October 2025

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10 EXPRESS YOURSELF

Looking for new business opportunities? Discover news of event tenders and contract wins

12 MAKING A SPLASH

Southampton International Boat Show had a fresh new feel thanks to a new layout and a new event director

18 DIGGING IT

PlantWorx 2025 had a new home. Event director Simon Frere-Cook talks about recent event developments

22 SAFETY FIRST

Event safety experts discuss H&S trends and best practices, including heatwaves, TikTok, and why talking to people in the right way matters

30 SELLING HIS OWN DREAM

Show of Hands is a new community-built event that promises to offer an alternative to the traditional festival model. Founder Alex Lane reveals all

32 LIONS, AND TIGERS, AND LIGHT TRAILS… Port Lympne’s Tony Kelly on the launch of Port Lympne Illuminated

36 THE PLACE TO DO BUSINESS

What makes Event Buyers Live stand out? Read on as the organising team reveal why the hosted buyer event is so special

39 WHAT A VISION

Visions Group’s Chris Norman reflects on owning mistakes and growth

43 TAKING CENTRE STAGE

Organisers and promoters are using stages to elevate the customer experience and make a statement…

63 EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURS

Great community engagement is vital to an event

66 SPIRIT OF SHAMBALA

Sidharth Sharma, Shambala’s creative director, on 25 years of the independent festival

12 MAKING A SPLASH 66 SPIRIT OF SHAMBALA 36 THE PLACE TO DO BUSINESS 22 SAFETY FIRST

30 SELLING HIS OWN DREAM

OCTOBER 2025

his is a rare picture of me, enjoying a pint at an actual festival. I am not in steelies, treading over decking, dodging plant, and skipping over cable runs during the build. It’s actually me, out in the wild, enjoying everything that you guys work so hard to deliver on a daily basis. So cheers to you. I had a really great time at The Big Feastival and was able to let my hair down after a busy summer season.

As you know, the entire team spends lots of time catching up with organisers, ops professionals, and event suppliers, and what’s been great to hear is how so many of you have taken some time out over the summer months to spend time with family. You’ve ringfenced some dates and had a breather because let’s face it, kids are never kids for long, it’s so important to recharge, and none of us are getting any younger!

I suspect the pause has not only been welcome but that’s all it is, a quick breather before you go again because there is no “season” any more. We’ve all been saying it for a while but the months really do blur into one and planning for 2026 is well and truly under way.

Which leads me nicely on to one thing. Do you have all your suppliers sorted for next year? Are you tendering for anything? Do you fancy sitting down with some suppliers – who you specifically want to meet – and talk about a project that you need help with? If you answered yes to any of those questions then please apply now for Event Buyers Live. Yes, it’s brought to you by the same team behind StandOut, and yes, of course, we will tell you it’s the notto-be-missed industry event, but if you’ve not been before, just trust me when I say you’ll leave buzzing, energised, tired, but a good tired. Your mind will be full of ideas from honest conversations and knowledge sharing in a relaxed but luxury setting. If you want to know what to expect turn to page 36 and read our preview. Or, if you want to talk to me about your plans for 2026 (because we’re planning feature focuses now), get in touch. Always happy to chat. With a brew or a beer.

Cheers again and happy reading, Caroline

PS: Applications for EBL25 close on October 31 and there are only 100 spaces for event organisers, so if you want to attend, APPLY NOW

Cover image: © Star Live

This month’s

CONTRIBUTORS:

JASMINE HILL

Jasmine is event director at British Marine and joined the organisation in January to head up the Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS). Jasmine has extensive experience of outdoor events. Before joining British Marine, Jasmine enjoyed senior operations roles at Vision Nine, CarFest, and Royal Horticultural Society where she oversaw event operations at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. In this issue, Jasmine discusses event developments at this year’s SIBS and how her vast knowledge of operations has influenced her new role.

ALEX LANE

Alex has more than a decade of experience in delivering successful festivals, having worked on Green Man, Truck Festival, and Glastonbury (Block9), in procurement, operational, production, and festival manager roles. Now, Alex has embarked on a new career – as director of his own festival Show of Hands, a 2,500-cap show that is community-driven and crowdfunded. Turn to page 30 where Alex shares his vision for the festival and explains why customers are looking for something that’s more unique and experiential.

CHRIS NORMAN

Chris is group CEO at Visions Group. As group CEO, Chris is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company, which includes Visions Live, Fisher Productions, and Technical Overlay by Visions. He describes his businesses as a job, career, and hobby all rolled into one and in this October edition, Chris opens up about life as a CEO and what makes him tick. As Visions Group prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Chris talks candidly about lessons learned, owning your mistakes, working with family, and what’s next for the company.

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Sustainability

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Thanks to Dawsongroup tcs, all our kegs were kept cold throughout the festival, Craig Thomson, Event Manager at Innserve Ltd

Music Mudder, the music-inspired endurance event organised by Wasserman Music, in partnership with Nordoff and Robbins, raised more than £68,000 for the charity. More than 50 industry teams took on 38 obstacles at the muddiest challenge on the industry calendar. The money raised through Music Mudder will be used to fund a range of music therapy services, giving people the chance to connect and communicate through the power of music.

LINKEDIN POST OF THE MONTH

Day rates. Few topics spark more debate in our industry – what they should be, what they aren’t, and how freelancers should approach them. The phrase “know your worth” often comes into play. And while that’s important, it can sometimes oversimplify a much bigger conversation.

From my perspective, I’ve found success by looking at the bigger picture: I set a monthly financial goal, not just a day-by-day figure. Depending on responsibilities, project demands, and existing commitments, I adjust my approach. Sometimes that means saying no. Other times, it means being flexible to align with a client’s budget – while still meeting my overall targets.

Right now, budgets are under pressure everywhere. Flexibility, without undervaluing yourself, can be the difference between staying busy with the right projects versus being priced out of conversations altogether. This isn’t about lowering standards or working for less – it’s about being strategic.

The wider question is: how should we, as an industry, navigate day rates in a way that is sustainable – for freelancers and for clients –while still recognising the true value of our work?

NEWS IN BRIEF

Emmaus Global has launched a Safe Hub for Events, a new online resource.

Ticketmaster has published State of Play: Festivals 2025, a report into the festival landscape.

A new survey from EY has revealed that nearly half of consumers are committed to maintaining their spending on local and live entertainment over the next 12 months.

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James Crute, event freelancer

Matt Hodgson is operations director –TDF Grand Depart 2027 at British Cycling

Kate Ayre is the new sales and commercial director at Peppermint

Verve has appointed Michael Pring (pictured) as global client and dev director and Mike Kettles as group creative director.

Jamie Southam has joined Fews as sales manager.

Phil O’Halloran is 21CC Group’s new production director.

Experience, the event production agency, has appointed Theo Rhodes as lead creative.

Image: © Mark Rowe and Dean Fardell

Express yourself

Bedford Borough Council has issued two tenders for the Bedford River Festival. It requires a main stage and community stages (including PA) for 2026 and festival bars for 2026, 2028, and 2030. The staging contract deadline is 12pm on October 10 and the festival bars tender deadline is 12pm on October 17.

Wokingham Town Council is seeking an experienced organisation to organise its annual Party in the Park event on June 6, 2026. It requires staging, light, sound, power, security, first aid and welfare provision, performers, and marketing. This tender is worth more than £90,000. The deadline is 12pm on October 3. Email tenders@wokingham-tc.gov.uk.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued a prior information notice as it is looking for event production services. This three-year tender is worth £100,000,000 and is expected to begin in March 2026.

Taunton Town Council requires comprehensive event management plans for Taunton Together, a 5,000-cap community event held annually in September. This four-year tender is worth £120,000 and is suited to small to medium-sized companies. The deadline for this tender is 12pm on October 27. Email tauntontogether@taunton-tc.gov.uk

Carmarthenshire Council wishes to create a print and promotional signage services framework. This tender is divided into six lots, including promotional items, and large format printing [such as exhibition displays]. The deadline is 2pm on October 21. Interested in this tender? Email Jason Perry –DJPerry@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

North Tyneside Council requires stage and cover services for the Mouth of Tyne Festival 2026. The contract is worth £47,000. The deadline for this tender is 12pm on October 7. Interested? Email bailey.spray@northtyneside.gov.uk

Aberdeen City Council has appointed Live Event Management to curate and produce the programme for Spectra, Scotland’s Festival of Light in 2026 and 2027.

Buckley Town Council seeks an organiser to plan, organise, and deliver four high-quality public events in Buckley that attract both residents and visitors. The deadline is 12pm on October 10. Email Karen Brown – townclerk@buckleytc.gov.wales

Network Rail has issued a prior information notice regarding an event management framework. Worth more than £12 million, the framework agreement is for three years.

SPECTRA

Image: © Aberdeen City Council/Spectra Festival

A

Making a splash

new layout, new attractions, and a new event director. The 56th Southampton International Boat Show featured many changes. Jasmine Hill reveals all…

asmine Hill is used to dealing with storm conditions. As the former senior operations manager at Boardmasters, where she was responsible for delivering a festival site that overlooked Cornwall’s Watergate Bay, she learned a thing or two about wind speeds, miles per hour, and metres per second. Now she is learning about knots.

Hill joined British Marine in January and is events director of Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS). Her time at “Boardies” has stood in her good stead as have her other respective operational roles at CarFest and Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

“It’s nice to take a break from festivals and get back to my roots,” said Hill, on a blustery Monday afternoon. In fact, it’s so blustery that it’s not possible to show StandOut around the new SIBS site. It’s shut because of the wind.

“I started with the RHS, a high-end, pristine show and all the shows that I’ve worked on have always had something different. Whether that was flowers, or cars and music, or surfing and music. Here, at SIBS, there’s everything from the smallest dinghy to big superyachts. We are targeting marine brands but we are also looking at what show features we can bring in that add to the lifestyle and offer our customers more.”

WHAT’S NEW

When StandOut chats to Hill, there are just three days to go until SIBS opens its gates

to thousands of visitors, a mix of trade customers and those looking for a great day out. But first, those customers will have to navigate a new-look site. There’s a new entrance on Mayflower Park, a new layout, new attractions, and an expanded line-up of on and off-water experiences, including The Powerhub for powerboat enthusiasts, Angler’s Alley for fishing fans, and the Boating Academy with expert advice from both novice and experienced sailors. “So, the site used to be in Mayflower Park and then

go up Western Esplanade towards Westquay shopping centre,” Hill explained. “The part of the site that went towards Western Esplanade has gone and we’ve condensed the site. That decision was made before I arrived but I know from learning more about the commercial side of the business that we really wanted to target more marine brands. We are targeting a specific B2B audience that SIBS attracts, but then making sure we keep all the elements that our B2C audience love, too.”

JASMINE HILL (she/her)

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GOOD UNDERSTANDING

Hill is very excited about her new job. Whilst she has had many months to learn the role, when we catch up, her first show is days’ away.

“I’m happy to take on a challenge,” she continued. “I’m always up for getting more experience and it has been great. It’s definitely been new for me to learn more of the commercial side of events but I think coming from the background that I had, because I’ve always worked with exhibitors and traders, I do understand it.”

Indeed, Hill’s huge operational background is an interesting one. It gives her a massive understanding of how an event site is really used by its audience so what learnings has she taken into her new job?

“I think my ops background is a huge benefit, because you have to understand all aspects of a show. For example, when exhibitors want to be on a certain part of the land, I am able to say that bit’s not quite going to work for you. However, going here will be better for your build or your footfall.”

Hill confessed that already she has been scribbling plans and ideas for 2026. She is walking around the site daily with a pencil and

paper, making notes that could transform the event even more.

“Having an overall view of the event and the site is going to be a big benefit,” Hill explained further. “I am working with our head of sales Loretta [Westoll-Green] to look at how we can build on the event and potentially create new areas with food and drink villages, for example, rather than add features at the last minute.

“I know what kind of structures are easy to get and what trackway is needed. Because I have a good production background and I can get to the bottom line of budgets, we could even potentially package things up and sell them in different ways, making things easier for the exhibitor.”

HANDS ON DECK

Hill’s commercial knowledge is not the only thing that’s growing. She is learning lots from Kerry Marriott, SIBS’ marina manager.

“She’s like a God of the ocean,” Hill commented. “She’s brilliant and she’s not only taught me lots of different marina words but I’ve also learned lots about boats and the different types of weather such as a squall.”

Because of the strong winds, the SIBS site is closed to all contractors and exhibitors cannot berth their boats in the marina until they get the green light from Marriott and Hill.

“Has this put you behind in your build?” StandOut asks. “To be fair, we are in a really good place,” Hill said. “We spoke to all the team and did an assessment as to where we’re at, where we need to get to, and what kind of delays closing the site would bring and no one is worried.

“We might have to open a bit earlier over the next couple of days, once we’ve assessed the light because it is darker in the morning now, and we might push our build hours but it will have to do. With more hands on deck. Pun intended,” Hill laughed.

Hill acknowledged that extending the final build days will be tiring but they will be nothing compared to the Boardies days, which she described as “something different”.

“It’s a different level of stress,” Hill added. “The two shows are so completely different –they have their own quirks – but SIBS is just a lot easier, it’s more manageable.”

But what is Hill looking forward to the most at her first show as event director?

“There are so many things here that are just fantastic,” she explained. “My favourite feature – at the moment – because I’ve watched it transform from grass in a park – is the lake where people can give things a go; it’s just beautiful.

“I’ve always wanted to try kayaking but I’m not a strong swimmer so I’ve always been a bit scared but I’d love to give that a go on there,” Hill continued, speaking honestly. “But what I can’t wait to see is an injection of energy in our talks and talk stages.

“I don’t think they have had the audiences that they should have had, especially for the people that were on them. So we’ve kind of changed it up a bit this year. We’ve got the Boating Academy and a big avenue of boating that gives people advice on where to start if you want to get into sailing and how to upskill. There will be an awful lot going on in that area but again, the structure that it’s in will give it a new face and show people that there’s lots to look at and see.”

However, it’s not the only SIBS feature that has caught Hill’s eye. She is keen to develop

SIBS’s Shipyard area which features a live DJ – but only on the Saturday night of each weekend that the show is open. Hill thinks this is a missed opportunity to bring some more energy to the event and increase dwell time in the area that is already such a hit with customers. She hopes to build on the zone in 2026 and have more of an input into the show once her fresh pair of eyes have had a chance to observe all that SIBS has to offer.

“Our new show layout will definitely give the event a fresher feel,” Hill concluded. “We want it to spark with new audiences and show them how exciting marine life can be, what they can get out of it, and how they can get into it. We want to make sure the marine industry keeps going and that we keep people in boating.

“I think one of the reasons that I’ve always loved ops is that you have this view of everything and it’s just like a big puzzle that you’re putting together. Now, I’ve just got an even bigger puzzle and I want to make sure that the left hand talks to the right hand, and that they work in harmony together for the next 56 years.”

SUPPLIERS LIST –

Groundworks and fencing – SLH

Branding – Wasserman

Exhibitor manual – LiveBuzz

Temporary structures – Q&R Events, Gigtent, and Mar-Key Group

Logistics – Exhibit 3Sixty

Wi-Fi – RedBox Events

Trackway – Sunbelt Rentals and Atlas Ground Protection

Portable buildings and toilets –Wernick Events

Cleaning and waste management –Equity and Biffa

Radios – Paramount Radio

Communications

Furniture, shell scheme, and carpet –

Creative Hire

Power and lighting – GES

Traffic management and security – Exclusive

Health and safety – ESP Events

Digging it

PlantWorx 2025 had a new home. Event director Simon Frere-Cook talks about recent event developments

hen Simon Frere-Cook and his team closed the doors on PlantWorx 2023, they did not know where in the UK the next show would take place.

The biennial construction equipment and technology show launched in 2013 at Stoneleigh Park before locating to Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground. But after two successful editions in Leicestershire, it moved to the East of England Arena and Events Centre where the organising team thought it had found a permanent home. Sadly, it wasn’t to be the case.

PlantWorx’s need to relocate was prompted by the sale of the Peterborough site to make way for the construction of leisure facilities and 1,500 homes. It thwarted PlantWorx’s long-term goal of a permanent home.

Two years on, and PlantWorx – organised by the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) – will soon welcome approximately 15,000 visitors to its new home; Newark Showground, a central location with a great road network that works for the tradeshow’s audience.

Frere-Cook, event director, takes up the story: “We looked at a few different venues, including Millbrook and the NEC, which were a heck of a price, and we looked at a quarry at Swinderby owned by Cemex but it had no infrastructure.

“We wanted somewhere that was pretty central. The transport network for this show is

so important because you’ve got the industry coming from all over.”

LOST MOMENTUM

The organising team chose to take PlantWorx to Newark Showground. However, with the closure of the East of England Arena and Events Centre, other organisers had moved site, too. This meant PlantWorx had little option to move its dates and not just location.

Frere-Cook continues: “We had to move the show from June to September because it’s the only time that Newark Showground could accommodate us because they have a very busy programme.

“We didn’t consult the industry about the new dates or location, we just had to accept it.

“There was a gap of six months for the exhibitors, who were thinking where are we going, when are we going, and what are we doing? It was unfortunate because the search for a new home lost us some momentum.”

Frere-Cook says that industry reaction to the new location and show dates have been good. Exhibitors are happy that they have a home and already, the organising team has provisional dates for 2027. But first, there’s the small matter of getting the sixth edition of the show under its belt before any decisions are made.

MAKING PLANS

When StandOut and Frere-Cook chat, there are just five days to go until the show opens.

Frere-Cook is giving StandOut a grand tour of the site, saying hello to many contractors and freelancers, such as Michael Cresswell, GL events UK’s site operations manager, Nick Coleman, MD of Fuchsia Exhibition and Conference Services, and Peter “Ratty” King, traffic management and logistics manager. Stuart Favill, operations manager, and Lucy Mellor, operations and administrative assistant, are back in the office dealing with last-minute enquiries, with Nancy, the office therapy dog in tow.

Frere-Cook comments: “Once we’ve opened the show, we’re going to canvas exhibitors and visitors and make sure that they are happy with having the show in September and make sure it’s what they want. Then we can sign a contract very quickly and get on with making plans. So far, registrations are slightly ahead of what they were in 2023, which is great because CEA directors were very keen to increase visitor numbers and attract quality people.”

