StandOut Magazine Winter 23/24

Winter 2023

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WINTER EVENTS

EBL23 REVIEW

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EDITOR’S LETTER

WINTER 2023 sitting writing this from the glamour of a Munich hotel. Stranded. Record-breaking I am snow has shut down the airport and my weekend trip to check out Germany’s famous

Christmas markets has turned into a week!

It highlights how we are forever at the mercy of Mother Nature and that freak weather events are increasing. It’s timely, as in this issue, you will find in-depth advice and opinions on event cancellation insurance and weather as well as other insurance advice from those in the know.

Turn to page 49 if you would like to hear about event insurance trends for 2024 and what’s coming down the line and also discover what Vision 2025’s Chris Johnson has to say about event sustainability in his end-of-year round-up (page 53).

This Winter edition is our last of 2023. It’s been a crazy busy year; we’ve had a regal Coronation, a colourful Eurovision, a fabulous edition of Event Buyers Live (page 15) and a mixed bag in terms of event cancellations and launches.

From being on-site, it’s been evident that brands are once again happy to spend money on live events. But it’s bittersweet, as you can also see that festivals are feeling the pressure as costs escalate and the bottom line is squeezed. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts that they would like to share on how we move forward as an industry, I’d be happy to have a chat.

It’s heart-breaking to see so many events we’ve all seen grow, having to close their doors, and not for lack of trying.

So, to all you #Eventprofs who are doing all you can to innovate and balance the books, or if you’re finding it a bit tough right now, I raise my glass. Cheers to you all, stay safe, and I really hope to see you in 2024. Wishing you happy times and good health.

Happy reading, Caroline

Cover image: © Osborne Studios

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#EBL24

10 ANNIVERSARY TH TH

11TH - 13TH NOVEMBER 2024 are you on the waiting list?

CONTENTS

15 EBL23 REVIEW

30 REMOVING BARRIERS

44 BIG AND BOLD

38 FEEL THE EXPERIENCE

53 WHAT A YEAR FOR SUSTAINABILITY

10 WINNING BUSINESS

Check out the latest event tenders and news of contract wins

outlines new approaches to capturing liveness in brand new ways for Deaf and disabled fans…

15 THE PLACE TO…

41 SMASHING TIME

Event Buyers Live 2023 was described as the Rolls Royce of industry events. Discover more in our review of the industry event and check out #EBL23 in pictures…

23 BRINGERS OF JOY

From festive parades and ice sculptures to light installations and Christmas markets, StandOut chats to organisers about winter events – their planning, event delivery, and lessons learned

30 REMOVING BARRIERS

What are organisers doing to make their events and event sites more accessible? Here, the teams behind Truck Festival, Dyslexia Show, and Greenwich and Docklands International Festival outline their best practice moves…

38 FEEL THE EXPERIENCE

Falmouth University’s Adrian Bossey, a trustee of Attitude is Everything,

The Ultimate Tennis Showdown Grand Final took place at London’s ExCeL. Massive explains how it assisted the event’s organising team

44 BIG AND BOLD

Big screens and LED technology can bring an event to life. Discover how big screen tech is being used to tell stories and create events that stand out

49 ARE YOU COVERED?

Event insurance experts discuss the key factors impacting event insurance and outline what organisers and production companies should look out for in 2024

53 WHAT A YEAR

The industry took more positive steps to keep event sustainability at the top of the agenda. Vision 2025’s Chris Johnson looks at some of the key achievements in 2023

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CONTRIBUTORS

This month’s

CONTRIBUTORS:

ADRIAN BOSSEY

Adrian is head of subject at the Cornwall Business School at Falmouth University and a former artist manager. He is interested in potential digital futures for live performance in the staging and consumption of music festivals. With a passion for accessibility, he is a trustee of Attitude is Everything, and he is also chair for the Association of Events Management Educators and a reviewer for the International Journal of Event and Festival Management. In this issue, Adrian outlines new approaches to capturing liveness in brand new ways for D/deaf and disabled fans. This follows an experimental live audience accessibility and augmentation (LAAA) research event/music event series at Falmouth’s Academy of Music and Performing Arts earlier this year.

JONI MARKS

Having started his career at Marks and Spencer, Joni co-founded and served as the MD of the Gourmet Restaurant Group, overseeing its growth to 28 outlets. He then moved on to become commercial and operations director at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and whilst there created the light trail Christmas at Kew, alongside Culture Creative and Raymond Gubbay. In 2016, Joni left Kew and joined Raymond Gubbay where he is now development director. At Raymond Gubbay, Joni manages key partnerships in the UK, USA, Europe, and Australia, with institutions such as Kew Gardens, Blenheim Palace, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, Dunham Massey, Chicago Botanic Garden, and Melbourne Botanic Gardens, developing the Christmas at light trails, Lightscape, and Dark Spectrum projects.

CHRIS JOHNSON

Chris is co-founder of Shambala, chair of the UK’s outdoor event industry environmental steering group, Vision:2025, co-founding member of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), and co-founder and CEO of live industry sustainable travel charity ecolibrium. He is also a sustainability consultant, columnist, speaker, and activist, driven by climate advocacy. He combines a depth of experience and fierce optimism to lead and support climate action. He is a regular contributor to StandOut magazine and in this edition, Chris looks back over 2023 and the positive steps that have been taken to improve event sustainability on-site at events and festivals across the UK.

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INDUSTRY UPDATES APPOINTMENTS OF THE MONTH

PIC OF THE MONTH

Production and creative agency Far and Beyond has appointed Jack May as head of events for the UK and Europe.

Natasha Banjo is Hearst UK’s new portfolio director for women’s lifestyle – Cosmopolitan, Prima, and Red.

Fisher Productions and We Are Ops provided event production, management, and safety services to this year’s Ever After Garden, a garden illuminated with more than 25,000 white roses. Each rose is dedicated to the memory of a loved one, with donations supporting The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Located in Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square, the garden – which took five days to install – can be visited by friends and family who want to remember a loved one they have lost.

LINKEDIN POST OF THE MONTH Event Site Design has appointed Jackie Slade as head of design.

NEWS IN BRIEF A Greener Future is leading a project called Low Emission Festivals, which looks to help reduce fuel consumption and associated carbon emissions from live events and festivals.

The Association of Independent Festivals has launched an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Policy and Action Plan that will apply to itself and member festivals.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has appointed Jason Barrett as its new chief executive officer.

Richard Moorhouse has been appointed events director at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Vision 2025 has published on its website a glossary of terms to help event professionals better understand event sustainability.

There is a prominent company that is active on here [LinkedIn] and posting about 2024 and new work etc, who owe us an outstanding invoice from July for dry hire of our stock.

Now, the awkward part is the invoice is below £500, not exactly bank-breaking money but when the company continues to ignore our attempts at communicating (emails, phone calls and LinkedIn), it becomes a matter of principle more than anything. Our stock has been used to help them generate profit and now, unethically, they do not want to pay their bill.

It’s a small industry that revolves on relationships and never knowing when you might need a favour, and I think some people forget that.

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EVENT TENDERS AND CONTRACT WINS

ENGLAND NETBALL

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The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport is looking to establish a multi-operator framework agreement for general event management services, including infrastructure and equipment.

The deadline for this tender is 12am on February 29, 2024. Email commercial@dcms.gov.uk

The Royal International Air Tattoo has awarded TPA a second three-year contract to supply heavy-duty aluminium panels and TerraGuard pedestrian walkways to the event.

Hay Festival has issued a tender for power generation, fuel tanks, electrical distribution, site lighting, and technical support.

This three-year contract runs from May 2024 until June 2027. Email georgie@hayfestival.org – the deadline for enquiries is January 11 and the deadline for tender submissions is January 23, 2024..

The Centre for Process Innovation requires branded goods/ merch, signage, and exhibition stands/banners. The deadline is 12pm on January 8. Email hayley.drabble@uk-cpi.com ExCeL London has appointed Carlisle Support Services as its dedicated security partner.

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EVENT BUYERS LIVE

EVENT BUYERS LIVE

All images: © Jonathan JT Taylor/Aniseed Photo

The place to…

Event Buyers Live 2023 was described as the Rolls Royce of industry events. Discover more in our review of the industry event and check out #EBL23 in pictures…

Productive. Fantastic.

I nsightful.

Worthwhile. Perfect. Amazing. The

best industry event. These are just some of the words used by events professionals to describe their experience of this year’s Event Buyers Live (EBL), held November 13-15.

The industry networking event, which took place at Carden Park Hotel, Chester, was a huge success with all attendees – organisers, suppliers, and speakers – sharing their appreciation for being able to chat with, listen to, and laugh alongside each other.

Event Buyers Live connected the live events industry. In fact, the event’s innovative badging technology – provided by blendology – shows that more than 4,400 unique connections were made.

Neil Fagg, event director of EBL, said: “When we closed the doors on #EBL22, we made a promise to build on the event and this year, we’ve done it. But that’s not me just saying that. The feedback we received in the first few hours after the event has been humbling and I’ll be honest it’s even made some of the team cry.

“As event professionals, you know that the hard work is in the planning so when guests tell you that the event is productive and inspiring and that they have not only found some great suppliers for their events but also learned something from the roundtable sessions and workshops, it really does put a huge smile on your face.”

Karen McColl, project manager at DF Concerts, attended EBL for the first time.

She said: “My first Event Buyers Live did not disappoint. Having the opportunity to meet so many suppliers and other organisers in one location this side of Christmas was so productive and saved hours of online research and introductory emails! Thanks to all the team for having me and for pulling off an exceptional, well-organised and productive event!”

Like McColl, Kevin Moore, operations director at From the Fields, also attended the hosted buyer event. He said: “This was my first Event Buyers Live and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Any doubts I had quickly disappeared when I arrived at the venue and

was greeted by the EBL team. I was so well looked after and had an excellent schedule of meetings and workshops tailored to my own bespoke event needs. It was some of the most productive time I’ve spent at an event.”

