main event (july 2010)

Issue 41 July 2010 £4.75

Debate overthe worth ofsponsorshipBy Christina Eccles

AN industry debate has broken outover the value of sponsorship at festi-vals.

While some events insist that back-ing from sponsors is vital to the suc-cess of their event, others have hitback by saying it can be detrimental.

The Wychwood Festival has workedwith brands such as TheIndependent and Waitrose and co-director Sam Shrouder said theseassocations can work well – provid-ing they tie in with a festival’s ethosand what the audience want.

He said: “It’s a great partnershipwith Waitrose. It’s nice when peoplewant to invest money to support usbecause it’s very expensive to put thefestival on.

“There are festivals that havereached a situation where they makelarge profits and decide they don’tneed sponsors.

“But we are really pleased to havethem. The Independent have been asponsor for five years and the sup-port, help and advice they have givenus has been absolutely crucial.”

For Westminster Council, organis-ers of Westminster Live, backing fromsponsors is necessary to ensure theevent is able to go ahead without

introducing ticket prices.Organiser Coun Robert Davis

added: “It costs £250,000 to put theevent on, which is funded throughsponsorship. Sponsors are a vitalpart.”

But some are keen to steer clear ofusing too many brands at their event– claiming it can ruin the experiencefor festivalgoers.

Co founder of Kendal Calling AndySmith added: “Before I started run-ning the festival, I went to LeedsFestival, which was sponsored byCarling, so the only thing you coulddrink was Carling.

“I took issue with that. Not onlybecause it ruins the name of a festi-val but because it also has a detri-mental effect on the event becausechoice is limited for festivalgoers. Inthat way sponsorship is bad.”

Andy added although the festivalhas partnered with certain brands,those they choose to work with haveto add value without detracting fromthe festival itself.

He added: “Any sponsorship has tohave a beneficial impact and nothingtoo garish. We don’t want to get awayfrom it being Kendal Calling so westeer away from corporate signs andre-named stages.”

Festivals in£130m boostto economyVISITORS to independent fes-tivals will contribute morethan £130m to the UK econo-my this year, according to theresults of a new survey.

The Association ofIndependent Festivals spoketo almost 5,000 festivalgoersto discover their attitudestowards attending festivalsand their spending habits.

About 350,000 people willattend an AIF member festi-val, such as Creamfields,Bestival or Field Day thissummer and the resultsshowed that festivalgoers willprovide a vital boost to localeconomies when they go toan event.

AIF general manager ClaireO’Neill said: "It is good to seethat for another year despitean overall economic down-turn, independent festivalscontinue to make a great con-tribution both nationally andlocally.”

� For more on what the survey said see our festivalround up section starting on3

Liverpool has been named as the host city for thisyear’s MOBO Awards. The annual event will be cel-ebrating its 15th birthday at the Echo Arena inOctober – showcasing and honouring some of thebiggest names in music. The news was announcedby MOBO’s founder Kanya King and singer and pre-vious award winner Leona Lewis (pictured).

The Main Event is the official magazine of the National Outdoor Events

Association

01 7/7/10 10:19 Page 1

02 Fiesta 2/7/10 12:49 Page 1

3

EDITORIALGroup EditorAndrew HarrodTel: 01226 [email protected]

Reporters:

Christina Eccles ([email protected])

Emma Spencer ([email protected])

Louise Cordell ([email protected])

Dominic Musgrave ([email protected])

ADVERTISINGGroup Sales Manager:Paul AllottTel: 01226 734484Fax: 01226 734478Mob: 07500 905717Email: [email protected]

Sales Executive:Mandy MellorTel: 01226 734702Email: [email protected]

Sales and Marketing Director:Tony Barry Email: [email protected]

CIRCULATIONKelly TarffTel: 01226 734695email: [email protected]

PRODUCTIONStudio Manager:Stewart Holt ([email protected])Tel: 01226 734414Group Deputy Editor:Judith Halkerston ([email protected])Tel: 01226 734458Graphic designer:Kyle Wilkinson ([email protected])Tel: 01226 734711

CONTACTS

www.themaineventmagazine.co.uk

Don’t miss our Festival Round-up covering events like the Radio One

Big Weekend, Glastonbudget, Crick BoatShow, Download, the Chelsea Flower

Show and many more ...Starting on Page 13

Local authority spotlight Pages 8-9

Historic castle to play host

to WestlifeconcertPage 7

PRS for Music should extend its con-sultation period to allow organisersentering their busiest time of theyear longer to put their case together,it has been claimed.

The consultation centres aroundthe revision of the tariffs which livemusic venues, including festivals, arecharged for the use of copyrightmusic.

The deadline is currently set atSeptember but the Association ofIndependent Festivals – which repre-sents festivals including CampBestival, Cornbury and Field Day –says members will have their handsfull over the summer organising theirown events and would benefit from

more time to discuss the issue.AIF has said that it welcomes the

consultation and the opportunity todiscuss these wide ranging issues –including reviews of the Tariff LP (forpopular music events) and Tariff DP(for dance parties) – but feels itwould make more sense to giveorganisers longer to respond.

AIF chairman Alison Wenham said:“The independent festival sector wasnascent at the time of the last tariffreview – since then it has grown intoa world-renowned industry.

“We are asking for a extension tothe consultation process so that AIFmembers and indeed all festival pro-moters have a chance to openly dis-

cuss the proposed tariff changes in aspirit of cooperation commensuratewith our common goal of preservingand stimulating growth throughoutthe UK live music sector, and preserving the balance betweenentrepreneurial risk and fair reward.”

PRS has also asked for views on topics including the secondary ticketing market and the proposedtermination of Tariff DP, with danceparty events to be charged underTariff LP.

� What do you think? Email yourviews to [email protected] or contact oureditorial team on 01226 734463.

Call for extension to PRS forMusic consultation period

By Christina Eccles

A SIMPLE online survey has enabledone festival organiser to learn whatvisitors to his event really want.

Sid Sharma organises the ShambalaFestival, an event which consistentlyattracts a sell-out 7,000 strong crowd.

And organisers are clearly doingsomething right – with ticket salesthis year 20 per cent up.

Feedback from fans has shown theyare generally happy with the size ofthe festival and its location plus thefact they aren’t bombarded withadvertisements and corporate spon-sorship. So the task for Sid is to keep

giving them what they want, whilealso tweaking certain things to keepthe event fresh year on year.

He explained: “The survey has beenreally useful. We have a really loyalcrowd. Most people have been a fewtimes and on the whole they are veryhappy with it. But it’s about listeningto the consumer and we have beenlistening to people. We are not active-ly trying to grow or make money butthat’s why people come to the event.

“We are happy with this site andpeople don’t want us to grow any big-ger. This sort of size is manageableand intimate.”

Shambala is regularly a sell out with

the key promotional tool being wordof mouth, which accounts for a mas-sive 98 per cent of sales.

Sid added: “This year ticket salesare 20 per cent up. A lot of otherevents seem to be struggling but wedon’t try to get new business, we justmake sure people come back. We arenot trying to grow in size, just devel-op what we have. We don’t get anysponsorship – it is down to ticketsales to keep us alive. It all startedwith a few friends in a field wantingto celebrate friendship. Each year itseemed to grow but we have alwayskept the vibe of being intimate, goodnatured and non corporate.”

Survey helps Sid givecrowd what they want

Focus on Crowd Management Pages 10-11

Insurance Page 12NOEA Page 29Classified 1

03 7/7/10 11:48 Page 1

2 4

THE event industry has had its fairshare of accidents as a result ofworking at heights. Unfortunately,these accidents do not seem to bereducing even though we are all alot more health and safety awarethese days.

From personal experience, I knowhow quickly a fall from height canoccur. About 10 years ago I had anaccident while working on a light-ing platform. It came totally out ofthe blue, and under the circum-stances there was nothing I couldhave done to prevent it.

It happened within 10 minutes ofmy arriving on site. Things wereextremely busy and everyone wasunder pressure because of the timeframe to complete the job.

As I was experienced in this par-ticular type of work, I was merelygiven the briefest introduction tothe site manager and other relevantparties. Neither had I been privy tothe pre-production preparation, so

in effect I was approaching the jobblind.

So I was totally oblivious to thefact that not all the steel floor plateshad been secured. Some of themissing plates were simply coveredwith sheets of ply. I was asked tomove one these sheets but wasblissfully unaware that there wasnothing but open space below it. Ifell through the lighting platformand the rest, as they say, is history.

How could this have been pre-vented? A simple way would havebeen for everyone involved to meetwhen they all arrived on site for apre-event briefing. Such a briefingshould have included an overviewof the job, what we were aiming toachieve, and the hazards that werepresent in the venue. I feel that thissort of briefing brings every one upto speed and helps focus them onthe potential hazards.

It not good enough just to havethese briefings at the start of the job

as various contractors will arrive atvarious stages of a rig or de-rig, sothere should be on-going interimbriefings for all new arrivals. In thisway, they are brought up to speedon what hazards are present andwhat hazards have been created bythe work itself.

Production managers also have aresponsibility to think whetherwhat they are asking their contrac-tors to do is fair and appropriate. Anumber of times I have seen crewtrying to work from a ladder whento be completely safe the job actu-ally required a scaffold tower. Yes,ladders can be used and are usedon many sites. But at what risk?

Working at height certainly fallsinto the higher risk category ofactivities that take place on a site;and as consequences of poor safetypractices can be and often are fatal.I therefore firmly believe that com-promise in this area is not anoption.

Working at heights is one of the most hazardous activities that can be undertaken on site. Heath Freeman, managingdirector of Pinnacle Crew, speaks from personal experience and discusses what can be done to minimise the risks...

Minimising risks when working at heights

By Christina Eccles

SECURING sponsorship for thisyear’s Rewind Festival has been mucheasier than last year, according to itsorganiser.

David Heartfield has managed toget a number of big names on boardto support the event – includingHeart Radio and First Great Western.

Rewind is now in its second yearand David told The Main Event thatfollowing the success of last year’sfirst festival, sponsors are now muchmore willing to get involved.