He adds: “However, the site, whilst it’s great, doesn’t flow naturally. There are only certain areas where we can put certain show features. It’s meant we’ve had to think carefully about where we put things, including our new Site Sustainability Showcase, which is bringing together solar, hydrogen, electric, batterypowered, and hybrid technologies in one collaborative space.”

Compared to Peterborough, Newark Showground does stand up. It’s big enough

SIMON FRERE-COOK (he/him)

BRADSHAW EVENT VEHICLES

for PlantWorx to expand, if it wants to, and it has lots of hardstanding for cars and heavy machinery. However, since the last show in 2023, the world has changed, market conditions are challenging, and mergers and acquisition activity has altered the market.

“We haven’t got quite so many exhibitors this year because attitudes have changed and there is a challenging financial climate,” explains Frere-Cook. “In many cases, where we had three companies two years ago, they’re all now one company because they have been bought by one larger organisations so what you find is that company X has now become company Y.

“When we signed the contract to come to Newark, we started with a blank piece of paper and we had no idea what was going to happen. We soon realised early on that we had to fill the site from the middle outwards and create various zones.

“Once companies like JCB revealed that they were coming to PlantWorx then we had an awful lot of other companies signing up, who have all put a tremendous amount of effort into their stands, like Kubota, for example.”

GETTING THE GREEN LIGHT?

The new show dates and the site’s already packed programme of events has impacted the build schedule. The team have four fewer days to build the site and three less to load out. It has meant that exhibitors have had to consider their stand designs so they can build their stand and take it down in time, and still deliver their key messages.

“We took occupation of the site last Friday, so we’ve been here for just about a week. We couldn’t have one part of the site because there was an antiques fair on, so that was closed off to us. On Saturday, we had an auto jumble over on the other side. We’ve had pike anglers in the Lady Eastwood Centre [a smaller venue on site] and we have slightly overlapped with Vertikal Days [another trade show] but you just have to get to know the different organisers, work together, and support each other.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Frere-Cook concludes. “When you love what you do and you work with a lovely group of people, you walk out onto the site and just go, ‘yeah, I love it’. And so, next week, when the show opens, I just can’t wait to see people doing

good business, people enjoying it, no arguments, and hopefully, the industry will all give us a big tick in the box and a thumbs up for 2027.”

SUPPLIERS LIST –

Cabins – Boss Cabins

Outdoor catering – Abbots Events

Cleaning and waste disposal – TDL

Temporary structures – GL events UK Trackway – Davis Trackhire

Comms and Wi-Fi – Roadphone NRB and RedBox Events

Lifting and storage – GES Logistics

Electrics – Flying Hire

Indoor stands, shell schemes, and furniture – NF-x

Fencing – Altrad Generation Hire

Flags – Fuchsia Exhibition Services

Registration – RedBox Events

Security and internal traffic management – Crowdsafe

External traffic management – Chevron

Groundworks– Adam Fox Plant Hire and Contractors

STUART FAVILL (he/him) AND LUCY MELLOR (she/her)

MICHAEL CRESSWELL (he/him) NICK COLEMAN (he/him)

PETER “RATTY” KING (he/him)

Safety first

Event safety experts discuss the health and safety trends and best practices of the summer

I

hink the events industry probably needs to change some of its language,” says Andy Smith, managing director of Harrier UK. “Take adverse weather; extreme weather events are not so extreme any more. Climate change is not going away and all those adverse weather plans that we all probably wrote ten years ago, need to be revisited to see what’s actually out there.”

Smith is talking to StandOut, as Arijit Singh carries out his soundcheck at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Smith is keen to discuss event safety, after delivering a mammoth 27 stadium gigs this summer.

“What we used to see as extreme, those sort of once in every 50 years events, are now once every five years,” he explains.

“In July, I was loading out Ozzy Osbourne’s Back to the Beginning concert at Aston Villa and it was over 30 degrees. If we were working in the UAE, we probably would have taken into account some thermal limits and said that no one could work between 12pm and 3pm, so if the UK is going to start seeing those big temperatures on a regular basis, I can see the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) putting those kinds of constraints in. Will that mean additional hours or working at night?

“Loading out steel at 31 degrees is not fun for anybody so I think the industry needs to adapt and consider more, what welfare looks like in those circumstances.”

EXTREME HEAT

Indeed, anyone working this summer will have experienced a mix of extreme weather, from heatwaves, lightning strikes, and even

dust storms. For example, All Points East experienced a dust storm so intense it advised customers to bring face masks and Margate Drum and Bass Festival closed it gates early at the end of June.

With an amber weather warning in place, Margate Drum and Bass Festival cited extreme heat and a critical medical incident as the primary reasons for the closure. The organiser’s decision to close the event caused many event professionals to look at their own hot weather management plans, specifically fearing that event medical facilities could be overwhelmed.

Wes Pierce, managing director of Number 8 Events, understands why. He has spent the summer going over control measures for heat, conducting specific risk assessments, and presenting control measures so that organisers can go going above and beyond “gold and platinum standards” for their events.

For example, at Silverworks, the organising team were able to implement a range of measures to overcome extreme heat conditions so that ticketholders could enjoy the event but Pierce and his team also performed a show stop, closing the event’s third stage – a small stage comprised of scaff –because of lightning.

ANDY SMITH (he/him)

Images: © Unsplash

EVENT SAFETY

“We were alert,” Pierce explains. “We were monitoring the weather constantly and our comms plan was enacted. We knew it was going to take some time to clear the third stage, even though it was small, and I thought that we’d receive hostility towards our plans but when the teams went and said, ‘For your own safety, we have to perform a show stop’, the audience [approx. 30-35 years of age] was like, ‘Yeah, great, appreciate it’. If that had been an 18-yearold audience, they’d have been wanting to jump over the barrier and get a video of themselves with the lightning.”

COMMUNICATION

Pierce recognises that there is a “TikTok mentality” and a desire to create the next viral video. As a result, younger festival audiences are prepared to go to the extreme and think the normal laws don’t apply. But they do and so does the Licensing Act, says Jim Davey, managing director at Redwood Event Solutions, who calls the legislation a useful framework that can be used to engage with people that are disruptive or falling foul of licence conditions.

Pierce adds: “It’s about service, creating an event culture that’s fun and friendly but it’s also people knowing what the boundaries are. Also, I think it’s important to look at the FAQs on an event website and see how that links into everything so that an audience can see consistency and trust the information the organisers are giving.”

Simon James, director of The Event Safety Shop, concurs. He believes that real safety is about communication with human beings, making people want to do something, rather than forcing them to stick to some rules.

“The only way you actually get people to change their behaviour is by talking to them in the right way, listening to why they did something wrong or didn’t realise they were doing something wrong or dangerous, and try and work out what we can do to make it better,” he comments. “That’s how you save people’s lives.”

CARROT AND STICK

Luke Fitzmaurice, managing director of LFX Safety, says that event delivery standards are constantly improving but he does not feel that event control functionality is keeping pace. He feels the function – especially on small to medium sized shows – needs to be more clearly defined as either tactical or strategic and he questions whether some event control managers are sufficiently embedded within event planning itself.

Similarly, James feels that some event control companies use too much “stick” when a carrot and stick approach is needed to get people where you want them to be.

“I don’t know how many times I have heard people say, ‘If you are standing in a Coroner’s Court, you’ll have wished you’d have done this’,” James says. “But how many times do events end up in a Coroner’s Court? Not very often because most of the time the guys on the ground, get it right.

“I want to people to stop selling their products using a stick and tell us how it can be useful and how we can keep people safe.”

AN EMAIL WON’T SAVE YOU

Event control companies are not James’ only gripe. One of his real frustrations is safety advisors who sit in a cabin all day, who only go out once in a while, and spend their whole time writing reports.

“Writing someone an email that they won’t read – because it arrives in their inbox at 10pm and they’ve just done 12 hours on

site – is no good,” James explains. “Actually standing in front of someone and saying, ‘You really shouldn’t work like this, we need to think of a better way otherwise someone is going to get hurt’ is how you get things done. Emails sort of say, ‘I’m covering my ass because I’m saying everything that’s right and I’ll be OK in court’ and that’s a fairly sickening way of doing safety.”

He continues: “That’s going to be my theme for the rest of my working life; to try and stop t@*ts thinking that just writing an email is going to save someone’s life.”

SEND THEM MY WAY

Fitzmaurice says since Martyn’s Law received Royal Assent in April, a lot of local authorities have tightened their approaches to documentation and record keeping, especially in relation to completion certificates and paperwork. Furthermore, there is a huge focus on hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) measures and counter terrorism (CT) training, he says.

Fitzmaurice says many councils are reviewing their processes and management of external events because they understand that they are going to be under more scrutiny.

Yet of huge concern is the number of organisers being offered spurious Martyn’s Law advice when no one knows exactly what will be in the legislation.

Emma Griffiths, director of JP Consultancy, is concerned about the advice being given. She says people are simply trying to make money. “I had one client who said their security company had offered to write their plans for Martyn’s Law,” Griffiths explains. “I told them to send them my way.

“Yes, people are starting to think about it, you should always have robust security and a CT plan, but we don’t know what the legislation is going to include .”

CT AND HVM

Following the incident in Liverpool where more than 130 people were hurt when a car

LUKE FITZMAURICE (he/him)

EMMA GRIFFITHS (she/her)

struck crowds after watching Liverpool FC’s victory parade, HVM is in the spotlight. Griffiths says some police authorities are saying vehicles can’t be used as HVM and others are insisting on rated equipment, which many organisers can’t afford. There is no consistency as you move around the UK.

Thankfully, savvy event organisers are building CT measures into their planning sooner, realising that any plans – and their scrutiny – may take longer.

Davey says that many police forces now have a heightened awareness of CT and with Protect Duty looming, Counter Terrorism Security Coordinators (CT SecCos) are engaging organising teams earlier.

For example, Davey – who recently completed the National Protection Security Association’s Security Control Room Operators Course – worked with CarFest to rewrite the event’s CT plans, briefings, and guidance and pressure tested the plans in advance, using the police as a resource. Plus, he recently worked with Cardiff Pride on its CT plans too.

DEFINING THE SPACE

Like Griffiths and Davey, Olly Galvin, director of Acumen Safety, believes that local stakeholders are more engaged and keen to fill any knowledge gaps. But it’s not the only

safety concern and procedure that organisers are keen to get right.

Acumen Safety worked alongside GoTo at Manchester Pride to plan a new show stop and restart procedure using cards to help with briefings and engagement. It’s a fundamental procedure that needs to be performed expertly and a move that needs consideration. Fitzmaurice says that show stops will only grow in frequency but the more show stops you have, the more you have to think about programming, scheduling, timings, and curfews.

But Fitzmaurice believes there’s another issue that organisers have to consider before it gets out of hand. The increasing number of artists that want to put infrastructure – such as a performance platform – in the pit, up against the barrier.

“One artist recently said that this request was part of their technical rider, and if it wasn’t allowed, they would pull the show,” Fitzmaurice explains. “Now, there’s nothing technical about that and I think it’s an area of concern. Artists are losing sight of what is supposed to be a crowd safety feature. It’s not a performance space.

“We facilitated the request and everybody worked together to find the solution, but it shouldn’t come with a threat of huge financial loss. That isn’t how you do safety. To say ‘we’ll

cancel the whole show because this is in our rider’ crosses a line.”

Fitzmaurice adds: “I do think there’s got to be some things which are sacrosanct and that barrier is sacrosanct. The band can define what happens in their performance space but the event should be able to define what happens in the pit and front of stage barrier.”

GREAT SAFETY CULTURE

James says that a great event safety culture can be achieved if everyone works together. Therefore, it’s vital that everyone – ops teams, site management, and security – respect any pre-planning. That’s where the best work can be done, he says.

Thomas Stead, managing director of X2Consult, which provides safeguarding services to Silverstone, concurs. He believes the best event safety takes a co-ordinated approach and should include simple measures such as QR codes that enable people to report unusual behaviour and bad practices. And Richard Bradshaw, founder of Rebel Safety, agrees too. He believes being effective is about having the right information and giving it to the right people, at the right time so that people can make informed decisions.

But, to reiterate James’ point, perhaps that’s not on an email at 10pm at night!

OLLY GALVIN (he/him)

JIM DAVEY (he/him)

Behind the barricades

Louise Finnigan, major projects lead at Sunbelt Rentals, shares insights on new safety products for events

hristmas is fast approaching, bringing with it a plethora of festive markets, light switch-ons, and winter wonderlands. Therefore, event managers are busy planning to ensure everyone's safety.

One of the biggest safety concerns at winter events is the risk posed by vehicles in crowded areas. In recent years, hostile vehicle attacks across Europe have highlighted the need for robust Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) strategies.

To help event organisers protect visitors, Sunbelt Rentals provides H Stop for hire across the UK, in collaboration with Crowdguard. This innovative barrier is easy to deploy and highly effective, uniquely changing the force of a moving vehicle into an upward motion that halts its progress and protects people on site.

For organisers, the value is clear: a simple, effective solution that safeguards visitors without slowing down event set-up.

CREATING SAFER, SMARTER EVENT SPACES

Safety at winter events isn’t just about protection from threats, it’s also about creating environments where people feel safe and enjoy themselves. That’s why Sunbelt Rentals continues to invest in new innovative equipment that balances practicality and safety.

Next in the pipeline is a new range of powder-coated fence panels that are more aesthetically pleasing for high-profile, media facing events. These taller panels create secure perimeters that blend into their surroundings and can be customised to complement the character of any space. Their simple rigging system makes set-up and breakdown faster, saving organisers time.

Sunbelt Rentals seamlessly integrates innovation with traditional barriers to double up as a communication tool with digital fencing solutions. Organisers can deliver live safety announcements, event information, or emergency messages instantly, without asking audiences to download an app. These digital fences are powered by sustainable battery technology to make them a genuine innovative safety solution as safety, sustainability, and instant communications are combined into one solution.

PROACTIVE APPROACH TO WINTER EVENT SAFETY

From hostile vehicle protection to smarter fencing and real-time communications, today’s equipment gives organisers more control than ever. By staying proactive and responsive to changing risks, event managers can create environments that feel safe without feeling restricted.

Selling his own dream

Alex Lane is no stranger to the festival world. As the former festival manager of Truck Festival and previously procurement and operations manager at Green Man, he knows exactly what it takes to produce a live event in a green field and put a smile on the faces of thousands of people. Good job really because he is now at the helm of his very own event.

Show of Hands is a three-day festival, which will take place at Gilcombe Farm, Bruton in 2026 (May 22-24), giving 2,500 ticketholders the opportunity to discover live jazz, electronica, performance art, storytelling, craft and family workshops. But that’s not all. With no corporate sponsors, no VIP enclosures, and no decisions made behind closed doors, Lane is putting creative control of his festival in the hands of the public – from the line-up to the layout and everything in between.

ANNUAL FIXTURE

When StandOut chatted with Lane, the festival was already 50 per cent crowdfunded, giving investors the power to name bars and select the line-up. Now, the festival’s crowdfunding campaign has closed, raising more than £28,000 for the new event that aims to become an annual fixture in the cultural calendar.

“Festivals have become too polished and passive,” explained Lane. “We want to bring back the playfulness, the personality, and the sense of genuine participation. This isn’t a product. It’s a process – and it belongs to the people who show up. You don’t just attend Show of Hands, you help make it.”

COMMUNITY DRIVEN

Show of Hands has been in the pipeline for 14 months. During that time, more than 100 festivals have cancelled, citing rising costs and funding freezes. Has it put Lane off? In a word, “No”.

“With every difficulty, there’s also opportunity,” he said. “There’s been such a change in the way people consume content and experiences. A lot of shows are really driven by the interests of the investors rather than the community. The ones that are doing really well are community driven. I’m leaning into that because if you run an event that is entirely community driven then you produce an event that is really successful and is really well loved by the people who produce it.”

TIPPING POINT

Lane has big plans for Show of Hands. Already, he has ambitions to grow the festival from 2,500 to up to 8,000 and he is hopeful that his audience will invest back into the community they’re building.

With 300 acres to play with, he has the capacity to do that, too. Lane continued: “I feel like we’re at a tipping point where people are looking for something that’s a bit more experiential, and they’re starting to understand that costs a lot more money.

“But I don’t want a big fund to turn up and ruin the experience for people because I think it entirely flies in the face of what we’re trying to build,” he said.

SELLING YOUR OWN DREAM

Lane believes that there are huge differences between running a festival and working for a promoter. So how does it feel to be your own boss? StandOut asks.

“It’s entirely different,” Lane admitted. “I felt like I was prepared, and then you suddenly realise this is a really different world because you’re going from selling someone else’s dream to selling your own. It feels incredibly raw and I’ve really enjoyed the process but it’s been really nerve wracking, too. I’m sure, like any festival director will tell you, wearing your heart on your sleeve and also your wallet, it’s been incredibly rewarding. People have come out the woodwork, offered their services, time, and expertise because they stand behind the idea.”

ENGAGEMENT

Having worked on many festival sites, Lane already has some suppliers in mind that he wants to talk to but he is looking for a team of event professionals who will relish working on something that is entirely new. He wants to engage with local suppliers and freelancers, and his audience.

“Independent festivals are at such a difficult point right now that this kind of show is the direction that festivals need to go now to survive; there has to be a level of engagement from the audience,” Lane concluded.

“Otherwise, all you’re doing is putting people on stage and they’re just consuming entertainment, and it’s not working for the new generation of people.”

Show of Hands is a new community-built festival that promises to offer an alternative to the traditional festival model. Founder Alex Lane chats

ALEX LANE (he/him)

Lions, and tigers, and light trails…

Port Lympne’s Tony Kelly on the launch of Port Lympne Illuminated, a new light trail set to excite audiences in Kent this winter

ort Lympne Safari Park is full of wonderful creatures but this November, the park will also be full of original characters and holograms that will blur the line between real and virtual worlds.

For the first time, the wildlife reserve will host its own seasonal light trail, transforming the park’s 600-acre landscape into an afterdark spectacle.

