StandOut February 2026

February 2026

Prepare to be wowed The secret to creating visually spectacular events

ACCESSIBILITY

RUNTHROUGH

MARQUEES

STREET EATS ’N’ BEATS

page 13

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CONTENTS

13 PREPARE TO BE WOWED

20 GOING FOR A PB

32 STRETCH THE IMAGINATION

26 ACCESS FOR ALL

40 BRIGHT NEW THINGS

10 PITCH AND WIN

32 STRETCH THE IMAGINATION

13 PREPARE TO BE WOWED

40 BRIGHT NEW THINGS

20 GOING FOR A PB

44 GETTING ON BOARD

Looking for new business opportunities? Check out news of contract wins and event tenders Drones, fireworks and torchlight processions. Event professionals discuss the secret to producing visually spectacular events In the last two years, RunThrough has experienced phenomenal growth, rapidly expanding in the mass participation market. Jack Williams, CEO, reveals all

26 ACCESS FOR ALL

What are organisers doing to make their events more accessible and inclusive? Event professionals discuss best practice, including why accessibility is about more than a viewing platform

Marquees and stretch tents can have a big impact on the look and feel of your event. StandOut investigates SMK Live, Hampshire Air Festival, and Summer Fest at the Beach will debut in 2026. Their respective organising teams reveal their plans DHP Family has cemented its commitment to customer and staff welfare. Michele Somers, director of risk and culture, chats

46 AND THE BEAT(S) GOES ON…

What drives an organiser to persevere with a grassroots festival when budgets are tight and ticket sales are a rollercoaster ride? Street Eats ‘n’ Beats Julia Pinkney talks big girl pants, and why you should never presume…

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EDITOR’S LETTER

FEBRUARY 2026 December, I was asked by The Ops Nest to take part in an end of year review. It’s I nsomething I’ve taken part in for a few years and it gives me the opportunity to look back on

the highs and lows of the last 12 months. I was asked what things I would like to erase from 2025.

My response. I asked if we could please erase the idea that everything is always OK and start normalising that “sometimes things can just be a bit shite”.

This stemmed from a conversation I had at the back end of last year when I caught up with a respected ops director. Like everyone else, they were pushing through to the end of the year, desperate for a break. But rather than gloss over how they were feeling, they were really honest.

They felt like crap.

I think there’s a tendency to paper over the cracks of event life and mask what’s really going on.

And then there’s a whole heap of people that turn to ChatGPT to spin their negative story into a positive. This generally results in a motivational LinkedIn post when actually, I think our world is begging for more authenticity.

When I started tapping away at my laptop to write this note to you, I did wonder whether my words would be deemed too negative. I think there’s an expectation that in the first few weeks of a New Year, everyone’s expected to be pumped for what’s next. Yet it’s funny. Our industry runs at 100mph. All year. In those final few days before Christmas, our bodies and minds signal they’ve had enough. However, when we return to work in January, we’re expected to hit the ground running. Personally, I think we need a week or two to wind ourselves back up again before the phone calls and the “Can you just…” emails begin. Have I hit the nail on the head? Hmmm, unfortunately, I think I have. I sense that there’s a strong need for event professionals to reset before tackling 2026 head on. But let me know if you disagree, and as for a New Year’s intention, let’s normalise when things are just a bit meh.

Happy reading, Caroline PS: Luckily for you, the features in this month’s issue are considerably more positive so make a brew and if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover in a future edition, get in touch.

Cover image: © Edinburgh’s Hogmanay/Ryan Buchanan

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CONTRIBUTORS

This month’s

CONTRIBUTORS:

LOUISE HUTCHISON

Louise is the customer service and accessibility manager at DF Concerts and Events, where she leads on making concerts and events more inclusive and accessible for all fans. With a strong focus on removing barriers and enhancing the customer experience, Louise has become a key advocate for accessibility within the live music industry. Her work focuses on ensuring that every music fan feels welcomed, valued, and empowered to attend events with confidence. Louise combines handson event knowledge with a fan-focused approach to audience engagement, helping build long-term relationships with fans while driving meaningful change in how events and festivals are delivered.

JACK WILLIAMS

Jack is the CEO of RunThrough, a global running community comprised of more than 400,000 runners. Drawing on many years’ experience in an operational role, Jack now leads a growing and an ambitious team of industry professionals, who are passionate about events, and sport. Skilled in stakeholder and account management, as well as event planning and sponsorship, Jack also has a Master’s in Sport and Exercise Psychology, leaving him well placed to push the mass participation organiser into its next phase of growth and development.

JULIA PINKNEY

DJ and radio presenter Julia is a creative event manager with more than 25 years’ experience in live music, electronic dance music, and festival production. Renowned for leading large-scale and often complex event and festival operations, Julia not only freelances for respected event production companies but she is also a festival organiser in her own right. She is passionate about grassroots festivals, especially Street Eats ‘n’ Beats, a 4,000-capacity festival that she launched in 2015. With no budget. Turn to page 46 to hear Julia’s story, including her plans and focus for 2026.

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INDUSTRY UPDATES APPOINTMENTS OF THE MONTH

PIC OF THE MONTH

Jasmine Dunston is now festival coordinator at Truck Festival.

Chloe Ramsden is director, experiential at Wasserman.

Image: © Bradford 2025/Andrew Benge

Bradford marked the end of its year as UK City of Culture last month with a spectacular closing event featuring hundreds of local people. It was the last in a series of events that has showcased Bradford’s history and culture, with early estimates showing Bradford 2025 audiences reached in excess of three million. Over the past 12 months, audiences have been treated to more than 5,000 events. From David Hockney artwork created in drones and drive-in cinema at Thornton Viaduct, to Island of Foam (pictured) and a theatrical production of The Railway Children on Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. According to initial post-event analysis, eight out of ten residents surveyed said Bradford 2025 made them feel proud of where they live and more than 65 per cent of all suppliers used have been Yorkshire-based.

Field and Lawn has appointed Angela Wilson as managing director.

LINKEDIN POST OF THE MONTH

Scott Day is the new logistics manager at Event and Media Structures.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Climate Machine with support from Coldplay, Warner Music Group, Live Nation, and Hope Solutions have released the first comprehensive annual carbon emissions calculation of the live music industry.

Nineteen Group has appointed David Holden as group COO. Sodexo Live has appointed Steven Cova as divisional operations director for Sports and Stadia.

Nancy Bishop, Event organiser and consultant

Eddie Slotboom is now CEO of Eurotruss’ structures and stages division.

Tom Myatt is now senior account manager and event producer at Onyx Events.

Paul Thompson is health and safety advisor at Stable Events.

Hailey Golding is event operations manager at Ryder Cup 2027.

Paul Williams is vice president safety, security and risk at AEG Europe.

NEWS IN BRIEF

I read this in someone else’s post and agree 100 per cent: The most underrated skill in the events industry isn’t talent. It’s being easy to work with.

In a world full of eventprofs, planners, producers, AV teams, and creatives; the people who stay booked aren’t always the flashiest. They’re the easiest.

Talent might get you hired once. Ease gets you hired again and again.

The eventprofs who consistently get rehired communicate clearly and respond fast, don’t panic when timelines shift (because they always do), protect the client from chaos instead of adding to it, and solve problems quietly without needing credit.

In live events, things will go wrong. What clients remember isn’t perfection, it’s how safe they felt when things changed. This is why reliability scales faster than creativity in the event industry. Clients don’t just hire eventprofs, and production teams. They hire peace of mind.

According to a new European Festival Report, 28 per cent of established festivals report rising production costs as their most significant challenge.

Green Events and Innovations (GEI) conference takes place on February 24 at Royal Lancaster London.

Safer Crowds, Safer Venues 2026 will take place at Middlesbrough Town Hall on March 3 and 4.

Phil Batty, CEO of Glasgow 2026, and Liverpool City Council’s director of culture and major events Claire McColgan have given oral evidence to the DCMS’ inquiry into the challenges faced by major events.

DF Concerts and Events’ programme of live music events in 2025 generated £164.6m in economic benefit.

Reading Borough Council is hosting a free green workshop on February 3.

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EVENT TENDERS AND CONTRACT WINS

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW

Pitch and win

Looking for new business opportunities? Discover the latest event tenders Renfrewshire Council is seeking a highly experienced and established creative company to develop and deliver lighting and projections as part of the town centre animation for Paisley Halloween Festival 2026 and 2027. The deadline is 12pm on February 16. Email louise.bishop@renfrewshire.gov.uk Farnborough International has appointed Showlite as the official exhibition services supplier for the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 and 2028. This renewed appointment also sees Showlite take on an expanded scope of responsibility for FIA’s newly announced sixth hall.

SLX is the official provider of broadcast lighting and rigging for Glasgow 2026.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) requires a supplier to design, produce, construct, dismantle and dispose of exhibition stands at SIAL’26, Anuga’27 and SIAL’28. The deadline is 12pm on February 3.

Email Sarah Waters – procurement@ahdb.org.uk

Manchester City Council is looking for an experienced organisation to provide, install, and operate a Christmas attraction – including an ice rink – in Manchester’s Albert Square from 2026 onwards. The attraction will need to operate seven days a week from November until early January. The successful operator will be responsible for full site management, including stewarding, first aid, staffing, security, emergency procedures, and compliance with all licensing and health and safety requirements. Email procurement@manchester.gov.uk – the deadline is 11am on February 13.

Chorley Council has issued a tender for marquees for the Chorley Flower Show. This three-year contract is worth £180,000.

Interested? Email procurement@chorley.gov.uk – the deadline is 12pm on February 13.

The University of Winchester been successful in its bid to host a UCAS exhibition in 2026. Therefore, it requires a marquee. The deadline is 12pm on January 30. Interested in this opportunity?

Email andrew.gannon@winchester.ac.uk

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the place to do business

VISUAL SPECTACULARS

Prepare to be wowed Drones, fireworks and torchlight processions. Event professionals discuss the secret to producing visually spectacular events

RED BULL TETRIS WORLD FINAL

Images: Morris McLennan/Ryan Buchanan/Kois Miah/Luxmuralis/Annabel Osborne/ Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool

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VISUAL SPECTACULARS

LUXMURALIS December 31, almost 100,000 O nticketholders waited patiently on the

banks of the River Thames to watch more than 12,000 fireworks, 430 lighting fixtures, and an eclectic soundtrack welcome in 2026. Commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and produced and delivered

by Identity for the fourth consecutive year, the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks lit up the London skyline for 12 minutes.

For those 12 minutes, the world stopped what it was doing and watched Europe’s largest annual firework show that required the skill of 75 specialist technicians to rig more than 30 tonnes of equipment and 15 kilometres of cable and wire.

Earlier that day, even more skilled event professionals across the globe worked tirelessly to deliver New Year’s Eve celebrations in their own cities, each delivering big and bold displays that assaulted all the senses.

For example, in Sydney, nine tonnes of fireworks were fired – by Foti International Fireworks – in another 12-minute show that

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was “more than a fireworks display” but a reflection of the city’s strength and diversity following the recent Bondi Beach attack.

HOW LONG?

Clearly, some organising teams believe that 12 minutes is the perfect length of time for a visual spectacular but in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayad Festival’s New Year’s Eve event went a step further. Producing a 62-minute fireworks display. Plus, it sent more than 100,000 ecofriendly balloons filled with indigenous seeds into the sky, and featured a 20-minute drone show with no less than 6,500 drones.

Not wanting to be outdone by its neighbour, in Dubai, the skyline was lit up by more than 48 firework displays across 40 locations whilst AO Drones delivered a twice-nightly drone show for Dubai Shopping Festival until January 11 with drone-powered pyro effects for the first time.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

The popularity of drones and large-scale

firework displays shows no sign of waning so what’s next for visually spectacular events and what’s the secret to organising a memorable moment that wows the masses?

Tom Rees, managing director of AeroAVA, says that his company will soon be licensed to fly pyrotechnic drones. However, because AeroAVA’s team has a lighting, AV, and theatrical background, organisers will soon be able to achieve much more with drone tech, he said. Rees explained: “We can track the telemetry, which opens up a whole new opportunity for tying in and synchronising different effects. Whether it’s pyrotechnics, fireworks, lasers, lights, sound, anything that has a cue, we can pre-plan and tie in our timecode cues with those other effects.”

Essentially, this makes drones become part of a show and not just an exclusive effect, said Rees, who also believes that drone shows have the potential to be used within an augmented reality experience.

“If the audience can stand in an actual space, and if they’re predisposed to using

VISUAL SPECTACULARS

EDINBURGH’S HOGMANAY their phone anyway, we might as well give them an augmented reality effect,” Rees commented. “So, for example, you’ve got the drone show in the air, and then on your phone, you might be recording, social media sharing, whatever it is you can, but you can actually engage and have digital CGI elements, creatively adding further value to the live drone show.”

According to Rees, no organiser should be commissioning a drone show for a drone show’s sake. Instead, drone shows should be an integral element of creative production.

They should be used alongside lights, sound, and projection mapping, interacting with other elements in the air, which is a direction he believes the tech will go in. In fact, he expects drone shows to evolve into interactive experiences where guests can engage with the technology at a public event, for instance.

