Stand Out Magazine March 2022

March 2022

UNBOXED

CHELTENHAM

VICTORIOUS

GREENBELT

TENDERS

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EDITOR’S LETTER

S

MARCH 2022

ometimes, I do worry that I sound like a broken record because every month, I tell you about my amazing chats with events professionals and every month, I tell you how fabulous and insightful those chats have been. I do love hearing your stories. It’s the only way that I can glean an honest appraisal of the marketplace and get a steer on what is actually happening on event sites. So, what’s happening right now?

Well, according to promoters and organisers, kit is in short supply, and when you find it, there are 20 other organisers that want it too. So, what’s the deal? Well, it seems that a 20 per cent deposit is no longer enough to secure vital equipment. I have heard reports of suppliers asking for full amounts to be paid before kit is guaranteed. Whoever pays first gets the gear so if you haven’t got stacks of cash lying around, you’re going to find it hard.

For the first time, in a long time, it is a suppliers’ market. So often, the shoe has been on the other foot with some big players feeling that they can dictate pricing, and terms. This year, the pendulum has swung the other way. However, I really do wish that it would settle somewhere in the middle. And why do I say that?

Unfortunately, I have heard stories of how some suppliers – not all, I will quickly add – have been quite harsh in their responses, telling organisers “That’s the way it is”. It might be today’s reality, but I’m not a fan of telling people to “Suck it up” – it’s an approach that jars with the echoes of “Be kind” and “We’re all in this together” that reverberated across the industry when COVID struck, and our industry was forced to close. I think we need to find a balance.

2022 will have its challenges, organisers need suppliers and suppliers need organisers.

There is absolutely no reason why anyone needs to be rude, and it is entirely possible to communicate terms of business and be professional. And that works both ways.

Our industry needs to work together if it is going to get through this season. Next year, our industry could – and probably will – look entirely different and we don’t know how we will be doing business or who with. More than ever, events professionals need to support each other and there needs to be a little more collaboration if we are going to thrive. We all need each other; we’re one big eco-system that feeds off each other, so please let’s all be just a bit more understanding. Events are stressful enough!

Happy reading, Caroline @StandOutmag PS: If you are looking for suppliers, check out the Connections section at the back of this issue, or visit www.standoutmagazine.co.uk and look at the Supplier Directory. Our website has pages dedicated to Event Jobs and Event Tenders, which you can use to advertise vacancies or post your procurement requirements free of charge. We’re here to help you. Always.

Cover image: ©Unboxed/About Us

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CONTENTS

GOOD TO BE BACK 16

BACK TO BUSINESS 29

PAISLEY PROJECTIONS 24

CONTENT IS KING 40

10 EVENT TENDERS

29 BACK TO BUSINESS

13 JUMP TO IT

40 CONTENT IS KING

Discover the latest event tenders and contract wins A full capacity crowd returned to Cheltenham Racecourse for The Festival. The Jockey Club’s David Mackinnon, head of operations, talks

16 GOOD TO BE BACK

Supply chain challenges, sustainability, and production changes – Greenbelt’s Jess Jones and Derek Hill chat

19 PUTTING PORTSMOUTH ON THE MAP

Victorious Festival’s Andy Marsh and James Ralls take five with Stand Out

23 MAKE EXPERIENCES BETTER

Consumers are now more willing to share their data, so what can organisers do to make their event experience better?

24 PAISLEY PROJECTIONS

About Us – a 25-minute show, featuring light, music, and projection – kickstarted UNBOXED

County show organisers reveal their plans for 2022 Natasha Banjo and David McLean, respective head of operations and MD at News Live, News UK’s events division, reveal why they are excited about the future

52 JUST THE TICKET

How NFT technology will revolutionise event ticketing.

Ryan Kenny, CEO of SeatlabNFT, explains how NFTs can be used in event ticketing

55 SPLENDID

Splendour Festival’s Anton Lockwood and Bob Bark discuss the festival’s expansion and production plans

56 GREEN COLUMN

Do you have a firm understanding of sustainability terminology? Check out the latest Green Column from Vision: 2025’s Chris Johnson

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CONTRIBUTORS

This month’s

CONTRIBUTORS:

RYAN KENNY

CAROLINE MCGUCKIAN

ERIC STUART

Editor Caroline Clift caroline@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Digital and web developer Matthew Coppard

Stand Out Multimedia Limited, Cobalt Building, 1600 Eureka Park, Lower Pemberton, Ashford, Kent TN25 4BF www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

Ryan Kenny is chief executive officer of SeatlabNFT, an NFT ticketing marketplace.

Having been involved in the blockchain space since 2012, Ryan has founded multiple digital companies in the software, marketing, and event ticketing sectors.

He has become an expert in emerging technologies through his work with Pepsi, the UK Government, Holland and Barrett, and countless event series. In this issue, Ryan explains how NFT technology will revolutionise event ticketing, and how NFT could change an organiser’s world.

Publication manager Sarah Bourne sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509113 Account manager Jo Stace jo@standoutmagazine.co.uk Sales executive Holley Wilkinson holley@standoutmagazine.co.uk Design and production Jack Witcomb studio@standoutmagazine.co.uk

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Caroline McGuckian has an impressive track record in the digital and data industry, with a career that spans 25 years in roles with Real Media and Carat Interactive, and latterly as an entrepreneur, setting up her own businesses. Caroline sold the digital media agency she founded to The Wheel/Oyster amalgamation as it became LBI, before founding Meshh in February 2016. Today, it provides Wi-Fi analytics to organisers and organisations, detailing fan and visitor behaviour. The Meshh platform plays a vital role in commercial, partnership and operational KPIs for the world’s largest events and Meshh counts Formula 1 and Live Nation as long-standing clients. In this issue, Caroline discusses data collection and customer satisfaction and asks: What can organisers do to make their event experiences better?

Credit control Janine Walmsley creditcontrol@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509103 Publisher Neil Fagg neil@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509101 Managing director John Denning Subscribe:

Eric Stuart, director of Gentian Events, chair of the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association and chair of the Global Crowd Management Alliance, is a crowd safety manager for events ranging from summer festivals and concerts through to Edinburgh Hogmanay.

He was the co-author of the 2015 UK Good Practice Guide to working in Safety Advisory Groups. This month, Eric asks: If there’s a major incident, is the casualty your priority, or is preventing others from being hurt more important? Eric discusses The Care Cap and the Manchester Arena Inquiry.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical or physical – without express prior permission and written consent of the publisher. Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and addressed envelope. Manuscripts should be typewritten. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor’s hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographic or artistic, belongs to Stand Out Multimedia Limited. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement. Information about products and services featured within the editorial content does not imply an endorsement by Stand Out magazine. © 2022. Stand Out Multimedia Limited, Cobalt Building, 1600 Eureka Park, Lower Pemberton, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BF.

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

UK City of Culture 2025 shortlist revealed Bradford, County Durham, Southampton, and Wrexham County Borough have been unveiled as the four areas shortlisted to be UK City of Culture 2025.

The four locations were approved by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries based on independent advice made to the Government by a panel of experts led

by Sir Phil Redmond.

The finalists were whittled down from a record 20 initial bids to eight applications, which also included

Cornwall, Derby, Stirling, and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.

All bids were asked to explain how they would use culture to grow and strengthen their local area, as well as how they would use culture to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sir Phil Redmond, chair of the City of Culture Expert Advisory Panel, said: “Culture can act as a catalyst for community engagement, civic cohesion and a driver for economic and social change as previously seen not just in

Derry-Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021), but all those other places who went on a journey to develop their own cultural strategy.

Simply taking part has proved a catalyst in itself. We have had a great longlist to select from, which made the shortlisting difficult, but I am now looking forward to visiting each of the shortlisted places with the panel to witness culture’s catalytic effect in action.”

The winner will be announced later this year in Coventry.

Bring Me The Horizon Tour reduces emissions by 38 per cent A Greener Festival (AGF) has published the full sustainability report of Bring Me The Horizon’s Post Human Tour, which reduced emissions by 38 per cent.

The tour – the first arena tour in the UK since the pandemic – adopted a sustainable approach, including renewable fuel for trucks, plant-based meals, food waste reduction, and energy efficient equipment.

The report found: 38 per cent reduction in

touring production emissions, 27.97 tonnes of CO2e were avoided, 22 tonnes avoided by switching trucking fuel to HVO Renewable Diesel, and 3,322 plastic bottles were prevented from entering the waste stream.

Claire O’Neill, CEO of AGF, said: “During the pandemic, the touring music industry came together on the important topic of sustainability. We’re so happy with the results from walking the talk with the first UK

arena tour off the mark. The report shows a direct link between wellbeing, stress, and environmental sustainability. Culture change and industry restructuring is essential to achieve a green future for artist touring.

There is much still to be done, but these results are undeniable evidence that we can take huge strides to reduce emissions and protect ecosystems immediately. There’s no excuse to delay.”

Free access training for promoters/organisers Did you know that at 12pm on the second Monday of every month you can take part in free access training? Attitude is Everything is offering promoters and event organisers the chance to learn how to create a supportive and welcoming environment for Deaf, disabled and

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neurodivergent artists. Promoters at all levels of the industry are invited to join Attitude is Everything’s Just Ask campaign and ensure that all artists (and their crew) are given the chance to share access requirements ahead of a performance, by asking this simple

question: Do you or any of your crew members have access requirements?

Visit www.attitudeiseverything.org.uk and you can find the Just Ask Promoters Guide. Plus, you can book a slot on the monthly training session; there are sessions taking place on April 11 and May 9.

INDUSTRY UPDATES

Safer Spaces launches – tackling sexual violence against women at festivals An organisation that provides support and safe spaces to women and girls that feel unsafe at an event/festival, and who have experienced sexual violence and harassment, has launched. Founded by Anna MacGregor and Madeleine North, Safer Spaces was created in response to MacGregor and North’s own personal and professional experiences and to address violence against women and girls (VAWG) at concerts, festivals, and live events.

Safer Spaces was piloted at Boardmasters in 2021 and will return to the festival in 2022. Plus, Safer Spaces will be at

NASS, Love Saves The Day, Forwards, and Boomtown, with more to be confirmed in the coming months.

Safer Spaces’ tents offer a welcoming safe space where women and girls can hang out, use facilities and escape to some calmness.

The tents also provide a safe space to report incidents (via private disclosure cabins) and get professional support.

MacGregor said: “Festivals, events and artists are uniquely positioned to really emphasise a zero-tolerance approach and show women and girls that they are valued and that male violence is condemned.”

Event Cycle distributes COP26 leftover event items to Glasgow charities Event Cycle donated 571 pallets of leftover event materials to more than 30 charitable organisations in Glasgow as part of the positive legacy left after the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in November.

Event Cycle was tasked by events agency, Identity, and the Government to collect the reusable items left once the event was finished and identify suitable destinations for them in the Glasgow area. The donated items ranged from fabric, stationery and white goods to wood, scenic build, carpet, and graphics.