As managing director of Port Lympne, Tony Kelly is leading the pack on this project, which has been in the planning for some time. “I started talking to LCI Productions in February 2024 but I knew it was too late to get something going for Christmas,” Kelly explains. “Then, I went to a show at the NEC in October and someone recommended them to me.”

Kelly reached out to Rob Paul, design director at LCI Productions, the event production company. The more he spoke with Paul, the more he knew that the light trail was the right thing to do and LCI were the right company to partner with.

“I was pretty convinced by October 2024 that we were going to launch a light trail for 2025. I just liked Rob. He put good things on

paper, understood what Port Lympne is all about and that we’re not just another park. Plus, he had the CV to back it all up.

“We worked out what infrastructure we would need, got budgets approved, and decided that we weren’t going to mess around.”

MAGIC AND MYSTERY

Indeed, LCI Productions is well-versed in light trails. It produces IMG’s Windsor Great Park Illuminated and is drawing on its experience to design and produce light and water shows and interactive experiences for Port Lympne’s loyal family audience.

With conservation at the heart of Port Lympne’s mission, the light trail has been carefully designed to enhance the natural environment and not disturb any of the wildlife. LCI Productions will ensure the trail respects and enhances the natural landscapes and celebrates the park’s residents with magnificent light sculptures.

Visitors can expect Holofan fairies leading the way and 3D projections transforming the tree canopy above. A high-energy disco in the

Orangery will pulse with synchronised light and sound, while hyper-realistic holographic tigers will prowl in the shadows, adding an extra layer of magic and mystery.

CUTTING-EDGE STORYTELLING

LCI Productions has a team of creative and technical wizards designing zones to balance “innovation with the park’s natural beauty”.

TONY KELLY (he/him)

PORT LYMPNE

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It was important that Kelly and his team worked with someone incredibly capable and experienced.

“We’ve got our own brand and reputation at Port Lympne already, and who we worked with had to fit that,” Kelly continues. “I don’t like doing things half-baked. If you’re going to do it, do it properly and if we’re going to attract a lot of new visitors then we want them to have an exceptional time.”

Kelly adds: “We are excited to give the people of Kent and our guests something totally unique and different to experience during the winter months, as we merge cutting-edge storytelling with our core conservation mission. This brand-new experience has been designed for everyone to enjoy, creating a magical adventure that also directly supports the animals in our care.”

TICKET SALES

Port Lympne encouraged people to preregister for exclusive access to buy tickets, so customers could get the “best time slots”. Ten days later, Port Lympne Illuminated – a Christmas event that has never taken place before – went on general sale. In the middle of a heat wave. Sales soared, knocking all expectations out of the park.

“In August, at Port Lympne, we would normally do 1,500 to 1,700 tickets a day. The break-even point for this show is 34,000. In June, we sold 7,000 tickets so we were delighted when we went on general sale, especially as we hadn’t even properly started marketing the event. We promoted the show on social media and put it on our email footers. We didn’t spend any money on advertising.

“But we’ve got a good marketing team and we have a £30 million turnover business, so it’s not our first rodeo.”

Kelly believes that he and his team, and the event, are in a “good position”. Sure, the light trail will have competition from Christmas Lights at Leeds Castle and Christmas at Bedgebury but if you look on a map, find Port Lympne and head to the right, you have to go past the safari park to hit the respective castle and forest locations.

“I just think we might be very well located for this particular event,” Kelly says, hopeful.

TOUGH ASK

Yet, it’s not the only thing that Kelly is hopeful for. He wants the event to extend the park’s ability to make more money which can be poured into local employment and more conservation projects. He explains further: “Like most attractions, we make most of our money between April and the end of October. You know, it’s not a great experience going to a wildlife park between November and the end of March. But we’re slightly different here because we have onsite accommodation. We make more money than most people would make between those months but it’s still a very tough ask.

“For example, if you come here in November, you might check in at 2pm. You’ve got a couple of hours of daylight, and then it’s gone, and then you’ve got the morning before you check out again. So it’s a very different experience coming to us in November, December, January, than it is through the summer months. And for that reason, we’re not as busy.

“The cash we generate for all of our conservation activities in the summer, we lose some of that through those less busy periods. The purpose of this [the light trail], and I think where we have an advantage with it, is that it will drive our short breaks business as well.

We’ll be able to sell more accommodation on the back of it and we’ve already started doing so and if it goes well, we’ll get over that breakeven point.”

Kelly is honest in his responses. He hopes to turn the quieter winter months into more profitable ones with less peaks and troughs, which naturally has an impact on the future of the business.

“If you have a period of loss making months where you’re losing some of the cash reserves you’ve built up in the summer, you can’t start other projects as early as you would like. If we can get ahead of the game by having a successful event this winter, it will help us to generate more products and more opportunities for people to come to see us. We’ll be able to keep our seasonal staff on for longer and that’s a great thing for our local area.”

CAPTURING HEARTS AND MINDS

As StandOut writes, there are less than two months to go until Port Lympne Illuminated opens its gates, but Kelly is already looking to the future. He has a long-term events and business plan and has already spoken about 2026 and 2027 with Paul and the LCI Productions team.

“There are a few things that I’d like to have done that the budget wouldn’t allow, but Rob convinced me that we have to have some things to ‘add’ and have somewhere to go in year two and three because we will have to keep the event fresh.

“Rob has told me not to worry about it too much,” Kelly concludes. “God forbid, if we didn’t capture people’s hearts and minds and we ended up losing money, I’d have to explain myself, because we are a charity, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

E VE N T S

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The place to do business

What makes Event Buyers Live stand out? Read on as the organising team reveal why the hosted buyer event is so special

hat will Event Buyers Live (EBL) look like in another ten years?” says Neil Fagg, founder of EBL. “Hmmm, good question. I’ll be honest, I’ve got no idea but I do know that we will keep listening to what our audience wants.”

Fagg is reflecting on how far the hosted buyer event has come since its launch 11 years ago. Now, as applications to EBL25 are open, the organising team is entering a new chapter; inevitably, there will be changes.

Fagg continues: “To think, when we started, we said to people that EBL was like speed dating and a way to meet new suppliers,

and there is an element of truth in that, but we have evolved so much that I think EBL is barely recognisable.

“Last year, we marked EBL’s tenth anniversary and so now, we’re very much in a new era, delivering EBL to an event world that is constantly changing, too. And I’m fine with that. Any event owner knows, you have to evolve and I’m proud to say we’re adapting, listening to the events community – whether that’s our event ambassadors or our Vetting Council – on what matters to them, and taking on board all the honest, constructive feedback that we gather post-event.”

DUTY OF CARE

Janine Walmsley, delegate manager at EBL, is in agreement. She’s also proud of how much the organising team listen to what’s being said.

“We know our community,” she says, taking a rare break. She spends much of her time analysing hosted buyer applications, speaking to buyers to find out what they want to get out of attending EBL, and ensuring the event works for everyone involved.

“We have so many people applying to come to EBL that it’s hard to say no to people, but I feel so responsible and have a duty of care to both suppliers and applicants. We want everyone to have the best experience, which is why I take the time to get to know everyone that applies. That way, we can deliver a personalised event experience.”

CONVERSATION AND KNOWLEDGE

EBL is a hosted buyer event for live event professionals. This year, it takes place from November 10-12 at Carden Park, Cheshire, a venue that feels like “home” for many team members. Jen Crisp and Sarah Bourne, both important members of the event team, concur.

EVENT BUYERS LIVE

All images: © Colin Moody/Plaster PR

Crisp explains: “There’s a shared energy when you walk into a room at EBL. It’s about conversations, knowledge, and watching suppliers shine when they meet the organisers they’ve dreamed of working with.”

Like Walmsley, Crisp believes that EBL is so well-respected because the organising team cares.

“We will do everything within our power to make EBL a positive and successful event for everyone attending and when people walk into Carden Park, the event really does feel like one big family reunion, minus a few dodgy uncles, thankfully,” she laughs.

SMASHING IT

For Bourne, the excitement peaks when the team arrives on-site and the event takes shape. “There’s a definite buzz,” she says. “You can feel it in the air as soon as everything starts coming together.”

Fagg agrees. Like many event owners, he fell into events and didn’t originally sign up to be an event director. But he loves what he does now and accepts that his role in the business has evolved. He no longer seems himself as the event director but as a cog,

supporting other team members who are “smashing it”.

“You have to evolve and empower people to run with their ideas,” he comments. “You can’t stagnate and we all know you can’t rinse and repeat the same thing each year.

“That’s why it’s important to keep things fresh, bring in new charity partners such as British Heart Foundation – which this year has personal meaning for me – and genuinely make a difference.

“If something we do, or programme, changes one person’s life then I couldn’t be happier.

“For example, for two years, we’ve worked with Bridge Creative which supports adults with learning difficulties and autistic adults. Since coming to EBL, they now work with so many organisers; it really does make you feel incredible to see that ripple effect.”

PERSISTENT

EBL will welcome only 100 of the live event industry’s most influential organisers and 47 respected event suppliers for pre-arranged face-to-face meetings. EBL – supported by production partner Hire Frequencies – will be the place to do business, focus, and plan for 2026 and beyond.

Walmsley continues: “People attend EBL because they come to do business, but of course, doing business means different things to different people.

“We always say that EBL is not an exhibition. It’s a slightly different format for people to get their head around, but if you’re in charge of budgets, you’re free from November 10-12, you like benchmarking different services and products, and you want to forge relationships with other #Eventprofs, EBL really is for you.

“I distinctly remember Georgie from Hay Festival coming up to me after EBL a couple of years ago. She thanked me for being, let’s call it, ‘persistent’. Once she’d attended the event, she totally got it and I hope that’s what other people will do, too.”

RIGHT PEOPLE

In 2024, Clare Goodchild, director of We Organise Chaos, attended EBL. She

reflects on her experience: “All levels of the production had increased, but more importantly, the suppliers and the networking opportunities had reached a new level. Over the years, we have met so many new and interesting suppliers that we still use to this day, but now the hosted buyer selection is so good that we are also meeting new production partners, new clients, and forging new relationships to make improvements in the industry as a whole. EBL is the most useful three days of the networking calendar!”

Fagg continues: “Everybody is most definitely welcome to attend EBL. Yes, you have to apply to attend the event but that’s only because we want to ensure everyone attending EBL gets the absolute most from it. Some years, the event might not meet all of someone’s needs but that doesn’t mean it won’t next year. What’s important is that we have the right people in the room at the right time, chatting to and learning from the right people who are at the event with the right intentions.”

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

According to Walmsley, the key to achieving all of the above is attention to detail and listening. “You really do have to put yourself in the shoes of your guests,” she says. “At the end of the day, everyone gives up precious time to come along and so it has to be incredibly productive, which is why so much emphasis is put on finding out what people want to achieve. This isn’t just our event. It’s an event crafted by the people who are in the industry.

“What’s lovely is when you’re on-site, watching people come together, networking, laughing, and doing business – the way that they all interact makes me really proud.”

Walmsley concludes: “No one on our guest list is a number. We all take the time to personally talk to everyone and when people say goodbye and they leave with a smile on their face, happy with the experience we have created for them, that’s just awesome.”

If you wish to attend EBL25, apply now. Simply visit www.eventbuyerslive.com

What a Vision

Chris Norman, founder of Visions Group, reflects on 25 years of business –including taking risks, owning mistakes, and growth opportunities

It’s been a tough year,” says Chris Norman, group CEO of Visions Group, the live event production company. As we talk, Norman constantly wanders, walking as he expresses what’s on his mind. StandOut is keen to chat about 25 years of Visions Group; Norman is talking but he’s keen to get started on his next project, an event he is delivering alongside Ascot Structures.

“We collaborate with other suppliers all the time,” Norman continues.

It’s one reason why the group is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary because you don’t get anywhere in business without building good relationships with clients, stakeholders, and other suppliers. What’s more, Norman cannot not immerse himself in an event; he still gets a huge buzz from being hands on and producing something that makes other people happy.

“Would you say you prefer to work in the business rather than on the business?” StandOut asks.

Norman explains: “I accept that I have to do spreadsheets and payroll in the role that I am in but if you gave me the choice of being in the office or leaving home at 6.20am to come and make sure that my client’s happy, I know which I’d choose.”

I SHOULDN’T RUN A BUSINESS

Norman launched the business almost 25 years ago. At sixth form, he started buying lighting kit, went to Durham University to deliver a university ball for a friend, and soon realised that he did not want to go to university. Visions Group was born. Sort of!

“I loved the technical side of events, producing something that you could ultimately see people enjoying themselves; knowing that

CHRIS NORMAN (he/him)

you’ve created something that is enabling that to happen is amazing,” Norman continues. “So I decided to go to college and studied console lighting and electrics and I decided, once I had finished that, I shouldn’t just go out and run my own business.

“Although I had the business, I decided to get a full time job at Chancellor’s Group of Estate Agents, working in IT and I organised their conferences and exhibition stands. I worked for them for four and a half years and I left with not only the promise that I could have my job back if it didn’t work out but that they’d carry on using me for their events. I’m really proud to say they’re still a client today.”

REPUTATION

Norman says that there’s no hierarchy in Visions Group. It’s a family business with an open door policy. Yes, there are managers, because there needs to be, but as far as ethos goes, Norman does not expect anyone who works for Visions to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. It’s another reason why Visions has long-standing clients. Everyone gets their hands dirty until the job is done.

“When you’re in business, there are risks you take,” Norman adds. “There will always be events that don’t happen, or jobs that you lose, and there’s always more jobs around the corner, or clients around the corner that you can win. One of the things that we’ve always been known for is our reputation for delivering those jobs and building those long-standing partnerships, which is why we have so many clients that we still regularly do jobs for and see every year.”

DON’T HIDE

Norman is reflective. When we first start talking, he alludes to a hard year which like many event businesses has seen a drop in revenue because clients have gone into administration. Plus, he hints at some internal changes which have led him to think about resources, management structure, personal development, and what’s next.

Norman explains further: “When you see a million quid’s worth of work disappear [because clients have gone into administration], you have to tackle that front on and stand up to it. I’m not afraid to hide from a problem because in business, sometimes things don’t work, and sometimes changes have to be made, and those changes have to be made for the benefit and good of everything and everyone.”

NEW FORMULA

Visions Group is now a multi-million pound company with more than 40 employees. The group has various businesses, including Set Build Create, Fisher Productions, and Technical Overlay by Visions, which enable Norman to deliver a multitude of solutions for agencies, organisers, and even police forces.

The group has the ability to power an event, provide technical event production, and even deliver a luxury helipad operation for VIPs at hot ticket events. All of the group’s expertise have been garnered over three

decades, as Norman has strategically bought and sold businesses, developed specialist divisions, and evolved the group.

“We want to grow,” Norman continues. “We have done an awful lot of looking, and I have spoken to some advisors about how to do it. We’ve gone through what has worked, what hasn’t worked, and I have started looking at a new formula because if we do the same things again, we’re probably going to end up in the same place, same position, so let’s adjust it.

“I know I want to find someone who is really strong to lead on finance, HR and the IT side of things and that’s something I recognise but it’s getting the right person in place.”

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT

Norman knows that running is business is about recognising where and when you need to hire the right talent and it’s also about recognising what you’re good at. He learned that lesson some years ago when he underestimated how much scaff it would take to install some stages at Windsor Castle for Garter Day and Night – and the time it would take. “I learned that day that scaffolding is rubbish and actually, sometimes, unless you’re really set up for it, don’t do the job. We know we can deliver power very well. We know we can deliver our Icon structure very well. It’s knowing what your staff are good at, too.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

Visions Group worked on Operation London Bridge alongside the police. Norman describes the event as a significant project in the company’s history but also a challenging one. Equally, he is proud of the work that

Visions Group did with agency KKLD and Tait on the MINI experience in 2012, which saw LED screens mounted on a MINI car that drove around London for two weeks. In fact, he is so proud of the MINI project, he refers to it as a perfect demonstration of innovation.

“But what’s next?” StandOut says.

“We have the ability to purchase a business in the Far East that sits with Set Build Create, our experiential/print side of the company,” Norman concludes. “And I see growth in Technical Overlay by Visions especially as we’re going for a niche market and not big white tents. But yeah, there are opportunities and there are some changes coming and I am looking forward to what the next 25 years brings.”

fenced in Keeping noise

with Siderise noise barriers

From legendary festivals to intimate outdoor gigs, Siderise Noise Barriers help keep sound where it belongs — inside the site.

Engineered for tough outdoor conditions and superior acoustic performance, our barriers can help you stay compliant and avoid fines, whilst keeping the neighbours and campers happy.

Available from stock for fast delivery or built to your exact requirements in bespoke designs to suit your brand (even in low volumes) –we’ll take the headache out of noise control. Let the music make headlines — not the noise.

To apply for support, or to encourage a friend or colleague to do so, please contact us by email , scan the QR code or apply online

If you work, or have worked, in the UK entertainment industry and are suffering from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, addiction, or any other mental health issue, the Royal Variety Charity is here to help. We can help in numerous ways, including the funding of expert and specialist therapy and counselling. mentalhealthsupport@royalvarietycharity.org

sales.sspl@siderise.com

+44 (0) 1473 827695 Find out more

www.siderise.com

Taking centre stage

Organisers and promoters are using stages to elevate the customer experience and make a statement…

hen a devastating fire ripped through Tomorrowland’s Mainstage on July 16, event professionals watched in horror. The fire completely destroyed the electronic dance music festival’s main stage, leaving organisers with two options; cancel or come up with a last-minute solution. The majority of #Eventprofs looking on assumed that the organiser would be left with no choice but to cancel. But despite the damage, in less than 48 hours, Tomorrowland – with the help of an army of contractors – welcomed festivalgoers after rebuilding an entirely new stage on the original site.

In what is being described as a “feat of resilience”, Tomorrowland opened its gates on July 18 as planned and welcomed 400,000 attendees from more than 200 countries.

Stageco, PRG, Noizboyz, Pixelscreen, Phlippo Productions, and Prismax worked together to deliver Tomorrowland’s makeshift main stage, a feat that was achieved in less than 24 hours. Thanks to the determination of an industry and the mobilisation of

experienced and knowledgeable crew, festivalgoers were still able to enjoy the festival. Perhaps not how the organising team originally planned but the fire did not alter the audience’s experience. Instead, the incident defined the festival’s spirit but also showed what can be achieved when things go wrong and when teams pull in the same direction.

