COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

Tim Etchells, managing director of SME London, talks all things BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park

For four years, BBC Countryfile Live, the four-day outdoor event, has been wowing fans of the hit BBC television programme with its own blend of outdoor activities, countryside education, and interactive content. Its absence from the summer events calendar in 2020 and 2021 was noted. The event – delivered by SME London – had big plans. Since 2020, it has been waiting to relocate from Blenheim Palace to Great Windsor Park, but COVID has twice applied the brakes on the largescale event’s big move.

Until that day comes, Tim Etchells, managing director of SME London, has chosen to concentrate his efforts on delivering BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park, a smaller, festive affair at Charlton Park, Malmesbury, home to WOMAD and the Earl of Suffolk. It’s an idea that he had around nine months ago when he realised that a summer show was out of the question.

“We couldn’t do the summer show,” Etchells explained. “It’s so big that it is very difficult to scale down and if we did then people would have only compared it to previous years.

“The BBC loved the idea of a festive event and they trusted us with the brand. They immediately got our ideas and the talent got it too – they said count us in.”

WALK IN THE PARK

Etchells and SME London looked at several grand locations to host BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park, including Bowood House, Wiltshire. Initially, the estate said that it would host the event but changed its mind. The Earl of Suffolk stepped in and “kindly agreed” for Etchells and his team to use Charlton Park for a family-friendly festive event from December 10-12.

Etchells contracted Rupert Bassadone, founder of Event Site Design and Ops People, to support SME with site design, the exhibitor manual, operations, site management, licensing, and some elements of production and exhibitor management. Bassadone, who is also head of operations at WOMAD, understands the site more than anyone. However, at just seven acres, compared to WOMAD’s 350, BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park was a walk in the park. In fact, the site is so small, and to preserve the estate, the decision was made to walk everywhere and have access to only one buggy.

NO COUNTRYFILE LIVE 2022

Mark out began on December 2 and Bassadone delivered the site alongside Rosie Lamb, freelance senior operations manager, and a site crew of six.

“All of our team are freelance,” continued Etchells. “It’s the way to go. When you’re running events, you must be lean and mean. You can also change your team about; not that I am not happy with who we have working with us.”

Etchells outsourced trader sales to Noelle Walsh. He continued: “We had to pick when we ran the event very carefully. Our traders were already confirmed to attend other festive events such as Country Living and Spirit of Christmas, which is why BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park is so late in the calendar. Also, some traders couldn’t commit to the event until they knew how much stock they had left so we had traders book at the last minute.”

The shopping village was just one of the elements that comprised the three-day event. It also featured woodland walks, a Christmas stage with six live shows each day, a Christmas kitchen, sponsored by NEFF and Bosch, the Merry Baking Tent, a Deck the Halls Christmas crafts demo area, Carol-oke, and a food market and wine bar.

Almost 14,000 people trekked to Charlton Park in Wiltshire to check out the event. But whether it returns to Charlton Park has yet to be decided.

“I do have plans to continue with BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park but whether we bring it back here, I don’t know. There is potential to move it to another site and perhaps closer to London, and maybe have it slightly earlier in the year.

“BBC Countryfile Live won’t be back until 2023,” Etchells confirmed. “You need £2 million in sales and sponsorship to underwrite the event and the big marketing budgets are still struggling. I might be being cautious, but I don’t want to put on a poor relation to what we created or do what I call an apology show.”

COVID ROULETTE

According to Etchells, organising Christmas in the Park has been one of the most stressful events he has ever done. It’s his first in the UK in “COVID times”. With two days to go before gates, Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, revealed “Plan B”, which meant that all attendees had to wear a face mask in the event’s shopping village. Etchells says it’s like playing “COVID roulette” but the good thing is that BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park is completely outdoors.

Etchells concluded: “It’s a shame that the BBC have not been able to make it to site to film the event. It would have been the Countryfile Boxing Day Special, but COVID stopped that. Still, it’s nice to do something special and in the winter. I have plans for the event, but I want to get this one right first.”

SUPPLIERS LIST

Security – A&G Security Exhibitor management – Select Services Waste management – Grist Environmental Power – Project Power Trackway – Sunbelt Rentals Health and safety – Showsmiths

Temporary structures –

Carlinden, Event in a Tent, Big Top Cats, The Dome Company and Field and Lawn