Open Air Business June/July 2018

EVENTS
sound across the weekend. As part of
this process, we work with our health
and safety team to ensure that the
impact on the local area is minimal and
all regulations are adhered to.
How do you manage admissions and
visitor safety?
We have a strong relationship with
Eventbrite who we use for all of our
ticketing, and due to the festival selling
out over the last four years, no tickets are
available on the door.
In addition to this, we work with
Showsec who provide all our security
over the weekend including 24 hour
security in areas such as the campsites,
main festival arena and control hub. We
also operate CCTV across the festival site,
which allows us to be extremely reactive
to anything that needs to be addressed.
We also work with ETC who manage
all parking provisions at the festival as
well as ensuring all relevant signage is
in place, making the arrival/departure
process as simple as possible.
What ground protection do you use for
cars and footfall?
We use aluminium trackway for vehicle
routes in and around the festival site
however the whole site drains extremely
well. We also have some hard standing
areas at the venue that are used for
a number of caterers, traders and
sponsors.
“WE WILL BE
LOOKING
AT NEW
STRUCTURES,
THE
FESTIVAL
LAYOUT
AND ALSO
THE SPORTS
OFFERING TO
SEE IF WE CAN
INCREASE THE
PARTICIPATION”
How do you publicise the event?
We use social media a lot as our
following is quite significant on these
platforms. In addition to this, we have a
number of media partners such as Rugby
World, Wave 105 and Fire Radio, all of
whom assist in the promotion of the
festival and are a pleasure to work with.
We are very lucky that we have a loyal
following and see teams, spectators and
festival-goers return annually.
What challenges have you faced?
With any event, you are very much
relying on the weather and in 2014 we
faced a weekend of rain and strong
winds. The site held up extremely
well and the provisions we had put in
place to ensure the safety of our guests
worked extremely well too. Every year
we plan for all types of scenarios and
will continue to do so to ensure the
impact on the weekend is minimal and
ultimately everyone still has the best
time.
What are your plans for next year?
The plan is to go bigger and better!
Every year we improve the overall
festival offering, however it is important
that the atmosphere remains the same
because it has such a great feel to it.
We will be looking at new structures,
the festival layout and also the sports
offering to see if we can increase the
participation. Once our new website
launches on 1 September, we will
ensure that any announcements are
made in line with this.
What advice could you give to
someone coming into the outdoor
event industry?
Ensure that the relevant research
has been completed and you
have everything mapped out well
in advance. I think some people
underestimate the detail that event
organisers have to go to in order for the
event to happen, so this must be taken
into consideration.
Build strong local/national
relationships with brands, authorities
and companies that can promote to
your target audience and support your
vision. This additional support helps
spread the word and will be extremely
beneficial in the long run.
Finally, build a strong team that
is capable of delivering your event;
Bournemouth 7s wouldn’t be what it
is today without the commitment and
dedication of our team. There are quite
a few long days and late nights as we
get closer to the festival but the end
goal is worth it!
ADDRESS BOOK
DETAILS
25-27 May 2019
Bournemouth Sports Club
Chapel Gate
East Parley
Christchurch BH23 6BD
www.bournemouth7s.com
50 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM