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Open Air Business June/July 2017

The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glampsites, festivals and outdoor events

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ISSUE 11 | <strong>June</strong>/<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> | www.openairbusiness.com<br />

BUSINESS<br />

Crowd<br />

Management<br />

FUNCTION VENUES<br />

› Sales 101<br />

› Talking ‘Bride’<br />

GLAMPSITES<br />

› <strong>Business</strong> Models<br />

› Site Facilities<br />

EVENTS<br />

› Event Advice<br />

› Money Management<br />

CASE STUDIES:<br />

SANDON HALL • HEARTLAND • DEEPDALE HYGGE


Visit<br />

...and see where it leads you<br />

21 st - 23 rd<br />

September <strong>2017</strong><br />

NAEC, Warwickshire<br />

Register now to visit<br />

www.theglampingshow.com


ISSUE 11 | <strong>June</strong>/<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> | www.openairbusiness.com<br />

WELCOME<br />

Welcome<br />

WE ARE IN full swing of summer and the weather has so far been<br />

kind to most of the country; I hope this has impacted well on your<br />

outdoor businesses.<br />

If you are still in the data gathering stage of setting up a<br />

glampsite on your land then regular contributor Kate Morel’s<br />

overview of the different business models available to you is very<br />

comprehensive. Equally, if you are planning to offer, or are already<br />

offering, weddings then Kelly Chandler and Isabel Smiths' words<br />

of wisdom will get you a head start in selling your venue to couples in the most effective<br />

ways.<br />

Our case studies are a great source of inspiration and I applaud Jason Borthwick and<br />

the team at Deepdale Farm for their entrepreneurial spirit and their successful addition of<br />

events to an already thriving campsite and backpacking hostel. Read about the inaugural<br />

Deepdale Hygge in the Events section.<br />

I thank everyone who has taken the time to complete our reader’s survey – the results<br />

are very enlightening and an important guide to the team here. We will be making the<br />

called for tweaks from the next issue. You still have until 1 August to complete the short<br />

survey online and make it into the draw for one of 10 bottles of champagne –<br />

visit www.openairbusiness.com/survey<br />

Tally Wade<br />

Editor / Publisher<br />

Not a subscriber? Sign up for FREE at www.openairbusiness.com/subscribe-free<br />

to make sure you continue to receive the magazine.<br />

PUBLISHERS<br />

Steve Rix - steve@openairbusiness.com<br />

Tally Wade - tally@openairbusiness.com<br />

EDITOR<br />

Tally Wade - tally@openairbusiness.com<br />

ADVERTISING SALES<br />

Marney Whyte - 01892 677740<br />

marney@openairbusiness.com<br />

DESIGN<br />

James English -<br />

www.jamesenglishdesign.co.uk<br />

PUBLISHED BY<br />

Coffee Shop Media - 01580 848555<br />

www.coffeeshopmedia.com<br />

The House on the Hill, Friezley Lane,<br />

Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2LL<br />

t: 01580 848555<br />

Contents ISSUE #11 | <strong>June</strong>/<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />

FOLLOW US ON<br />

TWITTER<br />

@openairbusiness<br />

FOLLOW US ON<br />

FACEBOOK<br />

www.facebook.com/<br />

openairbusiness<br />

UP FRONT<br />

4 News<br />

6 Product News<br />

FUNCTION VENUES<br />

10 Sandon Hall – a stately home where<br />

couples can be Lord and Lady of the<br />

Manor<br />

14 Sales 101 – the sales funnel explained<br />

for wedding venues<br />

16 Do you Talk Bride? – what to say and<br />

not say<br />

18 OAB Loves… Power! – products to<br />

power your marquee events<br />

GLAMPSITES<br />

22 Heartland – a unique glampsite in the<br />

mountains of Italy<br />

27 <strong>Business</strong> Models – how are you going<br />

to make money from yours?<br />

32 Woodland Wonders – why hanging<br />

out in the trees is good for our health<br />

35 OAB Loves… Site Facilities! – what<br />

we love about these glampsite<br />

products<br />

EVENTS<br />

42 The Deepdale Hygge – finding<br />

happiness on the North Norfolk coast<br />

46 Crowd Management Consultants – a<br />

guest comment warning of so called<br />

‘experts’<br />

49 Control of the Cash – financial<br />

planning is crucial, says Nick Eade<br />

52 Event Advice – suppliers share their<br />

tips<br />

40 Industry Legend – Carwyn Lloyd<br />

Jones, creator of the Dragon’s Eye<br />

55 Spotlight<br />

57 Classifieds<br />

58 Periwinkle<br />

Find more expert advice online:<br />

www.openairbusiness.com<br />

NOW<br />

LIVE<br />

ISSUE 11 | JUNE/JULY <strong>2017</strong> | www.openairbusiness.com<br />

Crowd<br />

Management<br />

CASE STUDIES:<br />

SANDON HALL • HEARTLAND • DEEPDALE HYGGE<br />

FUNCTION VENUES<br />

› Sales 101<br />

› Talking ‘Bride’<br />

GLAMPSITES<br />

› <strong>Business</strong> Models<br />

› Site Facilities<br />

EVENTS<br />

› Event Advice<br />

› Money Management<br />

COVER PHOTO<br />

Beware crowd management 'experts' -<br />

turn to pages 46-47.<br />

Photo courtesy of Getty Images<br />

BUSINESS<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 3


The latest news from the world of outdoor hospitality<br />

Straw Bale Glamping Pod<br />

THE OWNERS OF Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism award winner<br />

Butt Farm Caravan and Campsite, East Yorkshire, have joined forces<br />

with carpenter Sam Atkinson to offer a new concept in sustainable<br />

glamping. Atkinson specialises in making buildings from locally<br />

grown wheat straw and has built his first glamping pod which will be<br />

showcased at Driffield Show before being installed at Butt Farm for<br />

the rest of the summer.<br />

Owner Oly White said, "When Sam first approached us about<br />

making a glamping pod out of straw we thought it was a fantastic<br />

idea. We had previously considered offering glamping on our<br />

campsite but wanted something different, and this is exactly<br />

that. Having seen Sam's other buildings, including his own four<br />

bedroom house, we knew that it would work. Straw is one of the<br />

best insulations you can buy so this pod really does offer year-round<br />

luxury glamping which differs from many other glamping pods. And<br />

to think the straw comes from the farm; well you can’t get any more<br />

local than that!''<br />

The pod sleeps up to four and contains a fitted kitchen, bathroom<br />

with shower and toilet, double bed and pull out sofa bed. It also<br />

features handmade oak detailing and sheep’s wool insulation.<br />

To book a stay, visit www.buttfarm.co.uk. To enquire about a pod<br />

on your site, visit www.sacarpentry.co.uk<br />

IN BRIEF<br />

WEDDING VENUE TRAINING<br />

Consultant and <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> contributor Kelly Chandler has<br />

launched an autumn training series for wedding venues with dates<br />

from 20 Sep to 17 November. She is offering an early bird discount<br />

until 11 August. www.kellychandlerconsulting.co.uk<br />

£4 MILLION GLAMPSITE OPENS IN SHROPSHIRE<br />

A 22 acre leisure resort has opened in Shrewsbury, with 11 six birth<br />

glamping lodges and 122 fully serviced caravan pitches. Love2Stay<br />

is located behind caravan dealer Salop Leisure, and has been<br />

created with a focus on ‘getting back to nature’. The site features<br />

a natural swimming pool, ‘Cinedrome’, spa, woodland hideout,<br />

adventure playground, and barefoot sensory walk.<br />

n The Showman’s Show<br />

A Greener Festival<br />

Expands to Assess<br />

all Events<br />

THE TEAM BEHIND the internationally acclaimed Greener<br />

Festival Award has launched the Greener Event Award,<br />

as part of an expansion of services to the broader events<br />

industry, conferences, venues and sport. The first of its<br />

kind, the award involves independent site assessment,<br />

verification and certification of environmental actions<br />

at events and venues. Participants in the award receive<br />

tailored recommendations to make improvements year on<br />

year.<br />

Since 2007, A Greener Festival has assessed over 400<br />

festivals across five continents. Assessments are carried<br />

out by a team of 65 assessors from environmental and<br />

event management backgrounds, and this wealth of<br />

experience is now being brought to the wider events<br />

industry to help reduce environmental impact and<br />

improve sustainability in the live sector.<br />

“There are very tangible opportunities for events and<br />

venues to save resources and money through actions<br />

that benefit the environment,” says Claire O’Neill,<br />

co founder of A Greener Festival. “There has been an<br />

overwhelming response from events that want to act on<br />

these opportunities and share best practice. That is where<br />

we can help.”<br />

The expansion of the award has received a welcoming<br />

reception from event organisers, with 10 already signed<br />

up for assessment including Confex and Event Production<br />

Show (UK), Doolin Festival (IE), Wildscreen (UK), the<br />

Moscow Flower Show (RS), Festival and Outdoor Events<br />

Show (UK), Eurosonic Noordeslag (NL) and the Showman’s<br />

Show (UK).<br />

Johnny Lance, of Lance Show and Publications,<br />

explained that, “As the organiser of the Showman’s Show<br />

we are delighted to be participating in the new Greener<br />

Event Award. It is an excellent opportunity to recognise<br />

and build on our existing sustainability policies. We are<br />

always looking at ways to improve on the environmental<br />

impact of our event, as well as find some potential cost<br />

savings along the way”.<br />

The Greener Event Award assessment is open to all<br />

kinds of events. For more information visit<br />

www.agreenerfestival.com/award<br />

4 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


ADVERTORIAL<br />

Glamping – What’s<br />

Been Putting You Off?<br />

Call Kate Morel for a free, no obligation<br />

telephone consultation on starting or<br />

growing your glamping business<br />

SEREN WAGON, JUBILEE BARN GLAMPING<br />

Glamping Show <strong>2017</strong><br />

THE GLAMPING SHOW is now in its third year and will return to<br />

Stoneleigh Park on Thursday 21 to Saturday 23 September. The<br />

only event of its kind that caters purely for the glamping sector,<br />

it has grown and evolved since its inception in 2015. It’s not<br />

just a great source for glamping products and services but also<br />

industry intelligence. Whether you are in the throes of planning<br />

a new glampsite, an established operator or an event organiser<br />

planning temporary event accommodation, you can access<br />

expert advice free of charge.<br />

The popular seminar series will feature industry experts<br />

giving tips and advice on how to enhance your business, the<br />

latest legislation (including data protection and seasonal<br />

employment law), and technology and services.<br />

Visitors can expect to see glamping suppliers from all<br />

corners of the world showcasing an extensive range of different<br />

structures, from luxury<br />

tents, pods and shepherd<br />

huts to floating lodges and<br />

treehouses, as well as a<br />

wide range of accessories<br />

and services. www.<br />

theglampingshow.com<br />

‘Glamping’ - a lot of people<br />

in this industry don’t like the<br />

word (there, I’ve said it!) but we<br />

are rather stuck with it, thanks<br />

to current marketing, which<br />

is predominantly online and<br />

mostly at the mercy of Google’s<br />

keywords and algorithms. Dire<br />

warnings about neglecting<br />

search engine optimisation<br />

and social media engagement<br />

are everywhere, and certainly,<br />

we do need an effective online<br />

presence. Ultimately however,<br />

the product on offer behind all<br />

that digital marketing needs to<br />

deliver.<br />

With some businesses, and<br />

glamping is one of them, online<br />

marketing becomes more<br />

intensive and expensive if the<br />

product was poorly thought<br />

out or presented, because it<br />

becomes harder to convert page<br />

visits into bookings, and to gain<br />

repeat year on year occupancy.<br />

Amid the digital marketing<br />

hype, we sometimes forget<br />

the importance of the product<br />

itself - and glamping is all about<br />

the product - the experience<br />

that our guests are buying into.<br />

We can put the cart before the<br />

horse, but it’s so much harder<br />

to push something uphill, than<br />

tow it.<br />

As time ticks on, creating a<br />

profitable glamping business<br />

requires more consideration<br />

and originality because it’s<br />

becoming more competitive,<br />

but glamping still represents a<br />

good business opportunity in<br />

the right locations. The ultimate<br />

key to success? Close attention<br />

to ROI figures and originality,<br />

resulting in healthy rental fees,<br />

high occupancy, and lower<br />

marketing costs. That’s it in a<br />

nutshell, easy, right?! OK, it’s not<br />

that simple but if we get those<br />

five things right, we’ve got a<br />

very successful business.<br />

A QUESTION FOR YOU<br />

If you’re still reading this, I<br />

am guessing you have some<br />

interest in the industry, so I have<br />

a question for you – have you<br />

been thinking about getting<br />

into glamping but have held<br />

off because you don’t know if<br />

it’s worth the effort, will make<br />

enough money, where to start,<br />

or even if your land is suitable?<br />

Drop me a line and let’s have<br />

a chat about the potential<br />

your land or estate might hold.<br />

There’s no fee for an initial<br />

telephone consultation, and<br />

no obligation. If you’re already<br />

in the process of setting up, it<br />

might just save you pushing a<br />

cart uphill for years to come.<br />

Kate Morel is an independent<br />

consultant in the glamping and<br />

ecotourism industries. Get in<br />

touch for a free, no obligation<br />

consultation on<br />

07800 800 199 or visit<br />

www.katemorel.com<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 5


PRODUCT<br />

Zoos get into Glamping as Durrell Wildlife<br />

Camp Scoops First AA Glamping Award<br />

The Durrell Wildlife Camp, Jersey, is the first<br />

recipient of the new AA Glamping Site of<br />

the Year award. A canvas Clubhouse, Lemur<br />

Lodge, serves as reception, meeting place<br />

and function area, whilst accommodation is<br />

in futuristic geo domes, both from Boldscan’s<br />

Albion Canvas range. Set on wooden decking,<br />

interiors feature a king-size bed, two singles<br />

and a wood-burning stove, plus an additional<br />

pod with high quality toilet, wash basin<br />

and shower, and a spacious fully equipped<br />

kitchen. The AA commented: “The Durrell<br />

Wildlife Camp offers quality accommodation,<br />

excellent customer service and a unique<br />

holiday experience.”<br />

Last year Boldscan set up Chessington<br />

World of Adventures’ new ‘Explorer Glamping’<br />

site with 31 bespoke khaki bell tents and four<br />

safari-style Amboseli tents. The site is situated<br />

next to the Wild Asia section, home to the<br />

lorikeets. Interiors have a subtle Asian theme<br />

and include proper beds, duvets, a clothes<br />

rail, free Wi-Fi, power sockets and tea and<br />

coffee making facilities.<br />

Chester Zoo, Avon Valley Adventure and<br />

Durrell Wildlife Camp, Jersey<br />

Wildlife Park, and Camp Hill Estate have<br />

recently installed Boldscan’s clear span<br />

(no poles) Clubhouse. Camp Hill Estate’s<br />

owner, Robert Ropner, toyed with the idea<br />

of redeveloping existing buildings or putting<br />

up a wooden cabin to house the café. “A<br />

wooden cabin would have been extortionately<br />

expensive in comparison. As well as winning<br />

on price, the canvas Clubhouse offered<br />

flexibility and the muted colours blended in<br />

with the landscape. The Clubhouse will be<br />

a café in high season and then a venue for<br />

weddings or corporate events. It can even<br />

be moved to a new site if necessary.” 01823<br />

665849 / www.albioncanvas.co.uk<br />

Next Generation Tree Tents Have Landed<br />

It began with a sketch, was brought to life on ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’ and<br />

now Tree Tents has launched the next generation design of its namesake structure the<br />

Tree Tent – the world’s first flat-pack, suspended tree house –<br />

on a Swedish island dedicated to outdoor adventure.<br />

“Staying true to our vision of creating the world’s greatest<br />

outdoor hideaways, we’ve honed the Tree Tent design,<br />

rigorously testing materials and tracking their lifecycle<br />

to ensure the structure performs to the high standards<br />

we expect for owners, guests and the environment,” says<br />

Jason Thawley, innovation and design director at Tree<br />

Tents. “I can’t think of a better place to launch the new design<br />

than in Askersund Outdoor’s idyllic Scandinavian woodland.<br />

The owners’ philosophy of encouraging enjoyment of the<br />

outdoors, while doing good business that doesn’t cost the earth, aligns perfectly with<br />

our own,” he adds.<br />

Tree Tents is also proving a hit closer to home with the team busy installing across<br />

the UK for this summer. But thanks to a clever prefabricated design that promises<br />

painless installation in around two to three days, there’s still time to add the world’s<br />

greatest escape to your site for this season. 01273 973 937 / www.treetents.co.uk<br />