Organisations that benefited from the conference included those focused on early years development; the environment; social housing; men’s mental health; food and fuel poverty; hospice care; maritime history; and gardening.

Event Cycle, founded by Carina Jandt and Chantal Kerr-Sheppard in 2021, was created to tackle the problem of singleuse event materials going to landfill after events. The organisation offers event organisers a way to reduce event waste and benefit good causes in the process.

Bouncing back fast: Raft of show launches boost industry confidence This month, National Game Fair, Raccoon Events, and the founders of Highest Point Festival all announced details of new events.

All three organisers revealed plans for their new shows within seven days of each other, and it’s news like this that brings positivity.

National Game Fair alongside The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) launched GWCT Welsh Game Fair (September 9-11), Raccoon Events, organiser of the National Running Show, launched the National Equine Show at the NEC, Birmingham (March 4-5), and the founders of Highest Point Festival unveiled plans for Leighton Live, a one-off 10,000 cap festival at the Leighton Hall Estate, Carnforth (June 3-5).

The latter will be sponsored by Booths, the Northern supermarket chain, which will celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2022.

John Gill, head of marketing and trading at Booths, said: “We are so pleased to sponsor Leighton Live festival this year in conjunction with our 175th anniversary celebrations.

Supporting local events and producers is a key part of our brand, so we hope the festival will be a huge success and drive trade for the surrounding businesses after such a tough couple of years.”

On a different note, moving away from live events and festivals, UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, believes that exhibitions and business events will bounce back quickly, and recovery is accelerating.

When asked what elements would most help towards the “bounce-back” of exhibitions, seven in ten companies said lifting of current travel restrictions, while five in ten said readiness of exhibiting companies and visitors to participate again. The UK Government has lifted travel restrictions and confidence is returning. A fact demonstrated by a growing number of events reporting that they have sold out of tickets and hospitality options.

Kai Hattendorf, managing director and CEO at UFI, said: “The sun is finally rising at the end of a long, dark pandemic. The perspectives for 2022 are brighter and continue to improve quickly. As the industry bounces back, the key issues now facing companies are around internal management issues and the impact of digitisation. As the value of physical events is constantly reinforced, we are well on track to achieve pre-pandemic levels of activity.”

NEWS IN BRIEF What holds women back from speaking at events? Time pressures?

Fear of looking silly or being considered not good enough? Broadsword’s Diane Carters, client services manager, has written a great blog on the topic and discusses presentation skills, nerves, confidence, and empowerment.

Broadwick Live has launched Dockyards, a new open-air “cultural destination” that will host a year-round programme of events.

ICC Wales has published a report, which provides an in-depth analysis of the UK Government’s proposed Protect Duty legislation (Martyn’s Law) and its potential impact on the events sector.

Wireless Festival is returning to Birmingham for the first time since 2014. On July 8-10, five of the NEC’s car parks will be transformed and host Wireless Festival 2022.

Travis Scott has launched HEAL, a $5m safety project following the Astroworld tragedy. HEAL will address safety challenges for large-scale events and will focus on new tech and innovation to develop a new safety and security blueprint for events and festivals.

Global experiential advertising agency Momentum Worldwide has formed the first global partnership with isla, the event industry’s sustainability body, to roll out TRACE, a real-time carbon impact tool.

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EVENT TENDERS AND CONTRACTS BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS

Pitch and win Looking for new business opportunities?

Discover the latest event tenders and contract wins

Worcester City Council has issued a tender for medical services for the Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre. The deadline for the three-year contract is 12pm on April 7. Email procurement@worcester.gov.uk Triggerstuff has issued two tenders for PoliNations – one for event lighting and one for event sound. Both tenders are divided into lots, as PoliNations will take place on two sites, Edinburgh and Birmingham. The deadline for the lighting tender is 5pm on April 8 and the deadline for the sound tender is 5pm on April 6. Email procurement@triggerstuff.co.uk The organiser of Burghley Horse Trials has appointed Freemans Event Partners as the new sole provider of public catering services at the four-day equestrian event.

Towersey Festival has bolstered its stage production and event management team. One Big Star has been a supplier of Towersey for several years but will take over the stage production in full in 2022. Engine No 4 will take over the running of the site and site operations for the live event.

Innovate UK is chairing the 2022 Taftie Presidency and is responsible for delivering a series of events over the course of the year to bring the members of the cohort together.

Therefore, Innovate UK has issued a tender for event production services. The tender is worth £80,000. The deadline is 12pm on April 10. Email to kyra.allen@ktn-uk.org FGH Security has been appointed as an official stewarding provider for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL © PA

Going for Gold

A full capacity crowd returned to Cheltenham Racecourse for Cheltenham Festival. Stand Out caught up with The Jockey Club’s David Mackinnon, head of operations, as he prepared to welcome thousands of race fans ahead of Gold Cup Day two weeks to go before The W ith Jockey Club welcomes capacity

crowds to Cheltenham Racecourse, David Mackinnon is taking a rare breather. He has just finished an important handover meeting with one of Cheltenham Festival’s key suppliers before he settles to talk to Stand Out. It’s been two years since our last chat about the renowned jump meeting.

The 2021 event took place behind closed doors, but with the end of COVID restrictions, anticipation and excitement for four days of world-class jump racing is ramping up.

“There’s certainly an appetite for racing,” says Mackinnon, as he steps inside from a cold site. “The 2021 event took place behind closed doors so it’s fantastic to know that spectators are coming back. We have sold out of tickets for the Thursday and Friday, which we’ve never done before, and so we’re looking forward to giving our guests the best possible experience.”

SITE CHANGES

Layouts within temporary structures have been adapted to “suit customer demand”, a new restaurant will serve guests with food sourced within a 60-mile radius of the racecourse, and the Best Mate Enclosure has had a revamp too. Mackinnon explains: “The Best Mate Enclosure is a 110-metre structure with a cellar at one end and toilets at the other. We looked at the site and realised that where the toilets were had a great view of the back straight and Cleeve Hill. So, for 2022, the entry-level enclosure has a new layout, and I am sure that our guests will love the new look.

“Also, we’ve improved facilities for our riders. We’ve added more temporary facilities for our jockeys. We made changes in 2021 and gave them more space to change and so we’ve kept those improvements and we’ve increased the amount of accommodation on site for stable staff too.”

HUGE IMPACT

All these changes make the festival a better experience for everyone involved.

It has resulted in huge demand for tickets, as customer confidence returns.

In fact, record ticket sales resulted in all general admission enclosures for Gold Cup Day at the Cheltenham Festival selling out before the end of January.

Plus, there has been a surge in private individuals buying hospitality packages for the jump racing event.

However, Cheltenham Festival’s The Park – an entertainment and hospitality area introduced in 2020 and aimed at a younger demographic – has been removed. “We took a view that you can define an experience in year two. We didn’t build The Park in 2021, as we took place behind closed doors, so The Park has taken a pause.”

But that hasn’t stopped Mackinnon and his team – Jon Pullin, head of racing, and Gemma Steve, with responsibility for building facilities and infrastructure – from pulling out all the stops.

“Gemma is a new member of the team, and she has made a huge impact already,” Mackinnon adds. “She is looking after our facilities and the presentation of our buildings.”

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CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL

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CROWDS RETURN TO RACING

© PA

BUILD SCHEDULE

The build has not been without its challenges, says Mackinnon. Storm Dudley, Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin impacted on the build. Contractors had to stop work on site as winds raged through the course.

Thankfully, the Cheltenham Festival team had early on taken the decision to change the build programme. Arena started building structures on site three weeks earlier than usual so that structures could be handed over to the fit-out team sooner.

This worked perfectly, as the storms stopped play. It meant that the build did not run behind schedule and crews had extra time. Mackinnon acknowledges that it

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means that crews have been on site longer, but it has enabled the organising team to ride out any issues that came along.

“We’re fortunate to be the first major event of the season,” Mackinnon comments. He acknowledges the supply chain challenges that many other organisers are experiencing. “The supply chain is a challenge. I’d hate to be setting up a new event in the middle of summer.”

GREAT EXCITEMENT

Cheltenham Festival is a monster. It features more than 40,000 square metres of temporary structures – the build begins in September with a major push in November

and January. Mackinnon continues: “It’s been great to welcome back our suppliers to site.

They are part of our family and we have missed each other. Also, in the last two years, we have welcomed new team members on board, as you’d expect in a two-year period, so it’s nice for them to finally meet all our suppliers, and there’s great excitement for them to see the festival in the flesh.

“We’re all really excited to be welcoming guests back to Cheltenham Festival, to see capacity crowds and to give our guests a fantastic customer experience. We have the best jump racing in the world and the best crowds and together they make Cheltenham a very special venue,” Mackinnon concludes.

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GREENBELT

Green shoots Greenbelt 2022 will feature a few site changes.

Greenbelt’s Derek Hill, managing director, and Jess Jones, event manager, reveal all

T

his year, Greenbelt finds itself in a similar boat to many other promoters and organisers because when the festival opens it gates in August, it will have been three years since the organising team last said hello to a full capacity crowd.

Like other festival organisers, Greenbelt went digital in 2020 and in 2021, it organised Prospect Farm, a small “paired back” event/ camping experience. These projects kept Greenbelt ticking over. The festival would not be here if it wasn’t for the generosity and good will of its loyal audience that rolled over tickets and donated money to ensure the festival survived.

“We’ve been fortunate,” explained Derek Hill, managing director of Greenbelt, who recognises the different landscape in which Greenbelt now operates. “There’s definitely a different feel. Most of the tickets that we sold for Greenbelt 2020 were rolled over and lots of people donated money. Their generosity saw us through.”

LEARNING THE ROPES

Ticket sales for the four-day festival are “well ahead” of where the festival team

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would normally be, which is great because Greenbelt is “not driven by music”. The 12,000-capacity festival celebrates arts, faith and justice and relies on hundreds of volunteers. In fact, Jess Jones, Greenbelt’s new events manager, used to volunteer at the festival.

“I’ve worked in events for 10 years, working on student events and Freshers Balls, but this is my first time working in a festival environment,” she said.

Jones joined Greenbelt in January.

She is fast learning the ropes and has picked up the baton from Mary Corfield, Greenbelt’s previous event director, who left the organisation in 2021.

Jones and Hill are working hard alongside Judgeday, the event management and festival production specialist, to implement several production and site changes that will greet festivalgoers when they attend from August 26-29.

SITE CHANGES

Beckie Parsons, lead production manager, Chris Hayter, technical production manager, Charlotte Constance-Gooding, production co-

ordinator, and Matt Stone, health and safety officer, are currently planning the festival site and securing suppliers.

The 2022 event will see a few changes.

For example, Greenbelt is reducing the number of big tops it uses on site and is instead looking to use a 16-metre stage with a domed roof. The open-air stage will change the site layout, giving Greenbelt a different look and feel and there will be more room for festivalgoers, making the site more “comfortable”.

