Stand Out Magazine Winter 2020/2021

Winter 2020 / 2021

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EVENT NEWS • EVENT EXPERIENCE • EVENT TENDERS

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EDITOR’S LETTER

WINTER 2021

F

estive light trails may be a distant memory, and the events industry may prefer to look towards the months ahead rather than those behind. Yet a number of event organisers have learned valuable lessons over the last few months – information that can be disseminated and that our sector can learn from.

In this digital winter edition, we look back on the events that were produced under extraordinary circumstances, before lockdown number three hit England.

We chat to Culture Creative, Tarren Production and Silverstone, which produced COVID-safe winter light experiences, and we catch up with Jack Morton to talk about the “secret” London New Year’s Eve show featuring drones, lasers, and COVID-19 testing. It was great to hear how organisers, production companies and event suppliers worked together, creating events that brought some light relief in dark times.

In this issue, we hope to lighten your days and inspire. You’ll find articles on sustainability, in-depth chats with recipients of the Culture Recovery Fund and industry predictions, as events professionals have their say and reveal how they think 2021 will pan out for the event and festival industry.

Personally, I have seen waves of negativity and positivity. As the vaccine rollout progresses, #eventprofs are certainly allowing themselves to dream of organising a live event later this year. I am under no illusions that 2021 will be a hive of activity, but sincerely hope that it will be easier. Whatever happens, Stand Out stands with you and the team is here to hear your thoughts, views and news.

Happy reading,

@standoutmag

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First class Resilience, Readiness, Communication & Control for incidents or pre-planned events.

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contents

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12

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31

33

37

48

10 Check out the latest event tenders and contracts

light trails whilst navigating tier restrictions and lockdown

12 What impact will COVID-19 have

31 Marquee specialists discuss

on events and festivals this year?

Events professionals have their say and give their predictions for 2021

16 London’s New Year’s Eve show

featured a number of new elements: Drones, COVID-testing and multiple locations. Jim Donald, production director at Jack Morton, revealed all

23 Events professionals shed light on their experience of organising safe winter experiences and

trends and what’s in store for 2021

33 The Culture Recovery Fund

provided a much-needed lifeline for events organisations. Read on, and discover how some of those vital funds have been spent

37 What operational and legal

challenges will the events industry face in 2021? Simon Garrett, MD of X-Venture Global Risk Solutions, discusses the question

45 When life gives you lemons,

make sorbet, and ice cream. Matt Storey, partner at The White Storey, explains all

48 An ambitious roadmap for

emissions reduction is needed if the events industry is to become carbon neutral, so says Chris Johnson, chair of Vision: 2025

51 COVID-19 has had a

devastating impact on the events industry, with some businesses faring better than others. Gordon McKay, MD Engineered Solutions at Sunbelt Rentals, looks to the future

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NEWS LimeLight Sports publishes sustainability manifesto LimeLight Sports, the mass participation specialist, has published a sustainability manifesto, signalling its commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The manifesto sets out LimeLight’s long-term commitment to operating in a way that is better for people and the planet.

Craig Dews, LimeLight Sports Group CEO, said: “We are proud of the positive impact that LimeLight

Sports Group has each year, creating and delivering campaigns that enable thousands of people to be active, and providing charities with fundraising opportunities that generate millions of pounds for good causes. However, we know that there is much more to do.

Through the development of our sustainability manifesto, we are making a commitment to doing the right thing and continuing to hold ourselves to account.”

Industry on brink of collapse, says research Event businesses are under such immense pressure that they are now on the brink of collapse. That’s according to the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) following new research, co-ordinated by the Production Services Association.

With no sign of a roadmap to opening and with a lack of Government support, events professionals and event suppliers – having faced almost a year with no or little trading – are struggling.

In a major industry-wide survey, carried out at the end of last year, research found that 72 per cent of the 1,700 companies and freelancers surveyed reported that only approximately three to four months of liquidity was left.

The real damage in the industry is felt acutely by the freelance community, with more than 50 per cent now predicted to be receiving less than the minimum wage as they rely on work in the events sector.

FOI request reveals £1.4 billion of support withheld by local Government Thousands of businesses across England are facing further job losses or bankruptcy due to the failure of local authorities to award £1.4 billion of emergency COVID-19 grants, the Event Industry Alliance (EIA) has revealed.

Responses to 400 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, issued by the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) to local authorities across England, have indicated that 87 per cent of the

Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funds have yet to be paid out.

Andrew Harrison, ESSA director, said: “We are making an urgent call on the UK Government and local MPs across England to provide clear guidance to local authorities on issuing the ARG, in order that payments are made to eligible companies as soon as possible. It is now up to the Government to provide clear communication in this area of support.”

The organiser of Bristol Craft Beer Festival has unveiled a buy now, pay later ticketing scheme UFI figures show that revenues within the global exhibitions industry dropped by 68 per cent in 2020, compared to 2019 The International Netball Federation has appointed Lindsay Impett as head of events Massive, the mass participation event specialist, has announced the appointment of Charlie Mussett as event operations consultant The All Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG) has launched an official website – appgevents.inparliament.uk Halo Solutions has launched Halo Talk, a combined incident management platform with video calling, video recording, image sharing, ticket scanning and radio SimpliWiFi has launched #simpliconnected, a bonded internet and WiFi in a box service The Royal Horticultural Society has postponed Chelsea Flower Show until September 21-26.

Chester Race Company plans to mass test attendees visiting the Boodles May Festival.

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EvEnt tEndErs and contracts

New opportunities Extreme E

Looking for new business opportunities? Check out the latest event tenders and contract wins Kent County Council is looking to establish a travel management framework, including conference event management and planning.

The deadline is 2pm on March 12.

Email ian.day@csltd.org.uk

with the possibility of extension to cover ANUGA 2023. The tender is worth £180,000 to £200,000.

Interested in this opportunity? Email procurement@ahdb.org.uk – the deadline is 12pm on March 19.

Birmingham 2022 has issued a tender for the stewards at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Contact madeleine. townend@birmingham2022.com – the deadline is April 30, 2021.

Power Logistics has been appointed to deliver sustainable temporary power solutions to Extreme E, the new racing series.

Power Logistics will deliver an electrical support package that encompasses the Team Garages and the wider Paddock area.

Amongst the services supplied by Power Logistics will be electrical designs and HVO compatible generators. However, the standout

A tender has been issued for a qualified supplier to design, build, construct and project manage a stand build on behalf of AHDB to exhibit at ANUGA 2021 in Germany,

element of the project is the design of bespoke cabling and distribution equipment that incorporates a smart power monitoring system.

The Royal Parks is inviting proposals to operate a commercial art fair/event in Regent’s Park for a five-year period from 2022 to 2026.

The deadline is 2pm on March 3.

Email pberry@royalparks.org.uk Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s is seeking a contractor to provide in-meeting tech support prior to and during council governance meetings. The deadline is 5pm on February 23. Email s.bishop@welhat.gov.uk

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We look forward to working with you again soon

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EvEnt industry prEdictions

We will be back

Image © Aranxa Esteve/Unsplash Events will return in 2021

Events professionals reveal their predictions for the next 12 months – what does 2021 have in store for the events industry?

A

busy Q3, a potential “car crash” in terms of supply, a spirit of collaboration, sustainable recovery, no live indoor gigs, living with hybrid and more family-friendly events.

These are just some of the industry’s predictions for the next 12 months that will impact on the events sector and how it does business.

According to a number of events professionals, industry is optimistic for Q3, particularly September, with the early part of 2021 “lost”, as the Government concentrates on vaccinating the population.

Steve Heap, general secretary of the Association of Festival Organisers (AFO), commented: “There are glimmers of hope and by the time we get to the end of June/ early July we will see changes in rules that will give us opportunities to stage perhaps socially-distanced, smaller events. We will work towards

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full capacity by the end of the summer. We hope for August, we are banking on September.”

Shane Grieve, MD and production manager of Edinburgh-based Rogue City Pro, organiser of Terminal V, said that the last few weeks have been devastating for the sector.

Recent lockdowns and new strains of the virus have added to the industry’s pain. Grieve said: “The next few weeks will be critical in terms of the vaccine roll out but given what information we have so far it is surely too early to accept that summer 2021 is cancelled.

“Most people agree that festivals, events and all significant forms of live entertainment cannot return viably until social distancing is removed, and the general consensus – or hope – from event organisers is that this could be around August or September.”

Conal Dodds, director of Crosstown Concerts, believes that

full capacity shows are some time away. Consequently, he has opted to broadcast pre-recorded gigs, giving artists the opportunity to play to a paying fan base. He said: “The majority of our work is indoors and I can’t see a return to full capacity shows in September.

“It will be a long time before we are in sync with other travel corridors and I don’t believe we will see European artists in the UK until 2022. So, we’ve put all of our eggs in an online basket and have partnered with Stabal so that we can broadcast concerts.”

Dodds told Stand Out that he is currently spending a lot of his time re-routing tours into 2022. He also thinks that testing eventgoers prior to an event/festival is a non-starter and that 2021 will be “brutal”, as companies run out of reserves.

Cautiously optimistic

Grieve explained that based on

EvEnt industry prEdictions his conversations with promoters, organisers and suppliers, the events industry still remains cautiously optimistic for a return in late summer, without social distancing.

Neil Levene, operations director at Brand Events, is excited for the year ahead. Brand Events is currently planning almost 50 per cent “more live event days than a normal year”.

He commented: “We plan to start with our COVID-secure formats in April and hope to move into more regular formats through June and July. Having hosted nearly 100,000 people at our outdoor live events last year, we have confidence in our approach and our encouraged by the support from local authorities for our plans. Everyone wants to get back to live events and with the right approach and a fair wind we should see a bumper year.”

Craig Mathie, managing director of Bournemouth 7s and vice president of the National Outdoor Events Association, is looking towards the end of summer with a positive outlook. He explained: “I think the reality is that no-one really knows exactly how the pandemic is going to unfold but I believe that it is imperative we continue to plan and programme an events season.

“We have recently made the decision to postpone Bournemouth 7s Festival from May to August.

We appreciate that we may have to move the goalposts again but we also believe the public needs positive news and exciting events to look forward to.

“I feel certain that the events industry will be back in some form

Simon Frere-Cook

this year. Even in 2020, a host of event organisers delivered sociallydistanced events and I believe similar events will form the bulk of the offering throughout the spring and early summer. Personally, I believe that larger events are only financially viable with social distancing restrictions removed and it is imperative that we get a pathway back to this as soon as possible so event organisers can make well informed decisions.”

He continued: “My main aspiration for 2021, aside from getting back to what we most love doing, is that the spirit of collaboration, which we have seen grow over the past few months, continues to flourish.

Working together really gives us the best possible chance of building a better events industry in the future and I, for one, cannot wait to see it.”

Concerns over supply

Nick Morgan, group CEO of We Are The Fair, concurred. He is “bullish”, with his passion for the sector pushing plans forward. He said: “The work being undertaken by the PHE/ DCMS work group, which I sit on, is centred around producing guidance to help enable shows to run safely, and after producing some planning considerations back in October, they are working on more advanced guidance to support organisers for the 2021 season.”

Morgan expects event season to be pushed back to July at the earliest. Yet, he has great concerns over pressures on event suppliers.

Heap concurred; with many organisers moving events from early

Nick Morgan

in the season to September, “this could cause a car-crash in terms of equipment supply and staffing”.

Morgan added: “Whilst the supply chain has been under enormous pressure, the late start will put more pressure on cash reserves. This will be coupled with added pressure from promoters who won’t make any deposit commitments until they green light their respective shows.

I know many suppliers who have sold off inventory to sectors who are still trading, construction being the largest, to rebuild their balance sheets. A concern is whether there is enough inventory to service all these shows over a much shortened season run.”

Simon Frere-Cook, event director of Plantworx, echoed Morgan and Heap’s concerns with regards to an “over-crowded” autumn event calendar. But there is confidence and optimism, and COVID-secure measures that will help mitigate any risk, he argued.

Family matters

Kevin Chambers, course leader Creative Events Management at Arts University Bournemouth, is confident that the compulsion to come together and be part of a collective will form an important part of a sustainable recovery. However, we may need to “spread the festival season” both temporarily and geographically.