SECOND TO NONE

Event Buyers Live 2023 consisted of more than 552 pre-arranged supplier meetings, 12 content sessions, three NetWalks, and more networking than you could imagine.

Event professionals from AEG Presents, LIV Golf, Engine No4, Boomtown, Royal Horticultural Society, BLAST, Vision Nine, Spartan Race and Tough Mudder, NW Live, Method Events, Organise Chaos, Eye of the Storm Events, We Are The Fair, Owl Live, 20-20 Events Management, Judgeday, Pennine Events, Kilimanjaro Live, Culture Liverpool, JA Productions, and Pride in London attended the respected event, which facilitates pre-arranged one-on-one meetings between organisers and suppliers. It gives event professionals the chance to sit down with each other and discuss project and procurement requirements.

Simon Hough, head of commercial activities and hospitality at Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, organiser of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), commented: “I thoroughly enjoyed this year’s Event Buyers Live. The organisation and coordination were perfect, and the mix of people and organisations present in such quantity is second to none in

www.theeventtechnologygroup.co.uk n 15

EVENT BUYERS LIVE the events world. I made some really useful connections with fellow event organisers, and I had some really productive meetings as well as informal chats that proved very helpful.”

Jess Plant, operations manager at Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), echoed Hough’s comments. She said: “Working in the events industry, it can often be difficult for people to understand what running events takes.

Coming to Event Buyers Live and meeting event organisers from a real mix of events, it was so refreshing to hear so many of us are dealing with the same issues and learning from each other on what they are doing that’s working or not working. That paired with an extremely well-organised few days and meeting with lots of different suppliers that perhaps I would not have met otherwise, I definitely think it was really beneficial and hope to return next year.”

EXCEPTIONAL

Duncan Strain, director of Silent Noize Events, was just one of the many suppliers supporting the event. He said of his event experience: “It was our second consecutive year at EBL and again, we thought it was superb. The organisation was faultless and the quality of the buyers and meetings we had were fantastic. The atmosphere generated by the whole EBL team is what really makes this event stand out and brings out the best in everyone who attends. The entertainment was very good with guest speaker Martin Green [MD of Eurovision 2023] a definite highlight.”

Chris Hampson, product success manager at Eventree and The TicketSellers, agreed.

“This was the second year that I’ve attended Event Buyers Live, and I loved every minute of it,” he commented. “Neil and his team created a magnificent, relaxed, fun and collaborative atmosphere to talk with current and prospective clients. Hands down, I think it’s the best networking event out there to meet professionals in this industry. This year they knocked everything out of the park. Their organisation, entertainment, food, NetWalks, guests, incredible speakers (especially Martin Green), and support was simply exceptional!”

STRIKING A BALANCE

This year’s event featured several content sessions designed to encourage open conversation and the sharing of best practices. John Rostron, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) delivered just one of the roundtable discussions. He explained: “If you’re looking to meet some new suppliers or tweak your event to bring in new elements where you’ll need support, and if you like to meet with like-minded festivals and events, then EBL is for you. Superbly organised, and smoothly run, it’ll keep you occupied, energised and leaving with new contacts, leads and ideas.”

Clare Goodchild, director of Organise Chaos, agreed: “Meeting fellow event organisers and attending workshops allows us to thrash out the key issues in the industry at a time in the season when we can make change for the upcoming year.”

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EVENT BUYERS LIVE

www.theeventtechnologygroup.co.uk n 17

EVENT BUYERS LIVE And NW Live’s Adam Fellows, event operations manager, concurred, stating that the ability to have open discussions with other organisers and scheduled meetings with new suppliers ahead of the 2024 season was of huge benefit.

Fagg added: “This year has not been without its challenges; rising costs and extreme weather events have made life difficult for event professionals and there have been a series of common obstacles that people have had to navigate.

“Event Buyers Live 2023 provided a safe environment for our guests to have so many conversations about how they navigate those challenges and move forward. It’s because of our guests’ willingness to share their experiences, needs, and thoughts that have helped turn EBL into what it is. We have always said that it is the place to do business, the place to network, and the place to learn but it’s also the place to be inspired, the place to plan, and the place to listen.”

Jack Saward, founder of Saward Marketing and Events, concurred. He said: “I was recently asked if it was worth investing my time in EBL 2023, and without hesitation, I can confidently say that it was an incredibly valuable experience. I dedicated three days to this event, and what I gained far exceeded the time I put in.

“The event not only offers a conducive environment for meaningful interactions but also brings together the right people for constructive business engagements.

What sets it apart is the perfect balance it strikes between being relaxed and professional, serious and fun. It’s a one-ofa-kind experience that I highly recommend to anyone looking to make meaningful connections and explore valuable business opportunities. I encourage everyone to engage in conversations with the EBL team to discover how you too can benefit from being a part of it in the future. It’s an investment that pays off in ways you might not anticipate, making it an opportunity well worth seizing.”

Fagg concluded: “EBL was born out of a love for our industry so to hear that significant contracts have already been awarded and that people have had big chats about collaboration, it’s just brilliant news.

“Thank you to everyone that attended and supported our team, and who made Event Buyers Live so special. From our speakers, our ambassadors, our sponsors, and event partners, everyone played their part and delivered what is the best EBL yet. Roll on 2024, and if you’d like to come along, jump online – www.eventbuyerslive.com – and get on the waiting list!”

Special thanks goes to 2CL, Swift MRP, Endigo Event Communications, Bridge Creative, Blendology, The Event Technology Group, CTN, Carden Park, Osborne Studios, Tysers, Style Branding, RedBox Events, Delegate Select, FlightShows, AIF, Instant Marquees, Iventis, EventWell, NOQ, AFO, The Events Insight Podcast, Aniseed Photo, and Mental Health UK.

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WINTER EVENTS HALIFAX CHRISTMAS PARADE

Images: © Sony Music/Visit Leeds/Tom Martin/Ian Hodgson

Bringers of joy…

From festive parades and ice sculptures to light installations and Christmas markets, StandOut explores the winter events marketplace and chats to organisers about new events, planning, event delivery, and lessons learned

Sponsored by Festivall Services

www.festivall.services n 23

WINTER EVENTS

CHRISTMAS AT WIMPOLE have to make sure your price point Y ou is aligned to the local demographic,”

explains Joni Marks, development director at Raymond Gubbay, a division of Sony Music.

“But you also have to keep an eye on quality.”

Marks is talking to StandOut about the business of light trails. The former commercial and operations director at Kew Gardens has worked at Raymond Gubbay since 2016, developing the promoter’s partnerships, including its renowned portfolio of light trails.

Working alongside Culture Creative, Marks and his team are responsible for developing and delivering light trails at venues such as Blenheim Palace, Dunham Massey, Wimpole, Bedgebury, Kew Gardens, and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

“After six years in Edinburgh, we’ve just signed a new multi-year contract with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh,” Marks continues.

“Edinburgh is going well and that’s because

24 n www.festivall.services

we’re playing the long game in terms of delivery and quality is paying dividends.”

Marks believes that light trails are now firmly in the annual calendar, a tradition like a trip to a panto or Christmas market, and they are here to stay.

“Despite the external economic climate and the levels of competition in the marketplace, we’re doing nicely. This year, we launched new trails at Chester Zoo (Lanterns and Lights) and Heaton Park (Christmas at Heaton Park).

At Chester Zoo – which operated its own lanterns event for several years – it’s looking like we have grown visitation by 25 per cent.

“It’s nuts how the world of light trails has expanded,” he says.

HOLD YOUR NERVE

Indeed, the light trail market has expanded.

For instance, English Heritage launched new trails this year alongside Kilimanjaro

Live, including Christmas at Wrest Park and Christmas at Walmer Castle. Festivall Services is providing staff to both new events and is also working alongside Raymond Gubbay Leeds Castle and Bedgebury.

Raymond Gubbay is currently operating light trails in five countries. In Australia, its Lightscape trails have sold close to two million tickets. “But you have to hold your nerve over there,” adds Marks. “People buy tickets last minute so in the 24 hours before they visit, but we’re also seeing a change in ticket buying in the UK and I think that’s definitely a reflection of the UK market and the economy. We’re not seeing a decline in demand but that’s only because we continue to evolve.”

Raymond Gubbay has “responded to the general economic climate” and introduced price variations, giving customers choice.

Making price points accessible is important,

Sponsored by Festivall Services

WINTER EVENTS

comments Marks. “Customers recognise what good looks like, and we always focus on quality of product. We are also prudent in our expansion plans. We have a couple of possible new venues for 2024, but I can’t tell you more as we haven’t signed any contracts yet. Interestingly, venues with existing products are coming to us rather than us approaching them,” Marks states.

NOT LIGHTOPIA

In recent years, Heaton Park has played host to Lightopia but in January, the company behind the light trails went into liquidation.

Raymond Gubbay won the tender to produce a new light trail in the city’s park.

Marks continues: “We now have three light trails in the area [northwest] – Dunham Massey, Chester, and Manchester. Historically, Dunham Massey has always sold out so we had to think about what we could do.

Sponsored by Festivall Services

“Christmas at Heaton Park opened on December 1 and whilst each trail is about an hour’s drive from each other, they are very different markets and different propositions.

“The biggest thing for us with Heaton has been getting across that we are fundamentally different and not Lightopia.”

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Much of Raymond Gubbay’s success has come from the perfect marriage of several factors – venue choice, location, and competition.

Roxy Robinson, event director at From the Fields, concurs. It’s all about finding the right venue. Since 2021, From the Fields has delivered Christmas at Bute Park, Wales, and in 2023 launched Northern Lights, a light trail set in the heart of Newcastle’s Leazes Park.

Robinson says: “We’ve been looking for sites that grow our portfolio for a while

and are looking for quality over quantity, introducing a new location every other year, and that’s based on finding the right venue.”

