LoveEast.51

East life
Behind the scenes at All Points East with Emily Bigg, Publicist
for The Outside Organisation
Working behind the scenes at a music festival is a dream job for any music lover;
who wouldn't relish the idea of being in such close proximity to some of the biggest
bands in the world? But what does it take to actually manage such an event?
Nerves of steel, a photographic memory, the stamina of a cross country runner and
the ability to handle anything thrown at you with grace and aplomb; and that's just
for starters...
How did you get involved with the festival?
I started out at 20 as a receptionist
with The Outside Organisation, a
PR firm that, among other things,
specialises in managing all stages
of major events, such as All Points
East and Barclaycard presents
British Summertime in Hyde
Park. We also look after a host of
clients from various areas of the
entertainment business, including
the late David Bowie, Sarah
Brightman, Blondie and others. After
about nine months at the reception
desk I was promoted to be assistant PA
to the Executives Office for Alan Edwards
and Dominic Mohan. From there came the
opportunity to join the Publicity team.
I've now been with Outside for five
years.
How are the acts chosen?
All artists are chosen by AEG
Presents, the company that
actually puts on the event. They
are our clients so we manage the
event itself but we don't have input
in terms of who will play.
Talk me through a day in your life,
behind the scenes during the festival.
My main responsibility is Media
Accreditation, which initially
involves vetting and choosing
which media organisations will
receive tickets, as well as organising
and maintaining that throughout
the event.
On festival days I get to the site
about 10am, an hour before the
box office opens, to ensure all the
allocated tickets and wristbands
are there and connected to the right
names. There are several different
levels of access so that's crucial. For
example, a photographer might have close
proximity to the stage and there are a lot
of considerations regarding that, not
least of which is making sure there
is clear access so that everyone is
safe, including the audience. I also
look after guests to make sure they
have what they need, organise
interviews with artists and generally
do whatever is needed, so I am
back and forth across the site any
number of times throughout the
day. For All Points East there were five
stages across the park so, while not as
large as British Summertime at Hyde Park,
it covers a fair bit of ground.
We are a team of about 20 and we are a
tight-knit group, which is invaluable.
We use radios to communicate across
the site so that everyone is aware
of what's going on at any given
point in time; if something crops up
it's swiftly dealt with. The last act
finishes about 10.30 or so and there
are usually people in the media
area afterwards so by the time
everyone's left it's hitting midnight.
‘In the Neighbourhood’ is such a
fabulous idea and a great way to knit the
community together. Tell us about that.
The idea behind it is, as you say, to knit the
community together. This year we had
some amazing events and because it
was half term, there was a lot on offer
for families. All the events are free
and AEG work closely with Tower
Hamlets Council to structure it
in such a way that it involves the
community as well as entertains
them. So it's a great opportunity for
residents to get involved by either
performing or hosting workshops
and events. For example, Hackney
4 LOVEEAST