He said: “We may need to refocus on live audiences amongst a younger demographic because older audiences may not feel comfortable mixing in crowds. The

Steve Heap

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EvEnt industry prEdictions unpredictable nature of post COVID planning and the inevitable cycle of openings and closures will mean that we have shorter planning leadtimes and a much more nuanced approach to contingency planning.

That will have an effect on artists and audiences and how we manage that will be interesting. We will certainly be living with some sort of hybrid model for the foreseeable future where a digital offer sits alongside any possible real world programming and that may never go away, becoming one of the legacies of 2020/21.”

Ryan Curtis-Johnson, head of PR and marketing at DRPG, predicts that events will return with a boom and family-friendly business events will be popular, as companies look to give thanks.

But both Curtis-Johnson and Chambers do believe that virtual and hybrid solutions will form part of the event landscape, despite an appetite for live. Curtis-Johnson said: “We must understand that there will still be a need to consider the virtual audience. I believe everyone will want to meet up face-to-face.

But this will be prioritised by being able to do personal gatherings first. This is due to so many missed opportunities in 2020.

“The hardest part the industry faces is how it incorporates the hybrid experience, bringing both virtual and live together. The main challenge will be making sure you treat them as individual audiences rather than trying to merge the two.”

Karen Kadin, managing partner at Brands at Work, believes that this year will be “easier” because we have experienced 2020. Plus, the Government’s announcement that Cornwall will host the G7 summit this summer has given the market confidence. As a result, Kadin predicts that by Q4, industry can expect to host business events and conferences with audience numbers of 200 and upwards. Perhaps even 500 people at a time.

Instead of traditional roadshows, industry should expect to see “hub” events with keynote speakers and watch parties, with participants

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What does the future look like?

dialling in from across the world.

Kadin said: “The biggest question mark remains over international travel. If someone cannot travel, we must still create an event with inclusivity. We can do that by using the tools we have become accustomed to.”

She continued: “There is also huge demand for in-person events, particularly within the business-toemployee market, but we still have to think ‘what’s the right thing to do?’

– some companies have a global mandate of no in-person events for 2021 but others are planning for virtual with an option for hybrid or small live events in a COVID-secure environment.”

Work together

According to Kadin, another interesting trend is for all of the decision-making processes about procedures, safety and even cost are being dropped on an agency.

Equally, scenario planning is even more prevalent.

Chambers added: “The innovations that we unlock will build

Image © Edi Libedinsky/Unsplash

the foundations for future resilience and relevance. Digital is now an integral part of the future. However, live does need rethinking. We need to reimagine what events could look like and we need to support artists and technicians to be able to do that experimentation.

“There have been and will continue to be a lot of challenges but one of the positives is that it has brought people together and discussions have happened at local, national and at international level.

“Events do not thrive unless the whole ecosystem thrives. There are people across a highly SME-driven and freelance sector that are really suffering because of this. We are part of a living laboratory now and it is our responsibility to find out what the solutions are together.”

Heap concluded: “The event season of 2020 and 2021 and COVID-19 are numbers that will go down in history. They have not beaten us, just slowed down our massive input into the UK economy.

To quote a well-known film star ‘we will be back’.”

V NO -1 C DE 20

really didn’t know what to expect. I often find networking a little frustrating as it is now always very productive.

This was refreshingly different, I found the organiser’s dinner just as useful as the supplier meetings Grace and Tailor

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This was my first time at “Event Buyers Live and I

21

”

“

Event Buyers Live is the new wave of industry networking. Not only is it a superb opportunity to meet all of the suppliers I’m interested in, it is also a great opportunity to meet my peers in the industry, share and learn from their experiences.

I’ll be back!

20-20 Events

”

Save the date! www.eventbuyerslive.com “

In what has shaped up to be a busy start to the year, it was definitely worth carving out a few days to attend! Some great suppliers were met, some even better connections were made, in a beautiful setting with great hosts!

Wasserman

”

Buyers Live was “anEvent excellent opportunity

to network and meet new suppliers. Alongside the great roundtable sessions, invaluable time was spent with fellow event professionals in an amazing setting

”

Culture Liverpool

London nYE

Lighting up London London’s New Year’s Eve show featured a number of new elements: Drones, COVID-testing and multiple locations. Jim Donald, production director at Jack Morton, revealed all

“I

t was probably one of the biggest emotional releases at the end of a show that I have ever had,” said Jim Donald, production director at Jack Morton. “I had been dreaming about it for weeks; to pull that amount of technology together was remarkable.”

Donald is talking to Stand Out, just days after producing a Londonwide firework, lighting and drone show to welcome in the New Year.

Jack Morton, the brand experience agency, led a team of event professionals, creating a 10-minute show, designed for home-viewing and one that was watched by a global viewing audience of millions.

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Whilst Jack Morton has produced London’s New Year’s Eve show, on behalf of the Mayor of London, for more than a decade, this year’s show and event was incredibly different. Not least the “wrap party”.

“There were no beers in the bar back at the hotel,” explained Donald.

“It was a case of ‘here’s your negative COVID test, Happy New Year’ and then back to your hotel room.”

Creating a COVID-secure environment was critical: COVID testing and the creation of a “controlled bubble” for key staff and crew ensured the “surprise” live broadcast could go ahead.

What can we do?

For the first time ever, the event

was designed purely for a remote audience and connected multiple landmark sites across the city, taking viewers on a journey across the Shard, London Bridge, The O2, Wembley Stadium and Tower Bridge. It also included the largest drone lighting show ever seen in the UK. The event was kept under wraps until Big Ben rang in the New Year, ensuring it remained a homeaudience only event, maintaining the safety and security of Londoners during the pandemic.

“We were in the middle of debriefs and conversations about welcoming in 2021 with the GLA (Greater London Authority) when we went into lockdown,” Donald continued.

“At the beginning, we thought it

London nYE

Welcoming 2021 with a bang

best to wait and see how lockdown progressed so that we could look at different scenarios. But as we got to May/June, conversations moved to ‘what do you think we can do?’ We began to spin through ideas.”

Donald and his team received a formal brief in August 2020. It was clear that London’s “normal” New Year’s Eve celebration could not go ahead. Instead, what was right for the nation? “Our brief was to use the toys at our disposal – music, lighting, etc. – but whatever we did, we could not attract a crowd. The question was: How could we create a spectacle in one of the biggest cities in the world, creating something that could happen, without people knowing that it would?”

The Shard

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London nYE

Fireworks on Tower Bridge

Celebrating the moment

Donald and his team came together and opted to produce a live broadcast that “celebrated the moment”, pushing the boundaries as far as they could, in locations where they would not draw attention to themselves, and where the BBC could place its cameras.

Everything was produced under strict non-disclosure agreements, alerting only those that needed to know. The Mayor of London did not want details of the live broadcast to be reported by the media. Drawing a crowd along the banks of the River Thames was the worst thing that could happen.

Thanks to On the Sly (music production), Titanium Fireworks (pyrotechnics), Durham Marenghi (lighting design) and SKYMAGIC (swarm drone sequences), Jack Morton created a show that honoured the incredible work and dedication of NHS staff, carers and key workers. Furthermore, the display also recognised some of the extraordinary people and movements of 2020.

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“It was important that we created a TV broadcast and not a live event,” commented Donald. “That was the big difference.”

Technical expertise

Jack Morton had to create a seamless show in multiple locations with synchronisation and frame accuracy. It involved some technical wizardry, namely a one second and three-frame delay. It was imperative that communication between all areas was robust and reliable.

Microwave links were installed between each location – The Shard, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Docklands and Wembley Stadium.

At all locations, Matrix Comms IP panels were installed, ensuring each location and various departments could have one-to-one and group calls and constant comms.

Delta distributed playback at each location as the entire show was triggered live on the night, with no pre-recorded elements. All various sites were synced to each other using GPS clocks and then onwards to all the individual OB units. With

so many departments involved including sound, lights, pyro, drones, showcaller and OB, Delta ensured that every department was perfectly synced for the stroke of midnight.

Team talks

According to Donald, there were times when the team questioned whether they could make the broadcast happen. Particularly, as lockdown restrictions placed pressure on meetings and site visits.

“We found Microsoft Teams to be a great tool,” Donald said. “We had one face-to-face meeting with a few people dialling in. It was a disaster.

In the end, we conducted all of our meetings on Teams; it made you more focused, you talked more, and yes, it took longer but it brought the team together. It was a challenge to be apart but weirdly, the technology made it easier. You flicked a switch and we were all together.”

Crowds and challenges

Technology played a big part in the live show too. For the first time ever, SKYMAGIC was invited

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London nYE

Skymagic in action

by Jack Morton to work on the event. SKYMAGIC used a fleet of 300 drones – the UK’s largest and London’s first large-scale drone show – to depict some of the most iconic moments of 2020, including The Nightingale, Captain Sir Tom Moore and Sir David Attenborough, as well as a humorous nod to a year of video-calling – “you’re on mute”.

However, introducing drones to the show did not come without challenges. A rehearsal needed to take place prior to December 31. It was agreed that the rehearsal could take place at low light level, yet the Daily Mail got hold of footage.

“We couldn’t conduct a full rehearsal,” Donald continued. “We didn’t want people coming out onto the streets because we had no crowd management plan in place for that.

“We had to create the show by using all of our expertise and relied on any technical rehearsals so that we knew the offsets were triggering at the precise time. We worked hand in hand with the BBC to broadcast the narrative. None

of it made sense until you saw it all knitted together.”

Extraordinary moment

“We brought in Mungo [Denison] and the SKYMAGIC team because we could,” Donald explained further when asked about the drone element of the broadcast.

“We’ve talked about using drones for years but haven’t because of the practicalities of being near the London Eye. Drones need a good take off point.”

From a show point of view, the event was more expensive – even though there was not the expense of shutting down London streets or the need for delays, barriers, fencing and stewards. But the lack of any crowd impacted on the event in other ways too.

“We didn’t have the power of 100,000 people and that buzz,” Donald added. “But we did have drones with ‘robustness’, which we’ve never had before.

“It meant that if the weather was rubbish and it was pouring down we could have no drones but we

had lighting. We had plans A, B and C and we showed everyone that you can do anything if you have an awesome team. If you collaborate you can do the extraordinary.”

Donald concluded: “As for 2021/2022, to produce another show in multiple locations again would be amazing but it depends on the Mayor of London’s vision.

“The multi-location piece answered the challenge for 2020/2021, even though we constantly had to jump hurdles, but by working in partnership we made everything happen.”

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Winter light trails

Shining lights in lockdown

Events professionals shed light on their experience of organising safe winter experiences whilst navigating tier restrictions and lockdown

“I

now have more grey hairs and a growing gin collection,” says Zoe Bottrell, director of Culture Creative when asked how life is.

Bottrell is talking to Stand Out as a nation is gripped in local lockdown.

It’s December and Bottrell has produced 10 winter light trails; eight are running and two are on hold because of the Government’s new tier restrictions.

“How are you coping with everything?” Stand Out asks.

“I’m battle hardened,” Bottrell says.

“I’ve been making shitty decision after shitty decision so much so that everything is now just a decision.

“I was on a two-hour call the other day, answering lots of questions, everything was running fine; six hours later, we lost two shows.”

Bottrell is referring to Christmas at Bedgebury and Christmas at Kew. Both events sit within areas with high rates of COVID-19. Restrictions mean that both shows are on hold.

“To say ‘it’s complicated’ is an understatement,” Bottrell continues,

Malvern Winter Glow

taking everything in her stride. “The shows are on hold but they are not on hold because there’s a problem with the show, they are on hold because of the areas they are in.”

Tier restrictions are proving tough for Bottrell and the Culture Creative team. Whilst the shows are on hold, technical equipment still needs maintaining. So now her attention must turn to making sure staff are OK and can travel to site safely.

Cog in the visitor economy

Culture Creative worked with the Government (in Scotland and England) to ensure that illuminated trails were permitted to go ahead.

It “made sense” for Bottrell, the Culture Creative team and Raymond Gubbay (the promoter of Christmas at…) to align themselves with the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA).