Leazes Park is within great walking distance of Newcastle city centre and there is not too much competition in the local area, she continues. “Trails have been part of our ambition since pre-COVID,” she continues. “I was interested in seeing where the light trail market was going, and I was working with light artists on Kendal Calling and Bluedot.

COVID accelerated things and gave us a window to put our resources into new areas.”

IDEAL CRITERIA

Northern Lights is a mile in length and so far customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, says Robinson. “We have learned a lot about light trails from our experience at Bute Park and so we have been able to go to Newcastle with parameters and ‘ideal criteria’,

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WINTER EVENTS one of which is that the trail is a minimum of a mile in length, and it is a mile.”

From the Fields works with 2Can Productions on both Christmas at Bute Park and Northern Lights, works with Mandylights in Newcastle, and has signed a three-year agreement with Urban Green Newcastle, which manages the park, to produce the light trail that features immersive installations and special effects.

SPREAD THE LOVE

LEEDS CHRISTMAS MARKET

CHRISTMAS AT BLENHEIM PALACE

Earlier this year, City of Lincoln Council revealed a programme of new events designed to take over the city. Three main events were delivered by a newly-formed Events in Lincoln brand, including the Lincoln Ice Trail and Christmas light display.

The ice trail replaced the popular Lincoln Christmas Market, which was scrapped after being called “unsustainable”.

“We had a really busy Christmas market in 2022,” explains Claire McDowall, events, culture and tourism manager at City of Lincoln Council. “The market was one that people would visit every other year. Last year’s event was really busy with mild weather in the day and wet weather in the evening, which meant that everyone left at the same time.”

This put Lincoln’s park-and-ride system under pressure. McDowall adds: “Over the years, we had refined our crowd measures and put in longer routes, but it got to the point where our routes were getting saturated, and we had ever-increasing costs.

I was asked: ‘Can I make the market work?’ and I could but I would have had to have increased the infrastructure and that would have increased costs. The combining factors were a perfect storm, and we were a victim of our own success.”

McDowall continues: “I was asked to look at what we could do with the same budget that would allow us to spread visitors over the year and so we now have a programme of events, including a Halloween event in October halfterm and a live music event. Plus, we have the Lincoln Ice Trail, which features 20 sculptures created by Icebox.”

The council is using many of the same contractors for the ice trail that provided services to the Christmas market, such as AT Events (barriers) and S4 (stewarding). “It’s no market, but because the ice sculptures are spread throughout the city, we are engaging lots of businesses and local shops, and the trail is working as we’d hoped.”

LEARNING CURVE

LINCOLN ICE TRAIL Sponsored by Festivall Services

The City of Lincoln Council is not the only local authority to switch up its events programme. 2023 saw the return of Leeds Christmas Market to Leeds city centre after a four-year absence. Market Place Europe – which operates markets in Belfast, Carlisle, and Harrogate – won the contract to deliver the Christmas market, comprised of a series of stalls, chalets, and bars.

Market Place Europe’s Nirmal Bassi, market manager, explains that the council wished to emulate Manchester’s Christmas market

www.festivall.services n 27

WINTER EVENTS model and spread visitor numbers and crowds across a wider city area. The local authority wished to encourage visitors to shop with a range of retailers so that they all got a share of the footfall.

Unfortunately, as StandOut writes, Bassi says that traders have said that there is not enough footfall and visitors are not buying, which raises questions over whether the new layout has been as successful as hoped.

Market Place Europe has a three-year tender with the council. Bassi says that the council has realised that the new layout and format have not worked and needs to survey traders and the public and make subsequent adjustments. “It’s a learning curve for both sides in year one,” explains Bassi.

GREAT PARADE

Indeed, event professionals must take learnings from their events and use constructive feedback to make future decisions. For example, Fran Sierevogel, project manager at Handmade Productions, learned a lot working on the inaugural Halifax Christmas Parade alongside Discover Halifax and Halifax Business Improvement District (BID). If (fingers crossed) the event returns in 2024, she has ideas about where best to site the parade’s starting area, ideal locations for lantern/artwork de-rig, extra security and crowd management, and increased stakeholder buy-in.

“We put in a funding application to Arts Council England together and made it happen,” explains Sierevogel, who persuaded Halifax BID that a festive parade would be a good thing for the local area.

“Our funding bid included a promise to work with lots of different communities in Halifax, including young carers groups and asylum seeker adults,” adds Sierevogel. “It’s important to bring people together.”

Halifax Christmas Parade involved reindeer on stilts, a “bringer of snow” on a chariot, and elf puppet characters from A Christmas Wish for Halifax – the town’s own unique Christmas story. In all, the parade featured 180 lanterns created by the public and community groups at lantern-making workshops which were walked along a 0.5-mile route that was lined with families and residents.

Sierevogel continues: “The parade finished at The Piece Hall in Halifax and tied in with the venue’s Christmas light switch on. It was such a success; I don’t think Halifax has ever been that busy.”

According to the organising team, The Piece Hall Trust, where the parade culminated, witnessed a footfall of 63,000. Meanwhile, Woolshops Shopping Centre, the parade’s starting point, reported 39,000 visitors on the day, and along the parade route, through the heart of Halifax, an estimated 20,000 people lined the streets.

Sierevogel concludes: “Immediately after the parade there was lots of talk about repeating it next year. Hopefully, it will be an annual event because you could see how much business it brought in, but that depends on future funding.”

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ACCESSIBILITY

GDIF

All images: © David Levene/The Moral Gallery/Truck Festival

Removing barriers What are organisers doing to make their events and event sites more accessible?

Here, the teams behind Truck Festival, Dyslexia Show, and Greenwich and Docklands International Festival outline their best practice moves… n March 2024, Hynt turns ten.

I But what is Hynt? It’s a national

access scheme devised by the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) – developed with and by disabled people – to improve disabled customers’ access to arts, events, and culture.

As ACW prepares to mark a decade of the scheme, it has revealed new statistics highlighting the major benefits that increased accessibility and inclusivity bring to the cultural world.

As of October 2023, Hynt has issued 29,866 cards to members, who can use their cards in more than 40 theatres, arts centres and associate venues across

30 n www.qdoseventhire.co.uk

Wales. According to the findings, 76 per cent of cardholders said being part of the scheme improved their access to culture, 81 per cent of cardholders reported Hynt increased the amount of social interaction in their lives, and as a result of Hynt, card members and their companions spend more at venues and in the local area (£23.53 per visit).

The success of Hynt inspired Arts Council England to launch in November 2023 a UK-wide version of the scheme called All In, which also aims to improve the experience of D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people wishing to attend creative and cultural events.

DISABILITY AWARENESS

This year (January to March), 9.58 million people of working age (16 to 64) reported that they were disabled. This is 23 per cent of the working-age population. In 2021, the spending power of disabled people and their households was calculated at £274 billion per year. So what are you doing to improve access to your event/festival when almost a quarter of your potential customers will have a disability?

Purple Tuesday – an initiative that encourages businesses to make a public commitment to improving accessibility – reports that 70 per cent of disabled people will not return to a business after receiving

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ACCESSIBILITY

ALL IN poor customer service. Therefore, it’s imperative to make a conscious effort to improve access on site and if you don’t get things quite right, learn from your moves and improve. This is especially important, as the Government has just closed a consultation on a proposed Disability Action Plan, which aims to improve the lives of disabled people. The plan includes the development of a Disability Enabled Badge to encourage businesses to train staff in disability awareness and autismfriendly programmes for cultural and heritage sites, for example.

TRAINING AND REPRESENTATION

There is a myriad of organisations that will work with event organisers, offering employee training that will make a world of difference to the lives of D/deaf, disabled, visually impaired, Blind, and neurodiverse customers. For example, the Sight Loss Council and Thomas Pocklington Trust supported the International Blind Sports Federation’s World Blind Games by providing vision awareness sessions to events, hospitality, catering, and venue staff and will work with organisations to train staff/volunteers. Plus, organisations such as Diverse UK, Attitude is Everything, and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) offer training and advice to organisations too.

This year, Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF) was recognised

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by RCSLT as Communication Accessible after taking part in its free Communication Access UK training that helps businesses and organisations better support the needs of people with communication difficulties.

It was just one of the reasons why GDIF has been awarded Platinum status by Attitude is Everything – a registered charity that improves D/deaf and disabled customers access to live events – for its long-term commitment to driving forward accessibility.

In 2022, the festival programmed 30 events with audio descriptions, 14 touch tours, 20 shows had British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation, and six had captioning.

For 2023, GDIF built on its achievements.

Kat Gill, access producer at GDIF, explained: “All volunteers and freelance staff have disability equality training. This year, we included more training on interacting and welcoming audiences with communication access needs.”

A big part of GDIF achieving the Platinum level of Attitude is Everything’s Live Events Access Charter was around GDIF’s programming of the festival for neurodivergent and disabled audiences. For instance, in Greenwich Park, four different pieces of work were all created by disabled performers who led the artistic works.

“Our audience has come to expect this of GDIF,” Gill continued. “Seventeen per cent of our audience identify as Deaf, disabled, or neurodiverse. Seeing representation

in the programming is part of the reason why we have been so successful in our achievements.”

CLEARER COMMS

This year, GDIF improved its pre-festival marketing and released its accessible programming information at the same time as its “traditional” information. This required a concerted team effort between marketing, production, and programming and ensured equity of information.

Furthermore, GDIF ensured ear defenders were available at sites with loud sound (31 in total), which was previously not done with such consistency. It also used a mobile captioning device from The Different Engine to enable customers to receive captions on their mobile phone, and as a Disability Confident Employer ensured that people were invited to apply for job roles in several different ways.

Looking ahead, Gill and the GDIF team aim to develop the festival’s audio-described assisted routes. She added: “This year, we received constructive feedback around our digital audio descriptions, how to access audio descriptions and make them as accessible as possible and we are rethinking this for 2024. Also, in 2023, we learned a lot about our quiet spaces. They didn’t have as much take-up as we’d have liked so we need to be clearer in our communication as to what they are and who they are for.”

