Issue 45 November 2010 £4.75 Events ‘could shape future of Britain’ By Christina Eccles THE events industry could hold the key to future economic prosperity in the UK, a new report has claimed. The Britain for Events report – com- missioned by the Business Visits and Events Partnership – has explored the size and value of the industry and where future opportunities could lie. According to the report, the industry is now worth more than £36bn a year to the economy – with outdoor events and festivals accounting for over £2bn. Figures show that sporting events are valued at £2.3bn, music events at £1.4bn, festivals and cultural events at £1.1bn and outdoor events at £1bn. And chair of the Business Visits and Events Partnership Michael Hirst said in the report that events have the ability to shape Britain’s future. He said: “The report is one of a num- ber of initiatives undertaken by the BVEP to position the sector at the fore- front of thinking by both the govern- ment and the wider business commu- nity. “It identifies trends and opportunities and highlights key issues and chal- lenges which, if not addressed, could undermine Britain’s position as one of the leading players in this highly com- petitive, global marketplace. “Properly supported, Britain’s events can help rebuild and re-balance Britain’s economic prosperity.” The Association of Independent Festivals represents some of the UK’s most popular events including Creamfields, Standon Calling, The Secret Garden Party and Bestival. AIF general manager Claire O Neill told The Main Event that outdoor events and festivals have a valuable role to play in the industry’s success, which should be recognised. She explained: “Independent festivals make a significant contribution not only culturally, but also to the local and UK economy. Not only does every B&B, pub and hotel in the area fill up; lots of local shops stay open to benefit from the extra custom.” Claire also said that AIF’s own research also confirms that independent festivals generate large amounts of money for the economy – by encouraging festivalgoers to spend in the local area which is good for busi- nesses. She added: “Our own members’ survey showed that AIF festivals gener- ate over £13m for the UK economy, £16.3m for local businesses in audience spend alone.” 2012 ticket plans unveiled THE ticket pricing structure has been revealed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – with organisers claiming to have made the event as accessible as possible. The first tickets go on sale next March with a total of 8.8m seats available across 26 sports. According to LOCOG’s tick- eting strategy, 90 per cent of these tickets will be priced at £100 or under, with 2.5m tick- ets having a price tag of £20 and under. Olympics minister Hugh Robertson said: “Spectators are a vital part of every Olympic Games, providing the atmosphere that inspires athletes to perform. I am con- fident we will have packed stadiums and venues with the range of tickets on offer meaning that people of all ages and budgets will have the chance to attend London 2012.” 100,000 tickets will also be made available for school children, while a pay your age scheme will allow cheaper seats for those aged 16 and under at some events. A star-studded concert at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium got the Ryder Cup off to a winning start. Performers including Dame Shirley Bassey and Katherine Jenkins joined golf fan Catherine Zeta-Jones on stage to welcome the world to Wales for the sporting spectacular. Push4 / Greenfield was commissioned by Ryder Cup Wales 2010 to organise the concert. Full story, Page 4 The Main Event is the official magazine of the National Outdoor Events Association
Transcript
Issue 45 November 2010 £4.75
Events ‘couldshape futureof Britain’By Christina Eccles
THE events industry could hold the keyto future economic prosperity in theUK, a new report has claimed.
The Britain for Events report – com-missioned by the Business Visits andEvents Partnership – has explored thesize and value of the industry andwhere future opportunities could lie.
According to the report, the industryis now worth more than £36bn a year tothe economy – with outdoor events andfestivals accounting for over £2bn.
Figures show that sporting events arevalued at £2.3bn, music events at£1.4bn, festivals and cultural events at£1.1bn and outdoor events at £1bn.
And chair of the Business Visits andEvents Partnership Michael Hirst saidin the report that events have the abilityto shape Britain’s future.
He said: “The report is one of a num-ber of initiatives undertaken by theBVEP to position the sector at the fore-front of thinking by both the govern-ment and the wider business commu-nity.
“It identifies trends and opportunitiesand highlights key issues and chal-lenges which, if not addressed, couldundermine Britain’s position as one ofthe leading players in this highly com-
petitive, global marketplace. “Properly supported, Britain’s events
can help rebuild and re-balanceBritain’s economic prosperity.”
The Association of IndependentFestivals represents some of the UK’smost popular events includingCreamfields, Standon Calling, TheSecret Garden Party and Bestival.
AIF general manager Claire O Neilltold The Main Event that outdoorevents and festivals have a valuable roleto play in the industry’s success, whichshould be recognised.
She explained: “Independent festivalsmake a significant contribution notonly culturally, but also to the local andUK economy. Not only does every B&B,pub and hotel in the area fill up; lots oflocal shops stay open to benefit fromthe extra custom.”
Claire also said that AIF’s ownresearch also confirms that independent festivals generate largeamounts of money for the economy –by encouraging festivalgoers to spendin the local area which is good for busi-nesses. She added: “Our own members’survey showed that AIF festivals gener-ate over £13m for the UK economy,£16.3m for local businesses in audiencespend alone.”
2012 ticketplans unveiledTHE ticket pricing structurehas been revealed for theLondon 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games – withorganisers claiming to havemade the event as accessibleas possible.
The first tickets go on salenext March with a total of8.8m seats available across 26sports.
According to LOCOG’s tick-eting strategy, 90 per cent ofthese tickets will be priced at£100 or under, with 2.5m tick-ets having a price tag of £20and under.
Olympics minister HughRobertson said: “Spectatorsare a vital part of everyOlympic Games, providingthe atmosphere that inspiresathletes to perform. I am con-fident we will have packedstadiums and venues with therange of tickets on offermeaning that people of allages and budgets will havethe chance to attend London2012.”
100,000 tickets will also bemade available for schoolchildren, while a pay your agescheme will allow cheaperseats for those aged 16 andunder at some events.
A star-studded concert at Cardiff’s MillenniumStadium got the Ryder Cup off to a winningstart. Performers including Dame ShirleyBassey and Katherine Jenkins joined golf fanCatherine Zeta-Jones on stage to welcomethe world to Wales for the sporting spectacular. Push4 / Greenfield was commissioned by Ryder Cup Wales 2010 toorganise the concert. Full story, Page 4
The Main Event is the official magazine of the National Outdoor Events
Local authority spotlight Page 18NOEA Page 21Classified Page 23
Fighting forfuture offireworksBy Christina Eccles
A PUBLIC appeal has been launched to secure the future ofone of London’s most popular free fireworks displays.
The Blackheath fireworks display – which has establisheditself as one of the capital’s most successful bonfire nightevents – attracted about 80,000 people last year.
But this year, a £36,000 shortfall in funding has forcedorganisers Lewisham Council to ask locals to dig deep andraise funds to keep the event going.
So far, almost £11,500 has been raised through publicdonations and the generosity of local businesses and theevent has also been backed by independent fund manage-ment company GLC, who have been involved with the dis-play since 1994.
To reach the target, the council is also aiming to boost theappeal by giving fundraisers the chance to bid on ebay for aVIP night out at the event, which includes the privilege ofstarting the firework display itself, access to a VIP viewingarea and food and drink vouchers.
It has also passed on other ideas for fundraising eventswhich local people can take part in – with ideas includingholding Halloween parties and pumpkin sales and donatingthe proceeds to the cause.
Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock said: “We know thatmany people come back year after year to enjoy the specta-cle of the Blackheath Fireworks display and it continues toattract new devotees all the time. Money is tight at themoment as we all know. But I don’t want to see this eventcancelled without giving people the chance to show theirsupport. Just £1 each from everyone who attends wouldensure that the skies sparkle as usual over the heath thisyear.”
