Open Air Business January 2018

ISSUE 15 | January 2018 | www.openairbusiness.com 

BUSINESS 

GLAMPING 

FUNCTION VENUES 

> Wedding Trends 

> Lighting 

/ / 

> 

GLAMPSITES 

> Franchises 

> Professional Services 

EVENTS 

> Marquees 

Procurement 

CASE STUDIES: 

HUNTSTILE ORGANIC FARM • FAIR FARM HIDEAWAY • RIVERHILL AT CHRISTMAS

Design your own 5 retreat. 

visit 3D.FDOMES.COM 

Assisted Air Circulation Kit 

Membrane Colours 

Curtain Kit 

Entrance Choices 

Design your custom glamping dome choosing options that match your needs. Including, but not limited to five different sizes, 

various cover colours and accessories designed to provide the highest level of comfort in any conditions. 

“F.Domes Glamping Domes were definitely worth the price and a 

great investment for us. We are getting a lot of requests now and 

new business because of them. The only problem is, we do not 

have enough domes! ” 

Sales & Marketing Director, Harriniva Hotels & Safaris 

“Glamping doesn’t get any cooler than in the new Aurora Domes. 

The igloo-shaped tents, on the shores of Lake Torassieppi in Finnish 

Lapland, have one transparent wall facing north for prime sky-gazing. 

They come with a wood-burning stove, a double bed and space for 

two extra singles ” 

The Guardian (UK Newspaper)

ISSUE 15 | January 2018 | www.openairbusiness.com 

WELCOME 

Welcome 

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone. It might be dismal outside but we 

have turned the corner and the days are getting longer. Mind you, 

there is still plenty of opportunity for outdoor hospitality across 

all the sectors. 

Glamping? Quality Unearthed’s Tim Rees details the surge in 

winter bookings and how to make the most of what had been 

considered the off-season. 

Our Function Venues case study, Huntstile Organic Farm in 

Somerset, also does a good trade throughout the winter, with a 

permanent marquee adjoining its farmhouse creating a cosy, all weather enclosure 

while maintaining a connection with the beautiful scenery outdoors. 

Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, Kent, follows suit in the Events case study with a 

revenue boosting Christmas event complete with eco-friendly ice rink and Alpine cafe. 

We are trying something a little different this issue – product case studies where 

we ask suppliers to showcase their wares through real life examples. We start off with 

event marquees, and there are some wonderful examples of creative use of temporary 

structures, from bespoke picnic tents for an English country opera season to 360 degree 

projection domes for a car launch. In between we have fully branded marquees of all 

sizes, a giant stretch tent, and an amazing stage cover for the BBC Proms! 

Enjoy the rest of the dark bit of the winter and, if you are into events, come and find 

us at the Event Production Show, Olympia, 28 February-1 March. 

Tally Wade 

Editor / Publisher 

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

to make sure you continue to receive the magazine. 

PUBLISHERS 

Steve Rix - steve@openairbusiness.com 

Tally Wade - tally@openairbusiness.com 

EDITOR 

Tally Wade - tally@openairbusiness.com 

ADVERTISING SALES 

Marney Whyte - 01892 677740 

marney@openairbusiness.com 

DESIGN 

James English - 

www.jamesenglishdesign.co.uk 

PUBLISHED BY 

Coffee Shop Media - 01580 848555 

www.coffeeshopmedia.com 

The House on the Hill, Friezley Lane, 

Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2LL 

t: 01580 848555 

Contents ISSUE #15 January 2018 

UP FRONT 

4 News 

6 Product News 

8 Show Review – the Event Production 

Show 

10 GDPR – are you ready? 


12 Huntstile Organic Farm – a 15th 

Century farm house with its own 

stone circle 

16 Venue Insurance – the ‘big four’ and 

why you need them 

19 Wedding Trends – what’s hot in 2018 

with Kelly Chandler 

22 Lighting Design – top tips for 

transforming a venue’s spaces 

26 OAB Loves… Lighting – tunnels of 

light, twinkling trees and more 

GLAMPSITES 

29 Fair Farm Hideaway – shepherd’s 

huts galore with lakeside views 

34 Winter Glamping – why ‘seasonality’ 

is the new buzz word 

39 Franchises – two opportunities for 

landowners 

43 Professional Services Advice – from 

planning to reservations 

EVENTS 

47 Riverhill at Christmas – turning a 

profit in the off season 

51 Procurement – it’s more than just 

‘buying’ says John Radford 

55 Volunteers – how to recruit, train and 

motivate them 

68 In Focus: Marquees – six real life 

event applications 

62 Spotlight 

65 Classifieds 

66 Ask Periwinkle 

FOLLOW US ON 

TWITTER 

@openairbusiness 

FOLLOW US ON 

FACEBOOK 

www.facebook.com/ 

openairbusiness 

Find more expert advice online: 

www.openairbusiness.com 

GLAMPING 

SUBSCRIBE 

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ISSUE 15 | JANUARY 2018 | www.openairbusiness.com 


GLAMPSITES 

EVENTS 

> Wedding Trends 

> Franchises 

> Marquees 

/ / 

> Lighting 

> Professional Services 

> Procurement 

CASE STUDIES: 

HUNTSTILE ORGANIC FARM • FAIR FARM HIDEAWAY • RIVERHILL AT CHRISTMAS 

COVER PHOTO 

Image courtesy of Quality Unearthed, unique 

accommodation agency and glamping consultancy - 

www.qualityunearthed.co.uk. Turn to pages 34-36 

for more on maximising bookings in the ‘off season’. 

BUSINESS 

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 3

The latest news from the world of outdoor hospitality 

New Online 

Temporary Structure 

Safety Course 

MUTA, THE UK’S marquee and temporary 

structure trade association, has recently 

launched StructureSafe Online, the UK’s 

first course tailored specifically for those 

working in the temporary structure 

industry. Developed by industry experts 

and online training specialists, it is 

accredited by the Royal Society for the 

Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). 

StructureSafe Online has been designed 

to help everyone, including event 

organisers, acquire the key knowledge 

for working safely on-site. Arranged in 

four modules, the course has interactive 

activities throughout and, upon successful 

completion of a short test, you will 

be rewarded with a RoSPA approved 

certificate. 

With StructureSafe, there is no need 

to send staff away for training, or bring 

trainers in – it can be taken anytime and 

anywhere there is an internet connection. 

Many forget how important training 

really is. Keeping people safe is the number 

one priority and many prosecutions from 

the Health and Safety Executive cite lack of 

training. 

What better way to start the year than by 

ensuring you (and your team) are trained 

ready for the season ahead. And make 

sure those who work on your site have a 

StructureSafe certificate too. www.muta. 

org.uk/members/online-training 

Campsites.co.uk Announces 

its Award Winners 

ONLINE CAMPSITE 

MARKETPLACE 

Campsites.co.uk has 

announced the winners 

of its 2017 camping and 

glamping awards. The 

list includes some of the 

most popular and unique 

sites in the UK, as well as 

recognition for deserving 

newcomers. 

Martin Smith, founder 

of Campsites.co.uk, said: 

"Good work deserves 

recognition, and each of 

our award-winning sites 

has offered something 

above and beyond to their 

guests." 

Cumbrian campsite 

Park Cliffe, near 

Windermere, won the 

Popular Choice award and 

Melody Farm Shepherd’s 

Huts, Cornwall, scooped 

the Best Glamping Site 

award for its great site 

facilities, including a 

swimming pool, tennis 

court and gym. 

Sandy Balls Holiday 

Village in Hampshire 

received the Top Dog 

award for dog-friendly 

ABOVE Blackberry Wood, Sussex 

sites, offering an on-site 

exercise field and the 

chance to rent bikes from 

a local company that 

include doggy trailers. 

Blackberry Wood in 

Sussex won the award 

for Most Unique Site, 

featuring a range of quirky 

glamping accommodation 

such as the handcrafted 

treehouses Higgledy and 

Piggledy, plus the chance 

to sleep in a converted 

London double-decker 

bus and a Wessex 

helicopter. 

The full range of 

regional and national 

awards can be found at 

www.campsites.co.uk/ 

awards 

Tourists to UK 

Forecast to Spend 

2017 WAS A record year for inbound 

tourism to the UK, with growth set to 

continue in 2018 according to forecasts 

from national tourism agency VisitBritain. 

Overseas visits to the UK are forecast to 

break through the 40 million mark for the 

first time in 2018, reaching 41.7 million, up 

4.4% on 2017 which saw 39.9 million visits. 

Spending by overseas visitors to the UK is 

forecast to reach £26.9 billion in 2018, up 

6.8% on 2017. 

VisitBritain director Patricia Yates 

said: “Tourism is one of the UK's most 

valuable export industries. It is also 

a fiercely competitive global industry 

and these results not only demonstrate 

Britain’s continued ability to compete 

4 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 

internationally for visitors, 

they are testament to tourism’s 

importance as a driver of 

economic growth. 

“We are working with partners 

across the world to tell customers 

of experiences they can only have 

in Britain and encourage them 

to book a trip now. We have seen 

good growth this year from the 

US and China, and are developing 

new products that make it easier 

for overseas visitors to book and 

explore all of Britain.” 

The UK was ranked third for 

tourism globally in the 2017 

Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index 

(NBI) published last month, 

equalling its highest rank ever and up two 

places from last year. The NBI considered 

attributes including historic buildings and 

monuments, having a vibrant city life and 

natural beauty. 

Tourism is worth £127 billion to the 

UK economy, creating jobs and boosting 

economic growth across its nations and 

regions.

RICHARD DOWNER 

Cornwall’s First Stone Circle in 2,000 Years 

AWARD WINNING PENTILLIE Castle 

has unveiled a stunning new stone 

circle built atop the Pentillie estate in 

the Tamar Valley AONB, overlooking 

the Tamar Valley, Dartmoor and 

Plymouth Sound. 

The stone circle, thought to be the 

first to be built in South East Cornwall 

for at least 2,000 years, is the folly of 

Pentillie's owner, Ted Coryton. The 

position of the Pentillie circle follows 

the tradition of being in line of sight 

with important local features, in this 

instance Kit Hill, Brentor Church, North 

Hessary Tor at Princetown and the Mew 

Stone off Plymouth. 

"It started as a mad idea," says 

Coryton, "but then we thought it 

would actually be worthwhile – an 

opportunity to build something really 

simple out of natural unworked local 

material that would last for centuries”. 

Pentillie is now hoping the stunning 

circle, with an outlying stone to record 

the winter solstice, the beginning of 

longer days and the growing season, 

will provide an interesting and unusual 

new location for wedding ceremonies 

or celebrations, as well as a venue 

for those wanting an outdoor event 

with a difference or just for quiet 

contemplation. 

Pentillie Castle, the five-star luxury 

wedding and events venue, which is 

also the location for Sky One’s drama 

Delicious starring Dawn French, offers 

bespoke weddings, shooting and 

conference packages in the castellated 

Georgian house and stunning grounds, 

with B&B accommodation in nine 

double en-suite bedrooms. 

Green Start-ups 

Get Boost at GEI10 

THE GREEN EVENTS & Innovations Conference (GEI) 

is A Greener Festival’s annual flagship event held 

on 6 March at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, 

delivered in partnership with the International Live 

Music Conference (ILMC) the next day. 

To mark the tenth anniversary of the conference, 

organisers are creating a Quick-Fire Pitch 

Session aimed at new and innovative businesses. 

This session will provide a platform for five start-ups 

who are dedicated to improving the environmental 

impact of events, enabling them to showcase their 

service, product or innovation to an audience of 

over 100 decision-makers from the festivals and 

events industry, and to further share details of their 

innovation with A Greener Festival’s environmentally 

conscious membership. 

Start-ups must apply in advance to be considered. 

Please note that only applicants that register for 

GEI10 will be allocated a pitch. For more information, 

visit www.agreenerfestival.com 

HOLIDAY PARK INSURANCE 

Covering your park and your business 

Bespoke policies based on your holiday park 

requirements including new markets such 

as Glamping. 

Specialists in caravan, lodge and leisure home insurance.. 

As well as insuring against damage to the material 

aspects of your business, Towergate can also provide 

Business Interruption cover, should your business 

be left unable to resume normal operations. 

Call 0344 892 1721 

to discuss your requirements and get a quote 

Towergate Insurance is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. Registered in England with company number 4043759. VAT Registration Number: 447284724. Registered Address: Towergate House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne 

Rd, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

PRODUCT 

Pallet Sized 

Perfection – Compact 

and Transportable 

LIGHT AND POWER supplier Morris Site 

Machinery has developed a static eightmetre 

lighting tower that offers a neat and 

highly transportable new option for the 

events sector. 

The company is launching the SL80 

Pallet light to give the market a new 

option, enabling 22 units to be loaded 

onto a Euro trailer due to its compact 

footprint. 

The model allows multiple specification 

options to bring real flexibility and 

customisation to the sector and can be 

supplied with either a Perkins or Kubota 

engine. 

With the Perkins 403D-07G engine, it 

has a run time of 246 hours and 4 x 300W 

LEDs delivering over 150,000 lumens. The 

Kubota Z482 engine has a run time of 265 

hours. 

The SL80 Pallet can also be fitted with 

the company’s new Halo lamp head, a 

powerful, anti-glare next generation lamp. 

The Pallet light has been created with 

end user ease in mind; there is no need to 

open any panels to deploy stability legs. 

Richard Denholm, sales director at 

Morris Site Machinery, said: “We are 

always looking to develop new products 

to meet market needs and provide top 

class solutions. The SL80 Pallet light is 

further evidence of our continued drive for 

innovation.” 

This latest model adds to the raft of new 

products that have joined the line up in 

the SMC lighting tower range. 

For more information visit www. 

morrismachinery.co.uk or call 0345 409 

0280. 

Add Duŝo Style to 

Your Amenity Block 

WHETHER YOU ARE 

planning a completely 

new facility this winter 

or refreshing an older 

amenity block for your 

campers and glampers, 

the Horne Duŝo shower 

column will add a 

touch of minimalist but 

vibrant design. Not only 

does it look smart and 

modern with its smooth, 

anodised aluminium 

column, arching head, 

chromium flash and 

trim colours, it’s also 

pre-plumbed, and is a 

piece of cake to install. It 

operates with the lightest 

touch and requires 

minimal maintenance. 

The Duŝo is a timed 

flow control shower 

that delivers water at 

a constant rate of 8L/ 

min for 60 seconds (30s 

variant also available) 

before flow cessation. 

This combined flow rate 

and duration offers the 

optimal balance for an 

effective shower while 

minimising use and 

wastage of pre-heated 

water. A single unit, or 

a small group of Duŝo 

showers, can be supplied 

with pre-blended warm 

water from an upstream 

Horne thermostatic 

mixing valve (TMV) 

– either in an open 

wet-room arrangement 

or separated by vanity 

partitions. 

Available in four 

colours, the push-paddle 

and spray plate add to 

its visual appeal and 

can, perhaps, connect 

it to other elements 

of the chosen interior 

design. Alternatively, use 

the colours to indicate 

specific functionality 

such as a colder shower 

(aqua blue) or cater for 

users with limited sight 

(yellow). Although the 

spray-plate - with its 

flexible silicon nozzle 

array - is very easy to 

clean in-situ, a regular 

colour swap of the spray 

plate could indicate a 

specific stage in a formal 

cleaning regime. 

Cleaning and 

maintenance is 

very simple and 

straightforward: remove 

the spray-plate to access 

the shower’s active 

components - flow 

regulator, timed flow 

control cartridge and its 

fine-mesh strainer, which 

protects the mechanism 

from particulate matter 

that can be carried in the 

water supply. 

At 1,176mm tall, 

and mounted at a 

recommended height 

of 1,950mm from fixed 

floor level (FFL), the Duŝo 

can easily accommodate 

taller adults. Younger 

children can also use the 

shower with ease: set 

at 875mm from FFL and 

requiring a light touch, 

the push paddle is easily 

reached and operated 

for flow actuation. www. 

horne.co.uk/Products/ 

Shower-Panels/ 

Recreational 

6 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM

‘How to’ Guide 

for New Event 

Professionals 

GL EVENTS UK has launched a ‘How to’ 

guide aimed at new organisers entering 

the events industry. The online resource is 

available now and features short chapters, 

offering advice on everything from 

marketing and ticket sales, to legal matters 

and sponsorship; all presented through 

the voices of event professionals who have 

experience in creating and producing new 

events. 

The fun and engaging guide was created 

as a result of GL event’s ongoing research in 

the industry which identified the need for 

more commercially-minded, collaborative 

relationships, and for more guidance and 

support to be passed on to new and younger 

event organisers. The guide is intended as 

a first steps document that uncovers good 

and bad practice, outlining some of the 

experiences to come for any new event. 

Chapters include commentary from 

Louise Young (Strawberries and Creem), 

Lee Denny (Leefest), Nick Morgan (We 

are the Fair), and Gill Tee (entertee), with 

wide-ranging subjects including funding for 

new events, event technology, safety and 

security, supplier and sponsor relations, and 

marketing masterclasses. The guide includes 

articles, infographics, top-tips, animations 

and visuals, making it as entertaining as it is 

informative. 

“We’re often approached by talented new 

and potential event organisers who have 

great ideas but very often lack the full, 360° 

view of the operational logistics involved in 

organising an event,” commented Rachel 

Baker, GL events UK group marketing 

manager. “We wanted to take our experience 

of commercialising events and apply this 

knowledge to a project that would help 

to nurture great ideas and develop great 

events. We’ve produced a genuinely helpful 

guide that’s easy to use and could support 

newcomers to our industry, as well as their 

events, giving them food for thought and 

directing them towards further expert 

advice.” 