He explained: “Gaining sponsorshiphas been much easier this year. Lastyear, we were in our first year and abrand new product, but this year weare reaping the rewards of it beingsuccessful.

“Sponsorship has been very usefulin helping to make the finances of thefestival work and having deals withmedia partners help to promote it.”

Hopes for this year’s festival arehigh – with the capacity beingincreased from 30 - 40,000 over theweekend and ticket sales doing well.

New features include karaoke forfestivalgoers complete with a liveband, new themed bars and a chillout lounge.

And David added that the festival’saudience expect a high standard atthe event, so it is important fororganisers to deliver.

He added: “Given the age group weappeal to, they expect a certain levelof service. With the bars, we find peo-ple really like the ability to sit downso we have brought in about 300 pic-nic tables.

“We have ‘Glamping’ options in thecampsite and a posh wash villagewhere people can pre-book showertime and a slot in the jacuzzi.”

The event showcases the best of the1980s – with acts performing including Boy George, Tony Hadleyand Rick Astley – and according toDavid this has made the festivalunique and helped it to ride out therecession.

“We have a niche market as weappeal to a slightly older age groupwho are a bit more resilient to thecredit crunch.

“We are aimed at a different audi-ence, in a good catchment area,which is easily accessible by car andby train – all of these things help.

“A lot of festivals are driven bywhich headline act is performing butfor some such as this one, it is allabout the overall experience.

“We are very lucky with the site asapart from having good transportlinks, it is also used for corporatehospitality at the Henley Regatta, so alot of the infrastructure is already itplace.

“This makes it easier for us as weare starting with 10 per cent in placerather than nothing.”

Sponsorshipstruggle easesfor organiser

Bon Jovi played a secret outdoor gig to mark the start of their summer residency atLondon’s O2. Over 5,000 fans saw the concert which took place on the roof of the building.

River to be focus forCapital of Culture eventOUTDOOR arts company Walk thePlank has won the contract to deliverthe opening event for the 2011Capital of Culture.

The event will take place in Turku inFinland next January and the compa-ny will create a large-scale, site-spe-cific event on the banks and water ofthe River Aurajoki.

Combining aerial performance,massed choirs, an original score, fire,pyrotechnics and special effects, theshow’s theme is communication –and is inspired by the city’s currentposition as a telecommunicationshub, as well as its ship-building her-itage.

To ensure the event is inclusive andleaves a lasting impression, a majorparticipation programme, involving2,000 local people, will help createthe show.

Tens of thousands of spectators areexpected to attend, with many moreseeing the show on television andonline.

Producer John Wassell said: “Theopportunity to work with the peopleof Turku to create an opening eventthat makes use of the fantastic river-side locations of the city is one whichexcites us greatly.

“It’s a welcome sign that UK out-door arts companies really can com-pete with our European counterparts.We look forward to bringing Walk thePlank's experience of making large-scale outdoor performance and com-bining it with the history, geographyand people of the city of Turku to cre-ate an event, which will be spectacu-lar, unique and memorable.”

Turku will share the capital of cul-ture title with Tallinn.

04 7/7/10 10:20 Page 1

05 Event Insurance 2/7/10 12:51 Page 1

2 6

‘Don’t forcevisitors intonew tickettechnology’VISITORS to events should be able tochoose how they want to receive theirtickets instead of being forced intousing new technology, it has beenclaimed.

Quay Tickets has been working witha variety of venues and festivals tooffer ticketing solutions for theirevents.

And business development managerPeter I’Anson told The Main Eventthat although some events are tri-alling new technology such as wrist-bands and paperless tickets, cus-tomers should be able to choose howthey want their tickets and not bemade to use just one option.

He explained: “When it’s a reservedvenue, using barcodes instead of tick-ets can slow people down getting in.

“Also some people still want ticketsas they can form part of the eventexperience and provide memories.”

Peter added that the company haslooked into new ticketing options butfor them to make a commitment tousing something, it has to be afford-able for the consumer.

He added: “We have looked in toSMS ticketing, but if you have a smartphone why pay for SMS when youcan get an email ticket?

“There are also a lot of flaws – forexample what you do if you lose theticket or phone – and big infrastruc-ture costs. We want to look at offeringoptions instead of forcing people intoit

“Introducing this kind of technologywill be right when it becomes cheap-er, but we don’t think that it is right topass the cost of installing it on to thecustomer.”

� Is new ticketing technology the wayforward for outdoor events or do youprefer more traditional methods?Send your views to [email protected] orcontact our editorial team on 01226734463.

By Christina Eccles

A NEW winter festival is coming toYorkshire in December which willcombine the spectacular backdropof Ripley Castle with live music.

The White Rose Winter Festivalwill take place over three days andinclude three evening performanc-es and one matinee, showcasing avariety of different musical genres.

The event will take place in a spe-cially erected structure in the cas-tle’s courtyard and festivalgoers willbe treated to performances includ-ing The Four Seasons byCandlelight, The Sound of theMusicals and the Ripley CastleWinter Proms.

Guests will also be able toenhance their experience furtherby purchasing one of a range ofhospitality packages which includethe chance to dine within the cas-tle.

According to organisers, corpo-rate hospitality is also selling well –particularly for the Thursday nightperformance – as companies lookfor an alternative Christmas eventto entertain clients and staff.

The Main Event met with organis-ers Shan Robinson and EmmaRamply who explained why thecastle is such a good venue to hostthis kind of event.

Both of them have vast experi-ence within the industry – dealingwith events, hospitality and spon-sorship across the UK – and feelthat the time is now right to bringmore events to Yorkshire.

Shan said: “The venue’s closeproximity to Harrogate and the sizeof the courtyard is perfect for whatwe can fit in structure wise – eachevent has a capacity of 1,600.

“It’s unique in size and great towork with and the castle’s owner SirThomas is very keen for new events

happening on his patch.”

The event has also managed tosecure sponsorship from Welcometo Yorkshire so can benefit from itssupport and marketing expertise.

Emma added: “We had beenspeaking to Welcome to Yorkshireand found that our remit was inline with what they are trying to do,which is encourage more peopleinto the region. Being part of theirmarketing campaign is huge for us.

“For corporate clients, there isnothing else like it at that time ofyear. Our main priority is to createa popular and sustainable eventwhich will get a good reputationboth regionally and nationally.

We want people to enjoy them-selves and feel they got value formoney and had a good time.”

� Look out for Emma and Shan’sevent diary coming soon in TheMain Event ...

The castle’s courtyard

Castle brings new winterfestival to Yorkshire

Careful planning needed for complex eventOVER 110,000 people took to thestreets of East London to welcome inthe Bengali New Year at theBaishakhi Mela.

Features of the event included acolourful parade, live music, DJs and dance and on one of the hottestdays of the year, it was vital therecord breaking crowd kept a coolhead.

It was AP Security’s second yearproviding staff at the Mela – workingclosely with both the Metropolitan

Police and the London Borough ofTower Hamlets to ensure a safeevent.

The Mela covers a wide area,including parks at Allen Gardens andWeaver’s Fields, plus many of thesurrounding roads.

With responsibilities includingphased road closures and crowdmanagement and safety, AP’s plan-ning began at the beginning of theyear.

Head of security Adam Scottexplained: “The Mela is a complexevent and all our staff need to have avery clear understanding of what’srequired.

“The rolling road closures are anespecially complex area to manage.Ensuring that they are closed (and stay closed) when required, butare opened as quickly as possibleafterwards, takes very careful co-ordination and clear communica-tion.”

06 7/7/10 10:21 Page 1

7

Historic castlewill play host toWestlife concertAN HISTORIC Scottish castle will host its first everoutdoor concert this year starring one of theworld’s biggest bands.

Chart-topping boyband Westlife will play a gig atCawdor Castle near Inverness in August after thevenue entered into an exclusive five-year deal withpromoters CK Events.

The company – which is also bringing RodStewart to Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s footballground in July – will stage the Westlife concert thisyear followed by two concerts every year for thenext four.

About 4,000 tickets for the 10,000 capacity eventwere snapped up in the first hour of going on saleand the castle’s administrator David Broadfootsaid Cawdor will provide the perfect backdrop forthe event.

He said: “The castle is open between May 1st andthe first Sunday in October and we have about95,000 visits in that period. But you have to lookfor new income streams all the time.

“It is very exciting. We want to take Cawdor outof the pack of castles and lead that pack. It canonly go from strength to strength.”

But David added that the event is not out tocompete with Scotland’s strong line up of festivalsbut instead it is bringing bands to the area whichlocal people would not normally be able to see

without travelling to an arena such as Glasgow’sSECC.

He added: “The key thing is this is not a festival.There are plenty already in the Highlands such asBelladrum and Rockness. And because there is nocamping, the whole local area can benefit, such asB&Bs and hotels.

“The event will put big money into the local areaand gives us PR we couldn’t normally afford.”

The castle, which is the home of the DowagerCountess Cawdor, was also the venue for TakeThat star Mark Owen’s wedding last year.

Westlife

Newbury Racecourse is hoping for a repeat of last year’ssuccess later this month when Simply Red take to thestage again. Last summer, 27,000 fans flocked to see theband play at the venue – the largest audience at a race-course in recent history. And organisers are hoping thatthis year’s event – which forms part of the band’sfarewell tour – will be just as popular.

FESTIVALGOERS have been given the chance to sharetheir reviews and views on this summer’s hottestevents in a new book.

The book will be filled with festival tweets, statusupdates and photos from all the UK’s major festivals,which will be submitted via MySpace, Twitter andFacebook. Independents United published the firstFestival Annual in 2009 and as last year, the book willbe sold through major bookshops and retailers.

Reviews and views sought

07 7/7/10 10:22 Page 1

2 8 LOCAL AUTHORITY SPOTLIGHTFrom preparing an event in the middle of the M74 motorway to planning a welcome for the Pope, Glasgow CityCouncil’s events team will try anything once. Christina Eccles paid a visit ...

WITH over 90 parks dotted aroundthe city, it is no wonder that Glasgowis often referred to as ‘the Dear GreenPlace ...’

But the task for the events team isto raise their profile even further and a good way to get people into the parks is by hosting eventsthere.