Lawrence Staden, managing director of GLC, which spon-sors the event added: “We feel that the existence of a free,safe display for residents around the wider Blackheath areais very important and remain committed to supporting theevent.”
Stephen Lance with Tom Holdsworth and Laura Houghtonfrom Mobile Promotions.
MOBILE Promotions has entered its 25th year instyle – celebrating at the Showman’s Show withorganiser Stephen Lance who was also marking 25years of the show.
The company was present at the first everShowman’s Show, attending in its various guisesover the years and returned this year with its trailer fleet on display with both old and new teamfaces.
Managing director Robin Carlisle said: “Stephenruns a great business and an engaging exhibitionwhich has been at the heart of the events industryfor two and a half decades. I'm pleased to have beenassociated with the event and Stephen for that timeand am sure that this tradition will be maintainedby my junior management team for many years tocome.”
Silver celebration
XL Events supplied LED screens and camera systems to PopeBenedict XVI’s recent state visit to the UK.
This involved three of the four major sites – Cofton Park inBirmingham, Bellahouston Park in Glasgow and St Mary'sUniversity College in Twickenham.
The company was working for production companies WRGin Birmingham and Twickenham and DF Concerts inGlasgow and had been involved in the planning for the proj-ect for over seven months.
Seven months of Papal planning
More than
just a normal
showPage 6
03 2010229210 13:12 Page 1
2 4
By Dominic Musgrave
A WELSH events company wasresponsible for three events thattook place in the lead up and dur-ing the first Ryder Cup tournamentto be staged in the country.
Push4/Greenfield, an eventsmanagement and media companywhich came together in the sum-mer, were commissioned to projectdirect the Welcome to Wales eventat the Millennium Stadium inCardiff, which attracted a crowd ofmore than 13,000 and wasscreened live on Sky Three.
Project director Matthew Wordleytold The Main Event that the show,which was attended by HRH thePrince of Wales, featured wellknown Welsh stars such asCatherine Zeta-Jones, DameShirley Bassey and Katherine
Jenkins.He added: “Putting together an
event in a large stadium alwayscreates its own challenges, but atthis particular event we had to cur-tain off half of the pitch for a din-ner for 2,000 people.
“The Millennium Stadium is amonster of an arena and every-thing has to be right because it isbeing done on such a huge scale.
“As a company we are very proudwith what we have achieved, whichwas to put on an event that putWales on the map, and some of thefeedback we have received hasbeen fantastic. The stadium hashosted some huge events beforethat have been organised by com-panies from outside of Wales, butas a Welsh company putting this onmade it extra special.”
Push4/Greenfield worked on the
project for approximately sixmonths, but for the other twoevents for visiting dignitaries at theWales Millennium Centre and thegrounds of Cardiff Castle respec-tively, they had just 10 weeks.
The first included working withWelsh National Opera on an operathemed dinner hosted by deputyfirst minister Ieuan Wyn Jones,while the first minister CarwynJones’ dinner, which includedheads of the Professional Golfers’Association, featured local choirsOnly Men Aloud and Only BoysAloud.
Matthew added: “We are on theWelsh Assembly Government’sframework for events manage-ment, and we were awarded thedinners following a competitivetender process that involved a five-way pitch.
“Hosting events in the grounds ofa castle brings with it its own chal-lenges as we had the logistics oftrying to get all of the necessaryequipment through a smallportcullis, but thankfully we man-aged it.
“Thankfully the police areextremely adept at dealing with thetypes of event we put on, and withregards to security it was just aboutbeing aware and making sure theproper due diligence is done.”
Push4, which was founded in2003, has also worked with thelikes of JLS, Diana Vickers, Al Greenand Will Young for various showsthis year, and has a variety of cor-porate clients on its books includ-ing British Gas,SWALEC andJohnson and Johnson.
The stars of the Welcome to Wales concert at the Millennium Stadium
Welsh company swingsinto Ryder Cup action
X Factor stars Jedward provided the entertainment at an event to celebrate the release of allthings Scooby Doo! at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. The pair performed on an outdoorstage in front of excited fans to launch the Mystery Mansion – a soft childrens’ play area –and new Scooby Doo! DVD and video game releases.
ABERDEEN’S Robert GordonUniversity has launched a newdegree in events management,which includes an innovativeapproach to traditional work experi-ence placements.
The Bachelor of Arts EventsManagement degree features newlydevised modules delivered by expe-rienced events professionals and iscoordinated by Daniel Turner, pro-gramme leader for Hospitality,Tourism, Retail and Events.
The course structure differs fromthe traditional placement system asstudents instead complete an indus-try experience portfolio, requiringthem to undertake relevant workexperience at every stage of the pro-gramme in the form of a credit bear-ing module.
Each year, students will accrue aminimum of 100 hours of eventsexperience – meaning they will havecompleted the equivalent of 400hours as an absolute minimum by
the time they graduate. Daniel explained: “The Industry
Experience Portfolio is designed tobe very flexible, reflecting the fastchanging nature of the eventsindustry. Students can collect theirhours through placements, part-time work, volunteering, one-offshort term engagements or even byorganising their own events.
“As such, each student is able todevelop a completely unique portfo-lio which reflects their personalcareer aspirations. It also means stu-dents will have greater opportuni-ties to experience a wide range ofroles within their sector during theirprogramme as they are not tied toone particular placement organisa-tion. It also enhances their overallemployability by giving them anopportunity to develop their per-sonal network of contacts within thesector and experience recruitmentprocesses first hand before theygraduate.”
University launches new degree in events management
04 29/10/10 11:50 Page 1
05 event insurance 29/10/10 11:51 Page 1
2 6
By Christina Eccles
SUCCESSFUL teamwork combinedwith a relaxed atmosphere andgood behaviour from the crowdensured the Heroes concert atTwickenham Stadium was a greatsuccess for all those involved.
The event – which attracted60,000 people to the venue –included performances from artistsincluding Robbie Williams,Katherine Jenkins, The Saturdays,Pixie Lott and Alexandra Burke –
and raised over £500,000 to supportBritish troops.
After the concert, The Main Eventspoke to Live Nation’s project man-ager Emma Kemshell who revealedwhy it was such a special event towork on. She explained: “We werereally pleased. TwickenhamStadium was a great place to workand everyone was so helpful.
“The venue made it really easy forus and there was such a goodatmosphere at the event. There wasa real mix of people attending and
the audience had a great time.”The normal capacity of a concert
at Twickenham is 55,000 but for thisevent it was increased to 60,000 –thanks to close partnership work-ing between Live Nation, the stadi-um and the local authority.
And Emma added that this joinedup approach meant there were nomajor challenges to deal with onthe day. The addition of the newSouth Stand at the stadium alsomeant a different layout for theproduction offices – which were sit-
uated along one corridor overlook-ing all the action outside.
Production was also near to theartiste dressing rooms and Emmaadded that taking this approachworked really well.
She added: “The venue was great.We worked with a few new peopleon this event and everyone workedtogether really well. It was a greatproject – one of the best I haveworked on – and it was more thanjust a normal show as it was forsuch a good cause.”
‘It was more than just a normal show ...’
CEO of Liz Hobbs Group, Liz Doogan-Hobbs has played a key role inthe organisation of a lavish charity ball.In her fourth year as chair of the Breast Cancer Campaign’s PinkRibbon Ball committee, Liz helped to organise the lavish PinkRibbon Ball at London’s Dorchester Hotel – which raised a total of£222,456.The event was hosted by Norman Pace and attracted a host of celebrities including the ball’s patron, Martine
McCutcheon, EastEnders star Jessie Wallace and dancer CamillaDallerup.Liz said: “We set ourselves the daunting task of raising over£200,000 this year and we completely smashed our target on thenight, so I’m absolutely delighted.“It’s a privilege to be involved with such a wonderful committee,which always goes beyond the call of duty to ensure that the PinkRibbon Ball is a great success every year.”