Access the guide at www.glevents.co.uk/ 

how-to-organise-an-event 

Event insurance cover, 

come rain or shine 

If you have an important event coming up, we have a policy to keep 

you, or your clients, protected. We have provided peace of mind to over 

200,000 policy holders, so you know that we’re a company you can trust. 

Our policies offer affordable, reliable insurance, tailored to fit the scale 

and style of the occasion – from festivals to fetes, high profile weddings 

to small ceremonies, conferences and more. 

Get a quotation today at events-insurance.co.uk 

Become an Introducer 

Venue owners or event organisers can earn 15% commission simply 

by introducing clients to Event Insurance. Contact Jamie Hanlon at 

introducer@events-insurance.co.uk or call 01425 470360 

Event Insurance Services is a limited company registered in 

England and Wales. Registered number: 3238686. Event 

Insurance Services Limited are authorised and regulated by the 

Financial Conduct Authority, Ref No. 309998. ID000038 11/17

INDUSTRY NEWS 

➋ 

Event Production Show 

The Event Production Show returns to Olympia this February 

to provide innovations and solutions for events of all sizes 

THE EVENT PRODUCTION Show (EPS) is the 

leading event for the UK’s live and outdoor 

event sectors. Taking place at Olympia, 

London, on Wednesday 28 February and 

Thursday 1 March, EPS offers innovation, 

inspiration and education to over 5,000 

of the event industry’s frontrunners. 

Anticipation is growing for the 2018 event 

following a record breaking number 

of visitors in 2017. Visiting the show is 

complimentary, as are all the sessions, so 

make sure you claim your badge and plan 

your visit at www.eventproductionshow. 

co.uk 

The show brings together the full scope 

of event infrastructure suppliers, enabling 

an entire event to be planned with a single 

visit. Suppliers cover AV, lighting, crowd 

control, staging, features and venues, among 

many others. EPS plays host to hundreds 

of products and services, showcasing new 

innovations for the very first time. Discover 

the elements missing from your events 

to create a renewed experience for your 

visitors, and compare industry offerings for 

cost-saving solutions to existing issues. 

EPS 2018 will deliver two stages full of 

powerful, challenging and educational 

content, helping visitors to deliver even 

better events. The complimentary content 

covers topics and issues relevant to shaping 

the events world of the future. This includes 

GDPR, security, health and safety and mental 

well being, alongside key issues such as 

secondary ticketing, and how independent 

festivals are fighting back. EPS is renowned 

for its high calibre of speakers; the keynotes 

and panels are led by well-known and 

respected experts and 2018 will continue this 

theme with big names being announced. 

The show offers visitors a unique and 

valuable opportunity to connect with peers. 

You can build your list of key contacts within 

the industry, whether in the networking bar, 

among suppliers on the exhibition floor, or 

through attending the seminar sessions. 

MORE DETAILS 

Attendance to EPS is complimentary, just 

register to claim your visitor badge 

www.eventproductionshow.co.uk 

TOP PICKS 

A delve into the 130+ 

exhibitors! 

A1 Loo Hire – Stand H12E 

The A1 group has delivered total 

waste management solutions for over 

15 years, providing portable event 

toilet hire through an extensive range 

of single toilets and trailer units. It 

has centrally located depots and 

an extensive support and service 

network. If you’re not sure what type 

of loo you need, or how many, A1 can 

help establish your requirements and 

provide the most cost effective solution. 

0118 989 4652 / a1groupcomp.co.uk/ 

loo-hire 

Canvas Tent Shop – Stand A40E 

The Canvas Tent Shop has been 

supplying bell tents, shelters and 

marquees to the camping/glamping 

industry and festival organisers for 

over 25 years. Check out the stand for 

information on a huge range of canvas 

tents and accessories. 01234 740327 / 

www.canvastentshop.co.uk 

Blachere Illumination – Stand 

K16E 

Decorative lighting can be a bit of a 

challenge, with shrinking budgets and 

bigger demands on that budget. But 

help is at hand, if you are looking for 

that WOW factor or just looking to add 

some new touches to your display, give 

Ronnie at Blachere a call. From a single 

string of lights or a speciality piece to a 

fully themed display, he can help. 01337 

832910 / www.blachere-illumination. 

co.uk 

Gig Tent – Stand I82E 

If you are looking for a complete, 

professional, impressive stage for your 

next event, check out the range from 

Gig Tent. Covered stages available 

that can be installed on any surface in 

two hours; an ideal and cost effective 

alternative to a ground stage. 01223 

870935 / www.gigtent.co.uk 

Beetle Juice Events – Stand J80E 

With a fleet of 16 converted VW bars, 

Beetle Juice Events offers cocktail, 

‘health boost’ and Champagne bar 

hire options for festivals, fairs, sporting 

and other public events, as well as 

weddings and private parties. The team 

makes fresh drinks from high quality 

ingredients at very reasonable price 

points. Make sure to ask about the 

different profit share models on offer. 

07872 122 882 / www.beetle-juice.co.uk 


Trailblazing 

TL60 

Trailblazing 

TROLLEY LIGHT 

Smart, small & 

sophisticated 

VITAL STATISTICS 

Single operator friendly 

SMALL in size BIG on output 

4 X powerful 300W LEDs 

Retractable handles – extend and slide 

Lightweight and compact for transport and storage 

30 units fit on a euro trailer 

Powered by generator or mains with linked lighting capability 

+44 1902 790824 

morrismachinery.co.uk

INDUSTRY NEWS 

GUEST COMMENT 

GDPR 

Ready? 

GETTY IMAGES 

No more than best practice 

for data handling, being 

GDPR compliant provides 

an opportunity for more 

efficient marketing to truly 

engaged audiences, says 

Kevin Horler 

WHAT IS GDPR? 

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 

is a legal framework that sets guidelines for 

the collection and processing of personal 

information of individuals within the European 

Union (EU). The GDPR sets out the principles 

for data management and the rights of the 

individual, while also imposing fines. 

The General Data Protection Regulation 

covers all companies that deal with the data 

of EU citizens and will come into effect across 

the EU on 25 May 2018. The Government has 

confirmed its intention to bring GDPR into UK 

law, ensuring the country’s data protection 

framework is “suitable for our new digital age, 

allowing citizens to better control their data” 

after Brexit. 

IN THE WORLD of outdoor 

hospitality we still need to 

capture and use data; we need 

it to generate sales leads for our 

events, products and services. 

However, it's not fun, it's not 

exciting and it certainly isn’t 

glamorous, but GDPR may be 

just what you need to make 

your digital marketing incredibly 

effective. 

Data drives most businesses – 

data about customers, delegates, 

visitors, exhibitors, suppliers, 

sponsors; the list is almost 

endless. We have been capturing, 

storing and using data since 

spreadsheets were invented, 

and earlier. They have allowed 

us to sort and arrange detailed 

information to suit our marketing 

and administrative purposes. 

However, how we collect, store 

and use this information is all set 

to change under GDPR. 

Marketing your outdoor 

business or any product and 

service that supports it to both 

the general public and within the 

industry will have to change. We 


INDUSTRY NEWS 

have heard people say that the 

authorities will not be interested 

in seeking out and challenging 

companies in certain industries, 

ones that cannot withstand the 

huge potential fines imposed for 

transgressions. Maybe, maybe not. 

We have a slightly different view. 

There is no indication, available at 

the time of writing this piece, as to 

how many complaints may trigger 

an investigation and subsequent 

prosecutions. It may be that just a 

single complaint will be sufficient, 

it may need more. The key 

question to be asked is why take 

the risk when there really is no 

reason to infringe the regulations? 

Permission based marketing 

has been around for some time, 

its principles and processes 

are already very close to those 

required under GDPR. They 

sit closely alongside content 

marketing, SEO and inbound 

marketing, all of which are 

designed to bring an audience 

to you, and to enthusiastically 

give their permission for you to 

market to them. It requires a 

shift in thinking from the usual 

email blasts and telemarketing 

approach, the effectiveness of 

which has dropped dramatically as 

audience behaviour has evolved. 

The days of the stellar sized 

database is over, contacts 

within a databases will have 

to confirm their willingness to 

receive marketing material – so 

the attrition rates will be high 

– but those that do confirm 

will be a much more engaged 

audience. Every contact on your 

database will have gone through 

a second stage of authentication 

and by doing so they will have 

demonstrated a closer affinity 

to the proposition you are 

presenting. 

Further down the marketing 

ABOUT THE 

AUTHOR 

Kevin Horler is 

project director of 

digital marketing 

agency Vivid Fish. 

Formed in 1997, 

Vivid Fish is an 

eight person team 

consisting of highly 

skilled inbound 

marketers and 

programmers. 

Vividfish is dedicated 

to creating 

digital marketing 

campaigns that are 

flexible, efficient and 

offer a great return. 

www.vividfish.co.uk 

pipeline this means that there 

should be less wastage, the 

recipients will be happy to 

receive the material (it should 

be stressed here that the quality 

of that material needs to be 

consistently high and appropriate, 

otherwise the audience may 

choose to exercise their right to 

be forgotten), engagement levels 

should increase, and conversion 

rates should improve. If you take 

a moment to think carefully about 

this, it really is just common 

sense. The contacts have made 

the decision that they want your 

information, they have been self 

selected, and they are an eager 

recipient. 

The challenge for any marketer 

is to change the direction of how 

marketing is currently undertaken, 

and that will be a tough job for 

industries that are comfortable 

marketing in volume to large 

databases. Those organisers, 

venues and suppliers that are 

fleet of foot, that can adapt to the 

new rules under GDPR, are most 

likely to see the rewards. GDPR 

need not be seen as a problem 

for marketers in the outdoor 

hospitality industry as a whole, it 

should be seen as an opportunity 

to really prove our worth. 

This is the opportunity to 

refine and embed the very best 

principles into your marketing. 

FREE GDPR GUIDE 

Kevin has been immersed in 

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and has helped create a basic 

guide to GDPR compliant 

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CASE STUDY 

Huntstile 

An organic farm and wedding venue with 

a deep routed culture of sustainability, 

and its own stone circle! 

John and Lizzie Redout’s family have farmed 

Huntstile since 1951. Today the Redout family 

hosts an array of weddings from the 15th 

Century farmhouse and adjoining marquee, while maintaining 

its organic farming activities. We talk to Lizzie about the venue’s 

unique offerings including its homegrown cut flowers and ‘zero food miles’ menu. 

When did you start your venue 

business and what is its history? 

John and I began our adventure 

into hospitalities in 2005, when 

John's sister and her fiancé wanted 

to build a stone circle on the highest 

point of the farm, for their own 

handfasting ceremony at dawn. I 

had always enjoyed hosting large 

dinner parties and sharing the 

house with our ever growing family 

and friends, however this was a 

whole new ball game for me - a 

steep learning curve! 

Huntstile was built in 1435 as 

a manor house. There have been 

several additions over the centuries, 

including a Tudor granary and 

stables, a stone and brick barn, and 

a Victorian wing. In 2012 we built 

the Garden Room, a lovely light 

conservatory overlooking the pretty 

gardens here and the adjacent 10 

acre wild flower meadow. 

My husband's father came here 

as a tenant farmer in 1951. John 

was born here, along with his four 

sisters, and he has remained as the 

farmer here ever since. He managed 

to buy the manor house from the 

estate in 1986 and started upon a 

huge era of restoration work - and 

here we are today. 

Tell us about your location and site 

Huntstile is nestled into the foothills 

of the Quantocks, in the centre 

of 270 acres of organic farmland. 

We are in an elevated position 

with breathtaking views across 

the countryside. It's a working 

family farm still and John spends 

a lot of time tending his animals 

and growing organic crops. We 

have sustainability at the heart of 

everything we do. 

Huntstile is Grade II listed and this 

restricts the alterations one can do, 

“THIS YEAR 

WE HAVE 

PLANTED 

A 10 ACRE 

WILD FLOWER 

MEADOW 

NEXT TO THE 

GARDENS AND 

MARQUEE 

- VERY 

EXCITING!” 

however we have always had lots 

of support from the conservation 

team at Sedgemoor Council - and of 

course we endeavour to complete 

our works in sympathy with the 

original aesthetic, which would 

never compromise the historical or 

heritage asset. 

We have an acre and a half of 

organic kitchen gardens and a 100ft 

long polytunnel where we grow 

salads, vegetables, soft fruit and 

herbs as well as an array of edible 

flowers. Our menus are based 

around fresh, seasonal and locally 

sourced produce, much of it coming 

from the farm itself with zero food 

miles. 

What facilities for outdoor 

functions do you offer? 

For wedding ceremonies, one 

option is the Garden Room which is 

licensed. It’s a very elegant building 

that opens onto a stone platform, 

where the marriage takes place. 

This has a short run of local stone 

steps (five steps in total) leading 

down into the main gardens, 

where the guests are seated. It’s 

a beautiful setting. And of course 

we still have our lovely stone circle 

circa 2005! We take the guests up 

the field to the stones via a hay 

bale ride on our old tractor; it’s 

great fun! The stones are set on the 

edge of a beech woodland, right on 

highest point of the farm. There are 

incredible views of five counties on 


a clear day. If the weather permits 

we have drinks and nibbles up here 

too. 

This year we have planted a 10 

acre wild flower meadow next to 

the gardens and marquee - very 

exciting! 

We have a pretty dining marquee 

that is attached to the manor 

house. It’s fully carpeted and 

heated, with a fairy-light lining 

and mood lighting in the evenings. 

There is also lighting throughout 

the gardens and grounds, festoon 

lights, and coloured uplighters 

through the mature trees and 

shrubs. Firepits are included - and 

the option for a big bonfire, which 

always goes down well! 

What services do you offer? 

Whatever is needed we can provide 

it. There are two outdoor ceremony 

options - the Garden Room for 

a civil ceremony, or the stone 

circle for a humanist ceremony or 

blessing. The team can also assist 

with any planning required. 

We have three wonderful 

chefs working at Huntstile and 

can provide everything from the 

very simplest of cream teas to 

a mouthwatering seven course 

banquet. We also have the facility 

for an outdoor rustic bar in the 

garden, cask ale on hay bales, kegs 

of cider, a Pimms bike - even gin 

and tonic kilner jars dispensing 

delicately flavoured botanicals into 

pretty glasses with paper straws. 

Several years ago we planted 

a cutting garden and from the 

beginning of June we can supply 

buckets of stems for use in the 

marquee and house. We can 

arrange pre-wedding dinners, 

activities such as clay-pigeon 

shooting, therapies, pizza nights, 

picnics, treasure hunts - whatever 

the client needs. 

Describe how you researched and 

sourced your structures 

The dining marquee is ours, we 

had it made to measure especially 

for Huntstile. It’s an all weather 

structure which is fabulously 

resistant to everything Mother 

Nature throws at us. The marquee is 

a tasteful blank canvas for whatever 

is required and we can easily 

change its nature with lighting, 

flowers, furniture, plants and 

materials - or it can remain in its 

natural elegance. 

How do you work with your 

customers to make their event 

unique? 

Every event is unique. We have lots 

of suggestions, however we want 

to create the day that a couple has 

been dreaming of - not coerce them 

into doing what we want them to 

do! It's very important to listen to 

clients, to listen to their ideas and 

the dreams they have for their big 

day - then we arrive at the true 

nature of what they really want and 

can translate these dreams into 

workable models and build from 

there.


How would you describe your 

‘style’ or unique selling point 

Huntstile is unique in itself - a 

beautiful old manor house with 

exquisite accommodation set 

in glorious countryside with a 

welcoming team of staff. 

Our kitchen team is amazing, 

drawing on talent from around the 

globe. Our food is delicious, colourful 

and varied - we cater for all tastes - 

and we grow most of it here on our 

organic farm; our effort in striving for 

sustainability is key! 

What challenges have you faced? 

Using the stone circle was lovely, 

however we wanted to obtain a civil 

ceremony license (as we wanted to 

be married at Huntstile too!). That 

was a challenge because of our 

Grade II listing, however with the 

help of the conservation team at 

the local council we got there and 

John and I were the very first legal 

ceremony to take place. 

One year we had snow just before 

Christmas and had to tow all our 

guests in their cars from the A38. 

We have since invested in a snow 

plough! (...needless to say it hasn't 

snowed since then). 

What are your plans for next 

season? 

This coming year sees a change in 

accommodation with some new 

bedrooms being added throughout 

the year, and a new bar in the dining 

marquee (John is particularly 

pleased with his recycling chutes!). 

We have always had good green 

credentials but we are increasing 

this with several farm-wide policies 

of no single use plastic, recycling 

all materials as much as we can, 

increasing our green energy 

generation, and reducing waste in 

general. 

Why do you enjoy the business? 

The people we meet here are just 

the best. John and I have made 

many friends over the years and 

we are very lucky. We now have 

previous wedding couples returning 

with their children, staying in 

the B&B or camping in our little 

orchard - it’s wonderful to see them 

again and get to know the next 

generation. 

I really enjoy the excitement of 

the build up to the wedding and 

helping to plan a perfect day. Each 

event is unique and it’s a wonderful 

privilege to be able to share the 

excitement of the couples, bringing 

their ideas into being. Correct and 

complete planning means there is 

no stress on the day and nothing for 

anyone to worry about. 

What other outdoor hospitality 

sectors do you operate in? 

We have an apple orchard that we 

use as a camping field for up to 20 

tents, two gypsy wagons as well as 

a furnished teepee tent. We also 

have nine bedrooms in the manor 

house and two log cabins. Because 

all our bookings are exclusive, we 

include all of these within our venue 

hire fees. 

