June/July 2020

ISSUE 36 | Summer 2020 | www.openairbusiness.com 

BUSINESS 

Bouncing Back 

FUNCTION VENUES 

› Opportunity Knocks 

› Lessons from Lockdown 

/ / 

GLAMPSITES 

› No Change Here! 

› Evolution of Tents 

EVENTS 

› Calculating Crowds 

› Emergence of Events 

CASE STUDIES: 

GLEMHAM HALL • MALLORY MEADOWS • CARRY ON KELMARSH

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ISSUE 36 | Summer 2020 | www.openairbusiness.com 

WELCOME 

IT HAS been a horrible, horrible time for many people 

and I don’t really need to say too much because you’ve 

heard it all before, but let it be known we are delighted 

to be back. This issue has been a really interesting one to 

pull together and has certainly lightened my spirits. It’s 

full of examples of ingenuity, creativity and opportunity, 

and people cracking on with life and business despite the 

challenges. 

We have wedding venues pivoting to socially distanced festivals, we have 

festivals pivoting to offer holidays, and we have a new association to introduce 

born from the need to better regulate glamping. There is also much generosity 

in sharing best practice – thank you James from Baddow Park House for your 

input. 

It was always my intention to put enough non-virus stuff in for those who 

have literally had it up to their facemasks with Covid. So if you have a patch of 

meadow that needs rejuvenating, Plantlife will get you inspired. And tents… 

many of us will become very familiar with them this year, but Louis Thompson 

will blow your mind with mammoth tusk structures, biomimicry and future tech 

fabrics in his Past, Present and Future tents feature. 

I hope the pictures if nothing else get your juices flowing – this industry 

photographs so beautifully and I can’t wait to start enjoying it all again. 

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 Ltd - 01580 848555 

www.coffeeshopmedia.com 

The House on the Hill, Friezley Lane, 

Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2LL 

t: 01580 848555 

UPFRONT 

4 News 

6 Product News 

10 Glamping Show Preview 

12 Entrepreneur’s Chat – Guy Hindley, 

Gisburne Park 

16 Land Advice – creating wildflower 

meadows with Plantlife 

Tally Wade 

Editor / Publisher 

Contents ISSUE #36 SUMMER 2020 

40 Canopy – John Maddy introduces 

a new association and tips for 

reopening 

44 No Change Here – Covid-19 will not 

change glamping, argues Kate Morel 

48 Tents – a journey through their 

evolution with Louis Thompson 

51 Bounce Back – products to get 

glampsites back on track 

NOT A SUBSCRIBER? 

Sign up for FREE at 

www.openairbusiness.com/subscribe-free 

to make sure you continue to 

receive the magazine. 

Find more expert advice online: 

www.openairbusiness.com 


20 Glemham Hall – an #extramilevenue 

campaign winner in Suffolk 

24 Covid Comment – UKHospitality and 

Business Visits and Events Partnership 

27 Opportunity Knocks – why local, 

low footfall venues are appealing to 

corporates 

28 Lessons from Lockdown – the owner 

of Baddow Park House shares his 

learnings 

30 Bounce Back – products to get 

venues back on track 

GLAMPSITES 

33 Mallory Meadows – a young business 

offering six all-season cabins 

38 Covid Comment – VisitBritain and 

the AA 

EVENTS 

54 Carry on Kelmarsh – a socially 

distanced glamping event with 

added extras 

59 Covid Comment – Association of 

Festival Organisers and the Events 

Industry Forum 

62 The Emergence of Events – how to 

succeed in the ‘new normal’ with Iain 

Beaumont 

64 Crowd Calculations – social 

distancing tools with OnePlan 

66 Bounce Back – products to get events 

back on track 

68 Spotlight 

70 Classifieds 

73 Behind the Scenes – Amber Wykes, 

Amber’s Bell Tent Glamping 

SUBSCRIBE 

FREE 

Bouncing Back 


GLAMPSITES 

EVENTS 

› Opportunity Knocks › No Change Here! › Calculating Crowds 

/ / 

› Lessons from Lockdown › Evolution of Tents › Emergence of Events 

CASE STUDIES: 

GLEMHAM HALL • MALLORY MEADOWS • CARRY ON KELMARSH 

COVER PHOTO 

The newest addition to Boutique Camping’s Star range is 

the spacious Tucana Star Tent. Measuring 4x5m, it sleeps 

six and features an amazing high door entrance and plenty 

of ventilation. www.boutiquecamping.com 

BUSINESS 

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 3

Most Searched Eco 

Friendly Staycations 

A SURVEY conducted by SaveonEnergy. 

com sought to find the UK’s most popular 

‘eco-friendly’ staycations according to search 

volumes and Instagram hashtags. Two 

glamping providers took the top spots - Soho 

Farmhouse was the most Instagrammed, with 

48,848 posts, followed by Port Lympne Hotel 

and Reserve, which racked up 39,021 hashtags. 

PICTURED BELOW Piglet Cabins 

at Soho Farmhouse 

ABOVE The Bubble at Port Lympne 

Vision 2025 

Undertakes 

Annual Green 

Survey 

THE JULY 2020 launch of the 

5th annual green survey has 

been refocused to understand 

the impact of Covid-19 on 

event organisers’ sustainability 

ambitions. Festival and outdoor 

event organisers are invited to 

take five minutes to fill out the 

2020 industry green survey to 

help inform a green recovery for 

the event sector. 

Armed with this information, 

Vision 2025 plans to release its 

findings and suggestions after 

the summer via the online 

knowledge hub 

www.vision2025.org.uk 

Badge of Honour for Venues 

A CAMPAIGN to celebrate UK-based 

wedding venues that have gone above 

and beyond for their clients during the 

pandemic, has gone live. Over 120 venues 

applied, providing testimonials from their 

happy couples. 

Olivia Riddiford, founder of Host Venue 

Consultancy, created the #extramilevenue 

campaign. “I have been truly astounded by 

the love, support, adaption, creativity and 

compassion shown by so many venues,” 

she said. 

“In an industry hit hard, the level of 

resilience I’ve seen is unrivalled. I thought 

it was only right to positively celebrate 

those venues who have well and truly gone 

above and beyond for their couples”. 

Glemham Hall, Suffolk, is among those 

recognised. The venue has had to manage 

countless postponements, all while 

furloughing 70 per cent of their staff and 

dealing with extreme overheads. 

“They’ve maintained their clients’ 

excitement for their weddings with 

thoughtful and considerate posts on 

Glemham Hall, Suffolk 

social media and delivered beautiful 

personalised cards on days when couples 

should have been holding their wedding,” 

says Olivia. “We’re delighted to have given 

the #extramilevenue title to such a worthy 

business”. 

Donna Stockley, events manager at 

Glemham Hall, said: “We are thrilled to 

have been recognised as an extra mile 

venue. Our clients mean the world to us 

and we are so glad to have been able to 

support them during this unusual time. 

We are really looking forward to hosting 

weddings again and continuing to offer the 

best customer service to our couples and 

their guests”. 

4 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM

The Showman’s Show Cancelled 

ORGANISERS OF The Showman’s Show 

have announced that the 35th edition of 

the event will not go ahead as planned this 

October. The Showman’s Show will return 

to Newbury Showground in 2021. 

Jeremy and Johnny Lance, co-directors 

of Lance Show & Publications, have 

issued the following statement: “As the 

Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact 

our wonderful industry we have taken 

the extremely difficult decision not to go 

ahead. 

“The new guidelines do offer some 

hope for the industry that smaller outdoor 

events can begin to return. However, it 

is increasingly clear that any event we produce will have greatly reduced exhibitor and visitor 

numbers and wouldn’t offer the experience that our visitors expect or the return on investment 

that our highly valued exhibitors not only deserve but need after such an incredibly difficult year. 

“In the meantime, we will do everything in our power to support our exhibitors and the wider 

industry in the coming months and will be utilising our website, newsletters and social media 

platforms to share news and updates. We also intend to mark the two days when the show would 

have been held, 21-22 October, with a host of online activity. More details will be released in due 

course.” 

Outdoor Dining 

gets Creative 

Balbirnie House Hotel in Fife is planning to use 

its 400 acres of ground by offering guests the 

option to dine in outdoor ‘hygge’ style pods. 

The award-winning hotel and wedding venue’s 

two traditional dining options – the Orangery 

and the Bistro – had been closed to the public 

due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. 

Posting on social media, the team said: “We 

are used to flipping gardens into a wedding 

setting, even a space for a photo shoot, but flip 

it in to an unparalleled dining experience? Sure, 

no biggie! We cannot wait to welcome you back 

and invite you to try our very ‘hygge’ dining 

pods. We have worked tirelessly to bring you a 

new normal way of dining, with safety, comfort 

and taste at the forefront.” 

Other hotels are also adapting to offer 

alternative alfresco options, with the Chester 

Hotel in Aberdeen announcing a range of 

outdoor options including igloo style dining 

pods and a huge marquee. Almost 1,400 

bookings were taken within two hours! 

A Greener 

Festival’s 

Online Training 

Blossoms 

A GREENER FESTIVAL (AGF) trained 

its largest ever group of event industry 

professionals through its online 

environmental assessor training in 

June. 

Event organisers from music, 

mass participation sports, city 

councils as well as venue operators, 

tour managers and government 

advisors took part from nine different 

countries. 

Created four years ago in 

partnership with Falmouth University 

and Cambridge Education Group, 

who provide the digital platform, 

the training was developed so that 

AGF could provide it to a network of 

assessors for the 50+ events assessed 

globally each year. 

“The success of this training 

indicates that more and more industry 

professionals are working to reduce 

the environmental impact of events,” 

said director Teresa Moore. "It is 

incredibly encouraging for the future 

of the industry”. 

Socially Distanced Festivals 

RED ROOSTER Festival in Suffolk is set to go 

ahead in September with social distancing 

in place. Organisers say they are following 

the latest government guidance on staging 

outdoor events, which states that outdoor 

gigs and arts performances can resume 

providing they have a “limited and socially 

distanced audience”. 

The event on 4-6 September will be held 

at Euston Hall estate and is one of a small 

number of UK festivals that will take place 

in 2020. 

“We are working closely with our health 

and safety and production teams to produce 

something that is truly magical without 

losing the spirit and atmosphere of our 

beautiful little festival,” said festival director 

and production manager James Brennan. 

“Over 60 per cent of our audience stay 

in family group campervans which hugely 

helps us contain camping areas safely, plus 

by moving to outdoor stages only, we feel 

we can offer a safe environment in which to 

enjoy the festival. 

Other UK socially distanced festivals 

include Northern Ireland’s Stendhal Festival, 

which is set to debut its series of live outdoor 

events in August, and Gisburne Park’s Pop- 

Up events (see pages 12-15). 


PRODUCT 

UK Bubble Tents 

with Ensuites 

SLEEPING BUBBLES is the first UK supplier 

of luxury inflatable bubble tents. Founded 

by travel enthusiast Paulo Jamece, the 

Worcestershire-based company supplies the 

structures for sale or hire. 

Bubble tents are a fun and unique glamping 

experience that give people the opportunity 

to get close to nature while still enjoying all 

the comfort you’d expect to find in luxury 

accommodation. 

The main room in a bubble tent can be 

completely transparent allowing stunning 

panoramic views and the chance to sleep 

underneath the stars. Privacy can be added 

with opaque sections if needed. Other rooms 

are fully customisable and can include fully 

working bathrooms. 

The tents are made from durable PVC and 

powered by an ultra-silent blower, with air 

refreshed a minimum seven times per day. 