Team gets inthe saddlefor charityA TEAM from Festival Republic has swapped wellies for cycle helmets to take on a new charitychallenge.
Making Tracks has been organisedby Kenyan Orphan Project and willsee over 50 riders cycle from Nairobito Kisumu – a distance of 435km – injust five days – to raise a target of£100,000.
The team from Festival Republicincludes managing director MelvinBenn, creative director of The BigChill Katrina Larkin and head ofartist and guest liaison SharonReuben.
Tight security proves achallenge for companyworking on Pope visitAT COMMUNICATIONS battled aseries of challenges including theunpredictable British weather andenhanced security measures to helpbring the climax of the Pope’s historicvisit to the UK to audiences world-wide.
The company – working togetherwith Feltech – rigged PA support,plasma screens, and audio and videofeeds for the UK’s broadcast mediaand 60 VIPs airside as the Pope andPM David Cameron shared their finaladdresses for the visit.
Project manager Alan Finchexplained: “This was the biggest PRcoup for Birmingham airport, but thechallenge of working airside is thatthe area is potentially very windyand, with British weather, wet, so theequipment specification was crucial.
“The microphones needed to havedecent windshields to enable a cleanfeed for live PA purposes and thesupply of the audio feed to themedia. A pretty substantial and well-positioned PA system would berequired to get over ambient noise onthe tarmac, but the PA system and allother equipment had to be both min-imal-looking and smart as all areas ofthe site could potentially appear on
camera.”Three 50” plasma screens placed on
the 30m camera platform needed tobe placed on heavy, secure stands tominimize the risk of over-balancing.Control equipment was housed in ashower-proof gazebo and speakerswere sheltered by solid-sided,canopied structures.
The team also had to deal with theheavy security arrangements at theairport too, which added hours on tonormal set up times.
Alan added: “The daily securitychecks necessary to clear the crew forworking airside were the biggestchallenge in actually working onsite.
Due to the number of workersinvolved in setting up for the event,we needed to arrive on site at 6.30amevery day as security clearance tookan hour before we could commencework on the tarmac.
“Effectively we had to go throughthe same clearance as if we were tak-ing a flight and carry our passportswith us as ID at all times and beescorted in and out of the airport bysecurity.
“At any time we, equipment or vehi-cles could be searched by police soco-operation with the relevantauthorities was crucial to the smoothrunning of the event.”
The weather and tight security were challenging during the Papal visit
MOBO awardfounder tobe speakerFOUNDER of the MOBO AwardsKanya King will be among the speak-ers at the International EventsConference, organised byEventScotland.
The event takes place in Decemberat Perth Concert Hall and will com-bine experts from across the eventindustry with sessions designed toprovide delegates with insight intoemerging and future trends.
EventScotland’s chief operating officer Paul Bush said: “Events are key drivers for economic growth andit is vital that we work together toensure continued investment andgrowth in the industry over the coming years. The conference is agreat opportunity for event owners,organisers and investors to take stockof the impressive progress that hasbeen made in recent years and tohear and discuss how we can contin-ue this story of success.”
EARLY bird tickets have already goneon sale for next year’s Bestival, allow-ing festivalgoers who book early tobenefit from a payment plan.
These tickets will be held at 2010prices, with the plan enabling visitorsto pay a quarter of the ticket costwhen they book, followed by threefurther payments.
Bestival early bird
07 29/10/10 11:52 Page 1
2 8
ADDING an air display to an eventshould be seen as a viable andachievable addition for organiserslooking for the next big thing orwow factor.
Once, they were seen as a mystery– with many organisers dismissingthem as a pipe dream – somethingonly available to the big events orthose with a huge budget.
Having a dramatic flypast or aerialdisplay can really enhance anyevent – but before you rush out tohire an aeroplane, there are somethings to be considered ...
Your first thought may be toapproach your local flying club –but that’s tantamount to asking thelocal cafe to cater for your gala din-ner. All event professionals choosetheir contractors with care – and ofcourse it’s the same when choosingan air display partner.
Ensure you have a site surveydone – your partner needs toensure that both the ground andthe air are suitable for the activities
you have in mind. Consider theneighbours and the noise that it willmake. The Vulcan’s big, noisy dis-play may be just the thing to createan impact, but if that’s just not suit-able, there are plenty of gentler, lessnoisy air options for the more gen-tile location or audience. Howabout gliders landing in thegrounds of a stately home? Or acluster of hot air balloons taking offat dusk? A small site may haveroom for a helicopter. Or how abouta tandem parachute drop to bring aVIP into your event – with filmfootage of the event taken on theway down? Most people don’trealise that even the Red Arrowscan sometimes be persuaded totake part in corporate events.
Check that your chosen partner isappropriately licensed and ensurethat your air display has CAAapproval and conforms to the AirNavigation Order. The right insur-ance and emergency cover is essen-tial too, as is liaison with the local
police. Another benefit of having aircraft
is that you get the pilots too – I’veseen many a hospitality guestswoon at the prospect of beinghosted by an aerobatic pilot! The
pilots can be chosen not only fortheir flying prowess, but for theirinterpersonal skills too, so you canbe sure they will host your guests instyle and provide your event withyet another wow factor.
Incorporating an air display into an outdoor event can provide a real wow factor – creating an unusual talking point among audiences.Chief executive of the Royal International Air Tattoo, Tim Prince explains what organisers considering this need to know ...
Tim Prince
High-flying idea can give an event a real wow factor
08 29/10/10 11:53 Page 1
9
THE great news is that the event isattracting people from all over thecountry and we have alreadyreceived acknowledgment fromWelcome to Yorkshire, one of oursponsors and the local media forthe impact the event is having onwinter tourism in the Harrogate andDales area.
We are also delighted to announcetwo new prominent event partnerswho have just come on board;Leeds Bradford InternationalAirport and Black Sheep who havejust been confirmed as the event’sofficial beer sponsor.
Both are helping enormously inthe event’s promotion, with the fes-tival’s advert on display in a largelight box in the airport and postersand flyers in Black Sheep pubs allover the region.
We have also just contractedThorns to supply all of the seatingfor the auditorium and additionalfurniture. FTAV our sound andlighting contractors are working onthe general surround effects for thegatehouse entrance, foyer and mainauditorium.
The festival banners with spon-sors’ logos have been agreed and
will soon be ordered and mostimportantly we have now orderedall of the heaters for the structurewhich will keep all of our perform-ers and audience very happy.
The largest job for this week has been the ticketing for the festi-val.
Glynn Robinson our very talenteddesigner and the team at ThinkColour, our local print suppliershave been working very hard andhave produced some fantastic look-ing tickets, wallets and VIP hospital-ity inserts for the festival.
The festival office has been inun-dated with boxes of print materialthe last few days and we have spentmany hours allocating the ticketsagainst the seating plan for each ofthe shows, which should all beready to go out next week.
We can’t quite believe that theevent is now less than six weeksaway.
The project planner is all up todate and everything on schedule, sowe look forward to telling The MainEvent all about how the inauguralfestival goes next month.
Excitement is building for the first White Rose Winter Festival which takes place at Ripley Castle in December.In this month’s diary, directors Emma Ramply and Shan Robinson reveal how things are going.