Huntstile is a B&B all year round, 

we have foodie events throughout 

the year including seasonal Food 

ADDRESS BOOK 

MARQUEE 

Custom Covers 

www.customcovers.co.uk 

FURNITURE 

Laurie's Furniture Warehouse 

www.lauriesfurniture.com 

LIGHTING 

Laurie's Furniture Warehouse 

www.lauriesfurniture.com 

HEATING 

Biomass woodchip boiler by 

Twin Heat 

www.twinheatuk.com 

Feasts which are very popular and 

Pizza Night every Friday. 

What are you most proud of? 

My family - they are all here to help 

and work very hard! Particular 

mentions for our son Nathaniel who 

is one of our esteemed chefs (he 

makes a mean pizza too!), our son 

Joseph who, despite being a top 

barman every weekend, managed 

to graduate with a masters degree 

in mathematics last year, and of 

course my lovely husband John, 

without whom none of this would 

be possible. He has rebuilt part of 

every room, outside wall, renovated 

all the roof and built new ones at 

Huntstile. He has an artist’s eye, is 

an amazing architect, carpenter 

and builder, and he is my rock. 

What advice could you give 

to someone coming into the 

industry? 

Make sure you like people and enjoy 

entertaining. If you make promises, 

make sure that you can provide 

them on the day. Get the best 

possible insurance - you may need 

it one day and it’s always best to be 

fully covered. Be prepared for the 

biggest learning curve of your life! 

INSURANCE 

NFU Mutual 

www.nfumutual.co.uk 

DETAILS 

Huntstile Organic Farm 

Goathurst, Bridgwater, 

TA5 2DQ 

01278 662358 

www.huntstileorganicfarm. 

co.uk 


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GETTY IMAGES 

Venue Insurance 

Kerry Leighton-Bailey explains the four cornerstones of venue insurance 

MAKING PART OR all your land, property 

or venue available to hire out for events is 

a great way of generating an income. But 

despite the myriad of issues that could 

arise as a result – from unexpected damage 

caused by a guest, to adverse weather 

conditions, even theft – there is no legal 

obligation on you, as a venue owner, to 

have any kind of insurance in place. The 

only compulsory requirement by law is that 

you have employers liability insurance to 

protect you against any potential claims 

that may arise from staff or volunteers 

(whether paid or unpaid), where you may be 

required to pay compensation. 

Of course, if you are making your venue 

or property available for hire and running it 

as a business, it is never advisable to adopt 

a “bare minimum” approach to insurance. 

And when it comes to insurance needs for 

any type of business, liability insurance is 

essential. This would offer you protection 

against claims that may arise if someone 

slips or falls at your event as a result of your 

negligence, or protection against mishaps 

with event equipment. 

Without adequate insurance in place, if 

you are found liable for errors or perceived 

negligence, you may have to pay costs and 

compensation out of your own pocket – 

including the legal costs of defending your 

claim. This could have major implications 

for the future of your venue or event. 

Despite this, 46% of event organisers 

admitted to not spending anything on 

insurance last year. 

DO YOUR CLIENTS HAVE INSURANCE? 

Having worked with venue owners of all 

types and sizes across the UK, and across 

the globe, one of the most important 

recommendations is to ensure that your 

clients, and the users of your venue, have 

their own insurance in place. No matter how 

comprehensive your policy, even if it covers 

the liability of loss or damage caused by a 

guest at your venue, if you have to make a 

claim the cost of your insurance may rise 

significantly at renewal. 

I am seeing more and more venues – both 

private and local authority-owned – making 

it a contractual requirement for clients to 

take out their own public liability insurance 

before their event can go ahead. 

As soon as there is accidental injury 

caused to a guest, or damage caused to 

the venue and/or its contents, through the 

negligence of your client, the responsibility 

no longer lies with you as the venue owner. 

To give you an example, if, while setting 

up the event, the client left objects lying 

around which a guest later tripped over and 

injured themselves upon, your client could 

be liable if the individual wanted to make a 

claim. 

If your client doesn’t have their own 

public liability in place, you, as the venue 

owner, could potentially be held personally 

responsible for the claim. We saw a claim 

against a wedding policy, where a guest 

at a wedding in a stately home damaged 

a Versace chaise longue. The cost of the 

claim totalled £15,000. If the venue owner 

had not insisted their client have their own 

insurance, they may have had to cover the 

cost of the repair themselves. 

As a venue owner, even with your own 

insurance in place, you should generally 

require that the client have their own public 

liability policy, suitable to the event taking 

place. It is also important to consider third 

party contractors that your client may be 

bringing on to site (marquee hire, caterers 

etc.) to ensure they, in turn, have their 

own public liability insurance to protect 

their indemnity in case of any loss or injury 

arising out of their negligence. 

THE FOUR CORNERSTONES OF AN EVENT 

INSURANCE POLICY 

All this talk of negligence, liability and 

indemnity can be confusing. But, an event 

insurance policy is very straightforward and 



comprises four main cornerstones 

that can be taken independently 

of each other (in most cases), or 

combined to suit your needs, to give 

you the levels of cover that your 

event, or the users of your function 

venue, may need. 

› Public Liability Insurance. The 

foundation of any event insurance 

policy. There are four main cover 

levels ranging from £10m, down 

through £5m and £2m to the 

basic level of £1m of cover. Local 

authorities and larger stately homes 

are increasingly specifying that 

clients take out £10m of cover and I 

am seeing that trend spread out to 

other venue types as well. 

Premiums here can start from as 

little as £60, but will depend on the 

number of attendees at the event, 

as well as the length of the event 

itself. 

› Employers Liability Insurance. 

A legal essential for you to have in 

place, yet so often an overlooked 

level of cover. Employers liability is 

potentially relevant if you have any 

staff, volunteers or helpers working 

or assisting you at the event. This 

could range from stewards, catering 

staff, ticket collectors or marshalls. 

It doesn’t matter whether they are 

paid or unpaid, but they must be 

under your control and supervision 

at the time they sustain an injury. 

With cover starting from only 

around £53 for up to £5m of cover 

for up to 10 volunteers/employees, 

this is frequently taken out in 

conjunction with public liability. 

› Event Equipment Cover. 

This level of cover relates to items 

that your client may be bringing 

into, or hiring for, an event they 

are holding at your venue. So this 

excludes items which are already 

part of the fixtures and fittings at 

your venue. Our policy in particular 

would provide accidental damage, 

loss or theft cover for the event 

equipment that your client is legally 

responsible for, for the duration 

of their event. This cover can start 

from an additional premium as low 

as £34. 

› Cancellation Insurance. This 

is a big one, and yet as an optional 

cover many event organisers 

choose not to add it to their policy. 

Organising and hosting an event 

can be costly, and this cover looks 

to try and recover your costs if 

the event you are organising or 

attending was forced to cancel 

ABOUT THE 

AUTHOR 

Kerry Leighton- 

Bailey is the 

marketing 

director at Event 

Insurance Services. 

Established in 1996, 

Event Insurance 

Services provides 

affordable, reliable 

insurance, tailored 

to fit the scale and 

style of the occasion 

– from school 

fêtes and small 

ceremonies to high 

profile weddings 

and events. The 

team works with 

companies and 

individuals across 

the full spectrum of 

events, as well as 

supporting a broker 

network of over 

2,500 brokers and 

450 of the country’s 

top venues and 

hotels. www.eventsinsurance.co.uk 

for reasons beyond your control. 

There are also several extensions 

to cancellation cover, which are 

becoming increasingly common: 

• Adverse weather cover: With 

the unpredictability of the British 

weather, and the increasing 

number of outdoor events, this 

is one of the most common 

cancellation extensions 

• Terrorism cover: Sadly, a sign 

of the times. For an additional 

premium, we can offer terrorism 

cover for your event, limited to 

threats and acts of terrorism 

occurring within a specific 

number of days and miles of 

the event (usually 50 days and 

50 miles). There is an option to 

upgrade the cover to remove time 

and distance restrictions 

• Non-Appearance cover: 

Designed for events which are 

dependent upon a key individual 

or a group of performers. 

YOUR PREMIUM 

The median spend on event 

insurance last year was £2,500, 

according to a recent Eventbrite 

report. However, this figure has 

been pushed up by the increase in 

the number of very large events, 

such as Glastonbury, which have 

huge premiums. 

Whatever the size of the event 

you are organising, hosting or 

attending, there are several ways 

that you can look to reduce your 

insurance premium. The key is 

working with an insurance provider 

or broker that fully understands the 

needs of your event. By explaining 

the policies and procedures you 

have in place to help mitigate risk, 

you will give the insurer confidence 

that you are doing everything 

possible to reduce the risk of having 

to make a claim. 

If you are organising, hosting or 

attending multiple events per year 

then there are annual event policies 

available which generally offer a 

lower cost-per-event than insuring 

each event individually. 

If you work with an insurer for a 

period of time, it is likely they will 

be able to maintain your insurance 

premium, or in some cases reduce 

it, based on their long standing 

experience of your event or venue. 

Building a relationship with your 

insurer will stand you in good stead 

for the long term. 

By opening up your venue, or 

organising/exhibiting at an event, 

you want everyone involved to 

have an enjoyable, rewarding and 

profitable event. Ultimately, an 

insurance policy is a risk mitigation 

tool. Ensuring you have your 

own insurance in place to protect 

your negligence is important; by 

stipulating that your clients also 

have adequate insurance in place 

can give you peace of mind that 

they have financial security to cover 

any claims. 

GETTY IMAGES 


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GETTY IMAGES 

2018 Wedding 

TRENDS 

More than just a heads up on themes and styling, Kelly 

Chandler’s wedding trend hit list for the year looks at the 

whole package 

WHAT BETTER TIME to reflect and 

be inspired than January. Make it 

the start of a new, fresh and dynamic 

approach to your business. 

Trends are ever evolving and 

emerging and 2018 looks set to be 

yet another exciting year in the world 

of weddings. With enhancements on 

what may have already been popular, 

a nod to tradition with a tempting 

twist, and new ways to continuously 

excite and wow wedding guests, I 

have popped together a list of what 

I feel are up and coming trends 

that you, as either a new or already 

well-established venue, should be 

considering. 

Today’s couples expect you to be 

engaging with trends long before they 

get in touch, let alone make a booking. 

They will want to see you up to date 

with the latest in your photography 

and social media so let’s make a start, 

helping you put your best foot 

forward. 

TREND 1 

Painting the 

perfect picture 

In the current market, there is one thing our 

millennial bride doesn’t have a lot of, and this 

is time. Couples are predominantly opting 

for online resources to plan their weddings 

with 41% using the ‘Wedding Website’ as the 

most utilised planning tool. With evening and 

weekend minutes being valued and precious, 

the venue hunt can seem a daunting one. 

According to The Bridebook.co.uk Wedding 

Report 2017, couples make an average of 5.4 

venue enquiries, typically only viewing 2.8 

venues, 

and are 

increasingly looking at venues as the ‘all-inone’ 

destination for everything. 

So, what can you do as a venue in order 

to keep up with the brides’ demands and 

wishes while seeking the perfect venue? 

What can you be doing to ensure you are 

running with the current trends and shining 

like that beautiful diamond engagement ring 

against your local competitors, all the time 

being mindful that at a quick glance, you are 

‘the venue’ for not only the couple but just as 

importantly, their family and friends? 

There is nothing more off-putting than a 

venue that is looking tired. Nor are brides 

wanting to trawl through pages of irrelevant 

and repeated text. To be sure you are not 

losing your audience due to lack of or hidden 

information. Take a fresh and clear approach 

demonstrating your offering through your 

website with a concise introduction to who 

you are (think about a personal intro to you 

and your story) and key information listed in 

one place. This is an absolute must. 

Details of your main areas with wet 

weather options, capacities both inside and 

out, civil ceremony information, a selection 

of striking, wedding focussed, high impact 

shots, sample menus and clear directions on 

how to get in touch and make an enquiry is 

paramount in helping your brides paint the 

perfect portrait of their day. 

The response is also key. Always bear in 

mind the three Ps; be prompt, professional 

and personal. A bride will be wowed by 

the little things so make this first point of 

communication really count. 


GETTY IMAGES 

TREND 3 

Fabulous food 

Couples are becoming increasingly 

aware of the importance of local, 

sustainable produce. There will be 

a huge surge of this throughout 

2018 with new couples looking to 

continue to promote and support 

local businesses that venues have 

already established relationships 

with. 

There is a real desire now for 

a clean minimalist approach 

with a focus on quality, taste and 

refinement. Modern couples are 

looking to continue to wow and 

excite their guests through every 

element and with this in mind 

are moving further away from 

traditions like the set three course 

wedding breakfast. 

Feasting and festival style 

sharing is growing fast! The idea 

of delicious local foods served on 

platters/boards for a whole table 

to delve into and discuss will offer 

a true food experience. We’re 

seeing things like Borough Market 

themed platters, informal, with an 

opportunity to share and celebrate 

our Great British produce and 

surroundings. 

TREND 2 

Personalisation 

It is becoming more and more popular for couples to 

‘create their own’ day and sway further away from a 

traditional cookie cutter approach. Couples are wanting 

to take the opportunity to personalise, reflect and share 

their journey with their family and loved ones. 

Drink stations such as ‘pimp your prosecco’ have been 

huge, and this year we will see this creativity and fun 

evolve even further. Alternative ways to present food and 

drink will be key and what better way to be promoting 

your team’s flair than through delicious catering offerings. 

It’s about thinking outside the box entirely, with brilliant 

and quirky ways of pairing food and drink while guests 

mingle and munch - think shots of local craft spirits and 

beers, through to a couple’s personal alcoholic creations 

(eg. cocktails inspired by their engagement). 

GETTY IMAGES 

GETTY IMAGES 

TREND 4 

Capturing colours and tones 

Soft, muted and pastel tones have been very popular up to 

this point. In 2018 the bride may be a little bolder shifting to a 

statement colour with neutral hints and undertones. Incorporating 

earthy hues and textures will still play a key part in many brides’ 

palette - no the ‘greenery’ hasn’t gone away just yet. 

Making your audiences aware you are knowledgeable about 

these current trends and promoting this in areas you can 

throughout your venue is important. Whether this be through 

your marketing material, newsletters or even offerings on your 

showrounds. This will help your couples envisage themselves 

at your venue, all the time being inspired and assured that your 

offerings are in line with what’s currently popular. 



TREND 6 

Alternative marquee options 

Alternative marquee options are a relatively new thing on our little continent. While the tipi and stretch 

tent have been popular and will continue to be throughout 2018, alternatives to traditional internal 

spaces include glass/clear marquees. They offer infinity views of our breathtaking landscape, pulling in 

the twinkle of the moonlight as guests dance on into the early hours of the morning. Although not for 

everyone, as they can be costly, these really are a wonderful option to promote to your couples should 

you be surrounded by jaw dropping views. 

GETTY IMAGES 

TREND 5 

Weekend 

weddings 

The destination wedding 

hit its peak at the end 

of last year with brides 

loving the idea of a ‘taste 

of Tuscany’, and that 

‘European dream’ on 

their doorstep minus the 

headache of flights and 

remote planning. 

Well a ‘weekend long’ 

extravaganza is looking 

to be the root of every 

wedding this year, where 

couples are exploring 

ways to extend their 

celebrations, creating 

that dream weekend 

everyone talks about. 

This of course comes 

predominantly down to 

you as a venue. Acting as 

the ‘star of the show,’ it’s 

about ensuring you’re 

able to accommodate 

and host at least part 

of, if not the entire, 

experience. Make sure to 

showcase your versatile 

spaces and facilities to 

reassure couples they 

are getting value for 

money and that you can 

maximise their guests’ 

experience and time with 

you. 

TREND 7 

Wedding chairs 

Gone are the days of the dreaded 

stretched white Lycra chair cover. We 

truly are now spoilt for choice when it 

comes to wedding chairs. From ghost 

to farmhouse, Louis to upholstered 

in luxury vintage fabric, there really 

is something perfect for every space/ 

backdrop. 

As a venue, be clever what you 

invest in so that chairs can be used 

and sit well within several areas of 

your property, both inside and out. 

The decision can’t be taken lightly 

if you are looking at purchasing 

for a long term investment. It’s 

about selecting something that has 

longevity, both in its structure and 

style. 

Large groupings of chairs for either 

a ceremony or wedding breakfast 

can have a significant impact on the 

overall style/colour scheme of the 

day. It has been known for brides 

not to have booked a venue purely 

on the chair options, so considering 

an upgrade, or actively promoting 

alternatives should this not be an 

option, is a wise move. 

We hope you’ve found our 2018 

trend round up insightful and useful. 

I am a big believer that trends 

are trends and not the be all and 

end all. That said, it’s important 

to understand what couples are 

choosing and to understand the 

vision of your individual clients 

in order to help create the magic, 

whether that’s a trend or not. 

SUPPORT & TRAINING FOR VENUES 

If you’d like to know more about wedding market trends or are looking to improve your market 

presence and sales, then do consider joining Kelly's SHINE workshops written especially for 

ambitious wedding venues and locations. The full details of training on 9 February and 9 March can 

be found at www.kellychandlerconsulting.co.uk/consulting-services/group-training 

Kelly also offers one to one consulting via her signature ‘Refine & Shine’ programme, details of 

which you’ll find under ‘Work with Me’ at www.kellychandlerconsulting.co.uk 

GETTY IMAGES 

ABOUT THE 

AUTHOR 

Kelly Chandler is a 

long-term preferred 

service provider for 

exclusive venues 

such as Syon Park, 

Highclere Castle, 

Spencer House and 

Stoke Park Club. 

Kelly’s consulting 

services to wedding 

venues draw on 

prior experience 

in international 

conference and 

event planning, over 

13 years of business 

management, and 

working directly with 

discerning couples 

planning their 

weddings in diverse 

locations and 

forging successful 

relationships with all 

components of the 

wedding industry. 