Tents are available to buy or hire and 

packages range from the Lunar Sleeping 

Bubble to Sleeping Bubble Insterstaller, 

with stylish glamping accessories such as a 

telescope, Tassimo coffee machine, Nordic 

designed arm chairs and a wine cooler filled 

with prosecco, organic wine and Fiji Water. 

Customers can create their own Lunar package 

by adding their desired items. Also available for 

events and as honeymoon suites for short and 

long term rental. 

Paulo says: “We want to give glampers a 

holiday unlike anything they have experienced 

before and we’re proud to supply the highest 

quality bubble tents available. The coronavirus 

pandemic has led to a surge in enquiries 

as our tents take away the need for shared 

facilities as they can be fitted with fully working 

bathrooms. 

“With the rise of staycations we think this is a 

great opportunity for us.” 

www.sleepingbubbles.co.uk 

Off-grid Compost Loo 

THE NEW WooWoo Loo is a completely 

off-grid, waterless compost toilet 

solution that’s delivered and installed 

by the WooWoo team. It comprises 

a high quality wooden building that 

houses a Separett Villa waterless 

compost toilet together with a solar 

system and battery that supplies ample 

power to run a ventilation fan, providing 

a simple and odour-free experience – no 

sawdust required! 

All the customer has to do is provide 

a level base, such as concrete slabs, for 

the building to sit on, and to have predug 

a small soak-away pit (for the urine 

to run into). WooWoo will take care of 

everything else, taking away the time, 

stress and hassle of working out what 

works with what and who to source it 

from. In most cases, the WooWoo Loo 

can be installed in one day (building, 

toilet and solar system) and is ready for 

immediate use. 

At the heart of the WooWoo Loo is the 

Separett Villa waterless compost toilet 

which is also available as a standalone 

unit for customers who want to install it 

in their own building or accommodation 

unit, such as a shepherds hut, providing 

the comforts of home, off the grid. 

WooWoo is the UK’s go-to compost 

toilet supplier and has a wealth of 

options which you can discuss with its 

team of knowledgeable advisors who 

are there to guide you through the 

process. www.waterlesstoilets.co.uk 

Providing Fun in the New Normal 

AS WE emerge from the 

lockdown, Leisure Hire 

has been working hard to 

understand how its equipment 

can and will be used in line 

with current guidelines for 

social gatherings and events. 

It is of course vital that clients 

and staff members are 

safe, the latter both in our 

workplaces and when out 

hosting events. 

Prior to returning to work, 

all team members are required 

to complete training that covers specific processes for activity equipment and the 

measures taken within Leisure Hire’s facilities. Guests are advised and encouraged 

to practice social distancing whilst waiting for and then using equipment, and 

activity layouts are arranged as necessary and areas marked out using floor tape 

where appropriate. 

Leisure Hire is embracing the changes to how events are run and constantly 

reviewing ways it can help provide the fun experiences that clients need as we 

carefully ease towards the new normal. www.leisurehire.com. 


Re-inventing Bar 

and Table Service 

after Lockdown 

AS VENUES begin to re-open, the biggest 

challenge is how to maintain social 

distancing and safety for customers 

and staff, while still delivering a great 

experience. 

The PortaBrands range from Tri-Star 

Packaging enables the easy and safe 

carrying of multiple drinks while speeding 

up service, saving space and converting 

more sales with fewer trips to and from the 

bar. 

“Our PortaBrands solution creates the 

opportunity to re-invent bar and table 

service,” says Tri-Star Packaging sales 

director, Lee Richards. “To minimise 

waiting times and queues, drinks will 

need to be served quickly and safely with 

minimum contact between staff and 

customers. PortaBrands is a great range 

of quick-service drink carrier solutions 

that enables safe multi-drink serving 

under social distancing guidelines, as 

an individual can collect drinks for small 

groups of people.” 

PortaBrands inventor Ian Bates says: 

“When I created PortaBrands 15 years ago, I 

couldn’t have imagined how important the 

concept would become. The main benefit 

of PortaBrands was always convenience 

and, as pubs re-open, I am proud that it 

can now also make a positive contribution 

to health and safety.” 

All PortaBrands products can be fully 

branded and printed with additional 

messages such as social distancing 

guidelines, how to use a drinks ordering 

app, or how to recycle. All PortaBrands 

products are 100 per cent plastic-free and 

are made in the UK from FSC certified 

paper, which is fully recyclable in dry mixed 

recycling. www.tri-star.co.uk/portabrands 

ALL WEATHER OPTIONS FOR YOUR OUTDOOR EVENTS 

Stretch Tents, furniture, lighting, heating, flooring - short and long term hire 

@TentickleUK 

PROFESSIONAL & RELIABLE 

www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk 

0121 740 1385 or 07826 843 099 

@Tentickle_UK 

TentickleUK

PRODUCT 

Introducing 

the Tucana 

TUCANA, ONCE known as the constellation of stars in 

the southern sky and named after the South American 

toucan, has made an exclusive reappearance in the form 

of Boutique Camping’s most innovative bell tent design 

to date. 

Boasting a roomy 4x5m interior, integrated canopy 

and a two meter door height, this unique Dutch-inspired 

design incorporates features from Boutique’s top-selling 

Star Bell and Touareg tent ranges. 

Boutique Camping launched onto the glamping scene 

in 2010 with an attention to detail exuding high-end, 

glamorous outdoor fun. Made from luxury, breathable 

and durable polycotton canvas, the Tucana is priced at 

just £659. www.boutiquecamping.com 

Free App for 1kw 

Airforce Controller 

FUTURENERGY IS pleased to announce the 

launch of mobile applications for its micro wind 

turbine controller, AirForce Control. The apps 

are available free on both Android and Apple 

IOS and complement the existing AirForce 

Control website-based turbine monitor. 

Monitoring FuturEnergy’s 1KW wind turbine is 

now conveniently possible at any time enabling 

all aspects of the turbine to be managed from 

any location with a live data stream. Connected 

using secure login, users can alter settings and 

remotely start and stop the turbine – ideal 

for managing remotely located wind turbines 

anywhere in the world. www.futurenergy.co.uk 

The Eco Box 

Available as a 25m2, 35m2 or 52m2 structure, Smart Eco Glamping’s unique one bed roomed Eco Box is superbly designed for 

glamping sites, fishing lakes, hotels and any other accommodation venue requiring added luxury space. 

Built in the factory from high quality materials and to Building Regulations standards, this unit provides an extremely 

comfortable, well appointed, low cost option for the most discerning of clients. www.smartecoglamping.co.uk 


Scotia Cabins supply and install the only 

UK-made BBQ Cabins across the country. 

We also supply and install UK-made self-catering 

accommodation in a variety of different styles, finishes 

and sizes to suit your location. 

Office: 01738 850203 

Mobile: 07921 866 967 

www.scotiacabins.co.uk 

Follow us on social media for more product offers - ‘scotiacabins’ 


INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 

The Glamping Show 2020 

Peter Rusbridge introduces a new look Glamping Show for 2020 

PREPARATIONS FOR the Glamping Show 

2020 are well underway with the event due 

to take place at NAEC Warwickshire between 

the 17 and 19 of September. The exhibitor 

list continues to grow, and the move to 

an online seminar programme is drawing 

speakers from across the country. 

In compliance with the guidelines given by 

the government, every precaution is being 

taken to keep exhibitors and guests safe. 

The Glamping Show team has taken advice 

from all available sources and is confident 

of staging a successful and enjoyable event. 

A full list of health and safety preparations, 

which is frequently updated in response to 

continued government guidance, can be 

found on the Glamping Show website. 

Among the many changes to this 

year’s show are specific arrival times, 

downloadable tickets and bookable car 

parking spaces meaning entry to the event 

will be as quick and efficient as possible, 

eliminating large queues at the entrance. 

The layout of the show has also changed, 

with more of an emphasis on open spaces, 

including wider gangways, outdoor catering 

and a one-way system running throughout 

the exhibition. This is to make sure that 

guests can maintain a safe social distance. 

Health & Safety officers will also be 

present throughout the show to assist with 

social distancing and respond to any issues 

should they arise. 

Karen Cooke, MD of organiser Swan 

Events, said: “The show will have to look 

very different, but safety is the key concern 

and the correct protocols will have to be 

put in place. The important thing is that we 

can get together again and have the chance 

to see and evaluate the latest products 

and services and reinforce the business 

relationships and friendships that have been 

so difficult during lockdown.” 

VISIT AND VIRTUAL 

One of the more notable changes this year 

is that, in addition to the physical event, the 

Glamping Show 2020 will be taking place 

online. 

This means that visitors who are unable 

to travel to Stoneleigh in September will still 

be able to browse companies and products 

via enhanced listings and information, view 

all seminars and presentations on demand, 

and take part in the Great Glamping Debate. 

Enhanced exhibitor listings will be 

available online and will allow people 

unable to attend to learn about the 

exhibitors at the show along with the 

products and services they are offering. 

Alongside these enhanced listings will be the 

ability to book an appointment at the show, 

request information and schedule calls. 

The online seminar programme will give 

visitors flexibility to view at their leisure and 

allow access to those further afield. This 

year’s seminar programme will be organised 

by sister publication International Glamping 

Business and its publisher Steph Curtis- 

Raleigh. This new and improved system has 

drawn speakers from across the country 

who are eager to take part. 

“The changes we are making to the 

seminar programme and the addition of the 

online networking experience were initially 

implemented in response to the coronavirus 

pandemic,” says Karen. “However, the more 

we get to grips with these new systems, the 

more we see that they are a great way to 

reach an even larger audience.” 

Since the lockdown began, the hospitality 

sector has been plagued with uncertainty 

and a lack of information. The Glamping 

Show provides the ability to get up to date 

with what’s been happening in the world 

of glamping, from new products to vital 

information on how to bounce back and 

thrive after the reopening. 

SEE YOU THERE! 

The Glamping Show 2020 will be taking 

place on 17-19 September at the NEAC, 

Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, and online at 

www.theglampingshow.com

Hunter Studios 

www.hunteroutdoors.co.uk 

Hunter Outdoors’ versatile Shady Spot 

alfresco structure and inventory of 

stylish décor is everything you need 

for outdoor hospitality at glampsites. 

With the addition of internal ‘sails’ to 

the Shady Spot, you can easily socially 

distance two groups of people for dining 

or more. There are two options for this 

configuration – a triangular sail that 

creates a visible divide, while keeping 

the view and openness, and a larger sail 

which creates a 2m high partition for 

greater privacy. 

Smart Eco Glamping - 

www.smartecoglamping.co.uk 

Smart Eco Glamping is a specialist in the design 

and build of energy efficient, contemporary eco 

glamping accommodation units. It offers a range 

of standard units and also produces bespoke 

glamping structures which are fully fitted with 

kitchens and bathrooms, ready to move into and 

start generating a revenue. 

The use of sustainable and renewable 

technologies is also a key factor in its products. 

Riverside Shepherd Huts 

www.riversideshepherdhuts.co.uk 

This small family-run business 

manufactures high quality 

shepherd huts at a workshop 

in Warwickshire. Finished huts 

are kept in a field – a much nicer 

setting for customers to enjoy 

a viewing in a relaxed and calm 

domestic atmosphere with a cup 

of tea and a slice of cake! 

All huts are made to order with 

highly competitive prices and a 

30 year guarantee on the frame, 

chassis and wheels. Finance 

packages are also available. 

CampPlus - www.campplus.co.uk 

CampPlus’ shower and toilet pods are 

available as a single or double unit and 

are proving an essential addition to many 

glamp- and campsites as guests seek out 

staycations with no shared facilities. Perfect 

located next to any accommodation, they 

offer a short payback period and plug and 

play installation – just connect them to 

water, electric and sewerage and they’re 

ready to go. 