Festival lifts winter tourism
Production Services Ireland supplied mov-ing lights, LED surfaces, rigging and crewfor the BBC Northern Ireland Proms In ThePark event, staged against the impressivebackdrop of Hillsborough Castle.It was the first year that the company hassupplied a full rigging and comprehensivelighting and digital lighting package to the
event, which was co-ordinated with BBCNorthern Ireland's own lighting depart-ment, to meet the spec of lighting design-ers John Gallagher and Philip Brines.The event included a special programmefrom The Ulster Orchestra with guestsincluding flautist Brian Finnegan and vio-linist Alexandra Soumm.
09 29/10/10 11:55 Page 1
2 10
THE full shortlist has been revealedfor this year’s UK Festival Awards,which take place later this month.
The winners will be announced at aglittering ceremony at the indigo2 inLondon and will celebrate the best ofthe UK and overseas festival market.
The shortlisted nominees include:Best Major Festival:� Bestival � Creamfields � Glastonbury � Isle of Wight � Sonisphere � T in the Park � V Festival Hylands Park � Download � Reading Festival � Leeds Festival Best Medium Festival:� Beach Break Live � Beautiful Days � Camp Bestival � Green Man festival � High Voltage � Latitude � Secret Garden Party � Vintage at Goodwood � RockNess � Ben & Jerry's Summer Sundae Best Small Festival:� 2000 Trees � Beat Herder Festival � Cambridge Rock Festival � End of the Road � Glasgowbury � Hevy Festival � Kendal Calling � Standon Calling � Y-Not Festival � Leopallooza Best Dance Event:� Vintage at Goodwood � Alchemy � Beat Herder � Bestival � BLOC � Creamfields � Global Gathering � Lovebox � RockNess � Standon Calling Metropolitan:� Bristol Harbour Festival � Dot to Dot Manchester � Evolution � The Warehouse Project � Gaymers Camden Crawl � HMV Next Big Thing � Land of Kings � OX4 � Ozzfest � Big Reunion Best New Festival:� Deer Shed � Gottwood � High Voltage � HMV Next Big Thging � Just So Festival
� Ozzfest � Parklife � Strawberry Fields Festival � The Willowman Festival � Vintage at Goodwood Best Overseas Festival:� EXIT Festival (Serbia) � Ibiza Rocks � Outlook Festival (Croatia) � Amsterdam Dance Event (Netherlands) � Spirit of Burgas (Bulgaria) � Sonisphere Festival Poland � Big Day Out (Australia) � Oxegen Festival (Republic of Ireland) � Snowbombing (Austria) � Pukkelpop (Belgium) Best Toilets:� 2000 Trees � Croisant Neuf � Download � High Voltage � Larmer Tree � Solfest � Sonisphere � T in the Park � Vintage at Goodwood � Wood Family Festival:� Beautiful Days � Beverley Folk Festival � Camp Bestival � Cornbury � Glastonbury � Green Man � Greenbelt � Guilfest � Harvest At Jimmy's � Wychwood Grass Roots Festival:� 2000 Trees � Beat Herder � Beautiful Days � Bloodstock � Cambridge Rock � Glasgowbury � Kendal Calling � Leopalooza � Standon Calling � Stummer Camp
Managing Director of UK FestivalAwards James Drury said: “The publicresponse to this year’s UK FestivalAwards has been phenomenal. We’vehad over 300,000 votes so far, whichgoes to show just how much theBritish public cares about festivals.The Awards is about celebrating thehard work which goes into producingsuch an incredible array of eventseach year, and it certainly seems fes-tivalgoers are keen to share theirappreciation in great numbers.”
� For a full round up of the UKFestival Conference and Awards, seenext issue.
THE Projection Studio’s RossAshton created artwork anddesigned a large format videoprojection system for a strikingevent at Caerphilly Castle.
The commission from Cadw wasthe first time that an entertain-ment spectacle of this genre hasbeen commissioned for one oftheir historical monuments.
The 20-minute work depictedthe history and stories of the cas-tle, accompanied by an audio
track produced by sound artistKaren Monid – running twicenightly for two weeks to a payingaudience.
He said: “This was a brilliantshow to work on in an amazingenvironment and a great chanceto collaborate and bring the loca-tion alive through a mixed mediaexperience that was accessible,expressive and fun as well asrequiring real audience engage-ment.”
Video projectionbrings location alive
Festival awardsshortlist unveiledahead of ceremony
10 29/10/10 11:55 Page 1
11
Landmark year asfestival attracts250,000 visitorsBRISTOL City Council’s events teamhas revealed how its biggest festivalhas gone from strength to strength –with plans already underway for its40th anniversary next year.
This year’s Bristol Harbour Festivalattracted about 250,000 visitors overthree days – who descended on thecity to witness exciting elements suchas music, dance and street entertain-ment.
The council organises the eventwith support from many city centrepartners and the team insists thatpartnership working is key to the fes-tival’s success.
Marketing and sponsorship manag-er David Pyne explained: “We havehad an amazing year. We are in themiddle of a five-year plan with theHarbour Festival which will develop
the event through to 2012.
“In the current climate, it is going tobe harder for local authorities to dothese things on our own so we areworking hard to make an offer forcompanies to get involved andengage with our events.
“For the last two years, we have nothad a title sponsor, but have had sev-eral significant area sponsors, whichhave been really good partnerships.
“For next year, we will also beencouraging a large number ofBristol-based companies to put asmall amount in to make it easier forlocal businesses to be a part of theevent.
“Then one of the companies will bepulled out of a hat and become aheadline sponsor, which is a really
good opportunity for them.”
David added that people in Bristollove going to events and have a hugeappetite for arts and culture.
He added: “There is a massiveappetite for events in Bristol – it is areally culturally sophisticated city. Itmakes us easy for us to do what wedo because the public want it.
“This was one of our biggest yearsso far. Part of what the festival does isto introduce people to parts of thecity they wouldn’t usually go to andwe had an unprecedented publicreaction.
“This was a real landmark year,which has given us a great platform.Next year is the event’s 40th anniver-sary so we are already thinking abouthow to mark that.”
MANCHESTER based lightingrental specialists DBN designedand supplied lighting equipmentfor the BBC’s Proms in the Parkevent in Salford.
The lightshow was designed byDBN’s Nick Walton and markedthe fourth year that the companyhas been involved with the eventin Buile Hill Park – working forproduction company Ear To TheGround for end clients, SalfordCity Council.
The line-up featured appear-ances by John Barrowman, pic-
tured, mezzo soprano JulietPochin and local opera star JonChristos, alongside the BBCPhilharmonic Orchestra.
Nick said: “It’s always a bigchallenge to design and light alarge orchestra appropriatelywithout being too distracting,providing just enoughrazzmatazz to highlight thesoloists, plenty of wow factors forthe audience and sufficient wellbalanced white light for the TVcameras. It’s also a show we real-ly enjoy doing each year.”
Switched-on specialistshelp Proms event shine
11 29/10/10 11:56 Page 1
2 12 ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
EAGLE Hospitality Event Bars have covered alltypes of events throughout the year including festi-vals, stadiums and racecourses, local authoritycommunity festivals and town shows
We have provided all types of bar serveriesthroughout the year from our trailers to mass servebars, real ale bars, cocktail bars and bespoke envi-ronments where we get to play around with ideaswith organisers – helping to generate the right feel for the more discerning customer and drivingsales – enabling us to give more money to theorganisers.
As well as providing the major serveries, it is oftenthe more unique elements we can provide whichhave had a great response from organisers and thepublic.
We like to provide bar areas that are aestheticallypleasing, creating a comfortable environment for the public to enjoy.
