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28/4/09
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Issue 28 May 2009 £4.75
Luton Hoo looks to host festivals
Music festival cancellation sparks row By Christina Eccles A ROW has broken out over who is to blame for the cancellation of a music festival just two weeks before it was due to take place. Organisers have pulled the plug on the Homecoming Festival – which was to be held at Irvine Bay in Ayrshire – after blaming North Ayshire Council for issuing ‘unfair demands’ such as a £60,000 bond on the land and a share of the profits. However, the council has hit back claiming that the bond is a standard requirement on an event such as this and issues over public safety were its main concern. A statement from the organisers said: “It is with great regret that organisers of the Homecoming festival have announced that this year’s event has been cancelled. “This is due to new demands from the council requesting 50 per cent of the profits and a £60,000 bond on the land.” The organisers declined to discuss the issue any further. But the council argued it needed more information on vital issues such as risk assessment and traffic management for the event to go ahead.
A council spokesman added: “A £60,000 bond is pretty standard to clean up a site like that. The 50 per cent was negotiable but they hadn’t come back to us with any numbers. “The event could only take place if all public safety requirements were agreed and in place. They were not. “The Council has been waiting in vain for detailed plans of this major event so that they could be assessed and agreed. “Our principal consideration has always been public safety. “We cannot sit back and adopt the philosophy that ‘it will be all right on the night’. “A licence for the event was granted subject to conditions being met. The organisers acknowledged that they could not meet the conditions and therefore the event will not take place.” The festival was part of Scotland’s year of Homecoming celebrations – designed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns – and organisers had managed to secure acts including Reverend and the Makers, Taio Cruz and DJs Armin van Buuren, Lisa Lashes and Tim Westwood.
The recession could prove an ideal time for organisers to look for business in emerging markets such as the Middle East, according to Qatar-based event organiser Dan Schofield. Dan has been working in Qatar for several months and his upcoming projects include a headline concert featuring Enrique Iglesias (pictured above) – which forms part of a development plan to boost the country’s profile as a destination for major events. Dan said: “The exchange rates and cheaper shipping rates mean UK companies can be really competitive in this market and if they have the superior expertise and equipment then I see no reason why they shouldn’t pick up more work in the Gulf region.” For full story, Page 11
FESTIVAL organisers are being offered the chance to hold their events on a 100acre site near Luton, after its owners decided to open it up for events. Luton Hoo – owned by the Phillips family – will be marketed as an ideal venue for festivals and major events because of its close proximity to London and good links to the M1 and other major roads. Eddie Hoare from Events Management Consultancy – who is working on behalf of the owners to find organisers interested in staging events there – said by next year he hopes to have several events in place. He said: “We will have at least one festival next year and we are looking at the whole range from festivals through to pop concerts. “The biggest thing the site has is its location as it is situated in the heart of a huge population base.” The Main Event is the official magazine of the National Outdoor Events Association