The Main Event

Issue 27 April 2009 £4.75

Let there be light for industry ...

Pulled events ‘could be a good thing’

By Christina Eccles ORGANISERS affected by the credit crunch are putting on a brave face by claiming that taking a year off could actually be good for their events.

A challenging economic climate has made things difficult for the industry and after a wave of events have been forced to cancel or postpone until next year, organisers are fighting back.

One such festival is the Magic Loungeabout which successfully launched at Newburgh Priory in North Yorkshire last year. After deciding that the market is too difficult to compete in this year, organisers have decided to take a year off.

However, according to promoter Simon Adamson, although it is not an ideal situation, they are going to make the best of it. He said: “Most promoters putting on an annual event would not want to take a break, but to take a positive from this, it could be a blessing in disguise.

“We will use this time to make some changes including moving to a new site to be closer to Leeds and Manchester.”

Another festival affected is Heavenly Planet – a new event due to launch this summer. However, after

poor ticket sales, the festival was scrapped. But Melvin Benn of organisers Festival Republic insists that even though this event is not going ahead, there is still a lot to be positive about in the industry this year.

He added: “When the market is that crowded and money is tight, there will be casualties and a reduction in the number of events taking place.

“But I think the industry will do better than the economy over all – I still think there is room for events. I think we have got another good year and I am generally happy and positive.”

However, one event is bucking the trend and choosing to launch in what is considered a difficult time for the industry.

Sonisphere – taking place over two days at Knebworth House in the UK and also in five other European countries – is already shaping up to be a success story after securing headline performances from Metallica and Linkin Park.

Organisers are confident that even though the event is being launched into a crowded market, it will be a success.

How the credit crunch is affecting UK events – Pages 12 and 13

Festivals are now seen as a cheap way to go on holiday rather than expensive concerts, according to Kilimanjaro Live’s CEO Stuart Galbraith. Stuart (pictured) is preparing to launch new event Sonisphere in six venues across Europe and he told The Main Event that although people may be worried about the credit crunch, they still want to go to festivals. He said: “People are now viewing festivals as a cheap holiday rather than an expensive concert and festivals still represent enormous value for money.”

Full story, page 13

THE introduction of year round daylight saving time in the UK would create huge benefits for the events industry, according to shadow minister for tourism, licensing and gambling Tobias Ellwood.

The MP for Bournemouth East is campaigning for this to be introduced as he claims having more daylight hours will be good for the country, particularly in the events, tourism and leisure sectors.

According to Tobias – who was among the speakers at NOEA’s Annual Convention – if this was to go ahead, more daylight hours could be useful for the staging of events.

He said: “Longer days would have some spin off benefits for the events industry but unfortunately the political will to do this is sadly lacking.

“We very strongly agree with daylight saving as it would also have huge benefits for the tourism industry. It is a political hurdle we need to get over.”

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

3 How Harvey went from RAG ball to Live Aid ...

Page 4

Bridging the gap between artiste and client Page 10 The credit crunch: Main Event special report Pages 12&13

Local authority spotlight NOEA Training and recruitment Classified

CONTACTS

The Wickerman Festival

Festival organisers to target younger market

EDITORIAL

THE organisers of the Wickerman Festival are hoping to attract more younger visitors to the event after launching a new marketing campaign.

As part of the festival’s marketing strategies, Making Waves Communications has been brought on board to focus on securing a growth in the number of under 25s at this year’s event.

MD of Making Waves Matt Williams said the company will be particularly focusing on the student market and will be attracting them to the festival using ticket giveaways and the chance for unsigned talent to play at the event.

PRODUCTION

He said: “Making Waves will execute a student marketing drive, giving unsigned student bands the chance to compete to win a performance slot on the main stage at The Wickerman Festival.

“Via student media relations, students will be given the chance to win free tickets to the festival and a VIP weekend pass. The campaign will be promoted through student print, online and radio media in the run up to the festival.”

The festival has just announced artists for this year – with those performing including The Human League and The Zutons – and according to festival co-ordinator Helen Chalmers offering a strong

line up is important in attracting new audiences.

She added: “We’re enjoying year on year growth and want to appeal to new and wider audiences this year and in the future. We are set for some fantastic performances this year – The Human League and The Zutons are just the tip of the iceberg.”

The festival takes place in Dumfries and Galloway and its biggest tradition is the burning of the wickerman which takes place on the Saturday night. In previous years, audiences have experienced performances by headline artists including KT Tunstall, Gary Numan and Fun Lovin’ Criminals.

Olympic call to get involved Festival deal THE industry has been urged to get involved in London 2012 by becoming part of the Olympic supply chain, according to Mike Mulvey, chief executive of the London Business Network.

He told delegates at NOEA’s annual convention that the London Olympics will provide an ideal opportunity for the events industry

Page 8 Page 28 Page 29 Page 31

to gain new business and contracts.

Up to 7,000 new contracts will be issued between now and 2012, generating up to 75,000 supply chain opportunities and Mike said suppliers could access information on a dedicated website where they could build a supplier profile and compete for contracts.

FERRY company Red Funnel is offering festivalgoers the chance to book combined camping and ferry tickets for this year’s Isle of Wight Festival.

Visitors to the event can buy tickets from Red Funnel’s website for camping and travel to the Isle of Wight plus shuttle bus to the site. Taking place June 12 – 14, the event will include performances from The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx and The Ting Tings.

Group Editor Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 editorial@themaineventmagazine.co.uk Reporters: Nicola Hyde (nl@whpl.net) Christina Eccles (ce@whpl.net) Mary Ferguson (mf@whpl.net) 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 Assistant Manager: Adam Parry Tel: 01226 734485 Mobile: 07747 446923 Email: ap@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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Having worked on events including Live Aid and Live 8, promoter Harvey Goldsmith has a long-standing reputation in the events industry – and as keynote speaker at NOEA’s Annual Convention he had plenty to say. Christina Eccles reports.

From RAG ball to Live Aid ...

HARVEY’S first experience of organising an event came when he worked on a university ball. During his university days as social secretary, he was doing the job in over 12 universities and colleges on the South Coast which kick started his career and love of the industry.

This period also helped him to define what he actually thought events should be – unique and special.

However, he thinks this is something that seems to be lacking in today’s industry and he is campaigning for this to change.

He said: “My first event was at university where I had to produce the RAG Ball. I realised that if we wanted to use the term ‘event’ it has to be something special.

“When I first started, I realised events were important. An event is a unique activity and I always felt it was where artists and producers went that extra mile to create something special.

“This was the most creative period I have seen. It was a point where young people demanded a say in society and out of it came so many new music forms.

“In the UK, events are becoming more and more complicated and there is not enough creativity. We

need to reflect on this and do something about it.”

Harvey also explained the background to major events he has worked on such as Live Aid and Live 8 and why he feels they were so well received.

He added that by working on events such as these, he realised that through the success and popularity of music, the industry could come together to help other people and use the power which artists have to do some good.

He revealed that Live Aid all came together really quickly and the team were thrilled by the response to it.

He added: “With Live Aid, it all happened from scratch in 10 and a half weeks. Within a week, we had organised a press conference but didn’t have a single act confirmed.

Slowly the event came together.

“We raised £140m and the Band Aid Trust still exists, receiving money year on year.”

The follow up Live 8 – which took place 20 years later in July 2005 – was also a great success, but according to Harvey, it almost didn’t happen.

He added: “We knew the anniversary of Live Aid was coming up and had a trustees meeting but decided

Harvey Goldsmith we couldn’t do another event.

“Suddenly Bob and I were besieged by artists wanting to know what we were doing. It was a response from the artist community wanting to do an event. The event was set out to raise aware-

ness not money but we raised £12m.”

Harvey also spoke about other issues which he feels are important to the industry including rising ticket prices at events and licensing laws.

Over a thousand attend Scottish events exhibition OVER 1,000 delegates involved in the Scottish events industry attended The Main Event – Scotland’s only exhibition dedicated to corporate events, hospitality and entertainment.

This year’s event was 35 per cent larger than last year’s inaugural event and included 100 exhibitors and educational seminar sessions hosted by Grant Stott.

Main Event director Fran McIntyre said: “Providers of business conferences and events in Scotland are hav-

ing to come up with ever more imaginative ways to capture their slice of the hospitality market – and the Main Event provided an essential forum to get people in the industry talking to each other and sharing ideas.

Importantly, The Main Event has got people doing business with each other. We’ve proved today that the Scottish events industry is buoyant and that by communicating with target markets, the sector can still thrive.”

Radio One festival heads for Swindon THE UK’s biggest free ticketed music festival – Radio One’s Big Weekend – will this year be held at Lydiard Park in Swindon.

The site is licensed to hold 20,000 people per day and the majority of the free tickets will go to residents of Swindon and the surrounding area.

Radio One’s editor of live music and events Jason Carter said: “BBC Radio

One is delighted to be heading to Swindon this year. It's our ninth Big Weekend and we'll be bringing some of the biggest international and UK artists to Lydiard Park. It promises to be the perfect start to the UK Festival season and provides a fantastic opportunity for Radio 1 to put a national focus on Swindon and the South West region.”

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Dead Kids relax in the sea after performing

Children’s event company Crafty Arty is celebrating after picking up two awards at International Confex.

The company won the top award of the show for best marketing campaign and a second award for best corporate and hospitality stand.

Features on the stand included an appearance from Britain’s got Talent winner George Sampson (pictured here with the Crafty Arty princesses) and giveaways including £500,000 by way of Golden Tickets worth £1,000 each and a Mercedes Smart car.

Festival launches new website THE Glade Festival is launching a new website to provide detailed information for visitors to the event.