The team works closely withGlasgow Culture and Sport to createthe perfect events programme for thecity and to make sure the city’s parksand green spaces are utilised.

Events manager Eddie Hutchisonexplained: “Our overall objective isto get people into the parks. To dothat we create a lot of varied eventsas a trigger.

“We also deliver some of our ownevents and play a support role, getting big promoters to come in and use the parks and bring them tolife.

“It has always been important forthis department to provide events

but it is now more important than ever – we want to encourage the community to get involved.”

According to the team, delivering ahigh standard of events within an increasingly tight budget is the biggest issue they currentlyface.

Communications and supportmanager Jane Alexander added: “Ourbiggest issue is budget as the councilis pulling in our events – Proms inthe Park is not happening this year.

“We are trying to counteract this byattracting sponsors to some of theevents and generating more partnership working with the privatesector.

“Budgets have been cut but people’sexpectations are higher. It is very dif-ficult to satisfy that expectation witha cut budget so we may have to lookat introducing charging if the worstcomes to the worst.

Continued on Page 9

Team faces lower budgetsand higher expectations

08 7/7/10 10:22 Page 1

LOCAL AUTHORITY SPOTLIGHT 9

Continued from Page 8

“With the Glasgow Show, the rates areup for the first time in four years butwe still want to make sure it is afford-able for as many people as possible.

“Delivering within budget has to beour priority. From an event perspec-tive, it wouldn’t be my number onebut we are getting a bit constrained

because of the budget situation.”

As well as an already busy eventsprogramme, upcoming projectsinclude staging an event next year tomark the opening of a new motorwayextension. The team is also workingon projects centred around the 2014Glasgow Commonwealth Games,with a remit to engage both touristsvisiting the city and local people.

One of the council’s biggest projects will take place in September when the Popepays a visit to Glasgow. As part of his first official visit to the UK, he will be takingan outdoor mass in a local park – with the council playing a key role in the planning.

EVENTS which the council works oninclude The Glasgow Show – one ofthe city’s major events which attractsabout 65,000 people.

The two-day event at GlasgowGreen includes a range of familyfriendly activities and entertainmentincluding live music, street theatreand funfair.

And this year, the council is goingone step further by using the equip-ment and facilities already in place tohost a Magic of Motown concert on

the Saturday evening.Jane added: “The infrastructure is

already there for the Glasgow Showso we are holding an event there onthe Saturday night, taking responsi-bility for the whole event.

“We also have a programming andtechnical side to the team so havedeveloped a site plan with them. Wehave got a lot of things in house –such as marquees and litter clearance– so we can stand alone on an eventlike this.”

Team brings the Magicof Motown to Glasgow

09 7/7/10 10:23 Page 1

2 10 CROWD MANAGEMENT

THERE are far too many examplesof badly managed crowds resultingin incidents ...

One example was at a concert byThe Who in Cincinnati in 1979,where 11 people died when 18,000rock fans rushed the entrance of theCincinnati Coliseum.

Similar incidents can happen inany crowd environment – sevenpeople were killed in Brazil andanother seven in Zaire, by crowdstampedes during Pope John PaulII's 1980 tour.

There is also a long list of crowdfatalities at football stadiums,including the 1970 incident inGlasgow that resulted in 66 deathsand 200 injuries.

Correctly qualified, licensed andcompetent personnel should alwaysundertake the function of crowdmanagement and these personnelshould come from a bona fide sup-plier.

There is a great deal made of SIAlicensed personnel in the UK butone must ask is the training courseand licence from the SIA suitablequalifications for certain areaswithin the event industry, forinstance ‘pit safety officers’.

A comprehensive risk assessmentshould be undertaken for all areasof crowd management and thisshould identify the requirements

for each area.

One of the items often missed andon a number of occasions the rea-son for injury is the insufficient useof suitable infrastructure for crowdmanagement.

In a recent event at the 2010Mawazine Festival in Rabat,Morocco, in excess of 10 peoplewere killed when a wire fenceapparently gave way under thepressure of the crowd.

Site infrastructure should alwaysbe assessed with regard to thecrowd dynamics of an event when itis contracted; barriers and fencingshould always be able to stand upto any crowd pressures that may beexerted on them.

This is especially important whenconsidering the front of stage pro-tection.

When looking at the crowd man-agement at the front of the stage,stage barrier design must be con-sidered – curved, thrust or perhapsdouble barrier systems – theseshould come from risk assessmentsof the crowd.

In 2008, TAO experienced the phe-nomenon of an Iggy Pop stage inva-sion. Understanding that a stageinvasion was likely, we risk assessedthe barriers using a curved system,that added to our other crowd man-agement and safety procedures

which included steps at the front ofthe stage to make the invasion,which was extremely good natured,safer.

The other crowd infrastructurearea to be seriously considered istemporary or permanent seating.Incidents of ‘bleacher’ (temporary)seating collapsing causing injury ordeath have occurred on most partsof the world including the USA, UKand Brazil.

Permanent seating should also bechecked especially in older sportsstadiums where seating is designedfor sporting crowds and not concertcrowds where rhythmic movementat a concert can cause stands to

move.

The venue should also be suitableto take a massed crowd and shouldbe part of the crowd managementplanning. Over the years there havebeen many incidents involvinginjury; in the Troitsa Festival in 1999many were crushed and trampledwhen trying to get under cover in asubway station.

Crowd management should alsohave contingency plans to stop theshow as quickly as possible whenan incident happens. This must becommunicated to and signed off byall parties including the artist.

Crowd management – everyonemust go home!

Crowd management is a vital consideration of any outdoor event. In this month’s column, Andy Cotton explains why ...

Bad crowd managementcan prove fatal ...

Good crowd management at any event is essential

HIGH tech vests which can helpmonitor the pressure building upin crowds are being trialled atevents across the UK and Europe.

The vests – developed byresearchers at the InternationalCentre for Crowd Management &Security Studies at Bucks NewUniversity – are designed to warnevents organisers of a build-up ofpressure in specific areas in theaudience.

They carry GPS locators andthermometers and transmit datato event managers so that theycan monitor the pressure andtemperature within the mass ofpeople. The development teamsays that, until now, crowds havebeen modelled without the bene-fit of such real-time informationfrom inside the crowd.

Their experiments at a range ofvenues including Wembley, the VFestival, Milton Keynes Bowl andRoskilde in Denmark, aim to giveevents and security and crowdmanagers a picture of what ishappening at music or sport ven-ues, religious festivals or transporthubs.

Professor Chris Kemp, Pro ViceChancellor and Executive Dean:

Design, Media & Management atBucks New University says theprototypes have given someinsights into what goes on, reveal-ing: “A relatively small number ofpeople in an audience cause alarge percent of the pressure – so500 people could create just asmuch of an issue as 60,000.”

Initial testing of the pressurevests has so far found:� Artists can have a significantinfluence on crowd pressurethrough the sequence and type ofsongs in their playlist;� Pressure can increase during asong but drops suddenly at theend when members of the audi-ence raise their hands to applaud;� The audience tires towards theend of a show, which appears toreduce the pressure.

The vests are designed to com-plement information on crowdpressure received from MoJoBarriers’ Barrier Load MeasuringSystem, one of the most techni-cally advanced pieces of safetyequipment in use at major musicand sporting events.

The University's crowd manage-ment centre has developed thevests in collaboration with a firm

which makes motor vehicle tyrepressure monitors, A M BromleyLtd of Buxton, Derbyshire. Eachvest comprises a cotton waistcoatcontaining a pneumatic tube,which houses pressure and tem-perature sensor systems – dupli-cated for increased reliability –which send data via a wirelesslink to a radio receiver which canbe up to a mile away.

Six vests can be monitoredsimultaneously. Temperature sen-sors are included because thebuild-up of heat when people aresquashed together, partly as aresult of anxiety, can quicklycause dehydration.

Bucks New University's ProfGeoff Lawday has developed thesuit in conjunction with col-league, Dr Tim Coole. ProfLawday said the aim was to pro-duce a commercial version of thevest, and to provide data toimprove crowd models.

He said crowd behaviourresearchers typically use mathe-matical models which are hypo-thetical: “They don't hold upwhen you have large numbers ofpeople funnelling into stairs or atthe top of an escalator.”

New vests designed to monitor pressure build up

10 7/7/10 12:08 Page 1

CROWD MANAGEMENT 11

Detailed planning andconsultation processneeded for successBy Mike Williams

EXPERIENCE has shown that themanagement of successful crowd/safety management at outdoorevents requires a detailed planningand consultation process.

Although a comprehensive eventplanning process cannot guarantee aproblem-free event, it enhances anevent organiser’s ability to effectivelyrespond to any problems that mayoccur.

It is strongly recommended that theevent organiser employs the servicesof professional competent persons toadvise on how to address crowd man-agement issues.

These competent people should beappointed early in the event planningprocess.

It is vital to consider crowd man-agement. Even an event with a smallattendance can become crowded –the capacity of each activity withinthe event is dependent upon theavailable space for people.

It may be that an event will onlybecome crowded in particular areas,or at certain times, for example, infront of a stage, or if a VIP arrives inan area that can only hold a smallnumber of people.

It is important that the audiencehas a clear line of vision to the activi-ty/stage to avoid movement towardsthe centre. The widest possible sightlines help to reduce audience densityin front of the activity/stage and helpminimise surging and the possibilityof crushing injuries

It is prudent that the general princi-ple to be understood is that the view-ing arena can be enjoyed by the audi-ence in a safe and comfortableatmosphere.

Consideration is to be taken on the nature of the entertainment,location, size and duration, audiencedemographics, crowd flows, accessand egress of the event.

It will also need to take into accountthe existing geographical, topograph-ical and environmental

infrastructure.

Most outdoor event/festival venuesare situated on green field sites or onthe highways and therefore do notconstitute purpose build entertain-ment arenas.

These venues are therefore fixedand the entertainment designs andcrowd management strategies needto planned early by the competentpersons and be integrated within theEvent Risk assessments, Event SafetyPlan and Event Emergency Plans.

� Mike is event safety consultant atCapita Symonds.

