health and safety mix, but with the way many are presented at present they would be better termed “venue induction courses” rather than “health and safety inductions”.

In this case, venues should also take on the responsibility of pointing out the specific hazards that the venue poses to the individual rather than exclusively the other way around.

Trained staff provide professional event medical service PARAMEDICO actively seeks to develop and enhance a professional event medical service with trained personnel to transport sick, injured and infirm persons between the event and hospital, or to specialist hospital units, as required by organisers.

The company supply trained personnel to cover public events, pop concerts, sporting events and first aid rooms where trained staff are required to give emergency first aid.

The main purpose of the staff is the

promotion of health and the care of patients, transporting them safely where required and, where possible, pain free. In their dealings with patients, staff will be compassionate and sympathetic to their needs and show support to relatives.

Each member of staff appreciate the need for teamwork and actively seek to ensure close co-operation and collaboration with professional colleagues, other agencies and voluntary groups involved in the provision of health care at an event.

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Industry’s best will be named at festival awards THE categories have been unveiled for this year’s UK Festival Awards where some of the biggest names in the industry will battle it out to be crowned the best in their field.

The awards take place next month at the indigO2 in London and celebrate the success of the UK’s festival industry over the last year. The categories are: Best Major Festival Best Medium-Sized Festival Best Small Festival Best Overseas Festival Line Up Of The Year Best Metropolitan Festival Headline Performance of the Year Best Breakthrough Artist Feel-Good Act of the Summer Anthem of the Summer Best Dance Event The Grass Roots Festival Award in association with Robertson Taylor Best New Festival The Greener Festival Award in association with agreenerfestival.com Best Toilets Best Family Festival Promoter of the Year in association with IQ Magazine The Lifetime Achievement Award in association with Music Week

Best Sponsor Activation in association with Brand Republic Outstanding Contribution to Festival Production in association with TPi Events nominated for the Festival Awards UK will also automatically be entered into the Festival Awards Europe 2011, with all votes cast in the UK Awards also being valid for that event.

Managing director of Festival Awards James Drury said: “Despite the unsteady economy, the festival industry has continued to be successful, which just goes to show how much of a crucial part of the British calendar these events now are, and the skill and commitment of the people working on them.

“The Festival Awards are all about recognising the hard work which goes into producing such an incredible summer for hundreds of festivalgoers and celebrating another year of achievements.

“Not only do they give the fans chance to tell festival organisers how much they enjoyed the events they went to, but we have a number of industry-focussed awards, decided by panels of experts who will consider those crucial behind- the-scenes elements which the public doesn’t usually think of.”

Sonisphere was among the winners at last year’s awards, picking up the trophy for Best New Festival Picture: John McMurtrie

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HELP FOR HEROES XL Video UK supplied video equipment and crew for the concert, including LED for the massive scenic 'H' feature on the stage.

Chris Saunders project managed for XL and also designed and spec'd the production video elements of the show.

He explained: "The H was a very ambitious set piece to construct and needed precision and immense attention to detail – but the results were well worth all the effort.”

Showsec ensures Heroes concert goes safely A STAR-STUDDED, one-off concert at Twickenham Stadium has raised over £500,000 to support British troops.

The Help for Heroes event brought together some of the biggest names in music and comedy including Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow, Peter Kay and Katherine Jenkins to perform in front of 60,000 excited fans at the stadium.

A 280-strong team from Showsec was on hand at the event – liaising with the Rugby Football Union to ensure a safe and secure experience for visitors.

Security director Simon Battersby worked with project manager Paul Legge and a team of staff to make sure everyone there – particularly the Heroes themselves – had a day to remember.

The concert also marked the first gig since the new South Stand went up at Twickenham – and The Main Event caught up with Simon and Paul on site who explained how this had affected the event.

Simon explained: “Because the venue has changed with the addition of the new South Stand, this meant a different operation was needed in terms of how we were getting artistes into the changing room area.

“But the new stand has been fantastic from a security point of view as we had all the changing rooms and production on one corridor.”

Simon Battersby and Paul Legge The layout of the circular stage catwalk, along with two golden circles meant John Hadland, who managed the pit team, had a complex layout to secure – so the pit team was spilt into three different areas; front of stage and either side of the circular stage catwalk.

And Simon added that everyone was pleased to be involved in this event and glad to help out for such a great cause.

He added: “The Help for Heroes concert was in aid of a fantastic cause and an event we are very proud to have been a part of. The event was an emotional one for some of our staff who have connections with the armed forces.”

See next month’s Main Event for Part 2 of our Help for Heroes feature where we will be speaking to the team at Live Nation about their role in staging the concert.

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V FESTIVAL

Online sweetener keeps firm ahead of its rivals A CATERING company managed to stay one step ahead of its rivals with a new online offer for V Festival visitors.

The Fine Food Company teamed up with the festival’s promoter to create an exclusive £2 off voucher, which was downloadable from the official event website.

And according to figures, more than 20,000 festivalgoers visited the voucher page – making the company one of the most successful food operators on site.

The Fine Food Company’s Sam Steele said they noticed festivalgoers are spending less at events – but the voucher idea helped to keep trade buoyant at V. She explained: “Having spoken to other food operators and from our

own experience, we have noticed that consumer spend is down year on year. This summer has seen as much as a 20 to 25 per cent downturn year on year. But we recorded about the same sales as last year so the voucher idea helped us to buck the trend slightly.”

The company worked with Paul Glossop at Metropolis Music, who runs the V Festival website, to get the idea up and running and Sam told The Main Event that everyone involved was pleased with how it took off.

She added: “As we hadn’t done this type of marketing before, and on Paul’s advice of generic web response rates, we guesstimated that 50 per cent of those clicking on the voucher would download it and of that 50 per

cent, 20 per cent would actually remember to bring the voucher along and redeem on the day – and that was more or less what we experienced at the event.”

The company also operates restaurants under the same brand and regularly introduces meal deal offers, so are used to dealing with discount vouchers. The meal deal offer is also usually used at festivals, but this time it was replaced with the voucher offer, which according to Sam was quite a big gamble.

“The voucher replaced the meal deal which meant that the special offer was only available to ticketholders who had downloaded a voucher rather than people who just walked past. That was a risk as we didn’t know if people would bother to

download a voucher.”

And Sam added that this kind of marketing could be the way forward at events as organisers and suppliers look to work together to add value for festivalgoers.