The site will have a stage by stage breakdown of all the areas, including information on all the acts and pro-

moters the festival is working with.

Glade won Best Dance Festival at the UK Festival Awards and will celebrate its sixth birthday in 2009 after starting life as part of Glastonbury.

Great Escape performers to relax in tent THE Great Escape is kicking off the UK festival season with a new backstage area for 2009.

Taking place in Brighton in May, the three-day festival will introduce an Artist’s Village, housed in a Spiegel tent, to provide a place for performers to relax, gather and network.

It will also double up as a learning environment, with music industry speakers lined up to deliver talks and workshops ranging from songwriting to tour diaries.

Kat Morrison, operations manager for The Great Escape, told The Main Event: “Bands have come and played and not really had anywhere to go before so this is providing a base for them where they can learn things as well as relax and network.”

The event models itself on the legendary SXSW festival in Texas but Kat said that because they are smaller, acts are more likely

A 'spontaneous' gig by We Are Scientists

to get noticed.

“Being held in May it’s very well positioned in that it’s just after the international showcases and just before our festival season so we take the best artists from the international festivals and introduce them into the UK scene.”

300 new local and international artists are showcased in 34 venues over three days and the programme includes a series of ‘spontaneous’ street gigs.

Taking place three times a day, ticket holders are sent a text an hour before a performance takes place, telling them who will be playing and where. Venues range from central locations to the beach and the pier and because they are in public places, nonpass holders can enjoy them too.

Although they have always been lucky with the weather, back-up covered venues are organised nearby just in case.

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KT Tunstall performed at the festival in 2007 Picture: Paul Campbell

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Festival goes for small and beautiful approach THE Outsider Festival formed the centrepiece of the Highland 2007 Year Of Culture, attracting government funding, over 10,000 attendees and enormous amounts of press coverage.

Financial difficulties meant the event could not be staged in 2008 but as part of Scotland’s Homecoming year, organisers have attracted government funding for the 2009 festival and have made some changes to make it more financially viable.

The expensive headline acts have gone, capacity has been halved to 56,000 and in order to benefit the outside community – and therefore attract more funding – visitors are being encouraged to stay in local hotels and guesthouses.

There will still be a large camping area at the site in Rothiemurchus Cairngorms National Park and a programme of sporting activities, including a 12km run and four hour cycling

event, will encourage festival-goers to enjoy the surrounding countryside.

Pete said: “In 2007, the event cost around ÂŁ1m but this time that budget is a lot smaller. We have deliberately moved away from the idea of big, expensive headline bands and as a result are expecting less people to attend. “But that means we can create a small and beautiful festival, enabling it to be ‘cooler’ than it was before.â€?

Earlybird tickets cost ÂŁ50 for the weekend which Pete claims makes them ‘the cheapest in the land’. And because the festival is held over the same weekend as Glastonbury, the idea is to attract those that cannot afford – or don’t want to visit – a huge festival. “Some people are put off by the heaving masses at big festivals and there is definitely a market for those who prefer more intimate events. “Most festivals are about big name

bands and getting off your face, but we attract people of all generations who want something a bit different from the experience.�

Another big change this year will be the transition to covered tents, after bad weather in 2007 created a mud bath.

And the arts and comedy programme will be developed, alongside a series of open forums to discuss environmental issues and sustainability.

Pete added: ‘A lot of festivals claim to be ‘green’ but when you look at the site after the event, it’s difficult to see how they can say that. “But our visitors pick up their own rubbish and never leave their tents and we genuinely do care about the land on which we are situated. This year is very much about us creating a brand and really stamping our identity on the festival.�

The team at Showsec was presented with some interesting challenges when they worked on two major events taking place simultaneously at different venues.

The company successfully secured the Brit Awards 2009 and the War Child Benefit gig at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, with

some artists appearing at both venues.

Behind the scenes, Showsec’s booking department played a crucial part in advance of the operation, allocating the appropriate staff for the event.

BRIT Awards event director Maggie Crow said: “My feedback has been every guest –

and there are over 12,000 of them who are all treated as VIPs – were welcomed and directed to their designated area. This is no easy task as we have over five levels of ticket entry not to mention escorting celebrities who may not wish to walk along our red carpet media arrivals.�

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LOCAL AUTHORITY SPOTLIGHT

With a year round programme to organise, Coventry City Council’s events department is constantly busy. But with a team consisting of just two staff, how do they manage it? Christina Eccles found out.

How Gemma and Lee ease the squeeze in Coventry FOR some local authorities, events are seen as a key way to bring in tourists and they have a programme which is strongly focused on that.

However, in Coventry they like to do things differently.

Although, the benefits to the city’s tourism industry are considered a valuable by-product of events, the number one aim of the team is to ensure its events programme fits the city and the needs of its residents – especially because putting on events involves spending public money.

The team – made up of senior event co-ordinator Lee House and assistant communications officer Gemma Davies – organise events to accurately reflect all sectors of the city’s vibrant community – with this underlying theme reflected in everything they do.

Lee explained: “We live in a multicultural society and are trying to reflect what Coventry is in the 21st century.

“In all our events, we don’t want to lose the identity of the city. Even though they may be national or international we have still got to be true to

Gemma and Lee

Coventry.”

This has become increasingly important as the credit crunch has forced people to tighten their belts and the need for good quality, free or low cost entertainment has grown.

Gemma added: “We are working on a campaign, ‘ease the squeeze’ to let people know there are events that are free. We have got a captive audience as long as we can sell it right. It will be a challenge but we could get more people at our events this year.”

As part of their commitment to local people and activities, Lee and Gemma also work closely with community groups to help them put on their events – a part of the job which they feel is vital.

Lee added: “We work with community festival groups and help with funding and things such as security.

In this financial climate, they couldn’t survive without it.

“The council has cut our budget but has raised our income targets so we are trying to help and support but on a reduced budget. We are having to recognise the value of events for the city but cut our cloth accordingly.”

City breaks with tradition for Memorial Day ONE high-profile event which has taken place in Coventry is Holocaust Memorial Day which is commemorated on January 27 each year.

Cities bid to host the event – held on the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau – and over the years expectations have been formed about what it will consist of.

However, this year Coventry decided to break with tradition.

Working on this event, Lee and Gemma had the task of keeping The Holocaust Memorial Day trustees happy while also trying to introduce new elements to make the event unique to the city.

One of the most important aspects

to focus on was bringing it up to date by not just focusing on the Holocaust. Although that was a vital part of the commemorations, the team also wanted to include more recent examples of hatred and racism and how society can unite to overcome them.

As part of the project, close links were formed between Holocaust survivors and local school children and the community was also urged to get involved with activities such as donating a shoe to a sculpture symbolising those discovered in concentration camps and a stand up to hatred walk through the city centre.

The flagship event was held in the Belgrade theatre and included spe-

Feel good factor ‘immeasurable’ IT IS hard to quantify the value of events as that ‘feel good’ factor is not something which can be measured, according to Lee and Gemma.

They said that although it is possible to measure how valuable events are for the economy, it is more difficult to discover the benefits which attending them can have on the community.

Lee added: “When people say events are good for the economy that can be proven, but the feel good factor people get from going to them is anecdotal. With other services, you can tick a box. But you have to think what would the city be like without events?”

cial performances of music, drama and dance for 800 invited guests.

Lee explained: “In Liverpool, where the event was held last year, they had a 1,600-seater venue but we had an 800-seater. We don’t have a civic hall and it had to be held somewhere accessible. This was a real challenge as people were worried in case they couldn’t get an invite.

“We had almost a year so could devise a programme to fit the city as well as the trustees. The event wasn’t a traditional commemoration – we tried to make it a celebration of life. The survivors have made every moment count and it was a real privilege to work with them.

“We also did all Kosher catering

The Coventry band who re-wrote the Specials song 'Doesnt make it alright' for Holocaust Memorial Day – the theme was Stand Up To Hatred. and made sure the menu would appeal. Everyone felt we looked after them and were thoughtful to their needs. To do that little bit extra shows commitment to the subject.”

Lee and Gemma also said that the industry is getting busier with more and more events added to the calendar.

Upcoming projects include events to mark St George’s Day later this month and liaising with CV One on the Godiva Festival.

Lee added: “The event season used to be from April to October but we don’t have a quieter season anymore. The industry is busy all the time.”

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In the second part of a series, E3 Group’s David Hill and Dan Kujawski explain how using an agent for entertainment and artiste bookings can save organisers headaches.

Bridging the gap between artiste and client ...

THE best way to manage your entertainment booking needs is to hire a booking agent to do the work for you.

Booking agents differ drastically from regular artist agents as the focus of their industry is customer satisfaction. A good booking agent will act as a bridge between the private sector and the entertainment industry, helping both the client and the artiste achieve a fast and efficient outcome that both parties will be happy with.

Senior entertainment agent with E3 Artists Dan Kujawski describes a booking agent’s role as: “A guide for all aspects of the entertainment hiring process. Booking entertainment, whatever the act can be extremely time-consuming and can hinder the whole event management process. A booking agent is there to manage all the stressful aspects, freeing up time and anticipating any problems that may arise as the negotiations develop.”

A booking agent will always attempt to negotiate the best deal for their client. Their industry knowledge allows them to compare your requested artiste’s fee expectations with other similar artists, as well as assess all costs that the appearance or performance will incur. Booking agents are therefore able to generate a realistic figure for their clients and impress upon the artiste’s agent the reasonability of that fee.

If you find that your desired artiste is way beyond your budget, a booking agent can help suggest alternatives that could be supplied on budget but maintain the original feel of the event.