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ACCESSIBILITY ACCESSIBLE FESTIVAL

Truck Festival is currently one of the UK’s eight “most accessible” festivals in the UK; it has an Attitude is Everything Gold award for accessibility. But it has its eyes firmly set on achieving Platinum status. It will be no mean feat but Alex Lane, festival manager at Truck Festival, likes the challenge of the idea.

“It would be a lovely badge of honour to be the most accessible camping festival in the UK,” he said. “We’re currently one of the eight most accessible festivals in the UK, which shows how much we care about reducing barriers.”

In 2023, Truck Festival went from being a festival with Silver status to Gold. Like GDIF, it wishes to build on its achievements.

Lane continued: “Truck is an interesting site because of its topography. We learned in 2023 that the terrain is difficult for anyone to traverse in British weather [torrential rain] so we now have to think, how do we make a farm not a farm?”

BSL AT GDIF

STATEMENT OF INTENT

Supplier buy-in is paramount and it’s great to see contractors developing products that help everyone to enjoy events and festivals.

For example, Qdos Event Hire has recently added a new Changing Places unit to its fleet.

The purpose-built, DDA-compliant accessible unit (6m x 3m) – backed by Promoting A More Inclusive Society (PAMIS) – has been designed specifically to improve an event’s inclusivity and ensure that everyone has access to high-quality welfare facilities.

Truck Festival 2023 worked with Accessible Events, Diverse UK, GigLoo, and Mobiloo, which all provided a range of accessible services and infrastructure. Lane and his team have now created a statement of intent; a policy outlining to its supply chain who it wishes to work with. “The way the events industry works with the supply chain could be better,” Lane explained. “We need to say: ‘Have you considered this design is not great for someone who is neurodiverse or has a mobility issue?’ I have created a policy that states who we want to work with, so they know front and centre what we care about. If you want to be a part of Truck, we need their [suppliers] buy-in as well.”

NO BARRIERS

For 2024, Lane and his team are looking at infrastructure and access provision in the main arena for customers with more complicated needs and Truck is working with Attitude is Everything on wayfinding, including wayfinding videos.

Wayfinding, signage, and communication require a huge amount of work. For example, all bars at Truck Festival have large-print menus, which feature a size 16 sans serif font. They are written in simplified English for people who have difficulty processing information. Organisers should consider using sans fonts for comms and information as the letters can appear less crowded.

Dyslexia Show uses Poppins font because it is easier to read, explained Arran Smith,

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ACCESSIBILITY event director of Dyslexia Show, an exhibition designed to provide parents, businesses, individuals, and education providers with information on how they can offer support to those with dyslexia and neurodiversity.

Smith and his team work hard to make Dyslexia Show – which takes place at Birmingham’s NEC – accessible by providing information in a mix of formats to visitors, exhibitors, and contractors.

For example, in 2023, Smith and his team simplified the show’s exhibitor manual to include more pictures and links. The exhibitor manual is also available as an audio guide and provides all stakeholders with open channels of communication to ask questions.

“Next year, we’re doubling down on pictures,” continued Smith.

“The website, we’re making it more blocky so that we have clearer messaging, so big words that are big bold statements, and no more than two words used on the menu bar to navigate the show website. Also, our audience is not going to read a programme

so we will have a digital show guide that can be accessed on a phone with 65 per cent of content text-based, and we will have more video content.”

Smith, which recently launched the Dyscalculia Show, added: “Dyslexia affects between 10 and 20 per cent of the population and dyscalculia affects around six per cent so access is incredibly important.”

For Dyslexia Show, Smith and his team have recorded several behind-the-scenes videos to help visitors and exhibitors get around the extensive site. Plus, lots of guests stay at the hotel opposite Birmingham’s NEC. Therefore, Smith has liaised with the hotel and asked it not to spray its rooms with strong perfumes.

“Our exhibitor manual is very pictorial,” Smith continued. “Everything can be read by a screen reader, and we have one form that people have to fill in.

“Also, we have removed inserts from show bags, any pictures we use, or banners feature the bare minimum in terms of words, so

speaker name, title, location and date. We don’t use too much text and any straplines are in a different colour.”

He commented further: “In terms of content sessions, everyone uses PowerPoint because it has built-in subtitles and 95 per cent of content at last year’s show had captions. This year, we’re working on overlaying subtitles for the keynote session, which is more of an interview.”

Smith explained that colour coding can also help anyone with severe dyslexia but what really helps someone with dyslexia is having someone at the end of the phone that they can talk to. He urged organisers to think about communication and having a phone line that opens more than two weeks before an event so that people with dyslexia can talk to someone and ask questions.

Lane concluded: “We are all in the business of building new and exciting worlds for people so let’s build them in a way that we’d like them to be with no barriers to access.”

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VIEWPOINT

ADRIAN BOSSEY

Images: © Mandy Curtis

Feel the experience Adrian Bossey is head of business and experience design at Falmouth University, a former artist manager, and a trustee of Attitude is Everything. Read below, as he outlines new approaches to capturing liveness in brand new ways for Deaf and disabled fans and audiences…

Government statistics for 2021/22 U Kidentified 16 million people in the UK

who were Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent.

Despite a legal requirement not to discriminate on the grounds of disability, live music performances are often challenging to access for these potential audience members.

Fortunately, there are a range of solutions to increase access to these experiences already in existence. By using technology to augment how diverse audiences experience live music, promoters can vastly improve and transform the available live events for these audiences.

While traditional perspectives of music relate predominantly to our senses of sound and vision, my current research considers the use of haptic technologies which generate vibrations to stimulate our sense of touch, so audiences actually “feel” the music.

In May 2023, the Live Audience Accessibility and Augmentation (LAAA) project installed the Beat Blocks haptic dance floor at Falmouth University to

38 n www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

facilitate a series of enhanced music performances and workshops. The project addressed audience perceptions of live music performances augmented with haptic information and communication technology (ICT) and piloted a “Liveness 4:0” scale regarding ICT-enhanced performances at music festivals.

The follow-on LAAA2 project is working with Deaf Rave to evaluate user experience/ perceptions of the authenticity of their live experience when wearing Woojer Haptic Vests at selected events.

LAAA2F focuses on the disruption of an existing haptic technology designed for gaming, with the intent to facilitate accessibility and inclusive participation of people who are Deaf or disabled at music festivals. To date, two field tests have taken place in 2023 at Boomtown Fair and the Deaf Rave Festival, which were supported by academics from the University of Brighton and students from Falmouth University.

Gathering completed questionnaires during a hectic DJ/MC performance is challenging, so we were pleased to receive 141 responses, which we are currently analysing. One final field test with the haptic vests is planned for June 2024 and a separate strand of activity will entail installing the Beat Blocks haptic dance floor at three UK festival sites to measure audience perceptions of experiencing that technology.

ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE

The use of haptic technology including vests, flooring, benches and even sneakers is at an early stage. Coldplay recently supplied haptic vests to guests at their live shows. The technology does show potential to enhance the experience of audiences generally as well as attendees who are Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent.

Promoters and organisers can deploy haptic technology to drive inclusion amongst audiences at music festivals and the “next

VIEWPOINT

HAPTIC VESTS: ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE step” is surely to commission performers to make new work which responds to these haptic technologies.

We could view haptic technology in the same way that you might incorporate a new kind of instrument into a performance.

Haptic technologies like this could provide endless engagement opportunities with all kinds of new and diverse audiences. In the future, performers may even consider augmentations to music performances relating to our senses of smell, taste, heat, balance, and perception of body awareness.

We need to move beyond the confines of sound and vision alone. If we’re to understand the effect of incorporating augmented experiences to increase accessibility at music festivals, then a new paradigm of “Liveness 4.0”is required so that we can radically alter perceptions of what constitutes a “live music performance”.

GATHERING FEEDBACK www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 39

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ULTIMATE TENNIS SHOWDOWN

ULTIMATE TENNIS SHOWDOWN

Smashing time Far from a traditional tennis tournament, Ultimate Tennis Showdown took over London’s ExCeL for the first time…

December, Ultimate Tennis I nShowdown (UTS) – the brainchild of

coach and entrepreneur Patrick Mouratoglou – took over London’s ExCeL. Tennis fans got to watch eight of the biggest players in the men’s game compete in the UTS Grand Final.

It was the first time that the grand finale of the supercharged tennis league had taken place in the UK. Launched in the US in 2020, UTS comprises shorter and more action-filled matches to engage fans and appeal to younger audiences. Yet this ground-breaking sports and entertainment showcase is far from a traditional tennis tournament. It’s full of quick points, noisy crowds, players wearing microphones, music and plenty of fast and furious shot-making. It’s tennis - but not as you know it. “It’s tennis but the experience is totally different and that’s the whole idea – to showcase things differently and find a new audience for tennis,” explained Mouratoglou. “I know a lot of tennis fans will love UTS but also a lot of people who are not watching or following tennis will be interested in UTS because it’s much more modern.”

Mouratoglou describes UTS as tennis for the next century and he says it’s a format that will pique the interest of audiences under the age of 40.

“The show is different, completely different to what they [audiences] have seen before,” he continued. “The matches are much shorter, so you can see many more matches and many more players. It’s very dynamic. It’s exciting. It’s an incredible show.”

recommended Massive to UTS and in October, Massive was appointed to work with UTS and operate as the event’s local operations and event management partner.

Massive provided an experienced and local operational team to support the UTS team (which is based in France) to deliver the UTS London Grand Final. This included a significant range of services, such as layout planning and CAD, venue management, supplier management, branding and wayfinding production and installation, event staffing, player accommodation and transport management, accreditation, and spectator management.

FAST AND FURIOUS

London has a great relationship with tennis.

It has previously hosted the ATP Final, Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and the cinch Championships at the Queen’s Club is another grass court fan favourite. But UTS is unlike any traditional tennis championship. Matches are faster, audiences and players interact more – players are interviewed during the matches – and the rules are designed to keep up a fast and furious intensity on the court.

