Open Air Business October/November 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS
Festival and
Outdoor Event Show
A specialist trade show for alfresco events, Festout returned to
Sandown Park Racecourse for its second year writes Tally Wade
LAUNCHED LAST year by the team behind the inimitable Event
Production Show and events magazine Access All Areas, the Festival
and Outdoor Event Show (Festout) brings together the best part of
the events industry (in our opinion), events that happen in the open
air.
Of course, delivering creative, safe, profitable and comfortable
shows outside poses some unique challenges, and this is what event
director Duncan Siegle has drawn upon in building the Festout
programme of seminars and bringing together exhibitors.
"The content programme was a real highlight this year and the
show looked amazing, with fantastic exhibits from some major
industry players and a good cross section of buyers across the two
days," said Siegle. "We continue to develop the event and are drawing
up plans to increase footfall as, while quality was high, we'd like to
see more people come and support the show."
Safety being the foremost priority for all event teams, Festout took
the lead providing content by qualified expert trainers curated by
Storm 4 Events. Delivered across the two days in a dedicated area,
the concurrent ‘SaFest’ featured eight sessions focussing on event
safety and security in association with the United Kingdom Crowd
Management Association (UKCMA).
“We continued themes from last year about the size of the industry
and licencing issues that hold us back and delivered strong content
on various aspects of safety, both on the Main Stage with Jon Drape
and via our new conference on event safety and security – SaFest,”
said Siegle. “This practical learning programme was very well
received and we are rolling it out across future events.”
The focus on safety tied in well with wider industry themes, with
the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) speaking on risk
management and scenario planning, its theme for the year. Its annual
convention in November has been titled ‘It Couldn’t Happen to me!”
Exhibitions at the show ranged from flamboyant entertainment to
professional services to infrastructure suppliers. There was boundless
creativity on show as well as sustainability and great design.
Encompassing all of these agendas was the MESR-TECHNIC structure
from sponsor Core Modular. A modular multi-storey event structure,
it is made from a lightweight composite material comprising a
recycled plastic core. In conversations with the team behind it, we
learned of a fantastic initiative that will provide festival organisers
and big brands with a unique and high value use for their waste
plastic – more on this in the next issue!
Great conversations was the take home message from Festout
2018. On the Open Air Business stand we had many exciting
exchanges with readers and advertisers alike with great introductions
made, partnerships secured and event ideas tossed about. In doing
the rounds, exhibitors were reporting the same. It may not be a
big show (yet) but in just two years it has established itself as an
important place for the outdoor event industry to do business.
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TOP PICKS
➊ Event in a Tent
As stunning as the giant tipi the team brought to the show was,
what caught our eye was the imagery of the timber geodome.
Designed and manufactured in the UK, these domes are
available in both 12m and 15m diameters and can be linked
together. Made exclusively for Event in a Tent, they are the only
domes of their kind that can also be configured as a stage, as
demonstrated at Countryfile Live, Big Festival, and at a Proms
in the Park event for a 74 piece orchestra. www.event-in-a-tent.
co.uk
➋ Bar-Go
Meets Stubbs McGee! The American Saloon bar ready to pop-up
at your next event. Constructed from shipping containers, the
double decker structure is available for dry or ‘wet’ hire and
has masses of flexibility for brand collaborations and bespoke
theming. The upper storey comprises a deck for alfresco drinks
with a view, and a separate indoor area perfect for the VIP
treatment. www.bar-go.co.uk
➋