“The average person who goes to a festival has become much more sophisticated. They are looking for brands they recognise.

“They know if they return to us they will get decent food and if we can help them to find us, it helps to build the brand and festivalgoers can plan ahead. From an organisers point of view, ideas like the voucher help to drive traffic to the website and strengthen links with festivalgoers by providing them with a service. We had no idea how it would be received but we were really pleased.”

‘The internet is absolutely crucial ...’

THE internet proved invaluable for the promoters of this year’s V Festival who used the event’s website and social networking to interact with festivalgoers.

Metropolis Music’s Paul Glossop runs the V Festival website and he told The Main Event why teaming up with the Fine Food Company worked well and how the festival hopes to expand on this next year.

He explained: “I had always wanted to test how powerful event websites can be. The V Festival website gets 45m unique visitors each year so we wanted to see how we could engage with people online.

“The best way was with money off

vouchers so we decided to choose one company to work with to test it out.

“We had about 27,000 voucher downloads, which as a test was pretty good. Across the board, sales were slightly down but the Fine Burger Company was able to retain its sales.

“We are now going to roll out a similar idea with merchandise next year, where festivalgoers can buy online and then collect it at the event. This spreads out the money they spend so they are not spending too much in one weekend.”

As well as teaming up with the Fine Food Company to launch the voucher idea, the festival also uses the

internet to maintain year round interest in the event and get fans talking about their experiences on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

And Paul added that the internet is the most cost efficient and effective way of communicating with festivalgoers – not just immediately before the festival but throughout the year.

He added: “The internet is absolutely crucial. Most major festivals are doing it. Digital is the single most important way of communicating with festivalgoers. You have to maintain that relationship year round and keep people engaged. This year we sold out in the fastest time – about 90 minutes. We had maintained that

hype around the festival and the web is the only way you can do that.

“It is also the most cost efficient method and social networks are as powerful as our own website – we need them both. Different types of social networking can act as platforms for different audiences and drive traffic between the festival website and other social networking sites.

Traffic to the website rose by about 30 per cent this year so the internet is a very powerful form of connection.”

Paul added that he was really pleased with how the idea worked and next year would like to take it further by engaging with other traders and sponsors online.

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BINGLEY MUSIC LIVE

Adding to the excitement Seamless partnership A KEY supplier on site at Bingley Music Live was AP Security who worked closely with organisers Bradford Council.

AP’s presence at the event was headed by Leeds office manager, Emma Tattersall and overseen by company general manager Andrew Stevens.

A bonus for AP of winning the council tender is that the company works at all the events that Andrew Wood and his team organise. With

several years of working together, the relationship between AP and the council’s team is seamless.

Andrew explained: “I’m delighted with AP’s service. I can pick up the phone to Andrew, Simon (Miller, AP northern regional manager) and Emma if there’s something that I’m unsure of and get their thoughts or recommendations. We have a lot of similar understandings of the event industry and it is a pleasure to be able to work with them.”

LIGHTMEDIA Displays added to the excitement of Bingley Music Live by providing two 45sqm LED screens and a full, four camera production package.

LMD's self contained, 45sqm screen trailers were used – saving the client the time and expense of building modular screens.

7mm virtual pixel screens ensured a crystal clear view for the entire crowd and feeds to plasma screens in hospitality ensured that no-one missed a performance, even from backstage.

Four broadcast quality cameras, one of which was a wireless roaming using one of LMD's Domo microwave sets, were all staffed by LMD, as was the vision director’s role.

A Broadcast Pix video production system was used for vision mixing, graphics and media playback and Panasonic DV machines were supplied to record the show and ISO feeds from the cameras.

In 2010, LMD have invested heavily in equipment to support their core screen hire business, from microwave links to a complete digital Broadcast Pix hybrid video production system.

The Broadcast Pix package steps up what can be achieved at live shows, providing all the features of a complete OB unit in an amazingly compact three flightcase system.

An additional 10sqm, self contained, screen truck was added to their fleet in March 2010.

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BINGLEY MUSIC LIVE This year’s Bingley Music Live was better than ever after organisers worked hard to address concerns from last year – improving the experience for both festivalgoers and local residents. Christina Eccles found out more.

Hard work pays off for Bingley organisers ALTHOUGH last year’s festival was considered a success, after consultation with festivalgoers and people who live near the event site, organisers Bradford District Council realised there was room for improvement and set out to make some changes.

Event manager Andrew Wood explained: “We have done a lot with the festival from last year and have addressed a lot of issues.

“We had some noise concerns, as we are near a residential area, so worked with environmental protection and our PA company to minimise noise.

“This year we also had a town cen-

tre cleansing programme. We found last year that people going into Bingley were using the bins but they were overflowing in the town centre.

So this year we had a thorough cleansing service throughout the event both in and outside of the venue.”

The festival finished at 9.30pm on the Saturday and 8.30pm on the Sunday to take into consideration nearby residents and to minimise disturbance and the team worked hard to ensure that getting in and out of Bingley was as hassle free as possible for visitors.

Continued on Page 21

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BINGLEY MUSIC LIVE

LEEDS/READING

Police operation sees drop in festival crime

Pictures: Dave Ward Continued from Page 20 Andrew added: “We worked with Northern Rail to put on contingency trains as about half the people at the event come by rail, which means getting 7,500 people each day out of Bingley. We also implemented a new queuing system at the railway station and offered free park and ride. Last year we offered paid park and ride and it wasn’t very successful but I think people appreciated this year that it was free and it worked.

“We also consulted with disabled people and had a disabled viewing area with an elevated platform. And we ran a buddy service to help those who weren’t able to get to the catering stalls or the bar where someone would go and get them what they wanted.

“We worked with both festivalgoers and local residents to appease their concerns and we seem to have done that this year – we only had one noise complaint.”

42,000 people attended the festival over the weekend – 12,000 on the Friday evening and 15,000 each on Saturday and Sunday.

Friday night offered a free entertainment programme, while the other two days showcased a varied musical line up which included The Enemy and James.

Ticket prices rose slightly from last year but at £30 for a weekend ticket still offered some of the best value for money on the festival circuit.

And Andrew told The Main Event, that in the current climate, people are grateful for the opportunity to be able to see top quality bands for a reasonable price.

“The Friday night is a free event, which allows us to put a more extensive programme on the Saturday and Sunday and charge for weekend tickets. Ticket prices were £25 last year and £30 this year for a weekend ticket and the reason we do that is to keep it affordable and inclusive, which is appreciated by visitors.