The E3 Group will never supply an artiste to an event that they haven’t seen perform live so when suggesting alternatives, our booking agents are drawing on direct experience and not just publicity videos or demos.

Booking agents will also manage all the artiste’s expectations. They will

organise transportation, accommodation and deal with every requirement stipulated on the rider. The booking agent will draw up the contracts for both the event organiser and the artiste. The contracts we use are based on the recognised contracts of the Agents Association and Equity (the actors union).

E3 Group CEO David Hill added: “I believe we can bridge the gap between the artist and the client and deliver a smooth, fast, efficient and friendly service. Effectively, we are an approachable and knowledgeable resource that can be utilised by any 'booker' wishing to secure musical acts, specialty performers or high profile stars.”

Beverley Knight and Jeff Green are among the artists E3 Group has worked with.

Fous de Bassin

Festival in its Element ORGANISERS of the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival have launched a new programme – Out for the Elements.

This means that each festival for the next four years will be themed around one of the elements; water, earth, fire, and air.

The festival is a celebration of performing outdoors and for the next four years, the themes will provide a framework to tell the story of London – using one element each year in the build up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This year’s event will focus on

water which has shaped and defined the story of Greenwich and Docklands for hundreds of years.

Highlights will include: Fous de Bassin (Waterfools) – the UK premiere of the French company Ilotopie’s grand poetic spectacle in which the performers literally walk on water.

Pileau – a large scale performance from Dutch outdoor theatre company Close Act using procession, live music and special effects.

The event takes place from June 25 - 28.

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Priory plans to vamp up programme

By Christina Eccles AN historic house has revealed plans to revamp its events programme to bring in extra funding for regeneration projects.

Nostell Priory near Wakefield is planning an ambitious restoration project for the 2010 season and hopes that by staging more events there, extra money can be made to be ploughed back into the upkeep of the property.

The property, which is owned by the National Trust, has taken on a dedicated enterprise manager Steve Gilman to expand the existing events programme, particularly focusing on family events and activities.

Steve told The Main Event that although events such as jazz on the lawn have been held there before, there is room to add more to the programme and this is something they are working towards for next year.

Steve said: “We have held concerts here but they fizzled out so we are looking at bringing the events pro-

gramme back for 2010.

“Family events are a big thing but we would like to see a mixture. We have held steam rallies and car shows and are looking at bringing concerts back for next year.”

Steve added that will be important to let people know how the money raised will be spent and that it will be put back into the site.

He added: “We are looking at explaining that the money we receive stays here at Nostell Priory. The money from events can go back into things such as tree planting and restoration and we may have projects so people can see what is happening in the property.”

He also said that one area they will be looking to improve this time round is involving local media to help with marketing the events to make sure that visitors know what’s going on.

“Before they weren’t advertised particularly well but we will be working to get our events better promoted and advertised.”

Advertiser’s announcement

Below: ‘Summer Daze’ and, left, is ‘Ikasu’

Bars with a theme designed OVER the winter, Peppermint Events has designed and built several themed bar environments for the summer and beyond.

Peppermint – who run event enclosures at Cowes week and operate bars at the likes of Bestival, Glade and Secret Garden Party – have taken inspiration from these boutique shows and created modular bar environments suitable for any event.

The details of these unique environments have only just been released including: Ikasu – a Japanese/Manga concept style bar.

Bula – based around the Tiki/Polynesian theme.

The Blind Pig – a traditional pub environment, constructed from 100 per cent reclaimed and recycled

materials.

Summer Daze – the quintessential English summer experience, serving Pimm’s, orange squash and summer cocktails – with luxury hammocks, red gingham table cloths and decor and Swingball to enjoy in the sunshine.

Alex Brooke from Peppermint said: “We wanted to do something fun and unique, something that people will remember. The beauty is that all of these environments are modular and completely scalable for use – whether it’s a front of house public bar or a backstage green room or VIP area – they can even be built inside venues and for corporate events.

“We’re looking forward to operating these over the summer and beyond – there’s lots of interest.”

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CREDIT CRUNCH SPECIAL REPORT

As the industry prepares for another summer season, all eyes are focused on how a challenging economic market will effect UK events. In a special report, Christina Eccles and Mary Ferguson speak to organisers who have been affected by the credit crunch and discover how they will be moving forward.

Tough times force event cancellations JUST last issue, The Main Event reported on a new festival, Heavenly Planet, which had decided to scrap ticket prices – making the event more accessible to fans struggling to pay.

However, organisers have now announced the festival will not be going ahead after one of the partners could not commit to funding the event.

Organiser Melvin Benn revealed that deciding to launch a festival this year was bad timing and the credit crunch didn’t help matters.

He said: “Ticket sales were not very good. It was bad timing and the public didn’t like what we were doing.”

Another event which has been hit is the 2010 British International Motor Show which has also been cancelled – with organisers, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), blaming difficult conditions in the car industry for their decision.

A spokesman said: “Due to the current eco-

nomic climate creating a very challenging situation, we have had to take the difficult decision to cancel the show.

“It is a difficult decision we have had to make but we need an event which can showcase the achievements of the Melvin Benn sector and it wasn’t deemed a suitable event to hold in this situation.”

However, it is not all doom and gloom as The Main Event also caught up with events determined to overcome their challenges.

Both the Magic Loungeabout festival and Cardiff Mardi Gras have experienced difficulties – yet both have come out fighting.

Simon Adamson

Enforced year off could be a blessing in disguise ...

THE promoter of a festival forced to take a year off because of the credit crunch has claimed it could actually be a blessing in disguise.

Simon Adamson – who launched the Magic Loungeabout in Yorkshire last year – said although it was initially a disappointment not to go ahead with the event this year, the decision could be good for its long term future.

He told The Main Event that there are several major changes he wants to make and having an extra year to plan them could work in his favour.

He said: “The current economic climate is too volatile for us.

“We hadn’t planned on taking a break but we think it is too risky.

“Most promoters putting on an annual event would not want to take a break, but to take a positive from this, it could be a blessing in disguise.

“We will use this time to make some changes including moving to a new site to be closer to Leeds

and Manchester.

“Our audience is quite cosmopolitan and the old site was a bit far out.

“Also it was quite difficult from a production element.

“We are also extending to two days – 24 hours was great but it was over too quickly and people wanted more.”

The festival will also be launching a flexible payment plan to help festivalgoers who want to spread the cost of paying for their tickets He added: “This is about getting a payment plan that fits everyone.

If people want to pay in advance for three years and become a member, then let them do that and they will get a greater discount.

“If they want to pay in one go or in installments, they can also do that. You need to give people options and a choice.”

Simon is also in talks to form partnerships with organisations such as Yorkshire Forward and BBC Yorkshire to help promote next year’s event.

‘The current economic climate is too volatile for us. We hadn’t planned on taking a break but we think it is too risky.’

CREDIT CRUNCH SPECIAL REPORT

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Festivals are now being seen as a cheap holiday ...

John Barrowman at the 20007 event.

Celebratory return for new-style Cardiff Mardi Gras

By Mary Ferguson CARDIFF Mardi Gras is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a new committee, extended run and a new appeal for funding and volunteers.

The event was forced to cancel last year due to a lack of community and financial support and after nine years, the entire organising committee stepped down.

But new chairman Carl Turner told The Main Event the show will be bigger and better for 2009 with events being extended over a two-day period at the end of August.

The emphasis will be on appealing to a wider range of people – not just the LGBT community – with the addition of a health and well-being tent and a new line-up of classical singers.

The committee have approached the Welsh National Opera to perform and Wales Millennium Centre to provide entertainment for a ‘chill-out’ day on the Sunday.

Carl said: “The Mardi Gras isn’t just for the LGBT community and we want to attract more families, and not just those into the pop music that used to dominate the main stage.

“We are hoping to secure Connie Fisher and the Sound Of Music cast as they will be finishing their run at the Millennium Centre.”

The committee have approached the Welsh Assembly for funding and are hoping to secure commercial sponsors, but they also rely heavily on fundraising.

Carl said: “I think after nine years everyone just assumed the event would go ahead whether they helped or not and no-one really realised it was a charity. So in a way being unable to go ahead last year did us a favour because it’s reminded people they need to get involved.”

A launch party for the new-look Mardi Gras will be held at the Wales Millennium Centre.

ATTENDING a festival is now perceived as a cheap way to go on holiday rather than an expensive visit to a concert, according to Kilimanjaro Live’s CEO Stuart Galbraith.

Stuart – who is preparing to launch new festival Sonisphere which takes place in six venues across Europe – said that although people may be worried about the credit crunch, they still want to go to festivals so may cut back on buying larger expensive items such as cars to fund their trips.

He said: “People are now viewing festivals as a cheap holiday rather than an expensive concert and festivals still represent enormous value for money. The market is very crowded but we believe we will be successful.”

Stuart also said he believes this could actually be a good year for the festival market and some of his other projects are also on course to do well.

He added: “A few festivals didn’t take place last year but from the

point of view of the two smaller festivals I work on – Wakestock and Bloodstock – they are selling stronger than ever.”

However, Stuart admitted that they may not have been as optimistic about launching a festival in the current climate without the wealth of experience the team has built up over the years or the security of having such big headline artists on board.

The UK leg of the festival takes place at Knebworth House in August and organisers have managed to secure two days worth of big bands including headliners Metallica and Linkin Park, Bullet for my Valentine and Thin Lizzy.

He added: “I wouldn’t have been as confident to launch something so big if we had not got Metallica and Linkin Park – they are our insurance policies.

“Both myself and the team will apply what we have learned over the years on this new project. It will be great to establish a new festival at such an historic site.”