Massive – the event delivery and project management specialist – is well-versed in the intricacies of sporting event management and fan experiences. An industry colleague

MEETING FANS www.standoutmagazine.co.uk n 41

ULTIMATE TENNIS SHOWDOWN

COURT ACTION TEAM EFFORT

Peter Wood, project manager at Massive, led the team, which included Ryan Green, production lead, Will Hutchinson-Smith, branding and production manager, Tom Simpson, production and operations coordinator, Matt Scott, access manager, Hannah Blackstock, hospitality manager, and Charlie Dryden, player support. On-site, Massive managed the whole build, live, and break process from an operational perspective and reported into UTS’ Emilien Bordet, event manager.

Katie Heaton, general manager of Massive, explained: “We were appointed in midOctober, facing challenging deadlines.

However, due to our ability to be agile as a team, we were able to jump straight into the project and ensure the client felt supported from day one.”

BEST CHOICE

UTS’ organisers hailed ExCeL as a great location to hold a tennis event. The ceiling height in the auditorium was great for lob shots, the back-of-house rooms and suites provided ample space for press and officials, and ExCeL’s Capital Suites meant VIPs were just a short distance from their courtside seats whilst dining.

“London is one of the biggest capitals of Europe and a very international city,” added Mouratoglou. “This is also a city and a country that has a great history of tennis.

It used to host the ATP finals, which was an incredible event. I think London loves tennis and has a great culture for tennis, and of course, there’s a grand slam in the city. So, I think it’s one of the best choices if not the best choice we could have made.”

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ENGAGING WITH YOUNG FANS So what’s next? Will UTS return to London in 2024? As of yet, nothing is confirmed but as far as fans are concerned it’s game, set, and match.

Heaton concluded: “ExCeL has not hosted a tennis event before and this was the first time that UTS has been in the UK, so it’s been a new event for everyone involved.

“We’ve worked with suppliers from across Europe and despite not having previously

worked together, the event came together really well. Every event of this magnitude comes with challenges, but the relationship we have built with UTS has helped us to overcome those challenges.

“It’s always amazing to be at the core of a new event, in a new venue. Everyone has been super excited to have been part of the UTS Grand Final and I am really proud of the team and what we’ve achieved.”

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BIG SCREENS ADI’S ICONIC X

Big and bold Big screens and LED technology can bring an event to life. Discover how big screen tech is being used to tell stories and create events that stand out York design firm Yellow Studio Frameless venue in London and highlighted N ew recently designed the stage for TikTok’s urgent environmental issues, including calls

first-ever global music event. TikTok In The Mix featured a main stage in the centre of Arizona’s Sloan Park stadium and four monolithic video towers designed specifically for TikTok’s “unique vertical format”.

The video towers were designed in the same TikTok aspect ratio of 9:16 – the default size for nearly every smartphone – and captured the TikTok experience in a physical space. It’s the perfect example of how big screen technology can play a central role in live events and how social media is now impacting show design as millions of customers experience events through their camera lens.

An array of different screen types, formats and ratios can bring content and experiences to life in many ways.

Smyle, the event and experience agency, recently supported the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) at its State of the Planet Address 2023.

The event, a flagship initiative of WWF, welcomed 300 guests to the futuristic

44 n www.adi.tv

for global action against climate change.

Smyle worked with WWF on an evening of firsts. For instance, it was the first agency to host an event inside Frameless and used the immersive gallery rooms to transport guests to forest habitats around the world. Frameless’ LED screens and projectors wowed guests as they entered.

Kate Hinchliffe, executive content producer at Smyle, argued that the use of screen technology to create an immersive experience is essential. “The large-scale projection (walls, floor and ceiling) within the main galleries totally immersed our audience into the world of the rainforests,” she said.

“The use of screen technology, or indeed large-scale projection, to create an immersive experience is essential. Utilise this technology to tell stories, deliver messages and ensure emotional resonance. It must be said though that however impressive the technology, the content created to be displayed through these mediums has to be even more impressive than the technology itself.

There is no point in investing in technology if the content doesn’t deliver the results.

An immersive experience should perfectly marry the use of innovative technology and stunning, effective content.”

When guests arrived at Frameless, they descended through a sensory experience with 36 LED shards, a 360-degree mirrored escalator, intercut with 28 LED screens showing wildlife native to the rainforest.

The video, imagery and soundscapes in the Forest Gallery and Main Address Gallery were all the work of the in-house Smyle creative team, which utilised 16 Frameless projectors to create a 360-degree, six-sided projection to the wall, floor and ceiling.

Cliff Satherley, post-production manager at Smyle, commented: “What was very obvious from our tests was that less is more with this sort of setup. We had to pay special attention to how the surfaces interacted with each other. You cannot just put content on there and hope it looks good. You need to pay attention to all factors and make use of the environment, rather than trying to make something fit.”

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Alexandra Payne, head of creative at Outernet Global, leads the creative team at Outernet, which was recently named London’s most visited attraction with more than six million visitors in its first year.

Outernet’s flagship space – The Now Building – is comprised of a 26k continuous digital canvas, and a state-of-the-art concertlevel audio system, showcasing immersive exhibitions and experiences for the public – all completely free.

“We try to provide unique and interesting experiences,” explained Payne. “This year, we have had more than six million people visit us. This is a testament to what the team are doing. We have created an offer that resonates with audiences, which from a content perspective is anything that leverages technology and interactivity with engaging visuals.”

As well as hosting immersive experiences that wow the public, Outernet has also hosted a plethora of events for brands such as Chanel, Meta, Spotify, Pollstar, L’Oréal, Global, and TripAdvisor. Brands can choose to work with

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BIG SCREENS Outernet’s in-house creative teams or utilise the experience of their own agencies.

Payne continued: “Screens are at the heart of our business and are integral to our offering and our clients.

“It’s important for us to know our screens so we can guide clients and agencies to develop the best content. What stands out about Outernet is our combination of largeformat screens and an incredible programme of content that is underpinned by tech that creates activations and experiences for audiences to come and visit.”

For example, Outernet recently presented The Butterfly Trail with Pixel Artworks, which enabled visitors to hold a digital butterfly in the palm of their hand. Visitors could interact with and explore the experience using their smartphone to release magical AR butterflies and trigger real-time animations.

Tom Burch, managing director at Pixel Artworks, said of the experience: “Launching The Butterfly Trail at Outernet with such innovative experiential technology helped us to break creative boundaries with audiences looking for new, exciting immersive experiences. This is the next generation of experiential entertainment, demonstrating the potential of AR when seamlessly integrated with imagined, immersive worlds - elevating our everyday experiences to new heights.”

Guests who visited the iCONIC X got the chance to play Madden NFL 24 for themselves across multiple LED and LCD screens on the inside of ADI’s unit, while those enjoying the event outside could watch the gaming live on the super wide exterior LED display.

To further support the game’s release, ADI provided its iCONIC 25 mobile LED screen to show gaming footage, in addition to highlights from the NFL 2023 London Games.

Plus, the experience used modular LED to create digital arches for the different outdoor NFL activities, such as the Field Goal-Kick and Quarterback challenges.

Taylor continued: “We are continually investing in our LED screen products and supporting services to remain at the forefront of the industry and offer market-exclusive solutions; a recent addition to our range is the iCONIC X – a versatile, expandable unit that features an impressive range of AV integration and high-resolution LED screens.”

But it’s not the only new product to hit the market. YSLV has launched an LED trailer that is battery-powered. The IMPACT 42eco has been in development for the past 12 months and is now available to hire.

The trailer unit has an array of batteries – which are charged before leaving YSLV’s premises – that can power the screen for up to 12 hours all on their own. Totally silent, green, and generator-free. The trailer also has solar panels on its roof to recharge the batteries meaning on sunnier days the screen could run for even longer.

The IMPACT 42eco is fitted with the latest LED panel technology featuring an energyefficient design allowing the screen to run at 4,000 NITS of brightness while consuming as little power as possible. The 42 square metre screen has a 4mm pixel pitch, can run full-HD content and has black-faced LEDs for stunning contrast so blacks look black rather than grey.

TK Dewjee, digital development manager at YSLV, said: “Big screens are increasingly key to the event experience but require a large amount of power. As we all try to find ways to become more sustainable, we wanted to ensure we were at the forefront of innovation to reduce our environmental impact too.

“Our IMPACT 42eco LED trailer is the result – offering event organisers a way to lower their carbon footprint further by running their big screen on clean electric and solar power.”

TRANSFORMATIONAL NEW PRODUCTS

Thomas Taylor, global head of sales and sports presentation at ADI, concurred with Burch and Payne. He commented: “The use of LED screen technologies is getting more creative year after year, and we’re helping event clients achieve some really innovative concepts that look incredible for in-venue and remote audiences.

“One notable example from this year is the world’s first digital pit lane, which we created for Formula E working with the Halo Group.

More than 500 square metres of modular LED transformed the entire façade of the pit lane including all team garages and TV studios, creating a vast digital canvas for brand, partner, and exclusive fan-facing content.”

ADI recently supported Wasserman on its delivery of the NFL Experience London at Battersea Power Station. A free, one-day event to celebrate the NFL 2023 London Games, the public was invited to take part in immersive and interactive experiences, and NFL-style activations. ADI was brought on board to provide a range of mobile LED screens, modular digital signage and an LED hospitality unit, alongside creative content and technical production services.

ADI’s new iCONIC X – an expandable unit – was at the forefront of the event, promoting the NFL 2023 London Games across its screens, but also helping launch EA Sport’s new game, Madden NFL 24. The iCONIC X was the perfect solution for this activation given the vast array of screens integrated on both the interior and exterior, driving opportunities for interaction and gamification, alongside the ability to show engaging and vibrant branded content.