STRUCTURAL IMPLICATIONS

What happened at Tomorrowland is an impressive example of staging best practice, and that image of a stage in flames will be hard to forget, but it’s not the only striking example of ingenuity, skill, and imagination seen at event and festival sites this year.

For example, C6 delivered the stage for Boomtown’s Grand Central, Lucid Creates created Halo at Creamfields, NoNonsense Group produced a bespoke stage for Labyrinth on the Thames, Serious Stages built the eBay Mainstage at the British Grand Prix, and Star Live not only toured its Ultra truss system with Oasis, but also worked on some

exciting projects with Red Bull, South Facing and All Points East, which both wanted to trade up to bigger VerTech stages.

Pete Holdich, stages director at Star Live, said: “We started the year with Red Bull Featured at Manchester Central. We built a huge three-storey viewing wall, putting the audience at the same level as the stunt riders.

“Those structures can be quite challenging because designers may think you can just put a load of audience members on them, one above the other, but you have to consider the structural implications of a moving audience and people having fun. You’ve got to limit numbers and get people up there and out safely if there’s an emergency. There’s a whole manner of factors to consider, so as simple as scaffolding and decking sounds, they prove quite a challenge; but that’s the stuff we thrive on, and we’ve got the strength and depth to turn those things around.”

BESPOKE SOLUTION

Liz Madden, director of NoNonsense Group,

SOUTH FACING

Images: © George Heming/Luke Dyson/Lucas Sinclair/Nick Brooker/Danny Sargent/ Eisa Bakos/Red Bull Content Pool

is in agreement. Sometimes, stages, viewing platforms, anything with steel, truss, and scaffolding requires some additional thought if you want to create something that stands out.

Recently, the staging specialist was contracted to provide a bespoke stage solution for Labyrinth Events’ Labyrinth on the Thames, a new six-night live music series [10,000 cap] at Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. The stage had to meet the creative renders provided by Labyrinth. It used a lot of NoNonsense’s standard Zeus equipment with bespoke brackets and components to meet design and engineering requirements and was clad by 19Mil. The result: a central stage area, more than 20 metres wide, a roof designed to lift the central area and wings at the same time on motors, and clear roof sheets with no back and side walls to the structure. Oh, and lots of mirrored cladding.

Madden explained: “Working at Old Royal Naval College, a UNESCO heritage site, meant a lot of restrictions and limitations but we had a supportive events team who made us very welcome.

“A 90 tonne crane was used to load-in the stage, as this was the only option to meet the 10 tonne per axel weight loading restriction at the venue. The ballast had to be stripped back to meet this and the ballast was brought to site in a separate vehicle. Specific spreader pads were used for when the crane was in position to spread the load of the crane complete with ballast.”

ON-STAGE ACCESS

This was just one of the many measures that Madden, Labyrinth Events, and event production company We Are Ops had to consider given the sensitive nature of the site. Yet it wasn’t the only consideration. For example, there were several changes made to the stage set up after each sold-out show, including lowering the central part of the stage for one show and three different handrail configurations for guest access to the stage.

Nick Castleman, co-founder of Labyrinth Events, explained that younger audiences buy into an event’s location and therefore, he believes Labyrinth on the Thames’ popularity was as much as about the venue as it was the artists. But Labyrinth “got lucky” with the bookings, too. Castleman’s choice of artists resonated with a demographic looking for mesmerising experiences. Tickets soon sold out. But not only that, high-end and highpriced VIP experiences – including backstage tickets and on-stage tables with waitress service – had huge appeal.

VIP EXPERIENCES

In September, following a sold-out debut in 2024, Love to be… returned to The Stray, Harrogate with a bold new addition to its flagship festival produced by Grace and Tailor. Just like Labyrinth on the Thames, the festival featured an Ultra VIP Experience for just 250 people with an exclusive stage-side viewing platform supplied by Raven Staging.

This curated hospitality offer represented a new standard for boutique-style festival luxury, designed to elevate audience comfort, exclusivity, and on-site service. It came in response to changing audience expectations around comfort and curation at live music events. Investing in top-tier suppliers, innovative design, and premium services is all part of a scalable model and bigger plan to grow the Love to be Festival (6,000 cap) to 10,000 over five years.

Marc Dennis, ops director at Love to be… said: “Our new Ultra VIP Experience is designed for those who appreciate great music but also value comfort, exclusivity, and premium service. It’s about celebrating the love of house music in a more refined and intimate way, providing a space where seasoned house music fans of all ages can come together to enjoy the festival in an unforgettable setting.”

Abbey Thomas, operations manager at Serious Stages, which provided stages to

HALO

BOOMTOWN

Reading Festival, Parklife, and Colchester Castle Summer Series this summer, concurred. “It’s a real trend,” she commented. “Everyone wants a VIP customer experience and not just a general ticket.”

AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE

Lucid Creates states that it’s truss system places creativity and audience experience at the forefront, which is why it was tasked with creating a new stage for Creamfields this year.

Halo – a 40 metre diameter cyclical outdoor stage/arena – made its debut at the four-day festival. It was comprised of 12 x 16m towers each lined with LED screen and lighting FX and 3 x 12m rings lined with video screen. An evolution of Creamfields’ Runway stage, which debuted in 2022, Halo used Lucid Creates’ truss system that enabled the rings and video screens to be suspended from the centre of the arena, above the audience.

MAD AND MAXI

Lucid Creates says that Halo is the result of ten years of experience and engineering knowledge and it has taken a team to deliver the new arena which has to meet high expectations.

This is a point that resonated with Barry Lawford, managing director of C6 Works, which recently provided Boomtown with a stage for its Grand Central area.

“Usually, our stage is the tallest thing on site but when you look at pictures of Boomtown, what we built, even before the cladding went on, the stage just looks tiny.

“It’s mad,” Lawford continued. “We didn’t put our biggest stage in there [Galactic] because it’s not live bands playing so Boomtown didn’t need a huge amount of rigging capacity in the roof.

“For this project, we bought a lot of Layher Maxi-Truss, a big heavy steel truss product, and we used it at Boomtown to support the screens, stage left and stage right, and we might use the truss for Hogmanay in Edinburgh later this year,” Lawford added.

MODULAR BENEFITS

C6 Works recently purchased a Prolyte Space Roof, which took centre stage at IMMA, Dublin and at Silverworks Island, Broadwick Live’s 20,000-capacity open-air venue at East London’s Royal Docks.

The Space Roof, a self-climbing and flat roof system, is C6’s “new offering” alongside a new “medium sized roof” – used as the main stage at Belladrum – that sits between the company’s Galactic and Nebula stage products.

“We’ve got small, medium, large, and bigger stages, so if things change and you need a roof to be heavier or stronger, we have flexibility to do that. That’s the advantage of our modular stages; they can be bigger, they can be taller, they can be wider, they can be deeper because all our stages, except the new Space Roof, have Layher roofs. Even the Space Roof, even though it’s from Prolyte, sits on a Layher base, and both the base and the roof are modular. We love modular stages because they’re fundamentally able to be adapted and that gives you scope to change stuff.”

NEW AND IMPROVED

C6 Works is not the only company to invest in new equipment. Impact Production Services (IPS) has invested in new PA towers because organisers are increasingly interested in towers with smaller footprints. Previously, IPS has worked with Eurotruss

and Layher to develop a large format straight mast tower but these new PA towers – the 10m PA40 Straight Mast Towers – are a smaller version of its previous model – and have a black finish.

“We are always tweaking and improving existing structures, with more variants on our front of house and accessible viewing platforms, too,” said Tom Warden, IPS’s marketing and health and safety manager. “We are fortunate to have lots of longstanding customers and are always looking at ways to improve our offer where requested – from small changes such as different step/ramp access configurations or different wing/cowshed/changeover areas or branding options. Or bigger changes like a different structure to accommodate a different production design – to suit event specs and budgets.”s

RED BULL FEATURED

GREEN MAN

STAGING AND RIGGING

SLICK OPERATION

IPS has had a busy summer and has supplied a range of stages and structures to Green Man, Alexandra Palace Summer Series, and Stockton International Riverside Festival, which included a complex building façade for a French parkour dance act. According to Warden, organisers have already turned their attention to 2026, especially those looking to book multiple events in a series.

It’s a careful planning exercise to make everything work. A statement with which Holdich concurred after spending several weeks in Heaton Park this summer, working on Parklife and Oasis (as pictured on the cover of this month’s StandOut).

“At Parklife, we rolled out some of the new hardware we invested in for the Ultra Stage that would be used for Oasis. It gave us the chance to trial things that we’d developed with Oasis in mind.

“We had an opportunity to make things slicker. The Ultra Stage we put out on Oasis was born out of Adele’s 2017 tour when we first developed the Ultra truss system. Over the years, we have progressively developed the system at Royal events, for example, designing big cantilevers to create open sightlines,” Holdich said.

“Parklife’s Hangar stage fell into that format and was a big showcase for the system. So, when we were thinking about design and putting the system into a touring environment, we knew it had to be super slick. It’s one thing putting something together in a field, but when you’re bouncing two systems around stadiums across the country, you have to think about logistics, and making things faster. Parklife gave us a chance to try some of the new techniques.”

SIGHT LINES

Star Live has been working on the Oasis project since June 2024. The team had an initial meeting with the promoters and some of the site team at Parklife 2024 to demonstrate what could be done with the Ultra system. The question was could things be wider, higher, bigger. That’s when the Star Live team went back to the office and developed concepts to deliver wider sightlines and big sound. Eight weeks later, Star Live found out who it was designing a stage for. Then things went crazy.

The key feature of the Oasis stage is the structural cantilevers. The main roof cantilevers 11 metres from the downstage towers and carries 27 tonnes of production, including almost 10 tonnes of audio right at the tip. That much capability, that much support structure in effect floating, puts the audio – which was key for Oasis – 11 metres out, 19 metres above ground level, opening up sightlines for the audience.

Holdich continued: “A key part of our proposal for the tour was to move the wings upstage and sweep them back to reduce the number of seat kills in stadiums. We looked at several designs and managed to get a 200-degree wing position to open the sightlines. The designers then wanted to go wider than normal with the screens, but that threw up some egress and access issues for the audience and trucks, especially at Wembley. We solved that by creating two more cantilevers that extended the screens nine metres past the wing towers. The use of three cantilevers in different directions required over 100 tonnes of ballast per stage.”

WONDER WALL

Holdich explained that the Oasis stage

required some radical new thinking. One of the features of the stage is the back wall system, which was 25 metres wide and 16 metres in height. Rather than opt for a traditional back wall, Star Live sourced a lightweight fabric system and pre-rigged some hoists in some of the roof trusses. This meant it could pre-rig the back wall sheets – dubbed Wonder Wall – which travelled in a custom built frame so that lines could be dropped from the roof, be connected to the trusses easily and raised along some nylon guide ropes. With no need for riggers to be clinging on and holding sheets. Plus, the top three metres of the back wall could be lowered on a chain hoist to vent out the stage if needed.

Holdich added: “Nobody from the tour went, ‘Oh, we want you to rethink how you’re going to deal with your back wall’. We as a business thought we can improve on this, especially how quickly we can rig and de-rig it. Reducing the work at height and building in safe wind management are key features for us as a conscientious operator and designer of temporary demountable structures.”

Similarly, with the roof, it’s not a selfclimbing system like the stage at BST Hyde Park but a key driver for Star Live was to reduce the amount of time that people are working at height. The company wanted to de-risk one of the more hazardous operations. Holdich concluded: “We had to think out of the box in terms of how we were going to approach the canopy element, and that was one of the drivers, as well as reducing work at height and improving safety.

“Having a roof that we can fully build and tension at ground level is a game changer. But this has been fundamental at Star in all the time I’ve worked here. We’re always looking to innovate and push forward and coordinate new solutions to improve the structures and the way they’re delivered.”

the place to do business

Show time

he Showman’s Show returns to Newbury Showground on October 22-23 and there will be a plethora of outdoor event suppliers exhibiting everything from new temporary structures to site services when the show opens its gates this autumn.

HR Structures will be showcasing its new Skyline New York event structure, Portable Floormaker will exhibit with a new design of its Multilok® Portable Dance Floor, Impact Production Services will promote its new black 10m PA40 Straight Mast PA towers with a smaller footprint, whilst Starry Eyed Events, an event design and props company, will exhibit at the industry event for the very first time. It’s demonstrative of the breadth of event businesses that will be present at the two-day show, which welcomes thousands of event professionals looking for event equipment and fresh ideas.

EXHIBITOR FOCUS

The Showman’s Show attracts a large international cohort of exhibitors, bringing innovative products to the UK market, such as C.G.M Gruppi Elettrogeni SRL, Nomadik Tents, Anchor Industries, Raiden Industries and Rentman B.V. amongst many others. They join a group of businesses celebrating big anniversaries at the show – such as Hoecker Structures, ACE Plant, CES Power, and Capital Barriers and Temporary Fencing – and first-time exhibitors, including Weezevent, Endutex UK, iKlean Group, 500 Logistics, TM Event Services, Wessex Fire and Rescue Service, Accessoloo, and AeroAVA Displays.

FRESH IDEAS

However, it’s not just event suppliers that visitors can expect to meet. Returning after a successful inaugural launch in 2024 is the Meetings Tent. This year, it will be host Event Structures Industry Training Scheme, Guild of Tentmasters, Events Industry Forum, NOWIE, and Power of Events and will provide a space for people to meet and network. Furthermore, the National Outdoor Events Association will be joining forces with Qdos Event Hire to host “Town Hall” discussions, which will bring industry leaders together with UK Government representatives and MUTA will exclusively preview its updated Best Practice Guide. Raising the standard: What’s new in MUTA’s Best Practice Guide? includes significant changes that organisers and temporary structure hirers need to know about.

StandOut Multimedia, organiser of Event Buyers Live, is exhibiting at The Showman’s Show. Come and say hello to the team and tell us about your plans for 2026. You’ll find us on stand 40 in the exhibition hall.

Need

a stage?

Outdoor Stage hire with a difference...

The Stage Bus is an event production and stage hire company with a difference; all of their stages are solarpowered! Based in Birmingham and covering outdoor events nationwide, The Stage Bus proudly boasts an eight-strong fleet of stages that are amongst the most innovative around. Visit their website for more information or call their friendly, knowledgeable sales team.

The Showman’s Show

22-23 October 2025 | Newbury Showground

DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS

RADIO SERVICES LTD

Exhibition Hall Stand 30

We’re thrilled to be returning to The Showman’s Show this year! Visit us at Stand 30 in the exhibition hall, where we’ll be showcasing the latest advancements in two-way radio technology and hand portablesincluding the MOTORBO R2, R5, and R7, the complete WAVE PTX portfolio, and our full range of hire equipment.

T: 0800 043 2688

E: sales@dcrs.co.uk

W: dcrs.co.uk

Visit us on Stand 269 to discover event solutions designed to maximise impact and visibility. As specialists in UK made premium pop up gazebos, inflatable structures and event branding we combine innovation, durability, and style to meet the demands of any event. Our team will be on hand to showcase our products and demonstrate how we can help you create a professional, memorable presence at your next event.

W: instantmarquees.co.uk

E: jem@instantmarquees.co.uk

T: 01840 213063

BUNKABIN LTD Avenue B Stand 184

Bunkabin, the UK’s leading supplier of portable, en-suite sleeper units and welfare facilities, will be showcasing its unrivalled solutions at this year’s Showman’s Show.

Whether you need one unit or one hundred, for a few weeks or the long haul, our sleepers and welfare cabins are designed to deliver maximum comfort, convenience, and reliability.

Come and see for yourself why Bunkabin is trusted nationwide to keep crews rested and sites running smoothly. Benjamin Rothwell 0345 456 7899

Site Equip is delighted to showcase its latest range of welfare and accommodation solutions at The Showman’s Show 2025. On display will be our Site Sleep sleeper cabins, shower units, eco loos, vacuum pods, disabled toilet pods, and toilet trailers. With features such as eco-friendly materials, efficient water and waste management, energy-conscious systems, and smart space-saving designs, our products deliver comfort, practicality, and sustainability. Visit our website to explore more.

W: site-equip.co.uk

E: event@site-equip.co.uk

T: 01256 384 134

GAP EVENT SERVICES Avenue B Stand 189

GAP Event Services provides industryleading infrastructure supply and installation. With stock ranging from fencing and front of stage barrier to lighting, power and welfare services, we’ve got your event covered.

Our nationwide coverage is supported by GAP’s network of nearly 200 depots and our experienced in-house team. Our equipment and services are trusted by major festivals and events of all sizes across the UK. Complete event infrastructure. Delivered.

E: events@gap-group.co.uk

Gofer are back again at The Showman’s Show in the exhibition hall ready to chat about all things temporary power. Supplying dependable and sustainable power to events of all sizes. Gofer is known for its flexible, customer focused service. Don’t miss the chance to meet us and explore how Gofer can power your event with confidence and efficiency. We look forward to seeing you at the show.

T: 01473 282530

E: info@gofer.co.uk

W: gofer.co.uk

The Showman’s Show

22-23 October 2025 | Newbury Showground

MEHLER TEXNOLOGIES LTD

Exhibition Hall Stand 64

MehlerHeytex brings together Mehler Texnologies and the core business of the Heytex Group, both leading global specialists for coated technical textiles. With some 1,000 employees at the production locations in Germany, Czech Republic and China, as well as sales offices worldwide the company serves numerous markets. MehlerHeytex products are used, for example, in truck tarpaulins and container covers, door seals, biogas membranes, drinking water tanks, tents, inflatable boats, as well as advertising media in large-format digital printing.

E: info-uk@freudenberg-pm.com

PARKING Exhibition Hall 129

At this year’s Showman’s Show, Wise Parking will showcase how event organisers can unlock new revenue streams and drive greater profitability. From our industry-leading mobile ANPR technology to seamless digital payment platforms, we’ll demonstrate how our solutions transform parking into a frictionless, revenue-generating experience. Whether it’s managing largescale events or streamlining entry and payments, we help maximise returns while delivering efficiency and convenience for organisers and their visitors.