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Abu Dhabi do WOMAD

Event organiser Dan Schofield swapped the UK for the Middle East almost six months ago and has never looked back. In this month’s column he reveals how staging recent events has been a real team effort ...

Event junkie Dan’s loving Qatar I can’t believe its nearly six months since I’ve been in Qatar – the old cliched saying of time flies when you’re having fun is so true.

The last five weeks have been the perfect case in point with the delivery of three top notch events – as an event junkie what more could you ask for.

I always say at job interviews that working on events is my hobby as well as my chosen career path and when you get a full squad of like-minded guys working on an event, like we’ve had over the past few weeks, it’s that attitude that often saves the day.

For me, the best part of working in events has to be the actual event delivery. The part where you see the months of planning coming together with the delivery of a

slick production.

That’s exactly what we’ve had over the past five weeks – slick events, seamless to the attending public, VIPs and TV audiences.

The result of months of planning, co-ordination and joined up thinking by all the teams involved.

The teams we brought out from the UK and Dubai for the events – Serious Stages, PRG, Delta Sound, Creative Technologies, Pearce Electrical, JA Productions, PICO, EFM transport – all had that can do attitude and that’s what impresses the most. The getting on and doing which is vital to the success of any show.

The recent events also saw a breakthrough for us in terms of developing relationships with Qatari based suppliers, each of

which did an excellent job and complemented the teams we brought in from the UK and Dubai superbly.

We will more than likely use each of them – The Look, Hire Plus, Prime Power and Qatar Plant Hire – for many shows to come.

It’s really encouraging to see Qatari companies coming to the forefront and delivering on events of this magnitude. I had a great experience working on these events but as ever it is on to the next one. As I write this, I am taking a short break and am part way through a mini tour of the Gulf.

Then it’s back in the office and into planning for our biggest event yet which is at the start of May – hopefully my feet can recover between now and then ...

ABU Dhabi will host the first WOMAD Festival to be held in the Middle East next month – with organisers revealing it has so far been received with great enthusiasm.

The festival has joined forces with Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) to launch WOMAD Abu Dhabi – a three day open air festival featuring both local and international artists.

According to director Chris Smith, the events industry in the Middle East is taking off and the festival – which is playing both by the beach and inland – has been the result of a combined effort from both parties which have both brought on board their strengths. He said: “Our relationship is growing. It is always difficult going into a new country and they are not as experienced in events as we are.”

Chris also revealed the challenges of organising the event which have included getting their hands on all the equipment needed. He added: “It comes down to the pool of resources – both people and equipment. In the UK, you can pretty much get what you want relatively locally. There is a lot of equipment over there but it is quite spread out and there is a high demand. So one of our challenges has been pulling it all together. There has been great enthusiasm for the event and there is a very knowledgable audience with an interest in music from all around the world. ”

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Several thousand members of the public taking to their bikes to take part in a mass participation ride or a road race involving the country’s top riders presents some unique health and safety challenges. Pennine Events’ Mark Sandamas reveals how to get it right...

Why organisers get saddled with unique problems WHILST good planning and control can minimise the hazards to riders, we cannot control the sometimes irrational or disorderly behaviour of riders, although our experience does make us expect this behaviour so we plan accordingly.

For example, riders often ride three, four or even five abreast on a normal road when there is oncoming traffic.

Or even worse: ride round blind bends on the wrong side of the road as happened in last year’s Pedal for Scotland, the country’s largest bike ride.

We also get riders turning up to events like The Liverpool-ChesterLiverpool Bike Ride or Pendle Pedal with no waterproofs despite heavy rain. We have, therefore, to keep a stock of ponchos and emergency blankets to ensure riders don’t end up drowned or hypothermic.

However, we always take a detailed and systematic approach to health and safety when planning events. We even won a commendation from the Metropolitan Police for managing a crowd of 2m people that turned up to watch Stage One of the Tour de France in Kent in 2007.

This approach includes driving and riding the route ourselves to assess all potential difficulties of a route such as ‘pinch points’ (narrow points of a road), bad surfaces, complex traffic junctions, the likelihood of parked cars, and busy shopping areas, as well as identifying ‘what if’ scenarios and then producing an appropriate contingency plan to deal with any of these scenarios should they happen.

Generally, we bring together a team of around 100 people to organise and oversee these events, which can last

Mark Sandamas up to 12 hours, in order to ensure we have the right people in the right places.

This team includes motorcycle and static marshals, the Police, local highways authority people, support staff, and others. We adopt a very ‘multiagency approach’ to health and safety – all possible interested parties are involved including local people, particularly when some public roads are partially or temporarily closed for the event.

With health and safety we firmly believe in the old adage: good planning prevents poor performance.

Mark Sandamas is director at Pennine Events.

The fancy dress theme for this year’s Bestival will be Outer Space, organisers have revealed.

The event – which takes place at Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight – will include appearances from Kraftwerk, Massive Attack and Klaxons plus a Sunday night headliner still to be announced.

Bestival organiser Rob da Bank said: “I keep having to look at the scruffy piece of paper I keep the line up on in my diary to convince myself that we are indeed bring-

ing Kraftwerk to the Isle of Wight. Haha!

I’m so happy I could cry but then I realise we’ve also got Massive Attack, MGMT, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Bat For Lashes ...

“All my favourite live acts and DJs in a field in seven months time in what I can humbly proclaim is our best line-up yet and when you find out who the third headliner is and then the very special guest too you’ll join me wetting ourselves with excitement. Its gonna be out of the world – out of space in fact.”

Digital firm wins contract for third year in a row BIRMINGHAM digital consultancy, Fireloop Creative, will continue to develop Birmingham Jazz Festival’s website – after winning the contract for the third year in a row.

The event reaches its 25th anniversary this year and the agency plans to continue the online success it has had redeveloping the festival’s branding and website.

Digital planning director David Evans said: “It’s fantastic to continue

to work on the promotion of the Birmingham Jazz Festival.

“With plenty of festivals feeling the squeeze this year, digital is a fantastic avenue for making your marketing budget stretch that bit further and deliver a healthier ROI. It’s also where audiences of all ages can now be found, so festivals of all types and sizes should be considering the web as an effective means of marketing their event.”

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INSURANCE

Insurance decision can be a costly gamble

By David Boyle MOST event organisers are aware of Public Liability Insurance and how it can protect them against compensation claims.

However, another risk often undervalued by organisers is cancellation, abandonment or postponement of the event, which can have an equally damaging financial impact.

Only this month an event in London was re-arranged at the last minute due to a gas leak in the intended venue, proving the value of cancellation insurance. Taking

the view “It won’t happen to us” is the equivalent of playing Russian Roulette with your balance sheet and can be a costly gamble.

Cancellation insurance not only compensates the organiser if an event is cancelled, but can also provide interim payments to help an event to go-ahead. For example, putting down matting and walkways when bad weather risks cancelling an outdoor event is common practice. A relocated or rescheduled event is a far better solution for an organiser and the insurer.

Education is a key barrier for organisers when deciding whether to purchase cancellation insurance.

Many know about the main perils such as adverse weather for outdoor events but not all will have considered the full range of exposures they face.

These can include flooding at the venue or a terrorist event at or near the venue. They may seem unlikely now, but so probably did the gas leak.

David Boyle is event insurance account executive at WorldWide Special Risks

Cancellation and postponement of events due to bad weather is a problem which many outdoor event organisers have had to deal with.

The last two years of rain soaked summers have led to a number of organisers having issues with extreme weather.

In 2007, the organisers of the Forestry Commission’s Forest Tours were forced to cancel their first show ever due to the weather and at other sites over 200 tonnes of bark were used to soak up the rain and mud.

Another previous casualty, in the same year, was the CLA Game Fair – the world’s largest countryside event – which was cancelled due to bad weather for the first time in its 50 year history – with the cost of cancelling put at an estimated £50m.

Last year, the Sunrise Celebration was hit by torrential downpours and had to be bailed out by rival festival, The Big Chill who offered the use of its adjoining site.

INSURANCE

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With the current economic climate forcing an increasing number of events to cancel or postpone and the unpredictability of British summer weather, having the right insurance cover is more important than ever. Sue Moseley, events and entertainment manager at Robertson Taylor, explains what every organiser needs to know.

Why being covered is so important Is there any way which organisers could insure themselves against event cancellation due to reasons such as poor ticket sales or a lack of funding/support?

Insurance policies won’t cover a lack of sales or lack of or withdrawal of support (financial or otherwise) but they will reimburse costs, expenses and potential profit (if insured under the policy) in the event of a cancellation.

Given the uncertain and often unpredictable financial times in which we live, it’s a type of cover we recommend to all our clients.

It’s not as expensive as many organisers believe it to be, and there are no savings to be made by delaying the purchase decision closer to the event.

From experience, we know that if a festival has to be cancelled, the festival organiser comes under extreme

financial pressure.

With ticket revenues reimbursed to customers and costs irrecoverable, the risk to promoters and organisers is potentially huge, particularly if the event is cancelled close to or on the actual date of the festival.

With the poor summer weather of 2007 and 2008, we saw some of our clients go out of business.

And we have heard of many others in the industry who have simply shut up shop and for them the show won't go on.

What does cancellation insurance cover and how important is it for event organisers?

Cancellation cover is tailored to the needs of clients, but covers cancellation due to an event beyond the control of the organisers.

The most common are weather, power failure, loss of equipment.

Of these, weather is the biggest threat to festivals, but another area of concern is the terrorism threat.

Sue Moseley Given recent events and the climate in which we currently live, it’s another cover we recommend to all our clients.