Design Your Own Glamping Domes<br />

F.Domes is a global manufacturer and supplier of DIY geodesic dome kits.<br />

Portable and en-suite, the products from F.Domes allow you to free your<br />

creativity and choose from dozens of colour combinations for the dome’s<br />

membrane, insulation, curtains and bathroom module coverings. There<br />

is also a plethora of additional equipment. If you wish, you can make your<br />

dome blend with the landscape; useful in locations where this is obligatory<br />

such as national parks and nature reserves.<br />

The company states that its domes have extreme longevity and durability,<br />

and that maintenance is minimal. 020 8133 2588 / www.fdomes.com<br />

Sanitation for Off<br />

Grid and Temporary<br />

Glampsites<br />

New to the glamping market is a<br />

product allowing flushing toilets to<br />

the most remote, temporary or off<br />

grid glampsites. Initially developed<br />

for the construction industry, the Tuff<br />

Tank waste storage tank from Plastic<br />

Solutions can be positioned under a<br />

shepherds hut or other glamping unit,<br />

wash or WC cabin to collect waste for<br />

removal by local septic tank emptying<br />

services.<br />

“Although<br />

the adverts<br />

for glamping<br />

tend to<br />

concentrate on<br />

the provision<br />

of decent beds,<br />

heating and<br />

lighting, in the<br />

background there is often another<br />

important feature – decent sanitation,”<br />

says Jon Trelfa, general manager at<br />

Plastic Solutions. “That means hot and<br />

cold running water and, in particular,<br />

private and preferably flushing toilets.<br />

“That immediately causes many<br />

permanent and event-specific<br />

glampsites a problem. While mains<br />

water is a possibility, mains sewers are<br />

probably not. One approach might be<br />

to invest in some major groundwork<br />

development but this is likely to incur<br />

planning permission and expense.<br />

A Tuff Tank can be easily installed to<br />

capture waste and allow all the home<br />

comforts guests expect.”<br />

The portable sanitation products<br />

from Plastic Solutions include water<br />

tanks in a variety of sizes, pumps<br />

to transport the water, portable<br />

recirculating flush toilets and effluent<br />

tanks to support the use of flush<br />

lavatories. These can be bought by<br />

site owners for permanent or semipermanent<br />

installation and are also<br />

available from hire companies to cater<br />

for the needs of one off or irregular<br />

events. 0800 334 5742 /<br />

www.plasticsol.com<br />

6 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


POWERING EVENTS<br />

AROUND THE WORLD<br />

LIGHTING & GENERATORS<br />

morrismachinery.co.uk<br />

0345 409 0277


ADVERTORIAL<br />

Protecting<br />

Your Assets<br />

If you own rural land and property, these are often<br />

your most valuable assets. Learn how the CLA can help<br />

protect and enhance them<br />

Whether you make a living from<br />

your land or simply own it<br />

for pleasure, your rights and<br />

responsibilities over your own<br />

land are varied and can change.<br />

The Country Land and <strong>Business</strong><br />

Association (CLA) supports anyone who<br />

owns rural land in England and Wales. It<br />

does not exist purely for larger landowners<br />

– around a quarter of members own fewer<br />

than 25 acres.<br />

The CLA gives specialist advice<br />

and practical support that will help<br />

you to understand your landowning<br />

responsibilities and make the most of<br />

what your land and property has to offer.<br />

Membership also gives you a connection<br />

with the major landowning and rural<br />

communities and it can help cut your costs<br />

through selected services.<br />

If you run a smallholding, access to<br />

the CLA’s specialist landowning and rural<br />

business advice means you can run it more<br />

effectively and efficiently. For instance,<br />

the CLA can help you understand the laws<br />

affecting boundaries and rights of way,<br />

whether you comply as a working farmer<br />

for inheritance tax, and if there are other<br />

businesses you could be running on your<br />

land.<br />

Alternatively, you may have bought a<br />

house in the country with land around it.<br />

Like many people, you may not be aware<br />

of the responsibilities you have taken on,<br />

as well as your rights as a landowner. For<br />

example, the CLA could explain your legal<br />

responsibility regarding trees on your land,<br />

what you can do to avoid trespassing and<br />

how can you protect your land against<br />

claims that it is a village green.<br />

Here are five key areas in which the CLA<br />

can help you.<br />

KNOWLEDGE – Insight on issues that<br />

1 affect your land and business<br />

Regardless of the number of acres you<br />

own, it is vital that you are aware of the<br />

issues that affect landowners. The CLA’s<br />

professional advisers keep members<br />

informed giving relevant and practical<br />

guidance via regular emails, a monthly<br />

magazine and the CLA website.<br />

This exclusive knowledge is highly<br />

valuable and gives you the inside track to<br />

help you to understand and comply with<br />

rural legislation, to be aware of your rights


selected to support you in managing your<br />

land and rural business interests.<br />

› CLA Insurance – protects all your assets<br />

from your land, your home and its<br />

contents to any rural enterprises you are<br />

running on your land<br />

› CLA Healthcare – provides the right<br />

healthcare options for you, your family<br />

and your employees<br />

› CLA Foreign Exchange – allows you to<br />

get the best out of your foreign currency<br />

exchange transactions, such as property<br />

payments or foreign investments<br />

› CLA Utilities – provides support and<br />

advice on energy efficiency measures<br />

THE CLA’S PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS KEEP<br />

MEMBERS INFORMED GIVING RELEVANT AND<br />

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE VIA REGULAR EMAILS,<br />

A MONTHLY MAGAZINE AND THE CLA WEBSITE.<br />

and responsibilities as a rural landowner,<br />

to gain technical information relating to<br />

owning small acreages, and to obtain new<br />

ideas for generating income from your<br />

land.<br />

ADVICE – Expert guidance to help<br />

2 manage your land and business<br />

Advice from the CLA’s national experts can<br />

help protect the investment value of your<br />

rural land and property. Direct access to<br />

their expertise will help you manage your<br />

land and business. Typical issues include:<br />

› How do I stop neighbours encroaching?<br />

› What are my legal responsibilities for<br />

animals straying off my land?<br />

› Who can explain the tax rules regarding<br />

land ownership?<br />

› What do I need to bear in mind when<br />

applying for planning permission?<br />

› What rights do utility companies have to<br />

come on to my land?<br />

› Where can I access grants to create a<br />

wildflower meadow?<br />

COMMUNITY – Valuable connections<br />

3 to extend your contacts<br />

CLA members make up a significant rural<br />

group and their unique member events<br />

give you the chance to make valuable<br />

connections. As part of their exclusive<br />

community you will be able to:<br />

› Socialise with fellow land and property<br />

owners<br />

› Acquire local knowledge<br />

› Gain access to the specialist rural<br />

suppliers and services landowners need<br />

› Enjoy country pursuits<br />

› Share ideas with other members to help<br />

you succeed with your own projects<br />

› Be seen as an intrinsic part of the rural<br />

community<br />

INFLUENCE – Ability to influence<br />

4 decision-makers<br />

Anyone who owns rural land, even just a<br />

few acres, needs an influential voice to<br />

help protect its value; the CLA can be that<br />

highly effective voice. Using its members’<br />

experiences and concerns enables the CLA<br />

to:<br />

› Lobby to overturn poorly considered<br />

regulations<br />

› Improve legislation that will benefit<br />

members<br />

› Resist the introduction of laws that<br />

will have unintended consequences for<br />

landowners<br />

› Ensure decision-makers consider the<br />

implications of legislation for rural areas<br />

The CLA’s specialist lobbying can help<br />

you protect the value of the land and<br />

property you have invested in and your<br />

ability to enjoy your land as you wish.<br />

MEMBER SERVICES – Support from<br />

5 partners who understand your needs<br />

The CLA’s member services are carefully<br />

What CLA members say<br />

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To find out more about how the CLA can<br />

help you protect your land and property,<br />

please visit www.cla.org.uk or<br />

call 020 7460 7935.<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 9


FUNCTION VENUES<br />

CASE STUDY<br />

Sandon<br />

Hall<br />

A neo-Jacobean stately home that allows couples<br />

to be Lord and Lady of the Manor for their big day<br />

Sandon Hall has been the ancestral home of the Harrowby<br />

family since 1776 and has been open for weddings for the last 15 years. With 50 acres<br />

of formal gardens and 400 acres of parkland, the estate is considered the jewel in<br />

Staffordshire’s crown. We talk to team member Emma Clarke.<br />

What is your venue’s history?<br />

Sandon Hall is a neo-Jacobean hall<br />

built in 1854 after a fire burnt down<br />

the original house built in 1776.<br />

So, you could say we have been in<br />

the business of hosting parties and<br />

events since the 18th century.<br />

Sandon Hall has been the<br />

ancestral home of the Harrowby<br />

family since 1776, when Nathaniel,<br />

first Baron Harrowby, bought<br />

a shooting lodge and had it<br />

transformed by the architect<br />

Samuel Wyatt into a Georgian<br />

house.<br />

The present Lord and Lady<br />

Harrowby chose to open their<br />

house up to the public 15 years ago.<br />

They haven’t changed much of the<br />

interior; in the drawing room, you<br />

will see hand painted wallpaper,<br />

preferring to make anyone using<br />

the hall feel like Lord and Lady of<br />

the Manor for their special day.<br />

“OUR NEXT<br />

FIVE-YEAR<br />

PLAN IS<br />

TO DRIVE<br />

WEDDINGS<br />

TO OVER 50<br />

A YEAR AND<br />

ATTRACT<br />

MORE<br />

MID-WEEK<br />

CORPORATE<br />

BOOKINGS”<br />

Set in 400 acres of parkland with<br />

50 acres of ornamental gardens,<br />

many brides choose to erect tipis<br />

and marquees in the grounds.<br />

We have been very successful<br />

with weddings, averaging 35<br />

weddings a year. Our next five-year<br />

plan is to drive weddings to over 50<br />

a year and attract more mid-week<br />

corporate bookings.<br />

Tell us about your location and site<br />

Set in the very heart of the country,<br />

Sandon Hall is just 10 mins from<br />

J14 of the M6 motorway, but you<br />

wouldn’t have thought it. Guests<br />

turn off the A51 and on to the onemile<br />

private drive which takes them<br />

through part of the parkland, much<br />

of which is used for sheep and<br />

pheasants.<br />

Once guests arrive at the hall they<br />

get to appreciate the tranquillity<br />

Sandon has to offer, the peace and<br />

open space.<br />

One of our challenges is the<br />

livestock on the parkland. The<br />

estate rents large areas out to local<br />

farmers and we are aware of the<br />

need to remove livestock from the<br />

fields we use for a period of time<br />

before events are held. However,<br />

we are lucky to have the 50 acres<br />

of formal gardens, designed by<br />

William Eames, immediately<br />

encircling the Hall which tends to<br />

cover all our guests’ needs.<br />

We even have a church on the<br />

estate, which many wedding guests<br />

choose to walk back from, through<br />

the parkland to the Hall, for the<br />

wedding breakfast.<br />

Every booking has exclusive use<br />

of the Hall, even when we allocate<br />

a specific room for their event.<br />

Guests are free to wander the six<br />

ground floor rooms and out into the<br />

gardens during they stay.<br />

What facilities for outdoor<br />

functions do you offer?<br />

We pride ourselves in flexibility;<br />

we are not one of these venues<br />

governed by budgets and<br />

shareholders, we want our guests<br />

to have the experience they aspire<br />

to (within reason). We therefore<br />

welcome any form of marquee, tipi<br />

or circus tent - yes, we have one<br />

lined up for a wedding next year on<br />

the gardens right outside the hall.<br />

For civil marriages, we can offer the<br />

use of the temple garden, which<br />

10 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


is fully licensed and allows our<br />

couples and their guests to enjoy<br />

the serenity of their surroundings.<br />

There is a small structure which will<br />

keep the bride and groom dry but<br />

their guests might have to fend off<br />

the unpredictability of the British<br />

weather. We have taken this into<br />

account and we even provide colour<br />

co-ordinated umbrellas for guests.<br />

At the moment, we do not offer<br />

accommodation on site, however,<br />

we have planning to convert a<br />

house on the estate into two, threebedroom<br />

self-catering units. We are<br />

also in talks with event companies<br />

who may be interested in hosting<br />

events with bell tents for guests to<br />

sleep in.<br />

What services do you offer?<br />

Our team are here to hold couples’<br />

hands throughout their whole event<br />

and includes general manager<br />

Cheryl Millward, who previously<br />

ran her own events management<br />

company, and Beckie Dufton, who<br />

is the wedding co-ordinator with<br />

over 10 years event experience.<br />

Both love creating unique and<br />

special days for all guests.<br />

We do not cook ourselves,<br />

but we have two inhouse<br />

caters we<br />

recommend,<br />

chosen through<br />

“FLEXIBILITY<br />

IS KEY - THE<br />

SPACE WE<br />

CAN OFFER,<br />

THE SERVICES<br />

WE CAN<br />

PROVIDE AND<br />

TIMELINES WE<br />

CAN WORK<br />

TOO”<br />

extensive taste testing (which we<br />

thoroughly enjoyed). Both offer<br />

the highest standards and match<br />

the quality we represent. We also<br />

have an in-house florist, who uses<br />

many estate-grown flowers in<br />

her displays. She has many years’<br />

experience dressing the hall and<br />

can impart her knowledge to help<br />

embellish the tables and rooms<br />

to a couples’ taste. Our resident<br />

DJ helps guests dance the night<br />

away and the bar is managed by a<br />

local brewery, providing local ales,<br />

prosecco and a large range of gins<br />

(we are working our way through<br />

them) as well as wine, spirits and<br />

beers on tap.<br />

Our rooms inside and the<br />

temple garden outside are<br />

licensed for wedding ceremonies;<br />

the ornamental gardens provide<br />

a stunning backdrop to the<br />

photographs.<br />

We have worked with a number<br />

of outdoor entertainers, who amuse<br />

guests during drinks receptions or<br />

photographs - only last month we<br />

had a carnival-themed corporate<br />

event with stilt walkers, jugglers<br />

and magicians milling around with<br />

guests.<br />

Describe how you researched and<br />

sourced your marquee<br />

We don’t buy our marquees as we<br />

are aware most guests want to<br />

make their event unique, we have<br />

therefore searched and interviewed<br />

many marquee companies for<br />

recommendation. We use the same<br />

company for events we run on site<br />

as well as recommending them to<br />

our customers; they had to meet<br />

our high standard and mirror the<br />

quality of the hall itself.<br />

How do you work with your<br />

customers to make their event<br />

unique?<br />

Flexibility is key - the space we can<br />

offer, the services we can provide<br />

and timelines we can work too;<br />

we will work with every guest to<br />

structure their event according to<br />

their specific requirements.<br />

We have just taken on a new<br />

online management system to<br />

work more efficiently as a team<br />

and with our customers, called<br />

Planning Pod. This system allows us<br />

as a team to communicate through<br />

one portal, only giving each other<br />

the relevant information, rather<br />

than telling everyone everything.<br />

The best thing about it is that<br />

we can communicate with the<br />

customer through it – seating plan<br />

templates, timings, menus etc. can<br />

be uploaded so they can control the<br />

detail.<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 11


FUNCTION VENUES<br />

How do you publicise yourself?<br />

We have actually just changed our<br />

marketing plans. Previously, you<br />

would have found us in all kinds of<br />

wedding-focused media, but not<br />

too much focused on the corporate<br />

market. We know once a bride visits<br />

the hall she will fall in love with it,<br />

so we do not require high volumes<br />

of marketing for weddings, but we<br />

need to promote ourselves open<br />

for business during the week. We<br />

have just signed ourselves up for a<br />

national online conference booking<br />

directory. Hopefully, we will be seen<br />

by over 50 agents and many more<br />

conference bookers.<br />

We are also planning a number<br />

of familiarisation visits for local<br />

businesses so they can see what<br />

we can offer. But our largest tool is<br />

our new website www.sandonhall.<br />

co.uk and social media; Twitter,<br />

Facebook and Instagram give us<br />

real time interaction with a large<br />

volume of potential customers. We<br />

also use e-newsletters to numerous<br />

databases for constant updates.<br />

How would you describe your<br />

‘style’ or unique selling point?<br />

We are a private stately home<br />

which allows our guests to<br />

feel like Lord and Lady of the<br />

Manor, promenading around the<br />

ornamental gardens. We stand out<br />

from our competitors because we<br />

offer exclusivity to all our guests so<br />

we can focus on their event. With<br />

over 400 acres of parkland available<br />

the estate is crying out for outdoor<br />

events and team building sessions.<br />

What challenges have you faced?<br />

Getting potential guests to know we<br />

are open. The estate is the country<br />

home to Lord and Lady Harrowby;<br />

they do not want people just<br />

wondering around the estate so we<br />

cannot have large signs saying we<br />

are open to all and we have to find<br />

other ways of attracting people to<br />

the estate.<br />

What are your plans for next<br />

season?<br />

We are looking for outdoor team<br />

building companies who are<br />

interested in working with us<br />

to attract a whole new market.<br />

We will also be building new<br />

accommodation on site which<br />

will hopefully grow our wedding<br />

market.<br />

Why do you enjoy the business?<br />

I absolutely love it, I have been in<br />

the business for over 20 years and<br />

there is no other business I would<br />

like to be in. I love standing at the<br />

back of a wedding breakfast during<br />

the speeches when everyone is<br />

smiling and saying how much they<br />

have enjoyed their day, that’s when<br />

you know you have done your job<br />

well.<br />

What other outdoor hospitality<br />

sectors do you operate in?<br />

We run a number of festivals and<br />

garden fêtes throughout the year,<br />

linking with partners across the<br />

area. Last year we held a drive-in<br />

movie night; it was fantastic having<br />

the screen up with the Hall lit up in<br />

the background. For most of these<br />

events we will open up the Hall<br />

for guided tours. We also provide<br />

the catering for these events, but<br />

it varies in how we provide it;<br />

sometimes it’s afternoon tea on the<br />

lawns, sometimes it’s milkshake<br />

bars and popcorn out with the<br />

event.<br />

We are so excited about our new<br />

cater Catherine Skate. Last month,<br />

we hosted a pop up restaurant and<br />

over 80 guests booked tables. It was<br />

a lovely night and we are currently<br />

looking for dates for the next one.<br />

With so much open space we<br />

facilitate team building events,<br />

from small group work to motorised<br />

sports and anything in-between.<br />

With any of these events we provide<br />

catering facilities back in the Hall.<br />

We are considering glamping but<br />

need to understand all the costs<br />

and requirements for facilities, but<br />

if someone would like to work with<br />

us we are happy to look into it.<br />

What advice could you give<br />

to someone coming into the<br />

industry?<br />

Be prepared not to sleep much and<br />

keep smiling; the good points far<br />

outweigh the bad.<br />

ADDRESS BOOK<br />

DETAILS<br />

Sandon Hall, Sandon, Stafford,<br />

ST18 0BZ<br />

01889 508004<br />

www.sandonhall.co.uk<br />

12 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


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WELL INFORMED


FUNCTION VENUES<br />

BUSINESS<br />

CUSTOMERS<br />

ATTRACT<br />

ATTRACT<br />

ENGAGE<br />

ENGAGE<br />

NURTURE<br />

SELL AND DELIVER<br />

SELL AND DELIVER<br />

Marketing activities<br />

Marketing Activities<br />

Looks at website<br />

Looks at Website<br />

Makes enquiry<br />

Makes Enquiry<br />

Conducts showround<br />

Conducts Showround<br />

Signs Contract<br />

Signs contract<br />

Nails Wedding<br />

Nails the wedding!<br />

AWARENESS<br />

AWARENESS<br />

EDUCATION<br />

EDUCATION<br />

CONSIDERATION<br />

CONSIDERATION<br />

PURCHASE<br />

PURCHASE<br />

ADVOCATE<br />

ADVOCATE<br />

Sales 101<br />

Taking the traditional ‘sales funnel’ model, Isabel Smith guides us through<br />