IN THE FRAME

From December 11-13, drone technology was specifically used to reimagine a global

esports competition in the Middle East in a world first. Dubai Frame – a 150m by 93m structure that frames views of the city – was used as an architectural boundary for Red Bull Tetris World Final.

The landmark set the scene for the world’s largest playable Tetris installation and the largest Tetris game ever created in the sky, becoming the live canvas for the inaugural championship. The event featured a drone show by Lumasky, using more than 2,000 drones to render a real-time playable Tetris grid. The spectacle marked a shift in how classic games can be adapted for modern audiences, moving competitive Tetris from screen- based play to an open-air live environment. By integrating drone-rendered gameplay within a landmark, the event demonstrated how emerging technologies can expand the scope of competitive gaming and large-scale public entertainment.

AMPLIFYING VISUAL MOMENTS

On the Sly worked with Red Bull, Hang Loose

Media Group, and creative director Luca Taschini on the world final, supporting the competition’s big “wow” factor moments with a “really powerful soundtrack”.

The company created the opening ceremony music and gameplay scores to ensure the music underpinned the narrative and amplified significant visual moments.

“If something is supposed to be emotional, we can turbocharge the emotion of the moment,” said David Wakefield, co-founder and director of On the Sly, which also worked on London New Year’s Eve fireworks display alongside Lights Control Rigging, Titanium Fireworks, and LD Tim Routledge.

In London, collaborating with Identity, Wakefield and his team began work in June.

For Red Bull Tetris World Final, On the Sly had less than four weeks to turn things around.

It was intense, said Wakefield. But short lead times tend to be the case if working in the Middle East. “That’s why it’s so important to have a really strong team of people that you’re working with,” he added. “Everyone

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VISUAL SPECTACULARS can rely on each other. With sound, we try and fix problems that kind of pop up, just to make life easy, because there are many moving parts in a live show. It’s important to get things absolutely right because, well, you literally get one chance. Especially at New Year.”

INNOVATION

Dan Colborne, executive creative director at Identity, understands the pressure. The former creative director at Jack Morton pitched the idea of using the London Eye as a destination for the New Year’s Eve fireworks back in 2000. As a result, he has a long history with the landmark and fully appreciates what role innovation plays in the large-scale and momentous public event. “Innovation is one of the underpinning values of New Year’s Eve,” explained Colborne. “Working closely with the GLA, we’re always looking at what’s new, what’s bigger, and what’s best and how do we bring those new elements in.”

Viewers on BBC One were treated to returning Hologauze digital projections, delivered by Pixel Artworks, creating the illusion of animated visuals appearing inside the London Eye in real time.

Hologauze is very similar to Pepper’s Ghost from 1862. Its use made it look like Identity and its technical partners were projecting on it without physically having to build a massive sail to project on.

Identity wished to see how it could push the envelope with the tech. Colborne continued: “We used the London Eye as a three

dimensional tool. Where we had the Red Roses landing a try through the London Eye, it was really beautiful. The London Eye became a physical object. We didn’t just project within the confines of the circle. Instead, the London Eye allowed us to really play with it as a three dimensional piece and for me, that was a really successful part of storytelling.

“It’s what the whole show is about and that’s probably one of the big differentiators from other shows around the world – it’s London’s ability to look back at the highlights of the year, tell nice success stories that resonated with the crowds at home, and use the Eye and Hologauze as devices that turned the display into something that tells a story.”

SENSORIAL

The GLA’s London New Year’s Eve display not only featured fireworks and projection but also featured more “graphic” lighting, giving the production a strong look that created the perfect background for the “pyrotechnics to come through”.

“Everything is designed in such detail that you know when a word comes out that there’ll be a piece of pyro to support it,” Colborne added. “A lot of people will miss that detail, and the nuances, which are really charming.

Like, the way the lights might move to help inform a sentence. Really, you have to know what you’re looking for or watch it a few times.”

Colborne explained further: “There is so much going on when you’re watching it live, that actually, you don’t need a projection

MAYOR OF LONDON’S NYE FIREWORKS

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piece too, because you’ve got so many pieces flying around. You’re looking left, right, up, down, trying to take it all in.

“I think the broadcast benefits from having that extra layer – that Hologauze storytelling – because it helps inform the story for those at home, whereas you don’t necessarily need that if you’re there live because it’s already so sensorial,” he added.

STORYTELLING

For Colborne, when working with the GLA, to create a memorable visually spectacular event, it’s important to use all the creative assets in your locker. Much comes down to the story; you need to get that story down and then think about how you bring it to life, much like turning a good book into a film.

“You need to pick and choose your moments,” Colborne commented. “You can read the book and create your own imagination, but it comes to how and when you add all those extra layers in and getting that storyboard down is kind of the most influential piece in a show.”

RIVER OF FIRE

Like Colborne, Alan Thomson, managing director of Unique Events, has significant experience of organising big celebrations with big visual moments. He is responsible for delivering Edinburgh’s Hogmanay extensive celebrations, which include midnight fireworks, a huge street party for 45,000 revellers, and a torchlight procession.

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VISUAL SPECTACULARS

SYDNEY FIREWORKS Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, a four-day spectacle, begins on December 29 with the torchlight procession. Fifteen-thousand people pay to be a torch bearer and walk through the city’s old streets, essentially creating a river of fire.

“The torchlight procession was one of the original core events that was created as part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay,” explained Thomson. “Originally back in 1993, it focused on a gathering in the city centre and we helped to provide a safe environment for that activity to happen. It was attracting tens of thousands of people and very quickly, the festival became a multi-day offering for the city, something that stood out, something that was different from what other cities were doing and are still doing.”

BIG IMPACT

Thomson described Edinburgh’s Hogmanay as a cultural festival. The 1.5-kilometre torchlight procession kickstarts the festival’s programme of events and enables the city to “get ahead of the game” and start the global New Year celebrations.

“After we paused for COVID, people made their thoughts very clear; they wanted the event back,” Thomson added. “In a way, the event says that New Year is coming and that’s why it attracts so much interest, both from visitors who want to come to experience it within Edinburgh, but also from global media.”

Whilst the torchlight procession does not feature fireworks or drones, a sea of 15,000 people carrying fire-lit torches, walking through the city’s historic streets, is a spectacular sight. Fire is simple. There’s nothing tech about it but the impact is huge.

Thomson continued: “There are torchlight processions that happen all over the country now, and some are taken for granted, but there is something novel about having fire in your hand and being able to walk the streets that’s a little bit out of the ordinary.”

DRIVING FORCE

Thomson believes that it’s the scale of the

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torchlight procession that makes it particularly special. And despite the presence of Vikings, pipers, and drummers, Thomson called the procession a “tranquil experience”, a leisurely walk that you can take part in. You can soak up the atmosphere of an event that remains simple and true to its origins.

Peter Walker, sculptor and founder of Luxmuralis, can resonate. As an artist, his foundations lie in art; art is his driving force and the tech used in Luxmuralis’ immersive light and sound experiences is the paint brush, the canvas, and the clay.

“We don’t use technology as our driving force,” said Walker. “If people imagine what they think a light show might be, we have a completely different and unique aesthetic.

“Light shows can look very similar. Our ethic and aesthetic is found in art history rather than in technology or overtly mapped experiences. And I think we’ve maintained the experiential elements of what art was made for in the first place.”

ART FIRST TICKETS SECOND

Luxmuralis is the name given to the artistic collaboration of Walker and David Harper, composer, who specialise in curated immersive fine art experiences that combine light and sound. The duo’s work called Space, a cosmic sound and light experience, will soon open at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, taking visitors on an approximately hour-long multi-sensory journey.

“The principle of being an artist is the artist makes artwork for themselves in the studio, for passion, for love, the joy, the sentiment, the emotion.

“Primarily, Luxmuralis is myself and David having a creative conversation where we go our own way to think and research things.

Then if you imagine as an artist will produce for a collection, we start creating vignettes, digital sketches, and weave them together.

“What I think creates the difference between a really individual, authentic experience and something which is commercial, is we’re thinking about the concept. We’re not thinking about it being

a commercial success. We’re thinking about the artwork first, and we don’t sell tickets for shows. We just are asked to produce our work in venues, and then the venues sell the tickets. We make the artwork in a true, artistic, authentic way.”

LIVING AND BREATHING THING

Luxmuralis has produced more than 100 installations in cathedrals and churches, which have generated more than one million ticket sales. With such success, what’s his secret to creating a visually spectacular event?

For an audience, Walker argued that it comes down to being able to watch something happen, feel the experience, get an emotional reaction – immersing yourself in the art. However, he stated that immersive is a phrase that’s banded around too often. To Walker, the concept of immersive has been blurred and turned into a sales pitch.

Instead, he believes that when you’re curating a visually spectacular event, in a building, for example, you have to find the emotional flow. You could create areas of dissonance within areas of quiet, just to introduce some confusion to the audience.

This creates an emotional arc; the same can be achieved through light and dark hues.

“When you look at a painter, there are hundreds of different ways that they can paint. It’s the same with a sculptor. They can use bronze or stone. But with projection, it’s almost like there’s just son et lumiere. That’s the sort of work we would never do. We’d never overly map a building; I see that as painting by numbers and I’d never do that with paint and a canvas,” Walker said.

“Our work is like Van Gogh. When the work is made, it’s signed off. Even in 30 years’ time, we may still be showing Space. Because it’s an artwork. We’re not chasing the technology.

Yes, the technology might improve in terms of how things can be presented but the artwork itself has been signed as an artist,” he concluded. “That said, art is great when it’s in the studio, but without an audience, it doesn’t live and breathe. It only lives and breathes through the people who experience it.”

RUNTHROUGH

RUNTHROUGH

Going for a PB In the last two years, RunThrough has experienced phenomenal growth, rapidly expanding in the mass participation market. Here, Jack Williams, CEO, talks you a runner?” StandOut asks Jack A reWilliams, CEO of RunThrough, the

mass participation organiser of more than 300 sporting events.

“I am actually,” he replies. “It’s not a prerequisite that you have to be to work at RunThrough but you can definitely find a passion for it in the DNA of every single person who works for the company and I think it gives us the foundation for success.”

Williams lives and breathes running.

He is talking with StandOut after another astronomical year of growth that has seen RunThrough become “a key player” in the mass participation market.

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“In the last couple of years, I have really noticed your brand grow,” StandOut tells Williams, who confirms that the company has expanded its events portfolio to 350 and in 2025 alone, it launched 48 events, including eight in new international territories.

“I don’t want to say that’s aggressive but that’s quite ambitious growth,” says StandOut. “Most organisers would launch in one or two countries in year one, but you’ve gone ‘Nah, let’s do eight.”

Williams laughs, acknowledging StandOut’s point. “Yeah, our numbers and stats are something that we really need to be proud of because no one’s really doing what we’re

doing,” he comments. “We’re quite unique in the space; we’re the largest organiser in the world in terms of volume so it’s really exciting for us to be sitting here saying that we organise nearly 400 events with 400,000 runners and we can do that with our team.”

RUNNING ECOSYSTEM

RunThrough specialises in organising triathlons and running events, particularly 5k, 10k, and half marathon distances. Since COVID, the founder-led company has expanded. Williams attributes RunThrough’s rapid rise to its team, which has also grown to meet the company’s ambition.

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RUNTHROUGH

“We want to support as many runners as we can,” he continues. “And not just through our events. We launched RunThrough Coach, so we’ve got a coaching team and a coaching department that can help runners every step of the way, we’re driving our kit brand forward and we have the RunThrough Foundation which has been set up to break down as many barriers to race participation as we can. We offer free race places to road closed events.

But it’s not just about events, it’s about a whole running ecosystem.”

RAPID GROWTH

Williams has his finger on the pulse. He says that demographic trends reveal that RunThrough events are more popular with women than men and the company’s events are also loved by a younger demographic, too. But how can he and his team ensure that younger participants stay interested and continue to enjoy the sport of running? And how can RunThrough ensure its events appeal to everyone?

For Williams, it means creating exciting content and marketing, making events affordable and accessible, and aligning with inspiring voices to encourage people to run.

For fun.

Williams adds: “It’s the scale of the events that we do that sets us apart but it’s also that community feel and that contact that we have with our runners; yet that’s probably where the challenge comes up as well. This rapid growth that we’ve had, we’ve had to keep up with that and create and develop processes to do things in the best way. Thankfully, we’ve got some good minds in the business who can think innovatively and come up with unique ways to do things.”

22 n www.olympuscrew.co.uk

CHALLENGES

According to Williams, RunThrough’s success is a result of teamwork and its consistent application of its core values – community first and inclusivity – when communicating with its fans and organising its events. Both in the UK and across the globe.

“We went global for the first time in 2025,” Williams explains. “We were the organising partner of the Doha Marathon in 2024 but that wasn’t a RunThrough branded event.

Now, we’ve grown into eight countries, hosting trail events in Europe through France, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland so it’s nice to get the RunThrough brand out there globally.