A NEW report has revealed theimportance of implementing goodcrowd management plans at out-door events.

Research prepared byBuckinghamshire New Universityfor the Health and Safety Executivelooked at four high profile annualoutdoor events to see how organis-ers were dealing with managingtheir crowds.

The events – Flaming Tar Barrelsat Ottery St Mary, Edinburgh’sHogmanay celebrations, CheeseRolling at Cooper’s Hill inGloucestershire and London’sNotting Hill Carnival – were alllooked at in detail, withresearchers interviewing key mem-bers of the organising teams andspeaking to members of the publiconsite.

And the results revealed severalareas of good practice whichorganisers of other outdoor events

could learn from.

These included:

� The need to identify and allocateroles and responsibilities for themanagement of crowd safety at apreliminary stage.

� The use of a hazard identifica-tion, risk analysis and prioritisa-tion approach to the safety ofthose attending.

� The need to match the organisa-tional capacity of those involved inthe event with the needs of thecrowd.

� The crucial role of communica-tion, both between the key organi-sations in the event and with thepublic.

� The importance of the publicbeing provided with sufficientinformation and support to enablethem to take appropriate responsi-bility for themselves while attend-ing the event.

� The value of feedback andevaluation to assess theeffectiveness of crowd safetyarrangements.

Project manager Penny Mellorsaid: “What the case studiesshowed is how much crowd safetyis a matter of clarity of roles of keyplayers, collaboration, preparationand planning, as well as commonsense. Local knowledge played animportant part.”

Bucks New University pro vicechancellor professor Chris Kempadded: “This was a challengingproject.

“We recognise that our researchis just a start in collecting evidenceof the good practice that seemsto work to enhance crowdsafety at particular events, andvery much welcome feedback onthe report and on how the factorswe identified are relevant for otherevents.”

Report highlights importanceof good crowd management

Mike Williams

‘It is prudent that the general principle to beunderstood is that the viewing arena can be enjoyed by the audience in a safe andcomfortable atmosphere’

11 7/7/10 10:23 Page 1

2 12 INSURANCE

THE event season is well and truly infull swing. Buoyed on the fantasticJune sunshine, the country seems tohave gone into event madness. Evenour short- lived appearance at theWorld Cup failed to quash the enthusiasm for street parties, opengardens, festivals and fetes.

Our resilience to two ridiculouslywet summers and a recession hasdone little to dampen the spirits ofthose involved in organising events,big or small, many of which are the

epicentre of village or cultural life,providing that all so needed breakfrom normality, even for just oneday.

One clear trend that has transpiredas a result of these wet summers hasbeen the increased amount of cancellation cover being taken outfor events over the next couple ofmonths; obviously those uninsuredlosses of the past have highlightedthe necessity of this sometimes overlooked but imperative cover.

With the summer season now in full flow, the experts atEvent Insurance highlight current trends among eventorganisers ...

Event organisers play it safewith cancellation cover

INSURING concerts, tours and festi-vals for cancellation should be a toppriority with both artists and promot-ers to protect themselves shouldunforeseen problems arise.

Surprisingly some choose not to,possibly because they think it’s tooexpensive and that they’ll have to payfor the cover before they get the ticketrevenues through. At Doodson wecan help with this without makingthe artist or promoter jump throughseveral hoops.

If it can be demonstrated to insurersthat their event or tour is well organ-ised with clear risk assessments, andcontingency plans for potential prob-lems i.e. use of secondary power forsound and lighting, plans for adverseweather conditions and an under-standing that contractors have their

own liability insurance, thenDoodson are adept at obtaining costeffective cover.

The old adage, ‘one size fits all’, cer-tainly doesn’t apply at Doodson.Promoters with contingency plansget better rates and better paymentterms to deal with any cash flowissues.

Paying for the cover needn’t be anissue though as we have several waysof helping with cash flow.

Other areas which should be con-sidered, and which can be handled byDoodson are liability and equipmentcover.

You need to be aware of what iswritten into hire agreements regard-ing who is responsible for the coverof equipment.

Why insurance shouldbe a top priority

12 7/7/10 12:06 Page 1

Vital vibedraws inthe crowdsBy Christina Eccles

FESTIVALGOERS are drawn to anevent more for its general vibe andatmosphere than who is playing, asurvey has revealed.

The Association of IndependentFestivals spoke to almost 5,000 fes-tivalgoers for its annual survey andover half of them said that thevibe, quality and character of anevent was more important to themthan the music on offer.

Over 28 per cent said music gen-erally was the biggest draw butchoice of headliners only polled11.9 per cent of the vote.

The survey also looked at themode of transportation festivalgo-ers use to get to events and discov-ered that car was still the mostpopular choice.

However, 44.5 per cent of thosetravelling by car are with three ormore people and over 50 per centof those surveyed said they wouldbe encouraged to use public trans-port if they were offered discount-ed tickets.

AIF general manager Claire

O’Neill said: “Of course, this sur-vey further cements the knowl-edge that festivals offer manyentertainments and attractionsaside from music, and that is theexperience as a whole that somany people love. It is a shamethat most people are still driving tofestivals, however it was interest-ing to read many suggestions thata "fast track" queue for coach tick-et holders would be an incentiveto leave the car at home."

The survey was completed byfestivalgoers across 13 differentfestivals and also looked at issuessuch as accommodation, crimeand spending habits – with theresults showing that despite therecession, festivals are holding upwell.

44.4 per cent said the recessionaffected how much they spend onfestivals, but 59.4 per cent said therecession has affected how muchthey spend on other types ofentertainment – suggesting festi-valgoers are sacrificing otherforms of entertainment in order tokeep attending events.

13 7/7/10 10:25 Page 1

214

RADIO ONE BIG WEEKEND

A ROYAL visit from Prince Williamand friends was just one of manyhighlights for organisers of this year’sBig Weekend.

20,000 lucky ticket holders per daybasked in the glorious sunshine ofthe Faenol Estate to hear some of theworld’s biggest acts on their doorstep– and for free.

Florence and the Machine, AliciaKeys, Cheryl Cole, JLS and Rihannawere just some of the acts appearingon the main stage – housed in a10,000 per day capacity tent – whilethe In New Music We Trust stage sawperformances from the likes ofFaithless, MGMT and VampireWeekend.

The BBC Introducing stage alsoshowcased some of the newest talenttipped for the top, while an outdoor

The sun shone for two daysin North Wales as 40,000excited fans partied at RadioOne’s Big Weekend inBangor. Christina Eccles metthe key people who made ithappen ...

Festival offers the best in music – freestage hosted by Radio One and sisterstation One Xtra provided the enter-tainment for those who preferred tosoak up the sun outside.

At any festival which happens yearon year, organisers have the advan-tage of becoming familiar with thesite and local area, making planningthat little bit easier as time goes on.

But as Big Weekend moves to a dif-ferent part of the country each year,the team has the task of getting togrips with a new site, surroundingarea and local council every time.

The Main Event caught up with BBCRadio One’s head of live events JasonCarter on site who revealed how thisyear’s 10th event came together.

He said: “It’s been fantastic. This isthe best site we have ever used. It’sthe first time we have used a privateestate but it’s wonderful. We alwayswant to find spaces that have charac-ter rather than a basic field.”

But working in such a rural locationhas not been without its challenges –issues which organisers had workedhard to overcome during the plan-ning stages.

Jason added: “We deliberately gointo places where there are lots ofyoung people who are under servedby this kind of event.

“But it has had its challenges – sim-ple things like hotels and accommo-dation for the crew and BBC staff –people are spread all across NorthWales. The last two events were astone’s throw away from London butI have been going back and forth overthe last week.”

Jason and his team have also had towork closely with Gwynedd Councilto stage the event in Bangor.

“The challenge for me, because it isa touring event, is to educate thecouncil on the scale and profile of theevent. We worked really hard toimpress upon them the need forthings like trains running after 9pm.We were also told a lot of peoplewould probably drive to the show sothere were also issues around park-ing.

“This event has presented morechallenges in that respect than anyother event we have done. But that isprobably why the area doesn’t havebig events like this, so that’s morereason for us to come here.

“Big Weekend is a rocket booster interms of showing that we can dolarge scale events here. The councilare very keen for more events tocome here and for more music pro-moters to come.

“The other challenge has been withthe broadcasting. Welsh is the firstlanguage in North Wales so we had to

make sure we represented that onsite. We had signage in both lan-guages and moments where RadioOne presenters such as HuwStephens talked to the audience inWelsh. We also had some of theartists recording welcomes in Welsh.We had to talk to our colleagues atBBC Wales as it was important to getthe right balance.”

Jason also revealed how the eventhas progressed – and why artists andfans are so keen to be involved.

“We put the show on around thesame time every year so record com-panies are familiar with it. They knowthe markets they want to hit andwork their schedules around it andBig Weekend is in the diary.

“It is fantastic exposure for theartists and they enjoy it because it isa very different vibe.

“The artists are performing for free,which creates a very unique vibe atthe festival. Also the people here arefeeling really proud that their areahas been talked about so much for amonth beforehand and that they areone of the lucky ones who got tickets.

“Councils are now approaching usto host the event. We had three orfour councils coming down asking ifthey could come and see the event.We used to have to go and convincepeople but now they can see the hugeeconomic benefit the event can bringand how it is a great spotlight on anarea.”

Pixie Lott

Cheryl Cole

Jason Carter

14 7/7/10 10:28 Page 1

15


AS there is such a high demand fortickets to the show, it is also impor-tant for Radio One to ensure thatthose who aren’t successful in theballot can still feel part of the event.

Jason added: “We had just under500,000 people apply for tickets,which shows the demand is there.The only other show we have donethat had more people apply was the2008 Big Weekend when we hadMadonna on the bill.

“People are delighted when weannounce we are coming here then

suddenly there is a realisation thatout of 480,000 who apply, 440,000people will be disappointed.

“On air, we always work hard toconvey that it is almost like a goldenticket but there are lots of otherthings we do.

“The best seat in the house is athome where people can watch all theaction through live streaming and byusing the red button so we push thatquite heavily. We also do other small-er events, such as fringe gigs allaround North Wales.”