“The festival is now starting to get known. We are delighted with this year but we won’t become complacent. There are always areas that need improvement but we have such a good team in place who have that enthusiasm for the event.”

By Christina Eccles

offences.

CRIME fell at this year's Reading Festival thanks to a thorough policing operation on site at the event.

Extra resources were used this year to tackle problem areas at the festival, which included the site perimeter where offences had occurred in previous years.

And local police reported that there were a total of 514 crimes associated with the festival – down from 530 in 2009.

Supt Stuart Greenfield, the Reading local police area commander and night time commander of the festival said: “I’m pleased to see that there has been a slight reduction in overall crime at the festival.

“But it is the information within those figures that really pleases me.

In 2009 there were 25 robberies but this year there were just three, and just five assaults where actual bodily harm was caused this year compared to 16 last year.

“So it is clear that we made a significant impact on the more serious

“We put a lot of extra resources into patrolling the perimeter of the site this year as that is where a number of offences had occurred last year.

“It was a priority for us that those travelling away from the site to local supermarkets or into town were safe.

“We used cycle patrols around these areas, using a range of resources including neighbourhood policing officers who know the patch well and members of the Special Constabulary’s Cycle Team.

“The Dispersal Order that we had in place for the first time this year also helped us to move away potential troublemakers.

“There are always things that you can seek to improve for the future, but I feel that, with the help of the additional security patrols provided by Festival Republic, we significantly reduced serious crime and disorder at this year’s festival which helped to make a safer and more enjoyable event for all those attending.”

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GREEN MAN FESTIVAL

Festival with a difference sells out 10 weeks in advance

By Dominic Musgrave ABOUT 15,000 people enjoyed live music, films, comedy and literature as well as good food at this year’s Green Man festival in the Brecon Becons.

The three-day event included performances by Doves, Mumford and Sons and Flaming Lips and, according to organiser Fiona Stewart, its relaxed feel and competitive ticket prices helped to bring in the crowds.

She told The Main Event that the Green Man prefers to do it differently to other festivals, choosing not to go down the sponsorship route.

“It all went really well, and we sold out 10 weeks in advance,which is very exciting in itself,” she added.

“As well as the music, some of the other areas that we have introduced in recent years are becoming increasingly popular, such as the Einstein’s Garden science and organic food areas.

“We changed quite a lot last year so it was just a case of building on it this, making areas more expansive and adding to them.

“The burning of the green man, which is very much a part of what we do, was watched by thousands of people on the Sunday night.”

One of the highlights of the event was the showing of the previously unseen film ‘Bird on a Wire’ starring Leonard Cohen, which was presented by the director and editor Tony Palmer.

Fiona added: “We brought this in after the tickets had sold out, which is the beauty of being an independent festival organiser I guess.

“It’s taken Tony 37 years to get it up and running, and he was very emotional at the end of the showing, which attracted a huge crowd who enjoyed singing along to some of the songs.”

There was a ‘mixed bag’ of weather for this year’s festival, although Fiona said that it did not seem to spoil the atmosphere.

She added: “We have a lot of areas that are under cover and others that are very comfortable so having bad weather is not the problem it could be for this type of camping event.

‘The burning of the green man, which is very much a part of what we do, was watched by thousands of people on the Sunday night’

Fiona Stewart “We also had a 1,000 or so takers for the holiday offer that we put on in the week leading up to the festival, which the locals love because they are out buying things and exploring the area.

“The pub in the campsite was rammed every night and created a festival atmosphere before the festival itself, and attracted lots of people who arranged to meet up prior to the event over Facebook.”

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BESTIVAL

Big show with an intimate feel BESTIVAL’S diverse line up and fun loving vibe keep the crowds coming back year on year, according to its organisers.

Almost 50,000 festivalgoers descended on Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight for this year’s event.

And festival curator Rob da Bank told The Main Event that booking acts ranging from The Prodigy and Dizzee Rascal through to Rolf Harris means there is something for everyone who comes.

He said: “Creatively and musically this year was the best one yet. It looked like a big show but still in an intimate way.

“The feedback we have had so far has been brilliant. But we also look for negatives so we know what we need to do for next year.”

Rob also said research on the event has shown that although bands are important at the festival, visitors are more attracted by the general vibe and atmosphere as they know that if they choose to come to Bestival, they will have a great time.

He added: “We have done research which shows about three quarters of our audience come because it’s ‘Bestival’ not because of the headliners. The bands are part of it but it is

also about the atmosphere. People know if they come to Bestival, they are going to have a good party.”

Changes to the event this year included moving the position of the main stage to the bottom of a hill, which Rob revealed is the best place on the site for it.

But to have the stage there meant thorough contingency plans had to

be put in place in case bad weather hit the festival.

“For anyone that came last year, they would have noticed that the main stage was in a slightly odd position. But this year we have done a lot of drainage and field work and put it at the bottom of the hill in its natural position – and it looked amazing. The artistes said they had one of the best

views of a crowd at a festival so it really worked.

“Organising Bestival is getting really challenging but it is also rewarding.

Festivals have had a tough ride this year – from crime to the weather and cancellations. For everyone organising a festival, it is a nervewracking thing but you have just got to try and get through.”

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BESTIVAL

Peppermint delivers quality and choice throughout festival LONDON-based Peppermint Bars has been working with Bestival since the first festival in 2004.

This year Peppermint worked with the organisers to bring 23 bars to the 50,000 fans that attended.

Asked why so many bars, Alex Brooke from Peppermint explained: “It's about delivering quality and choice throughout the festival.

“With a show so spread out the customers need to be within reach of a bar that serves their favourite drink, wherever they are on site."

Brand-led bars such as Sailor Jerry’s "Ink City", "Charlie's Drambuie Nail Bar" and the PlayStation SingStar’s "Cocktails and Dreams" were a big feature this year serving specialist cocktails in programmed music-led environments.

Brands have become more and more involved with festivals like Bestival, especially when they add

value.

Alex added: “We enjoy working with brands and have done so for many years.

“Enjoying your favourite band or DJs while drinking ice cold cocktails helps that experience stick in the memory. We are mid-way through building our own music and bar-led environment for 2011.

“We hope to use it backstage for VIP areas and front of house at some shows.

“It will look, sound (and taste) amazing.”