“I guess the main challenge that we had in 2025 was working in all of those different countries. We know the UK way of doing things. We know how the RunThrough model works in the UK, and we’ve had to implement that into various different countries that have different ways of working, different levels of legislation, and different ways of submitting documentation. That’s been a big challenge but working with some amazing teams on the ground has been a massive help. We’ve got some great people based around the world so that we have a real finger on the pulse. This means we can create the best event, specific to a location, rather than just go bulldozing in and say, “Well, this is how we’ve done things in the past so it’ll work”. We want to make sure we’re doing things in the right way for that community and that country. So it’s been important to adapt and develop our processes to fit the requirements of those countries as well.”

LEVELLING UP

RunThrough organised its first event in Bushy

JACK WILLIAMS (he/him) Park back in 2013. It was for a few hundred people and since then, the company has experienced steady growth. Pre-pandemic, RunThrough organised 150 events a year and so it’s only been in the last five or six years that things have taken off for the business.

Williams believes that community spirit and the creation of events that are “super inclusive and super accessible” have accelerated company growth and proved popular with running fans across the country. Williams should know as he has seen RunThrough’s journey from the start.

“I was a marshal at our first event,” he explains. “I wanted to see the event and

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RUNTHROUGH help out and then in 2016, I joined the team full time. I was an operational member of staff and grew with the company, getting heavily involved in every single aspect of event planning.”

Williams had a short break from RunThrough in 2021 and gained valuable external corporate experience before returning to the business as CEO in May last year. In his previous role, Williams was head of partnerships, driving sponsorship and commercial revenue. This is experience he has now taken to RunThrough, enabling the organiser to “level up” what it’s doing for its expanding running community.

“We want to provide good value for our sponsors and our partners and deliver the best events for our community,” Williams explains further. “It’s been great to come back and be the person who brings that all together and make sure that all our departments are aligned.

“We want to drive forward on the same mission and that’s kind of my main role and where I am now. Looking ahead with a strong leadership and operational team by my side.”

TEAM WORK

“Do you think you’re a better CEO for having worked in operations?” StandOut asks.

Williams ponders the question. “I definitely feel like I have a strong affinity and a connection to a lot of the team,” he says. “I know exactly what they’re going through. On a lot of occasions, I will have done very similar roles so I feel like I can build a really strong connection, which helps us come together as a really strong unit.”

Williams sees himself as a friend of the team. He

24 n www.olympuscrew.co.uk

openly admits he’d hate it if no one in the team went to him for advice. He loves to be involved and believes that without his operational background, he’d be useless in certain situations.

“My main goal is to be as much use to the team as possible,” he exclaims. Good job, really. Because RunThrough’s huge growth trajectory requires significant market knowledge, understanding, and… courage.

This year, RunThrough will deliver events in Italy, Germany, and Australia and more international events are in the pipeline. Plus, there’s a plan to grow in the UK, in counties and regions that are “not fully served”.

“We’ve got some really great events that take place all over the country, but we’re also not as present in some regions and some locations in the UK as we would want to be,” Williams confirms. “We’re currently looking at some towns, cities, and areas which aren’t fully served in terms of demand and we’re looking at real key running hotbeds.”

FOCUS

Williams is currently working with his team to identify areas and counties where the RunThrough brand can grow. He wants underserved communities to benefit from an event, especially towns and cities where a mass participation event would bring social and economic benefit. And he also wants people to keep running and stay engaged, once “they’ve caught the running bug”.

But is RunThrough’s growth sustainable?

StandOut asks.

“It looks that way,” Williams says, honestly.

“We’re not keen to slow down anytime soon.

There’s a lot more growth that we can have, and in a couple of ways. Events will definitely grow and RunThrough Coach will help support runners every step of the way, rather than wait until they get to the event or they want to enter a race. We need to think how can we get people to that start line so that’s going to be a big focus for us.”

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ACCESSIBILITY

TRNSMT

Access for all

What are organisers doing to make their events more accessible and inclusive? Event access professionals talk best practice

are a great way for people to E vents come together so removing barriers

to participation is incredibly important if organisers want their events to be truly accessible and inclusive. But when you think about event accessibility, what pops into your head? Viewing platforms? British Sign Language interpretation? Low level bars?

“Event accessibility encompasses everything from how you think about catering and your viewing platforms to how you’re putting your tickets on sale and the information you are giving your customers,” explains Emma Ord, accessibility consultant.

Ord is an experienced accessibility consultant. She was head of accessibility at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and is now supporting Slam Dunk festival, World Rugby, and Invictus Games 2027 with accessibility advice.

Since COVID, Slam Dunk has seen a huge increase in demand for additional accessibility

26 n www.opaltemporaryaccess.com

measures, says Luke Fitzmaurice, Slam Dunk’s event director. “Every year, we’ve escalated the amount of facilities we have and the different levels of access, and we’ve reviewed the way we do personal assistant tickets. We’ve been on a bit of a journey but last year, we brought in Emma and asked her to review what we do.”

EMBED ACCESSIBILITY

In 2025, Ord and a team of access coordinators looked at Slam Dunk’s access measures. She was brought in prior to the festival taking place at the end of May but with limited time she was not able to make huge changes last year. However, she was able to conduct a full accessibility audit, which will enable her to implement several changes for 2026.

“If you’re going to bring someone in, to look after access, it works best when you embed them within any planning,” Ord said. “Then accessibility becomes second

nature and it’s not a last minute conversation, because that annoys everybody when you have to make changes at the last minute and it just costs more to do so.

“But also, if you get people thinking about accessibility from early on, and it’s just part of the conversation from the first planning meeting, it flows a lot better.”

ACCESSIBILITY AUDIT

“At Slam Dunk, I went on-site and reviewed everything,” Ord continued. “I was eyes on the ground and looked at everything, including what processes were in places where staff were allocated.

“One of the first things I did was build a staff manual. It’s really important that all of your team understand what processes are and what’s happening. You need consistency and you need to make sure there’s a source of truth for your information; something that all your team can look at.”

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ACCESSIBILITY

TRNSMT

SLAM DUNK Ord conducted an accessibility audit of Slam Dunk’s North and South sites. For 2026, Slam Dunk has changed and updated its access guide after Ord “kicked the tyres on it”, commented Fitzmaurice.

“We’re also introducing more shuttle buses for access customers, particularly at Slam Dunk South where there’s a bit of distance from the train station and where the buses drop you,” he added.

Ord explained further: “We’re not doing anything that’s particularly ground-breaking at the moment but it’s important to get the basics right so people can make that informed decision. Following our audit, we’re looking at where things are located around the site and whether they could be moved to potentially provide a better service and give customers a better experience. Also, we’re looking at the information that people get before they arrive – before they even buy a ticket – so they completely understand our sites.

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“I’ve also suggested that we set up an accessibility panel and forum so we can understand more of what our audience wants, but also so we can get information back out to them. We can have those conversations, because we have disabled people as part of our planning, for example. We want to ensure that what we are doing, what we’re putting our efforts into, is what they want.”

FAIR CHANCE

Scarlett Heselwood is accessibility coordinator at Manchester’s Radar Festival. She has worked with the festival’s organising team for the last two years and has developed the festival’s access information and facilities to include Different Breed access guides which can be branded, providing customers with a fan guide tailored to their specific needs.

“Our accessibility guide has specific information for access customers that no one else gets,” explained Heselwood. “It’s for them

to have the fairest chance possible at having a good time like everyone else.”

She continued: “This year, I am looking at introducing a sensory map, which is a guideline of how a person might experience a space. To create one, you’d go around your venue with different people with different conditions and ask them how they feel about the temperature or the lighting, for example.

You put all that information together so for instance, a café or bar might get too warm, depending on how many people are in there.

“We have a lot of neurodivergent customers and I think it would be really helpful for them to have that preview of what they’re going to be getting into, because we are an indoor festival and you’re confined to an indoor space.”

ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS

According to research by The Business of Events and ICC Wales, supported by the All-

www.opaltemporaryaccess.com n 27

ACCESSIBILITY Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Events, 93 per cent of disabled visitors continue to encounter barriers when attending events.

Access All Areas: Closing the Accessibility Gap in Events exposes a striking disparity between how venues perceive their accessibility provision and how customers truly experience it.

Drawing on insights from 1,000 visitors who have attended an event within the last six months, the research discovered that nearly one in three identified as having a visible or non-visible disability, and of those, 93 per cent reported encountering barriers to participation. These included inaccessible layouts (28 per cent); lack of accessible toilets (24 per cent); untrained staff (25 per cent); overstimulating environments (27 per cent); and missing accessibility information (17 per cent).

Heselwood can relate. She was brought in to overhaul Radar Festival’s access provision.

She is visually impaired and so has been able to help the organising team understand what an event is really like for an access customer; she has drawn on real-life experiences and has detailed all the extra things that have to be considered. “In 2025, we implemented a café for people to sit and chill and have as another alternative for getting away from the action for a bit,” Heselwood added. “A lot of people fed back to us that they would love a place to hang out, grab a coffee, and relax between watching each band, and we were able to put that in place for 2025.

“It’s not a traditional accessibility measure, but it does provide choice and autonomy to attendees, giving them options to engage with the event in the ways they feel most comfortable with. It proved massively popular not just because of the chance to have a coffee and a cake in a space where that normally would be hard to find, but because it offered another way for people to decompress, without any expectation or feeling that they can only go there if they need help, like some may feel about a welfare area.”

CATERING TO EVERYONE’S NEEDS

Radar Festival’s accessible café offered customers a mix of gluten free, vegan, and/ or vegetarian-friendly meals. And whilst some may not think that catering is an access issue, for customers with food allergies and intolerances, it’s a big thing.

In 2025, 20 per cent of traders at Forwards festival were exclusively veggie and vegan but now its organising team is looking to increase the number of food vendors at Forwards that serve allergen-free meals.

This follows research by the University of West England (UWE Bristol) which found that individuals with dietary requirements are choosing not to attend outdoor events because of the risks they associate with the experience, such as not being able to purchase food they can eat and the potential for cross-contamination.

The research – funded by the Association for Events Management Education and conducted

by Clare MacKay, senior lecturer in events

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RADAR FESTIVAL ACCESS TEAM management, and Dr Ed Little, senior lecturer in marketing at UWE Bristol – found that more than half (53 per cent) of respondents had opted not to attend an event at least once for reasons relating to their dietary needs, with 49 per cent having felt “sad” about this.

MacKay believes that organisers can make easy changes that would positively contribute to the wellbeing of attendees with dietary needs. For example, organisers could make changes to the tender application process to encourage food vendors that cater to dietary requirements. Another recommendation is to zone food vendors to reduce the risk of crosscontamination.

As a result, Forwards has listened to the research and has tweaked its trader application form for 2026. It will ask traders about allergen-free food and drink options and hopes to collect and publish trader menus with allergen and dietary information on the Forwards website prior to the festival.

SIMPLE THINGS

Ord concurred that dietary requirements do fall under accessibility so there is an argument for free-from food areas and food villages at events and festivals because they open a door to more customers.

Catering and concessions are also on Louise Hutchison’s radar. As customer service and accessibility manager at DF Concerts and Events, Hutchison is embedded within the organisation, ensuring the promoter’s events are accessible to all.

“This year, we trialled a mobile ordering system on our accessible platforms for Summer Sessions. Customers could scan a QR code, purchase food and hot drinks, it would generate a receipt and then our accessibility volunteers would collect their order. It improved things massively and provided us with useful insights into the spending habits of our accessible fans in our viewing areas.”

GIVING CUSTOMERS OPTIONS

The mobile ordering system was trialled at Glasgow and Edinburgh Summer Sessions.

It was so successful that DF Concerts is now

exploring opportunities to implement it at TRNSMT, taking the operation to a much bigger scale.

Yet the mobile ordering system was not the only new addition at DF’s roster of events. The promoter also created ground level viewing areas designed for accessible fans who prefer a less crowded space and the option to sit for short periods.

Hutchison explained: “We’ve created a ground‑level viewing area that gives accessible fans more breathing space, separate from the busier main crowd. It’s positioned in front of the raised platform and allows people to stand or take short, seated breaks while still enjoying the energy of the festival.”

TRNSMT 2025 also featured BSL, audio description and live captioning – the first time that all three services had been used at once. This was a major milestone for DF Concerts and a meaningful step forward for accessibility and inclusion. It was also an invaluable learning experience, made possible through excellent collaboration between suppliers and its own teams working closely throughout.

Furthermore, DF Concerts invested some money in sensory equipment meaning that it could increase the size of its sensory areas and facilities. “We significantly expanded our sensory provision this year,” Hutchison continued. “At TRNSMT, we increased the size of our sensory tent, creating a much larger and more comfortable space than in 2024. We also invested in developing our own sensory bags, which included ear defenders, fidget toys, notepads, and pens. Inside the sensory areas, we provided bubble lamps, galaxy projector lights, plants, communication cards, mindfulness colouring books, liquid floor tiles, a variety of fidget items, and cosy bean bags to offer a calming retreat for customers who needed it.

“To ensure the highest level of support, we partnered with TLC Welfare, who staffed the sensory areas and supplemented our setup with some of their own sensory equipment.

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ACCESSIBILITY reassurance for anyone seeking a quiet space,” she added.