Terrorism cover is excluded from standard cancellation policies.

Another issue that organisers should keep in mind, is that of health and safety regulations.

In our risk aware society, these rules

applied more stringently.

Consequently, the decision to cancel may be out of the organisers' hands, and cancellation is imposed upon them by the local council or security services.

The organisers can find themselves with no show, no income and facing financial meltdown.

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TRACKWAY AND WALKWAY After a nightmare with the weather last year, 2009’s Sunrise Celebration is taking no chances to ensure the site is protected, according to organiser Daniel Hurring ...

Company on TRAC for lots of new orders ...

TRAC is 10 years young and still listening to what the customer wants and needs in meeting their access needs.

The company has established itself as a specialist in the temporary roadway and pedestrian walkway rental market.

This year, many event organisers realise that the weather is playing such an important factor, and could very easily close a show. Insurance companies now stipulate the need for temporary roadways to be in place, as a priority. TRAC has been successful in securing many new and early orders, as organisers are not risking it to the last minute to order.

We are happy to announce TRAC will be at the Royal International Air Tattoo, supplying nearly 6km for their roadway infrastructure and parking requirements. In addition to the new contracts, we are happy to continue our relationship with Royal Ascot and Epsom Derby, as well as many outdoor festivals and stadium concerts

throughout the summer.

Last year we upgraded our fleet of installation vehicles, capable of transporting 180 linear metres of our aluminium roadway. Just arrived is our new short-wheel based Volvo, for those tricky sites, capable of transporting 90 linear metres.

Furthermore we hold 10,000 square metres of the latest Portapath product. Portapath protects grassed areas that allow both light and air to the root zone. Portapath has been sanctioned by many of the leading sports facilities in the UK. Products we provide: Access one; heavy-duty aluminium roadway.

Access two SupaTrac; heavy-duty plastic roadway for access and pedestrian walkways.

Pedestrian flooring; Portapath, suitable for interconnecting pathways to complete stadium coverage.

If you are looking for temporary access in the UK TRAC has got it covered.

Celebration organisers protect themselves THE cancellation of last year’s Sunrise Celebration left both fans and organisers devastated until a last minute lifeline by rival festival Big Chill saved the day by allowing the event to be held on an adjacent site.

This year, Daniel and the team are on a new site and want to protect themselves as much as possible from potential bad weather – so are changing the way that trackway is used at the event.

The site will include 750m of hard double-width stone track plus 300m of plastic trackway and hardcore turning areas and gateways to ensure that damage to the ground is as minimal as possible even if the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Daniel explained: “Previously we have used about 400m of metal trackway but had a much greater stone track network, stretching to about 2km all in.

“However, we are producing a smaller event this year and do not need this degree of infrastructure, particularly as there is already some installed.

“After last year's floods, which admittedly wouldn't have changed

much if there had been more trackway, we feel a need to ensure this year is fully weather protected.

“Having trackway behind all the major stages and areas where there are regular deliveries ensures that minimal ground damage will occur in advance.”

Daniel also revealed that one of the main causes of damage to the site is vehicles, so this year extra measures will be introduced to try and tackle this.

He added: “The trick, we have learnt, is to minimise site vehicle routes where possible, as it is vehicles that cause the majority of ground damage, often in advance of the event opening.

“We are ensuring there is adequate trackway for this purpose and so that there are dry hard track routes across sites for pedestrians and vehicles wherever necessary.

“We are also preparing in advance wet weather gear including pallets, wood chip, straw and tow vehicles.

“However, I believe the main measure is to reduce vehicle movement wherever possible.”

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

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Lamata Contract Furniture have just organised their first Home Fair to show off their brand new offices to clients and introduce many new products. It was a complete success. The central theme of the show was innovation. As well as the traditional product ranges, Lamata also presented several new concepts:

Bounge: Modular lounge furniture The Bounge concept works with loose panels and has a simple fixing system. There is no special device needed for build-up and break-down.

There are endless creations with only a few panels. The modular system fits in a compact box based on a euro pallet which is ideal for transport and storage.

Chill screen: Lightweight folding screen.

The combination of its light weight and its simplicity to install makes the Chill screen a perfect solution for flexible screened areas.

It is also acoustical and can be connected through zippers so that the chain can easily be made as long as desired.

Bubble and Bee: Party bags and cubes These sit sacks and cubes are ideal for indoor as well as outdoor events. They are available in various fancy colours from aqua to pink, but also in stylish gold or silver. To give it a personal touch, branding with logo or images is possible.

Other highlights of the show: lightweight tabletops, table and barstool covers in fancy colours as lime and purple and the ice-table, which is ideal for banquets.

Tuuba: Illuminating tables Tuuba gives every event and party a special atmosphere thanks to the numerous light colours. Tuuba can be used as a table, advertising pillar or bowl to keep drink cool. The table has a wireless illumination system that lights from inside with remote control.

All the new products including the standard range can be found on these sites: www.lamata.co.uk and www.europa2000.be In the Spring of 2010 a new home show will take place

Don’t miss it!

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TICKETING

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Just the ticket for charity

Young Knives promoting Oxjam. Picture courtesy of Oxfam

TICKETING agency WeGotTickets has added a new feature to ticket buying – allowing customers to make a contribution to charity at the time of purchase.

It has been trialled over the past few months with tickets on sale for events at both the Union Chapel and The Vortex Jazz Club in London, raising substantial sums for the venues.

The first major charity event to benefit from the feature was Oxjam, who WeGotTickets have been the official ticketing partner for since September 2008.

Sales and marketing manager Drew Brammer said: “As an ethi-

cal and independent company we are passionate about supporting charities and their fundraising events in any way we can.

“Since October we have been working with the Oxjam staff and volunteer Oxjammers to make this year’s events as successful as possible.

“Building the donations functionality into our site has provided a transparent, optional facility for our customers to donate money whilst booking tickets thereby raising both the profile and the funds raised by the charity.”

Goldsmith calling for re-selling to become illegal THE secondary ticketing market should be outlawed in order to clean up the industry and stamp out touts, according to legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith.

Harvey – who has worked on world famous events including Live Aid and Live 8 – is fighting for the re-selling of tickets to become illegal – something he believes the industry could help with by making it easier for fans to source tickets from legitimate sources.

He told delegates at NOEA’s annual convention that people are forced to go to secondary outlets because the industry makes it hard for them to get tickets from anywhere else.

He said: “Ticket prices are alarmingly high and charges are way over the top and unnecessary. Then there is the issue of the dreadful secondary market. I want to outlaw the re-selling of tickets and the secondary market. They are just a bunch of thugs and crooks claiming to provide a public service.

“There should be a wider distribution network. It is not easy to get a ticket to an event and the industry makes it difficult for audiences. We try to keep prices the best possible yet people go out in the marketplace as the only way they can get them is from these sites. They are being forced to pay and that is wrong.”

But shadow minister for Tourism, Licensing and Gambling Tobias Ellwood added that this is a difficult issue as there may be some fans who genuinely cannot attend an event and want to sell their ticket who would be penalised if new legislation was brought in.

He added: “Ticket touting is a difficult subject. It is not as simple as saying that touting is out of control as there are people who do need to sell their tickets because they cannot go to an event. What is happening is that event organisers are selling tickets directly to operators who are selling them in the secondary market.

“Some are working well to ensure a

percentage does end up back with the event organiser. But if someone is given a ticket to an event, if they want to make money from it, are we saying they can’t?

“And are we also denying people who don’t have the Tobias Ellwood money, the opportunity to go to events?

“It is a very complicated area.”

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POWER

Record-breaking premiere cuts carbon emissions THE flagship screening of new eco movie The Age of Stupid was powered entirely by renewable power – greatly reducing carbon emissions at the event.

An independent environmental audit was carried out to monitor all CO2 emissions caused and the results showed the total was only one per cent of the usual carbon emissions seen at an average Hollywood premiere.

Firefly Solar completed technical production for the event and MD Andy Mead explained: “Obviously the solar power was the main feature but we also used a number of other methods to ensure the event had the lowest carbon footprint possible.

Middle East contract for Pearce Hire PERSONNEL and equipment for a Middle East based event were supplied by Pearce Hire.

The company provided its services to the Doha Marine Festival, Convocation (a graduation ceremony for the education city universities) and the Carnegie Mellon University of Qatar Launch.

Pearce Hire also provided power at the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) inauguration ceremony – delivering a constant supply of electricity for the architectural and stage lighting, audio and video displays, ensuring an uninterruptible

event.

A spokesman said: “Due to the exhibition area being highly visual and largely open to general public access it was essential that no cables were located on the floor for health and safety reasons. For this we drew on our rigging expertise and installed several catenary wires between the structures columns to support all the stands electrical supply cables. We also designed custom distribution boards that could be discreetly placed within the canopy support structure therefore not intruding on the visuals of the stunning building and surroundings.”

“The OB unit used for the satellite link-up was powered on bio-diesel and all lighting on site was the very latest in LED technology.

“You often see massive generator sets being used to power a relatively small amount of equipment. What we do is strip back any kit that is inefficient and replace it with state of the art, low energy alternatives. It’s not rocket science; it’s simply taking what is available and putting it to the best use possible.”

The premiere also became a Guinness World Record holder as it was screened simultaneously in more than 60 cinemas nationwide, making it the biggest simultaneous premiere in the history of film.

POWER

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Every organiser now wants their event to have green credentials – but do alternative energy sources such as biodiesel really live up to the hype?

‘Green’ energy sources: Do they live up to the hype?

THE eco-friendliness of any event isn’t just down to the type of fuel used to power it, according to experts.