Bottrell’s public sector background stood her in good stead. “I am good at wading through paperwork and understanding where your arguments are,” she adds. Sadly, it was more powerful to be seen as

a cog within the visitor attraction economy rather than the events economy in order to get things moving and obtain the appropriate permissions.

“We were a trail that operated in kinship with the ALVA. We argued that if you walk through Belton House, for example, during the day, why not at night?”

Adapt and review

Culture Creative and Raymond Gubbay agreed to put a series of measures into the winter light trails (stewards, signage etc etc) that would protect visitors.

“We also said that the public would have to use some common sense and that’s where the local authorities didn’t agree. They wanted us to ‘police’ the events. I wanted to say to them: ‘Have you been to a local shopping centre?’

The public have to play their part.”

Culture Creative engaged Public Health England and a number of local authorities. Plus, the producer contracted IPS, Whitelight, Adlib, FGH, Flying Hire, SHB, Bradshaw

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Winter light trails

Enchanted Light Trail

Buggy Hire, NuKleen and Sunbelt Rentals to provide equipment and services for the trails.

“Our workload was 50 per cent more,” Bottrell continues. “The guidance was so generic that it led to many different interpretations but I have a great team who constantly adapt and review. The hardest thing has been that nothing has stood still but the best thing has been that the trails have given some people a good lug of work.”

Satisfying growing interest

As well as produce Raymond Gubbay’s Christmas at… series, Culture Creative also produced Ignite at Gibside and Polesden Lacey, two National Trust properties.

“Our challenge was to get the audience to view Ignite as a different production. Ignite is not Christmas at… – it’s designed for families but it’s not a light show. The venues we are working with did not want generators, cables and truss. They wanted a smaller, ‘gentler’ show.”

Ignite has been 12 months in the making and six months in

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delivery and was borne out of growing interest from heritage venues for a trail that would work in a smaller environment. “Ignite is a new production and needs a bit of tweaking but we’ll probably look to roll it out in a similar way to Christmas at…” Bottrell explains.

Challenges

Ignite was not the only experience to launch over the winter period.

Tarren Production delivered two new winter light trails in December, one at Three Counties Showground and one at Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park.

Malvern Winter Glow was a milelong trail of handmade illuminations across 90 acres of grounds and Enchanted Light Trail was a partnership with Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park.

Chris Tarren, founder and production director of Tarren Production, explains: “We developed the light trail service in spring 2020 and selected a hand-picked group of regional venues, historic houses and visitor attractions to pitch to.

We then began working directly with Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park and Three Counties Showground to develop site-specific installation plans/trails. We also opted to work with joint venture models, with both parties bringing together their expertise and skills to create two very different and unique winter light experiences.”

But what about challenges?

“What didn’t challenge us?”

Tarren continues. “The project development phase began during lockdown one. We then launched with the introduction of the tiers and part way through the initial ticket sales launch we entered lockdown two. We fully launched against a backdrop of tiers and halfway through the live run, we were hit by high winds, torrential rain, floods, snow and ice, which resulted in a number of cancelled nights at Malvern Winter Glow. The final tier changes at the end of December resulted in the Enchanted Light Trail closing three nights early.”

Tarren and his team capped the total event numbers below national

Winter light trails COVID event guidance and worked with local councils. Timed entry slots with pre-booked online tickets only and extra stewards and event management staff ensured that visitors stayed safe. At Malvern Winter Glow, which had the greatest capacity, Tarren created two-metre queuing markers on entry and at popular areas of the trail. The trails were purely one way, with social distancing monitored, hand sanitiser stations/facilities were placed throughout the site and customerfacing staff wore face coverings.

Tarren continues: “COVID-19 was the defining golden thread to both of our light trail ventures in 2020. We faced one challenge after another – all but the weather were COVID-related and we rose each and every time, with our partners, to conquer and overcome.

“We have learnt what an adaptable and tenacious bunch our staff are and that they really do put their heart and soul into everything they do. We have also learnt that contingency planning for live events in the COVID era is a must. Plan for the worst and expect the worst, that way anything else is a bonus!”

Nice end to an awful year

The launch of Ignite, Malvern Winter Glow and the Enchanted Light Trail was positive news for the sector, providing event suppliers and freelancers with much-needed work.

Silverstone also launched a COVID-safe and family-friendly Christmas extravaganza – Lap Land.

“The concept was to try and do something for Christmas that would be unique and put a nice end on an awful year,” explains Hayley Smith, head of sales at Silverstone Circuits.

“We thought that if we could get 5,000 people to pre-register their interest we’d do it. We got 50,000.”

Lap Land took place at the home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. Visitors drove round the track, experienced a laser and light show and had the opportunity to watch The Snowman. Smith continues: “The demand was there. Lap Land engaged children, grandparents, petrolheads and families.

Image © Kat Gollock

Creative messaging at Christmas at...

Christmas at Blenheim Palace

Image © Rikard Österlund

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Winter light trails

Silverstone Lap Land

“We turned a negative situation into a positive and pulled together a great event in a short time. Now we’ve got a base for future events.”

Smith and her team learned so much from working on events such as F1, albeit behind closed doors, that they had a wealth of experience to draw upon in terms of COVIDsecure measures.

“The demand for Lap Land was high so we increased the number of time slots that we had by looking at our logistics.

“We followed the AEV’s COVIDsecure guidance and now we think we’ve got a model and something to run with in the future.

“Seeing what we achieved, bringing a smile to people’s faces was enough. As cheesy as that sounds. We catered for all – we had several generations in one car – all smiling,” Smith comments.

ADI, Energy Generator Hire and Sky Scaffolding Midlands all worked on Lap Land, providing kit and services to the event. Thomas Taylor, business development manager at ADI, explains: “We

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worked directly with Alex Lacey (operations director at Silverstone Circuit) and her team and Dave Crowther, head of technical solutions at ADI, led the project.”

Lap Land had two elements; an immersive lights and laser show on the world-famous track, followed by a drive-in cinema. ADI provided LED screen solutions across both parts of the experience. On the track it provided smaller mobile LED screens for wayfinding, branding and experience. For the drive-in cinema it delivered three large modular LED screens and supporting structures across three different car parks.

Taylor continues: “The number and size of the drive-in cinema screens increased, as Silverstone began to quickly sell huge numbers of tickets in November.

We also advised them on how to keep attendees engaged and entertained while waiting for the screenings of The Snowman to begin. Knowing how popular it’s been previously, we brought in our friends at Piing, who create

multi-player gaming for big event screens. Using just their mobile phone and without the need for an app, people in the audience could compete against each other on the large screen in front of them.

He adds: “Lap Land was a very different concept to the other events we deliver at Silverstone – including Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Moto GP, Silverstone Classic, etc. Nationwide COVID restrictions only allowed the drive-in format for live events, but this was actually incredibly well-suited to Silverstone, especially since it gave the public a rare opportunity to drive a lap of this world-famous track.

“The experience on the track was fantastic, and the lights and lasers were really impressive, especially down the Hamilton Straight.

“Silverstone Lap Land was such a huge success, it would be great to see it continue beyond 2020.

It allowed the circuit to host an exciting live event for the public in the winter season, which has traditionally been a quieter time for the venue,” Taylor concludes.

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Marquees

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Marquee specialists discuss trends and what’s in store for 2021

arquees and temporary structures can be used in a variety of ways, yet the last 12 months has seen them used by schools, industry and the NHS. Not on event and festival sites.

Joe Chalk, membership support co-ordinator at MUTA, the UK’s trade association for marquees and tents, described the last 12 months as “astonishing” and reiterated what the entire events industry wants – the simple ability to plan.

“The industry is on tenterhooks,” Chalk said.

“Lots of MUTA members have managed to get to this point.

They are holding on.

“In August 2020, we had an influx of members working on smaller events. I think a lot of companies will turn their attention to smaller events and weddings in the coming months, when events return.”

Uncertainty exists

According to a number of marquee suppliers, industry is hopeful of seeing events in Q3 but the prediction is smaller, more intimate events and a quieter summer.

James Clark, senior project manager at Purvis Marquees, told Stand Out that he is hopeful but also realistic. Purvis Marquees, based in Edinburgh, has two events in the dairy for 2021, compared to the usual “120 to 150” that it usually services in a year. And whilst enquiries are coming in for “standard kit”, uncertainty exists.

Clark argued that local authorities would need to assist organisers that are looking to manage events

by escalating premises licence applications. Marquee suppliers may also need to look at new credit terms with clients.

He continued: “If there’s a grand exit plan for coming out of lockdown then maybe event managers will be able to plan and create smaller events with less risk. But I have a

transmission and reduced the risk to the NHS then the argument for maintaining restrictions becomes more difficult. I do not want to see lockdown number four.”

Lewis is torn between optimism and “steadying the ship”. He urges industry to hold on just a bit longer, and would rather the events sector be placed under restrictions for longer to ensure that lockdown three is the final lockdown. He continued: “Currently, clients are bestcase scenario planning. We’re chatting to clients, putting in proposals and quotes. No one is asking for discounts.

We’re all just waiting to see what we’re allowed to do.”

Lewis and his team have worked on designs for dining pods. The idea is a popular one, as Event in a Tent has also developed new concepts. Matt Stephenson, director of Event in a Tent, explained: “We have designed a new hospitality pod that can be used by smaller groups of people at racecourses, Event in a Tent for example. We’ve created the pods for VIP areas, we’ve timeline in my head – I think we will designed a 20-metre version of our see more events in October but GeoDome and we’ve also ordered then there’ll be weather issues and more stretch tents. shorter days to consider.”

“I think we’ll see events in August and September. September will be Steady the ship bonkers. 2022 will be crazy too.”

Clark has “written off” events Like Lewis, Stephenson is until 2022 and is calling on the optimistic. As well as creating dining Government to create a sectorpods, Event in a Tent has also specific furlough scheme. designed pods that look like beach Rupert Lewis, managing director huts; perfect for food festivals. of TT Tents, is more optimistic in his “We’re attacking all markets and outlook and hopes to see a return covering all bases,” concluded to events from mid to late June. He Stephenson. “But at the minute cited the Government’s vaccination everyone is non-committal. There roll out. “If we have flattened are lots of people enquiring but the curve, reduced the risk of there are lots of ifs and buts.”

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Culture reCovery Fund

Survival stories

Nozstock

The Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) provided a vital lifeline for many event organisers and suppliers.

Here, recipients of the funding explain how they have used the money and what it means for them and their business…

I

n October, more than 1,900 arts and cultural organisations breathed a sigh of relief, as the Government revealed details of those successfully awarded grants in the first round of its Culture Recovery Fund (CRF).

Now events professionals across the UK have to wait until the end of March to hear if they have been successful in the second round of funding, which is designed to financially support cultural organisations in England that are struggling to operate, as a result of lockdown restrictions.

Vital funds

In the first round of funding, Liverpool’s BlackFest, a grassroots arts festival, received £50,000 to trial socially-distanced events and Shangri-La Glastonbury was awarded more than £61,000 to develop a new digital art and music

event platform, and continue work with emerging artists.

Festival and event organisations – including WOMAD, Y Not Festivals, Cheltenham Festivals, Brighton Pride, Gallowglass, APL Event, Fourth Generation, DHP Family, Events Design Company, Slam Dunk, NoNonsense Group, Ethix Management, Truck Festival, Tribe Festivals, Walk the Plank and East of England Showground all received vital funds. Also, 22 members of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), which applied for round one of CRF, were successful, with allocated funding totalling £4,461,976. Grants ranged from £50,000 to £783,939.

“The funding is most welcome but it’s just a drop in the ocean,” said Eddy Grant, Symphotech’s legal and safety consultant.

Symphotech received £120,000 from the CRF. It secured the business through this difficult time

but Symphotech also channelled the funding. The health and safety specialist specifically wanted to support the sector by funding safety consultancy work to help events recover and reopen.

Symphotech contacted the Association of Festival Organisers (AFO) and delivered a series of free-to-attend safety webinars to AFO members, aimed at arming event organisers with insight and information to manage and deliver COVID-19 safe festivals.

Grant continued: “We were clear on what we wanted the funding for. We wanted to share good practice with the industry because an industry that can reopen safely is within the industry’s whole interest.

“Working out how we do that is important because when festivals and events do happen again we will be scrutinised and the TV cameras will be there.”