“At Edinburgh Summer Sessions, we were able to take things even further thanks to the existing infrastructure at the Royal Highland Centre. Having permanent rooms on‑site meant we could create two distinct sensory spaces, a darker, low‑stimulus room with bubble lamps and gentle sensory lighting, and a brighter room with more tactile and interactive elements. This gave customers genuine choice depending on what they needed at the time, whether a quiet refuge or a more engaging sensory environment.”

PEELING AN ONION

Harry Jones, director of Accessible Events and a freelance festival accessibility manager, likens event accessibility to peeling an onion.

There is layer upon layer of things you need to do and once you think you’ve got to the centre, there’s another thing that needs attention. That’s because accessibility is a constantly evolving cycle of change.

Thankfully, there are lots of people within the industry that are willing to help identify where things can be improved, and that won’t cost lots of money. Also, there is a growing number of tools and tech that can help access customers to experience an event differently.

For example, Jones worked alongside the access team at Glastonbury Festival 2025, which trialled Give Vision headsets on the Pyramid Stage.

Previously, the headsets have been used at sporting events but this time, the music festival gave them to visually impaired customers. But how do they work? Customers take the headsets and plug them into a live feed of what’s going on. The headset enables a user to zoom in and manipulate colours, for instance, giving the user some sight because – as Jones stated – accessibility isn’t just about getting someone through the gates or giving them access to a viewing platform.

TIME AND MONEY

This year, DF Concerts is exploring how assistive technologies – particularly haptic technology – can enhance the overall experience for accessible fans, too. It is looking at how these innovations could support customers in new ways and provide alternative ways to experience live music.

Hutchison continued: “Alongside this, we’re developing a comprehensive Accessible Site Design Checklist that will be used by our accessibility team, site managers, and wider events teams. It aims to break everything down clearly, covering key stages of the accessible fan journey, supplier requirements, and key learning from our accessibility training. It’s a substantial piece of work and is designed to make planning more efficient, encourage greater collaboration across teams, and ensure that accessibility considerations are consistent from the start of the build through to the live event.

“Although it doesn’t require major financial investment to produce, it does involve a significant time commitment to get it right.

30 n www.opaltemporaryaccess.com

DF CONCERTS AND EVENTS There are many impactful improvements that don’t necessarily cost money, they just need thought, planning, and shared responsibility.”

PRIORITIES

Ord is in agreement. She acknowledged that cost is a factor so organisers should make a list of priorities and what budget and resource can be allocated.

Currently, Ord is working alongside the organising team of Invictus Games 2027, which takes place in Birmingham.

Having helped to deliver Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Ord is able to see which legacy access measures and processes remain in place across the city’s venues.

But she is also adapting plans for the organising ceremony, for example, to incorporate “wow” moments that don’t include loud noises and strobe lighting.

When looking at how you can create an accessible and inclusive event, most people think about physical and cognitive disabilities. Yet when it comes to Invictus Games, there are some “really specific

requirements” that Ord has to consider because some participants and guests – previously serving military personnel – might have PTSD. “As an industry, we want to keep on pushing forward but as an organisation, as an event organiser, you do have to look at your priorities and go, ‘Right, this is what we’re going to work on now, and we’re going to get that right’,” said Ord. “With some events, you know that there will be certain areas that you really need to focus on and you will need to adapt your planning to best suit your audiences’ broad requirements.

“As an accessibility consultant, I’m not here to wag my finger and tell you off,” Ord concluded. “I’m here to work collaboratively with you because this is hard sometimes, and we don’t get it right straight away, or it is a long process, but we have to work together.

Why? For every different event, no matter what it is, the process might be different and I think people are waking up and realising that they need to do better, they need to do more, and they need to get on with it.”

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MARQUEES AND TENTS

Stretch the imagination Marquees and stretch tents can have a big impact on the look and feel of your event.

StandOut looks at market trends, pricing, and new products

INTENT PRODUCTION AND STAGE MODES AT SHAMBALA talk to any event organiser that I fisyou in the thick of planning, many will

have finished tendering for big ticket items.

However, if you are still finalising quotes or looking for structures for your live event or festival, should you expect to be paying more for things like marquees and stretch tents in 2026?

According to one marquee specialist, not necessarily but there is a caveat, says Angela Wilson, the new managing director of Field and Lawn, which will provide marquees to WOMAD, Y-Not Festival, Creamfields, and Shrewsbury Folk Festival this year.

“There are certainly pressures in the background that are squeezing things,” she comments. “The way you can avoid paying more for your marquees in 2026 is having an open and honest collaborative conversation with your supplier right now. If you can share your vision, the specification and importantly, the budget you are working to, we are confident we can come up with a better solution.”

Wilson thinks that where projects are planned collaboratively, there’s real scope to successfully value engineer and in some cases, even improve value, through a different specification, layout, or solution. But to achieve this, organisers and agencies need to be open to engagement.

She is a big believer in the power of a phone call. Calls are an opportunity to discuss plans, pain points, and what has worked well in the past and they open up the conversation to doing things differently.

“I appreciate everyone is busy and obtaining multiple quotes, but being willing

32 n www.olympuscrew.co.uk

to have a conversation about spec can help us to identify savings or solutions which will really benefit you,” Wilson continues. “While we love getting project specifications over email, we find the most value comes when we can sit down together.”

MORE THAN A MARQUEE

There are several questions that an organiser can ask of their potential marquee provider, especially if best practice is a priority and budgets are being scrutinised. For example, Wilson says that an organiser should ask their marquee provider what would they do if faced with their situation? Where would their marquee provider prioritise spend? This fresh pair of eyes could open doors to new ways of thinking, she adds. Which could be helpful when tough decisions have to be made.

Tom Basnett, director of 10 x 15, concurs.

He believes that a marquee is more than just a temporary structure, it becomes the venue itself. Therefore, you should look at your marquee provider as a partner, not just a supplier because their experience, problemsolving ability, and technical expertise are just as important as the product.

“Organisers should be looking beyond the structure and asking their suppliers about build quality, levels of service, and safety standards,” says Basnett. “Just as importantly, they should look at how the supplier handles unexpected challenges, manages logistical complexities, and adapts when curveballs arise during delivery.”

CREATIVE AMBITION

Last year, 10 x 15 provided tipis to Wilderness

ANGELA WILSON (she/her) Festival. The company created a new backdrop for The Riddle stage, in addition to expanding the offering to encompass multiple VIP areas.

Basnett explains: “The Riddle really stood out as a project that combined creative ambition with some genuine logistical challenges. Working alongside Progression Events, we delivered a complete redesign of the area. Challenging access meant we had to take a completely bespoke approach to ballast and fixings. The modular nature of the tipis was key, allowing us to adapt and reconfigure the structures to suit both

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MARQUEES AND TENTS the physical constraints of the site and the evolving needs of the event. Ultimately, we delivered a structure that was tailored to the constraints of the space, while still delivering on the client’s production requirements and supporting ancillary VIP areas. It was a great example of how collaboration and problemsolving can lead to something both practical and creatively distinctive.”

ALL IN THE PLANNING

Dan Hassall, managing director at LH Woodhouse, is in agreement. He says that organisers are increasingly looking beyond simple rate comparisons and focusing on how pricing reflects the scale and complexity of each event.

He says: “The market remains highly pricesensitive, but organisers are increasingly riskaware. There is greater scrutiny around site condition and reinstatement, environmental impact, and public-facing quality and consistency. We are seeing more enquiries where organisers want suppliers involved earlier to support layout planning, logistics, and delivery sequencing rather than just installation. There is also increased interest in suppliers who can provide digital visibility, clearer communication, and predictable delivery across large, multi-area events.

Alongside this, there remains strong demand for suppliers who understand complex sites and long build programmes, not just the structures themselves.”

LH Woodhouse continues to deliver marquees and structures across a wide range of countryside and equestrian events, including flagship shows such as Royal Windsor Horse Show.

However, this year, LH Woodhouse will also provide marquees, trade stands, and food walks for The Great British Farm Fest, launched by Stable Events and Chris Hughes, who founded Brand Events.

“Clearspan structures will form the backbone of the trade, catering, and publicfacing areas, and as a first-year event, early planning, logistics, and sequencing will be critical to successful delivery,” Hassall explains. “Alongside this, we have secured a number of contract extensions with organisers who are seeking continuity, fewer suppliers on site, and greater confidence around delivery standards, communication, and site reinstatement.”

LH WOODHOUSE

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Similarly, Beverley Laurie, senior project manager at Danco, believes there is an appetite for continuity. Clients that have previously been on annual contracts are now signing multi-year deals, she says, recognising the benefits that come from developing longterm relationships.

Following a competitive tender process, Danco has been appointed as the main marquee contractor for the new RHS Badminton Flower Show in July 2026. “We will be providing a variety of infrastructure tentage, gift, and lifestyle and restaurant structures, trade stands – both covered row

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MARQUEES AND TENTS

THE RIDDLE and Chinese hats – as well as the main floral marquee,” comments Laurie. “Badminton is of course a venue that we are exceedingly familiar with as the main tentage contractor for the annual Badminton Horse Trials and having previously supplied the RHS for many years with tentage for RHS Hampton Court, RHS Tatton Park, RHS Cardiff Flower Show and RHS Wisley Flower Show, we are pleased to be renewing our relationship with them on this new venture.”

INVITING ENVIRONMENT

GL events UK will be returning to Cheshire this year, having secured a long-term partnership with Lapland UK to support the delivery of its festive event near Cheshire.

In contrast to the existing Ascot event, Lapland Manchester is a fully-enclosed experience which is multi-level, theatrical, and highly immersive.

Scott Jameson, CEO of GL events UK, explains: “The wish to believe is of paramount importance for the Lapland brand, and we were very pleased that the team chose to put their trust in GL events as their delivery partner. We supplied a range of 30m and 50m structures for the key production areas as well as scaffold bases, black out linings, and back of house structures. The standard of experiential finish delivered by the Lapland team was outstanding and truly a standout event.

“Upholding the values and belief of the Lapland UK brand, all the human folk at GL events are looking forward to working with them in 2026 and beyond to take this incredible event to even greater heights.”

GL events UK has now entered a debrief period with Lapland UK to reflect and make any necessary improvements for 2026.

It’s a similar story for Intent, which is returning to Shambala later this year to work with Stage Modes on the festival’s Next Stage stage. “In 2025, we launched a new stretch tent structure series, designed

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MARQUEES AND TENTS in collaboration with creative producer Loz Poulton [production manager at Stage Modes],” comments Dan Leake, managing director of Intent Productions. “Loz had a vision to design a mid-size venue, something between a standard stretch and a big top – and it resulted in our new TT28 Series.”

The TT28 series was showcased at Shambala in 2025. Poulton continues the story: “I approached Intent to collaborate on a project to design a tensile structure that provided an increased capacity and unique look to what is currently available on the hire market in the UK. “Structures available over 2,000 capacity are generally made from PVC fabric and in the standard clear span marquee or big top style design. We have always found the environment inside a PVC tent – especially the temperature – to be rather unpleasant in the summer.”

He adds: “You see a lot of festivals trying to hide white clear span marquees behind large set walls and lining the insides to improve the aesthetics. We wanted to create a tent that was inherently good looking with a natural feel and inviting environment inside.”

The TT series was produced for 2025 and Shambala was the first event to champion the new design for its Next Stage stage.

The series offers a scalable structure from 590 square metres to 1,528 square metres, combining stretch fabrics in a taupe colour and truss king poles up to 7.8m in height.

Poulton continues: “I have worked with Intent as a supplier for over a decade now and they have successfully provided largescale and custom tensile structures to many of my projects, so they were the obvious choice to deliver on these requirements.”

NEW PRODUCTS

Leake says he is excited about the upcoming season and direction the company is heading with Poulton and the new series of structures that has been developed.

But if you’re looking for a choice of structures, new ideas, and designs, Intent is not the only company to have designed some new products.

For example, GL events is working on a new multi-deck with a flat roof and graphite frame in response to market trends, Smiddereens is set to launch a new product in the coming months, Field and Lawn has a new “experience-led” enhancement for its event marquees that’s designed to “add atmosphere and define zones”, and Instant Marquees has expanded its fleet of 5m x 5m pop-up marquees following a trial of a specific 5m x 5m pop-up configuration for a one-off event last year.

BRIEF TRENDS

Bianca Gowen, director of Instant Marquees Events, says that there are two trends currently dominating client briefs. For example, organisers want to move away from “standard white boxes”. A point with which Leake concurs.

Gowen explains: “Demand for nontraditional tent colours has moved from a niche request to a primary requirement.

Clients want structures that feel integrated into their event’s specific aesthetic.

“Also, temporary structures are no longer just cover; they are marketing assets.

Since 2002, we have focused on providing full-scale branding solutions that allow a marquee to function as a high-impact billboard. Whether it’s a boutique activation or a massive presence – like our five-metre Bar Tent at the Paris Olympics – the structure must look ‘more stylish’ than the competition to justify the investment.”