Podmakers 

www.podmakers.co.uk 

Podmakers specialises in 

designing unique outdoor spaces. 

Established through the union of 

high quality furniture design and 

a desire to engineer small spaces, 

founders Dominic Ash and 

Jeremy Fitter aspire to enhance 

the natural environment with 

architecturally striking structures. 

The Escape Pod 

(pictured) is Podmakers' 

luxury outdoor space 

and, with an adaptable 

interior, it provides 

the perfect place to 

meditate, socialise 

or sleep. 


PEOPLE 

ENTREPRENEUR’S CHAT 

Guy 

Hindley 

Born with “the hunger to succeed” Guy Hindley, owner of Gisburne 

Park estate, dove headfirst into diversifying his wedding and park lodge 

business into events with the UK’s first socially distanced festival 


PEOPLE 

RETURNING TO his family’s estate in Lancashire from New York, 

where he was studying for a masters in fine art, Guy Hindley took 

over Gisburne Park in 2003. “My father sadly passed away at a 

young age so I took over earlier than planned,” says Guy. The 1,000 

acre estate is nestled in the Ribble Valley countryside and is home 

to a 20 acre holiday park, restaurant and a wedding/events venue 

in a 10 acre hidden valley. “It is a breathtaking location on the 

tributary of two rivers, surrounded by cliffs, bridges, lawns and the 

historic Riverside House, which we use as the bridal house – there’s 

nowhere else like it.” 

As well as a number of redundant farm buildings which needed 

converting, Guy’s father had obtained planning permission for 

a caravan park. “Rather than filling it with aluminium ‘static’ 

caravans I decided on timber clad lodges, and believe we were one 

of the first businesses to solely focus on them.” 

Ribblesdale Park opened in 2004 and now has 45 holiday lodges 

and 30 privately owned units. 

“Quite early on we added hot tubs into the mix. We have always 

been an innovative business and a combination of intuition and 

market research suggested this would work and it did. 

We are now regarded as one of the best places to have a 

luxury hot tub break.” 

The estate has the capacity to sleep 250 guests in the 

lodge park and a number of cozy cottages and historic 

houses. 

Three years ago Guy added a venue offering for 

weddings, parties and corporate events. “We have 

a purpose-built hardstanding marquee area on the 

tributary of the River Ribble and Stock Beck. It’s one of 

the most beautiful venues in the UK with water, cliffs and 

acres of striped lawns. Customers can use our online 

pricing calculator to build a package to suit from a range 

of structures, food and drink and interior options.” 

A UK FIRST 

Following the Covid-19 outbreak, Gisburne Park has been put on 

the map with its rapid creation of what is billed as the UK’s first 

socially distanced festival, with coverage in the Telegraph, Times, 

Metro, Sun and on the BBC. 

“Robyn Isherwood, of RJI Consultancy, has transformed our 

wedding and events business. She had been commuting back and 

forth from London but moved back to Clitheroe to be with her 

parents during lockdown,” says Guy. “My wife Amber, Robyn and I 

put our heads together and got creative around the opportunities 

Covid-19 might present and came up with the idea for a pop-up 

beer garden in about mid-April. As a wedding venue, we already 

had access to tipis and food and drink through our partners Betty’s 

Tipis and Betty’s Kitchen. Robyn thought we could take it a step 

further, adding movies and music. 

“We are now delivering open air cinema with Pictures in the Park 

on Wednesday and Thursday nights, music with Party in the Park 

on Friday and Saturday nights, family friendly events at Picnic in 

the Park on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, and a beer garden 

with Pub in the Park on Sunday evening.” 

Gisburne Park Pop-Up, as it is branded, runs from 11 July to 31 

August and a total of around 24,000 people are expected to attend 

its numerous events, each of which are limited to 500. 

“It all started to come together in June. Robyn contacted her 

events friends in London who were doing nothing and said ‘fancy 

coming to work in Lancashire for the summer?’ We have put them 

all up in one of the houses here and have managed to get ourselves 

some incredibly talented hospitality professionals – we even have 

the head barman of the American Bar from the Savoy! 

“Robyn went into overdrive and through another close contact, 

Mattie Evans of Nocturnal Touring and Rooted Productions, some 

“MY WIFE 

AMBER, ROBYN 

AND I PUT 

OUR HEADS 

TOGETHER AND 

GOT CREATIVE 

AROUND THE 

OPPORTUNITIES 

COVID-19 MIGHT 

PRESENT AND 

CAME UP WITH 

THE IDEA FOR 

A POP-UP BEER 

GARDEN IN 

ABOUT 

MID-APRIL” 


PEOPLE 

“THE PLAN IS 

TO EXECUTE 

AS MANY 

EVENTS 

THROUGH- 

OUT THE 

SUMMER AS 

POSSIBLE TO 

MAKE THE 

MOST USE OF 

THE STAGE 

AND VENUE 

SET UP.” 

big named artists signed on such as Jonas Blue, Sam Divine and 

The Shapeshifters. 

“The plan is to execute as many events throughout the summer 

as possible to make the most use of the stage and venue set up.” 

Next came the ingenious idea to keep everyone socially 

distanced. This happened while Robyn was travelling with her 

father Phil, who runs Phil Isherwood Turf Care. They were going to 

paint the NHS logo on the turf at Old Trafford when they realised 

that the machine that marked the grass with paint had a car park 

option that could be reprogrammed to paint hexagons. 

“Robyn’s brother Guy Isherwood (Guy Isherwood Design) is an 

architect and created a CAD design to space a series of hexagons 

across our site, adding in VIP areas etc. We used the files to 

programe the machine." 

Partners in the venture include long term suppliers to the venue 

side of the business, Jack and Alice Singleton from Betty’s Tipis and 

Betty’s Kitchen. 

“We also called in graphic designer Will Maher from WM Designs 

to come up with the branding and website, and James Wilthew from 

Air-Frames for the incredible drone footage we use for marketing.” 

DO YOU KNOW BORIS JOHNSON?! 

The concept and infrastructure was in place but Guy still had the 

problem that ‘legally speaking’ he wasn’t allowed to go ahead. 

“We had decided we were going to do this, despite how crazy it all 

sounded, but we still hadn’t permission from the council. When we 

got in touch it was like a time bomb going off in their office! To give 

them their due, the Ribble Valley Borough Council never said no 

but, at the time, they couldn’t say yes as the legislation was so fuzzy. 

“The government’s ban on live performances was lifted in the 

statement delivered on the 9 July, with effect from the 11 July – the 

date of our first event! The head of H&S at the council came down 

that day to look around and even asked if we had a hotline to 

Boris Johnson!? 

“We know we are going to be scrutinised from every direction 

so wanted to provide the best of the best given the situation. We 

approached James Howarth of Simplex Event Safety. He is normally 

travelling the world doing large scale event safety and he dragged 

in his equally talented and experienced wife Danni Davies of 

Eventador, who is now running the operations under the leadership 

of Joe Worthington. It’s a very professionally run operation. 

“I am blown away by the talent we have in the local area. We 

have also employed 100 extra staff for this enterprise on top of the 

50 we already have; all local and it feels great to be providing this 

opportunity to the area.” 

For security, critical for the safety of attendees, Robyn 

approached international heavyweights Titan Security. “They are 

used to massive festivals across the world. It is important that we 

keep people within their hexagons when the events are underway. 

It’s an odd way to celebrate for festivalgoers but it works and 

actually makes for quite a civilised festival experience with 

waiter service!” 

Events run with a capacity of around 500 people and the venue 

complies with the ‘We are Good to Go’ standard launched by 

VisitBritain. 

GETTING IT RIGHT 

Guy ran hard and fast with the pop-up and within four weeks gained 

9,000 organic followers on Instagram. “We had amazing press 

coverage and we have had celebrities, influencers and a lot of press 

at our early events. We are also well located in terms of catchment 

as there are lot of people in the towns within a 30 mile radius. 

“We also added glamping, which was being run on a 26 day rule, 

now extended to 56. It comprises 10 bell tents, supplied again by 

Betty’s Tipis, and we are sold out”. 


PEOPLE 

Guy reports that the Gisburne Park Pop-Up should be a financial 

success for the estate. “We should do well out of this, obviously 

good weather will help. It will also set us up for year two – we’ll 

take the bits that work and replicate them next year – maybe 

make the ‘pods’ smaller, attract more people and run it over two 

weekends. We are already sold out for three of the Party in the Park 

sets so we know that works!” 

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE 

So what qualities do Guy and the team at Gisburne Park have that 

gave them the confidence to launch into the unknown world of 

events in a post-Covid world? 

“Mad, naive, brave, creative, obsessive? All of those! I think 

about my work 24/7 and my wife Amber is massively involved. She 

has a degree in finance from the SMU Cox School of Business in 

Texas and brings a wealth of strategy and business acumen to the 

estate. 

“Faced with adversity we could have spun into a circle of 

negativity but that’s not in my nature. Instead we got innovative 

and tried to create something that we can build on forever. The 

world has changed and the quicker we adjust our offering the 

better. It was the same with the recession of 2007/8. Others 

were scaling back but we recognised with the park business that 

staycations would be on the up so pushed ahead aggressively.” 

Guy has been using the lockdown period to fine tune other areas 

of the business and is aiming high. “We have optimised staffing 

levels and done all the cottages up. My ambition is to create a Soho 

Farmhouse of the north. We have 1,000 acres to build it in and an 

estate which is breathtakingly beautiful. I now have an incredible 

team which makes me believe anything is possible. 

“I am most proud of building a business that works and has 

longevity. Tourism will always be around and this area is so 

beautiful that, well run, our enterprises should flourish.” 

Perfect your outdoor 

lounge space 


LAND ADVICE 

To seed or not to seed, 

In a typical year, as Plantlife’s meadows adviser, I get a huge 

number of enquiries from meadow owners in July and 

August, desperate for advice on how to create, restore or 

manage their meadows. 

Here are a few questions that I get asked: “What seed 

should I buy?” “How do I sow?” “How long will it 

take to become a wildflower meadow?’” 


LAND ADVICE 

THESE ARE questions from meadow 

enthusiasts with a desire to do something 

positive. Normally, my first question in 

return is: “What have you already got?” Nine 

times out of 10, the response is, “I’m not 

sure,” or “I think it’s mostly grass and not 

much else.” 

This desire to do something for nature is 

completely understandable. I think for most 

people there is a sense of satisfaction from 

actively contributing, whether sowing seeds, 

putting up a bee hotel or planting a tree. So 

when I suggest it would be a good idea to 

get the management right and then wait a 

year or two to see what comes up, you can 

hear hearts sink… 

We are used to living with instant 

makeovers and transformations; working 

with nature can sometimes feel against the 

grain. Can’t we just sow some wildflower 

seeds and get a fabulous instant hit? 

Doing your research is key to a successful 

thriving meadow. I always start by finding 

out about the meadow owner and their 

motivations. Then the meadow itself: its 

history of management, the soils and the 

wild flowers already present. This helps me 

build up a picture of the meadow, its owner 

and their reasons for wanting a wildflower 

meadow. I am hoping this time of enforced 

isolation might give you the chance to 

contemplate some of these questions about 

your own meadows. 

If you find yourself with time on your 

hands, it is the perfect time to start 

observing your meadow over the coming 

couple of months and see if you can identify 

any wild flowers that are already growing. I 

would recommend downloading Plantlife’s 

Guide to Plants of Wildflower Meadows on 

the Magnificent Meadows website. Having 

some knowledge about some of the species 

already present will make it easier to plan 

the next steps for your meadow. You may 

find there is more there than you think. 