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Culture reCovery Fund

Pearce Hire in action

According to Grant, the events industry is holding its breath until February 22 when it is hoped that some guidance will be issued as to how/if/when events can happen.

“Until February 22 everything is guess work and pure guess work gets you nowhere. For the industry to reopen we will have to show the Government how we can manage events safely.”

Organisers will have to demonstrate to local authority SAGs and Public Health England that a risk-assessed approach to safety has been undertaken. Clear objectives will need to be set and stakeholder comms will be essential.

“Residents will no longer be just asking an organiser about noise and litter. They will ask ‘are you bringing a disease to my community?’

“Risk management strategies will need to support any decisions that an organiser has made. Also, what if in June, for example, the Government says that events with 50 per cent capacity can go ahead but in July, this is changed to 70 per cent? Can an organiser scale up?

Can they get more toilets?

Such questions were posed to AFO members and the information

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shared encouraged organisers to think ahead. The seminars were well-received.

Grant continued: “We knew what we wanted to do with the funding.

We encouraged all of our colleagues to apply. Without it, we would have faced serious challenges as a business. We would have survived but on a smaller scale. We needed the CRF so that we could be ready to reopen, and as I said, it is within the event industry’s whole interest for everyone to reopen safely.”

Black hole

Symphotech has applied to the second round of the CRF, as it would like to continue its work, helping event and festival organisers to be ready for the coming months.

Pearce Hire, awarded £450,000 in round one, has also reapplied.

Jim Brown, general manager at Pearce Hire, explained: “We spoke to the Production Services Association and they said that applying for the CRF was worth a shot. We thought that it was unlikely that we’d get anything because we had missed out on so many other schemes. But it was a dice worth rolling. It’s been a

godsend, it has kept us going and given us some stability.”

Pearce Hire had to prove that it had done everything within its power to minimise costs. It applied for the CRF to cover operating costs and employ staff to carry out vital work, such as electrical testing within venues and servicing kit and machinery.

“We had to demonstrate that there was a significant risk of us not surviving,” Brown continued. “The money filled a black hole.

“Now we have applied for the second round and we’re pleased to see that even more companies in the supply chain are aware of the funding. Now that we all have to start committing costs for the season ahead, based on the assumption that events will get back up and running, it will fill a gap.

“My guess is that we will see small and medium sized events sooner, run by agile companies, who can afford to take a risk. Or we’ll see a two-day event split into two separate one-day events.”

Keeping things ticking over

Ella Nosworthy, creative director of Nozstock, the Herefordshire-based

Culture reCovery Fund festival, told Stand Out that the festival team is working on the basis that it plans to go ahead “as normal”.

However, it is “being realistic”.

“If we can’t run Nozstock then we’ll do five or six one-day events to run alongside a digital event,” Nosworthy commented. “I think the ‘in and out’ model maybe the way forward. But unlike other festivals, we’re lucky that we have our own site and we can do what we want and when we want to do it.”

Nozstock received £70,000 from CRF. Nosworthy explained: “It was very much about survival. The funding covered basic costs and has kept us ticking over.

“We furloughed a lot of our team but we needed to bring our marketing team back on board so that we could start selling tickets and we needed to pay artist deposits. We haven’t used the funds for anything new or exciting because it’s just not in the budget but we have applied for an Arts Council England project grant, which will help us to do something on site that is neuro-diverse.”

According to Nosworthy, there is a huge appetite for festivals and she believes that when festivals get the green light there’ll be a big rush for tickets. “It’s the first time we’ve applied for anything like this,” she said. “And if we hadn’t got it then we’d be having a very different conversation.

“We have applied for the second round of funding and if successful it will cover costs. We probably

Ella Nosworthy

East of England Arena

didn’t apply for enough in the first round so we’ve learned from that.

Now we’re not preparing for one campaign for one event. We are preparing for several possibilities and so we want to make sure we can pivot, safely and securely.”

Wise move

Dock Street Events received £50,000 from CRF but unlike Symphotech, Pearce Hire and Nozstock it has chosen not to apply for funding in the second round.

Chris Clay, managing director of Dock Street Events, commented: “We were very surprised and fortunate to get the money. The funding covered our business overheads and enabled us to continue but we haven’t applied again, as we have work on.

Jim Brown

“We used the funding to put together a pitch team. It felt good to be able to use the money to pay freelancers.”

The pitch was successful and now Dock Street Events is working closely with Wandsworth Council, assessing feasibility and developing event concepts and ideas to mark the opening of the Northern Line extension in autumn 2021.

Dock Street Events also used some of the money for internal training and development, such as the Level 6 Diploma in Health and Safety. Clay concluded: “Right now, we are looking at models for events and scenarios for Q3. Coming out of this, we will have to get health and safety right so to use the CRF for health and safety training was a wise thing to do.”

Eddy Grant

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35

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Viewpoint

Wise words What operational and legal challenges will the events industry face in 2021 as it emerges from the pandemic?

Read on, as Simon Garrett, managing director of X-Venture Global Risk Solutions, discusses the question

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Viewpoint

Planning is key

“A

plan is nothing.

Planning is everything,” so said the former US president and great wartime general Dwight Ike Eisenhower. At the beginning of 2020, most responsible event organisations would have had some kind of risk register and plan, which included a pandemic or outbreak of infectious disease. It is a fair bet that none of these plans were dusted off last March because they were almost certainly out of date or irrelevant from day one. As is often said in military circles – no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Eisenhower’s point is that the key to dealing with a crisis is the ability to plan and not the plan itself. Vaccines notwithstanding, the events industry is nowhere near out of the woods yet, the pandemic and 2021 are bound to throw up surprises that were not in the script.

Collective approach

There are now a number of wellestablished briefings and platforms

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Images © Andrei Stratu/Aranxa Esteve/Jaanus Jagomagit/Vienna Reyes/Unsplash

where event professionals can keep themselves up to date. More useful perhaps is the commentary from the thousands of event professionals both in work and sadly now redundant, who post their personal commentary on platforms like LinkedIn. This provides a very useful sounding board. A positive point that consistently arises with any commentary on last year is the positivity and willingness to work across sectors and normal competitive boundaries. 2020 stress tested the events business as never before. We are going to need to use that collective approach to face not only the aftermath of the pandemic but new regulatory, technical and social challenges and opportunities that await us in the coming year.

Engaging with national and local Government

The trade associations have been praised for their relentless lobbying of Government, particularly the Events Industry Alliance. We must be realistic however at what has been achieved. It is notable that

elite sports, “the arts” and some entertainment sectors have fared better in terms of engaging with the Government and achieving financial support and permission to run some events. This is because they had the advantage of existing links such as sport’s engagement with the DCMS via the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA). Event sectors such as the exhibition industry has traditionally produced huge economic activity without the need for Government assistance, external funding or any regulatory oversight outside the normal provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The question now is do we return to that or press for an established vehicle for engaging more effectively with Government in future? The exhibitions industry should be careful what it wishes for in this regard. It does not want to get stuck with an engagement body with powers to regulate the industry as a quid pro quo. This is not far-fetched.

The findings from the Martyn’s Law enquiry are already throwing up signs that the Government feels

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Viewpoint that the events industry requires more regulation. Item one on the “to do list” at industry level for 2021 is to review what worked and what did not and to begin to reshape regulatory engagement with national Government for the benefit of the industry in each sector.

Government engagement at local level is also going to be potentially problematic. As the last minute cancellation of the Southampton Boat Show by the city authorities demonstrated, it is no use having agreement at national level if local authorities are empowered to act unilaterally. This was not an isolated incident, as many events were cancelled by local authorities. Item two should therefore be to press for a repeal of the so-called COVID laws and in particular the local authority powers to impose restrictions: Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.3) 2020.

Even with vaccinations, coronavirus is certain to stay endemic to the global population like any other flu and there will be flare ups and clusters of cases. The events industry needs the confidence that local authorities with powers over events will not be spooked into cancelling events at the last minute unilaterally unless it is a genuinely serious threat to public health.

Martyn’s Law

The extent and scope of the planned new counter-terrorism legislation – “Martyn’s Law” – for all public venues and places in the UK was revealed at the public inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing. Ministers announced new “Protect Duty” legislation in February 2020, although the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed a period of public consultation. The legislation would be “primary legislation” (i.e with the same force as the Health and Safety at Work Act) to impose a duty upon those who ought to be responsible for the safety of the public when they are in a “publicly accessible location”. The inquiry was told a duty would be placed on the owners or operators of venues, or public places, to consider terror

Live events will return

threats and methodologies, assess the impact attacks could have on them and put in place plans.

Anything from small businesses to bridges in town centres would be covered. It is unlikely, given the normal timetable for new law, that anything will become enacted in 2021 but this should be a priority for industry engagement given that this could herald the biggest increase in duties on the sector since the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Review of Fire Safety Law

The Grenfell enquiry is currently paused due to the pandemic but the Government has already acted to publish the draft Building Safety Bill, which sets out a stringent new fire safety regime for higher risk residential buildings, backed by a powerful new Building Safety Regulator. As part of the package of reviews, the call for evidence on the review of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO), which regulates fire safety at work including venues and events, has been completed. It is thus reasonable to assume that there will be developments in 2021.

Event companies may want to take particular note of the proposal to tighten the accountability and the competence requirements of the “Responsible Person” (Note:

There is no Responsible Person per se in Scottish fire safety law, as fire safely law is devolved and differs from the RRO). The law requires the nomination of such a person for each premises and by extension, for events. It is reasonable to assume that compliance requirements and associated costs will rise but whilst this may become clear in 2021 it is unlikely to come into force this year.

Notwithstanding, the events industry needs to engage with this process.

The fire safety industry understands buildings but does not understand events. We need to ensure that a draft new law does not impose impractical and unnecessarily burdensome regulations on an already struggling industry. Senior event professionals should also note that the combination of Martyn’s Law and the ramping up of accountabilities of the Responsible Person place a considerable additional burden of accountability on senior event staff.

Erosion of contractor base

Whilst it is event organisers and venues that are the more visible side of the industry, events can only be built and run with the support of a vast army of contractors and freelance labour. In the current financial climate, contractors cannot afford to continue to underwrite

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41

Viewpoint part of the organiser’s risk by being paid in arrears and risk not being paid if the event is cancelled. During the pandemic, many have found alternative income streams and many individuals, who worked as freelancers, have found full-time jobs and will not be in a hurry to put their livelihoods at the mercy of market forces in the short-term, if ever again. Although in theory the contractor base is still there, it is heavily reliant on self-employed freelancers who, whilst they might still be on the books, may be unwilling or unable to show up once the call goes out. The problem may be exacerbated by double counting with single freelancers being on the books of many different contractors.

It is going to be very hard to determine exactly what the state of play is until it comes to actually placing contracts since contractors or freelancers will all state they are ready, willing and able in principle up to the point when contractual commitments need to be made.

New and emerging tech

Much has been speculated about the “new normal” post-pandemic.

It’s usually centred around working from home and the increase of virtual forms of communication.

It may transpire, however, that having destruction tested the work from home concept, sociology not technology will dominate and the shift to the virtual may not be as dramatic as many suppose. In the case of events, more people working from home either permanently or part-time, will surely drive the need for more live events. This may be particularly so in the B2B sector where the loss of office society and the chance to network will drive the demand for business events. We should begin to look beyond the pandemic at what new emerging technologies can offer.

Far from replacing events, it is quite possible that online event activity will enhance and even grow certain event sectors.

In conclusion

The war against the pandemic is out

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Business events: ROI is high

of our hands. It will be won; it is just a question of when. But like all wars, between the fighting and peace lies post-conflict reconstruction and that is the tricky part. It is often the part that the victors fail to plan for and plan we must. COVID-19 and, presumably, a string of future mutations are with us to stay and that will cause numerous and unpredictable outbreaks before it lives quietly among us.

A combination of a wary public and jittery Government agencies will mean that even when mass herd immunity through vaccination has been achieved, the risk will need to be managed for the rest of this year and the years to come.

Employees and former employees will need to be persuaded that there is a future for them in events. The trade associations have done an excellent job in providing platforms for discussion but these need to be more than an echo chamber.