Gowen believes that professionalism, heritage, and a proven track record are no longer just “nice-to-haves” – they are the only way to ensure an event’s ROI in a high-cost environment. Hence, agencies and organisers should “major” on a supplier’s ability to deliver exactly what they promise.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Leake concurs. Describing the market as strong, he says that organisers are looking for “something different”, which is why he is focused on product development so that events and festivals are full of colourful and flexible structures that stand out.

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In 2025, Intent Productions worked on an event at Gunnersbury Park with Krankbrother and provided a huge number of black and platinum stretch tents for a one off event for Keinemusik . The build was intense, says Leake, and the lead up was “involved” but it looked “fantastic”.

He continues: “Delivering events safely and professionally means contracting competent suppliers who can deliver the vision to the highest standards. Price is always a factor but I think it’s key to ensure you have the right suppliers working with you across your events and recognise the hard work and cost of making that a reality. You’ll always find someone cheaper – but what are you sacrificing when that’s the only metric that is being considered? Nobody wins in a race to the bottom.”

MUTA, the trade association representing the marquee industry, concurs. It has recently published a new version of its Best Practice Guide and supports high standards of safety, collaboration, and good business practices. It says that while the event industry landscape remains competitive, enquiry levels are improving and there continues to be a demand for live experiences.

Likewise, Wilson agrees. In terms of the current events marketplace, she says that there is no doubt that budgets are under pressure, expectations are high, and there’s a real focus on making every element work harder, that’s both from an operational and commercial perspective. “The market for us and where we operate feels solid but with a higher price sensitivity, and a consequence, some specs we receive are smaller than previous years. We have noticed a slight decline in speculative enquires where clients may have just been ‘testing the water’ for a new event concept.

On balance, we are seeing more enquires for well-developed or long-established events, with a good understanding of what they require. This leads us to think there is less appetite for risk in the market with starting new events and secondly, event organisers are going to market to ensure they are getting the best value for money.”

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NEW EVENTS

Bright new things SMK Live, Hampshire Air Festival, and Summer Fest at the Beach will debut in 2026. Read on, as their respective organising teams reveal all…

SMK LIVE 2019, more than 260 festivals S ince have disappeared from the UK

events calendar. In 2024 alone, the industry experienced a significant blow with a record 78 events announcing their cancellation.

At the time, most organisers cited rising production costs and unsustainable financial risks as reasons for cancelling. But this year, there is already an air of optimism.

In 2025, three independent organisers revealed details of new events that will take place in 2026 for the very first time. SMK Live, Hampshire Air Festival, and Summer Fest at the Beach are being organised by Full Fat 360 and Stadium MK, Montserrat Events, and Iconic Event Solutions, respectively.

DELIVERING HIT AFTER HIT

At the end of November, Stadium MK and Full Fat 360 unveiled SMK Live, a new multi-artist music event that will take place at the stadium on June 27 and 28.

Full Fat 360 – the same team that produces Polygon Live at Crystal Palace Park and Ashton

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IAN ROGERS (he/him) Gate Presents BS3 – is co-promoting the twoday event alongside Stadium MK. Together, they hope that SMK Live will be the “go-to summer event of 2026”.

Oli Bartlam, founder of Full Fat 360, explained: “What’s probably quite unique about SMK Live is we’re bringing an all day

OLI BARTLAM (he/him) concert to a stadium. So, instead of your usual headliner and support, we are doing a multiartist event that starts from 1pm and goes right the way through till 10.30pm.

“We’re announcing details of the second day on payday at the end of January, but both shows are about giving fans an affordable

NEW EVENTS

HAMPSHIRE AIR FESTIVAL

MONTSERRAT EVENTS venue, or local media. You need to build togetherness because at the end of the day, we’re an independent promoter and that can be very, very hard.”

ENERGY ticket that’s about back to back hits from some of the best genre defining artists. We want to deliver a line-up that delivers hit after hit after hit throughout the whole show.”

PARTNERSHIP

SMK Live has already been 18 months in the making and Bartlam believes that the event will be a success because Milton Keynes and its surrounding areas are a relatively underserved market. However, he is cognizant and fully aware that, like any business, there are risks involved.

Bartlam added: “When we launched BS3, we learned that you have to have a brilliant top to bottom line-up. You want to have those exciting new, upcoming artists, but you also want those established artists as well. And I think it’s really important with the shows that we try to promote that we promote the whole spectrum of that genre.

“What’s been really important to us is partnering with everyone who’s involved with the event, whether that’s our ticketing partner,

Full Fat 360 is currently finalising suppliers for SMK Live but SWG Events has been contracted to provide production services.

The event will feature two main stages, meaning “the music doesn’t stop” and there’s “no break in energy”, said Bartlam.

He continued: “Reactions to our line-up and the event have been really positive.

We’ve got a lot more entertainment to be announced and I am hoping that there’s an opportunity for SMK Live to establish itself on that ‘Glastonbury weekend’ and attract some artists to come and play Glastonbury and one of our days in Milton Keynes.”

NOSTALGIA

Summer Fest on the Beach is being organised

by Iconic Event Solutions; the same team behind Solihull Summer Fest and Knowle Party in the Park. Like Bartlam, Ian Rogers, founder of Iconic Event Solutions, says that those back to back hits, that nostalgia, is what partly led him and his team to launch Summer Fest on the Beach (June 6-7) in Weston-super-Mare.

“Do you remember T4 on the Beach?” he asks StandOut. “I remember watching it on TV

[the one-day event was televised on Channel 4] and then thinking that we need to have a little bit of nostalgia.”

Rogers continued: “Those people that were at T4 on the Beach are probably in their 30s and early 40s now so we have brought in a lady called Sarah Matthews, who originally booked all the artists for Channel Four and C4. She has come in and worked with us on this project because she knew who she could tap into when talking to artists, who also have very fond memories of the event.”

CONFIDENCE

Summer Fest on the Beach has been in the planning for almost a year. What started as a conversation between Iconic Event Solutions and Visit Weston-super-Mare soon turned into a larger meeting that included North Somerset Council’s events team, councillors, and the mayor. It soon became apparent that the local authority wanted to create a scalable event that matched T4 on the Beach.

“Most councils are risk averse but North Somerset Council really wanted to see the event happen because they know it will boost tourism,” said Rogers. “We had a conversation and a joint venture isn’t in the interest of a rate payer but we knew we wanted to do the event.

“T4 on the Beach had 50,000 people per day,” Rogers added. “So, we secured the

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NEW EVENTS dates and weekend based on tidal patterns and then decided to do a sign up campaign before we started scoping artists.

“We put about £22,000 behind the sign up campaign, just to make sure that the energy expressed publicly was the same as what was inside that room.”

Forty-six-thousand people signed up to the campaign, signalling to Rogers that there was an appetite for a new summer event. This figure gave Rogers confidence to create a budget and start booking artists.

SENSE CHECK

Summer Fest at the Beach is licensed for 40,000 people per day. Rogers hopes to sell 25,000 tickets for the Saturday and 18,000 for the Sunday. He is confident he will do that. He explained further: “The sense check for me was knowing how many people signed up to our campaign and showed an interest. I know they are not all going to buy tickets but ultimately, it does create the narrative in your head of what the demand is like, so you can set your budgets and your expectations accordingly.”

Rogers said that with every single event, there is big financial exposure but Summer Fest at the Beach was a really exciting opportunity for Iconic Event Solutions; a chance to take the business forward in a year that he feels will be good for live events.

TEAM SUMMER FEST AT THE BEACH

FUTURE DATES

So far, Iconic Event Solutions has contracted Pacific Sound, Traffix, and Man Commercial Protection for Summer Fest on the Beach.

Similarly, Jonathan Moore, founder of Montserrat Events, has appointed suppliers, too. Mandrake Event Services, Tech Services, Ticketflex, DSPE, and Venture Security will provide equipment and services to Hampshire Air Festival, a new event – evolved out of Lee Victory Festival – that will grace the skies in September.

“We’ve already changed our dates,” Moore told StandOut. “We had published our dates as September 18 and 19 but then Goodwood Revival moved from September 12 and 13 to September 18 and 19 and I went, ‘Why, why, why?’

“I knew I couldn’t compete with Goodwood so we negotiated a new date with Thruxton Circuit and Aerodrome and moved to September 12 and 13. That’s the same weekend as Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow so we’ve already chosen our dates for 2027, which will be September 4 and 5.”

TICKETS

The inaugural Hampshire Air Festival hasn’t taken place yet but already Moore is making plans for the future. As organiser of Lee Victory Festival and Proms at Stansted House, Moore wishes to establish Hampshire Air Festival as an annual event, especially as Thruxton Aerodrome is investing in events and its facilities.

“We’ve got a two-year agreement in place with the circuit,” explained Moore. “Hopefully, we can prove our case and extend that to hopefully five and beyond.”

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HAMPSHIRE AIR FESTIVAL He continued: “This year, we’ve budgeted for 5,000 people per day but ideally, we’d like to attract 9,000 to 10,000 people per day.

The site can hold that many, we could have 15,000 if we wanted to, but we want to grow organically, with our partners and suppliers behind us.”

VISION

Hampshire Air Festival will celebrate “The Age of Flight” and will feature heritage aircraft as well as modern fast jets, and pyrotechnic aerial displays. Moore is drawing on his previous experience, organising Lee Victory Festival, to ensure visitors to Hampshire Air Festival have a great time. There’s pressure to

get things right. Hence, Moore has engaged Helen Webb, who was the Royal International Air Tattoo’s head of marketing for 14 years.

She knows a thing or two about airshows and Moore knows it.

“I was introduced to Helen at a Civil Aviation Authority Symposium and was able to secure her services and wealth of experience.

“She really believes in what we’re about and in the vision I’ve got and Helen has worked with us on our marketing and ticketing strategy. I hope we can create an affordable event, with good quality aircraft, with a big extravaganza in the evening and just deliver a well-polished and run event,” Moore concluded.

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DHP FAMILY

Getting on board Michele Somers has joined the DHP Family board as new director of risk and culture

MICHELE SOMERS (she/her) a strong, independent operator can range from helping people who have lost W e’re and we want to make sure people have their phone to helping people who have had

a good time,” says Michele Somers, DHP Family’s director of risk and culture.

Somers is talking to StandOut following her recent promotion. She has joined the DHP Family board – an appointment that shows the importance that the independent promoter is placing on the safety and welfare of staff and customers.

“Have you had your first board meeting?”

StandOut enquires.

“I have,” she says, laughing. “What a baptism of fire that was! It was daunting and that imposter syndrome was there, right on my shoulder, but I have worked at DHP for a long time and if I wasn’t the right person for the job and if I couldn’t deliver what we want then I wouldn’t be here.”

WELFARE AND WELLBEING

Somers has been at DHP Family for 16 years, previously working as area manager, responsible for several venues before becoming director of risk and culture in April 2025. Now, as a board member, Somers is playing an even greater role, ensuring customer safety is placed at the forefront of the business and staff thrive at work.

“My role has evolved over the years, just like changes in customer behaviour and changes in what our customers expect from us,” says Somers. “We have identified that welfare is massively important to our customers but that

44 n www.olympuscrew.co.uk

a panic attack. In previous years, people who needed additional support would have had to fend for themselves but we have seen how important welfare is to making events run successfully and keeping our staff.”

FOCUS GROUPS AND FORUMS

DHP Family currently employs 400 people and in 2024, it experienced significant growth in its concerts business, making it the second best year to date in DHP history. The independent promoter owns and operates festivals and venues across the UK and in the last decade, it has delivered more than 15,000 gigs and sold more than eight million tickets.

Somers says that DHP wishes to make its teams happy, recognising that this is vital to staff recruitment and retention. As a result, it is launching new wellbeing initiatives and enhanced welfare and the business has brought in additional HR expertise to support Somers, who has recently created focus groups that enable employees to share their ideas, and concerns.

“We have employees who stay with us a very long time, so clearly we do things really well,” Somers continues. “But we have to make sure we continue to be the best place to work so we’re about to launch a forum that will see our teams come together with management and HR to discuss what we can do to make things better.”

IN OUR CULTURE

Communication is, therefore, key. Moving forward, Somers wants customers and staff to be open about what they want.

But welfare and customer safety are not issues that DHP Family has only recently started to take seriously. They have been at the heart of the business for some time but customer behaviour has changed and the industry has adapted. Understandably, staff and customer expectations have evolved, too.

“There’s been no sudden shift but what customers and employees expect from us has changed,” explains Somers. “The need to focus on culture and wellbeing has been a gradual thing but it’s hitting now more so because we’re not in recovery from COVID.” Somers continues: “You can look at welfare and safety two ways. We have amazing teams who work for us and fantastic customers. We have all these people that we want to get home safely. From a moral standpoint, and you want people to get home safely because you want them to come back.”

Somers says that her appointment at board level cements DHP’s focus. Safety and welfare are ingrained in company culture. And George Atkins, MD of DHP Family, could not agree more. He concludes: “We’re delighted to welcome Michele to the board. Michele will be focusing on the most important element of our business, our people! We want our staff to thrive at work and will be looking at initiatives to improve wellbeing.”