how to make selling your venue to couples natural and sincere<br />

AS OPEN AIR <strong>Business</strong> readers,<br />

many of you will be small venue<br />

and farm owners just breaking<br />

into the wedding industry and you<br />

may not have much experience of<br />

business to customer (B2C) selling<br />

as yet, so let me introduce you to<br />

the process.<br />

No doubt you’ve heard of the<br />

‘sales funnel’ – the description<br />

of the customer’s journey from<br />

becoming aware of your business,<br />

becoming more familiar with it,<br />

researching alternatives and finally<br />

selecting the best option for them<br />

and making a booking (hopefully<br />

with you). It sounds so simple<br />

doesn’t it? But in truth you need to<br />

not only have familiarity with the<br />

customer’s journey, but also (more<br />

importantly) understand your<br />

role in guiding them through the<br />

funnel to your benefit. This takes a<br />

lot more than just throwing a few<br />

“THIS TAKES<br />

A LOT MORE<br />

THAN JUST<br />

THROWING A<br />

FEW WORDS<br />

AROUND AND<br />

HOPING FOR<br />

THE BEST”<br />

words around and hoping for the<br />

best. There is a skill and technique<br />

to learn and master here.<br />

To make this all a little clearer,<br />

I have re-worked the traditional<br />

sales funnel model above so<br />

you can compare your client’s<br />

experience with your role. The<br />

stages of your role (attract, engage,<br />

nurture, sell and deliver) correlate<br />

with those of the customer’s<br />

journey, and at every stage you<br />

are selling yourself and your<br />

venue. You must learn to attract<br />

new customers and engage them<br />

through your marketing. Build<br />

their confidence in you through<br />

nurturing them and taking care<br />

of their enquiries sincerely, and<br />

then exceed their expectations and<br />

prove they made the right choice.<br />

It all begins with your marketing.<br />

Through consistently presenting<br />

your message in a variety of<br />

marketing methods, potential<br />

clients will find you (AWARENESS).<br />

Your marketing should lead them<br />

to your website, which should have<br />

all the information a client might<br />

need to engage and begin getting<br />

to know you and what you offer<br />

(EDUCATION).<br />

From here you receive an<br />

enquiry. This is your opportunity<br />

to begin nurturing their interest<br />

and let me tell you, selling starts<br />

from the moment you answer the<br />

phone. It can be daunting dealing<br />

with brides for the first time and<br />

making a good impression is vital.<br />

NURTURE, NURTURE, NURTURE<br />

Have an enquiry form prepared to<br />

ensure you are always asking the<br />

right questions. Without sounding<br />

too robotic in tone, get names and<br />

contact details, find out the date<br />

of the wedding, what their needs<br />

14 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


FUNCTION VENUES<br />

are in terms of space (ceremony,<br />

daytime reception, evening event?)<br />

and the number of guests they<br />

want to invite. From here, think<br />

‘nurture, nurture, nurture’. Show<br />

interest in their individual wedding<br />

plans, passion about your venue<br />

and ask open questions like: ‘What<br />

are you looking for in your wedding<br />

venue?’ or ‘What are your priorities<br />

for the day?’ so that the enquirer<br />

can expand on their thoughts.<br />

The idea is to start finding out<br />

what they want, so that you can<br />

showcase how your venue meets<br />

their needs.<br />

After the initial enquiry and the<br />

phone has been put down, you<br />

can email or post your venue’s<br />

brochure to them. There’s no<br />

telling when they will be in contact<br />

again, so the next stage is chasing,<br />

but give it three days - you don’t<br />

want to come across as pushy! Give<br />

them a call or send a kind email<br />

a few days later asking whether<br />

they have received the brochure,<br />

offering to answer any queries they<br />

might have and inviting them to<br />

your venue for a showround. If you<br />

don’t receive an answer straight<br />

away, wait two weeks until you<br />

chase again. Remember, most<br />

couples can only research and<br />

venue hunt in the evening and at<br />

the weekends so working through<br />

the shortlisting process takes time.<br />

SHOWING OFF<br />

Hopefully by now you have<br />

had the opportunity to paint a<br />

picture for the client of what their<br />

wedding will look like and they<br />

want to come and see the venue<br />

for themselves. This showround<br />

is your best opportunity to make<br />

the sale. You know the couple<br />

has made a certain commitment<br />

to the property by being there<br />

so it is important to return that<br />

investment and get it right. Here<br />

are my top tips for the perfect<br />

guided tour:<br />

› Don’t go rushing into the tour as<br />

soon as they step onto the site; the<br />

key is in making your clients feel<br />

comfortable and welcome<br />

› Ask how long they have to see<br />

you. Not only might this indicate<br />

their overall interest level in your<br />

property, but it means you can<br />

tweak your technique to suit their<br />

needs<br />

› Walk the spaces as their guests<br />

would see them: ‘This is where you<br />

park, this is the view the guests<br />

would have as they walk to the<br />

main event space, this is where<br />

your drinks reception would take<br />

place’ etc. This allows clients to<br />

build up a visual of their day<br />

› Have an iPad with you to show<br />

how the spaces look all set up.<br />

You’re trying to mentally render<br />

each client’s individual wedding<br />

for them but not everyone is good<br />

at imagining the final look so<br />

having a few visual clues will really<br />

help you ‘sell’<br />

› Refer back to the notes you have<br />

taken so far. If they have already<br />

indicated that food is a priority,<br />

show where the catering tent sits,<br />

how easily the caterers can get<br />

access or just wax lyrical about<br />

the great food and service your<br />

preferred suppliers list caterers<br />

offer<br />

› Show enthusiasm for your own<br />

property and be sure to point<br />

out key features such as how the<br />

lighting is perfect for the afternoon<br />

ceremony or how the scale of the<br />

space is perfect for any number<br />

of flexible seating arrangements.<br />

Couples want to feel like you have<br />

their best interests at heart and<br />

your passion will be infectious!<br />

› Advise as accurately as you<br />

can what the wedding will cost.<br />

Not just your own costs, but<br />

approximately what your marquee<br />

and caterer suppliers charge. You<br />

want to do this towards the end of<br />

the showround (after the couple<br />

has already fallen in love with your<br />

venue) but you also want to be<br />

accurate and realistic – there is<br />

nothing worse for a consumer than<br />

sheepishly having to admit you<br />

just can’t afford what you want<br />

› Always finish with a close.<br />

Without being pushy, ask the<br />

couple what they think of your<br />

property, how many venues<br />

they still have to see and when<br />

they think they might make a<br />

decision. Offer to follow up with<br />

any information they might have<br />

requested during the meeting or to<br />

provisionally hold a date for them.<br />

Remember, wedding sales is<br />

all about building a personal<br />

relationship so show excitement<br />

over a couple’s engagement and<br />

proposal story and congratulate<br />

them. This shows that you are<br />

genuinely interested in them as a<br />

couple.<br />

The showround is the best<br />

GETTY IMAGES<br />

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />

Isabel Smith has 10<br />

years in the wedding<br />

industry behind her<br />

as one of the UK’s top<br />

wedding planners and<br />

business consultant<br />

to venues and other<br />

suppliers. Isabel’s<br />

expertise spans<br />

marketing, sales and<br />

operations as she<br />

helps new vendors<br />

launch as well as<br />

assisting established<br />

businesses should<br />

they find their<br />

sales falling. www.<br />

isabelsmithconsulting.<br />

co.uk / www.<br />

isabelsmithweddings.<br />

co.uk<br />

opportunity to talk up your venue<br />

but also to listen to what a couple<br />

expects from a wedding venue.<br />

Getting a better understanding<br />

of their needs will help you to<br />

sell your venue’s best features<br />

in response to their needs. This<br />

nurturing approach builds their<br />

confidence in you.<br />

After the showround, follow up<br />

with the couple as soon as you<br />

can with any information you<br />

promised, telling them how lovely<br />

it was to meet them and of course<br />

inviting them to come back to you<br />

with any queries they might have.<br />

When it comes to chasing, wedding<br />

clients need to be treated with<br />

extra care so keep a light, helpful<br />

and consistent tone. At the end of<br />

the day, this is their wedding so<br />

you can’t expect a quick decision<br />

(CONSIDERATION). Be patient, not<br />

pushy!<br />

As you can see, selling is<br />

all about personality and<br />

professionalism. It’s not always<br />

smooth sailing but it doesn’t have<br />

to be difficult either. If you can<br />

master the technique, follow the<br />

sales pipeline and the showround<br />

method outlined, you’ll continually<br />

be improving your own selling<br />

skills and securing those bookings<br />

in no time (PURCHASE).<br />

Then you just have to nail the<br />

wedding itself so that your clients<br />

are blown away and becomes<br />

spokespeople for your venue<br />

(ADVOCATE). But that’s another<br />

story…<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 15


FUNCTION VENUES<br />

GETTY IMAGES<br />

IT’S COMMONLY AGREED that<br />

people do business with companies<br />

and people they like and key to<br />

liking them is often in feeling<br />

that their own desires and needs<br />

are understood. In the arena<br />

of weddings this is never truer<br />

– couples want and deserve to<br />

feel special at every step of the<br />

way in what is such a unique and<br />

unparalleled life event. You need<br />

to speak their language and give<br />

couples what they need before they<br />

even know they need it. So, do you<br />

speak bride?<br />

Remember your audience is<br />

inexperienced, excited, yes, but<br />

nervous and sometimes worried,<br />

emotional and overwhelmed.<br />

You therefore, as a venue and the<br />

biggest and most pivotal wedding<br />

supplier they will hire, need to fill<br />

them with confidence and guide<br />

them from the start.<br />

Here are some tips on how you<br />

can speak a couples’ language<br />

and tap into what they are really<br />

thinking. You might think this<br />

comes later on in the co-ordination<br />

and detail and that you don't<br />

need it in the initial sale but that<br />

would be wrong – today’s bride<br />

and groom expect to be able to see<br />

and experience big parts of their<br />

wedding day before it all actually<br />

takes shape. Remember today’s<br />

couples have been using Pinterest<br />

for ideas and inspiration gathering<br />

for years, they are very savvy and<br />

very regular readers of wedding<br />

blogs and are sponges for soaking<br />

up wedding ideas and creativity.<br />

Do you<br />

Speak<br />

Bride?<br />

Kelly Chandler explains how to win over<br />

couples by speaking their language<br />

TELL THE WEDDING STORY<br />

Whilst you would be right to<br />

encourage couples to make their<br />

own mark on personalising their<br />

wedding day, make sure that<br />

in a bid to mark yourselves as<br />

bespoke and flexible, you don’t<br />

forget to share your knowledge<br />

and experience. Tell them<br />

in a storytelling, logical<br />

manner how things can<br />

work on their wedding<br />

day.<br />

The best websites<br />

and marketing<br />

materials I see tell<br />

the story in a clear<br />

and easy way showing<br />

typical wedding day<br />

options and possibilities both<br />

in text and in photos. Make sure<br />

you cover the entire story, not just<br />

the parts that directly impact<br />

you. Whilst you may well<br />

only host receptions<br />

and parties in a<br />

tented structure<br />

in your grounds,<br />

before a couple<br />

will book with you<br />

they need to work<br />

out how their entire<br />

celebration will flow.<br />

This will mean working<br />

out details that as a minimum<br />

will involve bridal preparations,<br />

the wedding ceremony, overnight<br />

accommodation and, in most<br />

cases, pre-wedding day activities.<br />

Most weddings attract a very<br />

international guest list these days<br />

and often the direct bridal party<br />

are not local to the venue either<br />

so the logistics of a wedding day<br />

go beyond purely a meal and a<br />

party. Make sure you showcase<br />

what’s available by yourselves<br />

and also locally, whether it’s an<br />

awareness of your local church, the<br />

civil ceremony route or outdoor<br />

symbolic ceremonies. Detail local<br />

options for a late night after-party,<br />

group accommodation and next<br />

day brunch. Work hard to paint the<br />

entire picture to make it very easy<br />

for a couple to see that you speak<br />

their language!<br />

ANTICIPATE THEIR NEEDS<br />

As an extension of that, make<br />

sure you pay attention to the<br />

little things which make all the<br />

difference in the wedding market<br />

and set you apart. Brides (and<br />

grooms to a certain extent!) like<br />

16 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


FUNCTION VENUES<br />

detail so while you may not want<br />

to cover all details on your website,<br />

make sure that in your brochures/<br />

PDFs or showround materials you<br />

give them a ‘little white book’ or<br />

equivalent showcasing some of the<br />

special touches you have installed<br />

and can make happen. This will<br />

put you a step above the rest and<br />

in weddings the small details really<br />

are the big ones!<br />

Here are some of my addons<br />

I think you should either be<br />

including as standard or have<br />

available in your venue as extra<br />

paid for services:<br />

› Microphone and PA system for<br />

speeches and Ipod and dock for<br />

ceremony or dinner background<br />

music<br />

› Availability of Wi-Fi and frames/<br />

chalkboards/plasmas for<br />

displaying wedding hashtags,<br />

names of couples or some<br />

personalisation<br />

› Selection of garden games such<br />

as Jenga, score four, quoits etc.<br />

› Basic uplighting package of<br />

key features (columns, pillars<br />

if inside or key shrubbery and<br />

trees, buildings if outside) for the<br />

evening<br />

› Bridal party lunch options<br />

(with champagne!) for the all<br />

important getting ready part of<br />

the day<br />

› Attractive easel and board for<br />

seating plan<br />

› Options for hire of upgraded<br />

tabletop items such as linens,<br />

glassware, crockery and cutlery<br />

› Options for hire of alternative<br />

furnishings such as dining chairs<br />

and bar units.<br />

Don’t wait to be asked for these<br />

things; produce an e-brochure that<br />

you send out early in the enquiry or<br />

planning process so couples know<br />

you can help (or that your excellent<br />

tried and trusted suppliers can<br />

help) with these valued extras. Give<br />

them a shopping list with images;<br />

the detail really matters with<br />

weddings. A bride/groom and/or<br />

wedding planner really cares how<br />

the easel looks, so good quality<br />

products and good images are key.<br />

BE PART OF THE WEDDING<br />

COMMUNITY<br />

Increasingly couples really do their<br />

homework before they buy. I used<br />

to show couples a portfolio of my<br />

wedding work when I first met<br />

them to talk about my wedding<br />

planning services. These days<br />

they know more about me than I<br />

know about myself! Social media<br />

is huge in the world of weddings<br />

and young couples marrying now<br />

see your presence on social media<br />

as a very vital extension of your<br />

website and look into this heavily<br />

before they get in touch. Make sure<br />

that what you are putting out there<br />

is reflective of the efforts you put<br />

into your website, your printed<br />

marketing materials and more.<br />

It’s not just about putting your<br />

content out there either, it’s how<br />

you interact with others in the<br />

wedding community. Modern<br />

couples want their venue to be<br />

highly regarded among wedding<br />

professionals whose style and<br />

opinion they rate (remember they<br />

may have selected their perfect<br />

cake designer or their stationer<br />

before your venue), so make sure<br />

that you interact both on and off<br />

line with wedding professionals<br />

in your area and that you’re<br />

supportive of their creations in<br />

your venue and elsewhere. Make<br />

“SOCIAL MEDIA IS HUGE IN THE WORLD<br />

OF WEDDINGS AND YOUNG COUPLES<br />

MARRYING NOW SEE YOUR PRESENCE<br />

ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS A VERY VITAL<br />

EXTENSION OF YOUR WEBSITE AND<br />

LOOK INTO THIS HEAVILY BEFORE THEY<br />

GET IN TOUCH”<br />

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />

Kelly Chandler is a longterm<br />

preferred service<br />

provider for exclusive<br />

venues such as Syon<br />

Park, Highclere Castle,<br />

Spencer House and<br />

Stoke Park Club. Kelly’s<br />

consulting services to<br />

wedding venues draw<br />

on prior experience in<br />

international conference<br />

and event planning,<br />

over 13 years of business<br />

management, and<br />

working directly with<br />

discerning couples<br />

planning their weddings<br />

in diverse locations<br />

and forging successful<br />

relationships with all<br />

components of the<br />

wedding industry. A<br />

former director of trade<br />

body, the Alliance of<br />

Wedding Planners,<br />

Kelly is a well-regarded<br />

innovator, mentor,<br />

trainer and industry<br />

spokesperson on and in<br />

the wedding business.<br />

www. kellychandler<br />

consulting.co.uk<br />

sure you are a genuine part of<br />

the wedding community; this is<br />

incredibly important to many<br />

couples choosing their wedding<br />

location.<br />

WATCH YOUR WORDS<br />

A final recommendation is more<br />

along the lines of words and<br />

expressions to avoid with the bridal<br />

market, and speaking the wrong<br />

language! This is especially relevant<br />

for those venues and locations that<br />

serve other markets in events.<br />

Any mention of ‘sales’, ‘revenue’,<br />

commercial’ or similar words,<br />

whether in terms of job titles,<br />

functions or anything else, is<br />

a major no-no in the wedding<br />

world. While your couple might<br />

themselves work in a commercial<br />

world, nobody wants to think of<br />

their wedding in business terms<br />

or in terms of generating revenue<br />

even though that is the reality.<br />

Avoid these terms where possible.<br />

Similarly pay attention to things<br />

like ‘theatre style’, ‘breakout<br />

rooms’, ‘function suites’ and so<br />

on - all terms borrowed from the<br />

conference and corporate events<br />

market. They might be understood<br />

by events professionals but<br />

they often don’t mean a thing<br />

to a couple or have negative<br />

associations. Instead, focus on<br />

talking about ‘bride’s boudoirs’<br />

or ‘dressing rooms’, ‘crèche areas’,<br />

‘after-party chill out areas’ and<br />

‘ceremony set-ups’.<br />

Last but not least, show your<br />

friendliness and approachability at<br />

every opportunity – it goes a long<br />

way.<br />

REFINE AND SHINE<br />

If you’re an established wedding venue looking to<br />

improve both the quality and quantity of your weddings,<br />

you may like Kelly’s signature three month ‘Refine and<br />

Shine’ consulting programme. Details can be found at<br />

www.kellychandlerconsulting.co.uk/consulting-services/<br />

refine-and-shine-service<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 17