A former director 

of trade body, the 

Alliance of Wedding 

Planners, Kelly is 

a well-regarded 

innovator, mentor, 

trainer and industry 

spokesperson on 

and in the wedding 

business. 

www. kellychandler 

consulting.co.uk 



Lighting up a 

Special Day 

Top tips for transforming a venue’s spaces with lighting 

advice from Version Events 

A UNIQUE AND personal wedding is 

something many couples aspire to, 

but this represents a challenge and 

cost if you are looking to reinvent the 

wheel. The wish to stand out from 

the crowd has led to lighting being a 

key component in transforming any 

wedding. With many weddings held 

at the same venues up and down the 

country, the flexibility and adaptability 

of lighting designs can allow event 

planners to truly dazzle their guests 

without wholesale changes to the 

venue. 

Lighting can transform any event by 

changing the look and feel of a venue 

as well as enhancing the surroundings 

to perfectly illustrate a chosen theme. 

Simple touches like coloured lighting 

can be used to match the chosen 

colour scheme, while more complex 

lighting solutions create an atmospheric 

ambience and even define different areas 

to make a single room seem like a larger 

and more interesting space. 

Practicality is something that must 

be considered when choosing the right 

lighting for an event even when there 

is artistic license to be creative. The 

thought process must balance out each 

aspect of the day, such as taking into 

account whether the guests will be able 

to see their food while trying to create an 

intimate setting. Weddings are complex 

days where the focus often shifts from 

the reception through to the dancing and 

the lighting must be chosen correctly to 

control and react as the day goes on. 

LIGHTING FOR EVERY OCCASION 

The range of lighting options available is 

truly staggering and allows you to design 

down to the minutest detail to deliver the 

ambience you crave. There’s something 

for every requirement, from the most 

extravagant to more subtle designs. Options 

include: 

› Up lighters – Perfect for lighting up walls 

or features, these small and subtle lights 

can be installed around the edge of a 

venue or even change colour for a partystyle 

atmosphere 

› Dappled lighting – Looking to create a 

magical feel to your wedding or event? 

Dappled lighting gives the effect of 

sunshine beaming through the trees and 

provides the ideal look for a dining area 

or can be used throughout a venue if you 

require a midsummer moon-lit theme 

› Spot lighting – If you’ve got a centrepiece 

on your wedding tables then spot 

lighting can concentrate focused beams 

of light onto it to make sure it remains the 

focal point even when the main lights are 

dimmed for evening entertainment 



› Fairy light backdrop – Create a 

stunning backdrop to your top 

table with a fairy light backdrop 

in any colour you wish, which 

can be defused behind a soft 

pleated fabric to produce a 

warm and inviting setting for the 

most important guests 

› Intelligent lighting – Party 

your wedding night away with 

intelligent lighting often found 

around the extremities of a 

dance floor. Often twinned with 

smoke effect systems, these 

lights can be programmed and 

controlled from one desk to 

deliver colourful and shaped 

beams of light in time with 

music 

› Coloured wash lighting – 

Colour schemes make a big 

difference to any wedding or 

event and these dimmable 

lighting options ensure that you 

have no need to be stuck with 

the harsh lighting 

› Message projection – Project 

favourite quotes or initials onto 

walls around a venue with these 

light designs, which are also 

perfect for displaying theme 

images if you want to create a 

truly bespoke atmosphere 

to create a more intimate setting 

without becoming claustrophobic. 

The use of strings of fairy lights in 

various designs can help to reduce 

space or draw the eye away from 

less visually appealing structures 

as well as creating a false ceiling 

for large venues. 

IF BUDGET IS NO ISSUE 

Lighting is truly capable of 

elevating any event to be aweinspiring 

and if there is budget 

available then the possibilities 

are endless. There is the ability 

to either bring something hugely 

elaborate using versatile and 

innovative LED lighting to create a 

focal point of the event or to strip 

it back to being more traditional 

with simple festoon lighting that 

adds an understated glamour to a 

wedding or special occasion. The 

sky really is the limit. 

GETTING LIGHTING RIGHT 

OUTDOORS 

The right exterior lighting at any 

event must work during the day 

and then come into its own at 

night. For when the sun goes 

down, there is the ability to use 

architectural lighting to highlight 

natural landmarks such as trees, 

lakes, sculptures and structures. 

At many events, guests will arrive 

when it is light and stay until 

its dark, and in these situations 

festoon lighting with older style 

Edison lamps, paper lanterns or 

fairy lights can deliver an eyecatching 

visual effect during the 

day and become more practical as 

the day moves on. 

LIGHTING UP LARGE 

STRUCTURES 

Barns and marquees are as popular 

as ever for weddings and events, 

CREATING AN IMPACT WITHOUT 

THE EXPENSE 

Transforming a venue can be 

expensive, but clever lighting 

solutions can help deliver an 

improved experience without 

the associated costs. The beauty 

of light is you can change the 

colour, intensity or position to suit 

your theme and bring a different 

ambience. One issue that is often 

faced is the covering up of ceiling 

artwork or making a ceiling lower 



but they pose very different 

challenges when lighting them 

effectively. Whether industrial or 

traditional, barns offer character in 

abundance, whereas marquees act 

more like a canvas. It’s important 

to work with what your space 

offers you, highlighting features 

to provide the perfect backdrop 

to the day. Consider fairy light 

canopies, strings of paper lanterns, 

crystal chandeliers or up lighting to 

provide a bespoke ambience and 

theme for the event. 

WHAT WILL BE BIG IN 2018? 

There’s been a huge trend for 

the vintage and shabby-chic 

look especially for weddings and 

extravagant events. It is likely 

this will continue into 2018 but 

with the development of more 

intricate designs incorporated into 

fairy lights and theming to create 

visually-stunning focal pieces. 

With the pace that LED lights and 

the devices controlling them are 

advancing we are likely to see big 

improvements in the capabilities 

of this technology, so watch this 

space. 

‘LED-ING’ THE WAY 

The advances in affordable LED 

lighting is outpacing any other 

form of lighting and has delivered 

an opportunity to push the 

boundaries for clients without 

breaking budget. Their multifaceted 

advantages over rival 

products makes transforming 

prestigious and listed buildings 

simpler without putting a strain 

on beautiful surroundings. They 

create a wonderful atmosphere 

in places that would not have 

previously been possible. LED 

lighting’s environmentally-friendly 

credentials makes it ideal for 

many events. Just some of their 

advantages include: 

ABOUT VERSION 

EVENTS 

Established in 

1997 and based in 

Colchester, Essex, 

Version Events and 

Wedding Creative have 

been providing event 

and wedding services 

across the UK for more 

than two decades. 

The two companies 

have worked on a 

diverse range of events 

supplying bespoke 

solutions. 

Drawing on experience 

gained from theatre, 

TV, live events and 

architecture, the 

team has a passion 

for providing creative 

design concepts. 

Version Events 

also carries a large 

selection of event 

equipment from 

outdoor structures 

down to finishing 

touches and 

accessories. 

Contact the team 

on 0845 8 340 320 or 

hello@versionevents. 

co.uk, or view projects 

at www.weddingcreative.co.uk 

and 

www.version-events. 

co.uk 

› Low power and recharge 

ability – Running on low power 

and even being rechargeable 

allows wireless-type LED lights 

to make the most of open spaces 

in venues without the need for 

unsightly cabling spoiling the 

look of the designs 

› Small and light – Compared 

to many light sources, LEDs are 

hugely light and flexible meaning 

they can be placed more 

sympathetically around venues 

and even suspended from 

delicate structures or the roof of 

marquees 

› Lack of a fire hazard – 

Renowned for emitting very little 

heat, LED lights can be placed 

in close proximity to drapery 

without creating a fire risk, which 

is hugely important for all venues 

› Wireless capability – LED 

lights have benefited from 

the improvements in wireless 

technology to be controlled 

remotely, negating the need 

for multiple control products 

spoiling a design 

› Individually-controlled – LED 

fairy lights can now be controlled 

individually making it easier to 

sculpt them into shapes that 

can work as a focal point for 

any event, and to have them 

change colour depending on the 

ambience required. 

BENEFIT FOR A VENUE 

Commissioning a company to 

manage the lighting aspect of an 

event gives a venue the peace 

of mind of knowing they are in 

safe hands. We are fortunate to 

have a number of contracts with 

venues that trust us to handle “the 

look” freeing them up to focus on 

other elements of the day. Event 

management firms are happy to 

offer a bespoke service to clients 

or to provide a package offering 

that venues can upsell to their 

customers. Our venues know that 

by using our experts they have a 

professional and experienced team, 

who are proficient in all testing 

and risk management and able 

to handle any eventuality; as well 

as someone they can trust to be 

respectful of their property. 

LIGHTING IS JUST ONE ELEMENT 

OF THE SERVICE 

Lighting never sits alone when 

panning the blueprint to deliver 

the perfect event. It should work 

alongside the design requirements 

and capabilities of the venue to 

seamlessly exceed expectations. 

By hiring a specialist events 

company you get experts who 

can elevate the experience of the 

client by combining all aspects to 

work as one and create the perfect 

ambience for the client on their 

special day. 


S2T GRASS 

REINFORCEMENT 

PERFO 

interlocking tiles - effective 

protection for soft ground 

PROFESSIONAL PA, SOUND SYSTEMS, LIGHTING 

EFFECTS, DJ EQUIPMENT, STAGING, 

AV EQUIPMENT & ENGINEERING SERVICES. 

CALL TODAY TO DISCUSS YOUR EVENT! 

020 3302 6947 enquiries@hirefrequencies.co.uk 

www.hirefrequencies.co.uk 

33 Fairways Business Park, Lammas Road, London, E10 7QB 

Ideal for the reinforcement of 

parking areas, access tracks, 

pitches etc. at: 

- camping & glamping sites 

- open air event venues 

- country & leisure parks 

Tel. 01992 522797 

www.perfo.co.uk 

For indoors and out, to buy or rent. 

01962 877 644 | info@twilight-trees.com 

www.twilight-trees.com 



OAB LOVES… 

LIGHTING 

Illuminated wonders 

for your venue 

WE LOVE... 

The Tunnel of Light from Blachere 

Illumination 

WHY? 

At 45m long at its max with 57,400 

computer controlled RGB LEDs, 

the ‘Tunnel of Light’ can be hired 

or purchased in 2m sections. At 

an event in Norwich over 10,000 

people went through it on the 

first night, attracting over 10 

million hits on social media! Add a 

spectacle to your venue – a show 

stopper for weddings or high end 

parties. 

The team at Blachere 

Illumination is primed to help with 

lighting installations of all shapes 

and sizes from major venues to 

home and garden. 

FROM 

Blachere Illumination 

01337 832910 

www.blachere-illumination.co.uk 

WE LOVE... 

LED trees to rent or buy from 

Twilight Trees 

WHY? 

Available as maple, cherry or 

palm, from ‘Mini’ (for table 

tops) to ‘Grande’ (3m), these 

enchanting LED trees add a 

magical element to any venue, 

indoors or out, and are available 

to rent or buy. 

We’ve experienced these first 

hand at the entrance to a high 

end hotel near us in Tunbridge 

Wells, and they really do create 

a unique atmosphere. Twilight 

Trees also offers a range of 

accessories to add to the 

magic including peacocks and 

flamingos! 

FROM 

Twilight Trees 

01962 877644 

www.twilight-trees.com 

WE LOVE... 

‘Alternative’ lighting from Bob Cool 

Industries 

WHY? 

We love the range of hand built funky 

lights from Bob Cool. Add some light 

to your event from retro style lit letters 

to modern LED lit light boxes and 

lights. Specialists in letter lights in any 

size, this UK-based alternative light 

manufacturer builds everything by 

hand so can customise your product 

to exactly how you want it, designing 

and manufacturing under one roof in 

Norfolk. 

FROM 

Bob Cool Industries 

01279 293264 

www.bobcool.co.uk 


WE LOVE... 

Magical lighting from Hire 

Frequencies 

WHY? 

Hire Frequencies has worked 

with hundreds of venues across 

the UK providing sound and 

lighting solutions for a wide 

range of events. It recently 

provided venue lighting for 

the Round Chapel in Hackney, 

transforming it into a magical 

event space for weddings and 

celebrations. 

The lighting design team 

has decades of experience 

bringing state of the art lighting 

solutions into a wide range 

of both historic and modern 

venues. 

FROM 

Hire Frequencies 

0203 3026947 

www.hirefrequencies.co.uk

Stay Somewhere 

Magical 

Quality Unearthed hand-pick alternative abodes 

for quirky, quality holidays in the most beautiful 

spots across the UK. From spacious yurts to luxury 

treehouses, from smart eco cabins to cleverly 

converted carriages, we provide all the ingredients 

for a magically memorable British break. 

visit qualityunearthed.co.uk 

call 01348 830922 

stay somewhere different 

If you’re looking to start your own glamping business, give our team a call on 01348 830922

GLAMPSITES 

CASE STUDY 

Fair Farm 

Hideaway 

An adults-only glampsite with lakeside 

views in bespoke shepherd hut accommodation 

Proud of its farming background, the Watchorn family has created a glampsite that echoes 

its heritage. Nine shepherd huts are positioned around landscaped lakes with wild flowers 

in eco-friendly luxury. We talk to Anne Watchorn about the new business and the incredible 

team behind it. 

What’s you back story – your life 

before glamping? 

We are a third generation farming 

family and farm both livestock and 

arable in Waltham on the Wolds 

and the surrounding area. 

We opened the glampsite in 

June 2017 as our son had joined 

the family business and we wanted 

to generate a new income stream. 

Two fishing lakes were created 15 

years ago, initially used for coarse 

fishing on a day ticket basis. It was 

always our intention to develop 

them further once the landscaping 

had matured. When we decided 

on glamping the lake came into its 

own and nine shepherd huts are 

now positioned around it with a 

tenth currently in production on 

the farm. 

We are an adults-only site, with 

each shepherd hut accommodating 

a maximum of two, with a 

minimum two night stay (three 

nights over a bank holiday). 

How did you research the 

business before entering it? 

We did a lot of internet research, 

read industry literature then 

followed up by visits to the 

Glamping Show. 

Tell us about your location and 

site 

Our family farm is on the outskirts 

of the village of Waltham on the 

Wolds in Leicestershire. We are on 

the edge of the beautiful Vale of 

Belvoir, with Belvoir Castle close 

by, and five miles north of Melton 

Mowbray, the renowned ‘rural 

capital of food’. 

The glampsite itself is in an 

undulating lakeside location. The 

units are all shepherd huts which 

have been carefully positioned 

to maximise the view of the lakes 

while maintaining a practical siting 

for drainage and services. 

Keen to preserve some of the old 

pasture and wild flower species 

from the farm, we harvested some 

and have incorporated the seed 

around the shepherd huts. 

How did you tackle getting 

planning? 

We obtained advice from local 

planning personnel, as although 

the shepherd huts were built on a 

chassis rendering them movable, 

planning consent was still required 

and obtained. 

What glamping accommodation 

do you offer and why did you 

choose it? 

We chose shepherd huts as they 

provided something different. 

They are a year round option, 

with sheep’s wool insulation to 

keep them snug, and fit into the 

landscape in a sympathetic way, 

affording a close connection with 

our farming heritage. 


GLAMPSITES 

All the huts have en-suite 

facilities with towels and linen 

provided, and Wi-Fi throughout. 

There is thermostatically 

controlled heating in every hut, 

but for that cosy feel, all huts have 

a log burner fitted. 

Each hut has its own private 

entrance and patio area with BBQ 

and fire pit. A number of huts have 

wood fired hot tubs. We also have 

‘dog friendly’ huts. 

How did you work out your 

brand and how do you publicise 

yourself? 

We wanted a close association 

with our farm name ‘Fair Farm’ 

as we are immensely proud of 

the opportunity the land has 

provided for our new venture and 

the connection we all have with 

it. We also felt that ‘hideaway’ 

closely reflected our feelings of a 

‘hidden gem’ in the Leicestershire 

countryside on the edge of the 

Vale of Belvoir. 

We have our own website and 

have also used a number of sites 

including Love Glamping and Go 

Glamping to publicise our business 

in addition to local tourism sites 

and social media with a presence 

on Facebook etc. 

We entered the Leicestershire 

Promotions Awards, nominating 

our team for the ‘Best Team’ 

category, and despite strong 

competition from a number of 

“OUR ETHOS 

IS TO USE 

NATURAL, 

SUSTAINABLE 

MATERIALS 

IN AN ECO- 

FRIENDLY 

ENVIRONMENT 

WITHOUT 

COMPROMISING 

ON LUXURY OR 

QUALITY” 

larger, more established businesses 

were amazed when we were 

‘commended’. 

As this is our first winter season 

we are still exploring a number of 

different avenues to publicise our 

glamping business throughout the 

year. 

How would you describe your 

ethos and unique selling point? 

Our ethos is to use natural, 

sustainable materials in an ecofriendly 

environment without 

compromising on luxury or quality. 

Our USP is sustainability. 

We carry the theme through to 

utilising local skills and obtaining 

the support of local businesses 

wherever possible - the shepherd 

huts were built on the farm by local 

craftsmen. 

How did you choose your interior 

decoration? 

The colour scheme for the 

decoration was based around a 

Farrow and Ball muted palette 

to work sympathetically with the 

surrounding countryside. The range 


GLAMPSITES 

of soft furnishings reflect a country 

feel while complementing the clean 

lines of the kitchen cabinets and 

work surfaces. 

We aimed for functional, 

practical, quality fixtures and 

fittings (such as Villeroy Boch etc.) 

and a range of throws and rugs to 

complement. 