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STREET EATS ‘N’ BEATS

And the Beat(s) goes on…

STREET EATS ‘N’ BEATS

What drives an organiser to persevere with a grassroots festival when budgets are tight and ticket sales are a rollercoaster ride? Street Eats ‘n’ Beats’ Julia Pinkney talks buying patterns, big girl pants, and why you should never assume… is tough if you’re an organiser of a L ifegrassroots festival. Ask Julia Pinkney,

founder of Street Eats ‘n’ Beats, a 5,000 capacity family-friendly festival in Chelmsford that combines street food, house music, and good vibes. Pinkney is the epitome of strength and tenacity and a champion of everything that embodies the independent festival scene. She has experienced her fair share of struggles and has been at the end of jibes that labelled her move to launch a grassroots music festival as nothing more than a “glorified hobby”.

“The biggest challenge I have is our cash flow,” says Pinkney. She’s open and honest.

This is her reality.

“If we sold 5,000 tickets by February or March, it would completely change how we operate. Early sales give us certainty. They allow us to plan properly, manage risk, and focus on delivering the best possible festival rather than firefighting behind the scenes.

“The challenge for us is advance sales. Our tickets are deliberately affordable having only recently increased general admission to £30, with VIP at £45. The gap between advance tickets and on-the-day prices isn’t huge, so people feel comfortable waiting, often to see what the weather does,” she explains further.

“When you look at larger festivals with premium price points or headline acts, there’s a fear of missing out. People buy

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early because they feel they have to. At our level, that urgency just isn’t there yet, no matter how much we communicate or market it. Shifting behaviour at grassroots level is incredibly hard. Affordability is our strength, but it also creates a different buying pattern to major festivals.”

MARKETING AND MEMBERSHIP

Affordability has no bearing on ticket sales so in 2025, Pinkney opted to change the festival’s marketing and share her personal story.

“If affordable ticket prices are not selling tickets, did you feel you needed to put more of yourself into the narrative?” StandOut asks.

“Maybe,” she says. Pinkney recognises that her comms and promo need attention and it’s a move she is willing to make to increase sales. Luckily, Street Eats ‘n’ Beats is one of 22 grassroots festivals that have received a major boost for 2026, winning free membership to the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) for one year and a bespoke marketing support package from Skiddle. Including paid media and content support.

“This really is a game-changer for us.

Like most grassroots festivals, we simply don’t have the budget to spend at the level required to drive ticket sales in the current climate. Having a full year of support from Skiddle gives us breathing room and expertise that we wouldn’t otherwise be able

JULIA PINKNEY (she/her) to access. It allows us to be more strategic rather than reactive.”

Pinkney continues: “The AIF membership is equally valuable. Being able to learn directly from other independent festivals, to see how they operate, adapt, and survive, is incredibly important. That shared knowledge is one of the biggest strengths of the grassroots sector.”

FUNDING

Pinkney launched Street Eats ‘n’ Beats in 2015.

She started the Chelmsford festival with no budget. In a field with no infrastructure and she walked around with a bucket, asking for donations. Roughly 450 people came in year

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STREET EATS ‘N’ BEATS

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one. It was a project she juggled alongside childcare and freelancing. But now, with determination, and some National Lottery Funding, Pinkney feels that Street Eats ‘n’ Beats is getting the recognition and attention it deserves. And 2026 is the year that is going to see change. “Our plan has always been to grow the festival. We’ve had conversations about taking Street Eats ’n’

Beats to the north. But growth has to be done responsibly. I’m very clear that I need to get everything 100 per cent right where we are now before expanding.”

Pinkney adds: “Sponsorship is becoming essential for the survival of grassroots festivals. You can’t rely on ticket sales alone.

You need funding and brand support to create something sustainable. My aim is to

significantly level this up in 2026. We already know there’s value there. Our VIP area, for example, sells out every year, which shows there’s a strong, engaged audience for partners to tap into.

“What grassroots festivals also need to understand is which brands have separate budgets for grassroots and mainstream festivals. There’s often an assumption that sponsors won’t be interested, but in reality there can be a specific pot of money and a real window of opportunity if we know where to look,” she explains further.

PASSION

For 2026, Pinkney has contracted Togather, One Circle, Mobile Thrones, Boels Rental, and NuGroup to provide equipment and services to Street Eats ‘n’ Beats, which prides itself on providing young people the chance to play a DJ set at the festival. It’s also a festival that welcomes generations to come and enjoy the live event together. But that’s not all – it’s also a safe space, a stepping stone, where young people can go to a festival and learn to be comfortable in a live environment before going into the wider festival world.

So what’s next? “Passion is the reason anyone works in grassroots festivals,” Pinkney says. “You don’t do this to make money. You do it because you believe in giving something back and bringing people together.

“Grassroots festivals build community.

And honestly, my generation were lucky. We discovered music by leaving the house. We went to record shops, clubs, gigs, festivals.

Young people today have instant access to music, but they don’t always have access to real-world experiences.

“Hearing a song on TikTok doesn’t teach you how to navigate a crowd, discover new artists, or feel part of something bigger. So when I see mums, dads, kids, grandparents, all experiencing the festival together, I feel proud that I’m creating something that helps people take that step into the wider world.

“That’s why, every year, I take a deep breath, pull on my big girl pants, and go again,” Pinkney concludes.

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EXPERIENTIAL

RED BULL FEATURED AND PEOPLE

Image: Red Bull Content Pool/Eisa Bakos

Getting back to basics Marketers plan to spend more on events in 2026 so what can we expect within the world of experiential? StandOut investigates trends and best practice you were looking to start off 2026 I fwith some positive news then you will

not be disappointed by the latest Bellwether survey. The study indicates a positive outlook for marketing expenditure in the next financial year and more importantly, the findings suggest that event spend is on the increase.

More than nine per cent of marketers plan to spend more on events and experiential activity in 2026, and according to marketing experts, brands are looking to build connections and engage directly with their customers.

This news is bolstered by a growing army of brands that are using events and festivals to engage fans and target markets, and according to Eventbrite and Vok Dams’ latest trend reports, it’s no surprise.

CONVERSATION = CURRENCY

Vok Dams’ analysis of Event Marketing Trends details why events remain relevant and reveals the top ten trends for the year ahead. For example, it believes that unique

50 n www.olympuscrew.co.uk

experiences will become the currency of attention. This is why brands will invest in bold and immersive experiences because in a world where almost everything is always available, uniqueness becomes the strongest driver. Signature experiences that have people talking for months, spark an emotional connection. They “create conversation value” and that conversation is the new currency, Vok Dams explains.

THE OPPOSITE OF ONLINE

In 2025, Sense Marketing’s Futures Lab report stated that audiences want experiences that reduce digital noise. Today, that statement still stands and is backed by more recent studies.

For instance, Eventbrite’s 2026 Social Study – called Reset to Real – shows that there’s a real shift within a generation that is seeking the opposite of online in real life.

After surveying 4,000 young adults, Eventbrite says that UK consumers are recalibrating their phone-life balance, pivoting

away from digital burnout toward a new breed of live experiences that feel unfiltered.

Eventbrite argues that younger audiences want events to feel spontaneous and unpredictable, they need to be authentic, and there needs to be “no pressure” to hang.

Audiences want raves in coffee shops and book clubs with wine tastings, they want discoveries

JOE GILLIVER (he/him)

EXPERIENTIAL

HITACHI VANTARA AND INVNT

MADRÍ EXCEPCIONAL AND SENSE MARKETING and activations to feel organic, and they want to be able to control when and how they connect and interact.

ANALOGUE EXPERIENCE

Joe Gilliver, founder of The Chameleon Agency, is in agreement and believes that poorly produced AI generated content is pushing audiences towards authentic experiences where people connect on a real level and in real life.

“There’s a generation of buyers who are used to being on their phones and digitally connected but as they are getting older, they are waking up to the fact that it isn’t healthy and that constantly being connected is actually not good for us.”

Gilliver adds: “I think that’s where we’ll see some first steps of action. There’s so much distraction that if people want to connect with each other, the way to do that is to put them in an environment where they’re not tempted or distracted by notifications, so I think brands

will be creating spaces where people can socialise and connect.”

Shelley Kent, producer at People, agrees.

She says there is a rise in demand for an “analogue experience”. Indeed, there was a time when everything was digital and digital played a large role in a brand activation, but personalisation, one-to-one connection, and touch are really important, she adds.

FEEL THE ENERGY

People recently worked alongside Red Bull to deliver Red Bull Featured, a progressive BMX event at Manchester Central. The agency developed a new concept in the shape of a three-storey viewing platform known as The Wall.

Kent explains: “At a lot of BMX events, people stand around the ramps, but the ramps are massive. We looked at our ramp which was about eight metres high and thought wouldn’t it be a great experience if you were at the same height or above it.

“We wanted to get the fans closer to the action and give them a different viewpoint that hadn’t really been experienced before.”

According to Kent, customer and athlete feedback on the wall was amazing. In particular, the athletes could feel the energy and support in the room, and as a result, they pushed themselves to put on a more of a show for that “wall of support”.

“With any experiential project we work on, we always strive to make it engaging and exciting for anyone attending,” Kent continues.

“It can be really simple like a viewing platform but what’s important is that you come away and that’s what you tell your friends about, that’s what you’re going to keep talking about, that’s what you’re going to remember.

“Now that everything’s at the end of your fingertips, your phone, the way people interact has changed, and so people want to come away feeling excited and for me, that is achieved through immersive and experiential activations.”

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EXPERIENTIAL MG AT GOODWOOD FOS WITH VYRA

CULTURAL TAKEOVER

Festivals are packed with brands fighting for attention but at All Points East 2025, Madrí Excepcional had no intention of blending in – it was there to take over. With some help from Sense Marketing.

The Madrí message and mission was simple: form a deeper engagement with the style-savvy festival crowd.

“We brought the energy of Madrid straight to All Points East over two sun-drenched weekends of unforgettable music, street art, and ice-cold Madrí,” explains Hayley James, business development director at Sense Marketing. “This wasn’t your basic brand activation – it was a full-on cultural takeover.

“Festivalgoers wandered through our mini Madrid streets, cracking secret codes to score exclusive merch. From giant bottlecap seats to immersive content spaces, we built the perfect backdrops for selfies, group shots, and TikTok gold. People didn’t just swing by – they hung out, vibed, and stayed for the experience.”

The activation was a big success – 96 per cent of festival attendees remembered the experience four weeks later and 75 per cent of lapsed Madrí drinkers returned to the brand, purchasing on average three times in the month after the festival.

MEASURABLE OUTCOMES

Claudia Stephenson, managing director, EMEA at INVNT, which recently activated for Hitachi Vantara, says that brands are investing in more activations that deliver the real deal and believes that experiential marketing is shifting from transactional to transformational, prioritising community, purpose, and engagement over promotion. Joe Duffield, managing director of Vyra, agrees. He states that brands are, indeed, investing more in events but they are also expecting clearer returns.

“Clients are asking for activations that deliver measurable outcomes, not just

52 n www.olympuscrew.co.uk

TRO WITH LIQUID I.V.

visibility with KPIs focused on dwell time, engagement quality, data capture, and social amplification rather than footfall alone,” he adds.

Vyra has worked with MG at Goodwood Festival of Speed, amplifying its presence year on year. In 2024, the activation marked 100 years of MG, celebrating heritage, performance, and brand legacy through a landmark architectural presence and a series of high-profile vehicle reveals. In 2025, the focus shifted decisively forward. The activation became a statement of intent, positioning MG Motor as a confident, design-led automotive technology brand. The storytelling moved from celebration to conviction, using a cleaner visual language, bolder digital moments, and a more contemporary spatial experience to signal MG’s future direction.

Both years delivered strong footfall and press interest, but 2025 was notably more effective in terms of engagement quality and media value. The introduction of large-scale, visually striking digital content increased dwell time and repeat visitation, while the clarity of the narrative made the experience more legible for press and social capture. The 2025 activation generated more distinctive imagery and filmable moments, resulting in stronger organic coverage and social amplification compared to the heritage-led approach of 2024.

ROLL WITH LIQUID I.V.

Rob O’Siochain, head of growth at TRO, believes that measurement is once again on the rise in terms of hot topics around the sponsorship and activation community, particularly across sport. The conversation is moving towards impact, he argues.

Integrated tech is supporting translating physical moments into opportunities to capture first party data through simple and interactive touch points, often incentivised through personalisation and rewards. As a result, limited edition and

culturally relevant/interesting collabs are leading the way as a tactic, TRO says.

TRO recently worked with electrolyte brand Liquid I.V. for a second year and is excited to enter its third consecutive year in 2026.

In 2024, the focus was on launching the product in the UK market, targeting conscious quenchers in key UK cities with three core activation pillars designed to drive awareness, trial, and relevance. These included UK festival activations as the Official Powdered Hydration Partner at three major music festivals, mass sampling at high-footfall events, and brand partnerships delivering mass-scale sampling through relevant collaborations. The sample target was to deliver 1.25 million sticks.

In 2025, activity expanded based on the success of the launch year, targeting wellness enthusiasts across key UK cities with the goal of delivering 2.3 million samples.

The objectives were to build meaningful awareness, prove the product in real moments of dehydration, strengthen brand equity through immersive experiences, and create a seamless, trackable path to purchase.