FUNCTION VENUES<br />

P ow<br />

OAB Loves…<br />

er<br />

Top products from our advertisers<br />

to help power your functions<br />

WE LOVE...<br />

The Powerpack 300+<br />

from Portable Power<br />

Technology<br />

WHY?<br />

Got an off-grid venue? This fab<br />

all in one power pack is fully<br />

solar adaptable, lightweight<br />

and portable. Charge it from<br />

the mains or connect it to a<br />

folding solar panel. It delivers<br />

AC and DC power, and is perfect<br />

for running lights, fridges and<br />

more. It provides 465 watthours<br />

of energy capacity in a<br />

unit weighing just 3.7Kg. The<br />

pure sinewave 230V inverter<br />

powers all AC appliances and<br />

loads up to 300W. An integrated<br />

transfer switch makes it an<br />

ideal power back up too,<br />

automatically transferring from<br />

grid to internal battery in only a<br />

few milliseconds.<br />

The powerpack also features<br />

two USB ports for charging or<br />

powering mobile devices and<br />

an integral 2W LED lamp. A 110V<br />

output version is also available<br />

and options for metal housing<br />

and a waterproof, rugged case.<br />

FROM<br />

Portable Power Technology<br />

01474 761051<br />

www.portablepowertech.com<br />

WE LOVE THE...<br />

Denyo range of super quiet generators<br />

from Morris Site Machinery<br />

WHY?<br />

Worried about noise pollution or just want to keep<br />

equipment noise to a minimum for guests? The<br />

Denyo range of highly efficient diesel generators from<br />

Morris Site Machinery range from 6kVA to 100kVA and<br />

offer up to 26 hours of uninterrupted operation. The<br />

EVENTA and RENTA ranges are super silent and road<br />

towable. The EVENTA’s 20kVA constant rated diesel<br />

generator is perfect for where noise must be kept to<br />

a minimum – it operates at just 55dB(A) at 7m – the<br />

same as normal conversation at 3m.<br />

The British company supplies specialist event<br />

hire companies across the UK which can be found<br />

at events of all scales from weddings to the largest<br />

festival.<br />

FROM<br />

Morris Site Machinery<br />

0345 409 0280<br />

www.morrismachinery.co.uk<br />

GETTY IMAGES<br />

18 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


FUNCTION VENUES<br />

WE LOVE THE…<br />

Marquee power, lighting and sound products<br />

from Essential Supplies and Titan Power<br />

WHY?<br />

Pretty much everything technical you need to<br />

run events from a marquee. If you are a venue<br />

with your own structure then Essential Supplies<br />

is your one-stop-shop for power distribution,<br />

audio and lighting, as well as marquee rigging<br />

and accessories. You can order online or over the<br />

phone, and next day delivery is free for orders<br />

over £150.<br />

For power, this company has a large range of<br />

temporary power supplies using components<br />

from Mennekes and Eaton. As well as a range<br />

of stock power distribution boards, it can<br />

create boards to any specification, from 16A to<br />

800A. They are lightweight, weatherproof and<br />

feature a unique stacking system with sunken<br />

components.<br />

FROM<br />

Essential Supplies<br />

0800 0432 123 / 01752 817 140<br />

www.essentialsupplies.co.uk<br />

ITA ROBUST Models<br />

• 45 Kw and 75 Kw outputs<br />

• Fuel tank for 16 hours burning duration<br />

• Large ball bearing wheels<br />

• Fork lift slots<br />

• Fuel Gauge<br />

• Optional lifting hook<br />

IMA Series<br />

• High efficiency heat exchangers<br />

• Radial fans for powerful heat distribution<br />

• Protection bars all around<br />

• Lifting hooks & fork truck slots<br />

• Tigerloop standard<br />

• Burner with rain cover and lower tray for oil<br />

containment during servicing<br />

• Available with 1 and 3 phase radial fans<br />

• Outputs of 65kw, 110kw, 150kw & 200kw<br />

IMAC Series<br />

• High efficiency heat exchangers<br />

• Stainless steel frame on box girders with<br />

fork truck slots & lifting hooks<br />

• Lockable door panels for control box and<br />

burner area with feed through glands for<br />

cable and fuel hoses<br />

• Return air flanges are optional<br />

• 120kw, 145kw, 200kw & 220kw models<br />

with options of 2 stage burner and 2<br />

speed fan on the 200Kw & 220 Kw<br />

models<br />

• IMAC 4000E model has a 2 stage burner<br />

& 2 speed fan wth heat outputs of 261kw<br />

or 383kw and heated air outputs up to<br />

24,000 cubic metres per hour<br />

11 & 12 Buckingham Close, Bermuda Industrial Estate, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7JT<br />

Andy Wallis 07850 988382 • Steve Jones 07810 805935 • John Hall 07775 635527<br />

Tel: 02476 357960 Email: sales@thermobile.co.uk www.thermobile.co.uk<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 19


FUNCTION VENUES | PRODUCT FOCUS<br />

Heat and Power<br />

WHISPER QUIET<br />

TOWABLE GENERATORS<br />

Fourth Generation<br />

020 8450 2943 / 01582<br />

562162<br />

www.fourthgenerationltd.com<br />

Fourth Generation provides<br />

temporary power for the<br />

event and entertainment<br />

industries worldwide. Its<br />

fleet of ‘whisper’ quiet,<br />

towable generators are<br />

custom designed and ideally<br />

COOLING & HEATING SOLUTI<br />

placed for the corporate<br />

and private event market.<br />

They range from 60 to 150<br />

kVA and offer a unique 55/56<br />

dB at 7 meters - arguably<br />

the quietest on the rental<br />

market. In addition, their non<br />

branded livery ensures that<br />

they offer a discreet presence<br />

at any event. The company<br />

also supplies 500 kVA and<br />

440 kVA Twinpak generators,<br />

alongside cable, distribution,<br />

crew and fuel management.<br />

temperature control specialists<br />

CREATING THE RIGHT<br />

‘ATMOSPHERE’<br />

Cooling and Heating<br />

Solutions<br />

01590 681434<br />

www.coolingandheating<br />

solutions.com<br />

For weddings, parties,<br />

corporate events, sporting<br />

events and more…<br />

Whatever the event, we<br />

at Cooling and Heating<br />

Solutions can provide<br />

a perfectly designed<br />

and controlled internal<br />

environment. We specialise<br />

in cooling and heating<br />

solutions and the control of<br />

temperature, ‘Creating the<br />

Right Atmosphere’ in both<br />

temporary and permanent<br />

structures. We provide a a<br />

huge range of cooling and<br />

heating systems and, of<br />

course, great service all the<br />

way!<br />

hire<br />

sales<br />

portable units<br />

temporary systems<br />

sales@candhs.co.uk – coolingandheatingsolutions.com – 01590 681<br />

Marlwood House, Silver Street, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 6DG, UK<br />

EASYGRID<br />

Energy Solutions<br />

01634 290772<br />

www.energy-solutions.<br />

co.uk/products/easygrid<br />

If your site isn’t connected<br />

to the main grid but you<br />

want to run electrical power,<br />

what do you do? EasyGrid<br />

utilises solar energy, stores<br />

it in a battery bank and can<br />

have a generator as a back<br />

up if needed. EasyGrid is<br />

an off-grid power range<br />

delivering an affordable<br />

option to campsites,<br />

glampsites and outdoor<br />

events - anywhere without a<br />

mains grid connection.<br />

SOLAR POWERED<br />

GENERATOR<br />

Solar Shed<br />

0808 126 1289<br />

www.solar-power.co.uk<br />

The Yeti range from<br />

American outdoor<br />

specialists Goal Zero<br />

really is a monster of<br />

silent power generators.<br />

The Yeti 1250, is fuelled by<br />

the sun and designed to<br />

bring high quality, mains<br />

power to outdoor events.<br />

With a 1.2kW pure sine<br />

wave inverter, 2 x 3 pin<br />

sockets, 3 x USB outlets<br />

and 1 x 12v socket, you<br />

can bring light, sound and<br />

effects to any outdoor<br />

event.<br />

20 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


LIGHTING<br />

AUDIO<br />

RIGGING<br />

ACCESSORIES<br />

ELECTRICAL<br />

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES<br />

essentialsupplies.co.uk 0800 0432 123<br />

Beautiful stretch tents<br />

for any occasion<br />

Comprehensive selection of free style Stretch Tent<br />

marquees for hire and sale throughout the UK.<br />

01403 333135 email enquiries@tentstyle.co.uk<br />

www.tentstyle.co.uk<br />

TOUGH SUPREMACY<br />

RELIABLE POWER SOLUTIONS<br />

titanpower.co.uk<br />

Remember when canvas<br />

was all you had to protect<br />

your big event?<br />

Earn<br />

15%<br />

commission<br />

by joining our<br />

Introducer<br />

scheme<br />

w e d d i n g s . s t a l l h o l d e r s . f e s t i v a l s . p a r t i e s<br />

If you have an important event coming up, we have a policy to keep<br />

you, or your clients, protected. And since Event Insurance Services have<br />

been exceeding clients expectations for over 20 years, you know we’re<br />

a company you can trust. But don’t just take our word for it, check<br />

out our Trust Pilot reviews too. Our policies offer affordable, reliable<br />

insurance, tailored to fit the scale and style of the occasion – from<br />

festivals and events to high profile weddings, small ceremonies, school<br />

fetes and parties. Plus, with our Introducer scheme, venue owners or<br />

event organisers can earn 15% commission simply by introducing clients<br />

to Event Insurance Services. To join our Introducer scheme, please email<br />

Lucy Minns on lucye@events-insurance.co.uk or call 01425 470360.<br />

Alternatively, to get a quotation<br />

for an event, please visit<br />

events-insurance.co.uk<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 21


GLAMPSITES<br />

CASE STUDY<br />

Heartland<br />

The team behind UK tent making company<br />

Spirits Intent has introduced the concept of glamping to<br />

Central Italy through a live-in event centre with a difference<br />

Lucy Friedlander and Nitsan Morag host transformational events and live-in<br />

seminars on topics including yurt making, healing arts and green building, with<br />

accommodation in a variety of glamping units. Their aim is to bring ‘Man’, awareness<br />

and the environment into one on a 12 hectare site in Central Italy, and to offer the area’s<br />

farmers a model by which they can diversify into eco tourism themselves. We talk to Lucy.<br />

What made you decide to<br />

start offering glamping<br />

accommodation?<br />

We looked for a place for many<br />

years to be our home and open a<br />

campsite. Central Italy is relatively<br />

new to glamping, but is ready for<br />

a glamping explosion. We opened<br />

with our first event in March 2015.<br />

How did you research the<br />

business before entering it?<br />

We have a UK tent making business<br />

called Spirits Intent, and have<br />

worked in the glamping industry for<br />

“THE PLACE IS<br />

STUNNINGLY<br />

BEAUTIFUL,<br />

AND IN AN<br />

AREA OF ITALY<br />

WHERE YOU<br />

CAN BE IN THE<br />

MOUNTAINS<br />

THEN 20<br />

MINUTES<br />

LATER ON THE<br />

BEACH”<br />

12+ years. We have wide experience<br />

in this market, in the UK and other<br />

European countries, and saw Italy<br />

as a good place for a campsite<br />

as land is relatively inexpensive<br />

and it’s a popular destination for<br />

tourists. Abruzzo is uncharted.<br />

Tell us about your location<br />

and site<br />

Our site is in the mountains of<br />

Central Italy with a magnificent<br />

view of the Majella Mountain. It<br />

is not a traditional glamping site<br />

because we hold events at the site<br />

and don’t currently open to the<br />

public for vacations, although we<br />

are working towards it. The place is<br />

stunningly beautiful, and in an area<br />

of Italy where you can be in the<br />

mountains then 20 minutes later<br />

on the beach. Abruzzo is a relatively<br />

undiscovered part of Italy and has<br />

preserved its ancient traditions<br />

of agriculture, food, festivals and<br />

religion. There are endless hiking<br />

paths in the mountains and the<br />

Majella National Park and Abruzzo<br />

National Park are not far away.<br />

The Heartland site is on 12<br />

hectares of wild mountain land.<br />

It was previously cultivated but<br />

abandoned for 50 years and<br />

we have gradually cleared and<br />

landscaped the land. It is in wild<br />

nature – oak forests, fruit orchards,<br />

rolling hills, olives, wild roses, deer,<br />

wild boar, wolves, fireflies, loads<br />

22 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


of butterflies, and two rivers with<br />

pools for swimming. If you come at<br />

the right time the trees are literally<br />

dripping with figs, mulberries,<br />

persimmons, apples, and pears.<br />

How did you tackle getting<br />

planning?<br />

As the land was previously<br />

agricultural land we have had to<br />

apply for a change of use. As Italy<br />

is relatively new to glamping,<br />

especially in Central and Southern<br />

Italy, there aren’t many precedents<br />

so we have had to carve our own<br />

way. The challenge, as foreigners,<br />

was to bring the idea of our project<br />

to the local, very traditional village<br />

but the local people have been<br />

incredibly welcoming and our local<br />

commune is very supportive.<br />

The villages in the area have<br />

experienced an exodus as the<br />

youth leave and mass agriculture<br />

undercuts the local farmers. The<br />

case is the same for much of the<br />

rural mountain area in Southern<br />

Europe. We have set up an<br />

association to create a movement<br />

of sustainable tourism in Abruzzo,<br />

where the idea of glamping is<br />

being introduced to help local<br />

farmers diversify and supplement<br />

their income and bring energy and<br />

income to the area.


GLAMPSITES<br />

How would you describe your<br />

‘style’ or unique selling point?<br />

We have mainly opened for group<br />

events so far and offer cooperation<br />

with event organisers on any level,<br />

from renting the whole site, with<br />

or without us providing food, to<br />

collaborating on the vision, design,<br />

organisation and marketing of the<br />

event.<br />

What challenges have you faced?<br />

Mice eating the woollen mattresses<br />

and blankets and even the canvas<br />

of the tents. Wasps building nests<br />

under the tent skirts. Weather of<br />

course, what with high winds and<br />

summer heat. The road down to<br />

the site has also needed a lot of<br />

work to make it drivable.<br />

What glamping accommodation<br />

do you offer and why did you<br />

choose it?<br />

We make our own units and<br />

currently have four yurts and<br />

one sibley tent (a hanging tipi), a<br />

kitchen tent, a covered workshop<br />

area and are working on a<br />

shepherds hut. The tipi is more<br />

wild and close to the Earth, and<br />

generally used for ceremonies and<br />

circle work. The yurts are more<br />

comfortable – and everyone loves<br />

yurts; that feeling of ‘wow’ when<br />

you step in. The shepherds hut<br />

is a recent project for something<br />

new in GlampItalia - the growing<br />

glamping world in Italy.<br />

How do you publicise yourself?<br />

We have a website for the site<br />

“WE ALSO USE FACEBOOK AND HAVE<br />

PUT OURSELVES OUT THERE ON<br />

VARIOUS GLAMPING AND GREEN<br />

TOURISM PLATFORMS IN ITALY,<br />

AND HAVE JOINED LOCAL TOURISM<br />

INITIATIVES”<br />

and link to it through our UK tent<br />

making website. We also use<br />

Facebook and have put ourselves<br />

out there on various glamping and<br />

green tourism platforms in Italy,<br />

and have joined local tourism<br />

initiatives. As we mainly host<br />

events we are known as an event<br />

location so often get publicised by<br />

word of mouth.<br />

ADDRESS BOOK<br />

DETAILS<br />

Abruzzo, Italy<br />

+39 3388 622686 / 07895 019028<br />

www.spiritsheartlandofintent.com<br />

www.spiritsintent.com<br />

What are your plans for next<br />

season?<br />

To complete our Zodiac tent, which<br />

is a large structure comprising 12<br />

yurts in a circle connected by a<br />

large ‘zome’ in the centre. This will<br />

be used as a unique event space.<br />

Why do you enjoy the business?<br />

It is our life and we love being able<br />

to share this beautiful place with<br />

others. Italy is amazing - warm<br />

hearted people, great food, rich<br />

history and beautiful climate.<br />

24 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


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26 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


GLAMPSITES<br />

<strong>Business</strong> Models<br />

Kate Morel investigates the various ways to set up a glamping business. From a 28-day<br />

pop-up site to a multi-million-pound resort, read on to find out which would suit you<br />

GETTY IMAGES<br />

ONE OF THE subjects that Tally wanted me<br />

to cover this year was ‘glamping business<br />

models’, and I agreed that it would be a<br />

good topic, because it certainly attracts<br />

a lot of interest. The seminars I gave on<br />

this subject last year were incredibly well<br />

attended and I was asked for more copies of<br />

the presentation than any other (or maybe<br />

that says something about the rest of my<br />

presentations?).<br />

Glamping, like any other business can,<br />

in essence, be divided into franchise,<br />

corporate, and private ownership, all of<br />

which can operate to one or more of several<br />

models, but boundaries can be blurred.<br />

Since my 2016 presentations, I’ve spotted<br />

a couple of variations, a totally new model,<br />

and even come up with one of my own<br />

(which I’m hoping to trial next year, so stay<br />

tuned). Writing this has been rather like<br />

herding cats, but I believe the resulting<br />

piece covers at least the most commonly<br />

employed, and viable, glamping business<br />

formats.<br />

FRANCHISE<br />

As you’re probably already aware, this<br />

business arrangement involves an existing<br />

established brand selling a license to a third<br />

party - person or company. This third party<br />

then trades and operates under their brand<br />

name and logo, employing their prescribed<br />

model of operation. It’s a very common<br />

model and our high streets, shopping<br />

centres and motorway service<br />

stations are full of them.<br />

1 One such glamping franchise model<br />

operates to the standard format – it<br />

requires the landowner to pay an initial<br />

fee, to buy a minimum number of their<br />

structures, and pay an ongoing monthly<br />

commission. In return, the franchisee<br />

landowner can operate under the<br />

company’s trademarked name and<br />

logo, is provided with a website and<br />

booking system, and receives ongoing<br />

support from the franchisor. For example,<br />

Wigwam Holidays.<br />

2 Another franchise model offers the<br />

same, however it doesn’t require an<br />

initial fee or the compulsory purchase<br />

of structures, but there is a trade-off<br />

in commission. If the landowner buys<br />

the structures they pay the franchisor<br />

a much lower commission than if the<br />

franchisor had provided them. To be<br />

considered for this kind of franchise, both<br />

land and landowner must meet a strict<br />

list of qualifying criteria. For example,<br />

Featherdown Farms, Lanterns & Larks<br />

In all cases the landowner is responsible<br />

for on-site operations and change overs.<br />

A franchise is a good option for those who<br />

want to set up glamping but don’t have the<br />

time or resources to go through the whole<br />

process, or don’t want to invest in structures<br />

and glamping outright. Terms and a<br />

minimum lease period will apply.<br />

RESORT DEVELOPMENTS<br />

These are usually owned by very large<br />

businesses or corporations, and involve<br />

high numbers of units, with the same (or<br />

very similar) design scheme throughout.<br />

Features such as club houses, restaurants,<br />

pools, activities, gyms and spa facilities,<br />

are essential to this model. Given the<br />

multi-million pound level of investment<br />

in these developments, a high unit count<br />

plus strong ancillary revenues are the<br />

only way to ensure viability and deliver a<br />

sufficient return. For example: Love2Stay in<br />

Shropshire.<br />

PRIVATE SME<br />

The majority of dedicated glampsites in<br />

the UK are privately owned by individuals,<br />

couples or families who had land and<br />

decided to diversify, or have purposely<br />

bought land to start a glampsite. This is the<br />

original small-scale, grass-roots glamping<br />

format, and can obviously incorporate any<br />

number of the models of operation as listed<br />

below.<br />

Both resort and private glampsites can<br />

incorporate one or more of the following<br />

models of operation, (for franchises, not so<br />

much, it depends on the lease agreement):<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 27