Jones said: “The change to an openair stage will be a big one. The big top was great, but on a few occasions, it was rammed. In the daytime, it could be quieter, but we don’t want people to feel that they can’t go in and check out what’s happening. With the open-air stage, we’ll be able to control the sound better and there’ll be less sound bleed.”

And it’s not the only stage change.

A new stage in the woods, The Rebel Rouser stage, will also feature. It is aimed at 18-25-year-olds and will encourage festivalgoers to explore different areas of the Boughton Estate. Plus, there will be a new alcohol-free bar called The Hope

GREENBELT

and Anchor – it is hoped that this will be a “destination point” in the evening – and the Greenbelt team has also developed the festival’s camping offer and travel options.

Jones explained further: “We provide a shuttle bus from Kettering Railway Station and we’re making it free to use. It’s a cost to us but we hope it will encourage more people to use public transport and it will help to reduce our carbon footprint. Also, we’ve expanded our glamping and pre-pitched glamping offer. We’re trialling group camping.

We’ve identified an area of our site, which is suitable for church groups and youth groups, where people can pitch their tents and campervans.”

SAFE AND HAPPY

Both Hill and Jones admit that they have experienced supply chain issues. For instance, finding marquees has been hard. But they have found new suppliers to work with too – such as Kaboodle, a new box office provider – and the Greenbelt team continue to look at sustainability measures.

“A massive proportion of our vehicles on site will be electric,” Jones continued. “For example, the production team will use electric bikes.”

The electric buggies were trialled at Prospect Farm, confirmed Parsons, who said they worked well “if you remember to charge them overnight”.

Hill added: “We’re committed to sustainability and accessibility. Whilst we haven’t had a fully-fledged festival since 2019, our commitments remain the same. We’re welcoming of anyone, despite what is happening now and what has happened in the last two years. We want people to be safe and happy at Greenbelt and we can’t wait to open our gates and welcome our audience back.”

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VICTORIOUS FESTIVAL

Leading the field For the last nine years, Victorious Festival has welcomed thousands of festivalgoers through its gates, but now, as the festival prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary, what have the festival’s cofounders learned? Andy Marsh and James Ralls reveal all Victorious Festival launched in 2013, it pitched itself as a “super affordable” festival, W hen with reasonably priced tickets and a family-friendly blend of entertainment. Since its

inception, Victorious Festival has grown significantly, and despite rising costs, it continues to remain inclusive and accessible. The festival’s founders remain proud of this fact; a fact bolstered

by Victorious’ £53,600 contribution in 2021 to charitable causes across Portsmouth.

© Tom Langford

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VICTORIOUS FESTIVAL This figure was revealed in February when Victorious Festival also announced that the festival’s outing in 2021 had contributed £15,525,675 to the Portsmouth economy. An economic impact study found that Victorious contributed around £2 million more than the 2019 festival. In fact, a visitor’s average daily spend increased to £146.67 with local businesses benefiting from visiting festivalgoers and local and loyal fans.

The Victorious team actively looks for new ways to support local businesses, and this year it has announced a new area at the festival called Neighbourhood Eats, which will showcase local independent caterers and pop-ups. It will offer subsidised pitches to help local businesses make the most of the festival trading opportunity on their doorstep.

James Ralls, managing director and cofounder of Victorious Festival, commented that the three-day event is proud to be part of the Portsmouth community and wants to leverage the festival to help the local area and economy.

CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE

Victorious Festival is lucky. Unlike other organisers, the festival team managed to “put on a show” last year with no capacity restrictions.

The team used more open-air stages, created different queueing systems, added extra delay towers, and installed larger screens so that people at the back could see and hear the action and the audience could spread out more. The moves worked.

“Our changes worked well,” explained Andy Marsh, festival director and co-founder of Victorious. “People are investing in us because we managed to pull off a show last year and if we managed to do it last year, with COVID, then we can do it again this year.

“It’s looking like we will sell out,” he continued. “We’re 40 per cent ahead of where we’d normally be, compared to 2019.

Consumers have got their confidence back.”

BUILDING TRUST

Over the last ten years, Victorious has evolved into a “weekend event”. Conscious decisions have been taken around programming and planning. For example, at this year’s event, Primal Scream will open the event on August 26 with a set at 1pm. Adding “more” to the line-up is merely a reaction. “The customers are

dictating how we look at the festival and what we do,” Marsh said. “That’s what we’ve learned in the last ten years; we don’t do or try anything unless we’re led by our customers.”

He continued: “I was talking to the team at Boardmasters two nights’ ago and we were talking about how you want everything to happen now. They said it’s taken them 20 years to get where they want to be, and it’s the same for us. It takes years to build trust. You can’t rush it and you need to take your time.”

Ralls echoes Marsh’s comments on trust.

He talks of close-knit supplier and freelancer relationships. Costs have gone up, but the Victorious team is not concerned. Crew and staff are booked for the event [August 26-28] and lessons in “resilience” learned in 2021 are also being applied to 2022.

“In 2021, each member of staff shadowed one or two other roles so if someone went down with COVID, we had cover,” said Ralls.

“Before, if one or two people got run over, so to speak, we were OK but now four or five people could get run over and we’d be fine.”

MAINTAIN RELEVANCE

Terri Ralls, head of procurement and budgeting at Victorious Festival, explained that she and the team are ahead with planning and that it’s nice to drill down into detail with contractors.

She said: “It’s bloody brilliant to plough ahead, knowing that the festival is on and that there’s certainty. Last year, we didn’t know that we were definitely going ahead until six weeks out.

This year feels like it’s going to be brilliant. Lots of lovely customers are starting to get to grips with what we’ve created, and they trust us.”

One of the big changes for 2022 is the doubling in size of the Victorious Festival campsite. Also, some areas of the festival will be “card only”, as there has been noticeable decline in the amount of cash being spent on site. Plus, there’ll be more loos, more showers, more of “everything”, and, Tiffany Gaskell, head of operations and infrastructure, is trying to make Victorious as green as possible.

But more importantly, Victorious is trying to maintain its relevance; ensuring extra spend on infrastructure is balanced by extra spend on the line-up, giving customers the best experience possible in terms of facilities and entertainment.

“We need to have another good year and make it perfect for the punters,” Ralls concluded.

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VIEWPOINT

24 carrot experiences Consumers are now more willing to share their data, so what can organisers do to make their event experience better? Caroline McGuckian, CEO of Meshh, talks customer satisfaction, data collection, and err, carrots

A

s the live events industry emerges from the carnage wreaked by the pandemic, let’s not sugar coat things, it was a terrible time for everyone whose businesses orientated towards live. We now need to be aware that as far as the public and collecting personal data is concerned, there is a “new normal” and we cannot revert back.

So, let’s unpack that statement. Before the pandemic, we had a population partially tuned in to how data is collected, stored, and used – the rest remained unaware or disengaged with the process. Something this quote from a Which? survey, prior to the introduction of GDPR in May 2018, highlights: “Data-dependent technology has become fully integrated into society and has a transformative effect on people’s lives. However, whilst technology is at the forefront of people’s minds, consumer data is not”. Data awareness was dependent upon several factors but largely it was of less importance to consumers.

Enter COVID-19 and the need for the public to participate in the mass sharing of data for the greater good. Suddenly, more people became aware of data collection because we were interacting with various apps and systems daily – checking in and out of buildings, logging, and reporting

We need to be completely honest with consumers about why we are collecting their data and we need to clearly demonstrate the benefit of sharing that information as an improvement to their experience test results. Data collection and reporting was seldom out of the media spotlight.

We became accustomed to sharing data and using QR codes through the NHS app because there was a societal need. The pandemic provided validation because we could see a clear and obvious benefit. This triggered a greater degree of awareness and interest in who was collecting data, why, and what they could do with it as the implications moved up the consumers’ agenda.

Before the pandemic, brands collected data for their own purposes: To better understand consumer behaviour, to look for market trends and to identify potential customers to market their products and services. The benefit sat almost entirely with the brands. It could be argued that the consumer benefitted from access to targeted products, but it was the brands that had the advantage.

Post-pandemic, we have a more tech and data-savvy public. We also have a public that, for the moment, remains willing to share their data if there is an obvious benefit. Let’s be clear, no one ever woke up in the morning and thought, “I need to share my data with someone so they can send me more marketing bumf!” Whatever the benefit may be, it needs to be an enhanced experience for the consumer.

This means that when we are collecting data, passively or actively, personalised, or anonymous, we must be clear that the result will be a better experience for the individual/consumer involved.

But what does that mean for the live events industry in 2022 and beyond? It means that we need to be completely honest and open with consumers about why we are collecting their data and, most importantly, we need to clearly demonstrate the benefit of sharing that information as an improvement to their experience. We need to find a new and relevant “greater good”. It could be something as simple as the easing of the flow of an audience by measuring crowd dynamics, delaying the start of sessions until people have gained entry, increasing staffing to reduce queues at concessions, anything that improves the experience of the individual. With improved experience comes improved satisfaction and that can have a positive effect on behaviours such as participation, spending, engagement with sponsors... the list rolls on.

We must not forget the lessons learned and build data collection using carrots not sticks, putting an end to “no tick, no get”, and by using good quality carrots. And by carrots, I mean experiences.

www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 23

UNBOXED

© Lesley Martin/Justin Sutcliffe

24 n www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

UNBOXED

Box of tricks About Us – a 25-minute show, featuring light, music, and projection – kickstarted UNBOXED, the anticipated UK-wide programme of live events and digital projects that celebrates STEM subjects and the arts

Everyone involved in making UNBOXED happen has been compelled to think about what is most important to all our futures

www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 25

UNBOXED

U

NBOXED: Creativity in the UK, a UKwide festival that runs until October, has launched in Scotland with a large-scale public event at Paisley Abbey. Created by 59 Productions, About Us is the first of ten major multi-site and digital creative projects commissioned as part of a free UK-wide programme that explores ideas around science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths.

About Us, which will also visit Derry/ Londonderry, Caernarfon, Luton, and Hull, takes audiences on a journey through 13.8 billion years of history from the Big Bang to the present day. It combines live performance with multimedia installations, animation, poetry, and music, mesmerising audiences in a 25-minute show, which is repeated throughout the evening.

Martin Green, chief creative officer of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, said: “About Us is the first of UNBOXED’s ten awe-inspiring major projects given life through creative collaboration across all sectors. As a result, they have created truly extraordinary audience experiences that will demonstrate the power of creativity and how important it will be to the way we work, live, learn, and play in the future.

“About Us dramatically touches on themes seen across all the UNBOXED projects, from mankind’s relationship with nature, responsibility for the environment and future possibilities for planet Earth to how people understand and interact with each other as individuals and communities. Everyone involved in making UNBOXED happen has been compelled to think about what is most important to all our futures and manifest this in projects designed to be fun and exciting, that will bring people together across the UK this year and provide inspiration for many years to come.”

About Us runs for a week in each location, with multimedia installations open throughout the day and multiple free performances every evening.