Sparks Power has devised alternative energy-saving ways such as generators that can automatically start and stop according to how much power is being demanded.

Spokesman Andy Johnson explained: “There are number of other measures that can be taken by all of us in the event industry to reduce our events’ carbon emissions.

“We have also developed a generator system that starts and stops as the demand alters and on a number of events last year reduced the fuel by more than half that used on the previous year's event.

“It is much harder to market and to explain in one sentence that you

have employed these measures than it is to say ‘we use biofuel therefore our event is green’ – but they can have a greater impact on the environment and your pocket.

“We have concentrated on reducing the amount of fuel we use on each event with some significant success.”

And David Noble of Midas Productions – which supplies biodiesel machinery at events – believes people who claim bio-diesel is the only answer to making the events industry greener are misguided.

He insists while it is an effective way of reducing carbon emissions, it should be used in tandem with other environmentally-friendly practices.

He said for every tonne of fossil fuel that is burned, three tonnes of CO2 is added to the atmosphere, plus a fur-

Teachers’ union goes with solar power THE UK’s largest teachers’ union will be using solar power to run key parts of its 2009 annual conference.

Organiser WPB Events has enlisted the help of Firefly Solar – a company which has also worked on Glastonbury and Lovebox Weekender – to power the electrics of the main exhibition stands, media and reception areas at the venue, Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), where the The National Association of

Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) conference takes place.

Richard Newton from WPB Events said: “We are delighted to be bringing Solar Power to the NASUWT Annual Conference – as far as we are aware this is a first for an event of this nature in the UK. “We constantly strive to minimise the carbon footprint of all our events and this is another step towards producing events with zero emissions.”

David Noble and Andy Dann from Midas. ther half tonne generated during manufacture – however, biodiesel actually emits less CO2 than the crop absorbed during growth.

He also said every tonne of fossil fuel burnt adds 500kg of carbon monoxide to the atmosphere but biodiesel contains additional oxygen molecules which improve burning efficiency and inhibit the production of harmful monoxides – resulting in a 10 to 20 per cent reduction in emissions.

He added: “One of the main driving forces behind Midas using biodiesel was the ability to turn a waste product and process that into a reliable fuel and burn it in our fleet of machinery, therefore producing as near as possible carbon neutral electric.

“At no point do we claim to have

Sparks Power has devised alternative energy-saving ways. found a solution, it is our belief there is no one solution that will solve our dependency on fossil fuels, rather an amalgamation of many.”

What has been your experience of going green? Send your comments to ce@whpl.net or contact the editorial team on 01226 734463.

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TEMPORARY FACILITIES

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The standard of temporary facilities can leave a lasting impression on visitors but can often be overlooked at events. The Main Event spoke to organisers who are getting it right ...

Neglecting facilities can cause a stink!

CHOOSING toilets and showers for an event is probably not the most glamorous job for an organiser but it is one area which cannot be ignored.

The experience which visitors have at your event could be vastly different depending on whether they have to queue for long periods of time to use facilities or if they are not adequately maintained.

According to Joe Pidgeon, organiser of the Beachdown Festival, when it comes to temporary facilities it is important to ensure that all areas of a site are covered – particularly key areas such as family and disabled camping areas – but at some festivals, organisers can get it wrong.

He explained: “The number of events large and small that get this wrong staggers me and the smells in hot weather can knock you out at 100 metres.

“What is essential to us, as our location is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is that our facilities can be emptied on a daily basis to ensure that all grey water is transported off site quickly and efficiently and that also keeps the facilities working and clean at all times.

“We are lucky in that the Beachdown crowd proved themselves to be a pretty well-behaved bunch and as our target age is 25 40 we believe that our male customers have learned how to aim and to drink responsibly unlike say at Reading. We learned a lot in 2008 about the best location for the toilets in particular and we will get any errors made right in 2009.”

Sophie Attwood, operations manager at The HPower Group, which organises events including The Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo, added that when it comes to choosing facilities it is important to consider factors such as what type of event you are putting on, how many people will be there and the audience profile.

She added: “The demand for such facilities is often overlooked by organisers, when it really is one of the most important areas to be catered for. As an organiser you could get everything else right, but if you don’t get the correct toilet facilities, it is always an area that people remember. People generally use the toilets when they first arrive and just before they leave, so it can be their first and last impression of your event.”

Joe Pidgeon, organiser of the Beachdown Festival

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TEMPORARY FACILITIES

Committed to delivering So many variations the highest quality of on a theme ...

‘The provision of a service for customers sufficient number of

By Phil Mist, Portable Sanitation Europe

AS a leading supplier of Portable facilities, Simply Loos has a reputation built on providing customers with an excellent level of service and meeting their hire needs every time.

Managing director Allan McDermott said: “We know that our customers put a great deal of care and attention into planning their events and have so many important things to worry about to ensure that the event runs smoothly. At Simply Loos we have made it our business to understand just what it is that people expect from the facilities they find at events and we use this knowledge to deliver the highest quality service every time.

“At Simply Loos we are committed to delivering the highest quality of service for our customers on-site sanitary care requirements and to do this at the highest level we use a hire package that helps us run our business efficiently and competitively.”

Simply Loos have been using inspHire hire management software for the last four years.

Alan added: "When we first looked around to see which rental packages were available – we met up with inspHire. They demonstrated their solution to us and it looked good right from the start. The fact that it integrated well with Sage was a big

influence in our decision to run with them as we didn’t want to have to change our accounting package. This in itself has considerably reduced the amount of time we spend on our month end procedures.

“All in all, inspHire has proven to be very easy to use both on the hire desk and in the back office. Without it we could not have grown into the company we are today."

WHILST the traditional image of a single portable plastic toilet still comes into people’s minds whenever portable toilets are mentioned, there are many variations on this theme now available to users in both the construction and event industries.

In addition, the single plastic toilet supplied to the 2009 market is now much more advanced in design and as people’s aspirations rise, then so do standards.

The result is a consequent rise in specification of each type of toilet so as to meet those aspirations.

There is also now a plentiful supply of towable welfare units which have an individual toilet at one end and which can be lowered to the ground for security, as well as a vast array of toilet trailers and shower blocks.

These towable units together with specialised urinals for both male and female use can often be seen at larger events.

Most of the trailer mounted toilet units and street urinals available in the UK were on display at the recent PSE Expo 2009, where visitors were able to discuss requirements for this year’s outdoor event season.

toilets is not the end of the story, since the behaviour of many people using portable toilet facilities at events often leaves a lot to be desired’ However, the provision of a sufficient number of toilets is not the end of the story, since the behaviour of many people using portable toilet facilities at events often leaves a lot to be desired.

The result is toilets that are often damaged and vandalised by toilet users, and rather surprisingly, ladies are often the worst culprits.

Toilets form a vital part of any publicly attended event, especially those held outdoors, and PSE members can help organisers in deciding what is best for each event or event site.

Offering lavish loos Firm offers advice tailored to clients’ needs ALIDE Hire Services has been operating in the South West since 1981 and has become the leading independent plant and tool hire company in the region.

We introduced the portable toilet division due to there being a call for a reliable company supplying an individual, personal service to the event industry.

We always offer advice tailored to the clients’ needs.

It never pays to underestimate requirements and our recommendations for less women to a single unit

than generally advised and placing urinal units in high traffic areas, help to prevent queuing.

We always receive positive feedback from clients with our follow-up customer service – something we feel is really important.

For more information contact Carolyn Howell: Tel: 0845 205 2005 Email hire@alideservices.co.uk www.alidehire.co.uk

AS the leading supplier of temporary loos to the ever demanding events and hospitality industry, IGLOOS® is an established sight at events throughout the UK, across Europe and beyond.

IGLOOS® is dedicated to creating an invaluable and unrivalled service – the diversity of lavish loos begins with the Luxury Travelling Loo Trailers and goes through to the adaptable Panelled System that can be constructed on multi-levels.

In depth technical experience ensures our clients receive the best advice and results for any event taking into account important factors such as the budget, access and speci-

fications of each requirement.

For more information contact: 4u2p@igloos.co.uk (0)1438 861418 www.igloos.co.uk

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Extra day for Sheffield country fayre

By Christina Eccles SHEFFIELD’S Highland Fling Town and Country Fayre will be held over two days this year in order to meet demand from visitors and reduce queuing times.

After 23,000 people turned up to the event last year, organisers decided it was time to expand, so added an extra day of activities.

The event – produced by Green City Events – is being organised by Bob Worm who, since taking over last year, has made several changes.

New additions to this year’s show include mountain bike display teams and the Green City activity zone and Bob hopes to attract a crowd of 30,000 over the two days.

However, one thing that has not changed much is the price which has increased by just £1 since last year to £4 per adult and children still go free.

According to Bob this is a vital part of the event as it allows families to come and enjoy all the entertainment and activities on offer without having to spend lots of money.

He said: “This year, the event is being held over two days. We hope this will help to mitigate the hour and a half queues we had last year.

The Maccabees at Offset 2008

Last year’s event “It is £4 for adults and free for children aged under 14. There is no point charging for children because you are only charging the adults twice.

“We want the event to be affordable as we are selling to the family market.

We don't want them to have to pay an arm and a leg to come and then again once they get here.”

Other features of the event include: A central performance arena Cattle show Farmers’ market with local produce Camping zone with products and displays Funfair The event is held in Graves Park in Sheffield over the May Day bank holiday weekend.

Students help organise conference EVENT management students from Bucks New University have helped to organise a conference launching Buckinghamshire’s plans for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Bucks 2012: Are You Ready? conference was launched by Lord Coe – chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games – and brought together organisations from across the county with an interest in the London 2012 Games.