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NFL EXPERIENCE LONDON

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WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK CHARGE OF YOUR INSURANCE COVER? Are you going through the motions at each insurance renewal? Recent inflation and equipment lead times mean that if your policy looks the same as it did a year or two ago then you might not be covered properly.

Specialist Risk Entertainment Media and Sport (SR EMS) has been launched with some of the most experienced people coming together from across the entertainment insurance industry to create a strong and energised alternative to an industry that has tended to have narrow insurance options. The team’s desire to create something new is a reflection of the energy, endeavour and creativity of the industry we are working in support of.

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11/12/2023 15:06:50 12/12/2023 09:51

EVENT INSURANCE ARE YOU COVERED?

Images: © Danny Howe/Torr

Managing risk Protestors, strike action, business interruption, event cancellation, and weather.

Industry experts discuss the insurance trends not to be ignored in 2024… half (53 per cent) of businesses O ver suffered at least one cyber attack over

the last 12 months – a five-point increase on the previous year (48 per cent) according to new data from the latest Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report.

The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report found that cyber attacks have increased for the fourth consecutive year, including attacks on small businesses. Business email compromise (BEC) was the number one entry point for hackers with one in three companies experiencing payment diversion fraud (PDF) because of a cyber attack.

Cyber insurance is just one type of cover that you could consider for your business – especially if you handle personal data and ticket sales – but there are other types of insurance to think about too and several trends that cannot be ignored in 2024.

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STRIKES

2023 was blighted by strike action with train strikes causing headaches for multiple organisers. In 2021 and 2022, Tysers dealt with several insurance claims as a result of transport strikes. In one case, a local authority pulled an event licence because it deemed the transport strike would cause a risk on egress. This action forced the organiser to cancel their event.

Unfortunately, it looks like train strikes will continue to impact travel plans in 2024 and this is beginning to have an impact on insurance. Tim Rudland, client director at Tysers, says that insurers are now putting strike exclusions on insurance policies, but it’s not just train strikes that are being written into the small print. It’s any kind of strike – labour, lockouts, anything organised by a trade union too.

So, for example, if there is a doctor’s strike in your local area and only one hospital in the vicinity of your event site, what impact would that have on your event?

Is it possible that your safety advisory group could flag this up and say it’s not safe for your event to take place?

Rudland said: “Strike action is certainly something to be conscious of. Would a strike cause you an issue? You don’t need to cancel your event if people can’t turn up, but egress would be an issue if your customers are exiting your event with nowhere to go.

“Some insurers are taking the strike exclusions off if you can give them some comfort that lots of customers are arriving by car, for example.

“It’s definitely something to bear in mind as insurers are sticking it on as a starting point, so read your policy carefully.”

www.tysers.com n 49

EVENT INSURANCE

INSURERS ARE ANALYSING WEATHER PATTTERNS SMALL PRINT AND CONTINGENCIES

Rudland continued: “The lesson is to really check what is put in front of you. Your broker also needs to point out what’s different in your 2024 policy compared to 2023.”

Charlie Connell, head of entertainment at Howden Sport and Entertainment, concurred with Rudland. Strikes motivated by a common cause, protests, and civil commotion – anything that would cause services and resources (police and infrastructure) to be drawn away from your event – should be a key consideration for 2024.

Again, it’s not the only insurance trend.

Global elections could have an impact on premiums, professional indemnity and directors and officers insurance cover are rising in cost, and weather continues to impact event cancellation premiums.

“This is a big problem in the States and the UK and why a lot of insurers are looking at weather patterns,” said Connell. “It’s the unpredictability of weather on outdoor events.”

Bluedot, Tiree Music Festival, Goodwood Festival of Speed, and LooseFest were all impacted by weather events in 2023.

James Davies, director of sport and entertainment at Howden Sport and Entertainment, continued: “From a client point of view, what contingency plans are in the budget to deal with adverse weather?

Insurers are looking to see if organisers are putting aside financial contingencies and that would reduce the premium.”

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EXPERIENCE

Gary Brooks, client director at Specialist Risk Entertainment, Media and Sport, also stated that weather and event cancellation cover will be key concerns for event professionals. He said: “The cost of event cancellation cover has doubled in the last five years. What you are covered for in terms of cancellation has narrowed but the cost has increased.

“But there are things you can do. You can never be too early with discussing cancellation cover. Post going on sale is too late because if you feel you have a genuine risk you want to protect, you need to consider costs before you set ticket prices.”

Brooks added: “Also, I think experience will be a huge word in 2024. You should be asking what is the experience of the people I am working with and what’s the experience of my staging or security provider, for example.

How good are the contractors I am working with? Ask yourself these questions and dig deeper to combat increased costs. Having decent and experienced contractors can help with your insurance conversation. You have a good argument if you can say that you are better able to deal with adverse scenarios because of the experience of the people you are getting advice from.”

According to Brooks, there is one more insurance that event production companies should consider and that is business interruption. He explained: “Few companies have paid attention to it or even have it, but I think it’s a potentially dangerous situation

GARY BROOKS when you think of how big shows are now. If something was to happen on an event site, and your equipment was damaged, there would likely be an effect on your business.

Good equipment cover might contribute to the cost of new equipment or the hire of it if something goes wrong.

“We will certainly be banging the drum about it because we don’t think people have given it enough consideration and people need to understand what cover is available.”

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VIEWPOINT

What a year for sustainability The industry took more positive steps to keep event sustainability at the top of the agenda. Vision 2025’s chair Chris Johnson looks at some of the key achievements in 2023

CHRIS JOHNSON been another massive year. We’ve I t’switnessed significant advances in

event and festival sustainability, with a stack of inspirational achievements, initiatives, and campaigns across the summer, including the adoption in principle of a new Green Events Code of Practice and the launch of an Environmental Sustainability Chapter of the Purple Guide, a milestone for the event industry as the first national source of sustainability best practice.

I’m feeling optimistic about the positive changes being made, although there is still a lot of work to do, with the More Than Music Report (March 2022), revealing that of the 975 festivals in the UK, less than half have a publicly available sustainability report, and only 45 per cent have carbon offsetting measures in place.

We have a job to do in highlighting to everyone what good looks like. But let’s applaud those who have worked hard, innovated, and supported festivals to become more sustainable in 2023.

Still, there are many reasons to be optimistic.

The industry is alive with activity and inspiration to support progress; there is a tonne of new research, reports, and guides to help event professionals understand what sustainability means in practice and chart our course as an industry. Behind the scenes, there are also increasing levels of collaboration inspired and facilitated by forums and networks such as Vision:2025, Without Walls, LIVE Green and Earth Percent.

BEST OF THE SUMMER

The Best of the Summer panel at this year’s Sustainable Events Summit, hosted by AIF CEO John Rostron, highlighted some of the great initiatives at this year’s festivals: Kendal Calling, following up on its “Take Nothing But Memories Home” campaign

SHAMBALA

All images: © Ania Shrimpton/Sian Herbert/Unsplash/Kvanga

success in 2022, launched the Flappy Tent app game, gamifying the environmental issue of discarded tents.

Behind the scenes at festivals such as Kendal Calling, Bluedot and many others, bespoke Tony’s Chocolonely bars could be found in artist areas, a brand partnership with Earth Percent to engage artists in their Earth as CoWriter campaign; inspiring artists to assign a percentage of song royalties to the Earth.

Shambala festival continued to trail-blaze, releasing a comprehensive roadmap for 2025, diving into the topic of climate justice, introducing rail and entry festival packages, and publishing full food impact data for the first time on an online reporting platform called Klimato.

Glastonbury was powered by renewable fossil-free energy (vegetable oil), a significant feat, and it teamed up with Octopus Energy to install a wind turbine on-site.

Boomtown drilled down on travel impacts this year, collecting data like it’s going out of fashion on supplier transport, which won it the new ecolibrium Travel Impact Innovator award at the UK Festivals Awards.

Festival Republic continued to focus on reducing waste, with great successes: banning disposable vapes at many of its events, launching a partnership with Liquid Death selling water in cans collected for recycling, and reducing plastic waste by 1.5 million bottles. At Reading and Leeds, its Eco Campsites were expanded due to popular demand from 1,700 campers in 2022 to 14,200 campers this year! And 99.3 per cent of tents went home from the Eco Camps, and tent waste was reduced at Reading by 30 per cent.

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VIEWPOINT

DISPOSABLE VAPES ARE CAUSING ISSUES GREEN WINNERS

Green Gathering won both the UK and International A Greener Festival Award – welldeserved recognition for being forebearers of sustainability and Shambala was presented with the International Clearwater Award at the International Folk Awards by musician Sam Lee, for “environmental stewardship and demonstrating public leadership in sustainable event production”. Furthermore, this year’s Green Supplier and Innovation Award at the Sustainable Events Summit showcased a diverse range of suppliers pushing the envelope to reduce carbon impact. The award was presented to Waste Baling Machines for its self-contained unit which contains all the equipment and machinery event organisers need to start processing their recyclable cardboard, aluminium, glass and soft plastics on-site.

CHALLENGES AND CHANGES IN 2023

Electronic vapes – The recent rise in electronic vape use has left many events with thousands of disposable vapes in their waste streams. The responsible way for events to manage waste vapes is to provide a dedicated bin or similar to collect them as a separate waste stream and put them in WEEE (electronic waste) recycling.

Waste regulations are changing – There are myriad changes to waste regulations. For a full industry briefing, check out the Festival Industry and Waste Briefing on the Vision 2025 website.

New Purple Guide chapter – Perhaps most significantly, a new Environmental Sustainability Chapter of the Purple Guide was launched his year, a milestone for the industry in terms of best practice, covering

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SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL stagey, energy, materials, travel and food and drink. The new chapter comes as standard with Purple Guide subscriptions.

RESEARCH AND RESOURCES

Julie’s Bicycle and Hope Solutions published Raising the Bar, a guide to cups for music venues that also provides useful information for live events.