Almost half a million apply for tickets

LIVE Nation’s health and safetymanager Paul Cook revealed whythe event’s rural location can beseen as a blessing and a curse.

He explained: “You generally getpeople who are far more interestedand welcoming because of theuniqueness of putting on an eventin their community – there is morewillingness to help. But it is noteasy to come to rural locations.

There is the cost implication ofbringing infrastructure to a sitesuch as Vaynol, but we have hadnothing but cooperation.

“High fuel prices are also an issuewhen you have to transport vehi-cles over long distances and roadinfrastructure is also important.

“The other area of concern isnoise. The residents on the estateare very important to us.”

Ups and downs of a rural location

Praise for new promoterTHIS year also saw a new promotercoming in to work on the event andJason added that the partnershipbetween the BBC and Live Nation hasworked extremely well.

He added: “Live Nation have done asuperb job. Big Weekend is our flag-ship event of the year and it is hugefor Radio One and the BBC.

“We have got to deliver it in a

methodical way and all measureshave to be spot on – in that respect, Iwon’t spare any costs.

“We felt Live Nation were the rightpeople and we are really pleased.They have got a great team and areused to dealing with broadcasters.

“The event gets serious coverageand with that comes a whole otherlayer of responsibility.”

15 7/7/10 10:28 Page 1

216


HEAD of security at the event wasShowsec’s Alan Wallace, assisted by col-league Simon Battersby and over 350staff.

The site had 11 miles’ worth ofperimeter so it was important to pro-tect it from intruders while also makingsure those who required access couldenter and exit quickly and safely.

Alan and the team worked closelywith local security providers and resi-dents to build up a thorough picture ofthe site and surrounding area andadopted a multi agency approach toensure everything went to plan.

He said: “It’s been a fantastic event inan excellent location. The event hastaken months of planning to cometogether as we started the project man-agement in December 2009.

“It is a high end show and there are

lots of brand names to protect. That hasdefinitely been forthcoming from LiveNation and the BBC, who received wellour ideas on how to protect the site.

“We have improved the fencing

around the site and had a robust policyon the door, managing 40,000 peoplesafely through the two days.”

Simon added: “This event is differentto standard festivals. Radio One targetsareas where it wants to up its profileand deliver an event to people whodon’t normally get one.

“There is a high profile bill anddemand is huge.

“The event also brings an audiencethat may not normally go to festivals sowe have issues around having to inter-pret unusual behaviour patterns. Welsh is also the first language here sowe have had to embrace and respectthat.

“We have worked with local Welshspeaking security as it is also importantto support the local economy andrecruit local staff.”

ContractorsADLIB AudioAll AllianceAndy GreyB20 Event ServicesBPM ProductionBritannia Row ProductionsBuffalo Power ServicesCBA SpindlewoodCJC ProductionsClockwork ProductionCorvus Security ConsultantEMOEntertee Hire ServicesEve TrakwayFestival FlagsFirefly SolarLogistikMobile DiskoMojo BarriersParks of Hamilton (CoachHirers) PTG Productions PTLSharp-Fire Siyan socStage MiraclesStage Wolves Star Events GroupSTS Touring ProductionsTempsite Installations Vanguardia ConsultingWilliam G.SearchXL Video

Event took months of planning

Alan and Simon

‘Integration between the two teams has been fantastic’LIVE Nation’s John Probyn and his teamkicked off another busy festival seasonworking on Radio One Big Weekend.

He added: “I’ve really enjoyed it. Wehave worked with the BBC for years butnever this closely with BBC radio. Butthe feedback we have had is that theyare happy. It’s their event, not ours so itis very different to working on our own

shows. Almost everything we do is ourown so we only answer to ourselves.

“For us it is predominantly about sell-ing tickets so we have had to take allthe lessons we have learned and inte-grate them with the strict guidelinesthat the BBC have to deal with.

“Because we are a big blue chip com-pany, we have certain politics we have

to deal with. So when we started work-ing with the BBC, we could understandwhere they were coming from.

“The integration between the twoteams has been fantastic. Showsec havealso been brought back in and theyhave dealt with the unique problemsthat an event like this can bring verywell.”

16 7/7/10 11:27 Page 1

17

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOWThis year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show sold out earlier thanever and contained even more features to entertain thecrowds. Christina Eccles spoke to organiser Alex Denman.

ALEX told The Main Event that every-one involved with the show was reallypleased with how this year’s eventwent and are already looking aheadto next year.

She explained: “We were delighted.It was a really good show. We had theearliest sell out we have ever had –selling out 12 days early. We sold157,000 tickets so there was a hugeamount of interest.

“The key is being able to deliverquality year in, year out and visitorsalways see something different.People are fed up with the recessionand like to see something that cheersthem.”

This year, the show had a new spon-sor – M&G Investments – with thecompany also introducing its owncatering facility into the show groundto entertain guests.

And Alex said one of the most chal-lenging things about putting theshow together is fitting everything into the space they have available.

She added: “It’s quite difficult tomake large scale changes so we have

to be quite creative and work hard tomake what we do work for the showground.

“We had to make room for the facil-ity, which meant it taking away spacefrom content elsewhere. The back ofhouse kitchens were also in a verytight space so we had to ensure thetype of food they wanted could beprepared there.

“But they were delighted with theshow and are sponsoring it for thenext two years.”

Alex also revealed the value whichsponsors such as M&G bring to theevent and what the show looks for ina sponsor.

“In sponsors, we look for peoplewho share the same values as us suchas quality and longevity. When twobodies are working very closelytogether, there has to be a lot of syn-ergy in their values.

“Having sponsorship allows us todo different things within the showground. It’s not just for the ChelseaFlower Show, it filters through to ourother projects.”

Deliveringquality yearin, year out

Up-turn in weather saves the dayACCORDING to Alex, everythingwent well with this year’s show,although at one point organiserswere concerned by the ever unpre-dictable British weather.

She added: “It was a very smoothshow. We were concerned at one

point because we had a very latespring. We had cold weather whichwas terrible for the plants.

“We did wonder what state theywould be in but fortunately theweather turned about two weeksbefore the show.”

An impressive range of temporary structures formed the backdrop to this year’s show –provided by suppliers such as De Boer and GL events Owen Brown. De Boer’s contributionincluded the show’s centre piece, the Great Pavilion – a 12,000-square-metre floor struc-ture, equivalent to the size of two football pitches. Meanwhile Owen Brown was on handto supply its Absolute double deck structure for the Ranleagh restaurant and food courtas well as 16 hospitality units, which were available for private hire.

17 7/7/10 10:29 Page 1

218

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

Pictures: Jon Enoch, RHS photographer

In pictures ...

18 7/7/10 10:30 Page 1

19 Ticket Factory 7/7/10 10:31 Page 1

220

DOWNLOAD

SHOWSEC successfully implementeda comprehensive security and crowdmanagement operation at the largestever Download.

Operations director SimonBattersby was appointed as the festi-val’s head of security, prior to sevenmonths of strategic planning that ledinto co-ordinating 1,300 security pro-fessionals and stewards at the event.

He explained: “Live Nation werekeen to have a more co-ordinated

overriding security operation whichmanaged the increased size and scaleof Download this year more effective-ly. My new role within the festivalmanagement team meant that Iengaged all stakeholders fromLeicestershire police, licensingauthorities and the festival crime pre-vention team, to other contractorssecuring the campsite and car parkareas. As a result, we consolidated thesecurity operations across the site,

sharing information, resources, andensuring clear communicationbetween all parties, which led toimproved security for everyone onsite.”

Showsec’s southern regional man-ager Steve Reynolds oversaw thecomplex event security operation,which spanned the five stages, mar-kets, entrances and perimeter.

He added: “The crowd managementat Download has always been a very

carefully coordinated operation,maintaining the barriers and largenumbers fans over five differentstages.

“In addition, with AC/DC bringingtheir own stage this year, our teamsin the main arena had to adapt theiroperation in line with the barrier and crowd layout changes that werethe result of a change of stagebetween Friday night and Saturdaymorning.”

Co-ordinated crowd management operation for Download

ContractorsXL VideoWernickStagecoShowsecStar

PTLEveBRMA Plant Search

Field and LawnMarqueesPRDG4SBuffalo

ABOUT 95,000 peopledescended on Doningtonfor this year’s 30thanniversary event to watchAC/DC and other headlin-ers including Aerosmithand Rage Against theMachine.

And Neil added that thelasting success of theevent is down to a mixtureof factors.

He added: “We were verypleased. Download is

always a tough event towork on because of theamount of productioninvolved but it all wentvery well. It’s a combina-tion of the site, the bandsand the way the promoterpresents it. A lot of effortgoes into the site and agreat amount of work.

“But a strong line-up iskey. If you haven’t got thebands that people want tosee, they won’t come.”

‘Strong line-up is key’

20 7/7/10 10:35 Page 1

21

DOWNLOAD

By Christina Eccles

TWO main stages were used for thefirst time ever at this year’s DownloadFestival after Friday night headlinersAC/DC brought their own.

Stageco provided the two mainstages for the event and on site atDonington were a team of sevenStageco steel-builders, 32 local crew,eight fork lift drivers and eight sitecrew to make sure that everythingwent according to plan.

Although having to accommodatetwo main stages could have provideda headache for organisers LiveNation, according to productionmanager Neil Mcdonald everythingwent smoothly.

He explained: “Having two mainstages actually solved a lot of issues.It meant that AC/DC could accom-modate all of their own production as

it would have been a challenge toincorporate it on to the other stage.

“AC/DC are one of those acts thathave been doing their own shows fora while and have a very clear idea ofhow they want to present them.

“Using Stageco for both stagesmeant that we could have anotherstage of a similar size and scale. Theywere bookended with video screensso it looked more like one structure.

“One of the biggest challenges wasto design a barrier system that couldwork for both. This then had to bechanged over, which was an enor-mous task.”

This task fell to Mojo Barriers whichused 1,540m of its barriers at theevent – making it the company’slargest single festival to date.

1,000m of barrier was used in themain stage arena (all other stageswere closed for the AC/DC show)

with 540m positioned on the otherfour festival stages.