The show transforms buildings and landmarks into a vast canvas featuring bespoke animations, projection mapping, and a score by composer Nitin Sawhney performed by local choirs.

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COUNTY SHOWS Image: © Richard Walker/Yorkshire Agricultural Society

Show time

County show organisers discuss their event plans for 2022

I

n 2021, the Great Yorkshire Show tweaked its opening hours and crowd capacities to meet COVID restrictions and strict criteria set by North Yorkshire County Council Public Health and Harrogate Borough Council. The county show attracts more than 130,000 people each year and like so many shows, contributes millions to the local economy; it was important that the event went ahead.

Twelve months on, and those tweaks were so successful that the Great Yorkshire Show has vowed to keep the changes, extending the show to four days, reducing opening hours by three hours each day, and putting a cap on crowd numbers.

The pandemic forced the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, organiser of the Great Yorkshire Show, to change its operations and push a reset button.

Mark Stoddart, financial controller at Yorkshire Agricultural Society, explained: “In 2021, the show ran across four days and it’s a move that we’re sticking with. Historically, we have had 40,00045,000 people through our gates each day, but we’ll be restricting numbers and if we sell out, we can expect to welcome 135,000 to 140,000 people to the Great Yorkshire Show.

“In 2021, we reduced our opening hours. We used to open the gates at

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7.30am and run until 7.30pm. We changed that and ran from 8am until 6pm and it made things easier for everyone. A 12hour shift for staff and traders is hard so the reduction in hours took the edge off and it’s a move we’re going to keep.”

This move saves money. A three-hour reduction in opening hours means a small reduction in staffing costs. However, as a money man, Stoddart has an eye on the figures. He said: “The cost of staff will be a big issue – security staff, gate staff, catering staff and those managing traffic.

The national minimum wage is going up by 6.2 per cent so there’s pressure on the bottom line.”

But there’s also pressure on the supply chain. Stoddart confirmed that the show is struggling to source toilets, shower blocks, and grandstand seating but it’s an issue he and his team are determined to get round.

DIESEL BAN REVERSED

Paul Hooper, secretary of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), echoed Stoddart’s concerns regarding contractors and the supply chain. “There are issues with contractors, suppliers, and staffing but in general, things are positive. Momentum is definitely building.”

Hooper is celebrating. The association successfully appealed against the Government’s ban on red diesel.

Agricultural showgrounds and agricultural showground activities are now exempt from the red diesel ban, and the decision has also been reversed on ploughing matches.

Some organisers have breathed a sigh of relief, as the upcoming ban on red diesel would have meant cost increases.

NEW APPROACH

Denis Dooley, chief executive at the New Forest Agricultural Show Society, organiser of The New Forest and Hampshire County Show, confirmed that costs are increasing.

He said: “The costs of running the show have gone up. We’ve been able to cut back in some areas and we’ve gone up in others, and we’ve pre-empted a fall in trade stands.

“We have also renegotiated some of our contracts. Most contractors have kept their prices similar, but I have found that it has been important to work together, as a team.”

The New Forest and Hampshire County Show has not taken place since 2019. As a result, Dooley and his team have had several years to think about the direction of the show.

Dooley and the show team are taking a more interactive and educational approach, giving visitors the opportunity to learn through activities and take away an experience.

www.asao.co.uk n 29

COUNTY SHOWS Image: © Richard Walker/Yorkshire Agricultural Society

COMMON FEAR

Tech Events, Qdos, Power Logistics, John M Carter, and Enhanced Care Services are providing equipment and services to The New Forest and Hampshire County Show, which will welcome 85,000 people on site from July 26-28. Dooley, however, is still looking for waste contractors, litter pickers and toilet cleaning services, and he is looking forward to running a show that is “as close to normal as possible”.

He continued: “The whole experience of the last two years has brought agricultural shows closer together because we had a common fear.

Collaboration has shown that we can do more, and the pandemic has brought us all closer together.”

Hooper agrees. The ASAO is forging ahead with new Learning Days that encourage agricultural show organisers to share knowledge and best practice. This is vital if county show organisers wish to recover strongly following a two-year hiatus.

BACK TO NORMAL

The Usk Show, Monmouthshire, a oneday show, was one of the few agricultural events to take place in the UK last year and it was the only agricultural show to be open to the public in Wales.

Nia Osborne, event manager and show secretary, explained that the event falls late in the show calendar (September 10).

Hence, in 2021, many restrictions had been lifted by the time the event took place.

30 n www.asao.co.uk

“We made changes to our show last year,” commented Osborne. “We tweaked the site layout and spread things out, we gave each of our food traders a gazebo so the food hall felt more like a food market, and we adopted a one-way system within our marquees, which may stay for 2022.”

She continued: “But we also had a big problem with traffic. We run a park and ride system but with COVID restrictions, it wasn’t viable to run it. We ran a shuttle bus from the town centre, but it was not used because there was a lot of nervousness around public transport. People travelled to the show in their cars, and this had a huge knock-on effect. As a result, we’re putting in additional park and ride facilities, in various directions, so that it relieves the pressure on some routes and we’re using our e-tickets to

encourage people to turn off their SatNav and follow directional signage.”

Usk Show works with Chevron Traffic Management, Prestige Toilet Hire, Smiths Waste Management, and Fedwen Marquees. Osborne confirmed that she has a good relationship with the show’s supply chain and hopes that 2022 will see a return to “normality”.

“I hope there are less restrictions and less hoops to jump through,” she concluded.

Stoddart agreed and said: “We were lucky because we were able to run our show in 2021 on a semi-normal basis. It will be nicer to go back to an even greater sense of normal and after listening to customer feedback, the changes we have made will make the visitor experience so much better.”

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WATER

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Go with the flow Organisers are looking to build greater resilience into their temporary water supply. Here, industry water experts discuss the current marketplace are not messing around,” O rganisers says Bill Wootten, managing

director of Liquiline, the temporary water supply and bulk water provider. Wootten is talking to Stand Out and explaining the current feeling within the marketplace and trends impacting the events industry.

“Many organisers have been quick to say, ‘Yes’ to our quotes for temporary water solutions and have then said, ‘Here’s the purchase order number’. It’s great because we can get on with planning.”

Rigorous planning has always been an essential element of complex event design and management, but events professionals will need to pay special attention this year.

The greatest logistical brains will be needed to manage the sheer volume of work that event suppliers are undertaking to satisfy all client demands and requirements.

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SUPPLIER CONCERNS

Like many other suppliers within the events industry, temporary water providers are feeling the pressure; they are drowning in queries from event and festival organisers, but they are also fielding calls from organisers that are concerned about whether their incumbent contractors will be able to fulfil contracts.

“We have received quite a few calls from our clients, double-checking that we can do their event. They ask: ‘Are you going to be able to do it?’ They have concerns because some of their other suppliers have called them and let them down.”

Some organisers have rolled over shows from 2020 and rescheduled events. It means there are date clashes in the marketplace. Hence, organisers are nervous about availability.

As a result, organisers of large-scale events are placing orders and paying deposits earlier than normal. For Wootten, this is a good thing. He can plan water systems and workload, ensure resources are in place, and he knows what resources he can stretch and by how much. For example, Liquiline has pockets of availability in June and August, but the business has no capacity to take on any new events in July.

EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Hans Verhoeven, managing director of MTD, concurred. The events industry has changed in the last 24 months and there are pressures on the sector. Verhoeven comments: “This year will be an important year to watch. There is a shortage on many commodities, due to low investment years, and a growing demand for equipment.

“Organisers are facing lower and reduced budgets and suppliers must increase their budgets because everything has become more expensive. So, there is a clash, and we must find compromises with our customers every day. Secondly, there is a pressure on labour and freelancers.

www.liquiline.co.uk n 33

WATER LIQUILINE

“From a customer point of view, we see a couple of trends. Our customers are consolidating and becoming bigger. These big festival organisers want to close big package deals against lower prices. That means that we as supplier must have an efficient organisation and grow as well to keep supporting our customers and we must open more depots in the UK.” Verhoeven continues: “Customers are also implementing sustainability objectives.

This is a very good initiative because we must take care of the climate and water is an important commodity. Everybody must understand that the world is growing in population and the volume of drinking water that we have today will not increase.

So, we must work on products to reduce the drinking water intake.”

INVESTMENT

Verhoeven says that MTD can help customers with filtration, reusing toilet black water as flushing water for toilets and reusing grey water from showers. This saves drinking water and energy. Furthermore, MTD has a CO2 calculator, and can calculate how much CO2 it uses for the delivery of its products and services, and it has also developed a real-time monitoring system, which enables a customer to see how much water it has used and at what time. The real-time monitoring system is

34 n www.liquiline.co.uk

beneficial as organisers can use the data to design a more economic and sustainable infrastructure system for the following year.

This is incredibly advantageous as several organisers look to develop their water systems on site.

Liquiline is investing in similar water meter technology that measures water usage and provides organisers with data.

“People want to see where water is being used,” adds Wootten.

Shambala Festival, for example, has contracted Liquiline this year. Wootten and his team will remap the entire water system and digitise it, displaying the underlying system in more detail and put in new permanent infrastructure so that Shambala can draw all its water from a mains supply.

Chris Johnson, director of Shambala, explains: “In 2019, we were informed by our local authority that there was a threat to our water supply because a local reservoir had low levels due to unknown reasons.

There was a possibility that our water supply could have been cut off. This would have meant a fortune in tankering.”

Johnson says that he is looking forward to working with Liquiline. Wootten believes that putting in new connections will give customers a better experience. What’s more, Wootten says that it makes sense for organisers to invest in the long-term future of their event and whilst such a new system

will mean less pipe work for any temporary water provider, it does make life easier for any plumbing contractor.

GROWTH AND RESILIENCE

This season, Liquiline will be working on site at TruckFest, NASS, Cereals, Royal International Air Tattoo, Brighton Pride, and Boardmasters, which also wishes to put more pipework in the ground to create greater resilience.

Currently, there is a lot of pressure from water networks for organisers to install more pipe in the ground. This helps to avoid thermal gain in the pipework, as the hotter water gets, the quicker the quality of the water deteriorates.

Wootten, who joined Liquiline in September, concludes: “We have 80 projects between May and September. I want to grow the business. I am employing more project coordinators to have closer relationships with customers. We want good plumbers, we want to make plans, and we want to build relationships.”

Liquiline has recently invested in OnePlan software to help the company with more efficient site and water management plans and planning, so that organisers can be shown pipe routes and monitoring points, and the business has also invested in new six tap units, as well as new frontage for Liquiline’s eight tap units.

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EVENT CROWD

ONLINE LEARNING CONTENT – REAL EXPERTS IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA

The right crowd

DODGE WOODALL

Event Crowd’s Dodge Woodall and Craig Mathie explain why they hope their new online event course will transform the future of events and embolden the next generation of events professionals need people now,” says Dodge W eWoodall, founder of Bournemouth

7s festival. Woodall is chatting to Stand Out and explaining the rationale behind Event Crowd, a new diploma course that is designed to introduce young people to the world of events and train them to become the next generation of events professionals.