Another initiative tried and tested at Camp Bestival (Bestival’s sister festival in Dorset) and used at this year's Bestival allowed customers to reclaim 10p for each cup or can returned.

This year Peppermint supplied over 900 staff, over 30 articulated lorries including 5 x 44,000 pint tank tankers.

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BESTIVAL

Continually growing and expanding the range IN early 2010 The Amazing Tent Company was selected to supply tent structures for a nine-date, ninevenue road show appearing in major cities across the UK, to coincide with the BBC’s high-voltage science programme Bang Goes the Theory.

Having increased in size due to its overwhelming popularity in 2009, the 2010 project required more than one structure, so in addition to providing a saddle span tent the team at Amazing also installed their brand new ARCO 100 structure.

Director Steve Haddrell said: “We continually grow and develop our range – sourcing, customising and supplying complementary structures that work both as stand-alone products, or as part of a much bigger production package.”

Amazing Tents’ structures house a side-by-side stage show as well as an interactive exhibition and both are anchored with a special ballast system.

A custom made solution was

required due to a tight logistical schedule and hard-standing sites in each city centre.

In addition to designing anchorage, Amazing Tents designed and retrofitted side panels to the ARCO that would fit with the ‘Bang banners’ and provide clear routes in and out of the structure.

Technical director Dan Hyde added: “We relish the challenge to come up with new and innovative systems that give our customers a real differentiator. I am sure this is the first of many new designs which we look forward to rolling out over the coming months.”

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BESTIVAL

Early bird tickets have already gone on sale for next year’s Bestival, allowing festivalgoers who book early to benefit from a payment plan. These tickets will be held at 2010 prices, with the plan enabling visitors to pay a quarter of the ticket cost when they book, followed by three further payments.

Full range of water services SINCE 1996, Water Direct has been one of the UK’s preferred water suppliers to festivals, concerts, fun days, corporate hospitality and other outdoor events.

They have been helping their clients plan and install temporary water systems at various sites all over the UK, and provide a full range of services from bottled water, through to installing bulk water storage and water delivery points.

All of the water supplied is quality assured drinking water and conforms with the Water Supply (Water Quality)

Regulations 2000 as amended, and as such meets the water safety advice contained within HSG 195.

When designing a water supply system for an event, Water Direct ensures that all water dispensing equipment is cleaned and maintained, a sufficient number of drinking water points are made available based on the volume of people, with all water distribution points clearly marked and unobstructed.

Connections to caterer’s equipment are also available.

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SERENATA FESTIVAL A new outdoor event launched this summer combining classical music with a full festival experience. The Serenata Festival’s founder Lesley Malpas answered The Main Event’s quick questions.

Pictures courtesy of Simon Williams

A classical event with all the elements of a rock festival ...

Where did the idea for the festival come from?

The idea sprang from my own background in developing talent and working within the classical music industry with a leading record producer. I was looking for a platform to develop emerging classical talent, and the idea came to surround this with a full blown classical festival which had all the elements of a rock festival, with multi stages, a dynamic children's programme, camping, glamping etc.

Were you pleased with how the first year went?

Incredibly pleased. The entire event from an artistic perspective was utterly fabulous and those who came thoroughly enjoyed themselves and want to come back next year.

What worked particularly well?

The Serenata Stars competition was outstanding and the level of talent was simply breathtaking. We see this growing and developing into a serious platform for emerging classical talent not only in Britain but internationally.

What improvements will you make for next year?

We want to add more into the days at Serenata and intend to have headline artists performing in the afternoon.

The plans for next year are to build on what we created this year and to make the artistic content even richer with more workshops and opportunities for festivalgoers to get more involved.

How many people did the event attract?

Due to the terrible weather in the

lead up to the opening, we attracted roughly 3,000 people on the Friday and Saturday, with lower numbers on the opening night due to the rain.

What were the highlights for you?

Seeing the dream become a reality was the highlight! The artists and orchestra's stunning performances coupled with one of the most beautiful settings in England were everything and more than I had imagined.

Why did you decide to focus on classical music? Did you identify a gap in the market for this type of festival?

Sometimes it takes someone from outside the core to see an opportunity. Quite simply it was an event that was waiting to happen. What was so wonderful about Serenata was that many people came who were not

originally fans of classical and classical crossover music, some were not even fans of festivals, but all left converted and this meant we had achieved exactly what we set out to do – make classical music more accessible and appealing by changing the formula in which it is traditionally enjoyed.

What were your biggest challenges when planning this event?

Financing. With the current economic climate, it was no easy task raising the funding to undertake an untried event. However, hearts and minds have been captured by the vision for Serenata and the support has been overwhelming, with everyone willing us on into next year where we plan to refine the formula to create an even more magical and dynamic festival.

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SHOWMAN’S SHOW PREVIEW As the industry gears up for the 25th Showman’s Show later this month, The Main Event’s special feature profiles what to look out for at the show.

Show dates: October 20-21 Newbury Showground, Berkshire

The Main Event will be exhibiting at The Showman’s Show. Come and see us on stand 51 in the exhibition hall.

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SHOWMAN’S SHOW PREVIEW

High-quality security solutions ESS Management are an event security and crowd management company providing high quality security solutions for a wide range of events around the UK. Their management team have over 20 years’ experience working within the security industry; this has involved managing some of the largest events held in the country.

This experience also runs throughout the workforce, a large number of whom have worked together for the past 10 years, ensuring our clients have their high expectations met.

The services they provide, cover the whole gamut of skills required at an event. They range from event safety stewards, response teams, pit crews right through to customer care, search teams and evidence gatherers.

They recognise that everyone has

their own skills and abilities and through the training process, people are handpicked for the roles that best suit them. This then enables them to provide the best possible service to the client, whilst offering job satisfaction to their team.

Their aim, is to ensure their clients can get on with running a great event with the confidence that ESS Management is maintaining the safety and security of their customers, at all times. This is achieved by meticulous planning months prior to the event – this involves site visits, planning meetings and hours of preparing operational orders and briefing documents.

This all means that the security operation for that event is not just a paste and copy exercise, but is purpose built from scratch.

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Entertee to roll out wide range of products ENTERTEE will be at the show this year, exhibiting a wide range of products.

These include the 3.4m T Shield, which has been used at events including Radio 1 Big Weekend, Download and Lovebox.

Other products include the 2.4m T Hoard – a new fencing system designed to replace Hi-Hoard, giving a more uniform look when used alongside the 3.4m T Shield.