A BASIC RECIPE 

Creating or restoring a wildflower meadow 

seems, on the surface, to be pretty easy. You 

create some bare ground, you sow some 

seeds and you cut and remove it every year 

after the flowers have seeded. That is the 

basic recipe. It sounds so straightforward 

and generally it is. However, there are a few 

things that can trip you up along the way. 

One of those is not knowing enough about 

“MOST GARDENERS 

WILL TELL YOU THAT 

FLOWERS NEED TO BE 

FED, BUT THIS IS NOT SO 

FOR WILD FLOWERS” 

your existing meadow. It’s a bit like buying a 

car without doing your research and ending 

up feeling disappointed. 

The soil type and its fertility level are 

two of the biggest factors in the likely 

success of establishing wild flowers in your 

meadow. First, wild flowers will always do 

better in nutrient-poor soil. This seems 

counterintuitive – most gardeners will tell 

you that flowers need to be fed, but this is 

not so for wild flowers. The difference here 

is that meadows also have grasses in them, 

which love fertile soil. So a meadow with 

fertile soil will grow more grass, meaning 

wild flowers will always struggle as they will 

be outcompeted. 

When it comes to wildflower seeds, not 

all seeds are created equal. People are 

keen to reach for an off-the-shelf wildflower 

mix. These will provide an instant hit of 

pollen, nectar and seed, which can help our 

declining bees, butterflies and farmland 

birds. But these mixes don't conserve 

wild flowers. It would be surprising to find 

anyone releasing flocks of declining birds or 

threatened mammals into the countryside 

without rigorous checks and controls. 

Yet there is widespread and unchecked 

acceptance of wildflower seed mixes, often 

including plants of non-native origin. 

Generally, commercial wildflower seed 

mixes only carry a small proportion of the 

genetic diversity available in native plant 

populations and, without a requirement 

to meet high-quality standards, nonresponsible 

suppliers are producing and 


LAND ADVICE 

selling low-quality wildflower seed. 

Plantlife advocates restoring meadows 

by managing for the long term and 

allowing natural regeneration from the 

seedbank – the seeds of the local species 

that naturally thrive on your site. If this is 

not possible, we recommend the use of 

local green hay or locally harvested seeds 

from existing species-rich meadows. 

These are effective and ecologically robust 

methods for improving characteristic 

plant diversity in meadows for the long 

term. Importantly, these methods also 

help safeguard the distinctiveness of 

meadows. 

This is part of the magic of wild 

flowers; a Norfolk wildflower meadow, 

with green-winged orchids and peppersaxifrage 

will be different in character to a 

Carmarthenshire wildflower meadow with 

whorled caraway and lesser butterflyorchids, 

which is what makes both of 

them special. 

What all these approaches have in 

common is that they take time and 

planning. They also require research and 

knowledge about the current state of your 

meadow before deciding which option is 

most suitable. 

So as we take time to get back to 

normal after lockdown, how about 

doing your research? Look for an existing 

species-rich donor meadow nearby that 

you could use as a source of green hay for 

seed. Or why not just manage, observe 

and be patient, safe in the knowledge that 

you’ve done your research and you are in 

it for the long term? 

Establishing and managing your 

own wildflower meadow is, like any 

RESOURCES 

www.plantlife.org.uk 

www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/ 

advice-guidance 

www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/ 

assets/pdfs/Meadow_ID_Leaflet.pdf 

Why meadows? 

relationship, a long-term commitment. 

But the rewards are worth it. It’s the 

delight of observing at close quarters as 

different plants find their own niche in 

your meadow, making every year slightly 

different. This is something you would 

miss out on with a generic seed mix. 

Despite Covid-19, as I write Plantlife is 

still offering over-the-phone advice and 

technical guidance to meadow owners, 

plus a wealth of downloadable guidance 

on both the Plantlife and Magnificent 

Meadows websites. All good things come 

to those who wait… 

Meadows and species-rich grasslands can 

support a huge range of wildlife including 

wildflowers, fungi, bees, flies, beetles, 

spiders, moths, butterflies, reptiles, 

amphibians, small mammals, bats and 

birds. In the UK, more priority species (for 

conservation attention) are associated with 

grasslands than with any other habitat type. 

Only one per cent of the UK’s land area 

now supports species-rich grassland and only 

two per cent of the UK’s grasslands are speciesrich. 

Species-rich grasslands also provide other 

environmental benefits including carbon storage, 

water retention to prevent flooding and habitat for crop 

pollinators, they are also archaeologically important. 

The UK’s remaining species-rich grasslands now cover a minute fraction of the area 

they once did, even relatively recently in the early 20th Century. There were once 

natural wildflower meadows in every parish – today only two per cent of the meadows 

that existed in the 1930s remain. Nearly 7.5 million acres of wildflower meadow have 

been lost so far and they are still being destroyed. Of those that do survive, around 75 

per cent occur in small fragments and remain vulnerable to destruction. 

The decline and loss of meadows and species-rich grasslands is without parallel 

in the history of nature conservation in the UK. What had been a widespread and 

ubiquitous part of agriculture and people’s daily lives disappeared altogether in the 

space of a single generation. Six million acres of grassland was ploughed to grow 

cereals during the Second World War and this started a process which would see 

the area of lowland meadows decline by 97 per cent in the following 40 years. Other 

species-rich grasslands met a similar, albeit marginally less catastrophic, fate. 

Plantlife is the lead partner of Save Our Magnificent Meadows, the UK’s largest 

project transforming the fortunes of vanishing wildflower meadows, grasslands 

and wildlife. 


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CASE STUDY 

Glemham 

Hall 

Dating back to 1560, this country mansion 

sits in a 3,000 acre estate and boasts a 

permanent marquee, ‘organic amphitheatre’ 

and walled rose garden 

A family home and a family business, Glemham Hall encourages 

clients to think of the space as their own, from the Summerhouse 

in the scented walled garden to the grand sweeping staircase of the Great Hall. With some 

quick decision making, Donna Stockley and her small team is looking after customers through 

Covid-19 and is proud to be part of the #extramilevenue campaign. We talk to Donna. 

When did you start your venue 

business and what is its history? 

Glemham Hall is an Elizabethan 

country mansion set in 300 acres of 

parkland which forms part of a 3,000 

acre estate. It was built around 1560 

and has always been a family home, 

first to the de Glemham family and 

later in 1708-1709 to Dudley North 

(whose father in law was Elihu Yale, 

founder of the famous American 

university). It remained in the North 

family for some 200 years and 

was later purchased in 1923 and 

became the home of Captain John 

Murray Cobbold and his wife Lady 

Blanche, daughter of the 9th Duke 

of Devonshire, and still remains with 

the Cobbold family today. 

The events business was started 

in 2003, primarily as a venue for 

weddings and parties. We now 

manage a rich and varied calendar 

of events, with house tours and 

lunches, garden theatre, cycling 

events, art exhibitions, antique fairs 

and a major folk festival which takes 

place in the park every August, as 

well as weddings and parties. 

Tell us about your location 

and site 

We’re in a great location, a stone’s 

throw from the Suffolk heritage 

coastal towns of Aldeburgh and 

Southwold. We’re literally just off 

the main carriageway of the A12 and 

not only very easy to find but the 

logistics are great for moving large 

amounts of traffic on and off site 

relatively easily. 

Once you pull down the drive it 

feels like you’re in the middle of 

nowhere! The parkland is a beautiful 

site for an outdoor event featuring 

some wonderful old oak trees, some 

of which have historical importance 

being 600 years old. There is a 

lovely natural undulation to the 

park, which creates an organic 

amphitheatre, perfect for siting a 

main stage! 

We experience the same 

challenges as any other outdoor site 

when it comes to dealing with the 

weather, though I’d say our biggest 

challenge is working within the 

restrictions of the Natural England 

Higher Level Scheme, which the 

parkland is part of. 

What facilities for outdoor 

functions do you offer? 

For wedding receptions, we have a 

marquee which is up all year round. 

It can host receptions for up to 170 

guests and is cleverly positioned 

in the garden behind an old yew 

hedge, so it’s mostly hidden from 

view. 

My favourite spot in the garden is 

our Summerhouse, which sits in the 

corner of the walled rose garden. 

It’s here that we host outdoor 

ceremonies where couples can 

exchange their vows surrounded 

by roses and lavender - the scent is 

wonderful! 

What services do you offer? 

For weddings and any private 

events such as a birthday or 

anniversary, we’ll be there on the 

day to fully co-ordinate, as well 

as offering full support in the lead 

STEVE HOOD 



AYESHA GOLDBERG PHOTOGRAPHY 

GEMMA GIORGIO PHOTOGRAPHY 

up to the event. We’ll liaise with 

caterers and suppliers directly to 

ensure the day runs smoothly. For 

smaller weddings of up to 30, which 

take place solely in the Hall, we 

provide in-house catering, and in 

the marquee we provide a full bar 

service, which is managed in-house. 

This summer sees the newly 

restored Willow Cottage become 

available for accommodation. It’s 

a very welcome addition and will 

now provide a perfect base for a 

‘wedding party HQ’. We also offer it 

for short stays and holidays and our 

first customers will be arriving this 

month! 

Describe how you researched and 

sourced your structures 

Our marquee structure was 

purchased second-hand from 

Ipswich Town Football Club (the 

Cobbold family have a long and 

close association as founders of 

the club). We also work closely 

with a local marquee supplier, who 

helps us with maintenance and 

replacement covers. 

How do you work with your 

customers to make their event 

unique? 

When I show a client around our 

venue, I’ll show them everything, 

all the rooms, the gardens and 

the marquee but it’s entirely up to 

them to decide how they use the 

venue and what will happen where! 

I think having this flexibility allows 

them to push the boundaries a little 

and to realise that they can create 

HANNAH SMITH CHILTON 

“WE 

ADVERTISE 

WITH A FEW 

WEDDING 

DIRECTORIES, 

BUT MOST 

OF OUR 

ENQUIRIES 

COME VIA OUR 

WEBSITE, SO 

INVESTING IN 

GOOD SEO 

IS ONE OF 

OUR MAIN 

STRATEGIES” 

something quite unique. I find that 

couples are always looking for ways 

to make their wedding stand out 

so we’ll very often suggest ideas or 

recommend the perfect supplier for 

the style or experience they’re trying 

to achieve. 

How do you publicise yourself? 

We’re very active on social 

media and I make it a priority 

to continually learn more about 

marketing and PR. There are some 

brilliant free Facebook groups that 

are great for connecting with other 

industry professionals and soaking 

up lots of knowledge. 

We advertise with a few wedding 

directories, but most of our 

enquiries come via our website, so 

investing in good SEO is one of our 

main strategies. 

How would you describe your 

style or unique selling point? 

Glemham is quite unique, it has a 

very honest and genuine charm 

about it. The Great Hall is quite 

impressive with its high ceilings and 

original wooden columns, yet it feels 

STEPHANIE GREEN WEDDINGS 

warm and homely – which it is! I’m 

proud to say it’s still a family home, 

and I want our clients to feel like 

it’s their home for the day too. Our 

clients absolutely love our gardens 

and outdoor spaces and I think this 

is where they fall in love with the 

idea of holding their wedding or 

event at Glemham. 

Our USP has to be our gorgeous 

grand staircase in the Great Hall. 