Setting up a diversification business 

while maintaining the core farming 

business and remaining actively 

involved in the day-to-day of 

farming. 

What are your plans for next 

season? 

We are planning to add a small 

caravan park in a nearby location 

next year. 

Why do you enjoy the business? 

As a third generation family farming 

business it was refreshing to ‘step 

outside’ our normal day-to-day 

activities and challenge ourselves, 

dealing with customers first hand. 

We are extremely proud of our 

farming heritage but are well aware 

of the challenges farming is facing, 

so have taken a proactive approach 

to take our business forward and 

hopefully remain in control of our 

own future 

What are you most proud of? 

Our team. We are fortunate to have 

local families as part of it. They 

have, at times, worked long hours 

to meet deadlines, working with 

interest and dedication. They have 

built beautiful shepherd huts with 

care and commitment. They have 

“WE AIMED 

FOR 

FUNCTIONAL, 

PRACTICAL, 

QUALITY 

FIXTURES 

AND FITTINGS 

(SUCH AS 

VILLEROY 

BOCH ETC.) 

AND A RANGE 

OF THROWS 

AND RUGS TO 

COMPLEMENT” 

maintained the shepherd huts to 

an exceedingly high standard. They 

have, at times, asked their family 

members to assist and all have 

been happy to work alongside us. 

They have adapted from helping 

out with traditional farm work to 

maintaining the grounds around 

the site and greeting guests as 

required. Our team comprises 

genuine people and our hope is 

that they remain a vital part of the 

team for many years to come. 

We have embraced the new 

venture working together, each 

member of the team valued for 

their unique contribution. We 

have built the shepherd huts 

together, designed the website 

together, dressed the shepherd 

huts together, welcomed the 

customers together, and lit the hot 

tubs together. Everyone has played 

their part and collectively we have 

launched a new business which to 

date has exceeded all expectations. 



We have lots of ideas going forward 

but, as we have only been open for 

six months, we need to build our 

expertise and experience with our 

current shepherd hut business 

What advice could you give 

to someone coming into the 

industry? 

Be passionate about what you do, 

strive for excellence and listen/take 

advice from others. 

ADDRESS BOOK 

ACCOMMODATION 

Designed and built on site 

HOT TUBS 

Naked Flame Eco-Tubs 

www.nakedtubs.com 

INSURANCE 

NFU Mutual 

www.nfumutual.co.uk 

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 

Yvette Design Solutions 

www.yvettesdesignsolutions.co.uk 

DETAILS 

Fair Farm Hideaways 

Waltham on the Wolds 

Melton Mowbray LE14 4AJ 

07958 373049 

www.fairfarm.co.uk 



GLAMPSITES 

ALL WEATHER 

GLAMPING 

Quality Unearthed’s Tim Rees 

explains why ‘seasonality’ is the 

new buzz word in glamping 

PICTURES COURTESY OF QUALITY UNEARTHED 

WINTER - NOT A time of year 

you’d automatically associate 

with sleeping in the great British 

outdoors. But think again! What 

if we were to tell you that your 

natural winter experience can also 

include underfloor heating, hot 

showers, roll top baths and cosy 

wood burning stoves? Interested? 

You won’t be the first – indeed, 

glampers nationwide are turning 

their attention to what had 

previously been considered as the 

off-season months. Seasonality 

is the buzz word of the moment 

in the glamping world, and 

the notion that you can only 

reasonably go glamping between 

the months of March and October 

is fast becoming a thing of the 

past. 

The glamping scene in the UK is 

fast developing, as demonstrated 

by record attendance to shows 

such as The Glamping Show and 

the Farm Business Innovation 

Show, with more and more 

landowners, campsite operators 

and self-catering businesses 

turning to this alternative and 

exciting holiday industry than 

ever before. The speedy evolution 

of this popular industry means 

that not only have the types 

of structure on offer become 

increasingly unique, but the 

duration of rental periods is also 

expanding, meaning that guests 

to these alternative abodes are 

able to enjoy the wildness of 

Britain in all its perennial glory. 

After all, we all love a sprinkling 

of snow over the mountain tops, 

frosty leaves cracking underfoot, 

and a good, chunky bobble hat 

on a crisp, clear, starry night. But 

we love crackling fires, a warm 

bed and an excuse for a mug 

of hot chocolate to defrost our 

noses, too. 

What, then, does this mythbusting 

transformation in 

seasonality mean for those 

interested in glamping? Our 

research over the last four years 

has shown us that online search 

trends for winter glamping 

holidays have doubled between 

2014 and 2017, meaning that 

guests and site owners have 

seen the demand in winter 

glamping opportunities 

rise significantly… and 

it doesn’t show signs of 

stopping. 

Here’s Quality 

Unearthed’s guide to 

setting up a successful 

and sustainable allseason 

glamping site. 

1 

YOUR ALL-SEASON SITE 

Do you have a parcel of land that’s prone to 

flooding during the rainy months? A steep hill 

that becomes treacherous when icy? A woodland spot 

where branches regularly fall during high winds? You 

can see where we’re going here… planning your allseason 

glamping spot is as important as choosing the 

structure itself. Now we’re not saying that you should 

avoid interesting and adventurous places to site your 

glamping creation. We encourage the courage of a 

cantilevered cabin or the thrill of a converted boat 

gliding across treetops. But the ethos of glamping 

is being in tune and accord with Mother Nature, not 

battling her every time the seasons change. What may 

be a fantastic spot in the warm summer months may 

be trickier for you and your guests during the winter. 

Try to think ahead and make the experience easy and 

enjoyable at all times of the year. 


GLAMPSITES 

2YOUR ALL-SEASON 

STRUCTURE 

Gone are the days when glamping meant a posh tent 

and a hole in the ground for your loo. At Quality Unearthed, 

we’ve found an increasing number of unusual structures being 

converted and modified to suit all-weather stays. 

There are, of course, some structures that fare better than 

others during the winter months. Cabins and treehouses 

have become the structures of choice for UK and European 

glampers over the last 12 months, with a surge of Christmas 

stays in cosy wooden abodes allowing for warmth and the 

feeling of a winter wonderland lodge stay. In fact, a third 

of people asked by a popular tabloid newspaper in May 

2017 said that a treehouse stay would be their dream 

staycation, no matter what the weather. 

Earth sheltered housing, or Hobbit Houses, offer 

the bonus of being well insulated due to the soil and 

grass which covers them providing external thermal 

mass, as well as protecting against wind and rain. And 

the introduction of high performance natural insulation 

products in the building of eco pods means your glamping 

experience can be ‘Scandi cool’ as well as efficiently warm. 

Canvas structures can prove to be a little trickier. Not as 

windproof as other, more robust structures, a well-insulated 

yurt or safari tent can be just as cosy during winter months as 

they could be packed thickly with natural insulation. If canvas 

abodes are your structures of choice, then it’s the canvas 

itself that needs careful consideration. The juxtaposition in 

requirements comes since all-season canvas structures need 

to both keep water out and expel moisture from the inside, to 

stop the canvas from rotting. Although the greater proportion 

of modern canvas is highly water resistant, it’s difficult to find 

material which is waterproof, breathable and durable. We 

advise that you seek advice from specialist companies before 

spending any money on your structure to ensure the longevity 

of your investment. 


GLAMPSITES 

3COOL (OR WARM) EXTRAS 

For many, one of the highlights of a glamping 

stay is the ritual of stacking, lighting and 

relaxing in front of a roaring fire. Marshmallows 

are optional, but we know that our guests love the 

sepia glow, hugging warmth and almost instant 

gratification they get from creating their own fire. But 

installing a wood-burning stove is not the only way in 

which you can keep your guests in balmy bliss during 

brisker bouts. 

There’s no need to go to Iceland to experience a 

soak in steamy water while staring at the stars – the 

installation of a hot tub can give your guests the 

same experience from your own patch of paradise. 

Our research shows that guests prefer a stay with 

a hot en-suite shower, so why not allow a little 

homegrown hygge with the investment of a roll top 

bath overlooking a lake or woodland scene? 

Underfloor heating was the great trend of 2017, 

and by using a biomass boiler or a solar thermal 

panel, heating your alternative accommodation this 

way could be up to 90% cheaper than a conventional 

radiator system. 

You may wish to opt for electric heating or small 

boiler systems, and while this is a viable way of 

heating your structure and will keep your guests 

toasty, it’s important to assess the initial cost of 

getting services out to your site. This can be costly 

if your location is very rural, and can involve a lot 

of disruption to the ground leading to and around 

your site, meaning that you’ll also have to factor in 

landscaping costs. 

Don’t forget that making your structure warm and 

inviting doesn’t have to cost the earth or be overly 

fancy, either – a well-placed sheepskin rug, a few fluffy 

blankets and hot water bottles for cooler nights can 

also warm the cockles without emptying the bank 

account. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Tim Rees is the 

managing director of 

Quality Unearthed, 

a specialist agency 

promoting some of 

the best alternative 

holiday abodes in the 

UK. Having spent a 

number of years living 

in unusual places and 

working on off-grid 

homes, Tim spotted 

an increase in demand 

for holidays offering a 

more grounded, back 

to nature experience. 

He started Quality 

Unearthed in 2010 

and can personally 

recommend each 

holiday represented 

for its accommodation, 

location and overall 

experience. 01348 

830922 / www. 

qualityunearthed. 

co.uk 

4LEADING BY EXAMPLE 

When it comes to all-season glamping, 

we believe we know our stuff. We’ve been 

at the forefront of the glamping industry since 

2013, and have seen its evolution from warm 

weather holidays to guests taking advantage 

of the beautiful British countryside, enjoying 

the colour and character that every season 

brings. Why not visit Sussex in the spring, the 

stretches of sandy beaches and ancient islands 

at Pembrokeshire in the summer, hike miles 

of upland Britain in Autumn and cosy up in 

Cornwall for Christmas? We don’t stop when the 

school holidays end, and neither should you. 

We’re quickly dispelling the myth that glamping 

is a summer activity, and our array of all weather, 

all season structures are proving incredibly 

popular all year round. 

If you’re still not sure about how to go about 

setting up a structure that guests can enjoy 

whatever the weather, giving you a consistently 

healthy return on your investment, then Quality 

Unearthed offer consultancy appointments and 

consultation documents tailored specifically 

for your project. We’re happy to come and have 

a cup of tea and advise you on all aspects of 

your glamping adventure, ensuring a smooth 

business experience for you and an enjoyable 

experience for your guests – don’t be left out in 

the cold, give us a call! 


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We design and build all of our Pods in our workshop and they are 

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We have a range of different 

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GLAMPSITES 

INTRODUCING... 

Franchises 

Two glamping franchise opportunities for 

landowners to ponder 

Wigwam Holidays 

0131 450 7126 

www.wigwamholidays.com 

Introduce the franchise opportunity: To 

come on-board, there is a one-off franchise 

fee, a minimum order of cabins and a 

commission taken on all bookings. 

One of the key factors of the success 

of the Wigwam franchise is its emphasis 

on branding. The Wigwam brand is 

recognised in the glamping business 

sector as one of the most successful of 

its type, and franchisees receive all the 

benefits this brings. 

A key to success is Wigwam Holidays 

marketing, which is carried out on a 

national and regional scale. All franchisees 

can expect support from the team and 

targeted promotion prior to site opening 

(and ongoing), with a package that 

includes: 

› Assistance with planning and finance 

(additional costs may apply) 

› Funding application assistance 

› A Wigwam Holidays website, including 

online booking system 

› Ongoing IT assistance 

› Use of the Wigwam Holidays trademark, 

a recognised quality brand 

› Geographical exclusivity 

› Support from the Wigwam Holidays 

team to plan and launch your business 

› Design and creation of printed literature 

› Training seminars and annual 

conference 

› Access to a supportive franchise network 

› Social media support 

› PR and marketing for the Wigwam brand 

› A selection of Wigwam cabin types, 

including an en-suite option 

What are you looking for in a 

franchisee? There isn’t a typical Wigwam 

Holidays franchisee, however aspects 

to take into consideration for a new 

site include location, site access and a 

dedication to great customer service. 

Many of our existing franchisees sought to 

diversify an existing business, for example 

landowners and farmers. 

What can a franchisee expect? A 

Wigwam Holidays franchise offers a 

chance for owners to become part 

of one of the UK’s leading glamping 

accommodation brands, and the Wigwam 

Holidays franchise is just about to enter 

its fourth successful year. 

The Wigwam Holidays franchise 

presents a business that’s ‘ready to go’. 

From the crucial early planning stages 

to sourcing funding; from making the 

Wigwam cabins from sustainable timber 

to on site cabin delivery; from a bespoke 

website to taking those all-important 

bookings. Wigwam Holidays franchisees 

get the complete business package. 

Expected ROI: While no one size fits all, 

new franchisees can expect all that’s 

detailed above, in short a business that 

is 'ready to go'. However one of the key 

points with Wigwam Holidays is bookings 

are taken in advance of the official 

opening date, making sure new sites have 

glamping guests ready to visit them. 

Please detail a successful franchise: 

One of the our successful franchisees is 

Wigwam Holidays Crowtree, near Spalding 

in Lincolnshire. 

Based on a traditional working farm, the 

site has nine Running Water Deluxe cabins 

and recently introduced hot tubs to some 

of its luxury cabins. 

With two successful seasons under its 

belt, factors that have helped Crowtree 

to succeed include assistance with early 

planning applications, professional 

photography and video footage (available 

to all franchisees), and brand recognition. 


GLAMPSITES 

Amber's Bell Tent Camping 

www.ambersbelltents.co.uk 

07580 072861 

Introduce the franchise 

opportunity: Amber's Bell Tent 

Camping began six years ago in the 

beautiful grounds of Mannington 

Hall in North Norfolk. We started 

small with just two rustically 

furnished tents but quickly saw the 

demand for what we were offering 

and have expanded year on year. 

We now offer 16 tents across two 

stately home locations in North 

Norfolk with a third partner for 

2018. We are currently seeking new 

partnerships through franchising 

to other land owners across the 

UK and beyond, giving them an 

accessible way to approach the 

glamping industry and create a 

sustainable revenue. 

What are you looking for in a 

franchisee? We are looking for 

people who have access to land 

in areas of outstanding natural 

beauty, and who are excited about 

sharing the magic of their location. 

You need to enjoy dealing with 

a broad range of people, and be 

friendly and approachable. Hard 

working, of course, although with 

a franchise, a lot of the hard work 

has already been done for you. An 

essential is an eye and mind for 

detail. This business is all about 

the little things. We want to work 

with people who believe in offering 

something truly special and have 

the determination to succeed on 

this adventure. 

What can a franchisee expect? 

First up, we will come and see 

your space and offer our expertise 

on site suitability, design and 

management. Once we're both 

agreed that this partnership is 

mutually beneficial, we need to get 

the word out. To get the ball rolling, 

we will design your own pages 

on our highly successful website - 

with new pages for each franchise 

location. You will have access to 

our live booking calendar, which 

will enable you to keep a check on 

all the bookings so you can easily 

organise things ready for your 

guests. We will then actively begin 

to seek press attention for your 

site using our contacts. Alongside 

this, we will begin to market your 

site through our social media and 

marketing streams. 

All your kit will be delivered to 

your door. We will send you all you 

need for your tents, inside and 

out, all sourced with our expertise 

and with trade discounts passed 

onto new partners. We will then 

host a two day training course 

either at your place or ours, which 

will teach you all you need to 

know in the logistics of running 

a glampsite. Use our expertise to 

swerve the usual headaches of 

running an outdoor hospitality 

business. 

“USE OUR 

EXPERTISE 

TO SWERVE 

THE USUAL 

HEADACHES 

OF RUNNING 

AN 

OUTDOOR 

HOSPITALITY 

BUSINESS” 

Expected ROI: Taken from a three 

year profit and loss forecast in 

summary, based on a set up of six 

tents over a full season (Easter to 

October). 

Year 1 Summary: 

Set up - £27,956, 

Sales - £77,064 

Costs - £30,115 

Profit - £18,993 


Set up - £4,546 

Sales - £94,897 

Costs - £31,040 

Profit - £59,311 


Set up - £1,738 

Sales - £103,682 

Costs - £32,050 

Profit - £69,894 

Please detail a successful 

franchise: The success of the 

launch of our second partnership 

with Wiveton Hall in 2016 was 

really when the penny dropped 

and we started to appreciate the 

scope for franchising this business. 

We took what we had learnt 

from the three years trading at 

Mannington Hall and effectively 

duplicated it at the new site. We 

opened the calendars for bookings 

in the January, and achieved the 

same booking capacity from year 

three at Mannington in our first 

season. 


Planning 

Consultancy 

Architectural 

Services 

Property 

Sales 

Successful agricultural building 

Successful agricultural 

building to residential 

Successful change 

of use to offices 


Booking Management Software 

Low 

10% 

commission 

CampManager will help you get more bookings, increase your 

exposure and maximise potential booking opportunities by linking 

in directly with many popular 3rd party websites, such as 

Booking.com, AirBnb, CampStead.com, Glampsites.com, Pitchup, 

and more, keeping all your bookings in one central location. 

The glampsite booking website 

Generate demand & promote your 

glamping accommodation 

· Reach out to more guests 

· Boost your bookings 

· Grow your business 

List your glampsite for free at 

www.glampsites.com/signup 

CampManager 

Contact us to nd out how 

CampManager will help 

your glamping business. 

02081 331 005 

www.CampManager.com 


GLAMPSITES 

Professional 

Services Advice 

Advice from professional service suppliers to glampsites 

Advice from: James 

Whilding, rural planning 

director, Acorus 

Specialism: Rural planning 

Contact: 01392 873900 / 

james.whilding@acorus.co.uk 

What is the planning climate like for 

landowners looking to diversify into 

glamping? 