GLAMPSITES<br />

› Lifestyle - Most small, privately-owned<br />

sites offer this, where guests are immersed<br />

in an experience that is unique to that<br />

site, and the owners themselves play a<br />

big part of this. They are usually carefully<br />

and thoughtfully created by owners<br />

who are passionate about their location<br />

and whatever it is they do there – be it a<br />

craft, farming or other vocation. Can also<br />

include other models in this list.<br />

› Events - festivals and wedding receptions<br />

are ever popular, some sites are also<br />

obtaining licenses to conduct the wedding<br />

ceremony itself. Events require planning<br />

applications and licensing according to<br />

party size, entertainment etc.<br />

› Wellness - as I’ve mentioned in previous<br />

pieces, health and wellbeing is a fastgrowing<br />

leisure sector. From yoga to raw<br />

food workshops, it’s the perfect partner to<br />

glamping.<br />

› Sports and activities - again, another<br />

growing leisure sector providing ample<br />

opportunity to add a USP or additional<br />

revenue streams to the business.<br />

› Learning and education - the rural<br />

locations of glampsites lend themselves<br />

perfectly to hosting and running courses<br />

and workshops on a variety of related<br />

subjects.<br />

› Corporate hospitality - more suited<br />

to larger developments perhaps, but<br />

some smaller operators also cater to<br />

the corporate market, offering team<br />

building and stress management<br />

courses. Standards need to be high, and<br />

each delegate will usually want private<br />

accommodation and facilities.<br />

› Service - this type of glamping takes<br />

hospitality to another level, providing a<br />

service-focussed offer usually only found<br />

in exclusive hotels.<br />

› Boutique - this glamping model can<br />

include some of the above, but its primary<br />

focus is to provide a highly individual and<br />

specialised offer to its guests.<br />

› Adults only - something of a niche, but I<br />

am seeing more glamping that does not<br />

accommodate children. While some sites<br />

cater predominately to families, I’m not<br />

sure that’s a model as such (most accept<br />

small groups or couples as well) although<br />

the ‘family safari tent’ set-up is getting<br />

close.<br />

SUPPLEMENTARY ACCOMMODATION<br />

This is where an existing hospitality<br />

business diversifies its accommodation mix<br />

by adding glamping ie. campsites, holiday<br />

parks, public houses, B&Bs, hotels, resorts.<br />

For example, Hoseasons Pods, Haselbury<br />

Mill Hotel Somerset, The Camping &<br />

Caravanning Club’s ‘Ready Camp’ and the<br />

YHA.<br />

I’ve advised owners of hotels and public<br />

houses on adding glamping to their existing<br />

accommodation and it always works well.<br />

They can accommodate more guests for<br />

events and weddings, and attract guests<br />

who wouldn’t otherwise have stayed. If you<br />

own such a business with suitable adjoining<br />

land, but haven’t added glamping yet - why<br />

not?<br />

ATTRACTIONS<br />

I was tempted to include ‘attractions’ in<br />

‘supplementary accommodation’ but I think<br />

they should stand alone because their core<br />

business isn’t accommodation. In my head,<br />

historic properties and theme parks have<br />

a category of their own too, but then the<br />

principle of adding glamping to an existing<br />

attraction is the same whether it’s 500, or<br />

15 years old. Glamping is a natural addition<br />

to these attractions, creating an enriched<br />

experience for visitors, encouraging longer<br />

stays and boosting revenue. The glamping<br />

should ideally have a design connection<br />

with the nature of the attraction and<br />

add interest – rather than a ‘bolt-on’. For<br />

example, Alton Towers' Woodland Lodges<br />

and Warwick Castle.<br />

LEASEHOLD<br />

Leasehold isn’t a new concept in holiday<br />

accommodation; many parks and caravan<br />

sites have been selling chalets and statics<br />

on long term leases for a long time. It is<br />

however new to glamping, where until<br />

now accommodation has been let for short<br />

breaks only. I’m not sure if this will catch<br />

on in the UK, but it’s already happening in<br />

Europe. What will it be next, time share?<br />

Remember you read it in <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />

first!<br />

POP-UP SITES<br />

Unlike sited holiday glamping, this isn’t<br />

something I work on every day so there are<br />

better qualified people out there to expand<br />

on this. However, within an article on<br />

glamping business models they do require<br />

a mention. Under this header you’ll find:<br />

› Pre-ordered glamping, usually bell tents,<br />

erected at regular campsites by a thirdparty<br />

operator for guests, taken down<br />

at the end of their stay, and sometimes<br />

re-erected at another site for them. I’ve<br />

seen a few such operators come and go<br />

› Event glamping, where a village of<br />

glamping is erected for hire at events<br />

such as festivals and sports. For example,<br />

‘Pop Up Hotel’ at Glastonbury Festival<br />

› Temporary event tipi and /or<br />

accommodations for weddings and<br />

guests, usually on private land<br />

› 28-day pop-up glamping, where<br />

landowners are permitted to hold<br />

camping on their land for up to 28<br />

consecutive days.<br />

VARIATIONS<br />

Before I sign off I want to mention a few<br />

of the alternative set-up options that can<br />

apply to some of the above-mentioned<br />

models.<br />

› Site licence exemption certificate: Sites<br />

operating with an exemption certificate are<br />

usually run by private SMEs, and operate<br />

in the same way as any other site with<br />

one exception - they did not have to apply<br />

for planning permission or a camping<br />

and caravan certificate from their local<br />

28 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


GLAMPSITES<br />

authority. This is because they<br />

have joined an organisation that<br />

has been set up in accordance with<br />

specific legislation, and operates<br />

to accepted responsibilities<br />

to promote rural leisure and<br />

recreation.<br />

There are strict limitations on<br />

the number and type of structures<br />

(non-permanent) that can be<br />

used, and visiting guests usually<br />

also need to be members of the<br />

organisation. Usual planning rules<br />

will apply for additional facilities<br />

and groundworks. The traditional<br />

camping and caravan clubs are<br />

such organisations but they don’t<br />

support glamping sites, there are<br />

however a couple of ‘new kids<br />

on the block’ that are glamping<br />

friendly. For example, The Freedom<br />

Camping Club.<br />

› Hire options: Rather than own<br />

the land I have also seen people<br />

lease it, and know operators who<br />

run successful glamping sites on<br />

this basis. However, I have also<br />

seen this model fail for various<br />

reasons – unreasonable lease<br />

agreements, excessive rental fees,<br />

inappropriate marketing platforms,<br />

poor communication/relationship<br />

with the landowner, to name a<br />

few. Most of these failures boil<br />

down to the absence of a business<br />

plan, particularly the financial<br />

forecast, which results in poor lease<br />

negotiations.<br />

Also, one doesn’t need to buy<br />

the structures outright these days,<br />

because some suppliers now offer<br />

their tents and pods on a hire basis.<br />

Obviously, there are terms and<br />

a minimum lease period, but for<br />

those who don’t have the capital<br />

to invest, this does provide an<br />

alternative way to get going.<br />

› Supplier support: Another set<br />

up variation is where an owner<br />

obtains their structures from a<br />

supplier who offers a consultancy or<br />

support service. Depending on the<br />

level required it may be included<br />

in the structure price, or charged<br />

as an additional service. The most<br />

comprehensive one I know of is<br />

provided by Eco Tents Australia –<br />

it’s quite fantastic. There are UK<br />

suppliers who offer some of these<br />

levels of support, but here I’m going<br />

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />

Kate Morel provides<br />

a completely<br />

independent advice<br />

and design service to<br />

individuals, estates<br />

and companies<br />

looking to create a<br />

successful glamping<br />

business. She is<br />

well qualified and<br />

connected to provide<br />

advice on every aspect<br />

of creating, operating,<br />

marketing and<br />

upgrading glamping<br />

accommodations or<br />

developments. www.<br />

katemorel.com / info@<br />

katemorel.com / www.<br />

facebook.com/groups/<br />

glampingbusinesslink<br />

to use Eco Tents as an example<br />

because its sales tools clearly<br />

demonstrate the levels of support.<br />

So, there you have it, I trust that I<br />

managed to herd the cats into some<br />

form of comprehensible legibility<br />

for you. As you can see, glamping<br />

is a fabulously flexible business<br />

option; we can create any number<br />

of types and styles to suit just about<br />

any hospitality enterprise.<br />

This can make it a little confusing<br />

I suppose, but for me it’s part of<br />

the attraction because there are so<br />

many options to explore - no two<br />

need be the same. There’s nothing<br />

more exciting than creating a<br />

glamping development, be it one<br />

unit or 50, and slowly but surely<br />

turning people’s visions and ideas<br />

into something viable as well as<br />

original.<br />

As always, if you have any<br />

questions (or suggestions of things<br />

I missed) or might be interested<br />

in engaging my support for your<br />

glamping project, please do drop<br />

me a line. It’s always great to hear<br />

from you and get your feedback.<br />

Till next time, Kate<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 29


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GLAMPSITES<br />

The Wonder<br />

of Woodland<br />

Jason Thawley discusses the healing power of woodland,<br />

forests and green spaces, and how low-impact structures<br />

can open up opportunities for people to enjoy their wellbeing<br />

benefits<br />

TREES CAN HAVE a restorative and<br />

therapeutic effect on the mind; research<br />

has shown that recovery rates improve<br />

if patients can view trees from a hospital<br />

window. Additionally, the health of<br />

patients, staff and local communities can<br />

be dramatically improved by providing<br />

opportunities to exercise outdoors and<br />

access green spaces, including woodland.<br />

According to NHS Forest a project<br />

coordinated by charity the Centre for<br />

Sustainable Healthcare (CSH), less than 10<br />

per cent of the population has access to<br />

local woodland within 500m of their home.<br />

However, with mounting evidence to show<br />

the health benefits of spending time outside<br />

in nature, the appeal of getting away from it<br />

all and escaping to a forest hideaway is high.<br />

In Japan, forest therapy is standard<br />

preventive medicine. The Japanese term<br />

shinrin-yoku means taking in the forest<br />

atmosphere or ‘forest bathing,’ and people<br />

are encouraged to visit forests to relieve<br />

stress and improve health. Based on ancient<br />

Shinto and Buddhist practice, research has<br />

found that the practice has measurable<br />

health benefits, which include lower blood<br />

pressure, reduced stress, lower blood<br />

sugar, improved concentration, diminished<br />

pain, improved immunity, less depression,<br />

increased vitality, better concentration, and<br />

increased creativity.<br />

Research has also shown how exposure<br />

to forests boosts our immune system. While<br />

we breathe in the fresh air, we breathe<br />

in phytoncides - airborne chemicals that<br />

plants give off to protect themselves from<br />

insects. Phytoncides have antibacterial and<br />

antifungal qualities that help plants fight<br />

disease. When we breathe in these chemicals<br />

our bodies respond by increasing the<br />

number and activity of a type of white blood<br />

cell that has been found to kill tumours and<br />

virus infected cells in our bodies. In one<br />

study, increased cell activity from a three<br />

day, two night forest bathing trip lasted for<br />

more than 30 days. Japanese researchers<br />

are currently exploring whether exposure<br />

to forests can help prevent certain kinds of<br />

cancer.<br />

The evidence section of the NHS Forest<br />

website features a host of research resources<br />

that outline the well-being benefits of<br />

contact with nature, but there are still<br />

organisational and cultural barriers that<br />

prevent these benefits from being realised.<br />

“Natural England recently published a<br />

report on social prescription that further<br />

demonstrates the positive impact of naturebased<br />

interventions in a range of mental<br />

health scenarios,” says Ben Williams, NHS<br />

Forest and Green Space project lead at CSH.<br />

Last year, CSH organised (on behalf of the<br />

National Outdoors for All Working Group)<br />

a conference on Transforming Mental<br />

Health and Dementia Provision with the<br />

Natural Environment, which showcased<br />

a range of work successfully delivering<br />

clinical outcomes across the country. “In<br />

Scotland, nature-based interventions<br />

are being drawn into mainstream clinical<br />

practice for a range of health aspects,”<br />

he says. “However, there is a great deal<br />

of inertia in the clinical system, with the<br />

biomedical mindset deeply ingrained not<br />

only in clinicians but also in patients, who<br />

often fail to recognise the potential impact<br />

of some of these therapies”.<br />

IT’S IN OUR BIOLOGY<br />

Sleep deprivation is always a hot topic, with<br />

many of us regularly complaining that we<br />

don’t get enough, but a US study has found<br />

that camping can help us sleep better and<br />

reset our internal clock to a natural sleep<br />

cycle. A group of five people spent six days<br />

in the mountains with no gadgets, not even<br />

torches. The campers racked up nearly 10<br />

hours sleep each night, almost three hours<br />

more than they were used to getting at<br />

home.<br />

Our bodies keep time using our<br />

internal clock, releasing the ‘sleep<br />

hormone’ melatonin when it’s time to<br />

rest and cortisol when it’s time to wake.<br />

Traditionally, the sun has controlled our<br />

waking and sleeping system – as the sun<br />

rises melatonin production drops off<br />

and cortisol production increases - but<br />

less natural light and more artificial light<br />

confuses the body’s circadian rhythm (our<br />

biological clock) and adversely affects our<br />

sleep.<br />

32 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


GLAMPSITES<br />

But it’s not just getting more natural light<br />

that makes being outdoors beneficial. The<br />

biophilia hypothesis suggests humans have<br />

an innate tendency to seek connections<br />

with nature and other forms of life. It’s<br />

believed that the deep affiliations we have<br />

with other life forms and nature as a whole<br />

are in our biology. So, sleeping in a natural<br />

environment surrounded by vegetation<br />

really can help us recharge our batteries<br />

and take rest and relaxation to a whole new<br />

level.<br />

To enhance the beauty and benefits of<br />

the natural environment, structures that are<br />

made using natural materials should blend<br />

seamlessly with their surroundings and<br />

mimic shapes found in nature, making us<br />

feel part of the natural world.<br />

Forested areas provide a unique and<br />

magical environment, but when choosing<br />

woodland structures it is important to<br />

consider that you will often be dealing<br />

with difficult ground that can range from<br />

flat to sloping. Choosing a structure that is<br />

suspended between the trees, such as our<br />

Tree Tent, can be a solution - flexible design<br />

allows installation in areas that were once<br />

believed to be economically unviable.<br />

Our suspended tree house is positioned<br />

among the branches of a tree and actively<br />

moves with it mimicking the structures<br />

that animals and insects may make for<br />

themselves. Other eco-friendly options<br />

include timber structures made from<br />

sustainable ash. Integrated clear skylight<br />

panels bring in natural light and allow<br />

for stargazing at night. In our Firma Shell<br />

structure, a fully glazed front entrance<br />

affords uninterrupted views of the<br />

surrounding environment.<br />

Spending time around trees and looking<br />

at trees reduces stress, lowers blood<br />

pressure and improves mood. Numerous<br />

studies show that both exercising in forests<br />

and simply sitting looking at trees reduces<br />

blood pressure as well as the stress-related<br />

hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Looking<br />

at pictures of trees has a similar, but less<br />

dramatic, effect. Studies examining the<br />

same activities in urban, unplanted areas<br />

showed no reduction in stress-related<br />

effects. Using the Profile of Mood States<br />

test, researchers found that forest bathing<br />

trips significantly decreased the scores<br />

for anxiety, depression, anger, confusion<br />

and fatigue, and because stress inhibits<br />

the immune system, the stress-reduction<br />

benefits of forests are further magnified.<br />

A SENSE OF FREEDOM<br />

Trees and green space encourage<br />

healthy lifestyles, improving public<br />

health. An ageing population is putting<br />

pressure on health and care services. An<br />

increasing proportion of the population<br />

is obese, most worryingly particularly in<br />

the young. International evidence has<br />

demonstrated the critical impact trees<br />

have in encouraging more active lifestyles<br />

and alleviating the symptoms of some<br />

of our most debilitating conditions such<br />

as dementia, obesity, heart disease and<br />

mental health problems.<br />

“When you are outdoors you feel different<br />

– most people, young or old feel a sense of<br />

freedom, space and find it easier to relax,”<br />

says Marina Robb, director of Circle of Life<br />

Rediscovery CIC - a provider of nature based<br />

experiences and courses that are described<br />

as educational, fun and life changing<br />

including woodland days, camps and<br />

forest school sessions for schools, holiday<br />

woodland days, CPD days and forest school<br />

training for adults.<br />

“The science says that our cortisol levels<br />

reduce, so we are more open to learn and<br />

feel at ease in a group. We have evolved in<br />

the outdoors, coming inside more and more<br />

over the last few decades,” she continues.<br />

“We speak about resilience a lot, the<br />

ability to ‘bounce back’ – and we can’t learn<br />

this if we try and make everything safe and<br />

‘nice’. Then there is the living world in its<br />

magnificence and profound beauty and<br />

all the relationships that exist beyond the<br />

human; the trees being one of the great<br />

living beings on the planet; slow to grow<br />

and move but all with their medicines and<br />

characters as well as providing wood for<br />

warmth and cooking. Climbing up high<br />

gives a different perspective, and what<br />

is needed in our world is the ability to<br />

empathise and see many perspectives,” she<br />

concludes.<br />

It’s clear to see that an escape into the<br />

outdoors, even just for the night, can<br />

work wonders on our health. At Tree Tents<br />

we’re passionate about connecting people<br />

with the great outdoors and creating<br />

opportunities to disconnect from the pace<br />

of modern life. Our glamping structures<br />

are inspired by nature, designed to blend<br />

seamlessly with their environment and<br />

enhance the freedom that comes from<br />

camping in the wild.<br />

SPECIAL OFFER<br />

Get in touch to discuss your<br />

ideas for a world away from it all<br />

and quote ‘<strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong>’<br />

to receive £1,000 worth of free<br />

upgrades. 01273 973 937<br />

www.treetents.co.uk<br />

info@treetents.co.uk<br />

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />

Jason Thawley is innovation and design director and founder of Tree Tents International, a company specialising in the design,<br />

building and installation of sustainable structures and equipment for outdoor living. His range of outdoor hideaways are designed<br />

and engineered to meet the ever-changing environmental conditions of the world’s wild and natural places, giving their owners and<br />

guests a chance to escape into the great outdoors in a way that enhances well-being and benefits the environment.<br />

Tree Tents International began life with the creation of the spherical Tree Tent, a lightweight ash and aluminium structure that can<br />

be assembled on-site and suspended between the trees. Since then the company has gone on to create more unique structures and<br />

outdoor accessories incorporating local and sustainable materials along with hand-made manufacturing processes.<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 33


ABOVE GROUND, LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, LIQUID WASTE COLLECTION TANKS<br />

500 GALLON<br />

TUFF TANK<br />

Photo reproduced by kind permission of www.boundaryfarmcottages.co.uk/glamping<br />