“So many people left the industry when COVID struck, and lots of companies got rid of good people,” explains Woodall. “I created Event Crowd because our industry needed a way to fast track people into the events sector because our industry is on its knees.”

Woodall is open and honest when talking about his new venture and his passion for the sector, and business, is abundant. He believes that there are 500,000 jobs waiting to be created in 2022 but the events industry can’t wait three years for fresh new talent.

36 n www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

The Event Crowd Diploma is his answer to the resource crisis that our industry faces.

It is a course, recognised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and is comprised of six modules and 120 hours of learning; 40 events professionals, all experts in their own field, have shared their knowledge on topics including event planning, operations, project and budget management, sustainability, welfare, supplier management, event control, and event marketing.

Woodall continues: “We can’t wait three years for people to leave university. We have a bunch of young people who haven’t been able to physically attend university for the last two years. Kids don’t want to go to university and come out with £50,000 of debt hanging round their necks to get a job with an entry level salary. Event Crowd will teach them everything they need to know, from all angles, and fast track people into our amazing industry.”

OPENING DOORS

Event Crowd has been almost two years in the making. When COVID-19 forced Woodall to cancel Bournemouth 7s in 2020, he began looking for a new idea. He and his team have spent the last two years working solidly on the new diploma and now “it feels lovely to get it out to market”.

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EVENT CROWD

they have a greater understanding of the broader picture and how all aspects of the events industry works.

“We know that there are good event degrees out there, but we’ve tried to bring together 40 leading events professionals to discuss from day one what it’s actually like to work in events,” comments Craig Mathie, group managing director of Event Crowd. “We want to embolden young people and strengthen their knowledge so that they are an asset to the events industry moving forward.

“COVID decimated a workforce, and we believe that there’s a real problem on the horizon. There’s not enough people in the market to support organisers and as we, hopefully, enter a hedonistic decade of partying and live events, the events industry will need that next generation of industry staff.”

INDUSTRY STANDARD

120 HOURS OF LEARNING CONTENT IS AVAILABLE “I want to show young people that you don’t need to go to university to get ahead,” Woodall adds. “I want people to come into the industry that I love. The events industry is a strong community, but young people don’t see events when they do their exams and A Levels. Lots of people just stumble across events and fall into their jobs. I don’t want people to stumble across the events world. I want the next generation of events professionals to come through and I want to open doors for people, and I wouldn’t have invested two years into this project if I didn’t believe in our industry.”

38 n www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

EMBOLDEN YOUNG PEOPLE

Event Crowd is inclusive; there are no exams to sit, no previous qualifications are needed, and students have the option to spread the cost of their training over 12 monthly payments. Anyone taking part in the course can also choose the pace at which they learn. If someone gave the course their full attention, it could be done in four weeks. Or you could choose to complete the course over three months, six months, nine months, or a year. What’s more, event suppliers can also put their employees through the course so that

According to Mathie, the online learning course will bring the next generation of events professionals “to a standard” and will provide them with an understanding of what real life events work is like, from the start. At the end of the course, students produce an event management plan that broadly covers all aspects of event delivery. It is assessed and must “be of a certain level”. Participants also come away with a heap of templates and “assets” that they can use as they progress through their events career.

“I’m proud of the fact that Event Crowd is being delivered by people who are delivering live events now,” adds Mathie. “Some students leave university not knowing what The Purple Guide is or an event safety plan. I want to keep developing Event Crowd and keep evolving it, bringing new experts in all the time, and I hope Event Crowd becomes something of an industry standard.”

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www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 39 20/09/2021 12:36:24

NEWS LIVE LIFE LESSONS

Read all about it Understanding what your customers want is of paramount importance.

News Live’s Natasha Banjo and David McLean discuss the power of content and the future of News UK’s new events division

you’re in charge of W hen organising more than

200 events for a major media player, and you have great content at your disposal, is your job easier or harder? Is the pressure to create a successful event more intense? And is there such a thing as having too much great content? What do you choose to use, and which ideas do you park?

This very scenario is one faced by Natasha Banjo and David McLean, who have been instrumental in the launch of News Live, News UK’s new events division. Banjo, director of operations at News Live, oversees a significant events portfolio and is responsible for bringing events to life for several digital, print and broadcast brands that are owned by News UK, including The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, talkSport, and Virgin Radio.

Alongside her colleague, David McLean, News Live’s managing director, Banjo oversees the operational output and strategy of the new events business, generating commercial revenues and supporting key brand objectives.

WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT

News Live launched during the pandemic, in September 2021.

It inherited events such as RunFestRun and Life Lessons, which it has brought in-house, relinquishing News UK’s relationship with Brand Events.

It also has plans to launch events in the coming months.

McLean explained: “We like to look and see what things we can do that make a difference to our readers and our visitors. Putting a new lens on and looking at our events closely opens new content opportunities.

“Take RunFestRun, for example. We have to look at it and think what that event looks like for The Times audience and what does it look like for The Sun audience,” McLean said.

“It’s important to understand what customers want.”

Banjo concurred. News UK has “amazing brands, content and journalists” that can be leveraged.

Loyal readers and listeners are crying out for new events, so it’s News Live’s aim to deliver.

FUN AND THE SUN

In fact, both Banjo and McLean are working on new events now, including an event that “embodies talkSport” and a concert series for Sun readers.

“We’re launching an event for talkSport listeners,” McLean explained. “It embodies talkSport and will take place next year. We have the concept and we’re not

releasing any details yet, but people will go ‘wow’.”

Banjo continued: “We’re also launching an event for Sun readers. People struggle to think of what a Sun event is. The Sun readers want fun.

“We conducted some reader research around music concerts and so we’re going to put on an 80s music concert.

We can offer our readers something slightly different as we have access to celeb talent and if the concert goes well then we will look to launch them across the country.”

PRIVILEGED POSITION

According to Banjo, metrics help the company to build content and commercial opportunities. She said it’s important to conduct research to safeguard new opportunities and it’s important that she picks the right things to do at the right time.

We like to look and see what things we can do that make a difference to our readers and our visitors.

Putting a new lens on and looking at our events closely opens new content opportunities 40 n www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

NEWS LIVE

NATASHA BANJO www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 41

NEWS LIVE

RUNFESTRUN Banjo has worked in the events industry for more than a decade and has been instrumental in the creation of events such as The Times CEO Summit and RunFestRun. The Times CEO Summit, for example, has strong threads that support editorial content. Therefore, it’s paramount that an event’s format is right for the brand, and it is crucial that event concepts are “joined up” and feel connected, driving efficiencies in time and costs.

McLean continued: “We’re in a privileged position because our business does not solely rely on revenue from events, but we do understand the pressures that other businesses face and we understand that consumers and customers are thinking about which events they should go to and which events they should spend their money on.”

PERFECT PARTNERS

The News Live team delivers more than 200 events a year across its portfolio in various formats, including conferences, award ceremonies, festivals, subscriber events and experiential activity.

RunFestRun, which takes place from May 20-22, is just one event in Banjo’s direct line of vision, as the running and music festival

fast approaches. Furthermore, the festival will take place at a new location – Englefield House, Berkshire.

“We have a new site for RunFestRun, which is really exciting,” commented Banjo.

“Last year, we ran the event alongside CarFest with Brand Events, but I think that confused the RunFestRun audience as to what we are. The running is first, and the music is secondary, and I think we’ll feel at home at Englefield.”

Banjo is working with Event Site Design and Rupert Bassadone’s Ops People to deliver the event and works with several suppliers who she considers to be “partners”.

GROWTH

2023 will be a key focus for News Live and a year of growth. According to McLean, 2024 will be an even bigger year for the brand. But what stands out about News Live?

“Our brands, our broadcasters, our uniqueness,” McLean concluded. “We have massive loyal audiences, and we have the ability to make those brands bigger. We can make an event longer than its dates, keeping audiences engaged and by working with our partners, we can bring new experiences to our audiences. That’s our USP.”

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VIEWPOINT

Bridging the Gap If there’s a major incident, is the casualty your first priority, or is preventing others from being hurt more important? Eric Stuart, director of Gentian Events, chair of the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association, and chair of the Global Crowd Management Alliance, talks

There seems to be an expectation that medical care will be provided by those already present, specifically the security and stewarding teams

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ir John Saunders has cast a broad net for the Arianna Grande bombing inquiry. He had to. Anything less would have been remiss and unacceptable to the families.

Just as we were winding down before Christmas, a request came through to the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA) from the Manchester Arena Inquiry (MAI) for a further statement.

This time, they wanted us to discuss the “Care Gap”, which is the period between the incident (be it a bomb, firearms, a stage collapse, or a crowd crush) and emergency responders arriving on the scene. In terms of terrorism or feared terrorism, that gap may be far longer, as it takes time to establish if a zone is “hot” and unsafe to enter. In France “RAID” teams, their national Counter Terror (CT) armed response units, have doctors embedded in them. In the UK, this is not the case. In fact, during the inquiry it was reported that UK CT teams do not support the idea.

Instead, and increasingly, there seems to be an expectation that medical care will be provided by those already present, specifically the security and stewarding teams. Let me be clear: I believe in basic life support training for all. I think it should be part of the national curriculum. I take every opportunity to refresh my own

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training and having used it on a family member, I can’t imagine not having the confidence to try to save a life.

Why then, on the face of it, does my statement to the MAI seem to oppose such a position? (As has recently been pointed out to me). Well, I don’t think it does. I’m just looking at the problem from a more holistic view.

Imagine a bomb has just gone off, or shots have just been heard and you are standing nearby wearing a hi-vis in the role of security, a steward, or as a volunteer.

Well, the first argument could be that as a civilian your priority is to Run, Hide and Tell. However, you decide to “do your duty” and stay to help. What is your priority? In every first aid course I have undertaken the pneumonic Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation (DRABC) has featured in some form or another. Priority one = danger! You do not give CPR to a man in a burning car, or a woman lying prone on the fast lane of an active motorway.

Is the casualty your first priority, or is preventing others from being hurt more important? Before this all went south you had a job. You had been briefed. Now it has all gone wrong, perhaps your next priority should be to prevent further casualties by supporting a safe evacuation.

A safe evacuation that does not lead to

crowd crushing, along routes that have been checked (perhaps by you) to ensure that the attack was not the first of several: a Bataclan attack or similar. Should you be checking for secondary devices, or secondary suspects before sending people along routes to a “place of relative safety”?

Yes, my initial submission to the inquiry also raised questions of insurance cover and training but fundamentally the question is one of priorities. Surely preventing further casualties should be a higher priority than caring for those already injured, or even dying? Yes, in an ideal world we should be able to do both but with only one pair of eyes, ears, arms, and legs, we need to accept our limitations. What can we as companies and individuals realistically expect from our teams?