This is where couples, particularly 

brides, have their ‘this is our venue’ 

moment. It leads from our wedding 

suite, where the bride gets ready, 

straight into the ceremony room, 

so they can enjoy the perfect 

‘Cinderella’ entrance down the aisle. 

It’s truly stunning. 

What challenges have you faced 

historically? 

Grade 1 listed buildings such as 

these continually present us with 

challenges. There is a never-ending 

programme of maintenance which 

is usually always costly. Thankfully, 

the building itself is in very good 

condition though more difficult to 

keep warm in winter! 

How has Covid-19 impacted you? 

Yes, it’s been an extremely tough 

one to navigate hasn’t it! What 

became immediately difficult was 

having to make some big decisions 

really quickly in a completely 

unprecedented situation. For 

couples who had their wedding 

planned this year, we offered for 

them to postpone to a new date 

and most have opted for 2021. For 

the larger scale events, these have 

either cancelled or postponed to 

next year. 



As soon as we went into 

lockdown, we quickly adapted to 

hosting virtual show-rounds via 

Zoom. These proved invaluable 

in keeping bookings and deposits 

coming in. We increased what we 

were doing on social media, both 

to generate new interest but also to 

help our existing clients maintain 

their excitement for their own 

wedding. 

With the predicted boom 

for staycations this summer, 

our priority has focused on 

promoting the cottage as holiday 

accommodation. 

Now that restrictions are easing, 

we’re seeing a surge of enquiries for 

small ceremonies, elopements and 

intimate weddings and I think the 

trend will shift towards a smaller 

wedding in our more immediate 

future. Covid has realigned our 

priorities of what’s important and 

the overriding result of that is 

friends and family. It’s people, our 

nearest and dearest, that are first 

and foremost in our minds. 

We’re very proud to be part of the 

#extramilevenue campaign, which 

is a national positivity campaign 

highlighting all the venues have that 

have gone the extra mile for couples 

during Covid. So many venues have 

gone above and beyond to support 

couples and this campaign will 

give them the recognition 

they deserve. 

How large is your team – any 

special people you’d like to 

mention? 

Our team is actually quite small. 

Tom Hope-Cobbold is a partner 

of the estate and looks after the 

tenanted properties we have, as well 

as general maintenance of the hall. 

His wife Miki is in charge of all our 

photography and filming clients. 

In the events office, there are 

myself and Emma, and then we 

have three gardeners, Heidi, Joe and 

Roger and our housekeeper Angela. 

Have you worked with any 

industry bodies or consultants? 

I discovered Olivia from Host Venue 

Consultancy last year where we 

undertook one of her brilliant 

courses for getting the most out of 

the wedding engagement season. 

Since that, we became members 

of The Wedding Venue Members 

Club, which is a collective of venue 

owners, managers and co-ordinators 

and I have found this community 

to be invaluable, especially during 

Covid-19. Being a venue manager/ 

owner can be a lonely existence so 

it’s been really rewarding to be a part 

of this and to gain so much friendly 

support. 

We are also members of the ABWB 

(Association of British Wedding 

Businesses), a new organisation 

who are very active in working with 

ministers to prepare a roadmap for 

weddings to be re-introduced as part 

of the easing of restrictions. 

What are your plans for next 

season? 

To get through it! With most events 

from this year postponed into next, 

combined with new bookings, it’s 

going to be a busy year for us. I’m 

working on implementing some new 

systems so that our workflow is more 

streamlined. We’ll be moving over 

to having all our contracts signed 

electronically; small changes like 

these will make things so much easier. 

With the financial disruption that 

Covid has brought to our business 

next year will be very much a time for 

stabilising. 

Describe your average day 

mid-season 

With this job there really isn’t an 

average day. However, my day usually


FOLKEAST JOHN HEALD 

IMAGES BY ANNA 

starts with some time in the office 

replying to emails. I’ll chat with 

Emma to go through the tasks she’ll 

be completing that day. We have a 

big whiteboard in the office which 

has a seven day forecast of what’s 

going on, which is great to see at a 

quick glance. With next year being 

so busy, and with the addition of 

the cottage accommodation, I may 

need another board! 

We have a weekly staff meeting 

where we look ahead to the next 14 

days and where our team can come 

together to chat through the tasks in 

hand. On a typical day, we might be 

offering a showround to a couple, 

setting up furniture for an event, 

liaising with suppliers, making 

orders for the bar etc. 

What do you enjoy about the 

business and why? 

For me it’s the diversity of events 

that happen here and the fact that 

no two are the same. Although most 

weddings follow a similar format, 

couples that choose Glemham know 

they have the freedom to create 

something spectacular, with our 

beautiful setting as the backdrop. 

JAMES DAVIDSON 

HANNAH SMITH CHILTON 

“...COUPLES 

THAT CHOOSE 

GLEMHAM 

KNOW THEY 

HAVE THE 

FREEDOM 

TO CREATE 

SOMETHING 

SPECTACULAR, 

WITH OUR 

BEAUTIFUL 

SETTING 

AS THE 

BACKDROP” 

a classic car festival, cycling events 

and antique fairs. There have been 

times where we’ve had an event 

going on in the marquee as well 

as an event on the parkland. The 

two are in very separate areas, so 

logistically it works fine, but we 

prefer to focus on one at a time! 

What are you most proud of? 

If I had to pick one thing, I think 

it would be attracting more 

larger-scale public events to the 

parkland and building good, loyal 

relationships with the organisers. 

What advice could you give 

to someone coming into the 

industry? 

There is so much advice I could give, 

but I think, for example, if you’re 

starting out as a new wedding 

venue, research, research, research 

and then talk to people who know 

what the modern wedding couple 

are looking for in a venue. Connect 

with established wedding planners 

in your area and invite them to 

have a look around. They’ll be 

able to offer guidance and suggest 

some USPs for your venue, which 

you may not have even thought 

of. You may even consider working 

in collaboration with a planner or 

venue consultant to get your venue 

up and running. 

Once you’ve established what 

you can offer, you’ll then be able 

to work out who your ideal client 

will be and how you’ll market your 

venue to them. Good wedding 

suppliers (florists, cake makers, 

photographers) will become your 

cheerleaders. Find out who’s the 

best in their field in your area and 

make yourself known to them. 

Suppliers love a new venue and 

establishing good relationships with 

them will prove rewarding later on. 

Once you’ve made connections, 

you’ll be able to call on these 

suppliers for promotional 

opportunities such as styled shoots 

and open days. A good strategy 

with great imagery for your website 

and social media will be key to your 

launch as a venue! 

ADDRESS BOOK 

FURNITURE 

One Curious Dream 

www.onecuriousdream.com 

LIGHTING 

My Big Fat Wedding Disco 

www.mybigfatweddingdisco.com 

Dreamwave Events 

www.dreamwaveevents.co.uk 

GENERATOR 

Midas UK www.midas-uk.co.uk 

HEATING 

Anglia Coastal Marquees 

www.angliacoastalmarquees.co.uk 

DIECTORY SITES 

www.hitched.co.uk 

www.bridebook.co.uk 

www.guidesforbrides.co.uk 

CONSULTANT 

Host Venue Consultancy 

www.hostvenueconsultancy.co.uk 

DETAILS 

Glemham Hall 

Little Glemham 

Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 0BT 

www.glemhamhall.co.uk 

07920 855041 

What other outdoor hospitality 

sectors do you operate in? 

The parkland is where we host 

large-scale events and these are all 

produced by third party organisers. 

As I mentioned, our largest event 

is the FolkEast festival in August, 

which is a three day music event 

with camping. In addition, we host 

FOLKEAST MARK FRITH 



GETTY IMAGES 

Covid-19 

Comment 

Views on the hospitality sector in light of Covid-19 

Kate Nicholls 

Chief executive, UKHospitality 

There is no point in sugar-coating 

the pill or dancing around the facts 

of the matter, this is the worst 

crisis that the UK’s hospitality 

sector has faced in living memory. 

The hard work is by no means 

behind us, either. There is still a 

long way to go, and a huge amount 

of graft to be done if we are to 

make it through in one piece, 

never mind emerge in any state 

of match-fitness. Although, if any 

sector can emerge from a crisis 

such as this stronger, it’s ours. 

A lot of our work at 

UKHospitality is to ensure that 

the environment is as supportive 

as it can possibly be. Throughout 

the crisis we have pushed the 

government incredibly hard 

to provide as much support as 

possible to keep businesses afloat 

and as many jobs as possible 

secure, including a roadmap for 

meetings spaces, conference 

centres, leisure parks and outdoor 

hospitality. We have helped to 

pave the road to recovery, and we 

will continue to do so. 

Throughout the lockdown, and 

in the short space of time since 

much of the sector has reopened, 

we have faced up to some difficult 

truths and learned some valuable 

lessons. We are still learning 

lessons about what it takes to 

make a success of the reopening. 

UKHospitality’s latest Future 

Shock report provides a snapshot 

of a sector that is now attempting 

to find its feet again following 

the Covid-19 crisis. It shows the 

scale of the impact on our sector 

and scrutinises the new reality to 

which we are all trying to adjust. 

These reports tend to 

identify emerging trends and 

opportunities for businesses, chart 

the evolution of the sector and 

make predictions. This one has 

a different feel to it. It is a ‘future 

shock’ borne out of necessity, 

rather than opportunity. It is an 

industry reacting to a situation 

that none could have foreseen. 

The past few months have been 

dreadful for many businesses 

and the report reflects that fact. 

It also highlights the ingenuity 

on show and the ability of the 

sector to rally in the face of 

existential threat. Hopefully, future 

editions of this publication can 

be produced under more positive 

circumstances. 



ABOUT UKHOSPITALITY 

Representing more than 700 

companies in a sector that 

employs over 3.2 million 

people, UKHospitality 

speaks for an industry that 

represents 10 per cent of UK 

employment, 6 per cent of 

businesses and 5 per cent of 

GDP including attractions, 

leisure, hotels and bars. 

Formed by the merger 

of the British Hospitality 

Association (BHA) and the 

Association of Licensed 

Multiple Retailers (ALMR) 

in April 2018, its main 

aims are to represent and 

promote the sector, share 

best practice and create 

an unrivalled networking 

platform. 

www.ukhospitality.org.uk 

Simon Hughes 

Chair, Business Visits and Events 

Partnership 

After several months of lobbying, 

providing significant amounts of 

evidence and research to government, 

and working closely in partnership 

with our colleagues at DCMS, we are 

delighted that the Prime Minister 

has finally announced a Go Date of 1 

October for the recommencement of 

business events and exhibitions, subject 

to the successful completion of some 

pilot events. 

While this news will come as a great 

relief to the entire events industry, 

we are still conscious that the sector 

will require significant support going 

forward as it looks to rebuild and 

renew. We will continue to engage with 

government to look at practical ways 

to ensure that our world class industry 

continues to thrive and support the UK’s 

overall recovery over the years to come. 

We also look forward to working with 

DCMS to ensure a successful outcome of 

the pilot scheme and will provide further 

updates to the industry as soon as we 

are able. 

Finally, we would like to thank the 

entire events industry for their patience, 

resilience and support that they have 

demonstrated over what has been an 

incredibly challenging few months, and 

we look forward to working together, 

with one voice, as we look towards the 

next stage of our recovery. 

ABOUT THE BVEP 

The Business Visits and 

Events Partnership (BVEP) is 

an umbrella organisation 

representing leading trade 

and professional 

organisations, government 

agencies and other 

significant influencers in the 

business visits and 

events sector. 