For 2025, TRO’s approach was rooted in one principle, hydration meets culture. TRO didn’t just want people to try Liquid I.V. – it wanted them to experience the brand. TRO identified key spaces where Liquid I.V. could show up with purpose, not just high-footfall areas, but high-relevance cultural moments where hydration is essential.

The brand activated at concerts and sporting events as well as busy train stations, catching music fans as they headed to Wembley Stadium for Oasis, for example. This location was a particular success with brand ambassadors recognising that all important cultural moment by wearing L.I.V Forever parkas. By acting as storytellers, they could connect authentically with audiences.

And this connection is the key to success.

Why? Because brands want visibility in a world where content is virtually infinite, says Vok Dams.

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CONNECTIONS SafetyDocs Conect Ltd 483 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BS T: 0208 242 4942 E: info@safetydocs.org W: https://safetydocs.org/ EVENT SERVICES Number 8 Events Ltd The Hay Shed, Sparrows Lane, Matching Green, CM17 0RP T: 0203 7437292 E: info@number8events.co.uk W: www.number8events.com

Zone Secure Gorsley Business Park, Ross on Wye HR9 7SD E: info@zonesecure.co.uk W: www.zonesecure.co.uk FESTIVAL GAS Festival Gas Priors Revel, Church lane, Middleton, Nr Tamworth, B78 2AL T: 07930 758893 E: simon@festivalgas.co.uk W: www.festivalgas.co.uk FIRE COVER

EVENT STAFFING AGENCY Event People : https://www.linkedin.com/company/ event-people/ : weareeventpeople E: hello@weareeventpeople.co.uk EXHIBITION STAND CONTRACTORS Access Displays Unit 38, Whitehill Industrial Estate, Whitehill Lane, Royal Wootton Bassett, Swindon, SN4 7DB sales@accessdisplays.co.uk www.accessdisplays.co.uk 01793 613088 EXHIBITION TRAILERS & MOBILE UNITS Inchmere Event Design Ltd Swan Close Studios, Swan Close Road, Banbury, OX16 5TE T: 01295 661000 E: alastair@inchmere.co.uk W: www.inchmere.co.uk TCM Trailers Ltd Watery Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 7SE E: emily@tcmtrailers.co.uk W: www.tcmtrailers.co.uk EVENT VEHICLE HIRE Bradshaw Event Vehicles New Lane, Stibbington, Peterborough, PE8 6LW T: 01780 782621 E: rentals@bradshawev.com W: www.bradshawev.com : @Bradshaw_EV FENCING & BARRIERS Augusta Event Support Ltd Cadeby, CV13 0BD E: Sarah@aesteam.co.uk W: https://augustaeventsupport.com/

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Red Rose Fire Solutions Ltd 6 Brissenden Close, New Romney Kent TN28 8JD T: 01995 503504 E: info@redrosefiresolutions.co.uk FLAGS Instant Marquees T: 01840 213063 W: www.instantmarquees.co.uk FLOORING & FLOOR COVERINGS Coir Store 8-9 Yelverton Road, Brislington, Bristol BS4 5HP E: info@coirstore.co.uk T: 07983 614410 W: https://coirstore.co.uk Event Flooring Solutions Ltd T: 01509 768 252 E: sales@efseurope.co.uk W: www.efseurope.co.uk FURNITURE HIRE / SALES Furniture On The Move Unit B, Canada Warehouse, Chittening Industrial Estate, Worthy Road, Avonmouth, Bristol, BS11 0YB T: 0845 459 9875 E: info@furnitureonthemove.co.uk W: www.furnitureonthemove.co.uk HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS BiemmedueUK & Arcotherm Unit 12, Wilson Road, South Wigston, Leicester LE18 4TP T: 01773 836999 E: sales@biemmedueuk.com W: www.biemmedueuk.com Cooling & Heating Solutions Ltd Marlwood House, Silver Street, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 6DG, UK T: +44 (0) 1590 681 434 E: sales@candhs.co.u W: coolingandheatingsolutions.com

Sponsored by the Falcon Team

CONNECTIONS Spica Temperature Control Solutions Ltd 20 Crowsport, Hamble, Hampshire, SO31 4HG T: 02380 453841 M: 07780 638976 E: kay@spicasolutions.com W: www.spicasolutions.com INFLATABLE STRUCTURES

LIGHTING TOWERS Boels Rental T: 01245 208031 E: dale.fletcher@boels.co.uk W: www.boels.com LITTER PICKING

Dawsongroup tcs Export Drive, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Dawsongroup | tcs Nottinghamshire NG17 6AF T: 01623 518538 E: info@dgtcs.co.uk W: https://dgtcs.co.uk/inflatable-cold-rooms/ INSURANCE

Falcon Cleaning Chipping Hall Farm, Chipping, Herts, SG9 0DP W3W: https://w3w.co/bless.loses.typed E: info@falconteam.co.uk W: www.falconteam.co.uk MARQUEES

Tysers Insurance Brokers 71 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BS T: 0203 037 8000 E: tim.rudland@tysers.com W: www.tysers.com

Alternative Stretch Tents Building 15, Gateway 1000, A1 (M) jct 7, Stevenage, SG1 2FP T: 01920 830256 E: info@alternative-stretch.co.uk

Laser Grafix Unit 4A Stratton Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8QS E: info@lgfx.co.uk W: www.lgfx.co.uk UK office: 01767 315948 Dubai office: +971 4887 9808

Fews Marquees Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS T: 01527 821789 E: info@fews.co.uk W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk

LASER & FX

LED SCREENS EMF Technology Ltd Unit 27 Freemantle House, Kingsclere Business Park, Kingsclere, Hants, RG20 4SW T: 020 8003 3344 E: info@emftechnology.co.uk W: www.emftechnology.co.uk Lightmedia Displays Mobile & Modular LED Screen Hire T: 0333 600 6000 - 24 hour response E: sales@lightmedia.co.uk W: www.lightmedia.co.uk Tech AV Ltd London, Essex, Birmingham T: 0345 257 9969 E: lee@techav.events W: www.techav.events YSLV London & York T: 0800 080 3310 E: hire@yslv.co.uk W: www.yslv.co.uk LEGAL Azorra Limited T: +44 [0] 7457 404054 E: hello@azorra.co.uk W: www.azorra.co.uk

Sponsored by the Falcon Team

Instant Marquees T: 01840 213063 W: www.instantmarquees.co.uk Mahood Marquees Ltd 8 Lords Fold, Rainford, Saint Helens WA11 8HP T: 01744 882 079 W: https://mahoodmarquees.com/ TT Tents Ltd North Waltham Business Centre, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 2DJ T: 01256 397 551 E: sales@tttents.co.uk Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP T: 0121 7401385 M: 07826 843099 E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk Tentstyle T: 01403 333135 E: enquiries@tentstyle.co.uk W: www.tentstyle.co.uk

www.falconteam.co.uk n 59

CONNECTIONS Top Cat Big Tops Tents & Marquees Ltd The Old Stable Yard, Gasworks Ln, Achynlleth, SY20 8BY T: 01654 700030 E: info@topcatbigtops.co.uk W: www.topcatbigtops.co.uk Ziggu Marquees Dutton Green, Little Stanney, Chester, CH2 4SA T: 01244722739 W: www.ziggumarquees.com E: hello@ziggumarquees.com MARQUEES ACCESSORIES Opas Southern Ltd Enterprise House, St Lawrence Avenue Worthing, West Sussex BN14 7JH E: sales@opas.co.uk Free Phone: 0845 1300 477 W: www.opas.co.uk MEDICAL SERVICES Codeblue Medical UK Head Office – Codeblue, Grove Farm, Lane End Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3NR T: 0203 835 8486 W: http://www.codebluemedical.co.uk : https://www.linkedin.com/company/codeblue-uk/ : https://www.facebook.com/CodeblueUK Enhanced Care Services Unit H9, Adanac Park, Adanac Dr, Nursling, Southampton SO16 0BT T: 02380 201561 E: admin@enhancedcareservices.co.uk W: www.enhancedcareservices.co.uk First Aid Cover Ltd T: 020 8875 5758 E: enquiries@firstaidcover.co.uk W: www.firstaidcover.co.uk Location Medical Services Ltd The Medical Centre, Shepperton Studios, Studio Road, Shepperton, Middx, TW17 0QD T: 0870 750 9898 E: mail@locationmedical.com W: www.locationmedical.com Medirek 8 Primrose Place, Portsmouth Road, Godalming Surrey, GU7 2JW safety and medical T: 07776 128 409 E: ryan.soper@medirek.co.uk W: www.medirek.co.uk MET Medical Ltd T: 0203 627 9042 E: info@met-medical.co.uk W: www.met-medical.co.uk

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NOISE MANAGEMENT Siderise Group Forge Industrial Estate CF34 0AH T: 01656 730833 E: enquiries@siderise.com W: www.siderise.com PARKING Wise Parking T: 03301 334522 E: info@wiseparking.co.uk W: www.wiseparking.co.uk PLANT HIRE Charles Wilson 86 High Street, Harpenden, AL5 2SP T: 0800 458 5701 E: instanthire@cwplant.co.uk W: www.cwplant.co.uk PORTABLE TOILET HIRE A Star All Solutions T: 02477 350679 W: www.astarallsolutions.co.uk Excloosive Event Hire Field House, Bromley Park, Abbots Bromley Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 3AH T: 01283 575 749 M: 07778 473 064 E: info@excloosive.co.uk Four Jays Group Barling Farm, East Sutton, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3DX T: 01622 843135 E: enquiries@fourjays. co.uk W: www.fourjays.co.uk LOOS FOR DOs Ltd Bakers Court, Forge Road, Kingsley, Hampshire GU35 9NZ T: 01420 588 355 E: info@loos.co.uk W: www.loos.co.uk Just Loos Paddock Barn, Manor Farm, Itchen Stoke, Hampshire, SO24 0QT T: 01962 867808 E: office@justloos.com W: www.JustLoos.com Ontrax Rentals Elmwood Farm, Bampton OX18 2PL, England E: hello@ontraxrentals.com W: www.ontraxrentals.com Site Event The Depot, The Avenue, Lasham, Hampshire GU34 5SU T: 01256 384 134 E: event@site-equip.co.uk W: www.site-equip.co.uk

Sponsored by the Falcon Team

CONNECTIONS

VACANT EVENT HIRE

Vacant Event Hire Unit C White Oak Technology Park, London Road, Swanley, Kent BR8 7AG T: 01322 761 117 M: 07960 301178 E: info@vacant.events W: https://vacant.events/

Power Revolution 23C Shepherds Grove Ind Est, Stanton, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2AR T: 01359 256 265 E: info@power-revolution.co.uk W: www.power-revolution.co.uk

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

Robert Blezard Electrical Contractor Ltd Unit 5, Fishes & Peggy Hill Fm, Clitheroe BB7 3BY T: 01200 777 666 E: hello@robertblezard.co.uk W: www.robertblezard.co.uk

POWER & GENERATORS

Stuart Power Stuart House, Hargham Road, Shropham, Norfolk, NR17 1DT T: 01953 454540 E: enquiries@stuartpower.co.uk W: www.stuartpower.co.uk

ATD Electrical Unit 93, Greenway Business Centre, Greenway, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5QE T: 01279 507890 E: office@atdelectrical.com W: www.atdelectrical.com Energy Management Services Ltd T: 0333 305 5144 E: admin@energyms.co.uk W: www.energyms.co.uk

The Technical Department 14 Henley Business Park, Pirbright Road, Normandy, Surrey, GU3 2DX T: +44 (0)1483 238 050 or +44 (0)7850 367 917 E: chantal@thetechnicaldepartment.com

Festival Power Ltd Unit 2, Temple Bridge Business Park, Bristol, BS39 5AA E: info@festivalpower.co.uk W: www.festivalpower.co.uk

Wernick Power Solutions Joseph House, Northgate Way, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8ST T: 03334 001 247 E: power@wernick.co.uk W: www.wernick.co.uk/power : twitter.com/WernickGroup : www.linkedin.com/company/wernickgroup

Gofer Ltd Unit 7 Arkwright Road, Hadleigh Road Ind. Est, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 0UB T: 01473 282530 E: info@gofer.co.uk W: www.gofer.co.uk IDE Systems T: 01543 574 111 E: enquiries@idesystems.co.uk W: www.idesystems.co.uk Head Office & Manufacturing Centre Unit 3, Swaffield Park Hyssop Close, Cannock Staffordshire, WS11 7FU United Kingdom

XLE Event Services T: 01789 224227 E: info@xle.co.uk W: www.xle.co.uk : XLeventservices : @xle_events : www.linkedin.com/company/xleeventservices/ PRINTERS UK Flyers Suite 210, Victory House, Somers Road, North Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 1PJ T: 023 9229 3050 E: sales@ukflyers.com W: www.ukflyers.com

Instagrid UK Ltd Silent, Clean and Portable Power T: 07939 315074 E: andy.barnby@instagrid.co Newburn Power Rental Limited Unit 36 Lidgate Crescent, Langthwaite Business Park, South Kirkby, Pontefract, WF9 3NR T: 0845 077 6693 E: info@npr-uk.com Pearce Hire Unit 8-9 Reynolds Industrial Park, Stevern way, Peterborough PE1 5EL T: 01733 554950 E: info@pearcehire.co.uk W: www.pearchire.co.uk