Mojo Barriers’ Jim Gaffney added:“The use of two stages, with one onlybeing used for AC/DC, presented uswith a unique crowd managementsituation. Audience safety is of primeconsideration to Live Nation so therewere months of planning meetingswith key people including festivaldirector John Probyn, head of safetyPaul Cook and Showsec’s head ofsecurity, Simon Battersby.

“There were 12 full barrier designsprepared, which were debated andsubjected to multiple scenarios untilwe arrived at the final, precisely con-sidered configuration.

“The successful overnight change-over following AC / DC’s show onFriday to a brand new barrier config-uration was a testament to the pro-fessionalism of the crew, who started

work at 11.30pm and worked throughto 9am the next morning.”� Leicestershire Police worked withDownload’s organisers and trafficmanagement experts to make surethe journey to and from the festivalwas hassle free.

A traffic management system –devised by SEP – was implemented atthe event to make it easier for festivalgoers to get in and out of Donington Park and to minimise delays for other road users.

Organisers also encouraged asmany people as possible to travel onpublic transport.

Shuttle buses were provided to getpeople from Derby andLoughborough train stations and fes-tivalgoers were also encouraged totravel together using car sharingwebsite liftshare.com

Left: Neil Mcdonaldand, right, crowds enjoy Download.After completing workon Download, Neil andthe team were straighton to their next job inLondon’s Hyde Park.Find out how they goton next issue whenThe Main Event visitsthis year’s WirelessFestival.

Headliners bring their own stage

21 7/7/10 11:17 Page 1

222

CRICK BOAT SHOW

Richmond Event Management,59 Prince Street, Bristol, BS1 4QH.t: 0117 927 6614 f: 0117 922 1497www.rem-events.com

rem plan and run every type of event...

Carefully.Thoroughly.Meticulously.

Maybe the secret is little more than theyears of experience or maybe it’s anobsession with getting things right.

By Christina Eccles

CROWDS of 28,000 flocked to theUK’s premier waterways event,organised by Richmond EventManagement.

The company is four years into afive-year contract to work on theCrick Boat Show and has seen it growinto a weekend, not just for boatingenthusiasts, but which the wholefamily can enjoy.

According to organiser MikeRichmond, making subtle changes tothe event is the key to its success –improving the visitor experiencewithout making the well-loved showunrecognisable.

He explained: “We re-designed thesite layout this year, deciding to focusmore on the land based village andmake it easier to get around. We gavethe land based boats more space sopeople could queue more easily.

“With an event that has been goingfor 10 years, you don’t want to bechanging too much overnight.

“But now it is easier to get aroundand to park and there are two mainentrances. These changes make theexperience better for visitors and alsofor the traders as well.”

Mike added that the show has man-aged to sustain itself in a tough cli-mate by making sure both visitors

and exhibitors are happy with whatthey get from attending.

A day ticket price of £9 per adultmeans that families can afford tocome through the doors and tradersgain access to people who are gen-uinely interested in their products.

He added: “This industry has had ahard time of it and anybody attend-ing an event as an exhibitor wouldmaybe think twice. But they knowwhen they come to Crick that every-body they need is going to be there.The audience is very focused and theevent is strictly focused on water-ways.”

“When we took it on, we put more

of an events spin on it. We upliftedhow it looked and expanded the day.

Over the years, the audience demo-graphic has changed. The age rangeis now wider and the event hasnational significance. People arecoming from all over the country.

“There was a lull in this industrybut we have managed to keep ourtrader base. We have sustained theevent by our purchasing power anddoing better deals with contractors.

“We are not making lots of moneybut we are sustaining a level thatmakes it worthwhile. It’s an enjoyableevent and important one in the cal-endar for people in this field.”

Subtle changes keep show afloat ...

22 7/7/10 10:36 Page 1

23

BRADFORD MELA

A JOINED up approach between sev-eral different council departmentsensured this year’s Bradford Melawent off without a hitch.

The event was run throughBradford Council’s department ofculture, tourism and sport with otherdepartments such as markets andleisure also lending their expertise.

About 100,000 people attended thetwo day event and events managerVanessa Mitchell said partnershipwork between departments andextensive consultation with localpeople meant that a range of skillsfrom across the board could be usedto enhance the event.

She said: “The event was very mucha pulling together of different depart-ments, which was an interesting wayof working. We were able to shareresources which worked very well.”

Co-ordinating all the differentaspects, such as street theatre andlive music, which make up the eventwas the biggest challenge the teamfaced.

But although the Mela is free andno tickets are given out, organisersmade sure that crowd control did notbecome an issue.

Programming was looked at careful-ly to make sure enough activitieswere on at any one time to keep thecrowds spread out.

The event originally formed part ofthe Bradford Festival but developedin its own right into a stand aloneevent – meaning the council broughtthe planning back in house.

And Vanessa added they have takencare to make sure different stages areproviding something for everyoneand creating a family friendly atmos-

phere – without it losing any of itsoriginal vibrancy.

She added: “We have had to look atcrowd control. There were issues weinherited where some types of musicwere attracting lots of people but wehave toned it down a bit and made itfamily focused with careful program-ming.”

Vanessa added that improvementsto the Mela are always being lookedat – with local people playing a vitalpart in the event’s success.

Health and safety at the event was dealtwith by TESS, headed up by MikeRichmond.He added: “It is such a vibrant event, butfrom a safety perspective it is different toother events we do so it has to be sensi-tively managed.“The Mela also requires a degree of sensi-tivity with regard to traders. Some of thethings which they bring on site are moresuited to households rather than outdoorevents so we have the issue of electricalsafety.“One of our challenges is to work in anadvisory capacity to explain what is appro-priate for an event site.“We are working with people who are notused to working on an event site but theywere very willing to listen.”

Co-ordination proves biggestchallenge to council team

THE task of crowd management atBradford Mela was dealt with by APSecurity – which Mike Richmond hasemployed as his preferred supplier inthat area for the 2010 season.

General manager Andy Stevenssaid: “It’s important that an eventmanagement company such as MikeRichmond and his team can put totaltrust in all their suppliers, from the stage, lighting, sound and PRthrough to the crowd managementcompany he employs, ensuring thathe has the best possible infrastruc-ture in place.

“If Mike has an issue or a problem,he might need some sort of physicalequipment to solve it. But in the

meantime, he is reliant on the rele-vant part of his on-site team toensure that the equipment problemremains just that and doesn’t involveany members of the public. And, ifthat happens, he has complete confi-dence in any short term solution weprovide.”

Andy sited a crack in a metal bridgeat Bradford Mela as one such issue.

He added: “The extent of the riskwas unclear, so we needed to have aclear strategy to control the flow ofthe crowd away from the bridge untilthe problem was solved.

“We know how Mike thinks and viceversa. And that is the key to a suc-cessful relationship.”

Andy Stevens

‘We know how Mikethinks and vice versa ...’

23 7/7/10 10:40 Page 1

224

GLASTONBUDGET

A SITE tour with organiser ChrisDunn gave The Main Event a feel ofwhat Glastonbudget is really about.

After bumping into several of thestudent volunteers who were hard atwork on the festival, Chris – who alsoworks as a teacher at Soar ValleyMusic Centre – explained why it wasso vital to get them involved.

The centre is open to young peoplewith the ambition to get into themusic industry and as part of theircourses, they are offered the chanceto work at the festival – somethingwhich Chris feels is a huge part of theevent.

He said: “’We want to show thatyoung people can find work in musicand reward new talent.

“We have over 130 bands on overthe weekend and over 1,000 audition– it is all about giving people achance.

“The whole event has genuine vol-unteers and it is an important part ofhelping them get into the industry.”

Glastonbudget started life in a localpub as an idea formed between twofriends – Chris and Nick Tanner – and

is now in its sixth year.This year, more than 6,000 fans

descended on Turnpost Farm nearLeicester to see some of the world’sbiggest tribute acts. But this was notalways the case.

A 10,000 capacity first event attract-ed less than 700 festivalgoers, leavingorganisers hugely out of pocket andwith a number of suppliers whoneeded payment...

Chris added: “We charged £27.50for tickets but in terms of what it costus, it worked out at £86 for each per-son who attended.

“There was a lot of goodwill andnegotiation. We explained [to suppli-ers] that we were trying to do a goodthing and we would pay and therewas a lot of understanding.

“We got to break even last year andthis year was a sell out. We are notones to give up on something. Webelieve in what this is and a lot ofpeople are now picking up on whatwe are trying to do here.

“We are now the mecca of tributeand have had requests to performfrom bands in Japan, Spain and

America. The budget is not there topay people to travel yet but it willbe.”

These days, tickets go on sale in Julyfor the following year and prices startat just 99p. A lucky few are able tosnap them up before the price, asChris says, “builds almost like a

budget airline.”Adult weekend tickets for this year’s

event were £54.50, which alsoincluded camping and parking, and festivalgoers were treated to performances from acts includingThe Fillers, Green Date and FourFighters.

From a first festival which lost thousands, to a sell-out event this year, the organisers of Glastonbudget haveexperienced both highs and lows. Christina Eccles caught up with them on site at this year’s festival ...

The mecca of tribute ...

24 7/7/10 10:42 Page 1

25

SPECIALIZED Security used about150 of its staff at the event to ensurea safe and enjoyable experience forfestivalgoers.

The Main Event caught up withSpecialized’s Tom Clements on sitewho revealed how working on thefestival is different to most of theother projects he is involved with.

He explained: “Because the eventis in a city centre, we have got towork around the contours of theland and deal with things such asroad closures. The event presentsdifferent problems to the ones youget on a green field site. It’s a chilledout event. The atmosphere is niceand local people are delightedbecause it is putting the North Easton the map. The council is verysupportive because they wantsomething like this to come here.”

THE organiser of the EvolutionFestival has revealed how adding athird site has given the event moreof a ‘festival feel’.

The event has traditionally takenplace over two sites onNewcastleGateshead’s famous quay-side, which this year included per-formances from acts including PaoloNutini, Tinchy Stryder and CalvinHarris.