BVEP’s vision is to support 

sustainable growth for the 

UK’s events industry which 

comprises a number of 

diverse sectors including 

meetings, conferences, 

exhibitions, trade shows, 

incentive travel, event 

hospitality, ceremonies, 

sporting, cultural and 

festivals as well as other 

services provided to 

travellers and attendees 

to events. 

www.businessvisitsandeventspartnership.com 


Launch your 

glampsite 

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protection for soft ground 

with us in 

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exclusive locations 

franchise opportunities available now 

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Ideal for the reinforcement of 

parking areas, access tracks, 

pitches etc. at: 

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- open air event venues 

- country & leisure parks 

Tel. 01992 522797 

www.perfo.co.uk 



INDUSTRY COMMENT 

Business Events 

Opportunity 

Knocks 

How coronavirus provides an opportunity 

for local, low footfall venues to get on the 

corporate event bookers’ short-lists 

THIS COLUMN was set up to help venues 

capitalise on the high-yielding business of 

corporate events, advice on appealing to 

agencies, where to market and so forth; in 

essence understanding the needs of the 

corporate event booker. 

The market, however, has been 

decimated due to coronavirus and the 

outlook isn’t good despite the 1 October 

reboot for business meetings and 

conferences. Corporates are struggling 

to get their people back to the office, 

they are looking at major reductions and 

restructures and are nervous about their 

duty of care towards their employees 

and partners. It doesn’t bode well for the 

corporate event market and, brave face or 

not, those big bucks from business bashes 

will be few and far between from now until 

spring 2021. 

But regardless of this imminent 

diminished demand, venues across the 

UK are gearing their marketing to attract 

events back. ‘Don’t Zoom – get a room’ 

– ‘Event Ready’ – ‘Covid-Confident’ – 

‘Heightened sanitisation’; the corporate 

and agent is about to be blitzed with sales 

messages, however, is the demand there? 

(and just how dirty were venues before?). 

Yes, the entire event industry needs to 

encourage the corporate market back, but 

we are operating under new and emerging 

rules now. Natural daylight, all day tea 

and coffee and a buffet lunch no longer 

cut it – corporates want reassurances that 

standards and protocols are in place and 

their people will be safe. But what heritage 

venues also need to recognise is using a 

historic landmark or high-profile museum 

also means there will be a large footfall 

of other day visitors. The more people 

through the site, the bigger the risk. 

NUMBERS THROUGH THE DOOR 

So, if we are striving to encourage 

corporates back and help them with their 

fears around duty of care, we should in 

fact highlight how few people are going 

through the doors. 

Whereas the quick turnaround of the 

high footfall landmark gallery or museum 

was the big ticket at the start of the year, 

it’s now all about marketing how few 

people pass through the place. The large 

national museums and even sporting 

stadia are sure to feel the impact first. After 

all, who is going to want to use a venue 

that’s had at least a thousand socially 

distanced people through its doors just 

hours before? For sure, big named stadia, 

iconic museums and unique venues 

could win business on their reputation a 

few months ago but the goal posts have 

literally changed. 

Our habits and behaviours have shifted 

dramatically as exemplified by the 

supermarkets. We want local, low touch 

and we want to support small businesses. 

It’s a perfect time for venues who in the 

past have struggled to get a voice or a 

place on the corporates’ short-lists. Small 

footfall and the venues that perhaps 

haven’t had the biggest of voices are the 

ones that can genuinely capitalise on a 

market that will slowly but surely return. 

Cleanliness and sanitisation are 

requisites to being able to open the doors 

for business – your differentiators are 

being local, using a local supply chain and 

above all not having the throughput of a 

big city site. Now more than ever it’s time 

to embrace your scarcity and, if very few 

people have heard of you or used you, 

capitalise upon it. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Andrew White is MD of 

Triggerfish Communications, 

a specialist in helping 

heritage venues and leisure 

attractions build awareness 

and market share in the 

business of events. 

www.triggerfish.co.uk 

GETTY IMAGES 



GUEST COMMENT 

Lessons 

from Lockdown 

Venue owner James Martin shares 

Baddow Park House’s plans for 

coming out of lockdown 

2020 WAS set to be a busy year at Baddow Park House. 

We were nearing the end of our extensive renovations 

and weddings were due to commence in the spring 

with a full quota booked for the summer and beyond. 

Coronavirus then hit, the country went into lockdown 

and we had no idea when we would be able to host a 

wedding again. 

We had been meticulous with our business planning 

and enlisted the help of several industry experts but 

nobody could have forecast the turbulent times that 

lay ahead. 

Fast forward a few months and businesses are 

starting to tentatively reopen whilst the wedding 

industry as we know it has remained largely closed. 

With the widespread reporting of many businesses 

struggling to survive, here at Baddow Park House we 

took the following steps to not only secure our future 

but really do the best for our couples during these 

uncertain times, and want to share our advice with 

others. 

1. COMMUNICATE 

Never has it been more crucial to have 

constant, regular communication with 

existing couples to keep them in the loop 

as much as possible and, most importantly, 

reassure them. 

Whilst we have successfully rescheduled 

all of our couples that wanted to postpone 

their wedding to 2021, we do have a handful 

of couples that simply do not wish to wait 

any longer to get married. This inevitably 

means trading the lavish celebrations they 

were planning for a smaller, more intimate 

ceremony. 

As we find ourselves in a constant state 

of flux, these couples have had to be fluid 

with their plans for a smaller ceremony as 

restrictions can change at any point. We 

therefore find it best practice to stay in regular 

contact so that we can keep each other 

informed of any relevant changes or updates. 



2. BE FLEXIBLE 

As some of our couples have opted to go ahead 

with these smaller ceremonies, we have to make 

some adjustments in order to keep them and their 

guests safe. After a lot of research we have taken 

the decision to invest in an innovative new product 

which ‘fogs’ our venue. It forms a protective barrier 

against Covid-19 by breaking up the virus’ cell wall 

and terminating the pathogen immediately upon 

contact. It remains bonded to the surface for up 

to 30 days, ensuring that all bacteria and viruses 

remain eliminated. Our couples have told us that 

they appreciate the lengths we are going to in 

order to keep them as safe as possible. 

While it can be tempting to cut back on costs, 

now is the best time to promote and invest in 

your business. We found that during lockdown 

and beyond, we really have a captive audience 

that now has the time to read our articles, blogs 

and other marketing. We have spent more time 

updating our social media accounts, taken more 

‘paid’ advertisements and worked with a PR expert 

to really push our business to the next level. 

We have thought long and hard about our 

business model, how we can adapt this to our 

current environment and what the new ‘normal’ 

will look like in the future. It could have been 

appealing to try and increase the number of 

bookings in order to increase future revenue 

but after studying various business plans and 

forecasts, we actually decided to stay true to our 

brand with a scaled back number of weddings. 

It means we can produce a quality wedding 

experience every time for our couples. A major 

benefit of this approach in the current climate also 

means we have the time to thoroughly clean and 

disinfect the venue between events. 

We feel like this approach also offers some 

protection should there be a second lockdown, 

allowing ourselves the extra capacity to reschedule 

dates should the need arise. 

3. ADAPT 

We have also spent time trying to come up 

with unique business ideas to implement 

over the next few months. We know that 

those who planned overseas weddings may 

have now been put off from such celebrations, 

so we have adapted our space, catering and style 

to suit. We have created an experience which allows 

couples to recreate that overseas wedding feel with the 

convenience of staying in the UK. 

We believe that 2021 will be an extremely busy year for weddings so we 

are working with celebrants and registrars who may otherwise be difficult 

to book. We are also accrediting and training ‘in-house’ staff so they can 

produce a ceremony or blessing if required to assist with availability. 

Communication, flexibility and the ability to adapt is our three pronged 

approach to riding out the Covid-19 storm and bulletproofing our business 

should we be hit with a second wave of restrictions. 


James Martin is the owner and MD of Essex-based country 

house wedding venue Baddow Park House near Chelmsford. 

www.baddowpark.co.uk 



Bounce Back 

Embrace the new normal with these products for function venues 

Create More Alfresco Dining Space 

Hunter Outdoors 

www.hunteroutdoors.co.uk 

Hunter Outdoors’ versatile Shady Spot 

features ‘sails’, each of which creates a good 

space for up to eight to dine under. You can 

link the sails together to accommodate 

larger or separate groups. 

Internal sails can now also be added to 

divide up the space and give customers their 

own area. There are two options for this 

configuration – a triangular sail that creates 

a visible divide, while keeping the view and 

openness, and a larger sail which creates a 

2m high partition for greater privacy. 

Stretch Tent Specialists 

TentStyle 

01403 333135 

www.tentstyle.co.uk 

TentStyle are specialists in 

stretch tent marquees and 

have found a significant 

increase in demand from 

venues for their beautiful 

structures. Available in endless 

sizes and colours, their product 

is one of the most versatile in 

this sector. 

As venues have slowly 

started to reopen, their need 

for outside cover has risen 

exponentially. TentStyle can 

either hire out their stretch 

tents or, better still for venues, 

they can be purchased (made 

to measure) and fully managed 

on the venue’s behalf. 

The highly knowledgeable 

team will deliver and install 

the tents while also providing 

training on the rig and de-rig 

so venues have the option 

to manage their structure 

themselves, year after year. 

Helping People Have Fun Again 

Leisure Hire 

08445 610655 

www.leisurehire.com 

Rather than the usual logistical headaches associated with ensuring 

that equipment is ready to go to site, transport to the venue arranged 

and staff available, Leisure Hire has been concentrating on evolving 

the way it operates. 

But it reports seeing the pendulum swing. “We now understand 

how we will manage our equipment to provide a fun but safe 

experience in line with current guidelines for social gatherings and 

events,” it says. “And importantly we are seeing clients’ confidence 

returning.” 

Leisure Hire has run a number of events already in July including a 

‘year-end’ party! “It’s great to be out helping people have fun again. 

We are optimistic that this confidence will continue to build and 

remain here to help as we carefully ease towards the new normal.” 



Style Conscious Outdoor Spaces 

Tentickle Stretch Tents 

07826 843099 

www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk 

Tentickle Stretch Tents, based in the West 

Midlands and operating nationwide, has 

a wealth of experience offering temporary 

structures. As the need for suitable outdoor 

spaces increases, stretch tents are the perfect 

solution. Their modernist form appeals to style 

conscious clientele and the flexibility of the 

technical fabric allows tents to be installed in 

numerous positions and spaces, creating unique 

installations for each setting. 

Size and colours can be chosen to suit the 

venue’s environment and complement the 

surroundings. Come rain or your shine, guests 

will be perfectly covered as these tents are built 

to endure even strong storms and will protect 

from direct sun thanks to the UV light absorbing 

fabric which blocks rays and keeps people 

comfortable underneath. 

Luxury Accommodation 

Structures 

Urban Blossom 

07973 672889 

www.urbanblossom.co.uk 

These luxury, nature-inspired 

architectural accommodation 

structures are truly unique, 

offering high end boutique 

luxury while still allowing 

guests to enjoy nature firsthand. 

Customers are looking 

for unique experiences 

and these designs offer a 

memorable stay to say the 

least. 

To minimise on installation 

time, and to guarantee 

great value for money 

with a premium, high end 

finish, Urban Blossom uses 

innovative design and off-site 

manufacturing. Its structures 

have been specifically 

designed, unlike many outdoor 

buildings, to be sited on 

uneven terrain and near trees; 

they do not need foundations 

and offer a smooth installation 

experience. Off-grid options 

are also available, creating 

the opportunity for clients 

to embrace a low impact, 

carbon positive ethos, which 

is of growing importance to 

consumers. 