The industry needs to reach out well beyond the large companies and the trade associations to the growing army of disenfranchised event professionals who have no formal voice but are making their feelings very clear on social media and in the less-established discussion forums. Going forwards we need robust engagement with Government to show that we

understand how to manage risk at events so that we are allowed to get on with it without impractical and unnecessary burdensome regulation. We also need a vision of how to use new and emerging technologies to enhance our events.

The benefits of live events are obvious not just in sports and entertainment but in trade exhibitions and business events where the return on investment remains higher than almost any other platform. Live events are now happening in countries such as China, Japan, Singapore Russia and Turkey.

Phil Soar, chairman of CloserStill Group and 19 Events recently said: “The first trade shows were run in Frankfurt and Leipzig in 1240, when those cities received charters from the Holy Roman Emperor to run annual fairs. They have run ever since, and the fundamental principles of trade shows have never changed. They have survived wars, pestilences, showers of frogs, floods, the Black Death, Spanish Flu and even Brexit. They were not replaced

by Guttenberg’s printing press, not radio, nor TV, not social media and they will continue as they have for eight centuries.”

Showers of frogs may seem a little fanciful but remember Ike’s words and do not entirely discount it!

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Viewpoint

Game of cones When life gives you lemons, make sorbet, and ice cream. Matt Storey, partner at The White Storey, reveals all and urges #eventprofs to look for the creative shoots of recovery

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his column comes to you live from the parlour of Reenie’s Ice Cream Bar – my current and immediate future business base.

And no – I haven’t made a career change. But like pretty much everyone in the events industry, our company went from 60 to zero during the first lockdown. It felt like standing in front of the departures board at the airport and watching the flights being cancelled, one after another.

My wife, Sirine, was similarly afflicted. This time last year she was rehearsing at the Royal Court to play the role of her life, when overnight theatres across the country went dark. As we glumly surveyed our bank statement, it was clear we were going to have to do something, anything, to stay afloat because we weren’t going to be getting help from anywhere else.

Neither of us qualified for Government support.

One scoop or two

Our starting point was a small pot of savings and Sirine’s pipedream of opening an ice cream parlour.

Matt Storey

For us, besides wanting to bring some joy to our local community, this was an obvious opportunity to offer some work to people in our respective industry networks. Many of whom had been similarly hit.

We already had the premises and starting with a vision of a Fifties style American diner, our first call was to a theatre set designer, swiftly followed by the former head of stage at Hampstead Theatre to install the structural work.

We sourced a genuine 1950s Bush radio and TV, retrofitted for us

by Pixl Evolution, enabling us to play black and white Hollywood movies.

Our sign was created by Propworks, and a lighting designer helped us to create the perfect ambience.

We just about managed to pay everyone, even if in extreme circumstances remuneration was in kind. Chocolate or pistachio?

Look for green shoots

Reenie’s opened its doors on New Year’s Day. In the middle of winter, in the middle of lockdown.

It was hardly the most propitious of starts, but the neighbourhood was quick to seize the chance to escape for a take-away hot chocolate at the end of home schooling. We were amazed to see queues down the road. Even the dog walking fraternity were keen to sample our ice cream for dogs.

I promise you, this is in no way a homily on the subject of ingenuity. We

count ourselves incredibly lucky – to have had a small pot of savings to dig into and a network of friends and business contacts who were willing and able to help.

So many businesses and freelancers I know have had to cast around for new outlets for their skills and resources, as their traditional revenue streams dried up. When all this has ended, we’ll be sharing hilarious stories of extraordinary – and I mean extraordinary – jobs we took on that we would have never contemplated before the entire world turned upside down.

I must add that The White Storey has not gone anywhere; in fact, our business has survived thus far on a trickle of work from a handful of clients. We’re ready to scale-up for the next event opportunity the minute that phone rings.

More than that – based on reports I’ve been reading lately – it’s looking like the Twenties, once they get properly going, will be a phenomenal decade. Following the pattern set 100 years ago after the devastation of World War One and the Spanish Flu pandemic, we can look forward to a burst of rejuvenation the like of which has not been seen for decades.

Just like the scorched earth after a forest fire, so many creative shoots will spring up in every industry, generating opportunities for all of us. If we can just make it through to the finish line, the pent-up demand will be ready to explode.

Granted, the coming weeks and months will continue to be grim, but we should hold on with both hands to the fact that the long-term outlook is most definitely sunny (with a chance of sprinkles).

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Green column

Less is more

Image © Globelet/Unsplash

Reduce, re-use, recycle

An ambitious roadmap for emissions reduction is needed if the events industry is to become carbon neutral, so says Chris Johnson, chair of Vision: 2025

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he UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow from November 1-12, 2021.

It is an opportunity for us to show global leadership, and the live events industry should be centre stage, creating its own vision that contributes to a sustainable future for generations to come.

It is right to focus effort on the immediate COVID-19 driven

Chris Johnson

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industry crisis – the survival of our businesses and their vital role in the cultural landscape – but we must not lose sight of the urgent action needed to prevent climate and ecological breakdown alongside this. As the Music Declares Emergency tagline states, there is “No Music on a Dead Planet”. We must actively plan to build back greener, and it must be based on science and measurable targets.

When it comes to carbon impact, less is definitely more.

It’s important that we are all well-informed about the national and international context to shape our actions. The next few years’ activities are widely considered critical to avoiding runaway “climate and ecological breakdown”, meeting the goal of the COP21 talks in Paris in 2015; “to limit global warming to well below two, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to preindustrial levels”.

“Well below” was a last-minute change to the wording of the agreement, a result of an 11th

hour realisation that a target of two degrees would mean whole Pacific Island nations being lost to rising sea levels.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 countries at COP21. By 2020, countries submitted their plans for achieving emissions reductions, called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Whilst COP21 has undoubtedly created impetus for taking action, with many countries, regions, cities and companies racing to declare carbon neutrality targets, the current NDCs do not cut it. The annual United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Report, published in December 2019, provides a “bleak” assessment of the ever-growing gap between actual emission reductions and commitments by countries, with a prediction that current commitments would lead to three degrees global warming.

Let’s be clear, this would irreversibly damage Earth’s

Green column ecosystems and have a catastrophic impact on all life, including humans.

Put simply by Greta Thunberg: “Our house is on fire.”

Make a huge effort

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming (2018) states that global CO2 emissions need to decline by about 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero around 2050, to be on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. UNEP states that global greenhouse gas emissions need to fall by a minimum 7.6 per cent each year between 2020-30 to achieve this.

In December 2019, the UK Government published ambitious aims for “at least a 68 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030”, backed by the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. It is the most ambitious strategy for a major industrialised nation and it is clear that all parts of the economy need to make huge efforts to reduce emissions.

In the live events industry, there are many good examples of positive action, such as Massive Attack’s Good Business Festival collaboration with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Universal Music’s commitments on balancing travel emissions with ecolibrium and Live Nation’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. There is an appetite for change. But we are yet to create a comprehensive, targetbased strategy and culture across the industry to meaningfully tackle emissions.

We need a roadmap

The outdoor events and festival industry offers inspiration for what can be achieved. The Vision:2025 initiative, managed by the Outdoor Events Environmental Steering Group, was launched in 2019. Vision:2025 is leading the outdoor events industry to halve festival sector emissions by 2025, supported by a knowledge hub.

Organisers must take action

What is needed now is an ambitious (and realistic) vision and roadmap for emissions reduction across the whole live events industry, based on clear targets.

It’s not as sexy as protecting polar bears or rainforests, but it is the essential backbone of meaningful action. Based on the UNEP target of 7.6 per cent per year 2020-30, and given the fact that we have had a “lost year”, in 2021 our industry needs to be aiming for at least a 10 per cent reduction, per year, on average, and at least a 50 per cent (overall) reduction by 2030. Anything less is not enough.

Environmental strategy

Having a plan to manage and reduce emissions and other environmental impacts of live events must become as normal as creating an Event Management Plan. Having a company-level Environmental Strategy in place that includes measuring, reducing and reporting emissions annually needs to become as normal as financial reporting. It is an essential first step towards carbon neutral.

But what does “carbon neutral” mean in practical terms? It means reducing emissions as a priority and then balancing, or offsetting, “unavoidable” emissions with activity such as tree planting and protecting forests. It’s widely accepted that we will need to do

both to tackle the climate crisis.

For events and festivals this means finding ways to reduce the largest contributor to emissions – travel, by increasing shared forms of transport compared to private or single occupancy journeys, a tricky endeavour in the current context. Ecolibrium, a live events sector charity that works with more than 50 UK festivals and major organisations, provides comprehensive guidance and tools to manage travel impacts.

The next most significant impacts tend to be on-site energy use, and waste management. The work of Powerful Thinking has shown that a typical event can reduce fuel use and costs by up to 40 per cent by implementing simple measures. The big win for waste-related impacts is re-use, simply reducing the amount of waste, followed by recycling.

Another significant action event organisers can take to reduce emissions is reducing meat and dairy consumption; agriculture contributes at least 15 per cent of global emissions.

The future will be defined by the actions we take now and in the next few years. It’s an emergency and the implications are far more significant than COVID. The opportunity we have is to protect life for generations to come. And the role we can play as an industry, with significant reach and a voice, is inspiring, literally.

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#wemakeevents

Profile

Shine on COVID-19 testing centre

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the events industry, with some businesses faring better than others. Here, Gordon McKay, MD Engineered Solutions at Sunbelt Rentals, evaluates 2020 and looks to the future Looking back over the last 12 months, how has business changed? What impact has COVID-19 had on your business and how have you reacted to the market?

As COVID-19 hit in early 2020, we had already announced that we would be rebranding A-Plant and its 18 sub-brands into one unified brand. We are part of UK FTSE 100 Ashtead PLC, which was already trading in the US as Sunbelt Rentals, a well-established brand founded more than 70 years ago. With Sunbelt Rentals’ market-leading position, it made absolute sense to expand the brand across the UK. The rebrand has strengthened the company’s global position, but more importantly, uniting all its businesses into a single brand has brought those specialist teams closer together and working towards one common vision and mission. This

makes for an incredibly powerful customer service proposition. With the assurance there would be no redundancies as a result of the pandemic and with a raft of positive improvements that the new CEO has led, the company has never been in better shape.

How is Sunbelt Rentals finding business currently?

As with many businesses, the pandemic has been unprecedented and we have had to respond to Government information on a daily basis. Accredited as an essential service provider, we mobilised our teams to help maintain UK infrastructure and ensured that essential services continued to operate. Not surprising, the pandemic had the same effect on ourselves as was felt by everyone in the events industry. Thankfully, the unified business helped us diversify

to our other market sectors. This has proven beneficial and we have been trading at pre-COVID levels for some time.

Sunbelt Rentals has been instrumental in the creation of COVID-19 testing centres.

By taking on this project, what have you learned?

Our specialist teams have forged a powerful operation for emergency response. They have designed and managed the rollout of more than 450 testing sites across the UK. This has been a huge undertaking

by Sunbelt Rentals, with installations including more than 270,000 pieces of equipment. The project has included site surveys, design, installation and the continued management and running of all temporary site infrastructure. This includes audits and improvement reviews to match requirements

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Profile as the COVID situation evolves.

We have continued to introduce new products, improve health and safety, reduce operating costs and reduce environmental impact, as well as decontaminating and decommissioning sites.

Recent contracts have had quite an impact on the business. Are you looking to move into event overlay?

We have supplied to events for many years but COVID has accelerated the opportunity to package a fully-managed service that dovetails perfectly with the event industry.

We all know the event industry is fairly unique compared to other temporary works sectors. Our director for event infrastructure solutions [newly-appointed] will work alongside our event team, who hold current event relationships, and build a wider understanding of customer needs to add more value and expertise as a strategic partner.

Would it be fair to say that COVID-19 has had a positive impact on your business?

Without a doubt. After the initial dip, we recovered quite quickly, and the fact that we mobilised more than 450 COVID sites over a few months, whilst rebranding 200 depots, 1,200 vehicles, 3,700 uniforms and 20,000 rental assets, all in a pandemic – that has got to be a world-class achievement. However, we’re also proud of our decision not to take advantage of any Government financial support or customer cancellation policies, which we saw as an essential lifeline to others who needed it more.