T-Hoard features flat panels for a neater finish, with no gaps between.

The panels are also advertising friendly – a big advantage over traditional Hi-Hoard.

The company also launched its new front of stage festival barrier this year, which was designed to suit a green field festival site, versatile enough for uneven ground and strong enough to withstand the largest of crowds.

It has been used at events such as Field Day, High Voltage, Wakestock, the Isle of Wight festival and Lounge on the Farm.

Busy calendar for Alistage ALISTAGE of Harlow has again been supplying a variety of events and festivals throughout the year. Being involved on a large scale with Glastonbury’s 40th anniversary was obviously a highlight that they were extremely honoured to be associated with.

However other jobs have equally been important in this year’s calendar – for example they again provided Alidomes for RAF Fairford’s R.I.A.T. and the Defence Academy at Shrivenham’s Music and Fireworks extravaganza.

This summer also saw the company providing stage and barrier equipment for contracts such as the Cambridge Folk Festival, the Offset Festival in Chigwell and jobs in Wales for 24 Carrot Promotions including the Swansea University Summer Ball. Other contracts included The Vintage Festival at Goodwood, Somerset House’s Summer Series and they also worked with Judgeday at The Cornbury Music Festival, Womad and The Chiswick House Festival.

Some memorable one-offs included the visit of the Pope, which saw them in Hyde Park building a complex tiered seating system for the choir and orchestra.

Another ‘headline’ job was providing the pit-barriers in conjunction with R & R Logistics for American singing sensation Pink’s 2010 stadium tour, which was further progression in terms of the introduction of their all aluminium “Total” barrier.

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Service develops from venue’s own ticketing needs LET us introduce you to The Lowry’s ticketing and event management service, Quaytickets.

Born from our own ticketing needs as a venue, we understand the requirements of event organisers and venue owners. We have developed a complete infrastructure specifically tailored and optimised for large scale, multiple date events. As such we are able to deliver a professional, secure and stable platform for ticket sales for our clients; encouraging brand confidence, expanding sales, and securing customer retention for future events.

Our services are professional, flexible and secure. They include: Ticket printing and distribution.

A full online booking system.

Professional call management.

A complete marketing service.

Quaytickets saves you time, money and helps deliver a better level of service to your customers.

All profits made by Quaytickets are channelled directly back into The Lowry Centre.

All income supports the world-class Theatres and Galleries programme, the care and display of the LS Lowry Collection and life-changing community and education work.

Flooring and access solutions company Prima will be at the show – launching its most glamorous carpet range ever.

Just in time for the Christmas party season, PRIMA Glitterarti is a range that will have partygoers going wow as soon as they walk through the door. Colours like gold lamé and silver foil do exactly as the name suggests and drape the floor in a flash of metallic sparkliness. Other shades include midnight sparkle – black with silver lurex; Ice Queen – white with silver lurex and Pink Stardust – hot pink littered with glittery silver.

Prima’s Michelle Tayton said: “It takes something really different for someone in the event business to get excited about flooring, but this range is absolutely fabulous, it will add sparkle to any event and is a really cost effective way to liven things up. We’ve all had enough doom and gloom, if we can’t have fun at Christmas, when can we?”

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Making businesses more flexible, competitive and profitable MCS-rm, from MCS, is an affordable, yet fully comprehensive hire management software application which meets the business needs of organisations that primarily deal with event hire, regardless of size or location.

MCS-rm is Windows based which makes it simple to use, intuitive, scalable and requires minimal training. It is flexible and configurable to your operational processes and is regularly updated in line with dynamic market conditions.

Notable features of MCS-rm include a fully automated contract management system, the ability to track all of your events including costs and the storage of all your customer, product and financial information in one central location.

MCS-rm can also be linked to niche financial solutions or supplied with the fully integrated MCS accounts package.

Come and meet us at this year’s Showman’s Show to find out how we can make your hire business more flexible, competitive and profitable.

Personalised wristbands to be showcased as newest innovation ID&C will be showcasing its newest innovation ‘personalised photo-fit security wristbands’ at this year’s Showman’s Show.

The company’s new in-house, sophisticated printing technology can print unlimited variable data, full colour designs, barcodes and serial numbers on its vinyl security wristbands.

Wristbands can now be individually tailored to the wearer by adding individual photographs and any number of variable data components e.g. individual names, event name, seat and row numbers, date of birth, point of sale and any other relevant data.

ID&C will also be showing its full wristband portfolio at the show including the patented Smartlock Fabrikband wristband with its “built in” anti fraud devices, Tyvek, full colour plastic, vinyl, slapper wristbands, sweatbands and numerous other options to cover all event needs.

In addition, the company’s comprehensive range of lanyards will be on display.

Visit us at Stand no. 31 at the Showman’s Show to find out more – you will also have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a bottle of Champagne.

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SHOWMAN’S SHOW PREVIEW

Events team lands four-year contract with city council GREEN Light Traffic Management specialise in events all over the UK. Our events team will manage everything from planning through to implementation and we have a proven track record and excellent working relationships with major charities, event organisers, local and county councils.

This hard work has just been rewarded with a four-year contract with Lincoln City Council to manage all their events.

Working in conjunction with the police, highways and local authori-

ties, we will prepare your traffic plan for submission including any licences, traffic orders or a detailed signage schedule.

Green Light also organise car parking, from site layout to park and ride/walk and bespoke signage – we can do it all.

Our aim is to assist in the smooth running of your event, this includes pre planning and managing during and after your event.

Please come and visit us on stand 86 at the Showmans’ Show 2010 for all your traffic management needs.

New products for show GALA Tent are exhibiting new products at the Showman's Show.

These include Star Shades, Event Domes and a complete new range of Gala Shade Pro pop up gazebos along with a 9m x 9m Modular selling at a special Showman's Show promotional price of £2,000.

Gala Tent have a free hospitality bar with refreshments and snacks and you will also have the chance

to meet the team and managing director, Jason Mace who will be attending the show to discuss future business and show only discounts with you.

He will be flying to China shortly after the show to visit his factories, so if you have an idea for new products you wish sourcing while he's out there then make sure you visit the stand armed with information.

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How Big TV can add the ‘wow’ factor

BIG TV is a provider of state-ofthe-art giant LED screens for all your event needs including sports, concerts, road shows, festivals, promotions, outdoor broadcasts and Christmas light switch-ons.