The boutique element is now almost a must, andwe are trying to develop themes and trading spacesto follow this, creating an area that people want tocome to and relax.
People are expecting more value for money at allevents and providing a variety of drinks experi-ences has become paramount.
Real ales and cocktails have been the prime can-didates for continued growth and also workingclosely with high profile brands and their agenciesto be able to provide ‘tasting elements’ has alsohelped to drive sales on site.
When customers feel they are experiencing valuefor money, especially in the current economic cli-mate, it encourages loyalty not only to the brandsbut also to the event.
As far as predictions for next year go, we are justhoping that we can build on a successful 2010 andstrengthen our portfolio.
Eagle steps up to the bargiving variety and value
12 29/10/10 11:57 Page 1
13 Eagle events 29/10/10 11:57 Page 1
What do organisers need toconsider when planning secu-rity at their events?Team work, excellent pre eventplanning and clear communi-cations, along with picking theright team to match therequirements for the task,along with the safety and wel-fare of the staff and customers.
What are the biggest chal-lenges when planning for secu-rity at major outdoor events?Second guessing the audienceprofile and how they maybehave on the day, joint organi-sation with other departmentsand all working together toensure the event runs smooth-ly.
How do security requirementschange at different events – forexample how does a music fes-tival differ from a city centreevent or a sporting event?Environment , traffic or no traf-fic , roads or fields – easy, obvi-ous stuff. Really I would be
more concerned about a largescale event in an inner cityenvironment simply because ofthe built up area. At least in afield you have had input intothe design of the site andunderstand its layout.
2 14
Event security is one of the most vital things for organisers to get right.Here the team at Pro-Touch shares their top tips with The Main Event.
Team work and clear communication
Client testimonial:“Sygma Safety and Events have workedwith Pro-Touch on many occasions.
“Not only have we worked with themon clients’ gigs, but we also trust themto look after our precious baby –Cambridge On Ice.
Tommy's team is made up of profes-sionals with an excellent understand-ing of events and the need to balancesecurity with a high level of customerservice.
“They need little instruction and direc-tion on site, have a great approach toproblem solving and a real Pro-Touchwith public and clients alike.
“We have no problem recommendingthem for all your events.”
Brian Cleary, managing director, SygmaSafety and Events
STEWARDING and traffic manage-ment at Britain’s biggest professionalcycle race was taken care of by APSecurity for the second year running.
The Tour of Britain, is a gruellingeight days of cycling, with each stagehosted in a different location aroundthe UK.
The event forms part of the UnionCycliste Internationale (UCI) EuropeTour with a finale in London, hostedby the Olympic borough of Newham.
AP’s remit included covering thecourse for the TfL London Stage ofthe Tour and also taking in theNewham Waterfront Festival, organ-ised by Newham Council and spon-sored by ExCel London.
Set up to coincide with the tour, thefestival was hosted in Royal VictoriaSquare and featured internationalstreet theatre, a wide variety of foods
and live music and culminated in aspectacular fireworks display.
The actual race attracted about15,000 spectators, with a total of25,000 throughout the day.
Freddie Botha was in charge of theevent for AP, with colleague SammieMartins running crowd managementfor the festival.
He said: “Our main role was toensure that the course was kept clearof both people and debris, since thecyclists travel at speed.
“We managed both road closures inthe area and crossing points forpedestrians, who were able to crossthe ‘track’ between laps. We imple-mented mini rolling road closuresalong the route, and when the lastpolice car, taking up the rear of therace, went past we opened up theroads for traffic again.”
Company remainsin race saddlefor second year
Etherlive helped Richmond Event Management to successfully manage onsitetelecommunications and broadband services at this year’s Bristol InternationalBalloon Fiesta The company provided wireless internet access and VOIP handsets to the corecrew managing the fiesta and also installed a back-up service and remote phonelines so organisers could relocate and not miss vital calls or messagesManaging director Chris Green said: “We’re pleased to have been able to help theorganisers manage security and communication issues successfully for the event’sduration, and that our efforts aided to the smooth running of this year’s BristolBalloon Fiesta.”
Cruise launch recreatesgolden era of shippingTHE Arena Group supported RobbieWilliams Productions by providing arange of products for the launch ofCunard’s new cruise ship, the QueenElizabeth.
Her Majesty the Queen named thenew liner at a prestigious namingceremony on Southampton docks infront of invited VIP guests.
The ceremony recreated the atmos-phere of the golden era of 1930s’ shiplaunches, reflecting the ships opu-lent interiors.
Arena Structures supplied a period30s’ style grandstand roof structure
with project manager Mark Shelleyoverseeing the creation of bespoke7.5m supporting leg structures toensure guests all enjoyed great viewson the launch.
Arena Seating also complementedthe regal theme by creating a luxuri-ous viewing theatre with a grand-stand of 1,638 tired seats with addi-tional Arena Congress Seating for theRoyal guests.
Sales director Dave Withey oversaw the team who ensured opti-mum sight lines and comfort for allguests.
14 201021211 15:12 Page 1
CROWD MANAGEMENT 15
A HOME Office report, reported bythe BBC, recently suggested thatalthough it may not save money inthe public sector as the SIA is main-ly self-funding, the move wouldsave security firms money and con-tribute to “reducing burdensomeregulation”.
Reaction from some security firmsin the event industry suggests thatthe loss of the SIA will be helpful tothe organised crime element in thesecurity industry; others quote thefailings of the SIA – commenting onthe National Audit Offices accusa-tion of the SIA’s £17m overspend in2008; its licensing of 6,653 peoplewho were not legally entitled towork in the UK and the failing tosecurity clear 38 of the SIA’s owntemporary staff as a good reason toget rid of the quango.
If the SIA is disbanded in the cutswhat can event organisers do tomake sure that they continue tosafeguard the public’s protection attheir events? The risk assessing ofthe security function at an eventwould seem to be the best place tostart.
As good event managers do eventoday, regardless of the SIA, the
functions of security, correct train-ing for the role to be undertakenand personnel and managementcompetency are risk assessed priorto contracting a security service.This has been particularly impor-tant when looking at specialist roleslike “pit officers” – there has longbeen debate as to whether the SIAlicensed officers are competent forthis role without further specialisttraining.
With CRB checking of individualsworking with children being a mustin today’s climate, would it be pru-dent to insist that all security offi-cers on an event are CRB checkedvoluntarily by the individual or bythe company supplying the securityservice? At a cost at around £40, thisis far cheaper than an SIA licence at£245.
The SIA licence does come with atraining qualification as a require-ment for the licence – these coursesrun at a cost of between £100 and£200 – however most bona fidesecurity companies, like APSecurity, Showsec and SelectSecurity to name just a few haverun in-house training for eventsecurity personnel long before the
SIA came into existence in 2003,following the Public SecurityIndustry Act of 2001.
And it could be argued that thistraining is far more suitable for theroles undertaken by security offi-cers at events as the training is inmost cases far more specific to ourindustry.
Guidance has also been availablefor many years from event andsecurity industry bodies NOEA,TESA, UKCMA and the BSIA plusBritish Standards like BS 8406:2009Event stewarding and crowd safety.Code of practice and PAS 51:2004Guide to industry best practice fororganising outdoor events; there isalso specialist training within theindustry from various universitiesincluding The International Centrefor Crowd Management andSecurity Studies at Bucks Universityand The Emergency PlanningCollege.
The government has made thestatement “No final decision hasbeen made and we expect to makean announcement in due course."Whether the SIA stays or goes itdoes not spell the end for profes-sional security at events with sensi-
ble precautions taken by eventorganisers.