0800 334 5742<br />

www.plasticsol.com<br />

34 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


GLAMPSITES<br />

OAB Loves…<br />

Site<br />

Facilities<br />

What the <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> team<br />

loves about these facilities for glampsites<br />

WE LOVE…<br />

The Clubhouse<br />

from Albion Canvas<br />

(Boldscan)<br />

WHY?<br />

The Clubhouse is a multiuse<br />

safari tent based on an<br />

aluminium frame, available<br />

in 6m or 9m span to any<br />

length in 3m bays – perfect<br />

for use as a communal<br />

space.<br />

We love its unique<br />

look and have seen it<br />

used on sites as an event<br />

space (for weddings and<br />

other gatherings), cafe<br />

and shop, including at<br />

Yorkshire Wildlife Park,<br />

Knowsley Safari Park and<br />

Twycross Zoo. The Safari<br />

style Clubhouse offers the<br />

convenience of the clear<br />

span structure (no poles<br />

getting in the way) with a<br />

more rustic look, while the<br />

new Contemporary version<br />

(in white with a slate blue<br />

roof) is more striking.<br />

FROM<br />

Albion Canvas (Boldscan)<br />

01823 665849<br />

www.albioncanvas.co.uk<br />

WE LOVE...<br />

Eco friendly shower and toilet facilities<br />

from Ecotoilets<br />

WHY?<br />

A shower and toilet you can install pretty much anywhere –<br />

what’s not to love? The team behind the popular Ecotoilets<br />

composting loo has launched washrooms with a pumped or<br />

mains water shower and Separett toilet, available in a traditional<br />

wooden ‘cottage’ or a more contemporary natural resin pod –<br />

the Egloo.<br />

The units benefit from a gas water heater, which is locked<br />

away in a cupboard for instant hot showers any time. Showers<br />

are low water use so great for your green credentials too.<br />

FROM<br />

Ecotoilets<br />

01327 844442<br />

www.eco-toilets.co.uk<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 35


GLAMPSITES<br />

WE LOVE…<br />

Glamping in the trees<br />

from Cheeky Monkey Treehouses<br />

WHY?<br />

Taking us back to our childhood, the<br />

charm of tree house living is captured by<br />

the team at Cheeky Monkey Treehouses.<br />

Bespoke glamping structures can be<br />

situated in and around trees or on raised<br />

platforms should trees be in short supply.<br />

Builds can incorporate utility supply<br />

and disabled access, and are building<br />

regulations compliant. Towers and rope<br />

bridges can also be added to make<br />

design truly personal. Of course, ‘play’<br />

treehouses are also available – a fantastic<br />

add on for family friendly sites.<br />

We love the attention to detail and<br />

personal consultation service with handdrawn,<br />

three-dimensional drawings<br />

allowing you to visualise and tweak<br />

your grand design before the build<br />

commences.<br />

FROM<br />

Cheeky Monkey Treehouses<br />

01403 732452<br />

www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.com<br />

WE LOVE...<br />

Wood fired hot tubs<br />

from Ashwood Shepherd Huts<br />

WHY?<br />

Naked Flame hot tubs were added<br />

to the product range from Ashwood<br />

Shepherd Huts three years ago,<br />

and are a perfect fit in our opinion.<br />

This brand is wood fired and, with<br />

no need for electricity, can be<br />

located nearly anywhere. Available<br />

in spruce, larch, red western cedar<br />

and Thermowood, these tubs are<br />

very efficient to heat. Both cedar<br />

and Thermowood will not shrink,<br />

swell or warp excessively, even when<br />

subjected to changing degrees of<br />

temperature and moisture. Tubs are<br />

expected to last for over 20 years<br />

without the need for additional wood<br />

protectant.<br />

What nicer way to add to<br />

your glampsite than with a low<br />

maintenance, off-grid, luxury tub?<br />

FROM<br />

Ashwood Shepherd Huts<br />

01823 461638<br />

www.ashwoodshepherdhuts.co.uk<br />

WE LOVE...<br />

Portable sanitation for off-grid sites<br />

from Plastic Solutions<br />

WHY?<br />

A solution for off-grid and temporary<br />

glampsites that want to offer flushing<br />

toilets and luxury wash facilities<br />

without the cost and planning hassle<br />

of installing mains water and sewers.<br />

Plastic Solutions provides portable<br />

sanitation products including water<br />

tanks in a variety of sizes, pumps<br />

to transport the water, portable<br />

recirculating flush toilets and effluent<br />

tanks to support the use of flush<br />

lavatories. These are available to buy<br />

for permanent or semi-permanent<br />

installation or from hire companies<br />

for one off or irregular events.<br />

The range has been expanded<br />

to include a variety of waste and<br />

water tanks and accessories, spares<br />

and consumables available online.<br />

The company also has an excellent<br />

customer service reputation.<br />

FROM<br />

Plastic<br />

Solutions<br />

0800 334 5742<br />

www.plasticsol.com<br />

36 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


Your hut your way...x<br />

01823 461638 jamie@ashwoodshepherdhuts.co.uk www.ashwoodshepherdhuts.co.uk<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 37


GLAMPSITES | PRODUCT FOCUS<br />

Site Facilities<br />

RELIABLE WI-FI PROVIDERS<br />

Camping Connect<br />

01792 277230<br />

www.campingconnect.co.uk<br />

Camping Connect has helped<br />

over 250 accommodation<br />

providers and outdoor events<br />

offer great guest Wi-Fi. We are<br />

experts in delivering robust<br />

and supported Wi-Fi that is<br />

perfect for rural locations<br />

and we pride ourselves on<br />

offering the best customer<br />

service to our customers and<br />

their guests. Our exclusive<br />

Camping Connect support<br />

guarantee includes seven day<br />

a week UK based support and<br />

proactive system monitoring.<br />

All our systems come with an<br />

unmatched two year Wi-Fi<br />

warranty and family friendly<br />

filters to protect your younger<br />

guests and visitors. If you’re<br />

interested in getting reliable<br />

Wi-Fi then look no further than<br />

Camping Connect.<br />

MOOD LIGHTING<br />

Solar Technology<br />

0800 7747755 / 01684<br />

774000<br />

www.solartechnology.co.uk<br />

LED's are perfect for bright<br />

illumination but can be often<br />

too harsh when a softer<br />

ambient light is needed. Solar<br />

Technology has developed<br />

two filament style antique<br />

bulbs to work in conjunction<br />

with its renowned micro<br />

solar and battery range;<br />

the SolarHub. Available<br />

with ceiling light fittings,<br />

table and floor lights, the<br />

SolarHub ‘Antique’ range is<br />

perfect for use in all glamping<br />

applications, is simple to<br />

install and very low cost.<br />

Launching at the Glamping<br />

Show in Stoneleigh (21-<br />

23 September) this is one<br />

product you must see! For<br />

more info contact hello@<br />

solartechnology.co.uk<br />

HANDCRAFTED TREEHOUSES<br />

Smallwood Treehouses<br />

0800 044 3869<br />

www.smallwoodtreehouses.co.uk<br />

We build stunning treehouses<br />

for private individuals and<br />

businesses across the UK. Using<br />

the finest quality, sustainablysourced<br />

materials, we handcraft<br />

the finest treehouse structures.<br />

Capturing the very essence of<br />

traditional British craftsmanship,<br />

our experienced joiners will<br />

deliver you a stunning<br />

centrepiece, creating memories<br />

that will last a lifetime. We pride<br />

ourselves on our commitment<br />

to excellent customer care.<br />

From the initial stages of your<br />

project, we’ll guide you through<br />

the design and installation, and<br />

provide a full aftercare package.<br />

We’d love to show you some of<br />

our recent treehouse projects,<br />

so get in touch today for a<br />

complimentary at home survey,<br />

design and estimate.<br />

ECO-FRIENDLY WASTE<br />

SOLUTIONS<br />

The Septic Tank Store<br />

0845 0945 603<br />

www.theseptictankstore.co.uk<br />

With many years’ experience,<br />

UK-based family firm The Septic<br />

Tank Store offers a wealth of<br />

experience in planning, supplying<br />

and installing sewage systems.<br />

Using the newest eco-friendly<br />

products where possible, our<br />

systems take foul effluent and<br />

put it through a natural process<br />

to leave water with reduced<br />

pollutant levels for discharge<br />

to the appropriate point. Each<br />

client and venue has a different<br />

requirement, therefore each<br />

solution is carefully planned to<br />

optimise capacity and minimise<br />

ongoing running costs, hence the<br />

use of eco-friendly compressors.<br />

The team specialises in providing<br />

the most practical system at the<br />

most competitive price, from<br />

initial concept to completed works.<br />

38 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


Sewage Treatment Systems<br />

including Electric<br />

Free Biomatic Systems<br />

For all residential,<br />

commercial and<br />

industrial<br />

applications<br />

Visit us on<br />

Stand 72 at The Glamping<br />

Show 21-23 Sept <strong>2017</strong>,<br />

NAEC Stoneleigh<br />

Park, CV8 2LZ<br />

SolarHub 16<br />

• Instant off grid lighting & power<br />

• Illuminates an indoor area of up to 16 sq m<br />

• Perfect for yurts, tipis, safari tents, cabins,<br />

eco pods...<br />

• Simple to install & exempt from Part P of building regulations<br />

SolarMate Arena Light<br />

• Powerful outdoor off grid floodlight<br />

• Simple & quick to install on scaffold pole or wall brackets<br />

• Perfect for glampsites, festivals, arenas, sports fields<br />

and car parks<br />

• Motion activated PIR or via remote control<br />

01295 236101 • info@theseptictankstore.co.uk<br />

www.theseptictankstore.co.uk<br />

01684 774000<br />

www.solartechnology.co.uk<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 39


GLAMPSITES<br />

CARWYN LLOYD JONES<br />

An interview with the winner of Channel 4’s Cabins in the Wild, a television series following<br />

the eight finalists of the Epic Retreats project in which designers created<br />

accommodation for a Welsh pop up glamping hotel<br />

Industry Legends<br />

CAT<br />

PROFILE<br />

Carwyn was one of the eight Epic<br />

Retreat project finalists. Designs were<br />

chosen through a competition tender<br />

part funded by Visit Wales to support<br />

its Year of Legends <strong>2017</strong> campaign<br />

(see May issue of <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong>).<br />

The eight cabins form a unique pop up<br />

glamping hotel in three Welsh locations<br />

this summer. The building and siting<br />

of the cabins was made into a Channel<br />

4 television programme that aired in<br />

May, presented by Dick Strawbridge<br />

and Will Hardie. Carwyn's Dragon’s<br />

Eye was chosen as the programme’s<br />

overall winner. For more information or<br />

to book a stay in one of these amazing<br />

structures visit www.epicretreats.wales<br />

Name: Carwyn Lloyd Jones<br />

Role: Carpenter<br />

Company: Timber Design Wales<br />

Contact: 07974 596872, carwynljones@<br />

aol.com, www.timberdesignwales.co.uk<br />

Favourite tipple: I am usually a lager<br />

drinker, but now and then cider<br />

Last holiday destination: Holiday...<br />

what’s that?!<br />

Cats or dogs? Neither<br />

Current boxset / TV must watch:<br />

Anything building related, even better if<br />

it's timber/ woodworking<br />

Something people may not know<br />

about you: I was lost at sea<br />

How did you get started in timber frame<br />

design?<br />

I've always had an interest in using timber<br />

since primary school. I wanted to be an<br />

architect but didn't want to spend more time<br />

in school and then university, so went to<br />

college to learn carpentry and joinery. Getting<br />

to design and build things was my main goal,<br />

and it’s really good fun. I may not have gone<br />

about it in the conventional way but learnt an<br />

awful lot on the way and am still learning.<br />

What is the history of your relationship<br />

with the Centre for Alternative Technology<br />

(CAT)?<br />

I've known about the centre since I was in<br />

school and visited a few times. If ever I had<br />

time I would pop in to see what was going<br />

on and almost definitely buy a book or two.<br />

In 2011, I applied to be the maintenance<br />

manager, in which I was successful. After<br />

three amazing years I decided to go back on<br />

my own, which was a really hard decision.<br />

However, in those three years we had come<br />

up with a few courses which I still run today<br />

and I have also built a few of the display<br />

buildings on site.<br />

How did you get involved with the Epic<br />

Retreats project?<br />

I found out about the project online through<br />

the Sell to Wales website. The tendering<br />

process was set as a competition and I was<br />

chosen as one of eight to go on to build a<br />

cabin.<br />

What did the competition brief call for,<br />

and what was your approach to it with the<br />

design of Dragon's Eye?<br />

We were given maximum dimensions and<br />

the unit had to be portable, contain a king<br />

size bed, shower room, compost toilet, wash<br />

basin, kitchen sink, boiler and woodburner.<br />

The main feature of my design is the ‘eye’<br />

which is the window and allows you to see<br />

the whole view. I wanted to make the people<br />

staying in the cabin feel they were part of<br />

the Welsh countryside, as if they were in the<br />

middle of the field but safe inside a cabin. I<br />

also wanted the eye to give the impression<br />

that a huge dragon was hiding in the<br />

mountain.<br />

How did you find the televised part of the<br />

competition, and how did it feel to win?<br />

It was a great experience being filmed, I<br />

just had to make sure I had enough things<br />

planned for when they arrived. Being able to<br />

build the design did it for me. I have pushed<br />

everything I've got and know to the limit.<br />

Finding out I won was quite surreal as it had<br />

been a long month and I was getting back into<br />

a normal routine. I might not have any design<br />

qualifications but experience and building<br />

knowledge to me is more important; a mix of<br />

both is even better.<br />

Explain your passion for timber and<br />

creating with it<br />

This is where I struggle - trying to explain<br />

in words something I like doing. I guess it’s<br />

getting the idea and then creating it, and<br />

everything that comes in between.<br />

Any plans to create more glamping<br />

structures?<br />

I'm always on the lookout for commissions<br />

creating something better. I would love to<br />

create glamping structures full time... one day<br />

maybe.<br />

How can readers learn more and get<br />

creating timber structures themselves?<br />

Visit our shop or come on one of the courses<br />

at The Centre for Alternative Technology<br />

(www.cat.org.uk / courses@cat.org.uk). The<br />

Tiny House course, recently featured in the<br />

Guardian, is hugely popular.<br />

EPIC RETREATS<br />

40 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


Glamping & Safari Tents<br />

Our tents are designed around hidden galvanised steel<br />

frames and have a full Structural Engineers Report for wind<br />

and snow loading. All structures are handmade at our<br />

Gloucestershire factory using the highest quality and<br />

technical performance materials.<br />

With almost 30 years designing & manufacturing bespoke<br />

marquees and Glamping structures, Bond can also create<br />

something unique to suit your own site. Please give us a call<br />

to discuss how we can help you enter the rapidly growing<br />

market of Luxury Camping and join us at The Glamping Show.<br />

0 1 4 5 3 7 6 7 1 7 1<br />

www.bondfabrications.co.uk<br />

enquiries@bondfabrications.co.uk<br />

Courses for glampsite owners and developers<br />

Courses from just £60, or book two or more courses<br />

and get 10% discount. Quote: OAB17 when you book.<br />

Saturday 26 Aug <strong>2017</strong><br />

Sat 31 Mar 2018<br />

Sun 27 Aug <strong>2017</strong><br />

Sun 1 Apr 2018<br />

Sun 3 Sept <strong>2017</strong><br />

Sun 1 Oct <strong>2017</strong><br />

Sun 4 Feb 2018<br />

Sat 9 Sept <strong>2017</strong><br />

Sat 4 Nov <strong>2017</strong><br />

Fri 10 - Mon 13 Nov <strong>2017</strong><br />

Sat 18 – Sun 19 Nov <strong>2017</strong><br />

Fri 23 – Mon 26 Feb 2018<br />

Mon 26 Feb – Fri 2 March 2018<br />

Mon 5 – Fri 9 Nov 2018<br />

Compost Toilets<br />

Reedbeds and Waste<br />

Water Management<br />

Solar P.V. Off-grid Systems<br />

Earth Oven Building<br />

Wood Fire Guru<br />

CHECK<br />

OUR WEBSITE<br />

more courses are<br />

being added all<br />

the time.<br />

How to create a ‘One Planet’<br />

Development Management Plan<br />

Self-Build Project Management<br />

Build a Tiny House (more dates<br />

coming soon!)<br />

Sustainable Woodland Management<br />

We can create a bespoke set of courses for your organisation: call us for<br />

more details 01654 704966, or email courses@cat.org.uk<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 41


EVENTS<br />

CASE STUDY<br />

Deepdale<br />

Hygge<br />

Finding ‘happiness’ on the<br />

North Norfolk coast<br />

Jason Borthwick has returned to Deepdale Farm having leased it<br />

out for 10 years. Along with Chris Hancock, the pair have created a series of events which<br />

complement the site’s facilities, including March’s inaugural Deepdale Hygge. We talk to<br />

Jason about running public events from the farm, which is home to a celebrated campsite<br />