We specialise in mobile LED screen hire but have modular solutions available. Our mobile units include on-board genera-

tors, built in VT5 edit suites, D&B PA sound systems and our larger units have integrated stage and lighting facilities.

For your live event needs, Big TV can provide professional camera crew and equipment, wireless links, mixing technicians, sound engineers and more.

We pride ourselves on provid-

ing outstanding attention to detail, full technical support and expert consultancy across our range of services. Our professional capability does not make us unapproachable and our friendly team are happy to work on all projects, large or small.

Get in touch today and discover how Big TV can add the “wow” factor to your event.

Making branding distinctive and exciting ...

FOR the 12th consecutive year, Sunbaba will be exhibiting at the Showman’s Show – showcasing inspirational ideas on how to maximise branding opportunities at outdoor events.

branded video box, which can be tailored to any clients’ needs.

At the show, the company will be partnering with Fonix LED, to bring you their latest product – a bespoke

Advice on how to make branding your event environmentally friendly will also be on hand, from

Samples of new products including bunting and a cost effective double sided window tape, an alternative to window vinyl, will also be on show.

choosing more sustainable or biodegradable materials, to recycling unwanted branding after the event.

The show will also be a opportunity for Sunbaba to introduce two recent additions to the team; Account executive Jemma Syms, who is on a year work placement

from Leeds Metropolitan University and Andrew Collings, the new operations director.

Come and visit the friendly team at this year’s Showman’s Show, to find out ways in which Sunbaba can help you to make branding your events as distinctive and exciting as possible.

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SHOWMAN’S SHOW PREVIEW

Software for the hire industry T S Solutions provide software solutions for the hire industry.

Since 1988, all hire rental software has been continually developed and enhanced by working alongside hire companies.

By listening to our customers, we have been able to adapt and implement improvements, which have ensured that we are a market leader, with our software operating both in the UK and abroad.

All Hire will support all of your hire business needs and is used across the hire industry. From stock tracking, availability checking, comprehensive company and client documentation, loading lists, delivery scheduling,

resource planning, job costings, cross-hire, sub-contracting and integrated sales and marketing. Ideal for any size of hire company with flexible purchase options available.

Event CAD enables you to produce 2D layouts and 3D colour visuals for events. Print or email your drawings – impress your potential customers with their own personal layout.

Expansion plans for Team Extreme IN 2011 Team Extreme is expanding its capability – more equipment, more skills and a wide range of programmes to suit any organisation for a one-day show, a weekend, a medium term residency – anywhere world wide.

We provide equipment and performers; BMX, skateboard, in-line, scooter, break dance, basketball, soccer skills, mountain bike and Parkour.

The range of mobile equipment is from skateparks, to the huge super half-pipe, assembled rapidly on almost any surface.

We launch products, provide equipment and performers for TV and film, and for all events we add that special excitement and skill. Coaching is

included at many events.

Team Extreme has nearly 25 years of experience on four continents – by far the most proficient team anywhere with nearly 80 performers.

Needless to say, Team Extreme has all the necessary paperwork, insurance and memberships whilst providing the highest level of professional entertainment.

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Services many of the UK’s ‘The public deserves water in any event’ most prestigious events GRUNDON services some of the most prestigious events in the UK’s social and sporting calendars, including Cartier International Polo, Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix, Henley Royal Regatta, The Championships, Wimbledon and the Royal International Air Tattoo.

Operating across the south of England, the company provides the full range of waste collection and recycling services, using highly manoeuvrable waste wheeler containers, rolonofs, skips, compactors or tankers as appropriate.

In particular Grundon’s 'Two Bin’

recycling system results in a simple to use, clean and easily managed site.

Mixed recyclables comprising paper, cardboard, cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles and jars (all colours) are placed in one container ready for collection and recycling, whilst a second container takes the remaining general waste.

Available throughout the year including weekends, Grundon services indoor and outdoor events of every size and type, from corporate functions, exhibitions and sporting events to festivals, agricultural shows and village fetes.

FOR many, the pleasure of spending a warm summer evening outdoors is listening to the kind of music they enjoy ...

The BBC's Proms in Hyde Park once again catered for 40,000 enigmatic proms fans for one night only.

Watermills were there and it was a privilege to hear Jose Carreras and Dame Kiri belt out Rogers and Hammerstein numbers plus others.

The infrastructure services (water, electric, toilets) needed to cater for this amount of people is quite extensive and costly especially for one night.

The solution – do it again on Sunday but change the music. Cue Chris Evans to host an Elvis celebra-

tion – topping the bill was Tom Jones.

The diversity of Hyde Park as an open air venue was further illustrated by the arrival of the Pope the following weekend. Extra toilets and catering points were brought in to cater for a completely different type of event and double the amount of people. Whilst we could not provide “holy water”, we were able and honoured to ensure that the 80,000 faithful followers who attended the historic Papal Visit were serviced and supported in the manner that befits such an auspicious occasion.

Watermills are privileged to be part of these three differing events. After all the public deserves water in any event.

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Court Palace contract awarded

Lighting rental company Blinding Light was on hand to supply equipment including trussing and rigging for a series of major events in London.

The company won a competitive tender to provide the kit to Mantaplan for the BBC Proms in the Park in Hyde Park.

The key to the lighting design was flexibility as the day after Proms in The Park, the 40m wide stage – supplied by Serious – and lighting rig would be used for an Elvis tribute concert followed the week after by a prayer vigil by Pope Benedict XVI.

PWR Events has been awarded the contract to promote and manage Hampton Court Palace’s annual music festival for the next three years.

Trustees of Historic Royal Palaces decided to invite tenders this year to run the festival from 2011 to 2013 and PWR’s overall package was considered to be best suited to the needs of the event.

PWR director Jamie Wells said: “We have enjoyed working with HRP over the last 10 years on a variety of projects and are delighted to have been given the opportunity to work further with them on what is Hampton Court Palace’s flagship event.”

Catering company field&flower ensured the stars at this year’s V Festival were well fed by creating a special pop up restaurant at the event.

Visitors to the festival’s Virgin Media Louder Lounge – such as Dizzee Rascal, Diana Vickers and Pixie Lott – were treated to a menu which included seven hour, slow cooked spit-roasted Gloucestershire Old-Spot pork and four-week hung steak baguettes.

Eve to showcase range additions THIS year’s Showman’s Show is set to put Eve centre stage as the company showcases several new additions to its range of barriers and fencing, including the revolutionary Concord Barrier and a new aesthetically designed arched fencing system.