The family of designs 

comprise three different 

structures - The Seed, The 

Poppy and The Bud. Whether 

you are looking to expand 

your accommodation portfolio 

or to create a one-off special 

space, these contemporary, 

sustainable structures offer 

something beautiful and truly 

unique. 

PERFO Ground Reinforcement System 

S2T GROUP 

01992 522797 


S2T Group’s PERFO range of ground protection products is a system 

of interlocking, self-anchoring permeable plastic tiles. They can be 

embedded into an existing surface including mature grass areas, or 

on a prepared base consisting of a layer of crushed stone chippings 

with or without a sub-base depending on the application. 

PERFO matting enables the stabilisation of areas allowing 

them to be used for access tracks and parking without rutting or 

damage to the surface. A number of light to heavy duty solutions 

are available to suit varied ground conditions, traffic profiles and 

loading requirements. 

Unlike most other geogrid systems, PERFO tiles can be installed 

for many applications without the need for excavation, as they 

are compacted directly into the existing surface using rollers or 

compactor plates. Installation is therefore rapid and planning 

issues less problematic. 


Finman Glamping 

Cabins and BBQ Huts 

. THE GLAMPING SHOP . 

Our fantastic range includes 

traditional, contemporary, double 

storey and low profile designs to sleep 

or host a range of guests. Glamping Pods 

from £4,992 and Log Cabins from £1,287. 

New & exclusive range of family & group camping tents 

“We are delighted with the Finman BBQ Hut. The 

quality of build is superb, and Logspan provided a 

very efficient fitting team. Logspan and its product 

have exceeded our expectations.” Alastair 

Bell Tent 

Star Bell Tent 

Emperor Star Bell Tent 

UNIQUE • QUALITY • CUSTOMISABLE 

01389 887205 info@logspan.com www.logspan.com 

Luna Bell Tent Luna Emperor Touareg 

Tucana 

www.boutiquecamping.com | 020 3319 1315 | info@boutiquecamping.com 

IS IT 

JUST 

ME, OR 

ARE THESE 

KITCHENS 

THAT SMALL? 

• Robust powder coated steel 

• Compact kitchens to suit a 

range of needs 

01206 545700 

www.elfinkitchens.co.uk 

• Pre-built for low installation costs 

• Variety of sizes to fit all spaces 

• Quality branded appliances 


GLAMPSITES 

CASE STUDY 

Mallory 

Meadows 

A young Leicestershire-based 

business offering year 

round accommodation in a 

range of heated cabins 

Emily Jane and Chris Tams are three years into 

their six unit business having just opened their latest builds – two 

bespoke roundhouses. We talk to Emily about her love for welcoming 

guests, shopping for interiors and running a lifestyle business. 

What’s your back story – your life 

before glamping? 

Chris and I met while working 

at a local restaurant during our 

student days, married in 1999 

and have three children. I was a 

nurse and Chris still is a computer 

software engineer. As a farmer’s 

daughter, I have always loved 

being outdoors, so offering 

the Mallory Meadows style of 

accommodation ticked our 

boxes, the outdoor lifestyle 

and the joy of welcoming and 

chatting to guests while on 

holiday. 

What made you decide to 

start offering glamping 

accommodation? 

We bought Keepers Cottage and 

2.5 acres of land in June 2016 

with my mum, knowing that 

we wanted to offer self-catering 

accommodation on site. We 

opened in January 2018 with 

four cabins, and added the 

roundhouses, Jenny Wren and 

Robin’s Retreat, opening them in 

October 2019. 


GLAMPSITES 

How did you research the 

business before entering it? 

We explored all over the country 

looking at readymade holiday 

businesses for sale, but concluded 

that our friends and family were 

in the Leicestershire area and the 

children were settled at school, so 

we decided to make something 

work there. 

We looked at local tourist 

provision and found a lack of 

accommodation around where 

we live, then this property came 

up for sale. We visited a few rural 

development and glamping 

shows and a plan was hatched. 

We also chatted with a few letting 

agents about emerging trends and 

possible income from different 

types of offering. This helped when 

we were producing our business 

plan. 

Tell us about your location 

and site 

Mallory Meadows is situated in 

rural Leicestershire in the small 

village of Kirkby Mallory. Our house 

is the old gamekeeper's cottage for 

the large estate that is now Mallory 

Park Circuit, famed for motorcycle 

racing. We are next to the village 

church and surrounded by mature 

trees with all the owls, badgers and 

wildlife that are a joy to watch. 

Our site is rural and quiet but 

within 10 minutes you have villages 

and towns to explore, the Battle 

of Bosworth site, Twycross Zoo, 

Bradgate Park and the city of 

Leicester. 

How did you tackle getting 

planning? 

We used a fantastic planning agent, 

Phil Plant of Midwest Planning, 

who organised all the surveys and 

consultations. We have a badger’s 

set on site which needed careful 

consideration, as did the many 

beautiful old trees that needed 

additional protection when we 

laid the drive. We didn’t mind any 

of this as these are the things that 

make Mallory Meadows the site it 

is. Honestly, with the assistance 

of an agent, planning was quite a 

smooth process in retrospect. We 

were granted permission for six 

units in the summer of 2016. 

How did you finance the project? 

We financed phase 2 with a 

business bank loan from HSBC. 

For the roundhouses of phase 2, 

we applied and received a LEADER 

project grant and some additional 

business borrowing allowed us to 

provide the extra accommodation. 

What glamping accommodation 

do you offer? 

We are an all year provider of six 

heated wooden cabins in three 

styles. They are fully equipped with 

kitchens, self-contained shower 

rooms and free Wi-Fi (guests can 

choose if they log on or not!). The 

private hot tubs help with the out 

of season bookings. 

Ideally, we would like to see 

Mallory Meadows be our lifestyle 

business and maintain a family run 

ethos. We chose our first cabins 

“WE ARE 

NEXT TO 

THE VILLAGE 

CHURCH AND 

SURROUNDED 

BY MATURE 

TREES WITH 

ALL THE 

OWLS, 

BADGERS 

AND 

WILDLIFE 

THAT ARE 

A JOY TO 

WATCH” 

when we saw them at a show but 

three years on we are wiser and 

when sourcing our roundhouses we 

knew exactly what we were looking 

for so contacted Morel & Co. They 

designed and advised throughout 

(including landscaping, which 

made a huge difference to the 

privacy of each unit). One of their 

build partners, a super friendly 

family run firm, built two quality 

units that guests absolutely love 

staying in. 

How did you work out your 

brand and how do you publicise 

yourself? 

We currently use Hoseasons as our 

marketing agent. For complete 

beginner park owners they have 

been a very useful source of 

information and support. They also 

meant we got off to a flying start 


GLAMPSITES 

with a high occupancy rate in our 

first year. We are currently exploring 

the options available to us to 

begin to take more independent 

bookings. We hope that Mallory 

Meadows is seen as a great place to 

relax and enjoy some green space 

with loved ones. 

How would you describe your 

ethos and unique selling point? 

I hate questions like this, but it’s 

an important one. We are a family 

run, owned and managed small 

business, we take great pride in 

our natural environment and try 

to be as environmentally sound 

as possible. We want to provide 

an experience where guests can 

relax and enjoy the surroundings 

year-round, but also feel familiar 

with our offering in a home from 

home feel. 

Leicestershire isn’t your 

traditional holiday destination, but 

is an absolute undiscovered hidden 

gem. 

“WE WANTED 

A RELAXED 

COUNTRY 

THEME, 

HELPING 

GUESTS FEEL 

INSTANTLY 

WELCOME 

AND SUR- 

ROUNDED 

BY NATURE” 

as you walk in, and created a 

stylised version of our logo for one 

of the bathroom walls. We love the 

use of the bold colours behind the 

headboard and shopping for fabrics 

and accessories with Kate was a 

great experience, we are delighted 

with the results. 

What challenges have you faced? 

Gosh, where to start! Every day 

throws up new challenges; learning 

how to offer great customer 

service without being a pushover, 

maintaining hot tubs is an ever 

challenging but an essential part of 

our business model, and currently 

there is the Covid-19 challenge that 

is affecting everyone around the 

world. 

What are your plans for next 

season? 

To stabilise after spending 

the autumn developing the 

roundhouses and the spring/early 

summer closed. We want to be able 

to settle into a rhythm and allow 

guests to enjoy the surroundings 

while our finances settle! 

Describe your average day 

mid-season 

My normal Monday: Get the 

children off to the school bus by 

8am, walk home, call at the shop 

How did you choose your interior 

decoration? 

For our first four lodges I created 

the colour schemes alone. We 

wanted a relaxed country theme, 

helping guests feel instantly 

welcome and surrounded by 

nature. In such small spaces you 

have to think carefully about all the 

fixtures and furnishings, so for the 

roundhouses Kate from Morel & Co 

helped us develop a theme. She 

designed the fantastic headboards 

which create an immediate impact 


GLAMPSITES 

for milk and then back to start 

the hot tubs draining. Organise 

the cleaning supplies for each 

lodge and check any maintenance 

planned for a changeover day. 

Chat to guests about their stay 

as they check out and wave them 

onwards. Meet the cleaners and 

help them get started. Then it’s 

clean all the hot tubs, get them 

filling while I mow the grass and 

tidy up the outside areas. We make 

all the beds together; it’s much 

more fun with two. 

Then it’s my favourite time, 

getting the welcome packs 

together and dressing the lodges 

for guest arrivals. I love making 

sure everything is just perfect 

and turning on the fairy lights. I 

try really hard to get all this done 

before it’s time to meet the school 

bus, then it’s hot drinks time 

and a catch up with the children 

about their day. When guests 

start to arrive it’s fun finding out 

their plans for their stay and 

suggesting places to visit, eat out 

or takeaways we love to use. 

Tea time, answer any questions 

from guests, check emails then it’s 

about bed time. It’s not unusual 

to clock up 20,000 steps on a 

changeover day and I always 

sleep well! 

Do you enjoy the business? 

I love it! It’s fun, we get to work 

from home together and I get a 

great work out twice a week. It’s 

definitely challenging and we 

“I LOVE 

MAKING SURE 

EVERYTHING 

IS JUST 

PERFECT AND 

TURNING ON 

THE FAIRY 

LIGHTS. I TRY 

REALLY HARD 

TO GET ALL 

THIS DONE 

BEFORE IT’S 

TIME TO 

MEET THE 

SCHOOL BUS, 

THEN IT’S 

HOT DRINKS 

TIME AND A 

CATCH UP 

WITH THE 

CHILDREN 

ABOUT 

THEIR DAY” 

have learnt so much over the last 

three years that I think the day to 

day things are getting easier and 

we can focus on building on the 

foundations we have created. 

What are you most proud of? 

Working with Chris, making 

decisions together and waking 

up looking out of the window and 

seeing the environment we have 

created. The smiles on our guests’ 

faces when they arrive and start 

to relax. 

What advice could you give 

to someone coming into the 

industry? 

Love it, embrace that it is hard 

work but such a great feeling 

when guests book for their fourth 

visit and leave amazing reviews. 

Do your research, ask loads of 

questions and get impartial 

advice from people who know the 

industry. Be prepared to make 

bold and brave decisions at times. 

Chris and I wouldn’t change it for 

the world. 