National Planning Policy seeks to ensure that 

the planning system provides sustainable 

development, incorporating three 

dimensions: an economic role, a social role 

and an environmental role. Diversification of 

land and buildings continues to be popular 

with many landowners, even at a time 

of uncertainty over Brexit, in generating 

additional income streams and enhancing 

asset values. 

Proposals which can be shown to 

be contributing to the achievement 

of sustainable development should 

be considered favourably, however it 

is important to consider the planning 

implications very early in the thought 

process as having the right site is key. 

Consideration must be given to any local 

planning policy that applies, impact of 

designated areas such as National Parks, 

and other environmental issues. Despite 

being a niche market, glamping continues 

to be popular, and could be a suitable land 

use and diversification option for many 

landowners. 

More and more glampsites are wanting 

to offer unique structures, how can your 

architectural and planning departments 

help? 

Our business is principally concerned with 

advising and assisting clients with land use 

considerations primarily in rural areas where 

development is in many cases restricted. 

In most cases diversification requires 

planning consent and this in turn requires 

both planning and design elements to be 

considered. Regardless of planning consent, 

design advice can assist in the production 

of schematics to develop a project, for 

budgeting or at the build stage and the 

setting out of a scheme. 

There are a huge number of options 

available from the sublime to the ridiculous. 

Acorus has dealt with a great range of 

glamping cases including camping and 

caravan sites, log cabins, yurts, geodesic 

domes and shepherd huts. It is important 

for proposals to be designed properly, 

and in some cases specialist input from 

structural engineers, for example, may also 

be required. 

How can you help a landowner wanting to 

diversify or an existing glampsite wanting 

to expand? 

Whether a new or existing glamping 

provider we have a range of services 

available to our clients including initial 

planning advice and the gathering of 

a brief, designing buildings and other 

structures, obtaining planning permission 

and overseeing construction. We can tailor 

a package to meet an individual client’s 

needs. 

Please mention a case study 

We gained planning approval for 12 

geodesic domes for a client in Devon. 

The development site was in a parcel of 

woodland on a working farm, so it was 

perfect for a restful holiday making the most 

of the countryside surroundings. The client 

requested a specialist architect to design 

the dome structures and Acorus submitted 

a planning statement, design and access 

statement and planning drawings for the 

application. During the planning process 

issues concerning the impact these unique 

structures may have had on trees and other 

ecological features had to be considered, as 

well as ensuring suitable and safe access. 


GLAMPSITES 

Advice from: Leona Mills, 

marketing manager, 

CampManager 

Specialism: 

Bookings systems 

Contact: www.campmanager.com 

What advice can you give glampsite 

owners on the booking process? 

Your online booking process should be 

quick and simple, making it extremely 

easy for customers to book. Some of our 

customers are seeing up to 90% of their 

bookings being made online so your 

booking pages should be seamlessly 

integrated with your website design. 

Customers should never be presented 

with a “no availability” message when 

trying to book. You don’t want a potential 

customer leaving your site frustrated and 

you missing out on a booking. To avoid this, 

present all the available choice by showing 

alternative dates and all accommodation 

options available in one view. 

What absolute “no no’s” should they 

watch out for? 

Don’t choose a system that charges you 

commission for taking bookings via your 

own website. Hidden costs also include 

providers charging for additional users or 

for having the software on multiple devices. 

Don’t perceive that a system is going to 

‘break the bank’. CampManager customers 

have been pleasantly surprised by the cost 

and immediately generate more bookings, 

quickly earning back their return on 

investment. 

What can CampManager do over and 

above other booking systems? 

Experience matters and we have over 10 

years of it. We are an established company 

with a proven record and a reputation 

for quality. With over 350 customers we 

provide not only a superior product but 

exceptional service, advice and support. 

One way we go the extra mile is by 

proactively marketing our customers’ 

glamping accommodation via our 

glampsite booking website Glampsites. 

com. This helps our customers to reach 

more guests, boost their bookings and 

grow their business. Glampsites is fully 

integrated with CampManager so bookings 

and allocation can be managed from within 

the one central system. 

How do you work with glampsite owners 

to make their booking system bespoke? 

We work closely with our customers, 

listening to their needs and developing 

a system tailored to suit their specific 

requirements. Our flexible system can 

be customised in many ways. Booking 

confirmations, balance reminders and 

welcome emails are all personalised to 

the individual glampsite. CampManager 

is modular so you can tailor the system to 

your needs, paying only for the modules 

you require. You can bolt on additional 

features and functionality as required, as 

your business grows. 

Please detail a glampsite that has used 

CampManager 

Julia from Woodland Tipi and Yurts has a 

small glampsite consisting of three tipis and 

six yurts. She comments: “CampManager 

does all the work and automates many 

of my time-consuming daily tasks such 

as invoicing, booking confirmations and 

balance reminder emails. I now manage my 

glampsite with increased efficiency which 

saves me time and money and allows me to 

focus on other aspects of the business.” 

Advice from: Tim 

Rees, founder, Quality 

Unearthed 

Specialism: Unique 

accommodation 

Contact: 01348 830922 

www.qualityunearthed.co.uk 

What is the main challenge for new 

entrants into the world of glamping? 

Glamping is an ever-evolving industry 

that, due to it’s rapid expansion and 

myriad of possibilities for both owners 

and guests, has become a worldwide 

phenomenon. An increasing number 

of budding entrepreneurs have turned 

to creating their own fantastic spaces 

and imaginative sites as an alternative 

to the more traditional campsite or as a 

more naturalistic substitute for a hotel 

stay. But with a surge in UK alternative 

accommodation, it can become 

increasingly difficult to stand out from 

the crowd. At Quality Unearthed we 

work with sites to help them become 

both striking and successful. 

What is it about glamping that has 

made it such a popular holiday 

choice? 

Glamping sits in the multi-faceted 

medium of self-catering holidays. It 

allows people to connect with nature 

and the natural surroundings of 

coastal and upland Britain as well as 

themselves and each other, while still 

allowing them comforts they cannot 

have if they went camping. To be able 

to have a hot shower at the end of a 

day of adventuring through woodlands 

or on beaches with your family creates 

smooth edges to the idea of roughing 

it. The ability to capture a video or 


GLAMPSITES 

picture of a sunset, waterfall or 

beautiful building with your loved 

ones on social media because 

your glamping structure has 

Wi-Fi and charging points for 

your technology only enhances 

the experience… as long as you 

remember to capture the moment 

with your heart as well as your 

iPhone. 

How can a glampsite 

differentiate itself in today's 

market? 

With the rise in popularity and 

volume of glamping structures 

comes a demand by guests for 

more unusual and unique stays. 

Our company tagline is “Stay 

somewhere different” because we 

feel it really resonates with our 

guests – the more unusual your 

structure, the more it will grab 

potential clients’ attention. And 

in a world where it’s becoming 

increasingly easy to buy an ecopod 

or shepherd’s hut, we feel that 

throwing a little personality and 

character at that structure can 

make the world of difference. Why 

not hang your tent from a tree? 

Or paint your shepherd hut bright 

blue? What if your cabin floated on 

a lake? Or the inside of your safari 

tent looks like the set of an Indiana 

Jones movie? Think outside the 

box to see your bookings increase. 

What services can you offer a 

prospective glampsite? 

As a glamping agency we offer 

comprehensive services, from 

initial consultations and planning 

support right through to our sales 

team taking bookings on your 

behalf and creating an ongoing 

PR and marketing package just 

for you. We pride ourselves on 

our mixture of competence and 

professionalism, as well as a 

personal service – we like to sit 

down with a cup of coffee and get 

to know the vision and dreams 

of our clients, so that we can do 

the best job possible for their 

venture. You put the kettle on, 

we’ll bring the biscuits! For us, 

it’s about us understanding each 

other and having a great working 

relationship, so that you know that 

you can pick up the phone and 

speak to a team who understand 

your site and can be flexible with 

what you need from us. 

Safari & Glamping Tents 

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We can also create something unique to suit your own 

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enquiries@bondfabrications.co.uk 


EVENTS 

Discover your event's wow factor 

at EPS 

a 

28 February - 1 March 

Olympia London 

Discuss the industry’s future in 

the Keynote Theatre 

Find new solutions to key 

challenges by meeting suppliers 

Network with your industry peers 

Gain inspiration to create 

innovative events 

Register Now 

eventproductionshow.co.uk 

You're 

welcome

EVENTS 

CASE STUDY 

Riverhill at 

Christmas 

A mini ‘immersive’ Alpine experience 

at the Riverhill Estate, Kent, complete 

with ice rink, reindeer and party tent 

In order to increase revenue to cover staffing costs for the Spring/Summer season, the 

Riverhill Estate’s Himalayan Gardens made use of its infrastructure in the ‘off-season’ 

to create a winter wonderland at Christmas. We talk to Sarah Rogers, who manages the 

estate with her husband Edward. 

Describe your event and how many 

people it attracted 

The ‘Riverhill at Christmas’ venture 

offered visitors a skating rink, Alpine 

Café and events marquee, hosting 

breakfast and afternoon tea with 

Father Christmas and pre-booked 

Christmas lunches and parties. 

Explain a bit about your venue and 

its history 

The Riverhill Estate has been home 

to the Rogers family since 1840. 

The current owner’s great, great 

grandfather was passionate about 

gardening and bought the property 

in order to create a fabulous hillside 

garden. He sponsored some of the 

early plant hunters who brought back 

“AS A JOINT 

VENTURE 

WE WERE 

THRILLED 

TO BENEFIT 

FROM TOFS’ 

EXPERIENCE 

OF RUNNING 

EVENING 

EVENTS AND 

PARTIES” 

specimens from the far East, hence the 

name ‘Riverhill Himalayan Gardens’ 

which, to date, has been the core 

business for the estate, attracting 

c30,000 visitors, alongside property 

rentals and farming income. 

What is the event’s history and what 

made you decide to run it? 

The gardens are open for six months 

of the year (March to September). As 

the business grew we realised that we 

would benefit from having permanent 

staff members (café manager, events 

manager as well as the current garden 

team). It was therefore important to 

us to generate income in the Autumn/ 

Winter to cover these costs. 

Our visitor car park which is unused 

in the Autumn/Winter provided the 

ideal location for a winter venture, with 

hard standing for the marquees, plenty 

of room for additional parking and fine 

views across the Weald of Kent. Visitors 

wouldn’t need to access the gardens, 

so there wouldn’t be wear and damage 

to these areas and essential garden 

restoration and maintenance could 

also be continued during the closed 

season. 

Having decided on a winter venture, 

we heard that another local business, 

Tonbridge Old Fire Station (TOFS), 

was also thinking of running a skating 

rink. We decided to join forces and to 

operate Riverhill at Christmas as a joint 

venture. We were thrilled to benefit 

from TOFS’ experience of running 

evening events and parties. 

How did you find applying for 

permission to run the event? 

The events were all covered by our 

existing Premises Licence. 

How did you plan the layout of the 

event and what structures did you 

use? 

The dimensions of the top terrace 

of the car park dictated the layout 

to a certain extent. With our Spring/ 

Summer garden opening business 

being weather dependent, we were 

determined that a winter venture 

should be protected from the 

elements, so we opted for a huge 

marquee with clear sides and a clear 

roof to cover both the skating rink and 


EVENTS 

Alpine Café. This meant that visitors 

were protected from the elements but 

still had the sensation of ‘skating under 

the stars’ at night and the benefit of 

the wonderful views and blue skies 

during the days. 

The event marquee had a very 

different feel. Still with clear sides to 

enjoy the view, this marquee was fully 

lined with a dance floor and starlit 

ceiling. The catering tent and toilets 

were sited so that it could serve both 

the event marquee and the Alpine 

Café/rink. 

We focused on ensuring the short 

access path from the car park to the 

marquee was dressed to create the 

feeling of a ‘winter wonderland’ with 

lit fir trees, groups of hand-made 

wooden ‘log reindeer’ and even a 

wonderful sleigh for families to sit in 

for photographs. 

How did you research and source 

your marquees, flooring, bars etc? 

To a certain extent the size of the 

marquees required dictated our 

choices. The bars and café furniture 

were constructed here using scaffold 

boards. As skaters were able to keep 

their skates on to visit the Alpine bar, 

the flooring needed to be non-slip 

throughout the skating marquee, 

whereas all other areas were carpeted. 

What entertainment did you offer 

and how did you choose and source it? 

The skating was all provided by the 

rink supplier. We opted for a synthetic 

rink made of the latest materials. This 

meant that we could have the rink 

within a (warm) marquee, it was more 

environmentally friendly and visitors 

wouldn’t get wet when they fell over. 

We had also heard that it was an easier 

surface for children to skate on. 

We chose a well-known DJ and 

party planner who we have worked 

with for many years to provide the 

entertainment for the parties. 


EVENTS 

What provisions did you make for 

power, lights and sound? 

We had two generators (one for back 

up). Although the back up seemed 

an expensive precaution, we were 

extremely grateful for it when the first 

generator had a fault in the middle of 

a busy weekend! 

How did you manage admissions 

and visitor safety? 

The majority of skating tickets were 

pre-booked with limited numbers on 

each session (numbers were advised 

by the rink supplier). All Father 

Christmas sessions were also prebooked. 

A separate exit meant that 

we avoided any congestion, although 

it was a shame that exiting visitors 

didn’t get to enjoy the reindeer walk 

– perhaps a consideration for another 

time. 

What ground protection did you use 

for cars and footfall? 

We were fortunate that all the car 

parking and pathways were already 

hard standing, although some path 

improvements were necessary after 

snowfall. 

How did you publicise the event? 

Mainly through social media (using 

both TOFS and Riverhill channels) but 

we did distribute leaflets locally. Large 

banners and plenty of fairy lights 

on our road frontage also helped to 

spread the message that there was 

something going on! 

As we are in the process of 

upgrading our main garden website, 

we chose to create a new website (and 

logo) for the winter venture. 


The particularly cold weather at the 

end of November and December 

created some unforeseen problems. 

Not only were our heating costs 

greater than expected but the initial 

design of the marquee, running East 

to West, created a ‘wind tunnel’ so we 

quickly had to install an additional 

porch on the catering tent and some 

better doors and thick entrance 

curtains. Thankfully this worked well 

once installed but caused a headache 

at the start. 

We also, rather ironically, faced 

difficulties in the ice and snow. 

Although we had supplies of salt, 

heavy rain and freezing temperatures 

meant that we struggled to keep the 

access road open and had to close the 

rink on one day. 

How did you finance the event? 

The majority of the event was 

financed as a joint-venture between 

TOFS and Riverhill Gardens. We also 

had three sponsors who provided 

sponsorship in return for web/media 

branding and signage on the reindeer 

walk and by the skate hire stand. 

While some areas of the venture 

provided a good return, we lost out on 

skating numbers during the first two 

weeks of opening as this was before 

the schools broke up. 

What are your plans for next year? 

We need to think carefully about the 

timings and marketing of the skating 

rink to ensure that tickets sales are 

more evenly spread. 



We offer weddings, outdoor theatre 

and, as previously mentioned, the 

gardens are open to the public March 

to September, with many associated 

family events within the gardens and 

The Riverhill Café. 

“A SEPARATE 

EXIT MEANT 

THAT WE 

AVOIDED ANY 

CONGESTION, 

ALTHOUGH IT 

WAS A SHAME 

THAT EXIT- 

ING VISITORS 

DIDN’T GET 

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EVENTS 

JR EVENT SERVICES 

Procurement 

Are we just talking about the process of buying, or is 

‘procurement’ a rather more detailed function? John 

Radford discusses 

FROM A BUSINESS perspective, 

procurement is not the same as purchasing. 

Procurement deals with the sourcing 

of activities, negotiation and strategic 

selection of goods and services that are 

of importance to an organisation, or 

event in this example. Purchasing is the 

relatively simpler process of how goods and 

services are ordered. With this definition 

in mind, clearly there is a far greater need 

to do your homework before that final 

purchasing decision is made. This article 

looks to explore in just a little more detail 

the process you may wish to employ 

before taking that final leap of contracting 

someone or something. 

At some point in the event production 

process you will need to source something 

from another provider; it may be as simple 

as cable ties, or encompass a contractor 

bringing a team of staff to provide you 

with the production knowledge, skills and 

manpower required to put on a safe and 

successful event. It’s your money being 

spent, so think carefully and consider 

the options carefully. Getting the right 

team or supplier on site through careful 

procurement can make all the difference to 

the success of your event. 

Taking time at the start of your project life 

cycle can pay huge dividends and provide 

you with more than just a collection of 

suppliers. You should be creating a team. 

RESEARCH 

Just a few minutes of internet research can 

yield a plethora of suppliers and contractors 

who may fit the bill at first glance, but take 

the time to delve just that little bit deeper. 

Some questions you should be asking 

yourself are: 

› Is their previous experience aligned with 

your project? 

› Does their product or service meet your 

needs? 

› Are they reliable and what is their 

reputation like? 

› For some requirements, are they able to 

make site visits and meetings easily? 

GETTY IMAGES 

You may be wanting contractors who 

meet specific criteria regarding their 

environmental standards or use of specific 

products - try to build time into your project 

to resource effectively rather than having to 

make last minute decisions. 

Large businesses can provide huge 

support and backup but don’t write off 

the smaller businesses who may be able 

to offer you a more bespoke service. They 

may also be able to provide a more creative 

set of solutions for you and although they 

may have a smaller range, this may be more 

appropriate. Both solutions have pros and 

cons so do your homework as to which fits 

better for you. 