The innovative Concord Barrier ensures superior crowd control and safety and due to its unique design – a mass advertising opportunity.

With adjustable legs suitable for uneven ground, the standalone 3m long and 1.2m high lightweight barrier enables complete versatility and allows for rapid installation and dismantling.

The interchangeable display system facilitates advertising and event branding to be easily replaced with pre-prepared panels that simply slide

along the length of the barrier.

Partnered with the unique angled design ensures increased advertising exposure and potential for event sponsors. To support organisers further, Eve is offering a fully managed branding service to meet all the requirements demanded by events.

South divisional manager Carl Rumney said: “The Concord Barrier is a fantastic new addition to our already all-encompassing product range. It’s a new concept in barriers that not only secures spectator safety, but also offers the opportunity for event organisers to increase advertising revenue significantly.

“The barriers are ideally suited for site enclosure, crowd control, tunnelling and general demarcation for shows and events – particularly at the

start and finish of cycle and running races. The Concord is already the preferred barrier for a number of high profile UK cycling events as the angled design allows the cyclists to lean into the barrier, while keeping spectators away from the athletes without affecting the viewers’ enjoyment of the event.”

Eve’s extensive range of barriers and fencing is also further extended with the introduction of a new fencing system, with aesthetically pleasing arched tops to showcase generic and bespoke decorative dressings. For event organisers looking to enhance event branding, promote advertising, create privacy and allow fencing to blend in with its environment, this is the perfect choice.

Eve will be joined at the Showman’s

Show by sister company, ATM Traffic Solutions, displaying its range of traffic control systems and special signage for events of all sizes. Plus, Select Plant Hire, one of Eve’s longstanding partners, will be on hand at Eve’s neighbouring stand so visitors can experience easily what both companies can offer. Select Plant Hire will be showcasing its range of cabins and sleeper units, external mobile and linkable lighting, telehandling equipment, radios and sitewide services. Over the two days, Eve experts will be available to assist in planning access, security, crowd and traffic control requirements as well as inviting all visitors to enter Eve’s interactive competition to win tickets to some of the high profile events it supplies.

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Diary Dates October 20 – 21 – Showman’s Show, Newbury November 25 – Regional Conference and AGM, New Bucks University, High Wycombe.

Contact details: Susan Tanner PO Box 4495, Wells. BA5 9AS. (T) 01749 674 531 (E) secretary@noea.org.uk

Auntie NOEA – send your letters and questions to auntienoea@googlemail.com Dear Auntie Noea, I recently worked on a fairly small event – just a capacity of 5,000. On the catering side, we had just five operators and wanted a varied offer so only had one traditional ‘burger’ van.

Unfortunately, this operator was the one that caused the most problems for us. In addition to numerous complaints from our guests that the food was very expensive and not even very nice, the local environmental health team were wholly unsatisfied with pretty much all they were doing.

Whilst we will not use this operator in the future, what can we do to avoid this happening again and who's responsibility, ultimately, is the health and welfare of our guests when buying from a feepaying caterer?

Yours, Julia, Taunton My dear Julia, Whilst the responsibility does fall on the caterer for the welfare of those purchasing food from them – i.e; that the food will not harm in any way, you do have responsibility to ensure the caterer is provided

NOEA is working in partnership with Bucks New University to hold the annual AGM and a regional conference on November 25 in High Wycombe.

Nick Eade, senior lecturer tourism and event management is working alongside students and Susan Tanner to put together this conference. This will be a project for the students to get practical experience in arranging a conference.

Booking forms and further details are available on the website or please contact Susan at the NOEA office on 01749 674 531.

Auntie NOEA with all that has been agreed.

Usually this comes down to the provision of safe water, refuse arrangements and other basics. Do you really want front page headlines of an outbreak of E.coli of half your event attendees or even letters in the local rag complaining what a rip-off the food was at your otherwise excellent event? To avoid this, try these simple steps; 1. Ask all prospective caterers to apply in writing and to include evidence of ALL their current certificates, food handling training levels and the local authority they are registered with.

2. Check those details are true and current. Call each caterer’s local authority's EHO / Food Safety team – they are usually very happy to talk to you.

3. Visit your shortlisted caterers at other events prior to final selection – watch and hear what the buying public are saying.

4. Consider negotiating a fair fee in return for the caterer keeping their 'meal' offers to an agreed maximum price.

5. Even for small events, it can pay off to employ your own dedicated food hygiene officer or ask your health and safety officer to look at more than just the gas connection, infrastructure etc. He or she may be more than happy to ask indepth questions and ask to see the caterers temperature control log book. It will keep your caterers on their toes in advance of a visit from the official EHO. 6. Always work with the local food safety team. Remember, if you want to run events again in that area, you want them on your side.

Many of these inspecting officers will happily report on failings and these reports are often shared with other council departments and even other statutory agencies.

7. Lastly, consider bringing in a reputable catering management provider. Talk to other event organisers about who they use – there are some really good, experienced providers out there who will manage it all and have access to very good and varied caterers. Far less hassle and you're still going to see an income.

Good luck with your future munchies, Auntie Noea

NOEA Annual Convention Challenge the Convention – Collaborate: Create: Control February 23 – 24 2011 The annual convention will take place in February 2011 and there are various sponsorship packages available from the Gold Package at £2000 which includes sponsorship of an award, stand space and two delegate places with overnight accommodation to the Bronze package at £750.

If you are interested in becoming involved at the convention – and you do not need to be NOEA member to sponsor – we would like to hear from you.

Tribute awards grow in stature ...

THE NOEA tribute awards are one of the highlights of the events industry calendar, growing in reputation each year.

It is an opportunity to honour those that have contributed to the events industry with awards being split into 10 categories.

Award categories: Event Innovation of the Year Award The Friendly Event Award Venue of the Year Award Small Event of the Year Award Production Partnership Year Award Best Practice Award Event Organiser of the Year Award Event of the Year Award Event Supplier of the Year The NOEA Scotland tribute award

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40 Wet weather failed to dampen the spirits of the 70,000 strong crowd which turned out to see the Pope in Birmingham’s Cofton Park.

As part of the event, De Boer Structures supplied more than 7,500 square metres of temporary accommodation to WRG Creative Communication, which coordinated the final leg of the four-day state visit.