Sponsored by the Falcon Team

PROJECTION EMF Technology LTD Projection Mapping, Water Screens, Flame Effects, Lighting, Mains Distribution T: 020 8003 3344 E: info@emftechnology.co.uk W: www.emftechnology.co.uk

www.falconteam.co.uk n 61

CONNECTIONS RADIO COMMUNICATIONS 2CL Communications Ltd Unit C, Woodside Trade Centre, Parnham Drive, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 4NU T: 0800 389 2278 E: contact@2cl.co.uk W: www.2cl.co.uk

SAFEGUARDING X2Consult Safeguarding & Child Protection T: 01622 278702 E: Tom@x2consult.co.uk W: www.x2consult.co.uk SCAFFOLD SYSTEM & TRUSS STRUCTURES

DCRS Edison Road, St.Ives, Cambs, PE27 3LH T: 0800 043 2688 E: sales@dcrs.co.uk W: www.dcrs.co.uk

Overlay Events Ltd 54 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB9 4DN T: 01895 813627 E: info@overlayevents.com W: www.overlayevents.com

Light of Night T: 0203 189 2679 E: info@lightofnight.co.uk W: www.lightofnight.co.uk

SRG Structures Oldbury Lane, Bristol, BS35 1RE T: 0117 911 4034 E: info@srg-structures.com W: www.srg-structures.com

Marathon Communications Ltd Oakhurst Business Park, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 9RT T: 01403 473 858 E: info@marathoncomms.co.uk W: www.marathoncomms.co.uk : uk.linkedin.com/company/marathoncomms : www.facebook.com/marathoncomms : instagram.com/marathoncomms : x.com/marathoncomms RECYCLING Falcon Cleaning Chipping Hall Farm, Chipping, Herts SG9 0DP W3W: https://w3w.co/bless.loses.typed E: info@falconteam.co.uk W: www.falconteam.co.uk REFRIGERATED STRUCTURES Dawsongroup tcs Export Drive, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 6AF Dawsongroup | tcs T: 01623 518538 E: info@dgtcs.co.uk W: https://dgtcs.co.uk/inflatable-cold-rooms/ RENTAL EQUIPMENT Sunbelt Rentals T: 0330 053 2348 E: events@sunbeltrentals.co.uk W: www.sunbeltrentals.co.uk/sectors/events REUSABLE CUPS Re-uz UK Less is now Limited Unit 1A Walrow Industrial Estate, Commerce Way, Highbridge TA9 4AG T: 01278 238390 E: info.uk@reuz.com W: www.re-uz.com & www.green-goblet.com

62 n www.falconteam.co.uk

SEATING Ace Seating Hire T: 01832 279333 E: info@aceseating.co.uk W: www.aceseating.co.uk SECURITY Alliance Events Ltd Ventura Park Road, Tamworth, England, B78 3HL T: 02034 885480 E: admin@alliancemanagementgroup.co.uk W: www.alliancemanagementgroup.co.uk Anubis Group T: 0800 121 6576 E: sales@anubis-security.com/ recruitment@anubis-security.com W: www.anubis-security.com Light of Night T: 0203 189 2679 E: info@lightofnight.co.uk W: www.lightofnight.co.uk Manchett Security The Tack Room, Lorkins Farm, Conway’s Road, Orsett, Grays, Essex, RM16 3E T: 01375 470 022 E: info@manchett-security.com W: www.manchett-security.com : @ManchettSec – : @ManchettSec – : ManchettGroup McKenzie Arnold Group E: joanna.white@mckenziearnold.com T: 01376 350 999 M: 07701 048 69

Sponsored by the Falcon Team

CONNECTIONS Ministry Protective T: 0800 2335518 E: info@ministryprotective.com W: www.ministryprotective.com New Dawn Security and Training Unit 10 Dunley Hill Court, Ranmore Common, Effingham RH5 6SX T: 01306779436 E: Events@ndst.ltd W: www.ndst.ltd Newman Event Services Ltd Crowd Management, Festival & Event Security/Stewarding.

Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Oxfordshire, OX15 4FF T: 01295 722844 E: enquiries@newmanevents.co.uk W: www.newmanevents.co.uk Right Guard Security Experts in Crowd Management and Event Security T: 01227 464588 E: info@rightguard.co.uk W: www.rightguard.co.uk Showsec Regent House, 16 West Walk, Leicester, LE1 7NA T: 0116 204 3333 E: sales@showsec.co.uk W: showsec.co.uk : showsec.uk : showsec : company/Showsec Trojan Security Unit B7 Loughton Seedbed Centre Langston Road Loughton IG10 3TQ T: 0330 113 9966 E: info@trojansecurityuk.co.uk W: www.trojansecurityuk.co.uk : @trojan-security-uk-ltd : @TrojanLondon : @trojan_security_UK SET & SCENERY CONSTRUCTION Staged Events Ltd Meadow View, Newnham Lane, Old Basing, Hampshire, RG24 7AU T: 01256578055 E: info@stagedevents.com W: www.stagedevents.com

SITE SUPPLIES Concept Products Ltd 10 Cary Court, Somerton Business Park, Somerton, TA11 6SB T: 01458 274020 E: ben@conceptproductsltd.co.uk W: www.conceptproductsltd.co.uk SOUND, LIGHTING, VISION, POWER AND SCENIC SPH Event Production LTD Unit 7, Upper Wensleydale Business Park, Brunt Acres Road, Hawes, DL8 3UZ T: 01535 442084 W: www.event-production.live STAGING & RIGGING IPS (Impact Production Services) 29 Mount Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK1 1LS T: 01908 657950 E: enquiries@ips.co.uk W: www.ips.co.uk Rigger.co.uk T: 0333 772 0120 E: contact@rigger.co.uk W: www.rigger.co.uk The Stage Bus 19 Prestwood Road, Birmingham, B29 5EB T: 0121 585 9264 E: info@thestagebus.com W: www.thestagebus.com SRG Structures Oldbury Lane, Bristol, BS35 1RE T: 0117 911 4034 E: info@srg-structures.com W: www.srg-structures.com Steeldeck Rentals Unit 58, T. Marchant Estate, 42 - 72 Verney Rd, London SE16 3DH T: +44 (0)207 833 2031 E: rentals@steeldeck.co.uk W: www.steeldeck.co.uk STAND DESIGN & BUILD Saward Marketing and Events T: 07788 660996 E: admin@saward-me.com W: https://saward-me.com/ TEMPORARY BRIDGES

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

Sponsored by the Falcon Team

Mitchell Bridges Limited London Road, Kings Worthy, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 7QN T: 01962 885040 M: 07768630373 E: chris@mitchellbridges.com W: www.mitchellbridges.com

www.falconteam.co.uk n 63

CONNECTIONS TEMPORARY ROADWAYS

The Dome Company T: 07876673354 E: info@thedomecompany.co.uk W: www.thedomecompany.co.uk

Cap Trac Limited The Stables, Loke Farm, Weston Longville, Norwich, NR9 5LG T: 01603 880448 E: info@captrac.co.uk W: www.captrac.co.uk

TT Tents Ltd North Waltham Business Centre, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 2DJ T: 01256 397 551 E: sales@tttents.co.uk W: www.tttents.co.uk

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES Fews Marquees Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS T: 01527 821789 E: info@fews.co.uk W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk Losberger De Boer Castle Park, Boundary Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 7ES T: 01280 846500 E: sales.uk@losbergerdeboer.com W: www.losbergerdeboer.com/uk Media Structures : Imagine, Create, Deliver Green Lane Sawmills, Outwood, Surrey, RH1 5QP T: 0203 781 7772 E: lance.baker@mediastructures.co.uk W: www.mediastructures.uk NEPTUNUS Ltd Cob Drive, Swan Valley, Northampton NN4 9BB T: 01604 593820 E: sales@neptunus.co.uk W: www.neptunus.co.uk Stunning Tents Creative House, Station Road, Theale RG7 4PD T: 0118 380 5590 E: team@stunningtents.co.uk W: www.Stunningtents.co.uk Technical Overlay by Visions Unit 2 Thames Valley Connect, Western Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1QP T: 01189 358121 E: info@visionsgroup.co.uk W: www.technicaloverlay.co.uk Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP T: 0121 7401385 M: 07826 843099 E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

64 n www.falconteam.co.uk

WH Silverbacks Unit 26, Oakfield Road, Woolsbridge Industrial Park, Dorset BH21 6FE T: 01202 096957 E: info@silverbacks.co.uk W: https://whsilverbacks.co.uk/

TRACKWAY TRACKWAY

Worldwide Structures Ltd Ayrshire Farm, Sharcott, Pewsey, SN9 5PA T: 01672 565 060 / +44 (0) 7875 027369 E: enquiries@w-sl.com W: www.worldwidestructures.com

All Weather Access Ltd County Farm, High Roding, Dunmow, Essex CM6 1NQ T: 01371 700510 M: 07801 751137 E: henry@all-weatheraccess.co.uk W: www.all-weatheraccess.co.uk GT Trax T: 01487 823344 E: info@gttrax.co.uk W: www.gttrax.co.uk TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Event Traffic Control Ltd Baldersby Gardens, Ripon Road, Baldersby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4PS T: 08000 246 800 E: info@eventtc.com W: www.eventtc.com Carbonite Traffic Solutions T: 020 3567 1479 E: enquiries@carbonitetraffic.co.uk W: www.carbonitetraffic.co.uk CSP (The Combined Services Provider) Unit 1, Abloy House, Hatters Lane, Watford, WD18 8AJ T: 020 8900 2405 E: sales@gotocsp.com W: gotocsp.com

Sponsored by the Falcon Team

CONNECTIONS Right Guard Traffic Management Event Traffic Management CSAS Accredited Traffic Officers Car Parking • Event Signage T: 01227 464588 E: info@rightguard.co.uk W: www.rightguard.co.uk TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS Les Jones Transport 329 Cyncoed Road, Cardiff, CF23 6PD T: 0292 1851300 E: Alexander.dodd-jones@dojoservices.co.uk W: www.lesjonestransport.co.uk WASTE MANAGEMENT Falcon Cleaning Chipping Hall Farm, Chipping, Herts, SG9 0DP W3W: https://w3w.co/bless.loses.typed E: info@falconteam.co.uk W: www.falconteam.co.uk WATER & PLUMBING SERVICES MTD (UK & Ireland) Ltd Unit 1 Westerngate, Hillmead Enterprise Park, Langley Road, Swindon, SN5 5WN T: 01264 773 818 E: sales.uk@mtd.net W: www.mtd.net

T.E.S.S Ltd W: www.tess-ltd.co.uk E: info@tess-ltd.co.uk T: 01332 850 860 Wicked Event Water Services Kevin: 07909 771996 E: info@wickedeventwaterservices.com W: www.wews.biz WIFI, INTERNET & STREAMING attend2IT Unit 6-8 Park Farm Industrial Estate, Buntingford T: 01763 877 477 W: https://attend2it.co.uk/ Fli-Fi Ltd UK Wide T: 020 3778 0454 E: enquiries@fli-fi.com W: www.fli-fi.com SimpliWifi Unit 13, Leominster Enterprise Park, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0LX T: 0800 298 9434 E: hello@simpliwifi.agency W: https://simpliwifi.agency

Online Geographical Directory www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

PUT YOUR BUSINESS ON THE MAP. Sponsored by the Falcon Team

www.falconteam.co.uk n 65

NEXT ISSUE

Featured in our next issue...

Editor Caroline Clift caroline@standoutmagazine.co.uk Advertising manager Jen Crisp jen@standoutmagazine.co.uk Account manager Sarah Bourne sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk Marketing executive Katie Goldsmith marketing@standoutmagazine.co.uk Design and production Neil Hepden Jemma Heslop Emma Hickman Colin Swaffer studio@standoutmagazine.co.uk

MARATHON MISSION

Organisers of mass participation events discuss the current trends impacting the industry and talk about their focuses for 2026.

Credit control Janine Walmsley creditcontrol@standoutmagazine.co.uk Managing director Neil Fagg neil@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509101 CEO John Denning StandOut Multimedia Limited, 10 The Metford, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX T: 01795 509113 www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

COME RAIN OR SHINE

Extreme weather events are no longer extreme. Event professionals discuss how they manage adverse weather – from heatwaves to storms and everything in between.

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 StandOut 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 StandOut magazine. © 2026. StandOut Multimedia Limited, 10 The Metford, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

Temporary infrastructure is vital to live and large-scale events. In the next issue, titans of temporary overlay discuss best practice.

66 n www.olympuscrew.co.uk

WORKING ON SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS EVENTS WE ARE A CREWING COMPANY FOR THE CLIENTS AND FOR THE CREW. WE ENSURE THE BEST SERVICES FOR YOU.

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TELEHANDLERS, TRACTORS, UTV’S LIGHTING & MORE Equipped to handle your events with tailored solutions and quality equipment. Trust ACE Plant to be your first choice when you need the very best service in any situation.

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