Moving forward, how will you be increasing your service offering?

Our previous brands operated independently so you might have hired temporary roadways from Live Trakway or air conditioning from Rapid Climate Control without an appreciation of the other 17 specialists in our group. Now, under one brand, as a managed service,

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Sunbelt Rentals in action

access to equipment solutions is endless. Our appetite for innovation will see us investing more into environmental and sustainable technologies.

Not only do we include ecofriendly essentials like electric plant and powered access, trackway and fencing, B-rated accommodation, solar lighting, traffic management, low emission power generation and climate control, our offer extends into sustainable ancillary services too, such as alternative fuels like hydrotreated vegetable oil.

Another clear differentiator is our more technical equipment solutions, such as aerial and ground surveys, environmental pollution monitoring, weather monitoring, safety and medical equipment, digital communications and decontamination services. Our “Sunbelt 360” services can source any other rental solution through our strategic partnerships to ensure an events “one-stop-shop”.

having to source hundreds of different suppliers. The wider offer will allow customers to reduce costs, lower haulage emissions, reduce administration, avoid duplication and use a socially responsible company who goes way beyond just ticking a box.

In terms of event contracts/ projects, how is 2021 looking for Sunbelt Rentals?

We are bolstering our offer with more infection control measures, such as sanitising stations, visitor temperature monitoring and full decontamination services to help events return quicker.

We’ve invested heavily this year on even more sustainable technologies and are already supplying these across the UK, so we’re more than ready to get back into the fields with our event customers again.

COVID-19 hugely impacted events/festivals. Do you still see a future in the sector? If so, how do you plan to play your part?

The sector will recover, without a doubt, but many events will need the support of established suppliers who are passionate about events and can guarantee availability and reliability, and be dependable to manage the rental solution without

Gordon McKay

Cannon hire and event SFX www.ConfettiMagic.com

T-shirt cannon hire www.TshirtGun.co.uk

Customised hand-held cannons www.ConfettiSupermarket.com

T 01582 723502 E info@confettimagic.com

CONNECTIONS AV & SOUND EQUIPMENT HIRE X3 Solutions Unit 11, LDL Business Centre, Station Road West, Ash Vale, Surrey, GU12 5RT T: 01252 519303 E: info@x3solutions. co.uk W: www.x3solutions. co.uk

AV, SOUND & LIGHTING Event Sound & Light Ltd Unit 2, Warren Estate, Lordship Road, Writtle, Essex, CM1 3WT T: 01245 863863 M: 07831 360721 W: www.eventsound andlight.com Hire Frequencies Ltd Unit A6D, Ring Way, Bounds Green Industrial Estate, London, N11 2UD T: 020 3302 6947 E: enquiries@ hirefrequencies.co.uk W: www. hirefrequencies.co.uk LNP Sound Ltd Unit 4, Fallings Park Industrial Estate, Park Lane, Wolverhampton, WV10 9QA T: 0121 553 2531 W: www.lnpsound.com Press Red Rentals Limited Unit B10 Court 2000, Bridgnorth Road, Madeley, Telford, TF7 4JB T: +44 (0) 1952 587049 W: www.pressred.biz SPL Audio Services Studio Thirteen, 2 Sidmouth Road, Sale, Cheshire, M33 5FX T: 0161 962 5151 E: info@ splaudioservices.co.uk W: www. splaudioservices.co.uk Triple A Events Ltd Unit D4, St Georges Business Park, Castle Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3TB T: 0800 7723242 M: 07875492625 W: www.tripleaevents. co.uk Twitter: @tripleaeventsuk Facebook: /tripleaeventsuk

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BALLOONS, BUNTING & FLAGS B-Loony Ltd 3 Chiltern Court, Asheridge Road, Chesham, HP5 2PX T: 01494 774376 E: sales@b-loony.co.uk W: www.b-loony.co.uk

BARS

BRAND ACTIVATION & EXPERIENTIAL

DD: 01840 219047 | M: 07748 165 827 www.instantmarquees.co.uk Versatile Venues Creative Mobile Solutions Wireless Hill, South Luffenham, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 8NF T: 01780 720 217 E: info@ versatilevenues.co.uk W: www. versatilevenues.co.uk

Bar-Go T: 07971 871 481 E: paul@bar-go.co.uk W: www.bar-go.co.uk Bar Live Events Unit D215, Parkhall Studios, London, SE21 8DE T: 0208 761 8424 E: nick@barlive.co.uk W: www.barlive.co.uk

BUGGY HIRE Energy Generator Hire Ltd Aylesbury, Bucks, HP17 8SX T: 01296 613013 E: enquiries@energy generatorhire.co.uk W: www.energy generatorhire.co.uk

Cambridge Event Bars T: 01223 785401 M: 07837 707057 E: Info@cambridge eventbars.co.uk W: www.cambridge eventbars.co.uk Outbar Events Ltd Woodside Farm, Moira Road, Ashby De La Zouch, LE65 2TU T: 01530 417777 E: info@outbarleisure. com W: www. outbarleisure.com Pop-up-Pubs T: +44(0)1993 832155 E: info@pop-up-pubs. com W: www.pop-up-pubs. com Symonds Event Bars Drakewell, Stoke Lacy, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4HG T: 01885 490267 E: info@eventbars. co.uk W: www.eventbars. co.uk

BIG SCREEN PRODUCTION Screen Works Europe South Lodge, Tidmarsh Lane, Pangbourne, Berkshire, RG8 8HT T: 01189 845545 E: rental@ect-av.com W: www.ect-av.com

Event Buggy Hire T: 0113 393 4100 E: brian@ eventbuggyhire.co.uk W: www. eventbuggyhire.co.uk Hopkins Machinery T: 01633 680754 E: hire@hopkins machinery.co.uk W: www.hopkins machinery.co.uk

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

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Wernick Events Joseph House, Northgate Way, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8ST T: 01922 472 900 E: events@wernick. co.uk W: www.wernick. co.uk/events Twitter: @ WernickEvents Instagram: @WernickEvents

COMPACT LOADERS Compact Loaders UK Unit P2 McGregors Way, Chesterfield.

S40 2WB T: 0800 233 5490 E: info@ compactloaders.co.uk W: www. compactloaders.co.uk

CORPORATE CREW

CAR PARKING

Rodeo Crew 128 Wey House, 15 Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8NA T: 020 8075 7799 E: bookcrew@ rodeocrew.uk W: www.rodeocrew.uk

GAP Event Services Quote Code ‘STOU10’ on your first hire for a 10% discount Carrick House, 40 Carrick Street, Glasgow, G2 8DA T: 0333 202 0712 E: events@gap-group. co.uk W: www.gap-group. co.uk

EVENT ACCOMMODATION Airstream Facilities Ltd T: +44 (0) 1885 400223 E: info@ airstreamfacilities.com W: www. airstreamfacilities.com Bunkabin Tweedale Way, Oldham, OL9 7LD T: 0345 456 7899 E: hires@bunkabin. co.uk W: www.bunkabin. co.uk

Celtic Stage Crew Dragon House, Leckwith Quay, Leckwith Road, Cardiff, CF11 8AU T: +44 (0)29 2022 5152 M: +44 (0)7779 999568 E: office@ celticstagecrew.co.uk W: www. celticstagecrew.co.uk

Falcon Cleaning and Support Services Ltd Specialised Cleaning and Support Services (Nationwide) Vision 25, Electric Avenue, Innova Park, Enfield, EN3 7GD T: 020 3967 2475 E: events@falconcss. co.uk W: www.falconcss. co.uk

Tent2hire Unit 2, Thornhill Works, Billingshurst Road, Coolham, West Sussex, RH13 8QN T: 01403 785751 W: www.tent2hire. co.uk

Site and Stage Ltd (SAS) Festival and Event Crew Nationwide T: 0207 205 2434 M:07770 521521 W: www.siteandstage. co.uk

COFFEE BARS

Markey 28 Park Farm Industrial Estate, Ermine Street, SG9 9AZ T: 08702 410812 W: www.markey.co.uk

EQUIPMENT HIRE

CREW SERVICES

CLEANING & SUPPORT SERVICES

Café Azzurro Events Limited T: 0121 667 6171 E: exhibitions@cafeazzurro.com W: www.cafe-azzurro. com

ROE Visual Europe BV Zernikelaan 2a, 9351 VA Leek, The Netherlands T: +31 50 2110990 E: europe@roevisual. com W: www.roevisual.com

Ace Crew Ltd Units 3 & 7, Princess Court, Horace Road Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2SL T: +44(0) 20 7924 6569 M: +44(0)7947 88 66 99 W: www.acecrew. co.uk

Event Traffic Control Limited Baldersby Gardens, Ripon Road, Baldersby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4PS T: 08000 246 800 E: info@eventtc.com W: www.eventtc.com Just Go Parking Unit 7 Broadway Green Farm, Lightwater, Surrey, GU18 5SU T: 01252 836021 E: contactus@ justgoparking.com W: www. justgoparking.com

DISPLAY SYSTEMS

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

DIGITAL LED Screenzled Ltd Pudneys Farm, Shalford Rd, Rayne, Braintree, CM77 6DN T: 07801227057 E: hugo@screenzled. co.uk W: www.screenzled. co.uk

EVENT APPS Map Your Event T: 01234 632232 M: 07976 913456 E: enquiries@ mapyourevent.co.uk W: www. mapyourevent.co.uk

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Saltem Ltd Eliot Park Innovation Centre, 4 Barling Way, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7RH T: 02476 796455 W: www.saltem.co.uk

EVENT BANNERS HFESigns T: 01283 576017 W: www.hfe-signs. co.uk Universal Display Ltd Unit 2 Shrub Hill Industrial Estate, Worcester, WR4 9EL T: 01905 745475 E: sales@ universalbanners. co.uk W: www. universalbanners. co.uk

Yellow Lab Events 3 Low Road, Dumfries, DG1 4JJ E: info@ yellowlabevents.co.uk W: www. yellowlabevents.co.uk

EVENT OPEN SPACES Bedford Borough Council Events Team, Room 401, Borough Hall, Cauldwell St, Bedford MK42 9AP E: events@bedford. gov.uk W: www.bedford.gov. uk/events

EVENT CONTROL, RADIO & WI-FI SERVICES Controlled Events T: 0203 286 6392 Controlled Events www.controlledevents.com E: info@ controlledevents.com W: www. controlledevents.com

EVENT DESIGN

EVENT MANAGEMENT 2Can Productions T: 02920 100256 E: info@2can productions.com W: www.2can productions.com

ess

Event & Show Services Ltd M: +44 (0)7970 534 664 E: info@@eventand showservices.com W: www.eventand showservices.com LFX Events Stockport BIC, Gtr Manchester, SK5 7DL T: 0161 408 2220 E: enquiries@ LFXevents.co.uk W: www.LFXevents. co.uk

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Sparq T: 0370 606 1100 E: hello@sparq.live W: www.sparq.live

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

EVENT SERVICES Bert & Gert’s Ltd 30 Enstone Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B23 5SD T: 07917 765238 E: info@bertandgerts. co.uk W: www.bertandgerts. co.uk

EVENT PASSES Digi Design Co Architecture Ltd Cherwell Business Village F161, Southam Road, Banbury, Oxon, OX16 2SP T: +44 (0)1295 267617 W: www.digidesignco. com

EVENT & SHOW SERVICES Ltd

Henson Franklyn Head Office: 01427 718178 London Office: 020 3490 0484 Sales Enquiries: enquiries@ hensonfranklyn. co.uk, jonny@ hensonfranklyn.co.uk

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Eyecatchers The Hayloft, Mill Farm, Fleetwood Road, Wesham, Lancashire, PR4 3UD T: 01772 681000 E: sales@eyecatchers. co.uk W: www.eyecatchers. co.uk

EVENT PASS PRINTING Essentra Security Langford locks, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1HX T: 0800 970 9703 E: sales@ essentrasecurity.com W: www. essentrasecurity.com Pass Printing UK T: 01223 967 380 E: ask@passprinting. uk W: www.passprinting. uk

EVENT PRODUCTION Ethix Management Unit 15 Kempton Gate Business Centre, Oldfield Road, Hampton, TW12 2AF T: 0208 487 3508 M: 07836 736734 W: www. ethixmanagement. com