If the procurement is something like event 

management, safety or an area where you 

will need to work closely with the supplier, 

then try to get a face to face meeting with 

the various options of suppliers at an early 

stage. Can you easily engage with them, are 

their ideas and methods of management 

in tune with how you want to produce 

your event? Or are they overbearing and 

effectively looking to take control of it? 

Personal relationships are important and 

even more so if you have to be on site 

working alongside and problem solving 

with those teams for a number of days. You 

may already have a network of contacts that 

you can talk to in order to discover who they 

are using or who they recommend. Personal 

recommendations are helpful to both sides 

of the equation. 

EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE 

Headline grabbing discounts and low 

prices have to be considered – after all it’s 


EVENTS 

GETTY IMAGES 

GETTY IMAGES 

a competitive world out there! But does 

another slightly costlier supplier/contractor 

bring far greater experience and knowledge 

to the event which in turn can benefit 

you indirectly? The cost may be higher, 

but overall will you save time having a 

knowledgeable and experienced supplier/ 

contractor on site from the very start? The 

contractor may have previous experience 

on similar sites or locations and can provide 

references for their previous work. The 

knowledge and experience elements are 

almost unquantifiable in terms of an actual 

value in money but failing to understand the 

benefits of this can lead to additional and 

unforeseen costs. 

There are also specific roles across many 

events that demand a level of knowledge 

and experience in order for the event to go 

ahead safely. Safety advisors, electricians, 

structural build elements and a number of 

other areas need sound levels of knowledge 

and experience to make the event work 

safely and successfully. 

You could ask recognised trade bodies to 

recommend suppliers in your area or who 

specialise in the services or product you 

need, but be careful as they may simply 

wish to put forward members of what is a 

commercial organisation in itself. Again, 

this is where personal recommendations 

can be of real use. Industry events such as 

the Event Production Show or Showman’s 

Show can give you easy access to a large 

number of potential suppliers who you can 

meet and talk through your project with 

at an early stage. They can then arrange to 

meet you away from the industry event to 

provide you with greater detail on what they 

can provide. 

COMMUNICATE 

Talk things through clearly and have a clear 

set of needs/requirements. It will be almost 

“ENSURE CLARITY FROM 

THE START, MAYBE EVEN 

PUT TOGETHER SOME 

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY 

PORTFOLIOS SO THAT 

THERE IS A CLEAR FOCUS 

ON EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE 

PROCURING” 

impossible for a supplier to provide you 

with an accurate and bespoke quote if you 

are vague or unsure about what you need. 

Create a checklist of what you need before 

talking to contractors and suppliers so you 

have a clear focus on what is required. If 

you are contracting an event management 

and production team, this is clearly an area 

where you will benefit from its knowledge 

and contacts. Ensure clarity from the 

start, maybe even put together some role 

and responsibility portfolios so that there 

is a clear focus on exactly what you are 

procuring. This could greatly assist with any 

issues further down the road. 

CONTRACTING 

Don’t forget to make sure that you 

have a clear description of what will be 

supplied, when it will be delivered and 

collected, and who your point of contact 

is. Create purchase orders that contain the 

appropriate information and ensure that 

both you and the supplier understand the 

exact requirements of the project. If their 

supply is subject to a site survey, get that 

in place as early as possible. What you may 

consider a very straight forward delivery 

location may have implications for loads of 

a certain height or weight. It’s also a great 

opportunity to meet someone from the 

company face to face if you haven’t already 

done so. 

Who is to be their contact on site as 

well? You may be tied up running other 

aspects of the business or event so 

delegate someone to be on site to take 

delivery and manage collections. Ensure 

those details are passed to the suppliers so 

they can easily access answers if needed. 

Some companies will charge additional 

fees if left waiting on site for equipment 

to be off loaded so make sure there is a 

realistic schedule that takes delivery and 

collection time periods into account. It may 

be that you can take delivery early or the 

contractor can collect late – this may be in 

their interest to reduce transportation so 

can be worth exploring to save costs. 

FEEDBACK 

Hopefully, your event will take place 

each year if so desired, and therefore 

constructive feedback is needed to ensure 

that everyone - including you - can learn 

from their experience and continue to 

improve their supply standards. Ask for a 

post event meeting if there were areas that 

were of particular issue, but be prepared 

to listen to comments coming back as 

well. Sometimes it could be a case of 

miscommunication between the parties 

and in hindsight those things can be easily 

rectified. Constructive feedback can ensure 

that all parties are aware of the positives 

and negatives. 

If your supplier did a good job then 

make sure you thank them, a bit of positive 

feedback does wonders for long term 

relationships and it’s all too easy to simply 

look at what wasn’t quite so good. 

In summary – just take that little bit of 

extra time so that you get what you really 

need and the dividends will justify that 

investment in time. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

John Radford runs JR Event Services and has worked in the event industry for over 20 years. He provides event management and event safety 

consultancy services for a broad spectrum of events from single day and city centre cultural events to week long music and dance festivals. Visit 

www.jreventservices.co.uk or call 01275 406760 for an informal chat. 


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EVENTS 

Event 

Volunteers 

How to recruit, train and motivate volunteer staff 

GETTY IMAGES 

THE EVENT MANAGEMENT 

industry is changing dramatically 

and becoming standardised rapidly, 

particularly in the last decade. 

The overwhelming majority of 

academics and industry experts in 

this area agree. While most of this 

standardisation has taken place as 

a direct result of injuries or fatalities 

at large scale events, more and 

more are attending events at all 

scales from village fêtes to country 

fairs and community get togethers. 

According to the Business Visits and 

Events Partnership (BVEP) ‘Events 

are GREAT Britain’ report in 2014, 

the value of Britain’s event industry 

is £39.1 billion 

This practical industry supports 

an estimated 530,000 full-time 

equivalent jobs (BVEP, 2014) 

but the majority of events are 

also supported by volunteers. 

Volunteers are a complex addition 

to any event but with the increase 

in the number of events in the 

UK, the use of volunteers will 

unarguably increase. 

The National Council for 

Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) 

defines volunteering as ‘any 

“IT IS 

IMPORTANT 

FOR LEADERS 

TO BE 

GOOD ROLE 

MODELS AND 

BE ABLE TO 

INFLUENCE 

THE ACTIONS 

OF THEIR 

VOLUNTEERS 

TO MEET 

GOALS, 

STRATEGIES, 

AND TO 

PURSUE THE 

VISION OF 

THE EVENT” 

activity that involves spending 

time, unpaid, doing something that 

aims to benefit the environment or 

someone (individuals or groups) 

other than, or in addition to, close 

relatives.’ It would be true to say 

that the majority of events that 

take place would not be delivered 

without the use of volunteers, and 

is it just as well that the appetite for 

volunteering at events is so good. 

The Northern Irish organisation 

Volunteer Now states that over 

10,000 volunteers are registered 

in Northern Ireland alone for 

volunteering opportunities in 

relation to event management. The 

figure for the whole of the UK must 

be considerable! 

At the largest scale, the 

London 2012 Summer Olympics 

demonstrated the appeal of event 

volunteering. In the Independent 

(2016), it was stated that there 

were 70,000 Olympic volunteers, 

delivering eight million hours of 

voluntary work, and that ‘their 

time and energy have been the key 

to the Games’ success.’ The BBC 

also reported: ‘There is apparently 

no shortage of appetite for 

volunteering - more than 200,000 

people applied and 100,000 were 

interviewed to be Games Makers.’ 

Events will more often than not 

have positions that volunteers can 

fill, and they are, of course, more 

cost-effective than hiring in staff if 

you get their management right. 

LEADERSHIP AND TRAINING 

The efficacy of volunteers 

within the event management 

industry is of utmost importance. 

Volunteers need strong leadership 

and communication to achieve 

the requirements of their roles. 

It is important for leaders to 

be good role models and be 

able to influence the actions of 

their volunteers to meet goals, 

strategies, and to pursue the vision 

of the event. 

Organisational management 

is of great significance. It should 

have a focus on the structure, 

retention, and the well-being of 

volunteers. Treating all staff well, 

volunteer or not, is crucial. It will 

bring out the best performance 

in people and result in a more 

successful event. 


EVENTS 

For a positive outcome, it is 

critical for volunteers to be given an 

induction that includes adequate 

training and understanding of 

what is expected of them. This 

will avoid misunderstandings and 

later recriminations, minimising 

any potential risks. Before starting, 

volunteers should sign a position 

description and contract with 

the organisers, including their 

requirements, training received, 

and the benefits that they will gain 

in return. This will also protect 

organisers if volunteers are injured 

during something that was not part 

of the agreement. 

Training will benefit both parties, 

as without it, volunteers will not 

make an effective contribution to 

the event. The training procedure 

reinforces the idea that they are of 

value and are making a significant 

contribution to the event. It also 

develops personal skills. 

Volunteers should be treated 

and trained just the same as 

any other staff members and 

it should be demonstrated to 

them that their time is worthy 

and important to the success of 

an event. Selection, recruitment 

and training were all noted as of 

paramount importance for the 

London 2012 Summer Olympics. 

A great amount of time was spent 

on the selection of volunteers, with 

a particular emphasis on role and 

venue specific training (London 

Organising Committee of The 

Olympic and Paralympic Games 

2011). 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS 

Katie Radley is an 

undergraduate 

studying Event and 

Festival Management 

at Buckinghamshire 

New University. She 

has experience in 

event management 

and production 

including with Fisher 

Productions, at the 

L’Oréal Colour Trophy 

Tour, Love Supreme, 

and the UK Music 

Awards. She can be 

contacted via katie. 

radley@hotmail.co.uk 

Nick Eade MA, MSc 

BA (Hons) (FHEA) has 

worked in the event 

management industry 

for over 20 years and 

has been employed 

at Buckingham New 

University for 13. He 

co-wrote the Event 

Management BA 

(Hons) course and is 

course leader for Event 

Management. www. 

bucks.ac.uk / 01494 

522141 ext. 3007 

should be carefully considered. 

Their treatment has an impact 

on their retention, as does a 

volunteer’s understanding of both 

the event and the management 

structure they are working within. 

Organisers have a duty of care to 

look after their volunteers’ health 

and safety. All potential risks and 

consequences should be analysed 

for their roles and incorporated 

into the risk assessment to ensure 

their safety has been addressed. 

The Health and Safety at Work 

Act 1974 requires that employers 

(i.e. event organisers), site/ 

venue owners and self-employed 

contractors, have a statutory 

duty of care to protect the health 

and safety of those that may be 

affected by their work activity. 

To protect your organisation, 

your insurance policy should 

be checked to see if your public 

liability or employer liability 

insurance covers volunteers. 

MOTIVATION OF VOLUNTEERS 

According to the book Event 

Management, motivation is what 

commits people to a course of 

action, enthuses, energises and 

enables them to achieve goals, 

whether the goals are their own 

or the organisation's (Bowdin, 

2012: p101). Keeping volunteers 

motivated will often require an 

incentive. Many events will receive 

a lot of applicants because of 

their interest in the event, and 

the reward for their time will 

be attending the event for free. 

Other incentives for volunteers 

will be to enhance their skills and 

experience within the industry. 

Making the effort to understand 

volunteers’ motivation will help 

find ways to keep them motivated 

and working to the best of their 

abilities. This will be a big factor 

in whether volunteers enhance 

the success of the event and the 

attendees’ overall experience as 

volunteers are often the main 

people in contact with the public. 

A way to help ensure volunteers 

add value is to use the application 

process to your advantage and 

carefully select people who have 

good incentives for wanting to 

volunteer. Their reasons will 

affect their motivation and the 

effort they put into their roles. 

Volunteers with past experience 

are a good bet as their track record 

will demonstrate their interests, 

dedication, skills, and reliability. 

In conclusion, volunteers are 

a crucial resource and can be 

the making of an event with the 

right recruitment, management, 

training, and health and safety 

considerations. However, as 

they are often in the most public 

facing positions, they can also be 

directly responsible for an event’s 

success. Motivation is a critical 

factor as useful and enthusiastic 

volunteers will do wonders for the 

experiences of the attendees. 

RISKS INVOLVED 

Events can be both demanding and 

dangerous; serious consequences 

can result from having disruptive 

or uninterested staff representing 

the event. Long hours are often 

expected from those working 

at events, and to keep staff 

performing as they should can 

be difficult. Volunteers should 

receive appropriate supervision 

to minimise any issues and ensure 

they are working to the correct 

standards. 

Management structures need 

to adjust to volunteers’ needs, 

not the reverse. Those organising 

or recruiting volunteers must be 

sensitive to their impressions 

and expectations. The way that 

organisers treat their volunteers, 

regardless of a reward system, 

GETTY IMAGES 



EVENTS 

PRODUCT IN FOCUS 

Marquees 

A product showcase with a difference; see first hand 

how these event marquees were put to use 

Company: TentStyle 

Website: www.tentstyle.co.uk 

Telephone: 01403 333135 

Name of event: Winter Ball. 

Description of event: Fundraising 

Winter Ball for 360 seated guests. 

Structure(s): 60x15m / 30m 

(total 1,065m2) stretch tent, 9x9m 

catering tent. 

Hired/purchased: Hired. 

Extras: Carpet and black matting 

floor, LED uplighters / festoon / 

fairy lighting, dance floor, heating, 

luxury loos, generator. 

Details: We (TentStyle) recently 

installed an amazing 60m stretch 

tent marquee, totalling 1,065m2, 

for our client’s ‘Winter Ball’. The 

‘Winter Wonderland Tent’ was 

created around a woodland theme, 

accommodated 360 seated guests, 

a large reception, band and dance 

areas. The structure incorporated 

a vibrant red tent as the entrance, 

beautiful lighting, ambience and 

warmth. Our tents can be fully 

enclosed with skirting and door 

systems, creating a warm, cosy, 

striking structure. 

The organiser said: “The TentStyle 

marquee was absolutely brilliant, 

and enormous! It looked so 

stunning from both the outside and 

inside, with lovely lighting installed 

by the team. We used a red tent for 

the entrance, which was a great 

and festive edition. The marquee 

made such an impression and 

looked stunning and we had a huge 

number of compliments after the 

event, which meant all our hard 

work paid off!” 

Company: Barkers Marquees 

Website: www.barkersmarquees.co.uk 

Telephone: 01883 337099 

Name of event: Garsington Opera. 

Description of event: A short summer 

season of performances in a setting of 

extraordinary beauty at Wormsley, in the 

Chiltern Hills. 

Structure(s): Bespoke restaurant 

marquee, series of picnic marquees 

and ‘Punch and Judy’ style programme 

booths. 

Hired/purchased: Purchased. 

Details: Garsington Opera is located on 

the Wormsley Estate, home of the Getty 

family. The estate is a splendid example 

of an English pastoral scene. Along with 

a new pavilion for its performances, 

Garsington Opera was looking for 

elegant fabric structures to house its 


EVENTS 

restaurant and picnic facilities. The new 

marquees needed to be in keeping with 

the pavilion’s contemporary style as 

well as taking themes from a traditional 

English setting. 

We (Barkers Marquees) designed 

and manufactured a series of elegant 

fabric structures to house the opera’s 

restaurant and picnic facilities. The new 

marquees used traditional materials, 

such as polycotton fabrics and wooden 

wall poles and finials, with a modern 

design tying in with Garsington’s new 

performance pavilion. The restaurant 

marquee features a double tiered 

canopy giving the structure a feeling of 

space and light inside. 

Clare Adams of Garsington Opera said: 

“The marquees look terrific – elegant 

and stylish, and fit in very well with the 

whole setting.” 

Company: Instant Marquees 

Website: www.instantmarquees.co.uk 

Telephone: 01840 219047 

Name of event: Hamleys Toy Parade, 

Regent Street, London. 

Description of event: A promotion 

for Hamleys toy store, whereby each 

structure is fully branded to represent a 

different toy. 800,000 people attended 

last year’s event and it was judged the 

most successful one yet. 

Structure(s): 17 structures, all with 

branding, were used. This included four 

6x6m inflatable Idome tents, two 4x4m 

Idomes, nine 4.5x3m pop up tents and 

two 3x3m pop ups. All the structures had 

to be weighted. 

Hired/purchased: This is an annual 

event for Instant Marquees, and four 

years ago was the first time we provided 

what we call a ‘managed branded rental’. 

The customer rents the structures, and 

buys all the branded covers which are 

then cleaned and stored for re-use (or 

not) the following Christmas season. In 

2017 there were several new characters 

so not all the old branded covers were 

used. 

Additional extras: For the Bladez 

tent, where a motorised toy was being 

demonstrated, we supplied special 

rubber flooring for the toy to move 

around on. 

Further details: Because of strict time 

limits and so many other suppliers all 

trying to move around a limited area, the 

whole installation had to be planned like 

a military operation, right down to how 

the structures were loaded into the vans. 

The limited time when the road is closed 

means our teams have to be right at the 

top of their game to get it all done by the 

time it opened again. Finally, all the print 

work had to be ready well ahead of time 

to strict brand guidelines in each case, 

and to Pantone references. 

From the organiser, Wilde Ones: 

“Throughout the build and removal your 

guys were very approachable and keen 

to help. One learning point was that 

they started building in the south which 

caused a minor delay for the Ben 10/ 

Powerpuff Girls activation but (once I’d 

mentioned it) they sorted this out and 

were all over the ‘later install tents’ once 

the main build had finished. 

“I’d like to thank you and Jerome for 

all your help and diligence running up 

to the event. Hopefully we managed the 

suppliers well enough to not cause you 

too much stress printing. That we had no 

come back on the day and the designs 

were all correct was really positive. It was 

great working with you on this event.” 


EVENTS 

Company: Celina Tent 

Website: www.gettent.co.uk 

Telephone: 01157 940041 

Name of event: 2017 Paintball 

World Cup, Kissimmee, Florida. 