I recall again the words of the late Sir Anthony Hidden QC from 1988, when talking of his findings at the independent inquiry into the Clapham Rail crash: “There is almost no human action or decision that cannot be made to look more flawed and less sensible in the misleading light of hindsight. It is essential that the critic should keep himself constantly aware of that fact.”

Wise words indeed. It is so easy to blame with hindsight.

VIEWPOINT © Unsplash/Jaanus Jagomägi

www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 45

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VIEWPOINT

What price security?

Are you assessing your security provision to align with Protect Duty legislation and who will bear any additional costs?

Lee Sharp, managing director of East of England Arena and Events Centre, talks

Every pound spent effectively on improving security, deterring attacks, minimising threats and mitigation planning will be repaid, in full, many times over

L

ike many venues around the country, we are aligning our security arrangements and protocols with the anticipated responsibilities that will be laid out in the Protect Duty legislation we are expecting later this year or early in 2023.

The Manchester Arena bombing compelled venues to re-evaluate their security from the ground up, and question certain assumptions about what constituted effective safety and security measures, and how they were carried out on the ground.

Venues need to look at these developments strategically in addition to ensuring alignment with the legislation when it is passed into law, as it’s unlikely that threats will decrease in number and severity – although the actual threat level may rise and fall.

The obvious reaction is to increase security, but as the Manchester Arena bombing illustrated with deadly precision, even with security and emergency services in place and on-site, things can still go terribly wrong.

As venues, we need to ensure our staff are trained and motivated in how to react if they see something that doesn’t look right, clear protocols to help interdict and deter attacks, and detailed planning to ensure a rapid and effective response to any security incident.

Chains of responsibility and communication need to be predefined and well-rehearsed so that every staff member knows when and who to contact about any security breach or concern.

We took the decision last year to appoint a head of security with counter terrorism and

venue security experience, and recruited Mark Smallwood to the post in November, ahead of the consultation report and inquiry findings. Mark has made several immediate changes to access control, traffic management and on-site security guarding, and has instituted an in-house training programme – called “be alert, not alarmed” – for all staff with no security training, to bring our whole workforce up to the same level of alertness and vigilance.

There is an equation to consider here. Historically, the unspoken assumption for almost every event was that it was safe.

Atrocities like the Manchester Arena bombing can shake that assumption, and attendance figures for all events will suffer, even internationally.

Preventing and mitigating future attacks may be an expensive proposition,

requiring an investment in people, training, and equipment. But how does that cost compare to the cost of a total collapse in customer confidence attending large events? It’s clear, even from this crude analysis, that every pound spent effectively on improving security, deterring attacks, minimising threats and mitigation planning will be repaid, in full, many times over.

The question is who will bear that cost today?

Whilst the finer details of the new legislation will have to wait until the publication of the Manchester Arena Inquiry and debates in Parliament, we’re confident of the broader shape it will take. Venues need to act now, if they have not already, to ensure their security provision is fully aligned with Protect Duty when it is passed into law.

www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 47

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CASHLESS

WEEZEVENT

End of cash?

COVID has had a dramatic impact on consumer payment behaviours. What impact will this have on events and festivals?

Cashless experts chat

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ontactless payments now account for 27 per cent of all payments and 83 per cent of people (regardless of age) now use contactless payment methods to pay for goods. These figures indicate a notable change in how people pay for items and services and highlight

Sponsored by Weezevent

the growing impact that COVID-19 and the pandemic has had on payment behaviours. The figures, released by UK Finance, detail the rise of contactless payments (27 per cent compared to seven per cent in 2017) and a reduction in cash usage. In fact, 2020 saw the number of

cash payments made in the UK fall by 35 per cent; however, cash remains the second most frequently used payment method behind debit cards.

CONSIDERATIONS

This season, several organisers have opted to change payment methods on their event and festival sites. Victorious Festival is trialling “card only” payments within a new area of the festival site, Splendour is working with traders to make card payments easier, increasing the number of PDQ machines on site and tweaking connectivity, and Boomtown is going fully cashless. But what’s the difference between contactless and cashless?

They are terms that are used interchangeably but they are not the same thing. A contactless payment uses RFID technology or near-field communication (NFC). For example, RFID tech can be found in a wristband, and if you use Apple Pay that is also an example of a contactless payment. Essentially, you tap and go.

Cashless payments are a little different but basically, they mean any kind of payment made without using cash. For instance, a bank transfer or a payment using a digital wallet.

According to Tappit, which has produced a cashless payments guide, there are important considerations that organisers need to mull over. For example, contactless payments are technically cashless payments, but not all cashless payments are contactless. Does this matter?

www.weezevent.com n 49

CASHLESS

GONE WILD TOTAL CONTROL

It is important to remember that contactless payments are processed through an open loop system because they are typically processed by a bank, a third party. Cashless payments differ; they are referred to as a “closed loop system”. Closed loop payments allow festivalgoers to pre-load funds into an account that is then linked to a payment device such as an RFID wristband or card.

But what’s more, if you chose to go down the contactless route, it is the banks and credit card companies that will receive all the valuable data. By going cashless, your cashless provider will be able to provide you with spending analysis, including spending habits, preferences, and patterns, says Tappit. That’s because a closed loop system enables an organiser to have to total control of their payment system.

DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

Weezevent, the online ticketing, registration, and cashless payment provider, operates a closed loop system. It is working with Boomtown, Standon Calling, and Snowbombing this year, but argues that a cashless payment system is nothing more than another “digital experience” to be experienced by festivalgoers.

“During COVID, we observed the dramatic rise of digital experiences,” says Grégor Einis, head of sales at Weezevent.

“People used click and collect services a lot more and learned to schedule meetings with an app. Our cashless system is nothing more than a digital

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experience and that makes the festival experience better.”

For instance, going cashless can physically reduce the size of a bar. Einis explains: “Having to queue at a bar is inconvenient, but cashless can get rid of queues. By going cashless you can physically reduce the size of a bar and the number of staff you employ, or you can keep it the same size and increase turnover.

“For example, we were working on a festival in Paris, and we monitored spend.

On the Saturday, 12,000 people attended the event and spent on average 12 euro per head. On the Sunday, 6,000 people attended the same event and spent 24 euro per head. The impact is not small.”

Einis argues that PDQs can kill an event.

For example, if you run a two-day show and the PDQ machines you have hired go down for half a day – because connectivity is lost – then you have effectively shut “your shop window for a quarter of the year”. PDQs must also be powered and connected, and lack of Wi-Fi can “kill your event”.

“A cashless system is speedier than a contactless system,” Einis continues. “A transaction is 30 per cent quicker when you don’t use your PIN and you can save up to 20 seconds on each transaction.”

CONFIDENCE

Organisers should roughly calculate the time that could be saved if a cashless system were to be deployed and then calculate the extra revenues that could be achieved at bars/concessions.

Olly Goddard, UK country manager at Weezevent, says: “.We have been working with Bear Grylls’ Gone Wild Festival in Devon. As a result of the data that we have compiled, the organiser has now completely changed their trader policies because they can see what’s going on onsite and where.”

According to Weezevent, 50 per cent of festivalgoers download a festival app so that they can access cashless top up services. But if you are unsure of how to encourage your attendees or communicate with them on the benefits of cashless systems and how to use them, there are several things you can do.

Weezevent outlines the benefits on its website, which contains a large collection of useful blogs that help you with communication strategies to encourage festivalgoers to use the cashless payment system, and not fear it.

Goddard adds: “When people need to top up their wristband at a festival, 90 per cent of festivalgoers top up through the festival website, so there’s no need to go to a top up bank. Festivalgoers have more trust in the system and are now more confident to put larger sums of money on to their wristband, rather than £20 at a time. Secure networks enable people to top up with confidence and QR codes allow people to top up in one click. This reduces the infrastructure needed on site.

He concludes: “I love being able to make a change, solving an organiser’s problems and being clever in a practical way.”

Sponsored by Weezevent

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www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 51

VIEWPOINT

Just the ticket How NFT technology will revolutionise event ticketing. Ryan Kenny, CEO of SeatlabNFT, explains

NFT ticketing technology has the potential to improve traceability, eliminate fraud, reduce the impact of scalping, and incentivise fans

B

lockchain technologies, quite frankly, will impact all industries and sectors.

There’s a calling for greater transparency and less monopolisation in current times, and we’re now entering a new dawn of technology that makes all this possible.

We’re seeing a clear shift in the ticketing industry towards more innovative solutions that give event organisers increased control over the ticket process compared to more established outlets. But who’s thinking of the artist or promoter?

Big-name artists like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have publicly voiced their concern over the out-of-control secondary ticketing market and called for an end to ticket touting and scalping.

The pandemic has only accelerated the move towards fairer ticketing solutions; the spotlight has fallen on transparency and traceability for organisers looking to get back on track after a turbulent few years.

NFT ticketing technology has the potential to improve traceability, eliminate fraud, reduce the impact of scalping, and incentivise fans in ways never before possible. Blockchain’s public ledger will allow artists and event organisers to

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form stronger connections with fans by recognising and rewarding loyalty with collectible NFT memories and other exclusive perks. Let me explain how.

WHAT IS AN NFT?

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. In short, NFTs are non-interchangeable digital assets stored on the blockchain that people can send between themselves using a cryptocurrency wallet. However, they are not like regular cryptocurrency.

You’ve probably heard of Bitcoin. Bitcoin acts like digital currency; if two people both had one Bitcoin, they could happily swap them with each other and still have one Bitcoin. You can do the same with a £1 coin; it doesn’t matter which £1 coin you have, it’s still a £1 coin.

But NFTs are more like diamonds. If two people had a diamond each, they’d be less inclined to swap them as each diamond will have unique characteristics like cut, colour and clarity. Diamonds are considered nonfungible because while they hold value, no two are the same.

An NFT is a unique, one-of-a-kind digital token.

HOW CAN WE USE NFTS IN EVENT TICKETING?

By issuing event tickets as NFTs, we can take full advantage of the things blockchain technology offers us. NFT ticketing marketplaces are using the increased transparency of the public ledger to make it impossible to forge NFT tickets while simultaneously giving artists and event organisers more control over the secondary market and a new way to incentivise or reward fans.

ROYALTY SPLITS

Conditions can be attached that govern what people can and can’t do with NFT tickets using smart contracts. Royalty splits can transfer a given percentage of the revenue generated from secondary sales to a royalty beneficiary specified when tickets are created.

For example, if a royalty split of 15 per cent was set and somebody resold a ticket on the secondary market for £100, £15 would be sent to the royalty beneficiary’s wallet.

This gives artists and event organisers unprecedented control over secondary sales and opens a new revenue stream.

Royalty splits take money out of the scalpers’

VIEWPOINT

BACKSTAGE ACCESS: AIRDROP PERKS

© Seabass Creatives/Unsplash

pockets and direct it back to the people who make live events possible in the first place.

If you wanted to go one step further in the fight against scalping, you could turn off the ability to resell tickets entirely or set a resale price ceiling – things which are only possible thanks to smart contracts.