W: wiseparking.co.uk

THE STAGE BUS Avenue C/G Stand 232

The Stage Bus is delighted to be exhibiting at The Showman’s Show once again! Showcasing The Stage Box, just one of their fast set-up, solar-powered mobile stages, their friendly and knowledgeable team look forward to chatting to visitors about making their events greener without compromising on sound. With a range of 8 stages covering crowds from 500 to 8000, The Stage Bus offer stages suitable for most types of event.

E: info@thestagebus.com

T: 0121 585 9264

MATRIX Avenue D Stand 251

Since 2003, we have been dedicated to delivering exceptional audio-visual support for concerts, tours, and festivals. Our expertise in live event production encompasses sound and lighting, outdoor LED screens, mobile screens, and stages. Trust us to elevate your next event with our commitment to quality and innovation.

W: av-matrix.com/

ACE PLANT Avenue G Stand 161

ACE Plant offers the best service & equipment in the industry – supplying events UK wide & investing in sustainable products alongside their traditional diesel ranges.

As 50+ year veterans in the sector, ACE Plant are ready to support your events with reliable equipment. With one of the UK’s largest event equipment hire fleets, we own, operate & maintain 95% of the equipment we supply, ensuring our customers get the equipment they request & the quality they expect. Come and meet the team & see some of our products at The Showman’s Show.

E: hire@aceplant.co.uk

T: 01908 562191

TRACKHIRE Avenue A Stand 156

Davis Trackhire is the UK’s Largest Independent Supplier of Aluminium Trackway. Offering a comprehensive UK-wide service from their depots in North Lanarkshire & East Midlands, Davis Trackhire boasts one of the most modern and versatile portable roadway systems on the market. Whether a backstage area for your festival or a ring road around your event site, we have the skills, products and experience to handle your requirements.

W: davistrackhire.com

WISE

AV

DAVIS

The Showman’s Show

22-23 October 2025 | Newbury Showground

CHARLES WILSON

Avenue C / Lew Spencer Stand 214

Power your next Event with CW Event Hire, supporting the Events Industry since 1960.

We look forward to welcoming you on our stand at this year’s Showman’s Show where we will have an extensive range of equipment on display. This year we will be highlighting our Power Generation Division which has been the subject of a major expansion during the past 12 months. See you there!

Gary Shaw 07779 341859 & Simon Shayler 07855 523885

Exhibition Hall Stand 24

For over 20 years we have been supplying ground protection and furniture to events and festivals large and small. A nationwide service. Heavy duty roadways for HGV’s medium duty for cars vans. Walkways to help your visitors walk around your show ground easily and comfortably. The famous Foldtable to make people feel at home when they are having their food and drinks. Contact us for more information. Trevor, Louisa or Bob 01487 823344. W: gttrax.co.uk

NSR COMMUNICATIONS LTD Exhibition Hall Stand 61

NSR Communications Ltd is based in Watford, Hertfordshire and is a family run business. It was established in 1948 by Alex Walker and is now owned and operated by two of his grandsons, who maintain the standards he originally set. Our business is the Hire & Supply Audio Systems, AV equipment, Instagrid Power Solutions, Mobile Production Units/Trailers. We also hire, sell, service EG Sports Timing (Equestrian) equipment. W: nsrcommunications.uk

Exhibition Hall Stand 55

Want to take your event to the next level? Just go to Stand 55. This season has been one to remember: supporting long-term partners while also providing sanitation for exciting new events across the UK. From iconic festivals to fresh names, Ontrax delivered seamless sanitation. With continuous innovation and smarter units, every season only gets better. Drop by our stand, say hi, and see how we can keep your event Ontrax.

E: hello@ontraxrentals.com

W: ontraxrentals.com

SIAMAX SOLUTIONS Avenue C Stand 225

Siamax specialise in providing comprehensive event infrastructure solutions designed to ensure your event runs smoothly from planning to live show. Whether it’s water, power, communications or waste solutions your after we have the answers for you.

Please visit the team at stand 225 where we will have examples of our equipment on show and our helpful team will be able to discuss the right solutions for you.

T: 01444 484752

E: info@siamax.com

Exhibition Hall Stand 63

AeroAVA – provider of award winning, record holding drone shows – present our latest project for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Helping celebrate their 75th Anniversary with a significant aerial display above Edinburgh Castle nightly, a bespoke flying prop as part of their show, and aerial filming for the BBC broadcast. We will also have our fleet on display, plus a couple of new announcements to be revealed at the Showman’s Show.

W: aeroava.com

GT TRAX

ONTRAX

AEROAVA

The Showman’s Show

22-23 October 2025 | Newbury Showground

ARC INTERNATIONAL

Exhibition Hall Stand 29

Arc is an Event Insurance Specialist established to provide protection for organisers of conferences, exhibitions, meetings, product launches, festivals, firework displays and other special events. Cover can be tailored to accommodate specific customer needs which can include protection against the risks of Cancellation/Abandonment, Legal Liabilities and Property owned or hired-in.

T: 0207 977 7637

W: arc-int.co.uk

Catch Event Traffic Control in the Exhibition Hall, Stand 70. ETC is taking bookings for 2026 so make sure you take the time to come and chat about your event needs, be it traffic planning and management, event directional signage, CSAS Operatives, or site prep and car parking management, we can do it all. We can also demonstrate our unique contactless ANPR car parking services. Valuable revenue with zero delays!

CROWDGUARD

Exhibition Hall Stand 80

Crowdguard is a trusted specialist in Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM), protecting public events, venues and city spaces with innovative, crashtested solutions. From rapid-deploy temporary barriers to semi-permanent and permanent installations, we deliver proportionate, risk-based protection tailored to each site. With our “Plan • Provide • Protect” approach, Crowdguard partners with organisers, local authorities and safety professionals to safeguard people and places while supporting safe, welcoming environments.

W: crowdguard.co.uk

Stuart Power specialises in generator hire for events, from intimate gatherings to large-scale concerts. With over 30 years of experience, our generator hire packages come with all necessary cabling and distribution and low emission options. Lighting tower hire can also be added for those evening events. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service, offering fuel monitoring, on-site engineering support, and a dedicated logistics fleet for prompt delivery.

W: stuartgroup.co.uk

ONE WORLD RENTAL

Exhibition Hall Stand 8

Powering festivals and outdoor events with cutting-edge event tech and expert staff, we’ve got you covered!

Our services include IT/AV hire, registration solutions, payment systems and training, Wi-Fi solutions, event staffing, and more.

We deliver projects of any scale and specialise in solving complex briefs that others often shy away from.

Visit Stand 8 in the Exhibition Hall to discover the right solutions for your festival and event challenges.

E: sales@oneworldrental.com

T: 020 7862 1702

W: oneworldrental.co.uk

With nationwide coverage and a reputation for reliability, Opal Access is proud to support events of all sizes across the UK — and we’re excited to showcase our latest products at this year’s Showman’s Show. Whether you’re planning a large-scale festival or a local celebration, we’re here to help you build with confidence, accessibility, and professionalism from the ground up.

If you’re seeking a dependable, highquality temporary access solution, we welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can support your next event.

E: info@opaltemporaryaccess.com W: opaltemporaryaccess.com

ANPR Contactless Car Park Sales

Thermobile IndustriesYour trusted partner for industrial heating solutions!

With decades of experience, we specialize in delivering top quality industrial heating solutions tailored to your specific needs. Our product range includes oil, gas and electric heating elements designed to increase productivity and optimize performance in warehouses, workshops, construction sites and much more.

Contact us for more information!

T. (0)

E. sales@thermobile.co.uk

W. www.thermobile.co.uk

ITA series

■ Equipped with a fuel tank for at least 16 hours of operation.

■ Outlet temperature with a delta ∆T of 50°C.

■ High-efficiency heat exchanger ( approx. 89% ).

■ An air hose for recirculation can be connected to all models as an option.

■ Fuel-efficient thanks to highly efficient heat exchanger and recirculation connection option.

■ Outlet temperature with a delta ∆T of 47°C.

■ High-efficiency heat exchanger ( approx. 92% ).

■ Transport via wheels, forklift slots or lifting eyes.

IMAC series

■ Automatic burner control with Thermostat connection.

■ High-efficiency heat exchanger (approx. 92%).

■ Outlet temperature with a delta ∆T of 47°C.

■ Equipped with phase sequence relay.

■ 700 litre water tank for stable operation.

■ Ability to use different Fuel types (diesel, HVO and GTL).

■ Equipped with various safety systems such as a fire valve, maximum thermostat and pressure relief valve.

Andy Wallis

John Hall

Gary Jackson

Keeping teams connected

Technical innovation has a major part to play in ensuring event organisers have access to reliable and secure comms. Read on and discover how Roadphone NRB is making waves

icture this: It’s 8:45pm on the Saturday of a major festival. Tens of thousands of people are waiting for the headline act to step on stage. The crowd is buzzing, the lights are ready, and the energy is electric. Suddenly, there’s a safety issue at one of the gates. Event control and security need to act, and fast.

Now imagine trying to handle that without fully reliable, secure comms. No radio link between event control, security, and medical. No quick word with the production team. Just a patchwork of texts, calls, and guesswork.

The consequences are potentially catastrophic. For the organisers who can’t afford for things to go wrong, poor comms simply aren’t an option – and that’s where Roadphone NRB comes in.

It’s been another busy summer season for the team of communications specialists, beginning in April with the Randox Grand National and Brighton Marathon Weekend, before moving swiftly into a busy program of UEFA club and national finals across Europe along with the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris. Back in the UK, the team was working hard on a wide range

of projects, including VE Day in London, SXSW London, and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Liverpool, alongside a whole host of festivals, triathlons and cultural occasions.

Matt Bostock, operations manager for Roadphone NRB, says that it really is a whole team effort that keeps things running smoothly: “We always say that there’s so much more to radio than the device you hold in your hand, and our busy summer

ROADPHONE NRB IN ACTION

seasons always demonstrate that. From our logistics team who clean, program, test and prepare the equipment before and after hire, our talented engineers who build the repeater systems in our workshop, our project managers who help our customers to get the very best out of two-way radio, and our engineers who work to support events on-site – everyone has a crucial part to play in making sure that our customers enjoy the best possible radio experience, and we really appreciate the team’s hard work and commitment.”

All eyes were on London in May for events commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and the Roadphone NRB team was onsite ensuring everybody could communicate clearly. More than 800 Motorola digital radios were supported by a city-wide Motorola Capacity Max radio repeater system, connecting the event footprint on The Mall with off-site control rooms. A separate radio network was also deployed to support the anniversary concert on Horse Guards Parade. The radio systems enjoyed interconnectivity with a show comms matrix from Team Audio, connecting desktop panels in control rooms across the city to give a more intuitive interface to the radio network for control room operators.

Delivering major events in central London is no mean feat, and the team at Roadphone NRB works closely with event organisers to deliver a two-way radio solution which works when it really matters. In July, the team were back in the capital twice, deploying radio networks for Pride in London, and the homecoming parade for the England football team following their Women’s EURO 2025 victory.

MISSING EQUIPMENT?

Motorola Capacity Max trunked radio sets the gold standard for radio technology, and Roadphone NRB has been pleased to introduce this to a number of events this year – everything from European football matches, music festivals, and large ceremonial occasions. Where Capacity Max wins over Capacity Plus technology is its ability to support more radio talkgroups (or channels), more intelligent multi-site calling, and stronger real-time system monitoring tools. What really sets Roadphone NRB apart from the competition is its wrap-around service offerings, including full project management, system design and on-site support. Matt Jones is one of the team’s project managers and explains how Roadphone NRB is helping customers to return all of their hired equipment after an event. He says: “Nobody likes missing equipment after an event, which is why we’re continually developing our Checkpoint Charlie asset tracking system, making it easy for customers to track

who they are assigning radio equipment to on-site. We’re finding that more and more customers are choosing to use Checkpoint Charlie – it can be operated by our on-site engineers or by the customer, and with every radio, earpiece and accessory identified by its own unique serial number, customers really appreciate the traceability and accountability that using Checkpoint Charlie brings. New features introduced this year, such as email receipts that are sent to the end user when they collect their radios, have been really popular.”

KEEP YOUR TEAM TALKING

Roadphone NRB knows just how important it is to keep up to date with technological innovation. In 2025 alone, it has invested in more than 700 of the latest Motorola R7 handsets and strengthened its fleet of Motorola R2 radios and TLK100 cellular devices. Whilst radios from other manufacturers continue to be a popular and capable choice, the team recognises that radios from Motorola Solutions are valued the most by its customers, because of the device’s build quality, familiarity, and brand reliability.

Jamie Lawrance is the team’s hire manager and is particularly excited about a new innovation that customers can look ahead to in 2026. Lawrance comments: “Next year, we are looking forward to presenting AI voice to text technology to our customers, which can provide a real-time transcription of radio traffic. We think it’s going to be really popular for our customers who operate fastpaced control rooms, as their radio operators will have an instant text log of radio traffic, which they can use as a reference point for decision making.”

Whether you need rapid short-term hire, expert product consultation and advice, or a fully managed digital network, Roadphone NRB keeps your team talking – confidently, clearly, and securely. Ready to discuss radio hire for your 2026 events?

Have a chat with Jamie Lawrance and Matt Jones at Event Buyers Live.

JAMIE LAWRANCE (he/him) AND MATT JONES (he/him)

Everybody needs good neighbours

Great community engagement is vital to an event

n May, Protect Brockwell Park, a local community group, won a landmark High Court ruling against Lambeth Council. The ruling stated that the local authority had acted unlawfully by allowing large-scale music festivals to take place in Brockwell Park without planning permission.

The court agreed that “commercial takeovers” were a major change of land use that needed to go through full planning scrutiny. Lucy Akrill, co-founder of Protect Brockwell Park, described the ruling as a victory not just for Brockwell Park, but for communities everywhere fighting to preserve their green spaces.

Yet, despite the court ruling, Summer Events, which organises the Brockwell Live series of events, pushed on – applied for a new certificate of lawfulness – and all events, including Lambeth Country Show, went ahead as planned.

POTENTIAL IMPACT

Summer Events was resolute, stating that it took its stewardship of Brockwell Park seriously and remained fully committed to

its care and upkeep. Yet soon after the High Court ruling, other resident and Friends of groups across the UK started to express their concern over the potential impact that live events have on green spaces.

Friends of Bute Park was one of those groups. At a public meeting, held in June, many residents complained about the use of Bute Park for Blackweir Live – a live music series from Cuffe and Taylor and Depot. The main complaint: Too much parkland was being made inaccessible during the summer months.

Now, months after the successful delivery of Blackweir Live, Cardiff Council has conducted a review of the events held in the park and has given the green light for further concerts to take place in 2026.

ESSENTIAL ENGAGEMENT

According to Cllr Jennifer Burke, Cardiff Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, a balance needs to be found; between maximising the benefits of future events and minimising any impact on residents and the environment.

However, given the momentum that gathered after Protect Brockwell Live’s High Court win, the opposition of using public parks for events is expected to grow. This means that the need to nail community engagement will also grow in importance.

Jan Rankou, operations account director at We Are Ops, which works with various promoters including Percolate and The Columbo Group, and Lou Woodward, licence and compliance manager at We Out Here, concur. Both agree that great community engagement is essential to a successful festival or event – and not just those taking place in a public park. The need to get it right is vital. Even when your event is on a private estate.

Rankou says: “When the news about Brockwell Park came, we did notice that people in our residents meetings started to ask us about planning permission and whether we had authority to do this or that. They kept us on our toes. We made sure that we triple checked all of our events and had everything we needed, and that everything was legit.

“But what you find sometimes, once you start working in a location, initially people are

WE OUT HERE

Image: © Rob Jones

annoyed at you and the promoter, but then once they really get to know you and see how you work, you realise their issue is with the council – or the landowner – and they use the meeting as a place to connect because they can’t talk to them in any other setting.

“Often the council do get a hard time but I step in and say, of course, the council is going to hire out the park. It’s their only way of getting funding and this is their only way of paying for the borough to keep afloat.”

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

Rankou is a self-confessed lover of residents meetings. “Everyone does question why I like them so much,” she says, laughing. “They don’t get it.

“The downside of community engagement is that the people who you do engage with, they’re the ones that want to moan and complain about the festival; they’re not for the festival. Sometimes, the only time you hear from a resident is only when they want to apply for discounted tickets, but they never give you anything back after. But, I really like

community engagement because I like going into an area where initially the residents, who are not for it, who are quite negative, and sometimes abusive, I like to get them to change their minds, get them to be on our side, and get them to realise that we do put back into the community.”

Rankou likes the challenge of changing people’s perceptions. To do that, We Are Ops organises community days and site visits, showing residents what is actually behind the big green fences. But they are not the only measures that have a positive impact.

We Group runs mentorship programmes in each of the parks it operates in. Young people – who have no event experience – are offered a six month mentorship programme, which takes place after the event. During the event, they spend time with different event departments and then they chose the area they want to focus on and be mentored in.

ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY

Initiatives such as these have led We Are Ops, a division of We Group, to be engaged by

organisers and promoters just for community engagement. For example, We Are Ops works with Percolate on High Lights festival in Barking. Solely on community engagement because it is now “such a big thing” and promoters recognise the need to get it right. However, even if an event or festival does not take place in a public space, the need for great community engagement is paramount because there will always be opposition. From someone. Woodward is in agreement.

We Out Here festival moved from Abbots Ripton, the old Secret Garden Party (SGP) site, to Wimborne St Giles in 2023. SGP had done a lot of leg work on the festival’s old site, working closely with residents so when We Out Here moved to Dorset, a team effort was needed.

Woodward, alongside Joe Barnett, founder and festival director of We Out Here, and Clare Goodchild, director of We Organise Chaos, did a lot of work to profile the community, create an engagement strategy, and build a rapport with local stakeholders. They took their learnings from other shows and put them into practice.

LISTENING

We Out Here has an annual cycle of community liaison that includes community debrief meetings post-event. Off the back of these meetings, the festival team identify any key issues that need addressing and any new measures that need to be implemented.