The event was organised by the Buckinghamshire manager for the 2012 Games, Ian Barham, with the help of students and employees from Bucks New University. First year stu-

dents on the BA (Hons) events and festival management course assisted in the pre-organisation of the event as part of their coursework and helped to organise the event on the day, assisting with the event set-up, looking after guests, media relations, stewarding and administrative duties.

Senior lecturer and event management course leader Nick Eade said: “Our students are getting an academic grounding through their university studies, coupled with practical hands on experience at a 2012 event, which is fantastic for their CVs and will definitely provide them with enhanced employability opportunities.”

Offset festival tickets ‘to remain affordable’ TICKETS for the Offset Festival will remain affordable this year to help fans who are struggling with the credit crunch.

According to organiser Jo Delaney, it is important to them that tickets are kept reasonably priced so that festivalgoers will still be able to afford to buy them.

She told The Main Event that although this year’s prices have not yet been confirmed, they are unlikely to increase much on last year’s.

She said: “We haven’t yet set ticket prices in stone but they won’t be much different to last year. Our Early Bird ticket last year was about £35 for the weekend and £45 with camping.

We try to put ourselves in the shoes of an audience member and all agreed that ticket prices have got to stay where they were.”

Jo also said that although the credit crunch is a worry to both festival fans and organisers, she is confident that the event will still do well.

She added: “Everybody’s concerned but I honestly feel if you can offer really good quality and good value, I don’t think you can go wrong. That is what we will be pushing. We have not always relied on funding from sponsors and have brilliant volunteers so can cut down on costs that way.”

The festival takes place at Hainault Forest Country Park and according to Jo, its close proximity to London is one of its main selling points as it means locals can get a taste of being at a festival but can get there using good public transport links and without having to spend lots of money to travel far out of town.

“The site is at the end of the Central Line which is perfect because it makes the event accessible. There is plenty of space for cars but it is a real plus factor that people can just hop on the tube. We also run shuttle buses from the local station to the site and this is an issue we will be pushing more.”

Team Spirit’s Comic Relief boost AN event management company has completed a sponsored walk for Comic Relief – completing one lap of the local reservoir for each year it has been in business.

Staff at Team Spirit completed 16 laps of the reservoir which works out at over 40 miles and the walk was completed in fancy dress, with outfits

ranging from Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard to ancient Egypt’s Cleopatra.

Managing director Ian Taylor said: “We are extremely proud to be able to support Red Nose Day. I would like to offer our thanks to all those who sponsored us and helped us to reach our target.”

Dressing room and production team catering at this year’s V Festival in Chelmsford will be provided by Eat To The Beat.

The team will be delivering its distinctive dining experiences as artists including The Killers, Oasis and Fatboy Slim play to capacity audiences.

Operations director Mary Shelley-Smith said: “We are delighted to be adding this prestigious festival to our extensive roster of high profile summer events. The backstage catering has become a key ingredient in the success of the festivals we have become regulars at, thanks to great staff, equipment and expertise. We have previously worked with V Festival in the USA through our American office so to also be working with this one on our home turf is an honour.”

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NOEA

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There is life after the Convention ...

New members Over 50 new members and students have joined NOEA since December – some are stated in the 2009 NOEA yearbook but a full listing of 80 from September to date is given below (some subject to approval). This includes some 40 members of the National Entertainment Agents Council: Dawn Judd Entertainments Derek Worrall (Honorary – Ex Daubney Agency) DF Concerts Limited DGB Events Diane Lees Entertainments Dings Entertainment Ltd Dual Entertainments Ear to the Ground Espacios Temporales Event Security Solutions Ltd Excloosive Ltd Fighting Talk Promotions Fosse Events Future Publishing Ltd G.B. Promotions & Entertainments Agency Great Western Entertainments Agency Green Light Traffic Management Ltd Hawthorn Entertainment Ltd Highfield Management i2 Event Management Ltd Ice Cold Events Ltd Insight (Honorary) International Organisation of Professional Drivers Ltd (IOPD) Jazz Management Services Kambe Events Ltd Key Entertainment Services Lightmedia Displays Ltd Live Promotions Events Ltd (Honorary) Liz Hobbs Group Logistik Lothian Variety Agency Mr Plant Hire Plc Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council Pemberton Event Production Ltd Performance Surveys Ltd (Associate) Pinnacle Marquees (UK) Ltd POD Outdoor Displays Prima Artists Regather Ltd Rhondda Cynon Taf Richard Spinks Promotions Rising Stars Agency Rural Projects Ltd Ryans Cleaning Event Specialists Safeguard Security & Fire Protection Salima Ltd Shoreline Entertainments Site Fencing Ltd Smile - Expo Temporary Fencing Limited The Company Upfront The Corps The Morris Leslie Group The Needs Group Thorns Group Tod Cody, Showman (Honorary) Tony Bennell Entertainment Agency Total Hire & Sales Limited Uncle Brian Entertainment. & Event Management.

Venture Event Medical Management Vern Allen Entertainments Ltd Viscount Entertainments Ltd VistBlackpool Wienerwald Entertainments Xi Entertainments

IFEA Europe Annual Conference, Bratislava – March 18-20 Unfortunately owing to lack of support, the conference was postponed until 2010.

AFTER some five full hectic months in the organisation, promotion and delivery of the 30th Anniversary Convention and Tribute Celebration Evening and of course many other activities, we are looking forward to a quieter time. No chance!

Devon and Cornwall outdoor events conference Exeter City Football Club, St James Park Exeter, Devon Tuesday 21st April 2009 Co-hosted by: Exeter City Football Club was a member of the Football League from 1923 to 2003 and rejoined for the 2008-9 season after five seasons in the Conference National. City was founded in 1904 and began playing in an old field used for fattening pigs. St James Park remains their home ground to this day.

For further information please refer to the following: The website for St James Park is http://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/page/Con ferencing The website for Exeter City Council's Parks & Open Spaces Events is http://www.exeter.gov.uk/index.aspx?arti cleid=9715 30th Annual Convention and Tribute Celebration Evening 2009 The Oxford Belfry Hotel, Nr Thame, Oxon, February 25 – February 27 2009 The NOEA survival guide – what will the next 30 years bring?

A great occasion with an overall best ever attendance of some 120 delegates and speakers and over 170 dinner guests. A full report will be placed on the NOEA website shortly.

At the Convention, the President was pleased to announce the 500th Member of NOEA – a great achievement. Many congratulations to Pemberton Event Production Ltd, North Ferriby, East Yorkshire.

Main Event Exhibition, Glasgow, March 12 2009 THIS was the first time for a NOEA visit and Richard Limb, president and John Barton manned an information stand – well received, distributed 200 Yearbooks and much interest shown in membership.

FMX Scotland signed up, with up to 12 other possible members.

The exhibition was well organised with some 70 exhibitors – mix of venues and suppliers – good quality level of visitors, 2008 recorded 1000 visitors. Website: www.themaineventscotland.com

NOEA EVENTS 2009

April 21 – NOEA Conference, Exeter June 2 – 3 – The Commercial Opportunities from the Olympics in London 2012 – COOL2012 IndigO2, The O2 Centre, London.

September 24 – 3rd Annual Event Industry Golf Day, Newbury, Berks October 21 – 22 – Showman’s Show, Newbury – NOEA Stand

Provisional programme – What you need to organise an event – operations and regulations.

09.30 - 10.00: Registration, refreshments and exhibit viewing 10.00 - 10.15: Welcome and introduction Coun Paul Smith, Lord Mayor of Exeter 10.15 - 11.15: BS 8901 - Management Systems for Sustainable Event Management – launching a new assessment and certification service, Alex Philpott, UK business development manager for Sustainable Events.

11.15 - 11.30: Coffee break and exhibit viewing 11.30 - 12.00: The Extra Festival of South West Food and Drink, Evelyn Westwater, organiser.

12.00 - 12.30: Taking security seriously in the events industry, Showsec International, Mark Harding, managing director.

12.30 - 13.45: Buffet lunch, exhibit viewing and short tour 13.45 - 14.15: University of Exeter Students’ Guild – support services for students in events, Gareth Oughton, staff member and John Cox, president, Students’ Guild.

14.15 - 14.45: Update on legislation

Main Event’s Adam Parry and Christina Eccles at the convention.

NOEA presence was really worthwhile and many contacts made. Now 20 Scottish members – many favourable comments were made about the Association.

The NOEA Scotland Committee met with Richard and John to discuss future developments in Scotland. Next Scottish/NOEA conference was considered and the committee favoured Perth as being most cen-

October 21 – NOEA Local Authority Network Meeting, Showman’s Show November – Regional conferences to be announced November – AOIFE conference, Ireland (tbc)

2010

January – The Event Show, London February 24 - 26 – NOEA Convention and

affecting events, Philip Day, Horsey Lightly Fynn.

14.45 - 15.00: Tea break and exhibit viewing 15.00 - 16.00: Emergency planning services – Panel Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire Service, Licensing Dept and Environmental Health Services, Exeter City Council and Ambulance Service.

16.00 - 16.15: General open session 16.15 - 16.30: Exhibit viewing and close Final arrangements subject to changes and confirmation.

Admission is £25 (plus vat) for NOEA members, £35 (plus VAT) for non members. The cost includes buffet lunch, coffee/tea and other facilities.

Exhibit displays – Please note viewing times. Some spaces are available at £75 (plus VAT) which includes a delegate’s place. Applications will be dealt with on a first come first served. For further information, please contact John Barton, General Secretary, NOEA on Tel: 01237 473113, Fax 01237 459661 or email: secretary@noea.org.uk Website: www.noea.org.uk tral with good road connections; perhaps in November. A full programme of subjects and possible speakers were discussed and this would now be progressed.