Recent news reports suggest the end of the Security Industry Authority as part of the coalition’s millions ofpounds of public sector budget cuts. Andy Cotton explores what this may mean for the industry.
Andy Cotton
What would demise of SIA mean?
15 2010229210 13:40 Page 1
2 16 CROWD MANAGEMENT
How did you get into the industry? In the early 1970s I started workingfor Mecca in the Empire Theatre,Edinburgh. The company was amajor UK leisure company that notonly had an extensive range of ven-ues used for live music but alsomore famously owned the rights tothe Miss World Contest.
Why did you decide on a career inevents? My exposure at a young age toworking at concerts gave me anearly understanding that there hadto a better way of making the eventexperience safer and more enjoy-able for audiences. I did not thinkof it as 'crowd management', whichis what we know it as today, but itcame from being in the same agerange as the vast majority of con-cert goers and having empathy withthem and what they wanted fromthe experience of attending a con-cert. After working freelance formost of the 1970s, I was beingasked more and more to take thelead in organising and managingsafety and security. It was initiallyPete Irvine and Barry Wright ofRegular Music in Scotland whoencouraged me in 1980 to form mycompany, Rock Steady Security, butI also received tremendous encour-agement from Harvey Goldsmith,Danny Betesh and Barrie Marshall.
What has been the best event you haveworked on and why? That is always a difficult questionto answer as there have been many'best' events but probably acrossthe range it would have to be Paul
McCartney in Red Square Moscow,Live 8 in Hyde Park and Edinburgh,the G20 Summit in London and TheChampionships at Wimbledon.
What has been the most challenging andwhy? They are all challenging! I would,however, say that my role as headof security for Live 8 in London pre-sented a range of firsts includingcreating a plan to safely manage anaudience capacity of 200,000 in andaround Hyde Park; one of thelargest gatherings of globallyfamous artistes both performingand attending; the exposure of yourwork to a TV audience numberingbillions; and most importantly thefact that the event meant so muchfor so many.
How has the industry changed since youfirst started working in it? I can sum that up in three words;professional, trained and educated.
What do you predict for the future? We will for some time yet continueto encounter an economic situationwhich has affected an industry thatin the past was more recessionproof.
In the face of financial reality weneed understanding from the eventorganiser that high standards ofsecurity and crowd managementcome at a cost, they can be efficientbut must remain as one of the solidfoundations to a successful event,and that it is important that lapsesin security and safety expenditure(resulting in any form of crime) donot become the 'event'.
Crowd managementconsultant is appointedG4S Events has appointedProfessor Dr G Keith Still as asenior consultant in crowdmanagement.
In his new role, he will be akey contributor to the compa-ny’s delivery of major eventsafety and security solutionsand will optimise G4S Events’existing offering to police serv-ices, venue owners and eventpromoters.
Prior to joining G4S, he wasthe founder of CrowdDynamics and he also runsworkshops to teach others thetheory of crowd dynamics and
how to apply it to real events.
G4S Events managing direc-tor Mark Hamilton said: “Everchanging demands in theevents market require G4Scontinually to strive for excel-lence and innovation.
“Keith brings an unparalleledmix of crowd dynamics theoryand practical business experi-ence.
“His appointment representsa very significant addition toour capabilities in crowd man-agement and our delivery ofsecurity and safety services incrowded places.”
Striking the securitybalance at eventsSECURITY at major sport-ing events must strike thebalance between keepingpeople safe and lettingthem move freely enough toenjoy the event, an experthas claimed.
Metropolitan Policesuperintendent SteveKemsley is working todeliver the policing opera-tion at the London 2012Olympic and ParalympicGames and has also visitedsimilar events around the
world to see how things aredone abroad.
And he told delegates atEvent UK’s Decade of Sportconference that althoughsecurity is obviously a vitalpart of any event, it isimportant that organisersdo not go overboard withmeasures which mightaffect the visitor experi-ence.
He said: “My aim is to pro-vide safety, security andresilience to an event and
to do that we need tounderstand the threat andthe risk.
“Our policy is to workwith organisers, startingfrom the bid stage and wecan also learn from otherevents – I have been over inVancouver and Beijing.
“But security must ensurethe ‘dignity’ of the event.People have to be there toenjoy the event and thesecurity aspect is inciden-tal.”
As managing director of G4S, Mark Hamilton has dealt with security on some of the world’s biggest events.In a special feature, he shares his experiences with The Main Event.
Mark Hamilton
Organisers ‘mustunderstand crowdmanagementcomes at a cost’
16 29/10/10 11:59 Page 1
17
How did you get into the industry andwhy?Tom: “I grew up with it, so it hasalways been part of my life, even if Iwas not aware of it at the time. Fromover competitive fancy dress as achild to building a swimming poolwith a waterslide in my uni house, Ihave always wanted to make eventsas special as possible. My careerdeveloped into events from an entre-preneurial and more marketingfocus.”Derrick: “Way back in the 70s Iworked for BMW, building theirbrand and we used events and face toface to introduce the unknownbrand. I believed in it. My main AV/events guy was Nigel Greening, wegot on and he persuaded me to leavemy proper job and join him to formPark Avenue (early 80s) and we tookit from there. Best thing I ever did as Ihave enjoyed every moment andevery challenge.”
How has the events industry changed sinceyou started in it?Tom: “The budgets have got smaller,but kit has become better, cheaperand far cleverer, so we can do morewith less.” Derrick: “When we started out, it wasall hanging on by your toenails,clients taking enormous risks, wouldit all happen? Will it be alright on thenight? Now it is much more profes-sional, less risky, great suppliers,some really good talent but still enor-mous fun.”
What has been your most memorableevent and why?Tom: “The big Coca-Cola Enterprisesevent we did at ExCel, its sheer scalewas breathtaking and it was animmense amount of fun.”Derrick: “I have done loads of eventsbut I suppose one of the most memo-rable was my first truly global eventfor British Airways when we launchedthe tail fins: 127 events in 63 coun-tries, all on the same day, all on the
same hour. Everything went perfectly,it was a brilliantly emotional eventand on the day I even got homeearly!”
What has been your biggest success?Tom: “Starting All about the Idea withDerrick. We have wanted to worktogether for a very long time, so tomake that a reality and still be talkingto each other is a great success forme.”Derrick: “I suppose it must be that Ihave been able to work with some ofthe biggest brands in the world andwith face to face really make a differ-ence to them.”
What has been your biggest challenge?Tom: “Selling in some of our morecreative and out-there ideas is alwaysa challenge, but also hugely reward-ing when clients buy into them andthey make the whole show.”Derrick: “Keeping a great conceptsold, I won’t say who the client was,(it was a international car brand)Having bought the global conceptthey then proceeded by constantlyinsisting on changes to try and makethe biggest hash of all time. As it hap-pened through persistence andbloody mindedness on my behalf, weavoided all the changes and the glob-al launch of their new shiny productwas a huge success.”
What do you predict for the industry nextyear?Tom: “A gentle increase, followed by ablind panic as people realise theOlympics are just around the cornerand they don’t have a venue or anykit for their event yet.”Derrick: “We have got to be cleverer,more ingenious and creative, it is aswe say all about the idea, always add-ing value. If we don’t, we will becomea commodity and be judged on pricealone. Experiential is here to stay andwill grow, but we need to becomemore measurable so we can take onother media more effectively.”
Derrick Tuke-Hastings and son Tom created All About the Idea in 2008 after spotting a gap in the market. Here thepair answer The Main Event’s quick questions.
Derrick and Tom Tuke-Hastings
Why we have gotto be cleverer,more ingeniousand creative ...