Description of event: The world’s 

largest professional paintball 

event where 400 teams compete. 

We (Celina Tent) supplied tents 

to Virtue Paintball that was at the 

event supporting the athletes it 

sponsors with tech support and 

hospitality. 

Structure(s): Virtue used a 

60x20 ft Master Series Frame with 

a printed canopy as the primary 

sales and show room. It built a 

hospitality courtyard around the 

tent using custom printed 10x10ft 

pop-ups. The pop-ups combined 

with the larger frame tent gives 

the flexibility to design a different 

layout for other events, dependent 

on space constraints. Everything 

breaks down pretty efficiently and 

is stored in a 36ft gooseneck trailer. 

Hired/purchased: Custom printed 

by Celina Tent and sold to Virtue. 

Additional extras: Inside the tent, 

Virtue had a full retail display using 

custom signage, 8ft tall plastic 

slatwalls lined with products and 

LED lighting. 

Further details: In the words 

of the client: “Running outdoor 

events, the biggest problems 

are usually related to setup or 

weather. Once, as we setup for a 

large paintball event at the Texas 

Motor Speedway, the weather 

report called for a tornado to come 

through the north side of Dallas 

later that night. We had a timeline 

for our setup before the show 

started and couldn’t wait another 

day before getting our main frame 

tent up. So we anchored every pole 

down on our tent with multiple 

stakes at opposing angles and 

heavy duty ratchet straps. 

“Fortunately, the tornado didn’t 

hit the site directly, but after the 

storm passed by the site organisers 

sent some staff out to do a late 

night inspection and assess the 

damage. Their report was pretty 

simple: ‘Everything is knocked 

down and blown away - except 

Virtue is still standing!’ Always keep 

an eye on the weather forecast 

and plan accordingly. We’ve been 

at events with freezing snow, or 

pouring rain and deep mud. But 

inside our tent we prepare to 

keep it as warm, dry and clean as 

possible.” 

Company: Tentickle Stretch Tents UK 

Website: www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk 

Telephone: 01217 401385 

Name of event: BBC Proms, Hull. 

Description of event: In the Spring of 2017, 

Tentickle Stretch Tents was asked to provide 

a stage cover for the BBC Proms in Hull. This 

would be the first time in history that the BBC 

Proms had performed outside of London and its 

chosen city was Hull, the 2017 Capital of Culture. 

Structure: 15x20m stretch tent. 


Further details: The BBC has very strict 

compliance needs that must be met sufficiently. 

Tentickle Stretch Tents provided all health 

and safety documents, risk assessments and 

weather monitoring. The wind is an extremely 

important factor for any type of temporary 

structure. We use a combination of wind 

forecasting services and on-site wind meters to 

determine the suitability of installing a stretch 

tent; safety is paramount and overrides any 

client wishes. 

With everything in place for a safe installation 

the Tentickle Stretch Tent could be installed 

ready for the Proms. The professional crew 

installed the 15x20m stretch tent stage cover 

in four hours. Once fully installed the orchestra 

was allowed to enter the tent and set up ready 

for the Proms. The event was a huge success and 

was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. 


Company: Freedomes 

Website: www.freedomes.com 

Telephone: 020 3695 4246 

Name of event: Audi A7 Sportback World 

Premier in Ingolstadt, Germany. 

Description of event: The launch of the 

Audi A7 Sportback on the roof of of the Audi 

Design Center. 

Structure(s): Freedome 500. 


Extras: Domes were equipped with a 

custom spherical projection liner (screen) 

to provide highest visual fidelity for the 

projection. 

Further details: We joined hands with 

interactive media production company Sila 

Svetato to prepare a launch for the brand 

new Audi A7 Sportback in its hometown of 

Ingolstadt, Germany. 

Freedomes designed a 25m projection 

dome installed on the roof of the newly 

created Audi Design Center. An orchestra of 

projectors, lights and lasers played a visual 

symphony that could only be described as 

“jaw-dropping”. 

The central part of the laser show fell on 

the car reveal moment; at the end of the 

projection show hundreds of laser beams 

pierced the space and lit up the whole dome 

surface, setting the stage for the car itself. 

The level of communal immersion in 

a 500 square metre Freedome cannot be 

matched by any VR goggles, while the 

vacuum mounted spherical projection 

screen combined with state of the 

projection equipment provided superior 

visual fidelity. 

The self-supporting geodesic framework 

of Freedomes means there are no internal 

support columns standing in the way 

of creativity. These days it is possible to 

build a structure that looks and feels like 

a planetarium in less than two weeks. 

While smaller projection domes offered 

by Freedomes can be set up in a matter of 

days. 

Stand out from the Crowd 

Stretch Tent hire & sales covering 

the South East and beyond... 

Printed Pop Ups, Crossover Dome Tents 

& Inflatable Tents 

01403 333135 

enquiries@tentstyle.co.uk 

www.tentstyle.co.uk 

CONTACT US TODAY! 

E: john@instantmarquees.co.uk 

W: instantmarquees.co.uk 

T: 01840 219050 


ADVERTISING FEATURE 

Spot light 

A roundup of products for the outdoor hospitality industry 

SPECIALISTS IN AV SOLUTIONS 

AND EQUIPMENT RENTALS 

Hire Frequencies 

020 3302 6947 

www.hirefrequencies.co.uk 

Hire Frequencies specialises 

in audio visual solutions and 

equipment rentals. We also offer 

a range of event production 

services to ensure our clients 

achieve outstanding production 

results at every event. We are 

passionate about sound, lighting 

and video, and pride ourselves 

with providing outstanding 

service at every event. We stock 

everything you need for corporate 

events, live music events, music 

festivals, and sporting events, and 

we regularly supply equipment 

to theatres, places of worship, 

universities, and for community 

events. So, whether you just need 

a pair of speakers or a full event 

sound system for a large-scale 

production, we can help. 

GLAMPSITES 

www.glampsites.com 

02036 378739 

hello@glampsites.com 

Advertise your glamping 

accommodation on Glampsites 

and make it easy for glampers 

to find and book your glampsite 

online. We showcase a 

wide collection of glamping 

accommodation throughout the 

UK and beyond including bell 

tents, camping pods, tipis, yurts, 

safari tents, tree houses and more. 

Glampsites actively promotes your 

glamping accommodation to an 

audience of potential customers, 

exposing you to a new market 

of opportunity. We help you to 

reach more guests, to boost 

your bookings and to grow your 

business. 

Listing on Glampsites is free; there 

are no sign-up fees, no contracts 

and no subscription costs. Create 

your free listing at 

www.glampsites.com/signup 

SHEPHERD'S HUT KITS 

Plain Huts 

07903 313922 

www.plainhuts.co.uk 

Now is the time to prepare for the 

next season and if you plan to extend 

your range of accommodation a 

shepherd’s hut is a great option. 

Plain Huts offers kits that are a 

cost effective way of building your 

own hut. The kits are made to suit 

your site with the door and window 

apertures made to the size you 

specify and placed according to 

your requirements (please note, the 

kit does not include the door and 

window). The kit arrives with the 

rolling chassis fully assembled and 

the walls ready to erect. Also supplied 

are the rafters and the tin for the roof. 

The kit can be three dimensional and 

watertight within a weekend leaving 

you to complete it and add your 

personal touch. The basic kit starts at 

£4,180 ex VAT. 

TREEHOUSE GLAMPING FOR ALL 

Cheeky Monkey Treehouses 

01403 732 452 

www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.com 

Our team has over 15 years’ 

combined experience in 

designing and building 

treehouses of all shapes and 

sizes. From simple elevated 

cabins to a complex maze 

of rope bridges and tree top 

hideaways. Whether it is a single 

structure as a luxury escape for 

two, or a field of individually 

built family glamping pods, we 

provide a personal treehouse 

consultation service with you at 

your proposed treehouse site, 

where ideas can be gathered, 

shared and implemented. Handdrawn, 

illustrated and threedimensional 

drawings are then 

created to suit your needs and 

those of your desired end user. 


GLAMPING POD 

ACCOMMODATION 

Pods by Future Rooms 

01452 501455 

www.podsbyfuturerooms.co.uk 

We design, manufacture 

and supply high quality, 

insulated timber framed pod 

accommodation across a variety 

of markets, with styles and sizes 

to cater for all needs and budgets. 

Pods can be supplied as open 

plan shells with LED lighting, twin 

power sockets, USB charging 

points and an electric wall heater 

as standard. Upgrades include ensuite 

shower rooms, kitchenettes, 

fitted bed frames, underfloor 

heating, right the way through 

to our new Full Specification 

range that provides the highest 

quality and luxury, fully furnished 

glamping pods on the market. All 

that’s left to do is to connect your 

pod up to mains services and start 

taking bookings! 

OFF-GRID SANITATION 

Plastic Solutions 

0800 334 5742 

www.plasticsol.com 

For both festivals and the 

glamping market, our products 

allow decent sanitation to 

the most remote or off-grid 

glampsites, and the collection of 

waste and grey water at events. 

Our Tuff Tank waste storage tank, 

for example, can be positioned 

under a shepherd’s hut or event 

toilet/shower unit to collect 

waste for later removal by septic 

tank emptying services. 

With the ability to link tanks 

together to create exactly the 

waste collection volume you 

need, the robust yet lightweight 

nature of our products makes 

delivery, positioning, servicing 

and collection a simple matter. 

We’ve got tankology! 

PLANNING ADVICE, PROJECT 

MANAGEMENT AND SALES 

Acorus Rural Property Services 

ask@acorus.co.uk 

www.acorus.co.uk 

Acorus Rural Property Services 

Ltd was founded in 2002. The 

company trade as specialist 

Chartered Surveyors and 

Planning Consultants. We 

operate nationwide from various 

strategically located offices offering 

planning consultancy, architectural 

services, project management 

and property sales. Therefore we 

are one of the few companies that 

can offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ service 

from inception of your project to 

completion and sale if so desired. 

Our consultants are experts in how 

permission may be achieved even 

in Green Belt areas and AONB. 

Whether you want just an hour 

of planning advice or a full scale 

package of services, we will be 

pleased to talk to you. 

SHEPHERD'S HUTS FOR 

1/3 THE PRICE 

Cabinville Log Cabins 

01379 687467 

www.cabinville.co.uk 

Cabinville has designed a 

shepherds hut for a third of the 

regular price by teaming up 

with a large Finnish company 

to produce a flat pack hut from 

high grade timber. All windows 

are double glazed and supplied 

with toughened safety glass 

to meet Building Regulations 

- a requirement of insurance 

companies should the hut be 

used by employees or the public. 

Shepherd's huts are incredibly 

versatile structures as they can 

be used for so many purposes, 

including glamping. Cabinville is 

a family business that has been 

operating in Norfolk for over 17 

years selling cabins and BBQ 

huts. 


26 & 27 September 2018 

Sandown Park 

Surrey 

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS 

of business signed on site at Festout 2017 

BE PART OF THIS IN 2018 

Contact James Linin to discuss the exhibiting opportunities available 

020 8481 1122 | jlinin@mashmedia.net 

@festoutshow 

festivalandoutdoorshow.co.uk

CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY 

Classified Directory 

Innovative off grid pods, quick and 

easy setup, all terrain legs and 

platform, handmade in Britain 

www.landpod.co.uk 

LEADING LIGHT 

AND POWER 

FOR THE EVENTS 

INDUSTRY 

0345 409 0280 

FOR SALE Suffolk shepherd hut 

available from the end of September 

Made by Riverside Shepherd Huts, the quality is simply excellent and has a 

steel frame. Clad in cedar wood, with an electric heater, hot water, electric 

towel rail and shower. Offers IRO £17,000 Tel: 07871 191042 

InPartyTentsCo. 

HIRING ALL OVER KENT & SUSSEX, NO VAT 

AND FREE DELIVERY WITHIN 30 MILE RADIUS 

O7917 457 820 | inpartytentsco@aol.com 

STYLISH & UNIQUE MARQUEES 

FOR WEDDINGS & PARTIES 

TIMBER INTENT 

Tensile structures: 

facilities, camp, glamp & event 

Architecture: 

design & planning application 

01297 444416 timberintent.co.uk 

Sewage Treatment Systems 

For all residential, commercial 

and industrial applications 

01295 236101 • info@theseptictankstore.co.uk 

www.theseptictankstore.co.uk 

mobile cookery theatre 

demonstration kitchens for hire 

01462 43 44 45 

www.onstagekitchens.com 


Ask Periwinkle 

Rural business entrepreneur Periwinkle shares 

his decades of experience in making money from people outdoors 

Dear Periwinkle, 

Q My husband and I run a 

wedding venue business and 

would like to add some ‘props’ 

we can hire out to couples as 

part of their package – any 

ideas about what we should 

invest in? 

Hermione, Stockton on Tees 

Dear Hermione, 

A Periwinkle’s stock advice 

on investments is to avoid hogbelly 

futures, Cryptocurrency 

or government bonds issued in 

the Central African Republic. Of 

course, your question relates 

specifically to wedding day 

props. In which case avoid the 

following, foolishly sensible 

ideas too: 

› Oversized lit letters spelling 

‘Mr & Mrs’ or ‘Love’ 

› In rural locations, go rustic - 

hire a hay wagon or vintage 

tractor for photo shoots 

› The classic approach - white 

weddings and the like - could 

use some beautiful furniture 

(Chesterfields etc.) or a 

chandelier, stone fountain or 

arbour arch entrance. 

As I say, avoid these. Far better 

to opt for class. Get yourself 

a muster of peacocks. That’ll 

raise the tone. Or nip down 

to the nearest agricultural 

breaker’s yard and pick up a 

bit of combine harvester or 

half an old plough. In the right 

setting each will look like a 

Henry Moore sculpture; ideal 

for photo-opportunities. 

Periwinkle’s best advice, 

however, is to get yourself a 

vodka luge. Serve only Canada 

Goose for the alcohol and 

insist on a classic theme for 

the ice sculpture - a 3D replica 

of Botticelli’s Venus perhaps, 

or should you wish to hint that 

you don’t take culture overseriously, 

try Castor and Pollux 

playing ping pong. 

Periwinkle 

“MAKE SURE WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR 

WEBSITE REFLECTS REALITY. DON’T SAY 

THAT UNICORNS ROAM THE ESTATE 

UNLESS THEY ACTUALLY DO (YOUR 

GAMEKEEPER WILL KNOW)” 


Q What can I do to 

impress the inspectors at 

my upcoming glamping 

accreditation check? 

Dunstan Merriweather, 

Cambridge 

Dear Dunstan, 

A The conventional view on 

this is straightforward: 

› Make sure what you put on 

your website reflects reality. 

Don’t say that unicorns 

roam the estate unless 

they actually do (your 

gamekeeper will know) 

› The ‘whole’ visitor 

experience must be 

considered – from booking 

to arrival to the stay itself 

› For a high rating, pay 

attention to the quality 

of everything – including 

fixtures and fittings 

› Facilities count – hot water, 

en-suite, crisp linen etc. If 

you are going for a more 

back to basics style then 

make sure what you do offer 

is authentic and the best it 

can be. 

Regular readers should 

not be surprised to learn, 

however, that Periwinkle takes 

a more Bohemian approach to 

inspections. Many inspectors 

welcome a fresh approach 

to accreditation. Anything 

that adds a frisson to the 

anticipation of the inspector’s 

final report. 

Sprinkle a number of fake 

reviews and testimonials 

about Facebook and Twitter. 

And get yourself a ‘celebrity’ 

endorsement. Don’t worry if 

you don’t know any celebrities 

- the Actor’s Guild can always 

find you an Emmerdale extra 

who once ordered a shandy in 

the Woolpack. 

And remember, you can 

never have enough gadgets: 

A deep fat frier with surround 

sound can turn heads, or a 

home cinema that does chips. 

For something really different, 

re-wilding your acreage can 

energise your business no end, 

though do expect trouble the 

first time marauding hyenas 

bring down an inspector in 

open country. Somebody is 

bound to knock on your door 

about that. 

When all’s said and 

done, if your inspector 

isn’t progressive enough to 

appreciate your avant garde 

approach, try bribery. 

Periwinkle 


Q I have been running 

a food fair for the last five 

years and I am really keen to 

take it up a notch. But how? 

Douglas, Dublin 

Dear Douglas, 

A There are those who 

play this sort of thing with a 

straight bat. They organise 

live cooking demos - with 

celebrity chefs if possible - or 

set out themed areas (local, 

fish, sweets, drink) each with 

its own sponsor. They’ll even 

organise goodie bags from 

sponsors as give-aways to 

attendees. But I’m not sure 

I like the cut of their jib. I 

mean, where’s their spirit of 

adventure? 

Far better, surely, to get a 

couple of Michelin starred 

chefs boozed up on Baileys 

before tricking them into a 

head to head egg-poaching 

competition. Or why not 

organise a ‘stuff yourself 

stupid’ tournament with 

entrants munching the local 

sausage by the yard until they 

start projectile vomiting over 

the guy ropes of the marquee? 

Periwinkle 

PERIWINKLE& CO. 

RURAL ENTREPRENEUR 

CONSULTANCY SERVICES 

If you would like to benefit from 

Periwinkle’s words of wisdom, 

please email your questions to 

info@openairbusiness.com 


Meet the freshest arrival in the field. 

Partner your glamping 

geodesic domes are ready to W. TruDomes.com 

business with TruDomes. help businesses like yours 

T. 02476 326585 

Our home-grown experts in create beautiful and profitable 

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engineered and manufactured 

From cosy to colossal we create beautiful spaces to 

complement any landscape. 

TruDomes.com

Open Air Business January 2018

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