The Toward Zero Waste Festivals project, published the Toward Zero Waste Festivals Report. The subsequent Festival Industry Materials and Waste briefing set out the current legislative landscape for waste, what to ask waste management contractors, and the key changes on the horizon.

Ecolibrium released the fourth edition of its Green Travel and Transport Guide for Festivals and Events (2023), and Future Festival Tools was also launched. At ADE

Green, held in October, the Circular Festivals project defined a “circular festival”. It’s an impressively detailed model and well worth a look, providing a clear framework and targets for events.

And finally, Yourope, Europe’s festival association, released two important pieces of work: The European Roadmap 2030, and Future Fit Festivals, a toolkit for social actions at events.

CONCLUSION

I’d hazard a guess that the festival sector is ahead of some other outdoor events groups, and we have a job to do in highlighting to everyone working on temporary event sites “what good looks like”. In the meantime, let’s applaud those who have worked hard, innovated, and supported festivals to become more sustainable in 2023.

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Event Production Services The Pack House, Drayton St. Leonard, Oxford, OX10 7BG E: info@epsoxford.com T: 01844 278446 Press Red Rentals Limited Unit H11, Halesfield 19, Telford, TF7 4QT T: +44 (0) 1952 587049 W: www.pressred.biz

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LFX Events Stockport BIC, Gtr Manchester, SK5 7DL T: 0161 408 2220 E: enquiries@LFXevents.co.uk W: www.LFXevents.co.uk Victorious Events E: info@victoriousevents.co.uk www.controlledevents.com T: 07869 701 616 W: victoriousevents.co.uk

EVENT PLANNING OnePlan Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX W: www.oneplanevents.com E: hello@oneplanevents.com E: sophie.mcallister@oneplanevents.com EVENT PRODUCTION Symphotech Safety. Production. Noise Management Claire Feeney T: 0871 711 5264 E: claire@symphotech.co.uk

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Symphotech Safety. Production. Noise Management Claire Feeney T: 0871 711 5264 E: claire@symphotech.co.uk EVENT STAFF Festivall Services The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 4FW M: 07547 509 409 T: 01144 055 044 E: hello@festivall.services W: www.festivall.services Moorepeople Event Staffing Agency 1st & 2nd Floor, 169 A High Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 4LF T: 0208 508 0555 E: bettina@moorepeople.co.uk W: www.moorepeople.co.uk EVENT STAFFING SOFTWARE uTRAC 24A Lower Abbey St, Dublin 1, Ireland T: 0808 189 0334 E: hello@utraconline.com W: www.utraconline.com EXHIBITION TRAILERS & MOBILE UNITS DWT Exhibitions Trailer Hire, Sales & Management Jubilee Park, Honeypot Lane, Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, NG33 5LZ T: 01476 860833 E: pip@dwt-exhibitions.co.uk W: www.dwt-exhibitions.co.uk Inchmere Event Design Ltd Swan Close Studios, Swan Close Road, Banbury, OX16 5TE T: 01295 661000 E: alastair@inchmere.co.uk W: www.inchmere.co.uk TCM Trailers Ltd Watery Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 7SE E: emily@tcmtrailers.co.uk W: www.tcmtrailers.co.uk

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

CONNECTIONS FENCING & BARRIERS MOJO Rental UK Ltd Unit 3-6 Longpond Works, Wrotham, Borough Green Kent TN158DE United Kingdom T: 01708 687440 W: www.mojorental.com 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 Aero Fire & Rescue Ltd 27 Old Gloucester Street London WC1N 3AX T: 0330 111 3635 E: contact@aerofireandrescue.co.uk W: www.aerofireandrescue.co.uk Red Rose Fire Solutions Ltd 6 Brissenden Close New Romney Kent TN28 8JD T: 01995 503504 E: info@redrosefiresolutions.co.uk

CTN Exhibitions Limited Unit G3A, Halesfield 19, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4QT T: 01952 680423 E: Sales@ctn-uk.com W: www.ctn-uk.com Event Flooring Solutions Ltd T: 01509 768 252 E: sales@efseurope.co.uk W: www.efseurope.co.uk Gigtent UK Sonas House, Button End Harston Cambridge, CB22 7NX T: 01223 870935 E: info@gigtent.co.uk W: www.gigtent.co.uk FURNITURE HIRE / SALES Furniture On The Move Unit B, Canada warehouse, Chittening industrial estate Worthy road , Avonmouth, Bristol, BS110YB T: 0845 459 9875 E: info@furnitureonthemove.co.uk W: www.furnitureonthemove.co.uk GBJ Event Hire Graham Jones T: Office. 0207 205 4226 E: hire@gbjeventhire.co.uk W: www.gbjeventhire.co.uk HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS

FLAGPOLE HIRE Fuchsia Exhibition Services Ltd 13 Oak Park Industrial Estate, Chelmsford Road, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1XN T: 01371 644800 E: info@fuchsiaevents.co.uk W: www.fuchsia-exhibition-services.com FLAGS

Instant Marquees T: 01840 213063 www.instantmarquees.co.uk FLOORING & FLOOR COVERINGS Coir Store E: andy@coirstore.co.uk T: 07884303082 W: www.coirstore.co.uk

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

BiemmedueUK & Arcotherm Unit 12, Wilson Road, South Wigston Leicester LE18 4TP T: 01773 836999 | E: sales@biemmedueuk.com W: www.biemmedueuk.com Cooling and Heating Solutions Ltd T: 01590 681 434 E: sales@candhs.co.uk W: www.coolingandheatingsolutions.com Spica Temperature Control Solutions Ltd 20 Crowsport, Hamble, Hampshire, SO31 4HG T: 02380 453841 M: 07780 638976 E: kay@spicasolutions.com W: www.spicasolutions.com INSTALLATION & RECYCLING OF FLOORING CTN Exhibitions Limited Unit G3A, Halesfield 19, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4QT T: 01952 680423 E: Sales@ctn-uk.com W: www.ctn-uk.com

www.ctn-uk.com n 59

CONNECTIONS INSURANCE Arc International St. Clare House, 30-33 Minories, London, EC3N 1PE T: 0207 977 7637 W: www.arc-int.co.uk/ Tysers Insurance Brokers 71 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BS T: 0203 037 8000 E: tim.rudland@tysers.com W: www.tysers.com LASER & FX Laser Grafix Unit 4A Stratton Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8QS W: www.lgfx.co.uk UK office: 01767 315948 Dubai office: +971 4887 9808 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 LIGHTING

PART OF

Illumin8 Nick: 07593437891 E: sales@illumin8lights.co.uk W: www.illumin8lights.co.uk

MARQUEES

Event In A Tent The Malthouse Business Centre, Regent Street, Llangollen, LL208HS T: 01978 661449 E: info@event-in-a-tent.co.uk W: www.event-in-a-tent.co.uk Fews Marquees Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS T: 01527 821789 E: info@fews.co.uk W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk Gigtent UK Sonas House, Button End Harston Cambridge, CB22 7NX E: info@gigtent.co.uk W: www.gigtent.co.uk

Instant Marquees T: 01840 213063 www.instantmarquees.co.uk Marquee Magic 137-139 Nathan Way, London, SE28 0AB T: 0800 085 1405 E: info@marqueemagic.co.uk W: www.marqueemagic.co.uk 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 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 Yes Tents 4b Hall Farm Business Park, London Road, Weston, Beccles NR348TT T: 07932 642689 E: paul@yestents.com W: www.yestents.com

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

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Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

CONNECTIONS MEDICAL SERVICES

NOISE MANAGEMENT

AlfaMed Specialist Emergency Care and Training T: 07920 851 232 E: ben@alfamedsect.co.uk W: www.alfamedsect.co.uk Alliance Pioneer Group Event Medical, Frontline Ambulance & Patient Transport Services Hawthorne House, 2nd Floor 25 Darklake View, Estover, Plymouth, PL6 7TL T: 01752717720 E: mail@alliance-pioneer.co.uk W: https://alliance-pioneer.co.uk/ Instagram: @alliancepioneergroup Twitter: @AlliancePGUK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alliance.

Pioneer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/ alliance-pioneer-group Canopy Medical Services Ltd T: 07514 780025 E: jules@canopymedicalservices.co.uk W: www.canopymedicalservices.co.uk 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

Symphotech Safety. Production. Noise Management Claire Feeney T: 0871 711 5264 E: claire@symphotech.co.uk PLANT HIRE Ace Plant Blackpit Farm, Silverstone Road, Stowe, Buckinghamshire MK18 5LJ T: 01908 562191 E: hire@aceplant.co.uk W: www.aceplant.co.uk Hopkins Machinery T: 01633 680754 E: hire@hopkinsmachinery.co.uk W: www.hopkinsmachinery.co.uk PORTABLE TOILET HIRE Four Jays Group Barling Farm, East Sutton, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3DX T: 01622 843135 E: enquiries@fourjays. co.uk W: www.fourjays.co.uk

First Aid Cover Ltd T: 020 8875 5758 E: enquiries@firstaidcover.co.uk W: www.firstaidcover.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

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

Just Loos Paddock Barn, Manor Farm, Itchen Stoke, Hampshire, SO24 0QT T: 01962 867808 E: office@justloos.com W: www.JustLoos.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

Ontrax Rentals Elmwood Farm, Bampton OX18 2PL, England E: hello@ontraxrentals.com W: www.ontraxrentals.com

MET Medical Ltd T: 0203 627 9042 E: info@met-medical.co.uk W: www.met-medical.co.uk

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

Trident Medical Limited Based in Essex, cover events all over the UK T: 01279 319039 M: 07379 244718 E: events@tridentmedical.co.uk W: www.tridentmedical.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

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

www.ctn-uk.com n 61

CONNECTIONS POWER & GENERATORS

Progen Power Ltd Belvedere House, Pynes Hill, Exeter,Devon, EX2 5WS T: 0330 165 5720 E: info@progenpower.co.uk W: www.progenpower.co.uk