and backpackers hostel.<br />

Describe your event and how<br />

many people it attracts<br />

We have four key events, taking<br />

place on three different weekends:<br />

Deepdale Hygge and Deepdale<br />

Spring Market at the end of<br />

March; Deepdale Festival at the<br />

end of September; and Deepdale<br />

Christmas Market at the beginning<br />

of December.<br />

<strong>2017</strong> was the inaugural Hygge,<br />

our celebration of the things<br />

our crew love here on the North<br />

Norfolk Coast, including the great<br />

outdoors, live music, barbecue,<br />

fire pits, food, drink, cycling,<br />

walking, running, big skies, and<br />

star gazing… Over 200 people<br />

“CHRIS AND<br />

SHEILA ARE<br />

HEAVILY<br />

INVOLVED IN<br />

THE LOCAL<br />

MUSIC SCENE,<br />

AND KNOW<br />

MANY BANDS<br />

AND ARTISTS”<br />

joined us for the first Hygge at<br />

the end of March, most of them<br />

staying on our campsite and in our<br />

backpackers hostel.<br />

The festival is new this year and<br />

plans are being developed. We are<br />

likely to have two stages, one fully<br />

amped and another acoustic.<br />

The Christmas Market is in its<br />

9th year and now attracts over<br />

15,000 visitors in three days, and<br />

over 120 stall holders. It’s grown<br />

massively from the first year with<br />

10 stalls, which mostly blew away<br />

on the Saturday night. We now<br />

have marquees, a huge regular<br />

following and massive interest<br />

from stall holders.<br />

What made you decide to run<br />

events at Deepdale?<br />

When Chris and I took back the<br />

tourism facilities at Deepdale<br />

in October, we wanted to make<br />

a major step change from the<br />

tenants who’d been the running<br />

the place previously. Deepdale is<br />

now about finding your ‘Hygge’ (a<br />

Danish word roughly translated<br />

as happiness), and our team<br />

enjoys helping everyone find their<br />

particular North Norfolk coast<br />

Hygge. Our event was all about<br />

showing people some of the great<br />

aspects of the local area. We put<br />

on our favourite thing - live music<br />

- and took people on guided cycle<br />

rides, walks, runs, scavenger hunts<br />

and did some star gazing.<br />

The Christmas Market has<br />

been around longer, but it is<br />

now lovely to have the tourism<br />

accommodation working with the<br />

shops and stalls for the market,<br />

something that sadly hasn’t<br />

happened in the past.<br />

42 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


GLAMPSITES<br />

How did you find applying for<br />

permission to run the event?<br />

We’ve run events before, and<br />

simply apply for an event licence<br />

from the local council. It’s a simple<br />

process and pretty painless.<br />

from meeting buskers to gigs<br />

we’ve been to, so it’s a lovely<br />

cooperative effort. Some of the<br />

best performers are guys that play<br />

on the streets in Norwich and the<br />

like.<br />

How have you planned the<br />

layout of the event and what<br />

structures do you use?<br />

We develop our events around the<br />

buildings and spaces we already<br />

have, and year on year we add<br />

extra bits. We have a good local<br />

marquee company who are happy<br />

to develop events with us.<br />

How did you research and source<br />

your marquees, bars, other<br />

infrastructure etc?<br />

We’ve built up relationships with<br />

a wide group of local businesses<br />

who believe in what we are doing<br />

and are happy to experiment<br />

with us. I’m a great believer in<br />

cooperative working, as it benefits<br />

“THE<br />

CHRISTMAS<br />

MARKET IS IN<br />

ITS 9TH YEAR<br />

AND NOW<br />

ATTRACTS<br />

OVER 15,000<br />

VISITORS IN<br />

THREE DAYS”<br />

everyone in the long run and<br />

makes it possible to develop ideas<br />

and projects.<br />

What entertainment do you offer<br />

and how did you choose and<br />

source it?<br />

Chris is heavily involved in the<br />

local music scene, and knows<br />

many bands and artists. We all<br />

suggest other acts we've seen,<br />

What provisions do you make for<br />

power, lights and sound?<br />

We have our very own in-house<br />

hero, called Tim, who is a sparky<br />

and electronic engineer. He loves<br />

nothing more than playing with<br />

sound, lights and the like. We<br />

make him a lot of cups of tea, feed<br />

him cake and generally tell him a<br />

lot how much we love him, and he<br />

seems to enjoy providing the most<br />

incredible sound. Everyone needs<br />

a Tim!<br />

How do you manage admissions<br />

and visitor safety?<br />

For the Hygge, visitor safety is not<br />

really any different from when<br />

people are staying generally; if it’s<br />

safe for someone staying then it’s


EVENTS<br />

safe for someone visiting for a gig<br />

or other event. The team manage<br />

the door, but we like to keep it<br />

pretty low key. For the Deepdale<br />

Hygge we went for wrist bands,<br />

partly as a collector’s item, partly as<br />

security and tickets.<br />

What ground protection do you<br />

use for cars and footfall?<br />

Being a farm, we have quite a few<br />

hard-standing areas, so don’t worry<br />

too much about ground protection.<br />

However, we do note what others<br />

do in case of very inclement<br />

weather. We make sure that one<br />

of the team is available to tow cars<br />

out if there are any issues, which is<br />

a lot cheaper than hiring acres of<br />

temporary road ways.<br />

How do you publicise the event?<br />

Facebook and Twitter are massively<br />

important to us. The interaction<br />

from customers, performers and<br />

local businesses really helps too.<br />

Our own website is vital and we use<br />

other specific websites depending<br />

on the nature of the event, eg. gig<br />

guides for gigs, craft sites for our<br />

markets, etc.<br />

What challenges have you faced?<br />

Being at the end of a road, we<br />

have to draw people to us, so have<br />

to make ourselves a destination.<br />

One of the biggest issues though is<br />

with our county council highways<br />

department. They say no to most<br />

signage, won’t cone for busy<br />

events and generally are hugely<br />

obstructive, which makes planning<br />

and running the events so much<br />

harder. Bearing in mind the huge<br />

“THE HYGGE<br />

WILL BE<br />

ESTABLISHED<br />

AND BEGIN<br />

TO GROW,<br />

AND THE<br />

FESTIVAL<br />

WILL<br />

HOPEFULLY<br />

FIND ITS<br />

PLACE IN THE<br />

CALENDAR<br />

AND BECOME<br />

SOMETHING<br />

MAJOR”<br />

positive impact we have on the<br />

local businesses, bringing in<br />

hundreds and thousands of extra<br />

visitors, I would have expected the<br />

council to be supportive, but the<br />

officers are just obstructive all the<br />

way.<br />

What are your plans for next<br />

year?<br />

The Christmas Market will be a<br />

little bigger, but with new traffic<br />

management. The Hygge will be<br />

established and begin to grow, and<br />

the festival will hopefully find its<br />

place in the calendar and become<br />

something major. We have a whole<br />

series of gigs planned and there are<br />

other ideas up our sleeve.<br />

What other outdoor hospitality<br />

sectors do you operate in?<br />

We offer camping for tents,<br />

campervans and motorhomes, a<br />

backpackers hostel with private<br />

en-suite rooms and dorms, and a<br />

groups hostel. We offer bike hire<br />

too, and often guided walks and<br />

cycle rides.<br />

What advice could you give<br />

to someone coming into the<br />

outdoor event industry?<br />

Think carefully about customer<br />

flow; don’t make it too easy, but<br />

likewise don’t obstruct. You want<br />

people to discover and explore.<br />

Ask yourself, is the event adding<br />

to your existing facilities or is it a<br />

detriment? I am a great believer<br />

that all events, unless they are<br />

hugely profitable in themselves,<br />

should work in harmony with<br />

existing facilities.<br />

ADDRESS BOOK<br />

MARQUEES<br />

Abacus Marquees - 01328 701331<br />

www.abacusmarquees.co.uk<br />

LIGHTING<br />

Abacus Marquees (as above)<br />

HEAT AND POWER<br />

In house (Tim Murrell)<br />

SOUND AND STAGE<br />

In house (Tim Murrell)<br />

BARS AND CATERING<br />

Wide and varied depending on event<br />

- Norfolk Brewhouse, Hushwing Café,<br />

Travelling Bluebird, Proper Pizza Co,<br />

Pie Central, Duck Truck, Squilla &<br />

Squidge<br />

TICKETING SYSTEMS<br />

Yapsody - www.yapsody.com<br />

INSURANCE<br />

NFU Mutual - www.nfumutual.co.uk<br />

DETAILS<br />

Deepdale Farm, Burnham Deepdale,<br />

Norfolk, PE31 8DD<br />

01485 210256<br />

www.deepdalebackpackers.co.uk<br />

44 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


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• Event Management and Production<br />

• Creative Event Solutions<br />

• Technical and Site design and Procurement<br />

• Event Safety<br />

• Event Safety Training<br />

• Licensing & Stakeholder Liaison<br />

Tel: 01275 406760<br />

www.jreventservices.co.uk<br />

Email: info@jreventservices.co.uk<br />

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WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 45


EVENTS<br />

GUEST COMMENT<br />

Beware the Crowd<br />

Safety ‘Expert’<br />

Chris Hannam of Stagesafe warns of inexperienced crowd<br />

management practitioners and how to spot one<br />

THE DEFINITION OF crowd<br />

management is the systematic<br />

planning for, and supervision of,<br />

orderly movement, assembly and<br />

dispersal of people. It involves the<br />

assessment of the people handling<br />

capabilities of a space prior to its<br />

use and includes:<br />

› evaluation of projected levels of<br />

occupancy<br />

› means of ingress and egress<br />

› processing procedures, such as<br />

assisting and directing members<br />

of the public<br />

› expected types of activities and<br />

group behaviour<br />

› the assessment of the artist or<br />

attraction profile<br />

› the assessment of audience<br />

demographic<br />

› evaluation of crowd dynamics<br />

and crowd safety.<br />

A crowd safety manager must<br />

have the ability to conduct a<br />

crowd risk analysis and design a<br />

crowd management plan based on<br />

knowledge of crowd dynamics and<br />

crowd psychology.<br />

The police usually use the<br />

term ‘crowd control’ - what you<br />

do after a crowd has gone out<br />

of control (shutting the stable<br />

door after the horse has bolted)<br />

and often use heavy-handed<br />

‘contain and control’ techniques<br />

- not what is required at most<br />

events, and definitely not ‘crowd<br />

management’!<br />

“THE POLICE<br />

USUALLY USE<br />

THE TERM<br />

‘CROWD<br />

CONTROL’ -<br />

WHAT YOU<br />

DO AFTER A<br />

CROWD HAS<br />

GONE OUT<br />

OF CONTROL<br />

(SHUTTING THE<br />

STABLE DOOR<br />

AFTER THE<br />

HORSE HAS<br />

BOLTED)...”<br />

GETTY IMAGES


EVENTS<br />

and crowd safety managers.<br />

They may go for the lowest<br />

quote without understanding the<br />

dangers and consequences of that<br />

option, or simply be willing to take<br />

the risk.<br />

Local authority officers, Safety<br />

Advisory Group representatives<br />

and many others often think<br />

that H&S advisors and crowd<br />

safety managers are one and the<br />

same; the truth is they are totally<br />

different roles and most events<br />

need both.<br />

THE PROBLEM<br />

Within the live events industry<br />

many people (including Safety<br />

Advisory Group members,<br />

event industry press and the<br />

ill-informed) think the terms<br />

health and safety (H&S), crowd<br />

management, crowd control and<br />

security are interchangeable<br />

terms. They are not - they are<br />

all very different and are all very<br />

important.<br />

Many people are now entering<br />

the event safety industry (usually<br />

as self-employed advisors) in both<br />

the health and safety management<br />

and crowd safety management<br />

sectors, with no professional<br />

indemnity insurance, insufficient<br />

qualifications and inadequate<br />

event experience. These people<br />

often work at incredibly low rates;<br />

sometimes less than the minimum<br />

living wage. Some can only survive<br />

on such low rates because they<br />

live at home with mum and dad.<br />

They work at these rates simply<br />

in order to get work experience.<br />

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />

Chris Hannam runs<br />

Stagesafe, offering<br />

health and safety<br />

consultancy and<br />

training for the live<br />

music and event<br />

production industries.<br />

With over 35 years’<br />

experience he advises<br />

event organisers,<br />

production and tour<br />

managers, promoters,<br />

freelancers, service<br />

companies and<br />

businesses at every<br />

level on all H&S<br />

documentation, site<br />

planning, crowd<br />

management, CDM<br />

compliance, steward<br />

safety training,<br />

contractor safety<br />

management and<br />

more.<br />

In the crowd management sector,<br />

there are many retired police<br />

officers who think they know all<br />

there is about crowd management<br />

(the usual way of identifying they<br />

know nothing is by their use of the<br />

term crowd control and not crowd<br />

management).<br />

The simple truth is there is not<br />

enough work to go around in many<br />

areas. Some of us have a continual<br />

struggle to get enough work to<br />

survive, this includes pioneers<br />

in the event safety sector who<br />

have paid their dues and gained<br />

years of industry experience, all<br />

the relevant safety qualifications,<br />

and have, for a long time, been<br />

involved with event safety<br />

education and setting industry<br />

standards that previously did not<br />

exist.<br />

The other problem is that<br />

production managers, promoters<br />

and event organisers do not<br />

know what to look for and what<br />

the required qualifications and<br />

standards are for H&S consultants<br />

GETTY IMAGES<br />

WHAT THE INDUSTRY NEEDS<br />

The event industry has many<br />

specialist areas such as structures,<br />

plant, work at height, rigging,<br />

power etc. that need to be fully<br />

understood by safety consultants.<br />

The best event health and<br />

safety consultants spent years<br />

working in production, tour and<br />

site management to gain the<br />

experience before turning to<br />

event safety and gaining health<br />

and safety qualifications – it is a<br />

similar story with the best crowd<br />

safety professionals; there are no<br />

fast track systems for quality and<br />

competency.<br />

The whole situation is<br />

exasperated by the event industry<br />

press who do not understand the<br />

whole situation outlined above,<br />

and use incorrect terminology<br />

and run articles, press releases<br />

and other information submitted<br />

to them from companies and<br />

individuals who do not meet the<br />

best industry standards.<br />

Crowd management guru<br />

Mick Upton has long advised<br />

licensing for event safety advisers<br />

and crowd safety managers - a<br />

great idea but who will run and<br />

administrate such a scheme?<br />

Answers on a postcard please!<br />

PRICE PROMISE<br />

STAGESAFE endeavours to<br />

match or beat any ‘like for<br />

like’ quote from an equally<br />

qualified safety advisor.<br />

Visit www.stagesafe.co.uk<br />

or call 07831 437062 for<br />

more.<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 47


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EVENTS<br />

Control<br />

of the<br />

Cash<br />

Having a sound overview of an<br />

event’s finances is crucial for its<br />

success says Nick Eade, who also<br />

warns about cutting corners<br />

AT FIRST GLANCE event finance is a<br />

dreary topic for an article, but as one of<br />

the largest considerations you will have<br />

as an organiser, it is a very important one.<br />

Often event costs increase dramatically,<br />

especially in larger events, and cost<br />

overruns are going to be one of your<br />

biggest concerns.<br />

The importance of budgeting is crucial<br />

at every stage of an event’s life, from<br />

initial idea to implementation to finally<br />

BLADEN, 2016<br />

Financial<br />

management<br />

for events<br />

establishing what profit (or not) has been<br />

made. Many of my industry friends have,<br />

with the best intentions, tried not to over<br />

spend resulting in their events being<br />

cancelled, which is ultimately the worst<br />

possible outcome. Managing expectations<br />

behind the scene can be complex. All<br />

organisations within the event industry,<br />

even charities, need to keep a close eye on<br />

what is going in and out of their balance<br />

sheets; financial decisions are almost<br />

always the reason for an event not making<br />

it to a second year.<br />

Even at the concept stage, the numbers<br />

need to add up. Take a look at the flow<br />

diagram to see how financial management<br />

can be incorporated into your event and<br />

the areas to consider.<br />

ADDING UP<br />

Given that some of the more complex<br />

festivals within the UK take around 10<br />

months of continual planning, there<br />

should be continuous attempts to<br />

establish whether or not things simply add<br />

up. The smaller, more niche events, such<br />

as incentive days or food festivals, should<br />

focus harder on their finance simply<br />

because there is generally no back up.<br />

Huge companies such as Live Nation can<br />

move capital around whereas the smaller,<br />

more independent event does not have<br />

this option.<br />

If your finances can stretch to employing<br />

someone to overview this, it should be<br />

given consideration. To find out earlier<br />

rather than later that there is simply no<br />

money left can at least bring an organiser<br />

back to reality so they can decide against<br />

delivering the event or, better still, allow<br />

themselves time to seek further revenue<br />

streams.<br />

My advice is to review an event’s<br />

finances at least weekly. Identify where<br />

you can save money, check you are where<br />

your forecasts say you should be, and<br />

prepare the following week’s expectations.<br />

Interestingly, almost all ‘event theory’<br />

neglects to examine the finances of event<br />

organisers. Some of the many items that<br />

should be taken into consideration around<br />

the budget include:<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 49


EVENTS<br />

Capital<br />

Grants<br />

Fundraising<br />

Income<br />

Ticket sales<br />

Merchandising<br />

Special programmes<br />

Sponsorships<br />

In-kind arrangements<br />

Costs<br />

Venue hire<br />

Entertainment hire<br />

Security<br />

Special equipment/<br />

facilities<br />

Staff costs<br />

Catering<br />

Transport<br />

Advertising<br />

Broadcast rights<br />

KEY CONSIDERATIONS<br />

The best price<br />

As for all things, you need to shop around. Get<br />

at least five quotes if possible from reputable<br />

companies for each element of your event that you<br />

have to buy in. Thankfully, those operating within<br />

the industry are aware, in the main, of others’<br />

performances. Especially those companies that<br />

are of a poor quality or that have a reputation for<br />

delivering poor standards as word gets around very<br />

quickly.<br />

Getting a recommendation is a beneficial way<br />

of finding a competitive quote. As with many areas<br />

in life, you will be surprised at the difference in the<br />

prices quoted between companies. The leg work will<br />

be worth it in the long run.<br />

Boundaries<br />

One consideration you may not have thought about<br />

is defining your event’s ‘boundary’ and where your<br />

responsibilities for it start and finish. These should be<br />

set, agreed and then stuck to right at the very start<br />

of your event planning. This is likely to be specific to<br />

the venue you are using and should be evidenced in<br />

writing. The main photo indicates where this may be<br />

problematic...<br />

Knowing your boundary is essential knowledge as<br />

you may end up paying for more than you thought<br />

you would. This should be very detailed within the<br />

site plan. Staying on budget as briefly mentioned<br />

above, is crucial. You need to know what you have,<br />

what you are spending and anything that is expected<br />

to come from your budget. No surprises are an<br />

important way of performing business.<br />

Staff costs<br />

One of the most expensive areas, if not the most<br />

expensive, is staff. Volunteers can be a good cost<br />

saving idea, but are especially complex to work with,<br />

motivate and keep focussed. A considerable number<br />

of academics have attempted to write about this area<br />

with few results.<br />

Many smaller events rely so heavily on volunteers<br />

that without them the event would not be possible.<br />

Village fêtes are an example of this. The communities<br />

make these events and they would not run without<br />

local help. However, it is worth bearing in mind the<br />

need for competent staff. The photo above was taken<br />

during an occurring event and demonstrates how<br />

the actions of inexperienced (or unthinking) staff can<br />

lead to deadly situations - you can draw your own<br />

conclusions! Competent staff must be utilised; lives<br />

may be lost if you do not invest here.<br />

Contingency<br />

Contingencies are extremely important – unexpected<br />

occurrences take place. My advice is to always hold<br />

back 10 per cent of your final budget. This can<br />

then help you if the unexpected does take place.<br />

Events have an abundance of, mainly negative,<br />

surprises where finances are concerned. As the event<br />

management industry continues to professionalise<br />

more and more, written agreements are appearing;<br />

something that has not always been part of the<br />

industry. When dealing with financial management<br />

this is important as it gives a clear understanding of<br />

costs and minimises misunderstandings.<br />

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />

Nick Eade MA, MSc,<br />

BA (Hons) (FHEA) has<br />

worked in the event<br />

management industry<br />

for over 20 years and<br />

has been involved<br />

in every aspect from<br />

early conversations<br />

of initial ideas to<br />

successful delivery.<br />

His experience covers<br />

festivals (music and<br />

other), the Olympics,<br />

corporate events,<br />

weddings and<br />

incentive days. In<br />

later years, he has<br />

delivered international<br />

consultancy to<br />

medium and large<br />

event owners.<br />

Nick has been<br />

employed at<br />

Buckinghamshire New<br />

University for 13 years<br />

where he co-wrote the<br />

Event Management<br />

BA (Hons) course. He<br />

is the course leader for<br />

Event Management<br />

and a senior lecturer.<br />

Nick is well known<br />

within the industry<br />

both in educational<br />

and on-site at events,<br />

and continues to enjoy<br />

working in this fast<br />

paced industry. www.<br />

bucks.ac.uk / 01494<br />

522141 ext. 3007 /<br />

linkedin.com/in/nickeade-7b147629<br />

CUTTING CORNERS<br />

As we are all aware, incorrect budgeting can lead, for example, to the hiring<br />

of substandard workers. In extreme cases, this can result to all manner<br />

of problems including serious safety issues. A friend organising a large<br />

international festival just a couple of years ago hired a substandard number<br />

of staff and the result can be seen opposite.<br />

This escape route consists of 75 steps going uphill. The barrier to the right<br />

of the stairs hindered the other escape route. Additionally, the signage at<br />

the top of the wall provides conflicting visual and written information - the<br />

arrows point in one direction, yet the image suggests that the crowd should<br />

go in the opposite direction! This was not thought out and could have<br />

cost lives. Over 200,000 guests were expected at this event. The signs were<br />