The De Boer team took eight days to install Jumbo Halls, Alu Halls and Chalets to form crew catering facilities, a medical centre and media centre plus accreditation and merchandising areas.

Sales director – events John Cochrane said: “This was an important contract for us because the eyes of the world were on the Pope for this first ever state visit to Britain which was televised all over the globe.”

Picture: WRG Creative Communication

Triple award success for cycling event A POPULAR cycling event has been recognised with three national awards.

The freshnlo Pedal for Scotland event was organised by Lancashire based Pennine Events, in partnership with Cycling for Scotland.

The event – which saw more than

7,000 people take part in Scotland’s biggest bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh – scooped three trophies at the Scottish Event Awards.

Organisers took home awards for Best Sports Event and Best Event as well as the overall award for best event of the night, the Events

Management Grand Prix.

Three days after the awards, the company organised this year’s race, which attracted 9,000 cyclists in an even bigger event than last year.

Director Mark Sandamas said: “We are absolutely delighted that the freshnlo Pedal for Scotland event

won these awards at Scotland’s premier awards event.

“Last year was the first time we had helped organise this event as part of a three-year contract so it is even more pleasing that the event was recognized as the best event in the whole of Scotland last year.”

Entertainers move into outdoor market AN Essex-based company has revealed why it is branching out from indoor theatres and venues to target the outdoor market.

Entertainers specialises in bringing shows – including the Magic of Motown and Thank You for the Music – to theatres up and down the country.

But recently the company has diversified – working with local authorities to bring the shows to a wider audience at outdoor events.

The Magic of Motown concerts have appeared in towns and cities nationwide and according to Entertainers’ Ben Hatton they are the perfect choice to have at a community event.

He explained: “We work with theatres and a lot of them are council run so there is sometimes a crossover with the leisure department, which may also run a local festival.

“They saw the quality of the product and we started to get bookings for events.”

At many of the local authority events, the council has realised the potential of using existing infrastructure to add another day’s entertainment and have introduced a concert.

Ben added: “All of our shows have a wide audience appeal. We put

concerts on all over the country so we know which are good sellers. If a show has done well in local venues then we know it will work outdoors.”

Ben also revealed that the main difference between working on outdoor events and working in theatres is the level of marketing required.

He told The Main Event that with a bigger outdoor event, the catchment area would increase – meaning more marketing is needed to ensure it reaches as many people as possible.

“We are very pro-active with our marketing to make sure we have every media covered.

“With an outdoor concert, the

size of the catchment area would increase so we would market to a wider area.

“With ticketed events, we also offer early bird tickets instead of relying on the door and there is a substantial difference between the early bird price and the gate price which makes it more attractive for people to book earlier.”

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365 - SUPPLIER DIRECTORY

Access Control

Event Power

Ticket Alternative UK ltd Unit 333 Ashley Rd, London N17 9LN T: 0800 011 2894 E: orders@ticketalternative.co.uk www.ticketalternative.co.uk

BRM Productions Canalside Industrial Park Kinoulton Road Cropwell Bishop Notts NG12 3BE T: 0115 989 9955 M: 07860 285305 F: 0115 989 9977 E: power@brm-productions.co.uk

Audio Visual Arcstream AV Unit 22 Nonsuch Industrial Estate Kiln Lane Epsom Surrey KT17 1DH T: 01372 742 682 M: 07813 825 215 F: 01372 737 279 E: neil.m@arcstreamav.com www.arcstreamav.com

Bars Eagle Event Bars 58-60 Vicarage House Kensington Church Street Kensington London W8 4DB T: 0207 368 3344 M: 07790 614401 E: dyrig@eaglehospitality.co.uk www.eaglehospitality.co.uk

Backline & PA Hire 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 Arnold Clarke Rental Head Office Kerse Road Stirling FK7 7RU T:01786 468 700 E: car.rental.sales@arnoldclark.co.uk www.arnoldclarkrental.com

Crowd Management A.P. Security (North) Ltd. 33 Metro Centre Dwight Road Watford Herts WD189SB T: 0870 412 2232 E: johnphillips@apsecurity.co.uk www.apsecurity.co.uk Specialized Security 4 Fairways Business Park Deer Park Livingston EH54 8AF T: 01506 442255 E: tom@specializedsecurity.co.uk www.specializedsecurity.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

Marquee Stakes Staging and Accessories Ansell Hand Tools 72 Catley Road Darnall Sheffield S9 5JF T: 0114 244 8098 E: ansellhandtools@aol.com www.ansellhandtools.co.uk

Event Production Medical Management Ethix Management 100 Kingsgate Road West Hampstead London NW6 2JG T: 0207 691 1960 E: enquiries@ethixmanagement.com www.ethixmanagement.com

Fireworks 21cc Fireworks 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 Event Insurance Services Limited Event House 20A Headlands Business Park Ringwood BH24 3PB T: 01425 470360 E: info@events-insurance.co.uk www.events-insurance.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

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 PKL Group (UK) Ltd, Stella Way Bishops Cleeve Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL52 7DQ T: 01242 663000 E: postbox@pkl.co.uk www.pkl.co.uk

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

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 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 19 Prestwood Road Weoley Castle Birmingham B29 5EB T: 0121 603 8367 M: 07738 900 762 E info@thestagebus.com www.thestagebus.com

Trade Associations NOEA Susan Tanner PO Box 4495 WELLS. BA5 9AS T: 01749 674 531 E: secretary@NOEA.org.uk www.noea.org.uk

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

Venues Wicksteed Park Ltd. Barton Road Kettering Northants NN15 6NJ T: 01536 512475 F: 01536 518948 E: info@wicksteedpark.co.uk www.wicksteedpark.co.uk

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 Wall to Wall Communications Unilink House 21 Lewis Road Sutton, Surrey SM1 4BR T:020 8770 1007 F:020 8770 9700 The Incredible Cup Company Ltd E:hire@walltowallcomms.co.uk 41 Mitchell Street www.walltowallcomms.co.uk

Walkie Talkies

Reusable Cup Systems London EC1V 3QD T: 0207 780 7137 F: 0207 253 7165 E: Lucy@brand-width.net www.icupco.com

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

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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POWER SUPPLY

FAIRGROUNDS

TOILET HIRE WASTE MANAGEMENT

MEDICAL

CATERING

RADIO 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

FESTIVALS

SILENT DISCO

LARGE SCREEN HIRE

STAGE HIRE

RECYCLING

HEATING & COOLING

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