But now organisers have intro-duced a third site – giving festivalgo-ers even more for their money andallowing them to showcase new gen-res such as blues and folk.

The festival prides itself on offeringgreat value for money with weekendtickets costing just £25.

And according to festival organiserJim Mawdsley, having another areato visit enhanced the event experi-ence event further. He explained:“Our event is all on concrete andthis site is grass so it created more ofa festival atmosphere.

“Adding the Ballast Hill stage hasmade it feel like a proper festival sowe want to introduce even more toadd to that. Perhaps more decor onthe main site, more interesting foodstalls and attractions.”

But the location of the new sitewas not without its challenges.

Jim added: “In order to make surewe got the third site, there is a pubup the road leading to it, which wehad to close. So that pub becamepart of the site.

But the owners werereally positive and wehad a lot of peoplecongregating aroundthere. Some people sayit is quite far betweenthe two main sites butthere is nowhere elsefor us to put it.

“It is challenging.Especially because theBaltic stage is in a dif-ferent local authorityso needs a differentlicence. We are dealingwith two differentcouncils but everyonehas got used to the waywe work.”

Jim also revealed thebiggest issues whichoccur when pulling theevent together: “Ourbiggest challenge isbeing in the city centreand convincing theaudiences that they are going to afestival so may not be able to getinto a particular arena because it isfull. That mentality is one of ourbiggest challenges so we are tryingto encourage people that if you buyin to it, you buy in to the two days.

“I’m really pleased with how theevent went. We had a big uplift intickets this year. The event startedoff free but we have steadilyincreased the ticket price.

“But with this we have also invest-

ed in production and artists. Thisyear, we have gone from 23,000 aday to 29,500. And on the first daywe sold out so we are going the rightway.

“We are always looking at makingimprovements. We know where ourcapacity is now but we still think wecan improve things. Near the mainstage, we were very busy in certainparts so we may move front of houseback and maybe put in anotherscreen.”

EVOLUTION

Third site proves a winner

ContractorsSGB CBA Spindlewood Specialized Security Beaver 84 Nixon Hire PE Loos4Hire Britannia RowEvent CoverInnovationEat to the BeatAlan FairbairnA&J Big TopsSiyanEve

Chilled out

ContractorsProduction – OneBigStarVideo screen – OneBigStar / A.C.Video / InnovaLEDVideo Content – Green Hippo /Digital InsanityStage – Serious StagesPower – Power LogisticsBig top – AJ BigtopsFirst aid – Red CrossToilets and Showers – D ToxRadios – CSUKSkips – Bakers WastePorta cabins – Elliot HireMarquees – Chelsea HireFencing – Eve TrakwaySite crew – A TechInsurance – Doodsons

PRODUCTION company OneBigStarplayed a vital role in the event aftersecuring a three-year contract to sup-ply light, sound and staging.

The company worked closely withthe festival’s two main sponsors,Shuttlesound and Roland SystemsGroup, to further enhance the festivalexperience.

The Roland Systems Groupequipped the VIP backstage marqueeas a ‘silent stage’ – providing spaceand equipment for bands to rehearsebefore their performance – as well asbeing available for those who wantedto try their hand at being a musician.

Shuttlesound catered for the festi-val’s PA needs with Electro-Voiceloudspeakers and amps and promot-ed the event to its VIP customers byoffering them a weekend at the festi-val.

OneBigStar’s Simon Taylor said:“The relationship that has developedbetween us, the organisers and theseleading industry manufacturers isunique and exciting.

“The event gets to sound and lookgreat, we get great support for our kitand the suppliers get to road test andshow their products in a real environ-ment.”

Simon Taylor

Company plays vital rolePictured, from left: festival director Chris Dunn, health and safety manager Nigel Haleyand promoter Nick Tanner.

BIG plans are already in place for futureyears and according to the team behindthe event, it has great potential.

But they stressed the importance of notgrowing too fast and losing the ethoswhich the festival is famous for.

Nigel Haley from Haley’s Risk andSafety Management is one supplier whohas worked on the event from the start.

He added: “This festival is growing yearon year and it has a nice vibe to it.

“We can grow but need to make sure itis done in key moves so the event stillhas this lovely vibe. There is a lot ofpotential to develop.”

Big plans, greatpotential ...

25 7/7/10 10:45 Page 1

226

ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL

By Christina Eccles

THIS year’s Isle of Wight Festivalpleased football fans after organisersincluded a big screen so Englandsupporters could cheer on their team.

10,000 festivalgoers watched theWorld Cup game against the USA onthe screen, which was put up afterorganiser John Giddings decided todo something to encourage fans tostay on site rather than leave to findsomewhere to watch the football.

He said: “I’m glad I put up thescreen. I didn’t want people going offsite to look for a TV so expanded thesite to accommodate it.”

The idea worked so well that John isnow planning to include the area atfuture festivals and is consideringcreating a new feature such as anoutdoor cinema.

John also said this year’s festival wasthe best yet and its strong and diverseline up helped it to stand out fromthe crowd.

He added: “It went incredibly andevery performance was brilliant. Thisyear we had artists from completelydifferent genres – from Jay Z andKanye West to The Strokes and PaulMcCartney.”

But he insists that the festival doesnot completely rely on its acts toplease the crowds and instead makessure there are plenty of other activi-ties also taking place throughout theweekend.

“There has got to be more to theevent than just groups on a stage.People like to have fun and do differ-ent things. Things such as our fair-ground rides are really popular.”

He added that since the start, thefestival has improved as everyoneworking on it gets to know the eventand feel comfortable with the rolesthey play.

“The festival has come of age. Thisis our ninth year and it takes a lot oftime to get it all right.

“We are not making it bigger, we aremaking it better. It takes 30 minutesto walk from one end of the site tothe other, which is enough.

“We had a lot less issues this year.Crime was down substantially in thecampsite. Everyone knows what theirjob is and how to do it. We had moreCCTV and were harsher on anybodymessing around. You can’t let a fewpeople ruin it for a lot of other peo-ple.”

Big screen offersvisitors best of both worlds

26 7/7/10 11:15 Page 1

27

WEST END LIVE

By Christina Eccles

SOME of the biggest names in theWest End took to the stage inLeicester Square showcasing thehottest shows in London to an eagercrowd – some of which had beenqueuing since the early morning toget a prime position.

This year marked the sixth West EndLive and according to organiserWestminster City Council it has gotbigger and better over the years –with research identifying a surge inticket sales in the weeks following thefestival.

Deputy leader of Westminster CityCouncil Coun Robert Davisexplained: "West End shows are wellloved and what makes London sounique. People see excerpts for freeand then come back and see thewhole show.”

He also said the most importantaspects of the show are that it issomething for the whole family toenjoy, an event for Londoners notjust for tourists and that it remainsfree.

But achieving these objectives is notalways easy.

He added: "Our biggest challenge israising the money – it costs £250,000to put the event on, which is fundedthrough sponsorship.

"Fortunately local businesses recog-nise the importance of the event andthat it is important it stays free.Sponsors are a vital part.”

Although working in the heart of acity is never easy, WestminsterCouncil is at an advantage on thisevent because the land where the fes-tival is held is actually council owned.

Vast experience organising otherevents such as film premieres in thearea also comes in handy when itcomes to getting everything in placeand, just as importantly, removing itall at the end.

Production manager AndyCheeseman added: “We have workedon a lot of film premieres so we knowabout working in Leicester Square.There is the logistical challenge todeal with plus the health and safetychallenge of managing the volume ofpeople.

“We also have the issue of keepingthe park open for as long as possiblewhile putting in the infrastructure.It’s a four day build and we will beout on Monday night.”

WEST Endshows whichtook part included: � Dirty Dancing � Wicked � We Will RockYou � Billy Elliot � Love NeverDies � Chicago � HAIR � Jersey Boys � Sweet Charity � Grease � Mamma Mia! � Sister Act � Thriller Live � Avenue Q � Stomp � LegallyBlonde � Disney’s TheLion King

EVENT director Richie Gibsonexplained how the packed weekenditinerary was pulled together.

He added: “My job involves puttingthe schedule together, working close-ly with SOLT to get the shows onboard.

“With a lot of the shows, we have to work between the slot of11am to 3pm as they have matineeperformances to get to, so that involves a lot of juggling around.

“To decide running order, we haveto take into account what time each show’s matinee performance isand which theatre they have to getto.

“We have tried to make it muchmore of a weekend event.

“This year, we had 12 West Endshows running on the Sunday andthe most shows we have ever had.

“The shows can see that the eventhas real tangible benefits and a posi-tive effect on ticket sales.”

Andrew CheesemanProductionsLMD screen hireBees MarqueesSystem Sound

Utopium Lighting

Capital Barriers

SFM Security

Prima Flooring

Event haspositive effect onticket sales

The world’s largest free theatre festival took over London’s Leicester Square for a weekendof family fun which attracted crowds of 250,000. Christina Eccles went along ...

Stage stars sparkleat free festival

The shows

Contractors

27 7/7/10 10:47 Page 1

28 Walk the plank 2/7/10 12:51 Page 1

NOEA 29

NOEA is supporting this event and members who wish to attend will be entitled to a 15 per cent dis-count.

The conference is a unique platformfor sharing best practice and effectivestrategies to manage critical issues ofrisk, safety and security which applyto every public or participant event,large or small.

For further information please con-tact Chris Trainor.

T: +971 4 3365161

F: +971 4 3364021

[email protected]

www.eventrisksafetyandsecurity.com

IF you are not already a member ofNOEA now is the time to join.

The membership year runs fromSeptember 1 but if you join now youwill get two months free membership.

There are many benefits – such asnewsletters, training, conferences andconventions.

Professional advice is available and new benefits will include dis-counts on hotel rooms with a nation-al chain of hotels and discountedadvertising in the Main EventMagazine.

Further information is available on the web site www.noea.org.uk or please call Susan on 01749 674 531.

Event Show opportunityfor all NOEA membersNOEA stand at Event UK – September 21and 22, NEC BirminghamFOLLOWING the success of lastyear’s show, this is the largest exhibi-tion for the events market outsideLondon.