EVENT SIGNAGE JTM Signs Unit 20 H T M Business Park, Abergele Road, Rhuddlan, Rhyl, LL18 5UZ T: 01745 590056 E: steve@jt-m-signs. co.uk W: www.jtmsigns. co.uk

EVENT STAFFING SOFTWARE uTRAC 24A Lower Abbey St, Dublin 1, Ireland T: 0808 189 0334 E: hello@utraconline. com W: www.utraconline. com

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EXHIBITION TRAILERS & MOBILE UNITS

FIRE COVER Event Fire & Rescue Services Unit 2, Belmont Business Centre, Bethersden Road, Bethersden, Ashford, Kent, TN26 3DY T: 07989815619 E: event.fire@ btinternet.com W: www.eventfire. 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

Red Rose Fire Solutions Ltd 1 Prospect Court, Catterall, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 0QW T: 01995 503504 E: info@redrosefire solutions.co.uk W: www.redrosefire solutions.co.uk

FENCING & BARRIERS Capital Barriers & Temporary Fencing Limited Canford Park Arena, Magna Road, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3AP T: 01202 573311 M: 07888 706659 W: www. capitalbarriers andtemporaryfencing. co.uk Fencing Events 6 Fairacers Axes Lane Redhill, Surrey, RH1 5QL T: 01737 485782 M: 07970 663986 E: info@fencingevents. co.uk W: www. fencingevents.co.uk

FIREWORKS & SPECIAL EFFECTS Le Maitre 5/6 Forval Close, Wandle Way, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 4NE T: 020 8646 2222 E: events@lemaitreltd. com W: www. lemaitreevents.com

FLAGPOLE HIRE Fuchsia Exhibition Services Ltd Bigods Hall, Bigods Lane, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 3BE T: 01371 644800 E: info@fuchsiaevents. co.uk W: www.fuchsiaexhibition-services. 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

FLAGS

DD: 01840 219047 | M: 07748 165 827 www.instantmarquees.co.uk

FLOORING & FLOOR COVERINGS AMH Imports Ltd. 34 Parsons Road, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 3HA T: +44 (0)788 430 3082 W: www.coirstore. co.uk

Event Flooring Solutions Ltd T: 01509 768 252 E: sales@efseurope. co.uk W: www.efseurope. co.uk GT Trax Ltd High Tree Farm House, New Road, Warboys, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2SS T: 01487 823344 E: info@gttrax.co.uk W: www.gttrax.co.uk Twitter: @GTTrax Ikadan UK Ltd T: +4596606400 E: Ikadan@ikadan.dk

FURNITURE HIRE / SALES A Furniture On The Move Meadowbank, Tuckers Lane, Ubley, Bristol, BS40 6PB T: 0845 459 9875 E: hello@furnitureon themove.co.uk W: www.furnitureon themove.co.uk Casablanca Marquee & Event Hire Unit 1, Kingsbury Works, Kingsbury Road, London, NW9 8UP T: 020 7395 6432 E: eventhire@ casablancahire.com W: www. casablancahire.com Concept Furniture Unit 131, Hartlebury Trading Estate, Hartlebury, Worcestershire, DY10 4JB T: 0844 822 1424 W: www.concept furniture.co.uk Europa International Europa House, Meaford Road, London, SE20 8RA T: 08454 303015 E: sales@europa international.com W: www.europa international.com/st Furniture 4 Events Priors Court Farm, Old Street, Hermitage, Berkshire, RG18 9JT T: 01635 247033 E: sales@ furniture4events.com W: www. furniture4events.com

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Tysers Insurance Brokers 71 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BS T:+44 (0)203 037 8000 E: tim.rudland@tysers. com W: www.tysers.com

Picnic Table Hire T: 01249 848050 E: hello@ picnictablehire.com W: www. picnictablehire.com Thorns Group Welham Distribution Centre, 172 Travellers Lane, Welham Green, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 7HN T: 0208 801 4444 E: hello@thorns.co.uk W: www.thorns.co.uk

HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS Arcotherm Unit 11, Ecclesbourne Park, Clover Nook Road, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 4RF T: 01773 836 999 E: sales@arcotherm. co.uk W: www.arcotherm. co.uk Cooling and Heating Solutions Ltd T: 01590 681 434 E: sales@candhs.co.uk W: www.coolingand heatingsolutions.com Spica Temperature Control Solutions Ltd 20 Crowsport, Hamble, Hampshire, SO31 4HG T: +44 (0) 2380 453841 M: +44 (0) 7780 638976 E: kay@spicasolutions. com W: www. spicasolutions.com

INSURANCE Arc International St. Clare House, 30-33 Minories, London, EC3N 1PE T: +44 (0)207 977 7637 W: www.apex-ins. co.uk/arcinternational

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Solar Signs UK Ltd Doody’s Yard, Park Road, Haltwhistle, Northumberland, NE49 9LD T: +44 (0)1434 322 359 E: admin@ SolarSignsUK.com W: www.solarsignsuk. com

LASER & FX Laser Grafix Unit 4A Stratton Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8QS UK office: +44 1767 315948 Dubai office: +971 4 887 9808 W: www.lgfx.co.uk

GRANDSTAND SEATING Ace Seating Hire T: 01832 273353 E: info@aceseating. co.uk W: www.aceseating. co.uk

LED TRAFFIC/EVENT MANAGEMENT SIGNS

LIGHTING Illumin8 Contact details: Neil 07710 700759 or Ian 07568 430704 E: sales@ illumin8lights.co.uk W: www. illumin8lights.co.uk

LED SCREENS ADI UK Ltd Pittman Court, Pittman Way, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9ZG T: +44 (0)1772 708 200 E: info@adi.tv W: www.adi.tv 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 E: sales@lightmedia. co.uk W: www.lightmedia.co.uk Urban Entertainment The Workstation, Sheffield, S1 2BX T: 0114 2210295 M: 07916161053 E: info@urban entertainment.co.uk W: www.urban entertainment.co.uk YSLV Full range of AV & LED Hire London & York T: 0208 317 7775 E: hello@yslv.co.uk W: www.yslv.co.uk

LOCKERS Mobile Locker UK Ltd Unit 11, Trident Park, Poseidon Way, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 6SW T: 01926 671937 E: info@moblielocker. co.uk W: www.mobilelocker. co.uk

MARQUEE STAKES & ACCESSORIES Ansell Handtools (Sheffield) Ltd Incorporating The 1st Stop Marquee Stake House Ltd 72 Catley Road, Darnall, Sheffield, S9 5JF, U.K. T: 0114 244 8098 Out of hours / emergency mobile: 0739 2070654 W: www. ansellhandtools.co.uk W: www.marquee stakehouse.com Twitter: @AnsellHandtools Facebook: Ansell Handtools

CONNECTIONS

Connections are sponsored by

MARQUEES Alternative Stretch Tents Building 15, Gateway 1000, A1 (M) jct 7, Stevenage SG1 2FP T: 01920 830256 E: info@alternativestretch.co.uk W: www.alternativestretch-tents.co.uk Baillies Marquees 1 Barlanark Avenue, Glasgow, G32 0JR T: 0141 774 0830 M: 07977426295 E: info@ bailliesmarquees.

FOR ALL YOUR MARQUEE NEEDS IN co.uk CENTRAL SCOTLAND W: www. bailliesmarquees. co.uk Casablanca Marquee & Event Hire Unit 1, Kingsbury Works, Kingsbury Road, London, NW9 8UP T: 020 7395 6432 E: eventhire@ casablancahire.com W: www. casablancahire.com Event-in-a-tent Unit 108, Abby Road South, Wrexham Industrial Estate, LL13 9RF T: 01978 661449 E: info@event-in-tent. co.uk W: www.event-in-atent.co.uk Elan Marquees Unit 6, Miners Park Road, Llay Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL12 0PJ T: 01978 755433 M: 07976 262971 E: enquiries@ elanmarquees.co.uk W: www. elanmarquees.co.uk Fews Marquees Chessgrove Park, Ditchford Bank Road, Hanbury, Bromsgrove Worcestershire, B60 4HS T: 01527 821789 W: www. fewsmarquees.co.uk

DD: 01840 219047 | M: 07748 165 827 www.instantmarquees.co.uk

Jamboree Arts Ltd 203 Abbeyfield Road, Sheffield, S4 7AW T: 0114 2618600 E: info@jamboreearts. org.uk W: www. jamboreearts.org.uk Special Coverings srl via Mazzolina 22, Mussolente (VI), 36065, Italy T: +39 0424 577384 E: info@ specialcoverings.com W: www. specialcoverings.com Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd 4 Marlpit Rise, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B75 5LU M: +44 7826 843099 E: jorg@tenticklestretchtents.co.uk W: www.tenticklestretchtents.co.uk Top Cat Big Tops Tents & Marquees Ltd The Old Stable Yard, Gasworks Ln, Machynlleth, SY20 8BY T: 01654 700030 E: info@topcatbigtops. co.uk W: www. topcatbigtops.co.uk

MEDICAL SERVICES First Aid Cover Ltd 19 Eltringham Street London SW18 1TD T: 020 8875 5758 E: enquiries@ firstaidcover.co.uk W: www.firstaidcover. co.uk Location Medical Services Ltd The Medical Centre, Shepperton Studios, Studio Road, Shepperton, Middx, TW17 0QD T: 0870 750 9898 E: mail@ locationmedical.com W: www. locationmedical.com MET Medical Ltd T: 0203 627 9042 E: info@met-medical. co.uk W: www.met-medical. co.uk

MOBILE REFRIGERATION Chill Box T: 0845 206 8383 E: info@chill-box.com W: www.chill-box.com

MODULAR BUILDING BLOCKS Everblocks UK 3 The Barns, Lower farm, High Street, Irchester, Northamptonhire, NN29 7AB T: + 44 (0)203 7959090 E: joe@everblock systems.co.uk W: www.everblock systems.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY Aniseed Event Photography E: jt@aniseedpr.com W: www. aniseedphoto.com Twitter: @aniseedphoto Instagram: @aniseed eventphotography

PLANT HIRE Ace Plant Cosgrove Road, Old Stratford, Milton Keynes, MK19 6LA T: 01908 562191 E: info@aceplant.co.uk W: www.aceplant.co.uk Energy Generator Hire Ltd Aylesbury, Bucks, HP17 8SX T: 01296 613013 E: enquiries@energy generatorhire.co.uk W: www.energy generatorhire.co.uk Hopkins Machinery T: 01633 680754 E: hire@hopkins machinery.co.uk W: www.hopkins machinery.co.uk

PORTABLE SHOPS Rapid Retail Ltd Unit 1 Goodwood Road, Keytec 7 Business Park, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 2JL T: +44 (0)1386 555044 E: info@rapidretail. co.uk W: www.rapidretail. co.uk

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CONNECTIONS PORTABLE TOILET HIRE

ATD Electrical Unit 93, Greenway Business Centre, Greenway, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5QE T: 01279 507890 E: office@atdelectrical. com W: www.atdelectrical. com

D&P Luxury Toilets Ltd Coldharbour Cottage Winchbottom Lane, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP10 9QE T: 01494 526 065 E: sales@luxurytoilets.co.uk W: www.luxury-toilets. co.uk

CB Potts Electrical Rose Cottage, Watergore, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5JQ T: 0780 8049034 E: ben.potts@zen. co.uk W: www. cbpottselectrical.co.uk

JB Event Facilities Ltd Kingshill Farm, Kingshill, Syresham, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 5TH T: 01280 851200 E: info@jbevents.net W: www. jbeventfacilities.co.uk John Anderson Hire Unit 5 Smallford Works, Smallford Lane, St Albans, AL4 0SA T: 03333 207020 E: quotes@superloo. co.uk W: www.superloo. co.uk Prestige Toilet Hire Yellow House Farm, Naunton Beauchamp, Near Pershore Worcestershire, WR10 2LH T: 01386 462554 E: info@ prestigetoilethire. co.uk W: www. prestigetoilethire. 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

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Powerline Knowle Hill Farm, Beeks Lane, Marshfield, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8BB T: 01225 892336 E: info@thepowerline. co.uk W: www.thepowerline. co.uk