Woodward explained: “In year one, the local residents identified that the way that we were sending the local community into the event was exactly the same way as we would send general admissions. It meant that despite the fact that to get into the estate on a normal day, they can do a 15-minute walk, they were having to get in their cars and do a 30-minute journey to the gate. So, in year two, we introduced a little community cabin and an access point that would allow a walking route from the village.”

This is prime example of listening to feedback and ensuring the local community has input and feels heard.

AMPLIFY POSITIVE VOICES

Like Rankou, Woodward is keen to work with local youth groups as well as local residents. Moving forward, the organising team wants to focus on wider community engagement and not just things like noise complaints. For example, there’s a strong desire to amplify the positive voices, promote positive and meaningful local impact, and support local young people.

Woodward explains: “I imagine, as we start to discuss 2026, we will focus on building partnerships with organisations that have real synergy with our music and diversity. We want to include local youth groups that focus on music and bring them in. We want the festival to have some legacy in the community and we want to work with local organisations that echo some of our morals.

“We have a debrief meeting with residents soon, and I am sure that it will give us some good ideas for 2026,” Woodward concludes.

BROCKWELL PARK

Image: © Sven Arnstein

PROTECT BROCKWELL PARK

Image: © Sven Arnstein

THE COMPLETE FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT PLATFORM

Spirit of Shambala

Tell me about the last 25 years,” StandOut asks Sidharth Sharma, co-founder and creative director of Kambe Events, organiser of Shambala Festival.

“Oooh, that’s a big question,” he says, laughing.

“OK, well, let’s start with an easy one,” StandOut chuckles. “How did this year go?”

Sharma explains: “It went very well compared to previous years where we’ve either had gale force winds or torrential rain, or it’s been too hot, or there’s other sorts of terrible things that you’re dealing with. This year was ridiculously smooth, and we were all waiting for something to happen; it didn’t.

“For our 25th birthday, from all the trials and tribulations of being in the independent festival scene, surviving COVID, dealing with economic fallout, trying to survive in the face of increasing corporate takeover in the sector, we deserved to have a relatively stress-free festival.”

FEEL AT HOME

Indeed, Shambala Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025 yet it was a milestone that went by with barely any noise. So quietly that you could hardly say the anniversary was celebrated.

Sidharth Sharma, co-founder of Kambe Events and Shambala Festival’s creative director, on 25 years of the independent festival, including being honest, butterflies and B Corps

SHAMBALA FESTIVAL

All images: © Luis Kramer/ Lindsay Melbourne/ Leora Bermeister

• MARKING OUT: Flags, Line Marker & Fencing Pins

• SCRIMS & FENCE COVER: Hessian, Tildenet, Bamboo Screen, FR Ranges & Cable Ties

• SITE BUILD & SAFETY: Site Signage, Pipe Lagging, Plastic Sheeting, Hazard & Warning Tape

• STAGE & ARTISTE SUPPLIES: Artiste Towels, Clocks, Ear Plugs, Pit Cups & Stage Brooms

• PPE CLOTHING & COVID: Printed Tabards, Hard Hats, Hi-Vis Masks, Sanitisers & Wipes

• BARS: Optics, Trugs, Ice Buckets, Jiggers, Bar Caddies & Waiters Trays

• SITE CLEANING & WASTE: Toilet Rolls, Cleaning Supplies, Litter Pickers & Work Gloves

• STAFF WELFARE & OFFICE: Coffee, Hot Cups, Extension Leads

BRADSHAW EVENT VEHICLES

“Do you know what? I think we didn’t shout about it as much as we should have done, and I don’t know why,” Sharma admits. “Maybe part of me is like, when you get a bit old, you don’t really want to talk about how old you are. I mean, I’m 52 now, I started this event 25 years ago when I was a young guy, but it is a real mark for an independent festival to reach 25 years old, and in hindsight, we should have celebrated it more.”

Shambala Festival, and Kambe Events, are what Sharma calls understated organisations. They don’t blow their own trumpets massively. Sharma continues: “We don’t really try and get in the limelight and be personalities, and so I think we ‘celebrated’ our way. But what I did notice this year was there was lots and lots of people that hadn’t been to Shambala for a long time. It felt like a lot of people came back this year to celebrate. It was like a reunion of some sort.”

He adds: “There’s something familiar about Shambala but you asked earlier about what has changed about Shambala in 25 years and I think I would just say that we’ve got a bit bigger and we’ve got a bit more professional in how we approach it, but very much the ethos and the vibe of Shambala is the same. It’s just a very open, fun, loving, irreverent, warm, inclusive event and people just completely feel at home.”

PEOPLE SKILLS

Sharma and the Kambe Events team wanted Shambala to be one big independent party. From the start. And he still believes it is.

“It still is a serious party,” he continues. “When we started Shambala, it wasn’t about making money. It was about putting on the best party we possibly could and looking after our guests, really looking after the people that came. And I think that, I hope, is still what we do now.”

Yet what has Sharma learned? Personally and professionally. He adds: “As an event

organiser, you are dealing with so many different people all the time, companies, individuals or small traders; you are trying to manage so many people’s wants, needs, and expectations. Some of those people, traders, will be worried about whether they’re going to make enough money, and then you’ve got artists. So I think it’s made me understand how

to sort of not deal with people but work with many different types of people. And I think what I’ve learned is, if you are honest and open with people that you deal with in business, and I’d even say the audience, the public, and admit when you’ve got things wrong and just say sorry we made a mistake, people will respect you for that.”

For

From Heras fence scrims and stage backdrops to vinyls and media walls, we handle the full production with expert service and reliable turnaround. Get

BRADSHAW EVENT VEHICLES

LET’S GET PROFESSIONAL

Sharma admits that he and the team have made mistakes. He says Kambe Events is not a faceless multi-national corporation, owned by shareholders who might not ever go to any of the events that the company puts on. Instead, as co-founders, they see the feedback and the communication directed at them; and believe they are simply a bunch of humans trying to successfully run an independent festival.

“Gosh, when I look back in the day, when we were a bit more naive and inexperienced, we chose event sites that could not cope with the amount of traffic coming to the site and we bought roads to a standstill. We were even threatened with a £60,000 fines for illprepared traffic management plans, but we got away it. We had to leave the site but yeah, we got away with it and one year, our security wasn’t good enough, and the site boundaries were being breached. We soon learned that we had to work with more and more professionals as the event got bigger. You can’t rely on doing it with a small team. You have to employ consummate professionals, professionalise things, and adapt.”

COMMUNITY

During Shambala, Sharma says his family describe him as the “coolest Dad on the planet”. Why? Because in his role as creative director, he plans all year for weird and wonderful happenings that will “move” people in some way. Even if it’s for 30 minutes or one hour; he wants to capture the audiences’ attention.

“I’m looking for things that spark awe and wonder, and it doesn’t always have to be that lowest common denominator of music and lights. It’s about those little magical moments where people are caught off guard, especially greenfield events where after three to four days, you start to blend into the environment. You start to become more malleable to these experiences. So as an event organiser, sometimes I programme the most weird stuff on the Sunday, because people are more embedded into the experience by that point.”

Sharma explains further: “We have a strapline called Adventures in Utopia and I suppose Utopia is the journey. But our core reason for creating Shambala is to promote kindness and compassion. It’s to care for the planet and inspire people to take constructive action in their everyday lives, to be more sustainable. It’s also to celebrate the differences that we have as individuals, as cultures, and see that as a collective strength and a source of inspiration.

“I am personally very concerned about the rise of extremism in the world and fascism, and so we are going to actively be a space that champions diversity and protects the planet. I know I am getting a little bit political here but what we see is extremist governments reversing environmental and DEI measures and unpicking the last decade of stuff, which are at our core. We want Shambala to be a safe place for diverse people. We want to promote kindness and not division, and that is what our focus is going to be for as long as it takes. That’s not to say that some people don’t have very valid concerns but you know, going extreme is not going to solve people’s

everyday problems and even the bigger, wider problems of climate change. So we will try and work on a human level and talk to communities and be inspiring and not threatening.”

THE FUTURE

Every year, Shambala ask its community of festivalgoers for feedback. Of the 14,000 adult tickets, more than 2,000 people fill in the post-festival questionnaire. That’s a high response rate. Their number one reason for attending Shambala? Community.

It’s a fact that Sharma and the Kambe Events team is incredibly aware of and feel genuinely responsible for. It’s why the team’s next moves are being carefully plotted so that the next generation of ticketholders can still expect to experience the same magical moments experienced this year.

But what does the next 25 years have in store for the Shambala team? “The co-founders are stepping back,” explains Sharma. “We’re not leaving, but with the next generation of our team, our audience, our crew, we are looking at becoming a B Corp by the end of this year. We are also becoming an employee-owned company at the beginning of next year. That’s something that we’ve been planning for a number of years.

“We’ve also got a venue on site that’s led by under 25-year-olds and we’ve seen a real increase in that demographic attending the festival, which is great because they are the future. Not to say that we can’t look after our older demographic but we understand that for young people it’s tough economically and we want to make sure they experience Shambala and have the same experience as us.”

Sharma concludes: “That said, being an organiser is a funny thing because you work on something all year round that lasts three days. It’s like being a butterfly, isn’t it? It has a very short life, and then you’re reborn. And I suppose for me, I love that creative destruction metaphor where you build something, and it’s quite beautiful, and then it disappears to be reborn and reimagined as a beautiful new offering.”

Let’s talk rubbish

How are organisers and event suppliers working together to manage waste better on-site? Event professionals reveal all

hen Radio 1 Big Weekend announced that it would be taking place in Liverpool, all eyes fell on the city. As the United Nation’s first Accelerator City for Climate Action, the city council had to work closely with the BBC and Far and Beyond, the BBC’s event production partner, to ensure the environment was considered at every turn.

Cameron Hughes, event freelancer, led the event’s sustainability strategy on behalf of Far and Beyond and oversaw a range of measures that reduced the amount of waste on site and managed waste streams. From compostable confetti and natural, fibre-based compostable serveware to on-site waste segregation and the sorting and bailing of cardboard, aluminium and soft plastics. Liverpool Streetscene Services, Waste Baling Machines, Every Can Counts, ReFactory, part of MyGroup, and Event Cycle were just some of the organisations contracted and engaged to help manage the waste on site, and in some cases, sort it for reuse.

PRE-LOVED EVENT MATERIALS

Radio 1’s Big Weekend draws tens of thousands of attendees. But behind the scenes of the music, lights, and energy lies a challenge every event faces: what happens to all of the event materials used to make it happen?

This year, BBC Radio 1 brought in Event Cycle to help answer that question. The company was tasked with delivering an asset

audit on-site in Liverpool to identify reusable and recyclable materials during build and de-rig, so they could be repurposed. The goal wasn’t just to reduce waste, but to create positive impact – social, environmental and cultural – through the materials that so often get overlooked. Could pre-loved event materials generate real social value instead of just ending up in another pile in a skip?

END-OF-LIFE PLANNING

By walking the site, observing the front of house, back of house, and VIP areas, and building trust with contractors, Event Cycle – led by director Chantal Kerr-Sheppard – was able to intercept key items before they became part of the waste stream. For example, Kerr-Sheppard and her team salvaged more than 500 square metres of scrim, 12 wooden pallets, 50 square metres of plastic mesh signage and 38 Foamex stars from dressing room doors. These were all donated to Dig In CIO, a mental health and wellbeing charity supporting UK veterans and ex-emergency service staff. At Dig In’s walled garden in Preston, these materials are now being used to support veterans recovering from trauma and isolation, offering community, skill-building and purpose. But that was just the start.

Alongside the repurposed materials, Event Cycle also observed a wide range of additional items with future reuse potential,

including bar structures, soft furnishings, lanyards, signage, and graphics. While these fell outside the immediate scope of this year’s intervention, they represent a clear opportunity for the future. Small changes in planning and procurement, such as earlier engagement, better material selection, and simple end-of-life planning, could unlock even more value from materials already on-site.

IT’S IN AN INVOICE

SOMEWHERE Kerr-Sheppard argues that organisers might not think they have a lot of event items on-site that can be repurposed but with a fresh pair of eyes, minds can be opened to the endless possibilities that can be done with the things that they do have. Furthermore, carbon costs can be put against those items and budget costs too, meaning that an annual event can soon start to build a picture of what waste –and costs – can be saved.

She said: “Often people don’t think they have anything that can be repurposed, but we’re experts in what we do, so we can come around and identify materials. We’re happy to help people.”

She continued: “I still think people are not doing enough. The majority of people still come to us at the end of a project, like waste is still a last minute thought. I get it. I used to be an event director. You don’t have time to think about it, but we’re not going to solve the problem if somebody doesn’t start thinking

EVENT CYCLE IN ACTION

With 25+ years of experience, scalable resources, and 24/7 nationwide coverage, we are the trusted partner for organisers who demand reliable, sustainable

about it. Yes, it’s a challenge and when everybody says they don’t have budget to do it, the challenge is, you’re paying for it to go to waste somewhere. Whether you can see it or not, it’s in a supplier’s invoice. Someone is paying for a skip so you may as well pay us to give it to somebody good.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Event Cycle believes that everyone should think about waste at the start of a project because it can have such a massive impact. Waste Baling Machines concurs. It says its balers have compacted an estimated 3,950,000 aluminium cans. That’s nearly four million cans that could have left event sites as general waste. Instead, baled cans have been leaving event sites ready to be recycled. Including LIDO Festival, which made its debut in Victoria Park this June.

The two-weekend festival not only showcased world-class music but also set a new standard for sustainability in live events, with sustainability best practices embedded at the beginning.

LS Events acted as the central event production agency, co-ordinating the event’s power and waste management strategies with stakeholders and the supplier network. With support from A Greener Future.

Nu Kleen oversaw overall site waste, with zero waste going to landfill, while Waste Baling Machines provided on-site balers to process recyclables like cans, cardboard, soft plastics, and glass – reducing haulage and improving recycling rates.

FOOD DONATIONS

At Kendal Calling this year, BetterNotStop worked with From the Fields to roll-out a new food collection point. Kendal Calling encouraged festivalgoers to donate any leftover food they had brought from home to local food banks. It was an initiative trialled thanks to some adhoc food donations received in 2024.

Hannah Cox, director of BetterNotStop, said: “This year, we wanted to put time, resources, and comms around it. We created signage for food donations and had collection points at campsite info and egress points on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday –as well as team members walking around with sandwich board signage, telling the public about the scheme.

“Every year, I walk around the campsite amazed at what gets left behind. This year, we collected over 6,000 items, categorised from things like cans and instant noodles, to unopened packets of biscuits and crisps to fresh fruit and vegetables. We were also able to get perishable items from sponsors and traders as the bars team donated a refrigerated truck for storage while we waited for the food banks to come on-site.”

JOINED UP APPROACH

This new measure required a joined up approach with all stakeholders on board and fully briefed. Similarly, the organising team behind Goodwood Festival of Speed also

required buy-in this year when it installed a waste transfer station (WTS) on-site.

Katie Caines, general manager at the Goodwood Group, worked on the project with Adam Long, senior motorsport event planner, who created a one- page document, explaining how the system worked, to ensure contractors got onboard with the process.

Previously, the motorsport event had satellite skips all over the site, which worked at the time. But when bad weather hit, the organising team would be left with what could be described as a messy site.

The waste transfer station was modelled on a local tip. Contractors and standbuilders could approach the area in a telehandler and sort their waste responsibly before it was compacted.

Caines said: “It was a massive success and from my point of view, it was our biggest operational success. So good that we carried it across to Revival. We had planned to do that anyway but we hit the go button earlier.”

Instead of Goodwood “picking up after everyone”, contractors and exhibitors had to travel to the WTS. Whilst a “little grumbly” at the beginning, they soon took far more ownership and responsibility for their waste and on opening morning, there was no frantic last scramble to tidy the site.

ProClean and Veolia looked after the WTS. They advised and guided people and only temporarily closed the facility at quiet times to compact the waste. The result? Goodwood FOS recycled 40 per cent of its waste and the event nearly doubled its tonnage in the skips because the organising team was able to compact the waste better.

Caines continued: “Next year, we will marshal the WTS over show weekend. We had closed it off over the show days, but people were still dumping waste. The adjustment we’d make for next year is just keep it open throughout the entirety of build, show and break, because people got used to using it. Yes, it was a big cost, but it was a massive

WASTE BALING AT LIDO

success, and it reduced our transport costs, massively improved our wood and recycling tonnage, and in turn, just reduced the annoyance for the locals on the road because we went from 90 to 50 skip movements.”

GREAT SERVICE

Encouragingly, waste contractors are working in partnership with organisers to reduce waste on-site and reduce carbon emissions. For example, this year, MJ Church worked with Royal International Air Tattoo and ran an electric refuse collection vehicle on-site and at Bath Half Marathon, the company worked with London Marathon Events (LME) to ensure sorted and segregated was disposed of responsibly. At the London Marathon, Grundon Waste Management replaced Cawleys as waste collection and recycling partner. Similarly, Falcon Cleaning and Support Services worked on Labyrinth on the Thames to manage waste at the new live music series.

Stuart Jackson, managing director at Falcon Cleaning and Support Services, said that good recycling rates came out of the event that took place at the Old Royal Naval College

but he is now working on designing a new piece of equipment that could improve the event’s waste management results even more.

“The problem with tin cans and cardboard boxes is that when you throw them away, you are throwing away fresh air,” he said.

“Lots of people have seen the waste baling machines now but you need an arctic or heavy goods vehicle to move them. I am building a 20-foot trailer with a baling machine that can be towed so that we can give a much better service to clients.”

Working in partnership and delivering great service are values that resonate with Top Mops Event Services. The company recently worked at the Betfred British Masters and ISPS HANDA Senior Open and ensured the organiser received great service, going above and beyond to improve on-site waste management.

For instance, the company ensured that 28.26 tonnes of event waste [from both events] were managed responsibly. Of this, 16 per cent was recycled and the remaining 84 per cent was diverted to Energy from Waste, generating an estimated 14.2 MWh

of electricity. To put this into perspective, that is enough to power the equivalent of five average UK homes for an entire year, deliver approximately 237 full charges of a typical 60 kWh electric vehicle battery, or provide over two days of electricity for an average UK hospital. By sourcing and overseeing the waste contractor itself, Top Mops Event Services could guarantee compliance with zero-to-landfill principles, achieve full traceability of waste data, and demonstrate tangible progress against its sustainability commitments.