Further information will be available in due course – watch this space.

The conference would include a formal short AGM to elect a NOEA Scotland chairman. The NOEA Scotland committee is confirmed as follows: Tom Clements, Specialised Security (chair) Gerry Reynolds – The Highland Council Stephen Schofield – Dundee City Council Claire McCauley – Culture & Sport, Glasgow Jonathan Reid – Portakabin Events Stewart Arthur – Glasgow City Council John Barton – NOEA secretary Other matters for discussion included Main Event 2010, Liaison with EventScotland, training, contractors touting for business, funding issues, legislation in Scotland, developing relations with Scottish Parliament, Police issues, membership drive – this is ongoing, newsletters and own webpage. Most committee meetings are arranged by conference calls.

Tribute Celebration Evening – Venue to be confirmed February 25 – NOEA Golf Day (Convention) Other Conferences to include Teesside, Bath, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Channel Islands and Cornwall, (tbc) = all to be confirmed.

TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

Sophie, Zara, Marion and Sanjay

Upbeat additions THE Global Infusion Group – consisting of Eat To The Beat, Upbeat Event Design and e2B Logistics – has expanded its team by introducing four new members.

Sanjay Dhrona joins the Upbeat corporate catering specialists team as operations manager and Eat To The Beat has expanded by three – Marion Neill has taken on the role of film and TV account manager, Zara Moore

joins as PA to the operations director – with key responsibilities including tour and festival liaison – and Sophie Brown is taking on the role of office administrator.

Managing director Tony Laurenson said: “These new roles are all part of our wider commitment to give a personal service with members of our team focused on clients’ requirements.”

The Ultimate Event Company has a new sales manager, Glenn Mainwaring who joined the company earlier this year.

Glenn joined from St David’s hotel and spa in Cardiff and comes from a strong events background.

He was recently crowned Open Advance European Latin Dance Champion at the recent European Dance Championships and is training hard for the World Championships in August.

Health and safety specialist Mike Herbert has joined The Event Safety Shop (TESS) as senior safety advisor.

The move paves the way for a period of growth at TESS, which is expanding its business internationally and developing its domestic portfolio of clients. In his 20-year career, Mike has managed health and safety at many major events and venues and has frequently worked for TESS on a freelance basis

with projects such as The International Festival of the Sea. Mike said: “I am joining TESS at an exciting time for the company. The company is taking on a range of new projects and I’m looking forward to the challenges my new role will bring. TESS is committed to raising the health and safety performance throughout the event industry and I’m keen to play an active part in that.”

Workshop focuses on practical skills EVENTIA will host a one-day training workshop later this month focusing on practical operational and business skills for the events industry.

The Events in Action PLUS course – which takes place in London on April 28 – is ideally suited to agency and partner employees wishing to increase their industry knowledge as well as their core business and operational skills or employees with between two and five years of industry experience.

It will concentrate on four key areas:

Industry history and terminology Sales and marketing Finance Communications and management skills.

CEO of Eventia Izania Downie said: “I am delighted that we can build upon our successful Events in Action brand with this advanced course for more experienced staff.

“I feel that this workshop provides the perfect opportunity for everybody to gain valuable new skills at a time when we all need to be maximising our efforts.”

TENDER NOTICE

29

2

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365 - SUPPLIER DIRECTORY

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Communications Fire Safety Midland Radio Links & Response Unit 4,

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FMX Fenwick By-pass Ayrshire KA3 6AW tel. 01560 600271 ross@fmx-ltd.com www.fmx-ltd.com

181-187 Moseley Street Birmingham B12 0RT tel. 0121 7667661 paul@midlandradiolinks.com www.midlandradiolinks.com

Sharpe Fire Ltd PO Box 999, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 6WZ tel. 07894277254 james.sharples@sharpfire.co.uk www.sharpfire.co.uk

Movetech UK A division of British Turntable Co Ltd Emblem Street, Bolton, BL3 5BW tel. 01204 537682 rental@movetechuk.com www.movetechuk.com/rental

Murphy Comhire Ltd Communications house Sheffield,S9 1LD tel. 0114 243 4567 mandy@murphy-com-hire.com www.murphy-com-hire.com

Insurance Services

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SRD Group Limited The Studio Shipbourne Road TONBRIDGE TN10 3DJ tel. 01732 373920 www.srdgroup.co.uk

Bars Bash Bars 40a Holmethorpe Avenue Redhill Surrey RH1 2NL tel. 01737 210979 info@bashbars.co.uk www.bashbars.co.u Creativevents Earls Court Exhibition Centre London SW5 9TA tel. 0207 370 8685 general@cevents.co.uk www.creativevents.co.uk Handsie Display Unit 3 Victoria Wharf Victoria Road Dartford DA1 5AJ tel. 01322 222474 info@handsie-display.com www.handsie-display.com Peppermint Bars 19 Pensbury Street Battersea London SW8 4TL tel. 0845 226 7845 info-me@peppermintbars.co.uk www.peppermintbars.co.uk

CCTV Etherlive Brinkworth House Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 5DF tel. 01666 511862 tom.mcinerney@etherlive.co.uk www.etherlive.co.uk In Focus Communications & Vision Ltd Unit P, Part L Hadrian's Enterprise Park, Haltwhistle Northumberland NE49 0EX tel. 01434 322162 info@ifcv.co.uk www.ifcv.co.uk Spindlewood CCTV The Resource Centre Featherstone WF7 5EW tel. 0845 230 0113 charlieb@spindlewoodcctv.com www.spindlewoodcctv.com

Smye-Rumsby Limited 123-125 Snargate Street Dover, Kent CT17 9AP tel. 01304 248900 info@smye-rumsby.com www.smye-rumsby.com

Crowd Management Showsec International Limited Floor 1e & 2e Phoenix Yard Upper Brown Street LEICESTER LE1 5TE tel. 0116 204 3333 simon.battersby@ crowd-managment.com www.crowd-management.com Touchline Event Management Ltd 7 Allison Court Metro Centre Gateshead Tyne & Wear NE11 9YS tel. 0191 496 1000 info@touchline-em.co.uk www.touchline-em.co.uk

Emergency Heating & Cooling Cool Services Building 26, Bay 4, The Pensnett Estate, Kingswinford, DY6 7TB Tel. 0800 9705656 kevin@event-heating.co.uk www.coolservices.co.uk

Event Branding Piggotts Branding 43 London Road, Stanford Rivers, Ongar, Essex, CM5 9PJ Tel. 01277 363262 kelly.seymour@piggotts.co.uk www.piggotts.co.uk

Event Production Sledge The Mill House, Millers Way, London, W6 7NH Tel: 020 8743 3232 ian.irving@sledge.co.uk www.sledge.co.uk

Doodson Broking Group Century House Pepper Rd Hazel Grove Stockport SK7 5BW tel. 0161 419 3011 jdodds@doodsonbg.com www.doodsonbg.com Event Insurance Services Limited Event House 20A Headlands Business Park Ringwood BH24 3PB tel. 01425 470360 sales@event-insurance.co.uk www.event-insurance.co.uk Insure-events.co.uk 37 Rolle St Exmouth Devon EX8 2SN tel. 0845 1300 265 support@graham-sykes.co.uk www.insure-events.co.uk Robertson Taylor 117 Fenchurch Street London EC3M 5DY Tel. (0)870 114 2643 enquiries@rtib.co.uk www.robertson-taylor.co.uk

Marquees Piggotts Marquees 43 London Road, Stanford Rivers, Ongar, Essex, CM5 9PJ Tel. 01277 363262 richard.treml@piggotts.co.uk www.piggotts.co.uk

Medical Management SP Services (UK) Ltd Unit D4, Hortonpark Estate Hortonwood 7 Telford Shropshire TF1 7GX Tel. 01952 288 999 Fax. 01952 606 112 sales@spservices.co.uk www.spservices.co.uk Venture Event Medical Management Copperfield House 47 Leeds Road Gawthorpe Ossett West Yorkshire WF5 9QW tel. 07988 388461 enquiries@ventureemm.co.uk www.ventureemm.co.uk

Steeldeck Rentals Ltd Unit 58, T.Marchant Estate, 42-72 Verney Road, London SE16 3DH Tel: 020 7833 2031 richard@steeldeck.co.uk www.steeldeck.co.uk The Outdoor Staging Company Ltd 1 Langley Drive, Castle Bromwich, B35 7AD tel. +44(0)7866 470 293 info@outdoorstage.co.uk www.outdoorstage.co.uk

Temporary Fencing Beaver 84 Beaver House, Crompton Close, Basildon, SS14 3AY Tel. 01708 861821 info@beaver84.co.uk www.beaver84.co.uk

Ticketing Tungate Group Brookhouse Way, Cheadle, Staffordshire, ST10 1SR Tel. 01538 755755 Fax. 01538 756062 info@tungategroup.co.uk www.tungategroup.co.uk

Venues Fabric London Level 2 Greenhill House Cowcross Street London EC1M 6B tel. 020 7549 4844 celine@fabriclondon.com www.fabricevents.com

Waste Management Morris Holdings (UK) Limited 17B Mile Oak Industrial Estate, Maesbury Road Oswestry Shropshire SY10 8GA tel. 01691 680373 info@morrisholdings.co.uk www.morrisholdings.co.uk Grundon Waste Management Special Events Services Ewelme Wallingford Oxon OX10 6PJ Tel: 08700 604366 specialevents@grundon.com www.grundon.com

To advertise here call 01226 734 456

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POWER SUPPLY

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