POWER & GENERATORS

A1 Loo Hire Silver Birches, Highland Avenue, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 4SP T: 0118 9894652 E: clive@ a1groupcomp.co.uk W: www. a1groupcomp.co.uk

Fortis Hire T: 0845 206 8003 E: sales@fortishire. co.uk W: www.fortishire. co.uk

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Connections are sponsored by

Smart Power Ltd Shipwright Yard, 73A Middle Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AL T: 07425 603784 E: tim@smart-poweruk.org W: www.smart-poweruk.org Temporary Power Solutions Plot 6, River Gardens, North Feltham Industrial Estate, Feltham, West London, TW14 0RB T: 0800 7723193 E: sales@temporary powersolutions.co.uk W: www.temporary powersolutions.co.uk

Excell Electrical Event Solutions Fridd Farm, Bethersden, Kent, TN26 3DX T: 01233 822059 E: enquiries@ excellelectrical.com W: www. excellelectrical.com Fourth Generation Limited 220 Cricklewood Lane, London, NW2 2PU T: 020 8450 2943 M: 07741 052565 E: tweed@fourth generationltd.com W: www.fourth generationltd.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 Midas Productions (UK) Ltd Unit 1, Uplandside, Manor Road, Clopton, Suffolk, IP13 6SH T: +44 (0)333 772 0772 M: +44 (0)7949 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

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

PROMOTIONAL BRANDED MERCHANDISE Reflex Marketing & Promotions Ltd Unit B5, Dolphin Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6NZ T: 01273 464666 E: sales@ reflexmarketing.co.uk W: www. reflexmarketing.co.uk

PROMOTIONAL STAFFING 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

CONNECTIONS

Connections are sponsored by

RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

Versatile Venues Creative Mobile Solutions Wireless Hill, South Luffenham, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 8NF T: 01780 720 217 E: info@ versatilevenues.co.uk W: www. versatilevenues.co.uk

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 Mark Comms Limited Basepoint Business Centre, Aviation Park West, Bournemouth Airport, Christchurch, BH23 6NX T: 01202 431431 E: info@markcomms. co.uk W: www.markcomms. co.uk Radiotek Unit 7 & 8 Silver End Business Park, Brettell Lane, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY7 5QW T: 0800 587 9774 E: sales@radiotek.co.uk W: www.radiotek.co.uk

RECRUITMENT Total Spectrum T: 07780 692784 E: debby@totalspectrum.com W: www.totalspectrum.com

REFRIGERATED TRAILER HIRE Refrigerated Trailer James Dickson T: 01749 890737 M: 07903 297414 E: info@refrigerated trailer.co.uk W: www.refrigerated trailer.co.uk

REUSABLE CUPS Green Goblet Ltd Unit 1A Walrow Industrial Estate, Commerce Way, Highbridge, TA9 4AG T: 01278 238390 E: info@green-goblet. com W: www.green-goblet. com

SGC Security Services T: 0330 053 5686 E: info@sgcsecurity services.co.uk W: www.sgcsecurity services.co.uk

ROADSHOWS

SHOWERS GigLoo Ltd Morehouse Farm, Lunces Hill, Wivelsfield, West Sussex, RH17 7RE T: 0330 333 8777 E: hello@gigloo.co.uk W: www.gigloo.co.uk

SECURITY Aventail Security Ltd Unit 1X Guildford Road Industrial Estate, Guildford Road Hayle TR27 4QZ T: 0800 270 7973 E: info@ aventailsecurity.co.uk W: www. aventailsecurity.co.uk McKenzie Arnold Grove House, Faulkbourne, Essex, CM8 1SH T: 01376 350999 E: martin.jackson@ mckenziearnold.com W: www. mckenziearnold.com Provide SESS Ltd The Courtyard, 87 Southampton Street Reading RG1 2QU T: 01189 875949 E: info@providesecurity.com W: www.providesecurity.com Right Guard Security Event Security Consultancy Security & Crowd Management Traffic Management CSAS Traffic Officers T: 01227 464 588 T: 0207 241 5525 E: info@rightguard. co.uk W: www.rightguard. co.uk Security Force Management Ltd The Annexe, Fort Pitt House, New Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1DX T: 01634 826 999 E: admin@sfmsecurity consultants.com W: www.sfmsecurity consultants.com

SITE SUPPLIES Concept Products Ltd 10 Cary Court, Somerton Business Park, Somerton, TA11 6SB T: 01458 274020 E: ben@concept productsltd.co.uk W: www.concept productsltd.co.uk

STAGING & RIGGING Impact Production Redbourne Park, Lilipur Road, Brackmills Industrial Estate, NN4 7DT T: 01604 664571 E: sales@impactproducts.co.uk W: www.impactproducts.co.uk Movetech UK Emblem Street, Bolton, BL3 5BW T: 01204 525626 E: info@movetechuk. com W: www.movetechuk. com Twitter: @ MovetechUK The Outdoor Stage Company Ltd Sealco House, Maypole Fields, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 2QB T: 0121 270 5646 E: info@outdoorstage. co.uk W: www. outdoorstage.co.uk

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CONNECTIONS The Revolving Stage Company Ltd Crondal Road, Bayton Road Industrial Estate, Coventry, CV7 9NH T: +44 (0) 24 76687055 E: enquiries@ therevolving stagecompany.co.uk W: www.therevolving stagecompany.co.uk

STAND DESIGN & BUILD Design Construct & Exhibitions Group Ltd Unit 12, Hambridge Business Centre, Hambridge Lane, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5TU T: 01635 230020 E: enquiries@ dcegroup.co.uk W: www.dcegroup. co.uk Skyline Whitespace 320 Western Road, London, SW19 2QA T: 0845 485 1340 E: getintouch@ skylinewhitespace. com W: www.skyline whitespace.com

STEWARDS / MARSHALLS Phoenix Events (East) Ltd 28 Turner Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 4HD T: +44 (0) 75927399287 E: a-harding@phoenix eventseastltd.co.uk W: www. phoenixevents eastltd.co.uk Road Traffic Solutions 60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe,DN15 7PQ T: 01724 848 246 E: martyn@roadtraffic solutions.com W: www.roadtraffic solutions.com

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT Electric Wheels Ltd Mill Farm Barn, Little Cressingham, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 6NT T: 01953 882175 M: 07711 648707 M: 07725 761970 E: info@electric wheelshire.co.uk W: www.electric wheelshire.co.uk

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Connections are sponsored by

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

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

Worldwide Structures Ltd Ayrshire Farm, Sharcott, Pewsey, SN9 5PA T: + 44 (0) 1672 565 060 / +44 (0) 7875 027369 E: enquiries@w-sl.com W: www.worldwidestructures.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 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

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES Losberger De Boer Castle Park, Boundary Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire NN13 7ES T: +44 (0)1280 846500 E: sales.uk@ losbergerdeboer.com W: www.deboer.com Low & Bonar Oldham Ltd Hollinwood Business Centre, Albert Street, Oldham, OL8 3QL, U.K. E: info.uk@mehgies. com W: www.mehgies.com NEPTUNUS Ltd Cob Drive, Swan Valley, Northampton NN4 9BB T: +44 1604 593820 E: sales@neptunus. co.uk W: www.neptunus. co.uk Tentickle Stretch Tents UK Ltd 4 Marlpit Rise, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B75 5LU M: +44 7826 843099 E: jorg@tenticklestretchtents.co.uk W: www.tenticklestretchtents.co.uk

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

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Exhibition Traffic Management Services Ltd Perton House, Roslin Road, London, W3 8DH T: 0203 567 1479 E: ops@exhibitiontraffic.co.uk W: www.exhibitiontraffic.co.uk Event Traffic Control Limited Baldersby Gardens, Ripon Road, Baldersby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4PS T: 08000 246 800 E: info@eventtc.com W: www.eventtc.com

CONNECTIONS

Connections are sponsored by

The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland T: 00353 1 856 0000 E: sales@theccd.ie W: www.theccd.ie

Road Traffic Solutions 60-64 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe,DN15 7PQ T: 01724 848 246 E: martyn@roadtraffic solutions.com W: www.roadtraffic solutions.com

TRANSPORTATION & LOGISITICS

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Agility Fairs & Events Logistics Ltd Unit 18, Third Exhibition Avenue, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, B40 1PJ T: 0121 780 2627 E: abates@agility.com W: www.agility.com

Grist Environmental Event Services Head Office, William Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 3EW T: 01380 735045 E: events@ gristenvironmental. com W: www.grist environmental.com

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

Grundon Waste Management Ltd Special Events Services, Goulds Grove, Ewelme, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 6PJ T: 08700 604366 E: specialevents@ grundon.com W: www.grundon.com

Stagefreight Evanston Avenue, Leeds LS4 2HR T: 0113 238 0805 / 0113 279 7898 W: www.stagefreight. com

M J Church Event Waste Recycling Star Farm, Marshfield, Nr Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8LH T: 01225 891591 E: events@mjchurch. com W: www.event-wastemanagement.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

WATER & PLUMBING SERVICES

Modern Thinking, Traditional Values

VENUES Newark Showground Lincoln Road, Newark on Trent, Notts, NG24 2NY T: 01636 705796 E: events@newark showground.com W: www.newark showground.com

DRINKING WATER PURE AND SIMPLE

Greens H2O Hampshire T: 01256 225635 M: 07717846059 E: info@greensh2o. co.uk W: www.greensh2o. co.uk Liquiline Ltd Ash Tree House, Tarrant Hinton, Blandford, Dorset, DT11 8JA T: 01258 830324 E: office@liquiline. co.uk W: www.liquiline.co.uk

MTD (UK & Ireland) Ltd Unit 1 Westerngate, Hillmead Enterprise Park, Langley Road, Swindon, SN5 5WN T: +44 (0)1264 773 818 M: +44 (0)7557 868 909 E: bill.wootten@mtd. net E: oliver.smith@mtd. net W: www.mtd.net Show Site Services Unit 18 Weybridge Business Centre, 66 York Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 9DY T: 01932 228416 E: info@showsite services.co.uk W: www.showsite services.co.uk Wicked Event Water Services Kevin: 07909 771996 E: info@wickedevent waterservices.com W: www.wews.biz

WELFARE CABINS Boss Cabins BCS House, Pinfold Road, Bourne, PE10 9HT T: +44 (0)845 180 1616 E: info@bosscabins. co.uk W: www.bosscabins. co.uk

WIFI, INTERNET & STREAMING Attend2it Unit 8 Park Farm Industrial Estate, Ermine Street, Buntingford, SG9 9AZ T: 01763 877 477 T: 01763 878 086 E: info@attend2it. co.uk W: www.attend2it. co.uk SimpliWifi The Telephone Exchange, 33 Bridge Street, Kington, Herefordshire, HR5 3DW T: 0800 298 9434 E: hello@simpliwifi. co.uk W: simpliwifi.co.uk Wifire 42 Gloucester Road, Rudgeway, Bristol, BS35 3RT T: 01172 181810 E: info@wi-fire.uk W: www.wi-fire.uk

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NEXT ISSUE Editor Caroline Clift caroline@standoutmagazine.co.uk

Featured in our next issue…

Head of sales Jo Stace jo@standoutmagazine.co.uk Account manager Sarah Bourne sarah@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509113 Design and production Grant Waters Image © Ross Findon/Unsplash

James Taylor T: 01795 509108 Digital and web developer Matthew Coppard

LET’S FIGURE THIS OUT

Stand Out chats to key figureheads within the world of events and festivals to get their thoughts on key issues and business

Credit facilities manager Natalie Murray creditcontrol@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509103 Publisher Neil Fagg neil@standoutmagazine.co.uk T: 01795 509113 Managing director John Denning 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.

SHOW TIME

County show organisers have continually developed their annual events to deliver tradition to audiences. And now, they are embracing tech too

Manuscripts should be typewritten. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor’s hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographic or artistic, belongs to Stand Out Multimedia Limited. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

Information about products and services featured within the editorial content does not imply an endorsement

by Stand Out magazine. © 2021. Stand Out Multimedia Limited, The Goods Shed, Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent ME13 8GD.

REOPENING SAFELY Subscribe Here…

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We talk to events professionals about COVID compliancy and reopening safely. What are the key considerations for safe events and festivals?

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