INCENTIVISE FANS

Because NFT tickets are stored in a cryptocurrency wallet, sellers can send exclusive incentives and perks directly to ticketholders. These airdrops can be rare collectible assets such as images, video, audio files or digital artwork to encourage fans to buy upgraded tickets.

When talking about airdrops, I simply mean sending assets to a known wallet address.

Airdropping digital assets can become a powerful marketing tool. One way is by attaching rare collectibles to tickets before the initial sale and airdropping them to ticketholders after the event. Doing this would mean collectibles can be digital media of the event itself, such as backstage video or live audio recordings. It would also provide an opportunity to connect with fans in the days and weeks after the

event. These NFT memories would become collectibles in their own right, which fans could trade on the open market generating the issuer royalties each time, in the same way the original NFT ticket could.

Artists and event organisers could also airdrop perks to ticketholders before the event to increase engagement and reward loyalty, such as VIP tickets, backstage passes, or tokens to be exchanged for merchandise. Enabling fans and artists to connect in this way helps form a closer relationship between both parties, and it makes attending events a much more immersive experience.

POTENTIAL ISSUES

One of the biggest challenges all blockchain-based solutions face is how to overcome scaling issues and high gas fees; this is particularly pertinent to NFT ticketing due to the high-volume nature of minting and selling potentially thousands of tickets. Each time a ticket is minted, that is processed as one transaction on the network. Each time someone sells a ticket, that’s another transaction, putting a massive strain on the network.

The well-known blockchain ecosystem, Ethereum, currently suffers from severe scalability issues, making viable solutions only possible on other networks. That’s not even mentioning the environmental concerns associated with some blockchains, but alternatives are available.

Blockchain ecosystems such as NEAR Protocol, Solana, and Polygon offer different solutions to Ethereum’s scalability issues.

CHANGING TICKETING LANDSCAPE

NFT ticketing technology can eliminate fraud, significantly reduce the impact of ticket scalping, and enable artists and event organisers to connect with their fans in a more meaningful way. Event organisers can also tap into new revenue streams by taking control of the secondary market through defined royalty splits on ticket resales, controlled by smart contracts.

Airdropping collectable memories from live events will also help you foster a closer relationship between artists and their fans.

There’s no doubt that the ticketing industry will benefit from this new technology, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 53

SPLENDOUR

Splendid news Splendour Festival’s Anton Lockwood and Bob Bark discuss the festival’s expansion and production plans for 2022

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HP Family’s Splendour Festival is expanding to a two-day event this July, taking over Nottingham’s Wollaton Hall and Deer Park.

The family-friendly festival, which has a capacity of 25,000, has not taken place since 2019.

Anticipation is building. “We’re really happy to be taking Splendour into a second day after going two years without a festival,” explained Anton Lockwood, director of live at DHP Family. “We’ve always had it in mind that it would be great to do two days. After two years of nothing [there was no festival in 2020 or 2021], the appetite was there, and it was the right time to do it. We wouldn’t have pressed the button if we didn’t have the right line up.”

With double the stage time, Splendour’s line-up is packed. Richard Ashcroft, Anne-Marie, Supergrass, Craig David presents TS5, The Human League, Razorlight, and Happy Mondays will perform across the weekend of July 23 and 24.

“We’re pleased with the bill,” Lockwood continued. “We’ve gone on sale and we’re encouraging people to upgrade. Tickets from 2020 and 2021 are still valid but we’ve made it attractive and we’re giving people the option to upgrade to a weekend ticket. We want people to stay and enjoy the weekend.”

PRODUCTION COSTS

According to Lockwood, Nottingham City Council has agreed the licence change and taking Splendour to two days has helped spread production costs.

“Costs are a concern but we’re doing what we can,” commented Lockwood, who explained that things are “pretty hectic” in the DHP office; the company has also recently acquired Bearded Theory.

Bob Bark, head of operations at DHP Family, is working alongside Lockwood, looking at costings and budgets. The team is making savings where it can, but with the national minimum wage increasing, natural increases in inflation, and staff shortages, “everything that involves a person” will just cost more.

“In the last quarter of 2021, as gigs opened up, we saw difficulties in terms of sourcing site crew and local crew, so the summer will be interesting,” Bark explained. “Most suppliers are also chasing payments and we have had to book in our suppliers earlier than usual. Cabins have been in short supply across the board, and I think once you do have your suppliers booked in, it will be difficult to add extras.”

PURSUING EFFICIENCIES

DHP Family has contracted Trust Events, Excloosive Event Hire, Showsec, and Flying Hire to provide kit and services to Splendour 2022. In fact, Bark is in talks with Flying Hire about power. The upcoming red diesel ban is adding pressures to the budget, so Bark is keen to pursue efficiencies.

But it’s not the only tweak. DHP was contemplating making Splendour 2021 cashless. For 2022, Wi-Fi connectivity will be increased and the use of PDQ machines promoted so that more contactless payments can be taken.

But what is Bark looking forward to the most?

He concluded: “I’m just looking forward to doing the event, being outside and seeing people enjoy themselves, and it will be interesting to see if consumers’ behaviours have changed.”

www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 55

GREEN COLUMN

I think it’s now vital that all organisers start to measure and understand their emissions footprint.

It’s the only robust way to know and report your impacts

Time to get carbon literate Do you have a firm understanding of sustainability terminology? Having a grasp on terminology will be helpful on your journey to reducing your emissions. Chris Johnson, chair of Vision:2025, reveals all

L

ast month, independent festival organisers gathered in Bristol for the Association of Independent Festivals’ Festival Congress. Vision:2025 coordinated and hosted a roundtable session on sustainability, with guests ecolibrium, A Greener Festival and Julie’s Bicycle. The packed sessions demonstrated a real appetitive for the build back greener agenda, and revealed what festivals are struggling with. Carbon footprinting, and the language around it, is a key area where there is still a lack of clarity and confidence. In this month’s column we attempt to clarify key aspects of carbon literacy, and practical solutions.

NET ZERO AND SCOPES

Events are still finding the idea of “net zero” daunting. Put very simply, what we are talking about is reducing emissions, and then offsetting unavoidable emissions.

That’s it. The credible way of doing this, i.e., not “greenwashing”, is to actively reduce emissions as much as possible, and only offset genuinely unavoidable emissions whilst on that journey.

The point at which the balance of the actual emissions and the offset equals zero, is “net zero”. If an organisation reduces their emissions by 90 per cent and chooses to balance the remaining 10 per cent, they have achieved net zero. A net zero plan (or roadmap, or pathway) outlines the targets for emissions reductions year by year and identifies a date at which net zero is aimed to be achieved. Globally, we are aiming for

56 n www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

90 per cent by 2050 (UNFCCC target), but that will likely be too late, and so we should be aiming for “as much as possible as soon as possible”.

Many events are also unclear about what the term “scopes” means in relation to carbon emissions. It refers to a standard way in which emissions are grouped by type and who is responsible. Scope one and two are the direct responsibility of the business, and scope three activities are third party, such as audience travel.

Typically for a greenfield event, 80 per cent or more of emissions are from audience, artist, and supplier travel. This being scope three, it is effectively the responsibility of those third parties, but importantly, it is something that events can, and should, significantly influence.

This brings into focus the remaining 20 per cent, which is the responsibility of the event promoter, and this figure can be reduced through generator fuel reductions, waste reduction and better travel decisions. The measures that organisers can take is set out in detail in the free to access Show Must Go On report.

CARBON LITERACY

Currently, there is a great deal of interest in carbon literacy, but there’s also a sense that many don’t understand what it is. It’s having a basic understanding of climate science, the current climate crisis, how it has arisen, how to understand our businesses impacts, terminology, and

what we can do to reduce our emissions to help tackle it. I’m pleased to say that I road-tested the one-day Climate EQ Carbon Literacy course recently, as part of a Shambala Festival team training session, and found it very useful. We were taken on a journey that brought into sharp focus the urgency of the current situation, and what we can do to take practical action on a personal and company level. The course ended with pledges that helped all the team to play a role. What feels hugely valuable is the entire team being on the same page in their understanding on this topic, with everyone engaged. I cannot recommend enough that everyone in the industry become carbon literate. It’s like having GCSE maths – I bet hardly any festival promoters have advanced maths qualifications in order to manage their businesses, but we do all share a basic literacy from our education.

Julie’s Bicycle has a comprehensive guide – The Price of Carbon. Its Creative Industry Green Tools also offer organisers a free resource to measure their carbon footprint and see the breakdown. These tools are used by thousands of organisations that are funded by Arts Council England.

I think it’s now vital that all organisers start to measure and understand their emissions footprint. It’s the only robust way to know and report your impacts. We only have a few years to make dramatic and meaningful changes. Let’s embrace the knowledge and tools to enable this.

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CONNECTIONS ASSOCIATION

Connections are sponsored by BIG SCREEN PRODUCTION

Event Hire Association 2450 Regents Court, The Crescent, Birmingham Business Park, Solihull, B37 7YE T: 0121 380 4600 W: www.eha.org.uk E: membership@eha.org.uk AV, SOUND & LIGHTING Press Red Rentals Limited Unit B10 Court 2000, Bridgnorth Road, Madeley, Telford, TF7 4JB T: +44 (0) 1952 587049 W: www.pressred.biz BALLOONS, BUNTING & FLAGS

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58 n www.versatilevenues.co.uk

Qdos Event Hire Ltd Fernside Place, 179 Queens Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0AH T: 0845 862 0952 E: enquiries@ qdoseventhire.co.uk W: www.qdosevent hire.co.uk Twitter: @QdosEventHire Facebook: www. facebook.com/pages/ Qdos-Event-Hire/ Instagram: @qdoseventhire

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CONNECTIONS

Connections are sponsored by CASHLESS SYSTEMS Weezevent/Playpass Platf9rm, Floor 6, Tower Point, 44 North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YR T: 07500 797640 CLEANING & SUPPORT SERVICES Falcon Cleaning and Support Services Ltd Specialised Cleaning and Support Services (Nationwide) Vision 25, Electric Avenue, Innova Park, Enfield, EN3 7GD T: 020 3967 2475 E: events@falcon css.co.uk W: www.falconcss.co.uk CONCRETE BARRIER Block Aid UK Ltd Unit 1, Green Farm, Puxley, Towcester NN12 7QS T: 01908 26 33 66 E: info@blockaid-uk.co.uk W: www.blockaid-uk.co.uk CORPORATE CREW Ace Crew Ltd Units 3 & 7, Princess Court, Horace Road Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2SL T: +44(0) 20 7924 6569 M: +44(0)7947 88 66 99 W: www.acecrew.co.uk 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 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 LinkedIn, Facebook & Instagram: @s3kgroup

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LFX Events Stockport BIC, Gtr Manchester, SK5 7DL T: 0161 408 2220 E: enquiries@LFX events.co.uk W: www.LFXevents.co.uk