Josh Tutty, director of Top Mops Event Services, explained that there are several cool and imaginative things that event organisers can do to encourage customers to think about waste more, such as a post box for pizza boxes, which take up so much room in a normal bin, or interactive bins that make noises when you feed them rubbish.

Like everything, it all comes down to cost, he says. However, Kerr-Sheppard believes there is an easy solution. She concludes: “Please think about waste at the start and repurpose the waste budget in a better way.”

ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION

Eventwell

T: 0800 470 0958

E: bookings@eventwell.org

W: EventWell.org

Opal Temporary Access Ltd

Norfolk Road, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 2PS

E: info@opaltemporaryaccess.com

W: www.oplatemporaryaccess.com

T: 01474 568100

: www.linkedin.com/company/opal-temporaryaccess-ltd/posts/?feedView=all

ACCREDITATION

ASSOCIATION

GOAllAreas

E: goallareas@gingerowl.co.uk

W: www.gingerowl.co.uk

MUTA

10B Red House Yard, Gislingham Road, Thornham Magna, Eye, Suffolk IP23 8HH

T: 01379 788673

E: info@muta.org.uk

W: www.muta.org.uk

AV, SOUND & LIGHTING

Event Production Services

The Pack House, Drayton St. Leonard, Oxford, OX10 7BG

T: 01844 278446

E: info@epsoxford.com

Hire Frequencies

T: 0203 3026947

E: enquiries@hirefrequencies.co.uk

W: www.hirefrequencies.co.uk

Lighthouse Events

Reading, UK

T: 0333 335 6353

E: info@lighthouse-events.co.uk

W: https://www.lighthouse-events.co.uk/ : https://www.instagram.com/ lighthouseeventsuk/ : https://www.linkedin.com/company/ lighthouse-events/

NSR Communications Ltd

16 Caxton Way, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 8UA

E: james@nsrcommunications.co.uk

W: https://nsrcommunications.uk/ : https://www.linkedin.com/company/ nsr-communications-ltd : https://www.facebook.com/NSRComms

Press Red Rentals Limited

Unit H11, Halesfield 19, Telford, TF7 4QT

T: +44 (0) 1952 587049

W: www.pressred.biz

BALLOONS, BUNTING & FLAGS

B-Loony Ltd

Cape House, 105 Bellingdon Road, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2HQ

T: 01494 774376

E: sales@b-loony.co.uk

W: www.b-loony.co.uk

BAR

Bar Live Events

Unit D215, Parkhall Studios, London, SE21 8DE

T: 0208 761 8424

E: nick@barlive.co.uk

W: www.barlive.co.uk

Cambridge Event Bars

T: 01223 785401

M: 07837 707057

E: Info@cambridgeeventbars.co.uk

W: www.cambridgeeventbars.co.uk

Innovative Hire

Unit N, Lion Works Estate, 543 Wallisdown Road

Bournemouth BH12 5AD

T: 01202 941 068

W: http://innovativehire.co.uk

Peppermint Events Ltd

Lower Ground 04, Edinburgh House, 154-182 Kennington Lane, London, SE11 5DP

T: 0333 043 7845

E: Standout@peppermintevents.co.uk

W: https://peppermintbars.co.uk/

Pop-up-Pubs

T: +44(0)1993 832155

E: info@pop-up-pubs.com

W: www.pop-up-pubs.com

SIPS Events

mikey@sipsevents.net www.sipsevents.net

Symonds Event Bars

Drakewell, Stoke Lacy, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4HG

T: 01885 490267

E: info@eventbars.co.uk

W: www.eventbars.co.uk

BRAND ACTIVATION & EXPERIENTIAL

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063

www.instantmarquees.co.uk

Bradshaw Event Vehicles

New Lane, Stibbington, Peterborough, PE8 6LW

T: 01780 782621

E: rentals@bradshawev.com

W: www.bradshawev.com

: @Bradshaw_EV

BUGGY HIRE

CABINS

Event Buggy Hire

T: 0113 393 4100

E: info@eventbuggyhire.co.uk

W: www.eventbuggyhire.co.uk

Hopkins Machinery

T: 01633 680754

E: hire@hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

W: www.hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

NSR Communications Ltd

16 Caxton Way, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 8UA

E: james@nsrcommunications.co.uk

W: https://nsrcommunications.uk/ : https://www.linkedin.com/company/ nsr-communications-ltd : https://www.facebook.com/NSRComms

Qdos Event Hire Ltd

Fernside Place, 179 Queens Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0AH

T: 0845 862 0952

E: enquiries@qdoseventhire.co.uk

W: www.qdoseventhire.co.uk : @QdosEventHire : www.facebook.com/pages/Qdos-Event-Hire/ : @qdoseventhire

Wernick Events

Joseph House, Northgate Way, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8ST

T: 01922 472 900

E: events@wernick.co.uk

W: www.wernick.co.uk/events

: @WernickEvents

: @WernickEvents

Event Traffic Control Limited

Baldersby Gardens, Ripon Road, Baldersby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4PS

T: 08000 246 800

E: info@eventtc.com

W: www.eventtc.com

CATERING

55 Event Catering Solutions

T: 07734 889638

E: sam@55eventcateringsolutions.co.uk

W: https://www.55eventcateringsolutions.co.uk

CLEANING & SUPPORT SERVICES

Falcon Cleaning

The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA

E: admin@falconteam.co.uk

W: www.falconteam.co.uk

Top Mops Event Services

7 Bell Yard, London WC2A 2JR

T: 0800 970 4035

E: info@topmops.net

W: https://topmops.net

COFFEE BARS

Markey Ltd

39b Park Farm Ind Estate, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, SG9 9AZ

T: 01763 271110

E: info@markey.co.uk

W: www.markey.co.uk

CONTROL ROOM MANAGEMENT

MinT Command

E: neil@mintcommand.com

W: www.mintcommand.com : https://uk.linkedin.com/in/neilminter : @MinTcommand : www.facebook.com/MinTcommand/

CORPORATE CREW

Rodeo Crew

128 Wey House, 15 Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8NA

T: 020 8075 7799

E: bookcrew@rodeocrew.uk

W: www.rodeocrew.uk

CREW SERVICES

Falcon Festival Services

The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA

E: info@falconteam.co.uk

W: www.falconteam.co.uk

MLD Event Group

T: 01903372773

E: info@mld.events

W: www.mld.events

Olympus Crew

T: 07904 903452

E: info@olympuscrew.co.uk

W: www.olympuscrew.co.uk

Optimal Events Group Ltd / Trading as Optimal Crew

Marsh Mill Village, 5A, Fleetwood Rd N, Thornton-Cleveleys FY5 4JZ

T: 07375 843976

E: Enquiries@optimalcrew.co.uk

W: https://optimalcrew.co.uk

PS Events Crew

Suite 117-119 Lovell House, Birchwood Park, Warrington, WA3 6FW

T: 0151 319 8888

E: Operations@pseventscrew.co.uk

W: www.pseventscrew.co.uk

S3K Group

The Old Mill Building, Rookery Farm, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO22 6EP

T: 0845 299 7991

E: office@s3kgroup.com

W: www.s3kgroup.com : @s3kgroup

Stage Miracles Ltd

Rooms 39-40, The Enterprise Centre

Cranbourne Road, Potters Bar EN6 3DQ

E: mail@stagemiracles.co.uk

T: 01707 662 500

The UK’s Leading Crew Company

We supply crew in: London (and surrounding areas), Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Birmingham, and more

YOUR Group - A global workforce

T: +44 (0) 203 576 2330

E: connect@your-group.co.uk

W: www.your-group.co.uk

: https://www.instagram.com/your.comp.group : https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourcompanies-group

Video: https://vimeo.com/yourvid/ presentationuk

DRONE DISPLAYS

FlightShows

T: 020 3151 6891

E: Hello@FlightShows.com

W: www.FlightShows.com : www.facebook.com/FlightShows/ : www.linkedin.com/company/flightshows/ : www.instagram.com/flightshows/ : www.tiktok.com/@flightshows_drones

EQUIPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

Falcon Site Equipment

The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA

E: admin@falconteam.co.uk

W: www.falconteam.co.uk

EQUIPMENT HIRE

GAP Event Services

Carrick House, 40 Carrick Street

Glasgow G2 8DA

T: 0333 202 0712

E: events@gap-group.co.uk

W: www.gap-group.co.uk

EVENT ACCOMMODATION

Bunkabin

Tweedale Way, Oldham, OL9 7LD

T: 0345 456 7899

E: hires@bunkabin.co.uk

W: www.bunkabin.co.uk

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk

W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

EVENT CONSTRUCTION

Setstage Ltd

T: 01274 265217

E: info@setstage.co.uk

: linkedin.com/in/kate-greenwood-82315223/

EVENT MANAGEMENT

Bright Events Ltd

T: 07856588815

W: www.brighteventsltd.com

: linkedin.com/in/karen-edwards-events/

CM Production Management Ltd

T: 020 8056465

E: hello@cmpm.co.uk

W: www.cmpm.co.uk : facebook.com/cmpmlive : @cmpmlive

LFX Events

Unit 10 Merchants House, Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1EU

E: enquiries@lfxevents.co.uk

W: www.lfxevents.co.uk

MNPE Ltd

T: +44 (0)203 146 6844

E: info@mnpe.co.uk

W: www.mnpe.co.uk

SC Productions Ltd

T: 02921 850 650

E: admin@scproductionsltd.com

W: www.scproductionsltd.com

Special Projects

Suite 3/10, King James VI Business Centre Friarton Road, Perth, PH2 8DY

T: 01738 505747

E: info@specialprojects-uk.com

W: www.specialprojects-uk.com

Victorious Events

T: 07869 701 616

E: info@victoriousevents.co.uk

W: victoriousevents.co.uk

EVENT PASS PRINTING

Eyecatchers

T: 01772 681000

E: sales@eyecatchers.co.uk

W: www.eyecatchers.co.uk / www.myeventpass.co.uk

EVENT PRODUCTION

b2 Live Events

T: 01708 344668

E: info@thisisb2.com

W: www.thisisb2.com

Culture Creative

T: 01665 798 007

E: info@culturecreative.co.uk

W: www.culturecreative.co.uk

Visions Live

Unit 2 Thames Valley Connect, Western Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1QP

T: 01189 358121

E: info@visionsgroup.co.uk

W: www.visionsgroup.co.uk

EVENT SAFETY

Eep Safety Team

Unit 42, Dunsfold Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU6 8TB

T: 01483 266486

E: tom@eepteam.com

W: www.eepsafety.com

LFX Safety

Unit 10 Merchants House, Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1EU

E: enquiries@lfxsafety.co.uk

W: www.lfxsafety.co.uk

Radius

Desklodge House, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, England, BS1 6NL

E: info@radius-events.com

W: www.radius-events.com : linkedin.com/company/radiuseventsltd

SafetyDocs

EVENT SERVICES

Conect Ltd 483 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BS

T: 0208 242 4942

E: info@safetydocs.org

W: https://safetydocs.org/

Number 8 Events Ltd

The Hay Shed, Sparrows Lane, Matching Green, CM17 0RP

T: 0203 7437292

E: info@number8events.co.uk

W: www.number8events.com

EVENT STAFFING AGENCY

Event People : https://www.linkedin.com/company/ event-people/ : weareeventpeople

E: hello@weareeventpeople.co.uk

EXHIBITION STAND CONTRACTORS

Access Displays Unit 38, Whitehill Industrial Estate, Whitehill Lane, Royal Wootton Bassett, Swindon, SN4 7DB

sales@accessdisplays.co.uk www.accessdisplays.co.uk 01793 613088

EXHIBITION TRAILERS & MOBILE UNITS

DWT Exhibitions

Trailer Hire, Sales & Management

Jubilee Park, Honeypot Lane, Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, NG33 5LZ

T: 01476 860833

E: pip@dwt-exhibitions.co.uk W: www.dwt-exhibitions.co.uk

Inchmere Event Design Ltd

Swan Close Studios, Swan Close Road, Banbury, OX16 5TE

T: 01295 661000

E: alastair@inchmere.co.uk

W: www.inchmere.co.uk

TCM Trailers Ltd

Watery Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 7SE

E: emily@tcmtrailers.co.uk W: www.tcmtrailers.co.uk

FENCING & BARRIERS

Augusta Event Support Ltd

Cadeby, CV13 0BD

E: Sarah@aesteam.co.uk

W: https://augustaeventsupport.com/

Zone Secure

Gorsley Business Park, Ross on Wye HR9 7SD

E: info@zonesecure.co.uk

W: www.zonesecure.co.uk

FESTIVAL GAS

FIRE COVER

FLAGS

Festival Gas

Priors Revel, Church lane, Middleton, Nr Tamworth, B78 2AL

T: 07930 758893 E: simon@festivalgas.co.uk

W: www.festivalgas.co.uk

Red Rose Fire Solutions Ltd

6 Brissenden Close, New Romney Kent TN28 8JD

T: 01995 503504

E: info@redrosefiresolutions.co.uk

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063

www.instantmarquees.co.uk

FLOORING & FLOOR COVERINGS

Coir Store

8-9 Yelverton Road, Brislington, Bristol BS4 5HP

E: info@coirstore.co.uk

T: 07983 614410

W: https://coirstore.co.uk

Event Flooring Solutions Ltd

T: 01509 768 252

E: sales@efseurope.co.uk

W: www.efseurope.co.uk

Gigtent UK

Sonas House, Button End Harston, Cambridge, CB22 7NX

T: 01223 870935

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

FURNITURE HIRE / SALES

Furniture On The Move

Unit B, Canada Warehouse, Chittening Industrial Estate, Worthy Road, Avonmouth, Bristol, BS11 0YB

T: 0845 459 9875

E: info@furnitureonthemove.co.uk

W: www.furnitureonthemove.co.uk

HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS

BiemmedueUK & Arcotherm

Unit 12, Wilson Road, South Wigston, Leicester LE18 4TP

T: 01773 836999 | E: sales@biemmedueuk.com

W: www.biemmedueuk.com

Spica Temperature Control Solutions Ltd

20 Crowsport, Hamble, Hampshire, SO31 4HG

T: 02380 453841

M: 07780 638976

E: kay@spicasolutions.com

W: www.spicasolutions.com

INFLATABLE STRUCTURES

Dawsongroup tcs

Dawsongroup | tcs

Export Drive, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 6AF

T: 01623 518538

E: info@dgtcs.co.uk

W: https://dgtcs.co.uk/inflatable-cold-rooms/ INSURANCE

LASER & FX

London Market Partners Group

(Entertainment Insurance)

T: +44 (0) 204 540 5056

E: enquiries@Imp-insurance.com

W: https://lmp-insurance.com/

Tysers Insurance Brokers

71 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BS

T: 0203 037 8000

E: tim.rudland@tysers.com

W: www.tysers.com

Laser Grafix

Unit 4A Stratton Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8QS

E: info@lgfx.co.uk

W: www.lgfx.co.uk

UK office: 01767 315948

Dubai office: +971 4887 9808

EMF Technology Ltd

Unit 27 Freemantle House, Kingsclere Business Park, Kingsclere, Hants, RG20 4SW

T: 020 8003 3344

E: info@emftechnology.co.uk

W: www.emftechnology.co.uk

Lightmedia Displays

Mobile & Modular LED Screen Hire

T: 0333 600 6000 - 24 hour response

E: sales@lightmedia.co.uk

W: www.lightmedia.co.uk

LEGAL

Tech AV Ltd

London, Essex, Birmingham

T: 0345 257 9969

E: lee@techav.events

W: www.techav.events

YSLV

London & York

T: 0800 080 3310

E: hire@yslv.co.uk

W: www.yslv.co.uk

Azorra Limited

T: +44 [0] 7457 404054

E: hello@azorra.co.uk

W: www.azorra.co.uk

LIGHTING TOWERS

Boels Rental

MARQUEES

T: 01245 208031

E: dale.fletcher@boels.co.uk

W: www.boels.com

Events Crew Limited

T: 01963 364399

E: info@eventscrew.com

W: www.eventscrew.com

Alternative Stretch Tents

Building 15, Gateway 1000, A1 (M) jct 7, Stevenage, SG1 2FP

T: 01920 830256

E: info@alternative-stretch.co.uk

Fews Marquees

Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS

T: 01527 821789

E: info@fews.co.uk

W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk

Gigtent UK

Sonas House, Button End Harston, Cambridge, CB22 7NX

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

Instant Marquees

T: 01840 213063

www.instantmarquees.co.uk

Mahood Marquees Ltd

8 Lords Fold, Rainford, Saint Helens WA11 8HP

T: 01744 882 079

W: https://mahoodmarquees.com/

TT Tents Ltd

North Waltham Business Centre, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 2DJ

T: 01256 397 551

E: sales@tttents.co.uk

Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd

Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP

T: 0121 7401385

M: 07826 843099

E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

Tentstyle

T: 01403 333135

E: enquiries@tentstyle.co.uk

W: www.tentstyle.co.uk

Top Cat Big Tops Tents & Marquees Ltd

The Old Stable Yard, Gasworks Ln, Achynlleth, SY20 8BY T: 01654 700030

E: info@topcatbigtops.co.uk

W: www.topcatbigtops.co.uk

Ziggu Marquees

Dutton Green, Little Stanney, Chester, CH2 4SA

T: 01244722739

W: www.ziggumarquees.com

E: hello@ziggumarquees.com

MARQUEES ACCESSORIES

Opas Southern Ltd

Enterprise House, St Lawrence Avenue Worthing, West Sussex BN14 7JH

E: sales@opas.co.uk

Free Phone: 0845 1300 477

W: www.opas.co.uk

MEDICAL SERVICES

Codeblue Medical

UK Head Office – Codeblue, Grove Farm, Lane End Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3NR

T: 0203 835 8486

W: http://www.codebluemedical.co.uk

: https://www.linkedin.com/company/codeblue-uk/ : https://www.facebook.com/CodeblueUK