Festival Power Ltd Unit 2, Temple Bridge Business Park, Bristol, BS39 5AA E: info@festivalpower.co.uk W: www.festivalpower.co.uk Fourth Generation Ltd 220 Cricklewood Lane, London, NW2 2PU T: 020 8450 2943 M: 07741 052565 E: tweed@fourthgenerationltd.com W: www.fourthgenerationltd.com 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 Lifos Advanced Battery Technology Ltd Stafford Park 5, Telford, TF3 3AS T: 01952 200198 E: hello@lifos.co.uk W: www.lifos.co.uk Midas Productions (UK) Ltd Unit 1, Uplandside, Manor Road, Clopton, Suffolk, IP13 6SH T: 0333 772 0772 M: 07949 007 603 E: info@midas-uk.co.uk Newburn Power Rental Limited Unit 36 Lidgate Crescent, Langthwaite Business Park, South Kirkby, Pontefract, WF9 3NR T: 0845 077 6693 E: info@npr-uk.com Power Events T: 01277 424800 E: enquiries@powerevents.co.uk W: www.powerevents.co.uk Power Revolution 23C Shepherds Grove Ind Est, Stanton Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2AR T: 01359 256 265 E: info@power-revolution.co.uk W: www.power-revolution.co.uk Powerline Knowle Hill Farm, Beeks Lane, Marshfield, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8BB T: 01225 892336 E: info@thepowerline.co.uk W: www.thepowerline.co.uk

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Stuart Power Ltd Stuart House, Hargham Road, Shropham, Norfolk, NR17 1DT T: 01953 454540 E: enquiries@stuartgroup.info W: www.stuartgroup.ltd.uk/power PRINTERS UK Flyers Suite 210, Victory House, Somers Road, North Portsmouth, HampshirePO1 1PJ T: 023 9229 3050 E: sales@ukflyers.com W: www.ukflyers.com PRODUCTION AND PROJECT SUPPORT Smartrad Creative Ltd 5 George Street, Snaith, DN14 9HY smartradcreativeprojects@gmail.com www.smartrad.org T: 07711469787 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 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 DCRS Edison Road, St.Ives, Cambs, PE27 3LH T: 0800 043 2688 E: sales@dcrs.co.uk W: www.dcrs.co.uk SFL Mobile Radio 6 Woodway Court, Thursby Road Bromsborough, CH62 3PR T: 0151 334 9160 E: sales@sflmobileradio.co.uk W: www.sflmobileradio.co.uk/

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

CONNECTIONS REUSABLE CUPS

SHOWERS 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 Blue Planet Washing Solutions Unit 15 GIDC, Cobham Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9RX T: 01293 302007 T: 07917 040044 E: info@blueplanetws.co.uk W: www.blueplanetws.co.uk

SEATING

Zoo Events Group Ltd Stockton Dairy, Stockton, Warminster, BA12 OSQ T: 01258 840233 E: info@zooeventsgroup.co.uk W: www.zooeventsgroup.co.uk SITE SUPPLIES Concept Products Ltd 10 Cary Court, Somerton Business Park, Somerton, TA11 6SB T: 01458 274020 E: ben@conceptproductsltd.co.uk W: www.conceptproductsltd.co.uk STAGING & RIGGING

Ace Seating Hire T: 01832 279333 E: info@aceseating.co.uk W: www.aceseating.co.uk SECURITY 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 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 Linkedin @trojan-security-uk-ltd Facebook @TrojanLondon Instagram @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

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

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 The Stage Bus 19 Prestwood Road, Birmingham, B29 5EB T: 0121 585 9264 E: info@thestagebus.com W: www.thestagebus.com STEWARDS / MARSHALLS Road Traffic Solutions 60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe, DN15 7PQ T: 01724 848 246 E: dan@roadtrafficsolutions.com W: www.roadtrafficsolutions.com TEMPORARY ROADWAYS Cap Trac Limited The Stables, Loke Farm, Weston Longville, Norwich, NR9 5LG T: 01603 880448 E: info@captrac.co.uk W: www.captrac.co.uk TEMPORARY STRUCTURES Event In A Tent The Malthouse Business Centre, Regent Street, Llangollen, LL208HS T: 01978 661449 E: info@event-in-a-tent.co.uk W: www.event-in-a-tent.co.uk

www.ctn-uk.com n 63

CONNECTIONS Fews Marquees Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4HS T: 01527 821789 E: info@fews.co.uk W: www.fewsmarquees.co.uk Gigtent UK Sonas House, Button End Harston, Cambridge, CB22 7NX E: info@gigtent.co.uk W: www.gigtent.co.uk LH Woodhouse Wolds Farm, The Fosse, Cotgrave, Nottingham, NG12 3HG Delivering successful events T: 01159 899 899 E: sales@lhwoodhouse.co.uk W: www.lhwoodhouse.co.uk

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 TEMPORARY STRUCTURES - MANUFACTURERS J & J. Carter Ltd Unit 2, 34 Walworth Road, Walworth Business Park, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5LH T: 01264 721630 E: sales@jjcarter.com W: www.jjcarter.com TICKETING Citizen Ticket 84 Commercial St, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6LX E: info@citizenticket.co.uk W: www.citizenticket.com

Losberger De Boer Castle Park, Boundary Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 7ES T: 01280 846500 E: sales.uk@losbergerdeboer.com W: www.losbergerdeboer.com/uk

RedBox Events Balbir House, Norton Green Road,Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2LP T: 0333 242 7920 E: info@RedBoxEvents.com W: www.redboxevents.com

Mehler Texnologies UK Ltd. Hollinwood Business Centre Albert Street, Oldham, Lancs. OL8 3QL E: info-uk@freudenberg-pm.com W: www.mehler-texnologies.com NEPTUNUS Ltd Cob Drive, Swan Valley, Northampton NN4 9BB T: 01604 593820 E: sales@neptunus.co.uk W: www.neptunus.co.uk Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd Langley Brook Business Park, Unit 3B London Rd, Tamworth, B78 2BP T: 0121 7401385 M: 07826 843099 E: jorg@tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk W: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk The Dome Company T: 07876673354 E: info@thedomecompany.co.uk W: www.thedomecompany.co.uk The Theatre Tent Company Unit 4 Grimes Close, Birstall, Leicester LE4 3EN T: 01162674151 E: sayhello@theatretent.eu W: www.TheatreTent.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

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Skiddle Ltd Ashley Hall Farm Inglewhite Road, Goosnargh PR3 2EB W: www.skiddle.com TRACKWAY All Weather Access Ltd County Farm, High Roding, Dunmow, Essex CM6 1NQ T: 01371 700510 M: 07801 751137 E: henry@all-weatheraccess.co.uk W: www.all-weatheraccess.co.uk 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 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

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

CONNECTIONS Road Traffic Solutions 60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe,DN15 7PQ T: 01724 848 246 E: dan@roadtrafficsolutions.com W: www.roadtrafficsolutions.com VEHICLE HIRE Bradshaw Event Vehicles New Lane, Stibbington, Peterborough, PE8 6LW T: 01780 782621 E: enquiries@eventvehicles.co.uk W: www.eventvehicles.co.uk Twitter: @Bradshaw_EV VENUE MAPPING Iventis Think Tank, University of Lincoln, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL T: 01522 837205 E: info@iventis.co.uk Eamon Kerrigan: E: Eamon.kerrigan@iventis.co.uk W: www.iventis.co.uk

WIFI, INTERNET & STREAMING Fli-Fi Ltd UK Wide T: 020 3778 0454 E: enquiries@fli-fi.com W: www.fli-fi.com RedBox Events Balbir House, Norton Green Road, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2LP T: 0333 242 7920 E: info@RedBoxEvents.com W: www.redboxevents.com SimpliWifi Unit 13, Leominster Enterprise Park, Leominster, Herefordshire, Hr6 0LX T: 0800 298 9434 E: hello@simpliwifi.agency W: https://simpliwifi.agency

WASTE MANAGEMENT D C Site Services Ltd Fenland District Industrial Estate Station Road, Whittlesey Peterborough PE7 2EY T: 01733 200 713 E: info@dcsiteservices.com W: www.dcsiteservices.com Falcon Cleaning The Falcon Nest, Unit 10 & 11, Lower Gower Road, Royston SG8 5EA E: admin@falconteam.co.uk W: www.falconteam.co.uk WATER & PLUMBING SERVICES

DRINKING WATER PURE & SIMPLE

Liquiline Ltd The Incuhive Space, Office 7:001, The Guild, King Street, Wilton, Wilts SP2 0RS T: 01258 830324 E: Bill@liquiline.co.uk W: www.liquiline.co.uk/terms 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 Wicked Event Water Services Kevin: 07909 771996 E: info@wickedeventwaterservices.com W: www.wews.biz

Be part of our directory and list your company details 01795509113

sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

Sponsored by CTN Exhibitions Limited

www.ctn-uk.com n 65

NEXT ISSUE

Featured in our next issue...

Editor Caroline Clift caroline@standoutmagazine.co.uk Publication manager Sarah Bourne sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk Account executive Holley Wilkinson holley@standoutmagazine.co.uk Marketing executive Katie Goldsmith marketing@standoutmagazine.co.uk Design and production Jonathan Graham Colin Swaffer Neil Hepden Jemma Heslop studio@standoutmagazine.co.uk

UNDER COVER

StandOut talks to marquee experts and discusses best practices, creativity, new products, and trends for the upcoming event season

Digital and web developer Matthew Coppard 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, 3 The Metford, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX T: 01795 509113 www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

CELEBRATING A DECADE

As The Fair marks ten years of producing large-scale festivals and events, we chat with the team about lessons learned and the future

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. © 2023. StandOut Multimedia Limited, 3 The Metford, Evegate Business Park, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent, TN25 6SX

POWERING THROUGH

Power experts discuss new products and market trends, and reveal what organisers are doing about temporary event power

66 n www.standoutmagazine.co.uk

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