Open Air Business May 2016

EVENTS
Stage Specifics
Specifying a stage, writes Jane Russen of Star Events Ltd, requires careful
consideration but it is nothing a good supplier can’t handle
PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED BY STAR EVENTS LTD
ANYWHERE YOU WANT to bring
together a number of people
and focus their attention in
one place will require some
sort of structure on which
to provide entertainment or
announcements. Your stage
and sound choices are just as
critical whether you’re holding
live music in a field for crowds
of thousands or a more intimate
affair with audiences of a few
hundred. Of importance too
are the logistical and legal
requirements for erecting and
overseeing a stage when on site.
There are a number of stage
designs available to hire but not
all are suitable for all types of
shows. Mobile stages - portable
versions of a permanent
structure - are available in
various shapes and sizes, the
choice of which may be dictated
by the level of production that
acts require. The quick install
process of a mobile stage is
perfect for time conscious
venues and tight budgets as
overnight, on-site security
won’t be required for as long.
Providing you can get a truck
onto your site, a mobile stage
will always be the quickest,
easiest and most cost effective
solution.
Smaller events might get
away with a road show unit
- usually a converted bus or
truck - which incorporates
stage, sound and lights all
in one but these are rarely
suitable for a band of any size.
Also, with recent changes to
the legal requirements event
organiser’s face, a stage that is
simply driven to site then left for
the event organiser to oversee
can lead to trouble. Since April
2015, event organisers need to
make provision for compulsory
adherence to Construction
Design Management (CDM)
regulations, enforced by the
Health and Safety Executive
(HSE). This requires an
experienced person to remain
with the stage at all times.
A mobile stage may still be
suitable for sites with restricted
access. We have a range of
stages featuring independent
rear steering which can access
a site where a standard artic
trailer may not be able. We
also have a stage with a built-in
360° turntable, meaning it can
be positioned in very difficult
to access locations such as
across a road: this is unique to
Star Events. If you can’t get a
truck onto the site then you’ll
need to consider how else
you can deliver equipment.
This may have to be unloaded
outside the area and either
transferred to a smaller vehicle
or man-handled. Of course,
this affects price and build time
quite considerably so may be
cost prohibitive. A site visit with
all your main contractors is
essential to ensure there are no
nasty surprises on the day.
Prices vary for stages and are
dictated by their construction
and size. A mobile stage is
priced on the number of days
it is on site: the longer you
have it, the more it will cost.
However, a mobile stage’s
advantage is that it is likely to
be on site for less time, keeping
security costs to a minimum. A
10 x 8m mobile stage will cost
from £3,000 for one day’s hire
with a minimal cost for each
day thereafter.
“A MOBILE STAGE IS PRICED ON
THE NUMBER OF DAYS IT IS ON
SITE: THE LONGER YOU HAVE IT,
THE MORE IT WILL COST”
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