Encore Tickets has been chosen by the RHS tohandle groups and trade sales for their fourlandmark flower shows.The company is now taking bookings for showsat Cardiff, Chelsea, Hampton Court and TattonPark and is also offering packages which includecombining flower show tickets with a visit toother nearby attractions.
17 29/10/10 12:00 Page 1
2 18 LOCAL AUTHORITY SPOTLIGHT
ONE of the most popular events totake place in Sheffield is the WorldSnooker Championships, which isheld at the Crucible.
Working on the event is a yearround process and the team isalready engaged in planning meet-ings about next year’s event, whichtakes place in April and May.
The championships are probablythe most famous event in Sheffield,attracting both professionals and fansinto the city.
A crowd pleaser at the event is theCue Zone where snooker stars comeand interact with the public. Thisused to take place in a marquee buthas now been moved to Sheffieldlandmark the Winter Gardens, whichallows the event to showcase one ofthe city’s most unique spaces.
The Winter Gardens have also beenused for a series of intimate gigs inconjunction with Real Radio – whereartists including Scouting for Girlsand Paulo Nutini played to an invitedaudience of a couple of hundred peo-ple. Natasha added: “We try to dounique things such as this whichbuild on Sheffield’s musical pedigreeand where people can see acts in anintimate setting.”
Snookerhelps putcity on map
SPREADING the word that Sheffieldis a great place to come to an event isalso important – with the councilusing a number of communicationchannels to get their messages across.
Rowan Hall works in the council’smarketing department and she toldThe Main Event why marketing issuch a vital part to get right.
She explained: “On a major event, aproject plan is coordinated by Nata-sha and then tasks are delegated. Welook at the different communicationschannels we could use, who our tar-get market is and who we are tryingto bring in to the city. We use thingslike the Event Sheffield website,
Twitter, the council website and amagazine we distribute to local peo-ple. We have also been working withthe tourism department.”
Media partners also help with pro-motion and Natasha added that thehelp they bring is also appreciated.
She said: “We wouldn’t be able toput big music events on without aradio partner. It works really well.
“With our bigger events, we arealmost at saturation point so what weare trying to do is to diversify theaudience, so we are widening outwhere our publicity goes. We used toconcentrate just on Sheffield but nowwe have changed that.”
Getting the message across
EVENTS manager Natasha Wagstaff’s‘worst nightmare’ is someone comingto an event and not staying for verylong because they have nothing todo.
So in Sheffield, the team works hardto make sure this doesn’t happen.
For major events such as theChristmas Light Switch on andHalloween themed festival, FrightNight, the focus is on adding valuewherever possible.
In some cities, the Christmas lightswitch on is solely focused aroundthe main event – the actual switchingon of the lights.
But in Sheffield that is just oneaspect of a fun filled afternoon ofentertainment and activities, whichthe whole family can get involved in.
From a nativity scene starring realanimals to appearances from popularcharacters from children’s TV, every-thing is covered to ensure no one getsbored.
The event also takes place on aSunday afternoon and goes throughto the evening – as does Fright Night– meaning families are more likely tocome and stay longer than if it wasjust a night time event.
The Sunday programming alsoensures that the city can cope withan increased footfall of people with-out disturbing workers during theweek.
Natasha explained: “A lot of citiesjust have a stage with the music pro-gramme but we have always tried to
make it into a wider event. With apurely stage focused programme, youget a mainly teenage plus audiencebut we want to also put differentactivities on so there are things for allages, which adds value.
“The worst nightmare for me is thatsomeone comes to an event anddoesn’t have anything to do.”
The council also works with localcompanies such as Yellow Bus Eventson some of its biggest events.
And Natasha added that workingwith partners and sharing expertise is vital to put on the best
events possible.
She added: “We very much work inpartnership to improve our eventdelivery.
“This includes the police, ambu-lance service, fire service, licensingbodies, local suppliers, retailers andmedia partners.
“We are currently doing a lot ofwork around contingency planningto make our events more resilient.Without these partnerships we wouldnot be able to deliver events on thescale and with the success that wedo.”
Events which encourage people to stay longer and provide an enjoyable experiencefor the whole family are the biggest priorities for the events team in Sheffield.Christina Eccles paid a visit.
One of Sheffield’s biggest events isTramlines – a weekend festival whichtakes place in venues and open spacesaround the city.This year was the second year of the festival and it proved to be a massive success – with the capacity rising from
35,000 people last year up to 125,000.The festival takes place in over 50 spaces –including a main stage in the heart of thecity, which this year had performancesfrom acts including Professor Green andOlly Murs.
Sheffield’s major events programmeincludes:� The World Snooker Championships� The city’s Christmas Light Switchon� Fright Night� Tramlines� Comedy festival Grin Up North
‘The worst nightmare is thatsomeone comes and doesn’thave anything to do’
18 29/10/10 12:01 Page 1
BRITISH MUSICAL FIREWORKS CHAMPIONSHIPS 19
A SPECTACULAR fireworks event inSouthport has helped to showcasethe resort’s tourism offering to visi-tors.
About 25,000 people attended theBritish Musical FireworksChampionships where seven fire-works companies battled it out overthree nights to be crowned champi-ons.
The event takes place in the resort’sKings Gardens and according toevent organiser Sarah Carter fromSefton Council, it provides a greatboost for local tourism businesseswho can capitalise on the extra visi-tors who attend Southport to watchthe championships.
She said: “The event gets about25,000 visitors over the three nightsand many of these people come intothe town and spend money on eatingout or shopping. And as soon as weannounce the details of the event,local hotels get booked up.”
Sarah also revealed why she thinksthe event has continued to grow inpopularity over the last 11 years –and why it is loved by both the fire-works companies who take part andvisitors who enjoy coming back yearon year.
She added: “People love fireworks –they are a lot of fun – and the dis-plays look spectacular as they arealso synchronised to music.
“We send out applications to thefireworks companies at the end ofNovember for the following year. Lastyear’s winner then comes back andwe pick another six names out of ahat.
“We usually get about 50 entriesand the event is seen as being reallyprestigious as there are only twocompetitions in the UK.
“We get a lot of repeat visits andpeople who come back every year.The event shows the town in a reallygood light.”
The winning company was PyrotexFireworx who came out on top afterwowing audiences with a spectaculardisplay. Next year’s event takes placein Southport from September 30 toOctober 2.� The companies taking part were:� Flashpoint Fireworks� Anytime Fireworks� Pendragon Fireworks� MLE Pyrotechnics� Pyrotex Fireworx� Ashdown Fireworks� Pyro 2000
� The Trophy Store – trophies � The Scarsbrick Hotel – accommoda-tion � Tony Cardell – judge� Wilf Scott – judge� Bill Davis – judge� Speedy Hire – tower lights and fuel,tower light set up, large generatorsand cables, small generators andcables.� Adlib Audio – PA system and towers� Chris Pearce – competition clerk� CES Ltd – stewards and overnightsecurity� Leisure Services – technical support,ticket sales staff� Stop Steward and Lost Children� Flower Show – security on Vic Park� Jubilee Fireworks – educational dis-play� Search – site office, ticket units,staff WC� Portable Conveniences – toilets� Eve – fencing, additional fencing/barriers� The AA – event road signs, trafficmanagement� Fire Reliant – fire extinguisher hire � SMBC Leisure Services – tickets,road closures, marquees� Police – traffic management� North West Ambulance Services –paramedic unit� St. Johns Ambulance – first aid� London Communications – radiohire� North West Furniture Hire – 200chairs� Premier Inn – production meeting� JCB – passes and invites� PRS – PRS fees� Aon – cancellation insurance� Royal Clifton Hotel – presentationceremony� Vernon Fuller – entertainment
Contractors’list ...Championships
light up resort
19 29/10/10 12:02 Page 1
2 20
Temporary marquee and structures specialist Neptunus celebrated success at this year’sShowman’s Show – walking away with two prizes for stand design. The company wasawarded first prize in the Best Interior Design category and also voted the third beststand at the show.