Enhanced Care Services

Unit H9, Adanac Park, Adanac Dr, Nursling, Southampton SO16 0BT

T: 02380 201561

E: admin@enhancedcareservices.co.uk

W: www.enhancedcareservices.co.uk

First Aid Cover Ltd

T: 020 8875 5758

E: enquiries@firstaidcover.co.uk

W: www.firstaidcover.co.uk

Location Medical Services Ltd

The Medical Centre, Shepperton Studios, Studio Road, Shepperton, Middx, TW17 0QD

T: 0870 750 9898

E: mail@locationmedical.com

W: www.locationmedical.com

Medirek

8 Primrose Place, Portsmouth Road, Godalming Surrey, GU7 2JW

T: 07776 128 409

safety and medical

E: ryan.soper@medirek.co.uk

W: www.medirek.co.uk

MET Medical Ltd

T: 0203 627 9042

E: info@met-medical.co.uk

W: www.met-medical.co.uk

Siderise Group

Forge Industrial Estate CF34 0AH

T: 01656 730833

E: enquiries@siderise.com

W: www.siderise.com

Wise Parking

T: 03301 334522

E: info@wiseparking.co.uk

W: www.wiseparking.co.uk

Charles Wilson

86 High Street, Harpenden, AL5 2SP

T: 0800 458 5701

E: instanthire@cwplant.co.uk

W: www.cwplant.co.uk

Hopkins Machinery

T: 01633 680754

E: hire@hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

W: www.hopkinsmachinery.co.uk

NOISE MANAGEMENT

PARKING

PLANT HIRE

Excloosive Event Hire

Field House, Bromley Park, Abbots Bromley Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 3AH

T: 01283 575 749

M: 07778 473 064

Email: info@excloosive.co.uk

Four Jays Group

Barling Farm, East Sutton, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3DX

T: 01622 843135

E: enquiries@fourjays. co.uk W: www.fourjays.co.uk

LOOS FOR DOs Ltd

Bakers Court, Forge Road, Kingsley,

Hampshire GU35 9NZ

T: 01420 588 355

E: info@loos.co.uk W: www.loos.co.uk

Just Loos

Paddock Barn, Manor Farm, Itchen Stoke, Hampshire, SO24 0QT

T: 01962 867808

E: office@justloos.com W: www.JustLoos.com

Ontrax Rentals

Elmwood Farm, Bampton OX18 2PL, England

E: hello@ontraxrentals.com W: www.ontraxrentals.com

Site Event

The Depot, The Avenue, Lasham, Hampshire GU34 5SU

T: 01256 384 134

E: event@site-equip.co.uk

W: www.site-equip.co.uk

Vacant Event Hire

Unit C White Oak Technology Park, London Road, Swanley, Kent BR8 7AG

T: 01322 761 117

M: 07960 301178

E: info@vacant.events

W: https://vacant.events/

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk

W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

POWER & GENERATORS

ATD Electrical

Unit 93, Greenway Business Centre, Greenway, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5QE

T: 01279 507890

E: office@atdelectrical.com

W: www.atdelectrical.com

Energy Management Services Ltd

T: 0333 305 5144

E: admin@energyms.co.uk

W: www.energyms.co.uk

Festival Power Ltd

Unit 2, Temple Bridge Business Park, Bristol, BS39 5AA

E: info@festivalpower.co.uk

W: www.festivalpower.co.uk

Gofer Ltd

Unit 7 Arkwright Road, Hadleigh Road Ind. Est, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 0UB

T: 01473 282530

E: info@gofer.co.uk

W: www.gofer.co.uk

IDE Systems

T: 01543 574 111

E: enquiries@idesystems.co.uk

W: www.idesystems.co.uk

Head Office & Manufacturing Centre

Unit 3, Swaffield Park Hyssop Close, Cannock Staffordshire, WS11 7FU United Kingdom

Instagrid UK Ltd

Silent, Clean and Portable Power

T: 07939 315074

E: andy.barnby@instagrid.co

Midas Productions (UK) Ltd

Unit 20, Clopton Commercial Park, Clopton, Ipswich, IP13 6QT

T: 0333 772 0772

M: 07949 007 603

E: info@midas-uk.co.uk

Newburn Power Rental Limited

Unit 36 Lidgate Crescent, Langthwaite Business Park, South Kirkby, Pontefract, WF9 3NR

T: 0845 077 6693

E: info@npr-uk.com

Pearce Hire

Unit 8-9 Reynolds Industrial Park, Stevern way, Peterborough PE1 5EL

T: 01733 554950

E: info@pearcehire.co.uk

W: www.pearchire.co.uk

Power Revolution

23C Shepherds Grove Ind Est, Stanton, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2AR

T: 01359 256 265

E: info@power-revolution.co.uk

W: www.power-revolution.co.uk

Robert Blezard Electrical Contractor Ltd

T: 01200 777666

E: hello@robertblezard.co.uk

W: www.robertblezard.co.uk

Stuart Power

Stuart House, Hargham Road, Shropham, Norfolk, NR17 1DT

T: 01953 454540

E: enquiries@stuartpower.co.uk

W: www.stuartpower.co.uk

Tempower

T: 0845 6066049

E: hire@tempower.co.uk

W: www.tempower.co.uk

The Technical Department

PRINTERS

PROJECTION

14 Henley Business Park, Pirbright Road, Normandy, Surrey, GU3 2DX

T: +44 (0)1483 238 050 or +44 (0)7850 367 917

E: chantal@thetechnicaldepartment.com

Wernick Power Solutions

Joseph House, Northgate Way, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8ST

T: 03334 001 247

E: power@wernick.co.uk

W: www.wernick.co.uk/power : twitter.com/WernickGroup : www.linkedin.com/company/wernickgroup

XLE Event Services

T: 01789 224227

E: info@xle.co.uk

W: www.xle.co.uk : XLeventservices : @xle_events : www.linkedin.com/company/xleeventservices/

UK Flyers Suite 210, Victory House, Somers Road, North Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 1PJ

T: 023 9229 3050

E: sales@ukflyers.com

W: www.ukflyers.com

EMF Technology LTD

Projection Mapping, Water Screens, Flame Effects, Lighting, Mains Distribution

T: 020 8003 3344

E: info@emftechnology.co.uk

W: www.emftechnology.co.uk

RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

2CL Communications Ltd

Unit C, Woodside Trade Centre, Parnham Drive, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 4NU

T: 0800 389 2278

E: contact@2cl.co.uk

W: www.2cl.co.uk

Audiolink

T: 020 8955 1100

E: info@audiolink.co.uk / hire@audiolink.co.uk

W: www.audiolink.co.uk

DCRS

Edison Road, St.Ives, Cambs, PE27 3LH

T: 0800 043 2688

E: sales@dcrs.co.uk

W: www.dcrs.co.uk

Marathon Communications Ltd

Oakhurst Business Park, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 9RT

T: 01403 473 858

E: info@marathoncomms.co.uk

W: www.marathoncomms.co.uk

: uk.linkedin.com/company/marathoncomms : www.facebook.com/marathoncomms : instagram.com/marathoncomms : x.com/marathoncomms

REFRIGERATED

STRUCTURES

Dawsongroup tcs

Dawsongroup | tcs

Export Drive, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 6AF

T: 01623 518538

E: info@dgtcs.co.uk

W: https://dgtcs.co.uk/inflatable-cold-rooms/

RENTAL EQUIPMENT

Sunbelt Rentals

T: 0330 053 2348

E: events@sunbeltrentals.co.uk

W: www.sunbeltrentals.co.uk/sectors/events

REUSABLE CUPS

Re-uz UK Less is now Limited

Unit 1A Walrow Industrial Estate, Commerce Way, Highbridge TA9 4AG

T: 01278 238390

E: info.uk@reuz.com

W: www.re-uz.com & www.green-goblet.com

SAFEGUARDING

X2Consult Safeguarding & Child Protection

T: 01622 278702

E: Tom@x2consult.co.uk

W: www.x2consult.co.uk

SCAFFOLD SYSTEM & TRUSS STRUCTURES

SEATING

Overlay Events Ltd 54 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB9 4DN T: 01895 813627

E: info@overlayevents.com W: www.overlayevents.com

SRG Structures

Oldbury Lane, Bristol, BS35 1RE

T: 0117 911 4034

E: info@srg-structures.com W: www.srg-structures.com

Ace Seating Hire

T: 01832 279333

E: info@aceseating.co.uk

W: www.aceseating.co.uk

Alliance Events Ltd

Ventura Park Road, Tamworth, England, B78 3HL

T: 02034 885480

E: admin@alliancemanagementgroup.co.uk

W: www.alliancemanagementgroup.co.uk

Anubis Group

T: 0800 121 6576

E: sales@anubis-security.com/ recruitment@anubis-security.com

W: www.anubis-security.com

DBD Group Services

T: 01934 286000 and 07955314124

E: info@dbdgroupservices.co.uk

W: www.dbdgroupservices.co.uk

Manchett Security

The Tack Room, Lorkins Farm, Conway’s Road, Orsett, Grays, Essex, RM16 3E

T: 01375 470 022

E: info@manchett-security.com

W: www.manchett-security.com

: @ManchettSec –: @ManchettSec –: ManchettGroup

McKenzie Arnold Group

E: joanna.white@mckenziearnold.com

T: 01376 350 999

M: 07701 048 69

Ministry Protective

T: 0800 2335518

E: info@ministryprotective.com

W: www.ministryprotective.com

New Dawn Security and Training Unit 10 Dunley Hill Court, Ranmore Common, Effingham RH5 6SX

T: 01306779436

E: Events@ndst.ltd W: www.ndst.ltd

Newman Event Services Ltd

Crowd Management, Festival & Event Security/Stewarding. Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Oxfordshire, OX15 4FF

T: 01295 722844

E: enquiries@newmanevents.co.uk

W: www.newmanevents.co.uk

Right Guard Security

Experts in Crowd Management and Event Security

T: 01227 464588

E: info@rightguard.co.uk

W: www.rightguard.co.uk

Showsec

Regent House, 16 West Walk, Leicester, LE1 7NA

T: 0116 204 3333

E: sales@showsec.co.uk

W: showsec.co.uk : showsec.uk : showsec : company/Showsec

Trojan Security Unit B7 Loughton Seedbed Centre

Langston Road

Loughton IG10 3TQ

T: 0330 113 9966

E: info@trojansecurityuk.co.uk

W: www.trojansecurityuk.co.uk

: @trojan-security-uk-ltd : @TrojanLondon :@trojan_security_UK

SET & SCENERY CONSTRUCTION

Staged Events Ltd

Meadow View, Newnham Lane, Old Basing, Hampshire, RG24 7AU

T: 01256578055

E: info@stagedevents.com

W: www.stagedevents.com

SHOWERS

Zoo Events Group Ltd

Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ

T: 01258 840233

E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk

SITE SUPPLIES

Concept Products Ltd 10 Cary Court, Somerton Business Park, Somerton, TA11 6SB T: 01458 274020

E: ben@conceptproductsltd.co.uk W: www.conceptproductsltd.co.uk

SOUND, LIGHTING, VISION, POWER AND SCENIC

SPH Event Production LTD

Unit 7, Upper Wensleydale Business Park, Brunt Acres Road, Hawes, DL8 3UZ T: 01535 442084

W: www.event-production.live

STAGING & RIGGING

IPS (Impact Production Services) 29 Mount Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK1 1LS T: 01908 657950

E: enquiries@ips.co.uk W: www.ips.co.uk

Rigger.co.uk

T: 0333 772 0120

E: contact@rigger.co.uk W: www.rigger.co.uk

The Stage Bus 19 Prestwood Road, Birmingham, B29 5EB T: 0121 585 9264

E: info@thestagebus.com W: www.thestagebus.com

SRG Structures

Oldbury Lane, Bristol, BS35 1RE

T: 0117 911 4034

E: info@srg-structures.com

W: www.srg-structures.com

Steeldeck Rentals

Unit 58, T. Marchant Estate, 42 - 72 Verney Rd, London SE16 3DH

T: +44 (0)207 833 2031

E: rentals@steeldeck.co.uk

W: www.steeldeck.co.uk

STAND DESIGN & BUILD

Saward Marketing and Events

T: 07788 660996

E: admin@saward-me.com

W: https://saward-me.com/

TEMPORARY BRIDGES

Mitchell Bridges Limited

London Road, Kings Worthy, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 7QN

T: 01962 885040

M: 07768630373

E: chris@mitchellbridges.com

W: www.mitchellbridges.com

TEMPORARY ROADWAYS

Cap Trac Limited

The Stables, Loke Farm, Weston Longville, Norwich, NR9 5LG

T: 01603 880448

E: info@captrac.co.uk

W: www.captrac.co.uk

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES

Fews Marquees

Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS

T: 01527 821789

E: info@fews.co.uk

W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk

Gigtent UK

Sonas House, Button End Harston, Cambridge, CB22 7NX

E: info@gigtent.co.uk

W: www.gigtent.co.uk

LH Woodhouse

Wolds Farm, The Fosse, Cotgrave, Nottingham, NG12 3HG

Delivering successful events

T: 01159 899 899

E: sales@lhwoodhouse.co.uk

W: www.lhwoodhouse.co.uk

Losberger De Boer

Castle Park, Boundary Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 7ES

T: 01280 846500

E: sales.uk@losbergerdeboer.com

W: www.losbergerdeboer.com/uk

NEPTUNUS Ltd

Cob Drive, Swan Valley, Northampton NN4 9BB

T: 01604 593820

E: sales@neptunus.co.uk

W: www.neptunus.co.uk

Stunning Tents

Creative House, Station Road,

Theale RG7 4PD

T: 0118 380 5590

E: team@stunningtents.co.uk

W: www.Stunningtents.co.uk

Technical Overlay by Visions

Unit 2 Thames Valley Connect, Western Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1QP

T: 01189 358121

E: info@visionsgroup.co.uk

W: www.technicaloverlay.co.uk

Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd

Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP

T: 0121 7401385

M: 07826 843099

E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

The Dome Company

T: 07876673354

E: info@thedomecompany.co.uk

W: www.thedomecompany.co.uk

TT Tents Ltd

North Waltham Business Centre, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 2DJ

T: 01256 397 551

E: sales@tttents.co.uk

W: www.tttents.co.uk

WH Silverbacks

Unit 26, Oakfield Road, Woolsbridge Industrial Park, Dorset BH21 6FE

T: 01202 096957

E: info@silverbacks.co.uk

W: https://whsilverbacks.co.uk/

Worldwide Structures Ltd

Ayrshire Farm, Sharcott, Pewsey, SN9 5PA

T: 01672 565 060 / +44 (0) 7875 027369

E: enquiries@w-sl.com

W: www.worldwidestructures.com

TRACKWAY

All Weather Access Ltd

County Farm, High Roding, Dunmow, Essex CM6 1NQ

T: 01371 700510

M: 07801 751137

E: henry@all-weatheraccess.co.uk

W: www.all-weatheraccess.co.uk

GT Trax

T: 01487 823344

E: info@gttrax.co.uk

W: www.gttrax.co.uk

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Event Traffic Control Ltd

Baldersby Gardens, Ripon Road, Baldersby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4PS

T: 08000 246 800

E: info@eventtc.com

W: www.eventtc.com

Carbonite Traffic Solutions

T: 020 3567 1479

E: enquiries@carbonitetraffic.co.uk

W: www.carbonitetraffic.co.uk

Right Guard Traffic Management

Event Traffic Management

CSAS Accredited Traffic Officers

Car Parking • Event Signage

T: 01227 464588

E: info@rightguard.co.uk

W: www.rightguard.co.uk

TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS

Les Jones Transport 329 Cyncoed Road, Cardiff, CF23 6PD

T: 0292 1851300

E: Alexander.dodd-jones@dojoservices.co.uk

W: www.lesjonestransport.co.uk

VEHICLE HIRE

Bradshaw Event Vehicles

New Lane, Stibbington, Peterborough, PE8 6LW

T: 01780 782621

E: rentals@bradshawev.com

W: www.bradshawev.com : @Bradshaw_EV

VENUES

Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference centre

T: +44 (0) 1252 532800

E: event-enquiries@farnborough.com

W: www.farnborough.com/ : @farnborough-international-ltd : @Farnborough_Int : @farnborough_int : @farnboroughinternational/ : @farnboroughinternationalex4694 WASTE MANAGEMENT

Falcon Cleaning

The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA

E: admin@falconteam.co.uk

W: www.falconteam.co.uk

WATER & PLUMBING SERVICES

MTD (UK & Ireland) Ltd

Unit 1 Westerngate, Hillmead Enterprise Park, Langley Road, Swindon, SN5 5WN

T: 01264 773 818

E: sales.uk@mtd.net

W: www.mtd.net

Temporary Water Solutions

Water supplies for festivals and events

T: 0800 001 6041

E: info@temporarywatersolutions.co.uk

T.E.S.S Ltd

W: www.tess-ltd.co.uk

E: info@tess-ltd.co.uk

T: 01332 850 860

Wicked Event Water Services

Kevin: 07909 771996

E: info@wickedeventwaterservices.com

W: www.wews.biz

WIFI, INTERNET & STREAMING

attend2IT

Unit 6-8 Park Farm Industrial Estate, Buntingford

T: 01763 877 477

W: https://attend2it.co.uk/

Fli-Fi Ltd UK Wide

T: 020 3778 0454

E: enquiries@fli-fi.com

W: www.fli-fi.com

SimpliWifi

Unit 13, Leominster Enterprise Park, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0LX

T: 0800 298 9434

E: hello@simpliwifi.agency

W: https://simpliwifi.agency

Editor Caroline Clift caroline@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Publication manager

Sarah Bourne sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Account executive

Jen Crisp jen@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Marketing executive

Katie Goldsmith marketing@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Design and production

Neil Hepden

Jemma Heslop

Emma Hickman

Colin Swaffer studio@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Credit control

Janine Walmsley creditcontrol@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Managing director

Neil Fagg neil@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509101

CEO John Denning

StandOut Multimedia Limited, 10 The Metford, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX T: 01795 509113 www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

Featured in our next issue...

SECURITY BEST PRACTICES

Organisers are taking active steps to address event security concerns and adopt better crowd management best practices

TAKE THE FLOOR

Ground protection specialists talk about industry

best practices, and

products that will protect your event site

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