rectified prior to this event taking place.<br />

50 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


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EVENTS<br />

LEFT Sidmouth<br />

Folk Week<br />

Event<br />

Advice<br />

Event industry experts share their<br />

knowledge and how they can help<br />

Advice from: John<br />

Radford, owner, JR<br />

Event Services<br />

Specialism: Event<br />

service consultant<br />

Contact: 01275 406760<br />

info@jreventservices.co.uk<br />

How can an event organiser turn<br />

their vision into a reality?<br />

Early engagement and<br />

communication with the event<br />

suppliers, local agencies and<br />

local residents is key to ensuring<br />

that everyone understands<br />

what you are trying to achieve.<br />

Lack of information - or the<br />

wrong information - can lead to<br />

misunderstandings and objections<br />

based on rumour and perception;<br />

get those facts out there and be<br />

happy to discuss and engage. Quite<br />

often this communication can<br />

lead to previously unseen benefits<br />

through great relations with these<br />

stakeholders.<br />

How can your services help?<br />

Every event is unique and every<br />

vision is different. Our core ethos is<br />

to listen first and then take those<br />

ideas and help turn them into<br />

reality. We believe that there is<br />

no such thing as an ‘off the shelf’<br />

solution, so we work hard to ensure<br />

that our clients’ reality matches<br />

their original vision and not our<br />

version. We don’t simply provide<br />

what suits us rather we look at<br />

what is truly needed to make the<br />

event the success it deserves.<br />

This can mean searching out new<br />

suppliers or solutions to problems<br />

that haven’t been encountered<br />

before - but that’s part of the service<br />

we pride ourselves in offering. We<br />

also believe in not over committing<br />

to work, thereby allowing the<br />

right amount of time to our clients<br />

to create those truly amazing<br />

experiences.<br />

Things to avoid?<br />

Try not to lose sight of the reasons<br />

you wanted to put an event on in<br />

the first place. Invariably it’s led by a<br />

passion and creative vision – don’t<br />

forget those primary reasons and<br />

maybe even make them part of your<br />

overall ethos for the event or your<br />

business.<br />

Guests want great memories to<br />

take away with them so don’t focus<br />

purely on a single aspect but look<br />

at the whole experience you are<br />

creating – from the very first point of<br />

contact to the post event follow up.<br />

Where you have helped before?<br />

Sidmouth Folk Week has been<br />

running for over 60 years but<br />

every year we work hard to move<br />

the event forward; be it through<br />

environmental sustainability or<br />

recreating a well-loved event<br />

space. Local engagement with<br />

the authorities, landowners and<br />

residents has allowed us to develop<br />

future plans that work hand in<br />

hand with the stakeholders across<br />

the venues. Having multiple<br />

sites across the valley from town<br />

centre parks and agricultural land<br />

through to community halls and<br />

pubs means we have to work hard<br />

to get the right information out<br />

to everyone involved throughout<br />

the planning process. All this while<br />

ensuring that the fundamentals of<br />

the festival remain and it retains<br />

its position as a much loved and<br />

creative event.<br />

Advice from: Scott Jameson,<br />

GL events UK Group MD<br />

Specialism: Temporary structures<br />

Contact: 01332 850000<br />

www.glevents.co.uk<br />

What temporary event structures might<br />

organisers consider?<br />

The variety of temporary structures on offer these<br />

days is amazing. At GL events, we provide everything<br />

from compact pagodas: boutique, stylish and<br />

more intimate; to the huge, multi-level temporary<br />

venues seen gracing major horse racing meets, golf<br />

tournaments and international sporting events.<br />

Temporary structures are highly scalable and<br />

versatile. For start-up and growing events, it helps to<br />

think smaller and, as events grow in success, think<br />

about increasing the space. Equally, depending on the<br />

desired guest experience, consider hiring premium<br />

options for hospitality and fine dining.<br />

What advice can you offer organisers on selecting<br />

a supplier?<br />

First things first, give suppliers as much detail on<br />

your event as possible. The number of people,<br />

information on different areas and spaces; right down<br />

to entertainment, content and catering. Like us,<br />

many of your suppliers will have a lot of experience<br />

working across many different events. Ensure they are<br />

consulting you, not just answering your brief.<br />

Utilise suppliers’ experience as much as possible.<br />

Find out what worked for other events and see how<br />

structures have been used before. You’ll benefit from<br />

different ideas and genuine input into your event, as<br />

well as advice on the structure and temporary event<br />

infrastructure.<br />

What options do you have for small, medium and<br />

large budgets?<br />

Temporary structures needn’t be hugely expensive;<br />

however, if you want top of the range hospitality there<br />

are some fantastic options to delight your guests. For<br />

smaller, more relaxed festivals there are more basic,<br />

well put together builds too. The cost is as scalable<br />

52 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


EVENTS<br />

as the structures themselves so make sure<br />

you obtain quotes for the most appropriate<br />

structures, those that will add value to your<br />

event.<br />

Please mention a case study where your<br />

units have been used<br />

We’re really proud of our relationship with<br />

Hay Festival and, last year, were delighted<br />

to sign a five-year agreement to supply its<br />

temporary event village. This is great for<br />

both sides of the partnership; our longterm<br />

commitment allows us to be more of<br />

a partner in the development of the event.<br />

Equally, it means the best possible deal for<br />

Hay, allowing organisers to budget and plan<br />

with certainty.<br />

In this case, the structures are very,<br />

very good; but not overly elaborate or<br />

luxurious. They’re perfect for creating and<br />

contributing to the festival’s immersive,<br />

intimate atmosphere of sharing, discussing,<br />

learning and celebration. We install seven<br />

‘stages’ - temporary theatres, hosting all<br />

kinds of speakers - along with restaurants,<br />

bars, activity tents, a giant bookshop, pretty<br />

reading marquees and expansive food halls<br />

across the festival. Each individual space<br />

is brought to life by the creative event<br />

professionals at Hay. It’s a great festival and<br />

one we’re delighted to support.<br />

Professional Live Event Support<br />

• Stages & stage canopies • Lighting, good stocks<br />

• AV systems • Power & mains distribution<br />

• Skilled operators • Dry hire or supply and instal<br />

www.mosaicfx.co.uk | 01462 85 1234<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 53


AWESOME<br />

INSTALlATIONS<br />

CREATIVE BAR<br />

SOLUTIONS<br />

EVENT<br />

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PROP<br />

HIRE<br />

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CONSULTANCY<br />

Over the last decade, we have created a huge catalogue of beautifully crafted handmade<br />

furniture, easy-install mobile bars and micro-venues. We have some truly unique pieces you<br />

won’t fi nd for hire anywhere else, and our crack team can create bespoke installations or<br />

breath taking brand activations to your specifi cation. So, if you’re searching for something<br />

with character and want to create an impact, you should be talking to House of Bestival.<br />

HOUSEOFBESTIVAL.NET<br />

HOUSEOFBESTIVAL


ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

Spot light<br />

A roundup of products for the outdoor hospitality industry<br />

WATERLESS TOILET<br />

OPTIONS FOR GLAMPSITES<br />

WooWoo Waterless Toilets<br />

02030 510738<br />

www.waterlesstoilets.co.uk<br />

Environmentally friendly<br />

toilet solutions for a wide<br />

range of applications. Ideal<br />

for glamping, if you’re short<br />

on space the <strong>Air</strong> Head is the<br />

most compact composting<br />

toilet. It uses no chemicals<br />

and the waste is 100%<br />

environmentally friendly and<br />

can easily be disposed of.<br />

For larger more permanent<br />

solutions we have the<br />

Kazuba toilet which dries the<br />

waste using only wind and<br />

sun, and requires very little<br />

maintenance.<br />

Don’t like changing habits?<br />

You’ll love the ceramic feel<br />

of the Envirolet, a low water<br />

toilet that uses a vacuum<br />

flush to move the waste to a<br />

composting unit.<br />

GLAMPING POD<br />

ACCOMMODATION<br />

Pods by Future Rooms<br />

01452 501455<br />

www.podsbyfuturerooms.co.uk<br />

We design, manufacture and supply<br />

high quality, insulated timber<br />

framed pod accommodation across<br />

a variety of markets, with styles<br />

and sizes to cater for all needs and<br />

budgets. Pods can be supplied as<br />

open plan shells with LED lighting,<br />

twin power sockets, USB charging<br />

points and an electric wall heater<br />

as standard. Upgrades include ensuite<br />

shower rooms, kitchenettes,<br />

fitted bed frames, underfloor<br />

heating, right the way through<br />

to our new Full Specification<br />

range that provides the highest<br />

quality and luxury, fully furnished<br />

glamping pods on the market. All<br />

that’s left to do is to connect your<br />

pod up to mains services and start<br />

taking bookings!<br />

COMFORT AND TRADITION<br />

Plain Huts<br />

07903 313922<br />

www.plainhuts.co.uk<br />

Plain Huts supplies luxurious<br />

contemporary shepherd huts<br />

perfect for the glamping and<br />

bed and breakfast industries.<br />

Our huts have a contemporary<br />

feel while being grounded<br />

in tradition. We have<br />

developed kits that provide<br />

a waterproof shell and can<br />

be three dimensional within<br />

a day, or bespoke turnkey<br />

solutions for your specific<br />

requirements. Bespoke builds<br />

often include en-suite wet<br />

rooms, underfloor heating<br />

and kitchens, and all huts<br />

can be customised to have a<br />

choice of cladding inside and<br />

out. To discuss your ideas<br />

further, speak to the founder<br />

Cath Caesar who will happily<br />

explore potential solutions<br />

with you.<br />

EVENT KITCHENS AND CATERING<br />

EQUIPMENT<br />

PKL Group<br />

01242 663000 | www.pkl.co.uk<br />

PKL Group is the UK’s leading<br />

supplier of modular commercial<br />

kitchens. With 27 years in the<br />

industry, we have hundreds of<br />

temporary kitchens and 10,000<br />

items of catering equipment<br />

available to hire. We work on<br />

around 500 events each year,<br />

including festivals, sporting<br />

events and pop-up restaurants in<br />

all sorts of weird and wonderful<br />

places!<br />

From stand-alone catering<br />

equipment for use in marquees<br />

or existing buildings, to<br />

complete modular kitchens<br />

and coldrooms, we supply<br />

events of all sizes. We are CDM<br />

Regulations compliant and offer<br />

a complete turnkey service, from<br />

design and project management<br />

to installation and 24-hour<br />

technical support.<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 55


Event Kitchens<br />

Busy planning your summer events?<br />

dontforgetthekitchen.com<br />

Whether you need to hire temporary kitchens or stand-alone catering<br />

equipment for use in a marquee or existing building, we can help.<br />

Choose from our range of over 10,000 items of catering equipment and<br />

600 temporary kitchen units to make your event kitchen amazing!<br />

Give us a call for a chat with our events team, or visit our website for an<br />

instant online kitchen estimate!<br />

Have fun planning your events this summer, but<br />

whatever you do… Don’t forget the kitchen!<br />

• Event kitchens<br />

• Catering equipment<br />

• Pop-up restaurants<br />

• Marquee kitchens<br />

• Crockery, cutlery and glassware<br />

• Instant online estimate<br />

@PKLEvents<br />

www.DontForgetTheKitchen.com


CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY<br />

Classified Directory<br />

FOR SALE Suffolk shepherd hut<br />

available from the end of September<br />

Made by Riverside Shepherd Huts, the quality is simply<br />

excellent and has a steel frame. Clad in cedar wood, with an<br />

electric heater, hot water, electric towel rail and shower.<br />

Offers IRO £17,000<br />

Tel: 01502 713152<br />

LEADING LIGHT<br />

AND POWER<br />

FOR THE EVENTS<br />

INDUSTRY<br />

0345 409 0280<br />

mobile cookery theatre<br />

demonstration kitchens for hire<br />

01462 43 44 45<br />

www.onstagekitchens.com<br />

TIMBER INTENT<br />

Tensile structures:<br />

facilities, camp, glamp & event<br />

Architecture:<br />

design & planning application<br />

01297 444416 timberintent.co.uk<br />

InPartyTentsCo.<br />

HIRING ALL OVER KENT & SUSSEX, NO VAT<br />

AND FREE DELIVERY WITHIN 30 MILE RADIUS<br />

O7917 457 820 | inpartytentsco@aol.com<br />

STYLISH & UNIQUE MARQUEES<br />

FOR WEDDINGS & PARTIES<br />

Simply the Best Events own and operate over 350<br />

different attractions in house for Corporate Fun Days<br />

and It’s A Knockout events throughout the UK.<br />

Speak to one of our Event Managers<br />

on 0800 019 3908<br />

www.simplythebestevents.co.uk<br />

Sewage Treatment Systems<br />

For all residential, commercial<br />

and industrial applications<br />

01295 236101 • info@theseptictankstore.co.uk<br />

www.theseptictankstore.co.uk<br />

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 57


PERIWINKLE<br />

PERIWINKLE GOES OFF-PISTE<br />

Back in the lounge of the Glamper’s Retreat after the show, Periwinkle, Chuffer, Tubby and Twistleton-Penge<br />

all agreed that Ms Meadow Flowers was to blame. For everything. Including Brexit.<br />

To admit otherwise would have been to face the fact that none of them knew the first thing about<br />

outdoor hospitality. And since outdoor hospitality was their raison d’être such an admission would<br />

have made them all look as embarrassed as a politician who’d just lost his deposit.<br />

MONDAY<br />

For some time, our consultancy<br />

business has been making<br />

slower progress than a<br />

hungover tortoise in the teeth<br />

of a gale. Called Ms Flowers at<br />

her small-business ashram in<br />

Tooting for advice on shaking<br />

things up a bit. The trade show<br />

circuit got a tad crowded in the<br />

autumn with big shows racking<br />

up footfall figures capable of<br />

making a Debenhams’ area<br />

sales manager slaver like one of<br />

Pavlov’s dogs. What, we wanted<br />

to know, could our band of<br />

merry entrepreneurs do to stand<br />

out from the crowd?<br />

“You need profile, darling.<br />

Oodles of the stuff,” Meadow<br />

trilled. She proposed a highprofile<br />

visit to a low-profile<br />

show. One of those woebegone<br />

unaffiliated shows held during<br />

the summer, on the periphery of<br />

the industry, over on the edge of<br />

the county.<br />

“There’s more chance of<br />

getting noticed at a small,<br />

off-piste show,” she said. “You<br />

might even get your photo in<br />

the local papers. It’s a chance to<br />

make a statement too. To wear<br />

something that catches the eye<br />

of a future client. Your unspoken<br />

message should be clear: We are<br />

out-of-county hospitality gurus<br />

with a soupçon of the avantgarde.”<br />

Ms Flowers rang off, but<br />

not before leaving a fashion<br />

tip and promising to dangle<br />

an amethyst or two over a<br />

mandrake root to woo the gods<br />

of fortune over to our side.<br />

SATURDAY<br />

Chuffer, who’d been scouring<br />

the trade press for a show<br />

“WE ARE OUT-OF-COUNTY HOSPITALITY<br />

GURUS WITH A SOUPÇON OF THE AVANT-<br />

GARDE”<br />

matching Meadow’s blueprint,<br />

eventually came up with ‘Small<br />

Holdings A-Go-Go <strong>2017</strong>’. We<br />

set off in Twistleton-Penge’s<br />

Bentley.<br />

We arrived at the show<br />

ground in time for lunch. Within<br />

minutes of parking the car, we<br />

discovered why Chuffer’s chosen<br />

show wasn’t mainstream. On<br />

a day hot enough to cause<br />

hedgerows to spontaneously<br />

combust, the show’s promoters<br />

were trying to sell a range of<br />

ludicrously unseasonal goods:<br />

Snow globes, old single bar<br />

electric fires, donkey jackets<br />

with incongruous messages<br />

on the back like ‘Phew! It’s a<br />

scorcher,’ and ‘I’m having a<br />

heatwave, are you?’<br />

In addition to the Yuletide<br />

paraphernalia, fridge magnets<br />

were to be found across the<br />

site, their twee rustic slogans<br />

shouting ‘Squirrels rule, OK!’<br />

and ‘Beware of the Chaffinch!’<br />

A couple of bikini-clad girls<br />

worked the thin crowd, giving<br />

away snow shovels. There<br />

wasn’t a pizza oven, safari tent<br />

or wood fired hot tub to be<br />

spotted as far as the eye could<br />

see.<br />

A girl appeared on a makeshift<br />

stage, wearing a Laura Ashleystyle<br />

chemise. She had a ballet<br />

pump on one foot and a Doc<br />

Marten with a rose-coloured<br />

ribbon instead of a bootlace on<br />

the other.<br />

The event manager<br />

announced through a<br />

megaphone, that Hermione had<br />

come up from the big smoke<br />

to enact the history of outdoor<br />

leisure through the combined<br />

media of modern dance,<br />

mime and Feng Shui. It was an<br />

impressive gig, but she lost her<br />

footing when the rose-coloured<br />

ribbon came undone and she<br />

flew bottom over ballet shoe<br />

into Twistleton-Penge’s lap. The<br />

Twistle hadn’t been this close<br />

to a filly (other than Mrs Twistle)<br />

since he blagged his way into<br />

the winner’s enclosure at Ascot<br />

in 1979.<br />

Was Ms Flowers’ ploy to raise<br />

our profile a success? Not really.<br />

We were noticed all right. Given<br />

that Meadow had made us wear<br />

our trousers at half-mast and<br />

put on unmatched hiking socks,<br />

this was hardly surprising.<br />

We bought stuff, though we<br />

did not fare well in doing so.<br />

Chuffer purchased a herd of<br />

Alpaca selectively bred to grow<br />

wool with camouflage markings.<br />

Unfortunately, on the day of<br />

delivery, Chuffer’s sheepdog,<br />

Taffy, lost the plot and the alpha<br />

alpaca led the herd deep into<br />

the forest. So effective was their<br />

subsequent concealment that<br />

over the ensuing weeks and<br />

months, although often heard,<br />

the alpacas were never actually<br />

seen again.<br />

In another major retailing<br />

faux pas, Tubby rented an<br />

artificial maze and schlepped<br />

it home in the Bentley’s boot.<br />

But he failed to memorise<br />

the sequence of left and right<br />

turnings guaranteeing escape.<br />

As a result, during trials, he was<br />

unable to find the exit before<br />

the contract hire expired. All in<br />

all, with penalty payments for<br />

the late off-hiring of the maze<br />

and the 100% loss on the alpaca<br />

deal, Tubby and Chuffer were<br />

collectively ten-grand out of<br />

pocket.<br />

Granted, this loss was partly<br />

mitigated by the free snow<br />

shovels which probably cost less<br />

than £1.50 wholesale. Ironically,<br />

strapped to the roof rack for the<br />

return journey round the M25<br />

the blades of the snow shovels<br />

melted in the roasting <strong>July</strong> heat<br />

before we’d got half way home.<br />

Periwinkle<br />

58 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM


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