INTEGRATED Security Consultantswill once again work with the NFLto provide security services for ahigh-profile UK visit.
ISC will look after this year’s visit-ing NFL teams – the DenverBroncos and the San Francisco49ers – their owners, management,HQ staff, players and cheerleaders,from the moment they touch downon UK soil.
For the whole visit – which cul-minates in the game at WembleyStadium – ISC will be providingservices including specialist crowdmanagement and operational con-sultancy, hotel security, specialist
driver and vehicle security andclose protection services.
The company has also beenworking closely with event organ-isers, police and local authoritiesto prepare for the opening TailgateParty, which is situated on the sta-dium site.
Operations manager GrahamHarris explained:“We are delightedto have been selected by the NFLonce again, even though this is ourfourth year, we will never allowcomplacency to distract us fromthis operation. This year, the eventorganisers have decided that theTailgate Party should be open to all
game ticket holders. What thismeans for us is that rather than30,000 ticket holders attending theevent, as was the case before; wenow have a situation where poten-tially 90,000 may turn up to thesite.
“Subsequently, we’ve completelyre-worked our plans from theground up to ensure effectivemanagement of the tailgate site.”
As well as the opening party, ISCwill also provide security for themain game itself at WembleyStadium, securing the eventowner’s areas, players’ areas andthe pitch itself.
Security firm set tolook after NFL teams
OVER 5,500 patients have been suc-cessfully treated nationwide thanks tothe professionalism and expertise ofone of the UK’s leading private med-ical providers, MedRoc.
MedRoc offer bespoke medical serv-ices that meet your event require-ments including an on-site hospital,drug and medication store, first aidposts, fleet of ambulances, 4x4 bug-gies, cycle response units, controlcentre and professionally qualifiedand uniformed staff.
With your events’ reputation andthe well-being of its attendees at theforefront of MedRoc’s ethos, theirspecialist team go that extra mile toensure your event attendees stay safeand pain free.
Event organisers increasingly recog-nise that simply employing first aidtrained staff at events is not enough.Thanks to MedRoc’s expansive servic-es and skilled professionals, theirpresence has been vital at festivalssuch as Bestival, Camp Bestival andSonisphere, as well as The Royal ParksFoundation Half Marathon and manyother large and small scale public andcorporate events.
Director Anna Richards said: “Youneed comprehensive resources suchas ours, because sometimes waitingfor the emergency services to arrivecan mean the difference between lifeand death. At the majority of events,and in any case at all larger events,we have a trauma team on-site.Thanks to the specialist staff weemploy and the facilities we offer,we’re able to deal with a range ofinjuries on-site, which is absolutelycrucial.”
MedRoc is the only private medicalprovider to independently offer thislevel of on-site medical provision atevents, alongside being contracted bythe NHS Trust to provide 999 emer-gency ambulance services to the pub-lic seven days a week. This NHS 999service provision reassures theirevent clients of the standard and levelof care that they provide. Knowingthat the NHS recognises MedRoc areclinically sound, event organisers aresatisfied and happy to contract themto cover their events. Consequently,MedRoc’s expertise in this field hasbeen previously showcased on theBBC’s Real Rescues series.
The next issue of The Main Event willinclude a dedicated ice rinks featuredesigned to help any organiser plan-ning a winter event.If you are working on an outdoorevent which includes an ice rink, wewould love to hear from you. Let usknow how it’s going by [email protected] or contact our editorialteam on 01226 734463.
Next time ...
Thousands of patients have been treated by MedRoc
Bespokemedicalservices
20 29/10/10 12:03 Page 1
NOEA 21
Election forcouncilmembersAT the regional conference there willbe elections for places on the NOEAmain council.
Would you like to be elected toNOEA Main Council?
Council members are made up of awide variety of members representingall aspects of the event industry and ifyou feel you can contribute to thisvoluntary role and make a differenceplease contact Susan for details ofhow to nominate a candidate or putyourself forward.
NOEA and Bucks New University, inpartnership, will be holding aregional conference and AGM onNovember 25 in High Wycombe.
Nick Eade, senior lecturer tourismand event management, is workingalongside students and Susan toput together this conference.
This will be a project for the stu-dents to get practical experience inarranging a conference and
enhance employability skills. There will be an update on the
Licensing Laws which could have aserious effect on the event business– NOEA has been lobbying govern-ment to look again at the proposedbill.
At the conference there will alsobe a talk from SAFEchild, the regis-tered child protection charity.Backed by a highly qualified and
professional multi-agency teamdrawn from police, social services,the NSPCC, probation and otherkey players, SAFEchild is a “onestop shop” with easy to use policytemplates, online training, leaflets,CRB checking, advice, support andconsultancy.
They can help and advise mem-bers to ensure that their events aresafe for children.
Challenge the Convention - Collaborate:Create: ControlThe barefoot entrepreneur takes onNOEA.
The annual convention will takeplace in February 2011 and thereare various sponsorship packagesavailable – from the Gold Packageat £2000 which includes sponsor-ship of an award, stand space andtwo delegate places with overnightaccommodation to the Bronzepackage at £750.
If you are interested in becominginvolved at the convention – andyou do not need to be a NOEAmember to sponsor – we would liketo hear from you.
Our key note speaker this year is thebarefoot entrepreneur – Robert Ashton.
Best selling business author andsocial entrepreneur Robert Ashtonis a man who challenges conven-tion.
He sees things differently andquestions the status quo.
You will have the opportunity towork with Robert Ashton in adynamic group exercise to createthe future you want to see.
In a very practical way, you willexplore the principles of collabora-tion, work with fellow members tocreate a new event and see how youreally can take control of yourfuture.
Convention Prize awards� Event Innovation of the YearAward
� The Friendly Event Award
� Venue of the Year Award
� Small Event of the Year Award
� Production Partnership YearAward
� Best Practice Award
� Event Organiser of the Year Award
� Event of the Year Award
� Event Supplier of the Year
� The NOEA Scotland tribute award
Anyone can nominate or be nomi-nated; you do not have to be aNOEA member. You can even nomi-nate yourself.
Simply choose the category or cat-egories you would like to nominatein and fill in the form availableonline at www.noea.org.co.uk, com-pleting all of the required fields.
You can also submit any photo-graphs or additional information tosupport your nomination.
Once you have completed thenomination form simply posttogether with any supporting evi-dence to Susan, NOEA’s GeneralSecretary.
All nominations to be received byFriday December 17 at 12 noon.
NOEA annual convention- February 23 and 24
University and NOEA join for conference
New benefitsfor NOEAmembersNEW benefits for NOEA membershave been arranged for the year start-ing September 1 2010.
In partnership with Holiday Inn,Holiday Inn Express and Crown PlazaHotels (Intercontinental Hotel Group)NOEA members will be able to havediscounts of up to 35 per cent offaccommodation in hotels in thegroup in Europe and the UK.
A real financial benefit for membersmany of whom use hotels throughoutthe event season.
Other new benefits are discounts onadvertising in The Main EventMagazine and new other benefits arebeing investigated such as a discount-ed insurance scheme for all members.
If you are not a member and wouldlike to know more please contactSusan on 01749 674 531 and if you area member look out for your hotelcode when you renew your member-ship.
