FLOWER POWER

Digging deep

RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s deputy operations manager, Tay Murray-Webb, talks to Stand Out about changes to the horticultural event, the first autumnal show in 108 years

It looks like carnage out there,” says Tay Murray-Webb, deputy operations manager at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Murray-Webb talks to Stand Out from the comfort of a warm cabin, as the society’s flagship flower show is stripped bare. Temporary structures are coming down, trackway is coming up, and copious cables are being ripped out. Murray-Webb keeps a watchful eye on the action. Despite working at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for five years, this year was her first working on the illustrious RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

“It’s nice to be back doing what you love, and it’s mad how you fall back into your old routine,” she continues. But that doesn’t mean it’s not been an “uphill struggle”.

DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE

Chelsea Flower Show 2020 was cancelled, and it was initially thought that the 2021 horticultural event could go ahead in May. However, it did not. A call was made, and the event was pushed back until September. It was the first autumnal Chelsea Flower Show in 108 years. “Leaves on the ground” made it a very different experience.

“We’ve had a few bumps in the road,” Murray-Webb explains. “The COVID goal posts have been moving and so it’s been hard to plan when you don’t know where the winds are blowing.”

She adds: “The venue has been helpful and accommodating and our suppliers have been great but even with amazing support it’s been a struggle.

All Images: © RHS, Luke MacGregor and Tim Sandall

“When we moved the show to September, lots of other shows had done the same; it was tricky getting bits of kit. We also had a tight schedule. Our build stayed the same, but our show ran for an extra day.”

OPERATIONAL CHANGES

Murray-Webb and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show team – Sarah Jerrold, operations manager, Jade Swain, project manager, Gemma Lake, show manager, and Mike Herbert and Bob Hudson, health and safety officers – had to think long and hard about how they could adapt the event and deliver a show that loyal audiences would love. However, it also had to tick a lot of COVID-safety measures. What could be done to make visitors feel safe?

“We racked our brains out,” comments Murray-Webb. “Our structures had more ventilation and were open and airy, we removed catering structures and replaced them with an open-air food court and our show gardens could be viewed from three sides, rather than two.”

EXCITEMENT FOR MAY

As Murray-Webb chats, she announces that there are just 29 weeks to go until RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022. The event is returning to its traditional slot in May. The short turnaround puts added pressure on the operations team to produce the revered flower show.

“Chelsea is special and there is only one RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It has been fantastic to produce something different, but I am excited to be back in May.”

She concludes: “It has been great to be able to be back in a field once again with everyone. It’s a sharp reminder that we really do work with some great people.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

She continues: “RHS Chelsea Flower Show is well-loved. It’s a tight site, so there isn’t a lot that you can do with it, and it has such legacy but when you’re restricted you do often come up with other great ideas.”

Some marquees were replaced with stretch tents. These provided cover for the autumnal weather and gave visitors welcome shelter against the elements. Capacity also decreased, with 142,000 visitors attending the show from Tuesday to Sunday, compared to 168,000 (normally) when the show runs from Tuesday to Saturday. So, what impact did moving the event from spring to autumn have on operations?

“There has definitely been less certainty this year and we have been planning for something that you are also anticipating not going ahead. It has just meant that you have to be so alert.

“I spent most of my year on CAD,” MurrayWebb explains. “We had a big think about our welfare facilities and opened up our site as much as possible. There was more coffee than ice cream being sold, and we had to look at our stewarding plans more carefully; what would we do if it rained, for example?

“Also, we bolstered our Wi-Fi so that we could support exhibitors, as we pushed cashless payments.”

She says: “I am pleased that we did go ahead. It’s not just been great to see the show open its gates again, but the new setting has been so inspiring, and it has given other plant nurseries the opportunity to come along to the show.” Security – Skylark Security Medical cover – Enhanced Care Services Structures – Losberger DeBoer, Arena, Neptunus and Ascot Structures Plumbing – Show Site Services Electrics – AAC Wi-Fi – Etherlive Signage – CSM Live Radios and PA – LCI Productions Trackway – Sunbelt Rentals Portable buildings – Qdos Event Hire Plant – Charles Wilson Furniture – Thorns Shell scheme – Expo Flooring Toilets – Just Loos Waste management – D&E Roberts