Event UK offers a diverse visitorbase – around 4,000 industry profes-sionals created new business con-tacts right across the country lastyear.

A broad range of buyers, includingcorporate end users to associationsand local government departmentsto event management companies alllooking for something a bit different,which means that exhibitors have theopportunity to promote themselveseffectively across the events spec-trum.� 67 per cent of visitors have budgetapproval or recommendation.� 33 per cent of visitors have annualbudgets of between £100,000 to over£1m.

NOEA will be exhibiting at the showand members are invited to attend aspart of the NOEA area. There will be apod system and for £1,400 ex vat youcan have a presence on the stand.This fee will cover the stand fee andall graphics, you provide your litera-ture.

In addition there are the followingPR benefits:� Free publicity form – submit assoon as possible (FREE) � Web profile – upload up to 50words text, logo and press releases on

to your enhance web profile, so whenprospective visitors are going throughthe exhibitor list they can read or findout as much about you as possible(FREE) � Event Guide entry – submit your 50words for the Event Guide which ishanded out to visitors at the entrance(FREE) � Tickets – you can order as manytickets as you want to send to yourown clients/ prospects (for examplewith personalised letters – don’t for-get to include your stand numberand dates) (FREE)

� Visitor list hire – you can blindmailer pre-registered visitors, andattendees post-show, by rentingEvent UK’s data (exclusive toexhibitors only) � Sponsorship opportunities –opportunities are available toenhance your presence at the show,both pre-show (drives visitors to yourstand) and on-site (brand recogni-tion).

If you would like to join NOEA’sstand please contact Susan Tanner on(01749) 674 531.

NOEA general secretary Susan Tanner

DiaryDatesSeptember 21-22 Event UK NECSeptember 30 – October 1 Northern IrelandconferenceOctober 20 – 21 Showman’s Show,NewburyMid November Scottish conference (venuetbc)November 26 Regional conference andAGM (venue tbc)

Contact details: Susan TannerPO Box 4495, Wells. BA5 9AS.(T) 01749 674 531(E) [email protected]

Membershipoffer

Auntie NOEA WELCOME to the summer at longlast.

My seaweed tells me it's going to befar more kind than the last.

Please don't dry up, if you have any-thing at all to say, shout about or ask,email me at [email protected] Auntie NoeaThe council have told me that unlessI have £3,000,000 worth of public lia-bility insurance cover, I can't hold the

traditional French street market inour town's market place.

Is this true?Jean-Paul

Bonjour Jean-PaulAnyone arranging an event of anykind would be insane if they didn'tarrange appropriate insurance.

How much cover is needed is usual-ly for the organiser to decide but thecouncil can dictate that if it is a con-dition attached to (for example) alicence granted under the LicensingAct or an agreement to allow theorganiser to obstruct a highway dur-

ing the event. Opening a dialogue with the council

to agree something reasonable andsensible is usually the best way for-ward.

And don't forget to shop around foryour insurance.

There are even specialist eventinsurers – talk to them and brokers.It's also well worth looking at theNational Market Traders Federationtoo – a good body to join and theyalso offer insurance.

Auntie Noea and Uncle Phil

Event Risk, Safety andSecurity conference September 20-23 2010Olympia ConferenceCentre, London

Conference offersdiscount to NOEA members

29 7/7/10 12:30 Page 1

2 30 365 - SUPPLIER DIRECTORY

Audio VisualArcstream AVUnit 22 Nonsuch Industrial EstateKiln LaneEpsomSurreyKT17 1DHT: 01372 742 682M: 07813 825 215F: 01372 737 279E: [email protected]

BarsEagle Event Bars58-60 Vicarage HouseKensington Church StreetKensingtonLondonW8 4DBT: 0207 368 3344M: 07790 614401E: [email protected]

Backline & PA HireSensible Music Group90-96 Brewery RoadLondonN7 9NT T: 020 7700 9900 F: 020 7700 4802E: [email protected]

CommunicationsWall to Wall CommunicationsUnilink House21 Lewis RoadSutton, SurreySM1 4BRT:020 8770 1007F:020 8770 9700E:[email protected]

CrowdManagementA.P. Security (North) Ltd.33 Metro CentreDwight RoadWatfordHertsWD189SBT: 0870 412 2232E: [email protected] www.apsecurity.co.uk

Event Security Solutions LimitedB1-B6 The Alison Business Centre40 Alison CrescentSheffieldS2 1AST: 0114 283 5948E: info@eventsecuritysolutions.co.ukwww.eventsecuritysolutions.co.uk

G4S EventsSutton Park House15 Carshalton RoadSuttonSurreySM1 4LDT: 0800 085 9899E: [email protected]/uk-events

Specialized Security4 Fairways Business Park Deer ParkLivingston EH54 8AF T: 01506 442255E: [email protected]

EmergencyHeating & CoolingCarrier Rental SystemsWigan Road Leyland PrestonPR25 5XWT: 0800 026 4717E: [email protected]

Event BrandingPiggotts Branding43 London RoadStanford RiversOngarEssexCM5 9PJT: 01277 363262E: [email protected]

Event PowerBRM ProductionsUnit 12Canalside Industrial ParkKinoulton RoadCropwell BishopNottsNG12 3BET: 0115 989 9955M: 07860 285305F: 0115 989 9977E: [email protected]

Health & SafetyEvent Safety12 Vale AvenueBuryBL9 9LWM: 07812 159 339T: 0161 763 7020E: [email protected]

InsuranceServicesARC InternationalSt. Clare House30-33 MinoriesLondonEC3N 1PET: +44 (0) 207 977 7630F: +44 (0) 207 977 7631E: [email protected]

Event Insurance Services LimitedEvent House20A Headlands Business ParkRingwoodBH24 3PBT: 01425 470360E: [email protected]

Robertson Taylor33 Harbour Exchange SquareLondon E14 9GGT: 020 7510 1234E: [email protected]

MarqueesDanco PlcThe Pavilion CentreFrog LaneCoalpit HeathBristolBS36 2NWTel: 01454 250 222Fax: 01454 250 444www.danco.co.uk

Piggotts Marquees43 London RoadStanford RiversOngarEssexCM5 9PJT: 01277 363262E: [email protected]

Marquee Stakesand AccessoriesAnsell Hand Tools72 Catley RoadDarnallSheffieldS9 5JFT: 0114 244 8098E: [email protected]

MedicalManagementSP Services (UK) LtdUnit D4, Hortonpark EstateHortonwood 7 Telford Shropshire TF1 7GXT: 01952 288 999F: 01952 606 112E: [email protected]

Venture Event Medical ManagementCopperfield House47 Leeds RoadGawthorpeOssett West Yorkshire WF5 9QWT: 07988 388461E: [email protected]

ParamedicoNo 1a Storage unitTannery closeCroydon Industrial EstateBeckenhamKent BR3 4BYT: 02086565956M: 07515287962E: [email protected]

PortableKitchensPKL Group (UK) Ltd,Stella WayBishops CleeveCheltenhamGloucestershireGL52 7DQT: 01242 663000E: [email protected]

PromotionalStaffACG : Artimis Creative GroupHickory HousePrimsland CloseMonkspathSolihullB90 4YHT: 0121 703 3168M: 07977 252308E: [email protected]

Revolving StagesMovetech UK A division of BritishTurntable Co LtdEmblem StreetBoltonBL3 5BWT: 01204 537682E: [email protected]/rental

Screen HireXL Video2 Eastman WayHemel HempsteadHertsHP27DUT: 01442 849400E: [email protected]

Sound & LightingStage ElectricsThird WayAvonmouthBristolBS11 9YL T: 0844 870 0077 F: 0117 916 [email protected]

StagingCentre Stage EventsUnit 108a Leyland Trading EstateIrthlingborough RoadWellingboroughT: 01234 783234E: [email protected]

Daytona Stage HireP.O. Box 43HuddersfieldHD8 9YUT: 01484 605555M: 07889 132580F: 01484 602806E: [email protected]

Steeldeck Rentals LtdUnit 58T.Marchant Estate42-72 Verney RoadLondonSE16 3DHT: 020 7833 2031E: [email protected]

The Outdoor Staging Company Ltd1 Langley DriveCastle Bromwich B35 7ADT: +44(0)7866 470 293E: [email protected]

The Revolving Stage Company LtdUnit F5, Little Heath Industrial EstateOld Church RoadCoventryCV6 7NDT: 024 7668 7055E:[email protected]

The Stage Bus19 Prestwood RoadWeoley CastleBirminghamB29 5EBT: 0121 603 8367M: 07738 900 762 E [email protected]

TicketingPerformance Ticket Printers LtdThe SmithyBrownlow HeathCongletonCW12 4TJT: 01260 276164E: [email protected]. ticketprinters.co.uk

Trade AssociationsNOEASusan TannerPO Box 4495WELLS.BA5 9AST: 01749 674 531E: [email protected]

VenuesFabric LondonLevel 2 Greenhill House Cowcross Street London EC1M 6BT: 020 7549 4844E: [email protected]

Water suppliesWater Direct LtdB-26 Earls Colne Business ParkEarls ColneColchesterEssexCO6 2NST: 0845 345 1725F: 01787 223354E: [email protected]

30 7/7/10 10:49 Page 1

PORTABLE ROADWAY

MEDICAL

RECYCLING

WASTE MANAGEMENT

EVENT BRANDING

TOILET HIRE

FAIRGROUNDS

Unit D, Central Estate,Albert Road, Aldershot,Hampshire GU11 1SZ

Tel: 01252 313005

The EventMedicine Company

Email: [email protected]

VEHICLE HIRE

BARS RADIO HIRE

POWER SUPPLY

BALLOONS

CLASSIFIED 31

CATERING

EVENT HIRE

LARGE SCREEN HIRE

STAGE HIRE

HEATING & COOLING

31 Classi 7/7/10 10:50 Page 1

32 Event Insurance 2/7/10 12:52 Page 1

main event (july 2010)

Documents

festivals ethosand

value of sponsorship

event becausechoice

annual event

festivalgoers willprovide

founder of kendal

experiencefor festivalgoers

workedwith brands