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EVENT ACCOMMODATION Airstream Facilities Ltd T: +44 (0) 1885 400223 E: info@airstream facilities.com W: www.airstream facilities.com

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www.versatilevenues.co.uk n 59

CONNECTIONS EVENT STAFFING SOFTWARE

Connections are sponsored by FLAGPOLE HIRE

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60 n www.versatilevenues.co.uk

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www.versatilevenues.co.uk n 61

CONNECTIONS Top Cat Big Tops Tents & Marquees Ltd

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Connections are sponsored by PLANT HIRE Ace Plant

Blackpit Farm, Silverstone Road, Stowe, Buckinghamshire, MK18 5LJ T: 01908 562191

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Zoo Events Group Ltd Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ T: 01258 840233 E: info@zooevent sgroup.co.uk W: www.zooevents group.co.uk POWER & GENERATORS ATD Electrical

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PORTABLE TOILET HIRE A1 Loo Hire

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Excell Electrical Event Solutions

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220 Cricklewood Lane, London, NW2 2PU T: 020 8450 2943

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Unit 7 Arkwright Road, Hadleigh Road Ind. Est, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 0UB T: 01473 282530

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W: www.gofer.co.uk

62 n www.versatilevenues.co.uk

CONNECTIONS

Connections are sponsored by IDE Systems

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UK Flyers

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Unit 1, Uplandside, Manor Road, Clopton, Suffolk, IP13 6SH T: +44 (0)333 772 0772

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W: www.phasehire.com Powerline

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W: www.thepowerline.co.uk Stuart Power Ltd

Stuart House, Hargham Road, Shropham, Norfolk, NR17 1DT T: 01953 454540

E: enquiries@stuart group.info

W: www.stuart

group.ltd.uk/power

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www.versatilevenues.co.uk n 63

CONNECTIONS Right Guard Security Event Security Consultancy Security & Crowd Management Traffic Management CSAS Traffic Officers T: 01227 464 588 T: 0207 241 5525 E: info@rightguard.co.uk W: www.rightguard.co.uk SET & SCENERY CONSTRUCTION Staged Events Ltd

Meadow View, Newnham Lane, Old Basing, Hampshire, RG24 7AU T: 01256578055

E: info@wearestaged.com

W: www.stagedevents.com

Connections are sponsored by STEWARDS / MARSHALLS

NEPTUNUS Ltd

Cob Drive, Swan Valley,

Phoenix Events (East) Ltd Rouen House, Rouen Rd, Norwich NR1 1RB T: 01603 952312 M: 07592 739928 E: admin@phoenix eventseastltdco.uk W: www.phoenixevents eastltd.co.uk

Northampton NN4 9BB T: +44 1604 593820

E: sales@neptunus.co.uk W: www.neptunus.co.uk Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd

Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd,

Road Traffic Solutions

Tamworth, B78 2BP

60-64 Oswald Road,

T: +44 121 7401385

Scunthorpe, DN15 7PQ

M: +44 7826 843099

T: 01724 848 246

E: jorg@tentickle-

E: martyn@roadtraffic

stretchtents.co.uk

solutions.com

W: www.tentickle-

W: www.roadtraffic

stretchtents.co.uk

solutions.com

TT Tents Ltd

TEMPORARY BRIDGES SITE SUPPLIES

Mitchell Bridges Limited

Centre, Basingstoke,

Worthy, Winchester,

T: 01256 397 551

Concept Products Ltd

London Road, Kings

Business Park, Somerton,

Hampshire,

10 Cary Court, Somerton TA11 6SB

North Waltham Business Hampshire, RG25 2DJ E: sales@tttents.co.uk W: www.tttents.co.uk

SO23 7QN

T: 01458 274020

T: 01962 885040

productsltd.co.uk

E: chris@mitchell

Ayrshire Farm, Sharcott,

W: www.mitchell

T: + 44 (0) 1672 565 060

E: ben@concept

M: 07768630373

Worldwide Structures Ltd

W: www.concept

bridges.com

Pewsey, SN9 5PA

productsltd.co.uk STAGING & RIGGING Complete Staging Ltd Whitefield Mill,

St Marys Street,Nelson, Lancashire,BB9 7BA T: 01282 862777

W: www.complete staging.co.uk

E: helen@complete staging.co.uk

Triple A Events Ltd

Unit D4, St Georges Business Park, Castle Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3TB T: 0800 7723242

M: 07875492625

W: www.tripleaevents.co.uk Twitter: @tripleaeventsuk

Facebook: /tripleaeventsuk

E: enquiries@w-sl.com W: www.worldwide

TEMPORARY ROADWAYS Cap Trac Limited

The Stables, Loke Farm, Weston Longville,

structures.com TEMPORARY STRUCTURES MANUFACTURERS

Norwich, NR9 5LG

J & J. Carter Ltd Unit 2, 34 Walworth Road, Walworth Business Park,

T: 01603 880448

E: info@captrac.co.uk

W: www.captrac.co.uk

Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5LH T: 01264 721630 E: sales@jjcarter.com W: www.jjcarter.com

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES Gigtent UK Sonas House Button End Harston Cambridge, CB22 7NX E: info@gigtent.co.uk W: www.gigtent.co.uk

TICKETING RedBox Events Balbir House

Norton Green Road

Low & Bonar Oldham Ltd

Stevenage, Herts,

Business Centre,

T: 0333 242 7920

Hollinwood

Albert Street, Oldham, OL8 3QL, U.K. E: info.uk@mehgies.com W: www.mehgies.com

64 n www.versatilevenues.co.uk

/ +44 (0) 7875 027369

bridges.com

SG1 2LP W: www.redboxevents.com

CONNECTIONS

Connections are sponsored by GAC Pindar Medina Chambers, Town Quay, Southampton, SO14 2AQ T: 02380 489924 E: pindar@gac.com W: www.gacpindar.com Twitter: @GACPindar

TIPIS Zoo Events Group Ltd Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ T: 01258 840233 E: info@zooevents group.co.uk W: www.zooevents group.co.uk

Stagefreight

TRACKWAY All Weather Access County Farm, High Roding, Dunmow, Essex CM6 1NQ T: 01371 700510 M: 07801 751137 E: henry@all-weather access.co.uk W: www.all-weather access.co.uk

Evanston Avenue, Leeds LS4 2HR T: 0113 238 0805 / 0113 279 7898

W: www.stagefreight.com VEHICLE HIRE Bradshaw Event Vehicles New Lane, Stibbington, Peterborough, PE8 6LW T: 01780 782621 E: enquiries@event vehicles.co.uk W: www.event vehicles.co.uk Twitter: @Bradshaw_EV

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Exhibition Traffic Management Services Ltd Perton House, Roslin Road, London, W3 8DH T: 0203 567 1479 E: ops@exhibition -traffic.co.uk W: www.exhibition -traffic.co.uk 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 JTM Signs Unit 20 H T M Business Park, Abergele Road, Rhuddlan, Rhyl, LL18 5UZ T: 01745 590056 E: steve@jt-m-signs.co.uk W: www.jtmsigns.co.uk Road Traffic Solutions 60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe,DN15 7PQ T: 01724 848 246 E: martyn@roadtraffic solutions.com W: www.roadtraffic solutions.com TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS Expo World Logistics Ltd Unit 5, Norton House, Fircroft Way, Edenbridge Kent, TN8 6EL T: 01732 866881 E: info@expoworld logistics.com W: www.expoworld logistics.com

VENUES The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD)

Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland T: 00353 1 856 0000 E: sales@theccd.ie W: www.theccd.ie WASTE MANAGEMENT Grist Environmental Event Services Head Office, William Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 3EW T: 01380 735045 E: events@grist environmental.com W: www.grist environmental.com WATER & PLUMBING SERVICES GreensH20 Hire Ltd Hampshire T: 01256 225635 M: 07717846059 E: info@greensh2o.co.uk W: www.greensh2o.co.uk

DRINKING WATER PURE & SIMPLE

Liquiline Ltd Ash Tree House, Tarrant Hinton, Blandford, Dorset, DT11 8JA T: 01258 830324 E: office@liquiline.co.uk W: www.liquiline.co.uk Show Site Services Ltd Unit 18 Weybridge Business Centre, 66 York Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 9DY T: +44 (0)1932 228416 W: www.showsite services.co.uk MTD (UK & Ireland) Ltd Unit 1 Westerngate, Hillmead Enterprise Park, Langley Road, Swindon, SN5 5WN T: +44 (0)1264 773 818 M: +44 (0)7557 868 909 E: oliver.smith@mtd.net W: www.mtd.net Wicked Event Water Services Kevin: 07909 771996 E: info@wickedevent waterservices.com W: www.wews.biz

WELFARE CABINS Boss Cabins BCS House, Pinfold Road, Bourne, PE10 9HT T: +44 (0)845 180 1616 E: info@bosscabins.co.uk W: www.bosscabins.co.uk WIFI, INTERNET & STREAMING Attend2it Unit 8 Park Farm Industrial Estate, Ermine Street, Buntingford, SG9 9AZ T: 01763 877 477 T: 01763 878 086 E: info@attend2it.co.uk W: www.attend2it.co.uk RedBox Events Balbir House Norton Green Road Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2LP T: 0333 242 7920 W: www.redboxevents.com SimpliWifi The Telephone Exchange, 33 Bridge Street, Kington, Herefordshire, HR5 3DW T: 0800 298 9434 E: hello@simpliwifi.co.uk W: simpliwifi.co.uk

www.versatilevenues.co.uk n 65

NEXT ISSUE

Featured in our nex t issue. .

© Benedict Tufnell/Lucinda Douse

ROW WITH IT

On April 3, The Boat Race will return to its celebrated Championship Course on the Thames.

Stand Out goes behind the scenes with Chris Price, event director.

© Danny Howe/Unsplash

FESTIVAL FOCUS

Festival organisers discuss plans for the upcoming season and reveal the challenges and changes that they face.

© Birmingham 2022

COMMON GOAL

Stand Out meets some of the events professionals working hard to make Birmingham 2022, including the Queen’s Baton Relay, a Commonwealth Games to remember.

66 n www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

POWER UP YOUR EVENT! Your Partners in Temporary Power Distribution Speak to our team about a complete innovative, sustainable temporary power solution for your event.

T: 01543 574 111 E: enquiries@idesystems.co.uk W: www.idesystems.co.uk

Energy Management

Event Power Distribution

Electric Vehicle Chargers www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 67

Looking to be agile and flexible with the ability to react to company or customer needs?

World Ski Biathlon in Germany – 30m x 60m two storey solution structure

Training swimming pool at the London Olympics – 30m x 80m Long Structure

Röder can supply a range of relocatable, semi-permanent, high-quality structures and marquees that can be easily and quickly installed to work around your existing infrastructure.

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Life size visitor attraction in Berlin – linked solution structure

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Röder based in the UK can provide nationwide delivery, installation, and support.

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RödeR (UK) Ltd earith Business Park, Meadow drove, earith, Huntingdon Pe28 3QF, United Kingdom