ADDRESS BOOK 

ROUNDHOUSES 

Morel & Co (with build partners 

Cedar Tree Pods) 

www.morelcompany.co.uk 

HOT TUBS 

Jacuzzi www.jacuzzi.co.uk 

RotoSpa www.rotospa.com 

INTERIORS 

Morel & Co (for the roundhouses) 

www.morelcompany.co.uk 

BOOKING 

Hoseasons www.hoseasons.co.uk 

BRANDING/PR 

Lupella Digital Media 

www.lupella.com 

INSURANCE 

NFU Mutual www.nfumutual.co.uk 

PLANNING 

Midwest Planning 

www.midwestplanning.co.uk 

BUSINESS CONSULTANT 

Morel Consultancy 

www.morelconsultancy.com 

DETAILS 

Mallory Meadows 

Barwell Road, Kirkby Mallory 

Leicester LE9 7QA 

01455 841867 

www.mallorymeadows.co.uk 


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GLAMPSITES 

THE AA / THE OLD OAKS 

Covid-19 

Comment 

Industry stalwarts on the state of the tourism 

sector in light of Covid-19 

Patricia Yates 

Director, VisitBritain/VisitEngland 

It is great to see tourism opening back up 

in the UK as restrictions are lifted. 

Tourism was one of the first and hardest 

hit industries, with millions of jobs and 

local economies impacted right across the 

country. Businesses have been working 

extremely hard preparing to welcome 

visitors back safely, to save as much of 

the summer as possible and to extend the 

season into autumn and beyond. 

VisitEngland’s We’re Good to Go 

industry standard and consumer mark is 

supporting people to book a break with 

confidence. We want visitors to be able 

to enjoy their holidays and to support 

businesses to be confident they have the 

correct procedures in place. Almost 30,000 

tourism businesses have registered for the 

scheme since its launch, providing a ‘ring 

of confidence’ as the sector gets back on 

its feet. 

Brits spent £2.4 billion taking more than 

14 million caravanning and camping trips 

in Great Britain in 2019 and the We’re Good 

to Go mark is supporting the sector as the 

summer season gets underway, giving 

reassurance to visitors as well as staff and 

local residents that now is the time to take 

a domestic holiday in our great outdoors. 

Our research is showing that confidence 

in taking domestic breaks has slowly been 

climbing in recent weeks with caravanning 

and camping proving to be popular 

accommodation choices. 

The latest weekly sentiment results 

show that 24 per cent of people surveyed 

feel confident about taking a domestic 

holiday in July, increasing to 34 per cent in 

August and 44 per cent in September. Our 

public information campaign ‘Know Before 

You Go’ in England is also supporting 

tourism businesses as they re-open and 

reassuring visitors, as restrictions are 

lifted, by checking what it is safe to do and 

when, and sign-posting to information 

about destinations and available services 

before travelling. 

We have an incredible tourism offer on 

our doorstep. Our coastline and seaside 

destinations, our B&Bs and self-catering 

accommodation are consistently rated as 

some of the best in the world and we have 

culture, heritage and adventure in spades. 

Our priority is to continue to work 

together with the industry and the 

government to ensure that tourism 

rebounds to once again become one of 

the most successful sectors of the UK 

economy. 

ABOUT VISITBRITIAN 

VisitBritain is the national tourism 

agency responsible for marketing 

Britain worldwide and developing 

Britain's visitor economy. It works 

with UK Trade & Investment as 

well as airlines, travel operators, 

global brands and the official 

tourism bodies for London, 

England, Scotland and Wales. 

www.visitbritain.org 


GLAMPSITES 

LEFT AND BOTTOM: Accredited 

glampsite, The Old Oaks in Somerset 

Simon Numphud 

Managing director, AA Media 

With the hospitality sector working hard 

to rebuild customer confidence following 

the unprecedented impact of Covid-19, 

the AA has launched a Covid Confident 

scheme to support the industry at this 

critical time, with the backing of over 20 

industry trade bodies. 

Open to applications from all 

hospitality establishments, the 

accreditation indicates to customers 

that an establishment has in place the 

necessary risk assessments, safety 

measures and staff training, in line with 

the government and UKHospitality’s 

published guidelines, to reopen safely. 

The scheme is free to enter, although in 

these immensely challenging times we 

are encouraging applicants to make a 

donation to Hospitality Action under the 

option “AA Covid-19 Accreditation”. 

To be eligible, establishments can 

apply via www.ratedtrips.com/aacovid-confident 

and must meet the AA’s 

stringent criteria, including: submitting 

a Covid-19 risk assessment, providing 

clear evidence that relevant procedures 

and measures are in place and that staff 

training has taken place, completing an 

online self-assessment, and committing 

to the Covid Confident charter – a code 

of conduct that includes a commitment 

to continuing to update procedures and 

measures as guidelines change. Each 

entrant will be carefully assessed and 

spot checks will be carried out to ensure 

that guidelines are being met. 

Those establishments that are 

successful in being awarded an AA Covid 

Confident mark will be able to display 

this proudly across their marketing 

materials and will be listed on the 

AA’s consumer facing RatedTrips.com 

website, making accredited businesses 

easy for customers to find. 

To date the AA has had over 4,171 

establishments register for the scheme 

and has so far accredited 876 businesses. 

ABOUT THE AA 

The AA has been trusted by the 

public as a source of hospitality 

recommendations, and by the 

industry as a benchmark of 

quality, for over 110 years. Its 

Rosette and Star ratings, as 

well as its guides and annual 

national awards, recognise 

and celebrate excellence in the 

hospitality sector, spanning 

hotels, restaurants, pubs, 

glampsites, B&Bs and more. 

www.ratedtrips.com/aa-covidconfident 

THE AA / THE OLD OAKS 


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GLAMPSITES 

Canopy – 

keeping you covered 

GETTY IMAGES 

John Maddy sums up the challenges and opportunities facing the glamping industry and 

introduces the NFU Mutual backed Canopy, a new association for the sector 

SINCE ITS humble beginnings our 

sector has seen an unprecedented 

uptake, which has led to new 

audience demographics and 

the introduction of new types of 

accommodation and offerings. All 

very exciting, but how do you know 

you are operating safely? 

One thing I have always thought 

is that this industry has lacked the 

glue to join it all together. Small 

business owners have limited 

support when they set up and 

struggle to find all the information 

in the right place. 

When my business partner 

Richard Coulter and I opened Long 

Valley Yurts in 2008, we were very 

conscious that there was a distinct 

lack of guidance and regulation. 

Having worked within health and 

safety in our previous careers we 

recognised the importance of 

doing things right from the start. 

We didn’t have the luxury of 

owning our site locations and 

in working with partners it was 

essential that our product was 

bombproof. We meticulously went 

through each and every item used 

inside and out, from the fabric of 

the structure to the metal on the 

stoves to the colour of the paint 

on the floor. A lot of conversations 

were had! It was a steep learning 

curve. 

I’m sure you will have had 

similar conversations yourself 

when setting up or changing things 

around. We just knew our offering 

needed to be the best quality we 

could afford and, above all, be 

safe. However, trying to find any 

guidance in the early days to help 

us on our journey was nigh on 

impossible. And if you don’t hold 

any health and safety knowledge 

then you don’t know that you’re 

doing anything wrong! 

NOWHERE TO TURN? 

A lot of small business owners 

operate in a grey area with regards 

to compliance and health and 

safety through no fault of their 

own. This is because there is 

no existing representation and 

guidance. Some manufacturers in 

the past have also exploited this 

and have been on a steep learning 

curve too, most of the time at the 

customer’s expense. 

We live in a world now where 

our every move can be recorded 

or photographed. Through social 

media it can be made public 

almost instantly for the whole 

world to see. If a customer has 

a negative experience they can 

make their feelings very clear (and 

public) and if the business owner 

isn’t on the ball they might not 

even know! 

In the hotel sector for example, 

the accommodation will have a 

star rating defining the room in 

terms of what the guest can expect 

for their money. The camping and 

glamping sector isn’t like this and 

two companies may have the same 

style of tents, similar pricing but 

offer a completely different quality 

of experience. 

We are all responsible for 

creating an offering that is the 

best it can be, for keeping our 

customers safe and ultimately 

returning time and time again. We 

need to start thinking more long 

term. 


GLAMPSITES 

BOOM TIME FOR STAYCATIONS 

The Great British public have 

rekindled their romance with 

holidaying once again on our 

fair isle. They want something 

different and boy, we have 

responded. 

Fundamentally, people are 

seeking more and more from their 

holidays in the UK. The rebirth 

of the staycation has once again 

brought the public back to nature 

to reconnect with family and 

friends. 

In the current climate the 

camping and glamping industry 

has come to the rescue. The 

coronavirus outbreak has brought 

the world to its knees and now, 

more than ever, our industry is 

best placed to offer sanctuary and 

respite to the UK public coming 

out of lockdown. 

It has been a slow start with a lot 

of uncertainly and lack of clarity 

from government and supporting 

organisations. There seemed 

to be a race to get some advice 

out in the public domain but the 

translation to our industry was left 

with holes and more questions 

than answers. 

INTRODUCING CANOPY 

Created in direct response to 

rapidly changing needs in the 

industry, Richard and I founded 

Canopy, an independent member 

organisation for the glamping and 

camping sector. The association’s 

ethos is to raise the bar for health 

and safety and general standards 

within the industry, providing 

a security blanket to new and 

current providers, manufacturers 

and suppliers. Our aim is to 

inform and guide but ultimately 

to promote self-management and 

decision making for all. 

Taking time to raise standards, 

train staff and reassure your 

customers is a great way of 

winning business, as well as 

instilling trust in customers to 

return time and time again. 

It’s important for owners to 

understand and manage their 

own standards and we have 

created extensive industry 

specific guidance to help navigate 

the impact of Covid-19 on your 

business, and a number of 

specific industry courses. These 

nationally accredited health and 

safety qualifications are unique 

ESPEN BIERUD 

‘WE ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT 

SHARING BEST PRACTICE AND CREATING 

A COMMUNITY THAT IS WORLD RENOWN 

FOR ITS QUALITY AND EXPERTISE’ 

for our industry and are open for 

everyone. 

The courses cover a multitude of 

subjects and top up modules cover 

extras such as use of wood burning 

hot tubs. 

Supported by NFU Mutual we 

have put together guidance for 

its members as well as some top 

tips for keeping you, your business 

and your customers safe during 

this time. In partnership, we will 

be delivering a live-streamed 

presentation on navigating and 

managing glamping or camping 

businesses through Covid-19. This 

will be free for anyone to attend. 

We will be posting dates and 

times on our Facebook page and 

website. 

We are really passionate 

about sharing best practice and 

creating a community that is 

world-renowned for its quality and 

DETAILS 

CANOPY 

www.canopy-association.org.uk 

enquiries@canopy-association.org.uk 

Facebook @canopyassociation 

expertise. If any of this resonates 

and you would like to find out 

more, have a chat, or get support 

and advice please get in touch. 


John Maddy is a glamping industry pioneer 

and co-founder of Long Valley Yurts, one 

of the longest established and largest 

independent glamping companies in the UK 

and Canopy, the association for the glamping 

and camping industry. 

In 2020 John and long standing business 

partner Richard Coulter consolidated their expertise 

to launch Canopy, an association for the glamping and 

camping industry. 

Created in direct response to rapidly changing needs, 

Canopy is an independent membership organisation 

providing industry specific training, support, qualifications, 

accreditation, auditing and consultancy. It promotes 

representation, regulation and best practice raising the bar 

for quality, safety and service. www.canopy-association. 

org.uk / john@canopy-association.org.uk 


GLAMPSITES 

Re-opening 

with 

Confidence 

Ready to re-open and manage your glamping/ 

camping site during the pandemic? Here are five top 

tips from Canopy to get you safely started 

pandemic. These can be as simple as 

a sign-off sheet for safety/maintenance 

checks and cleaning rotas, through to 

automated communications regarding safe 

travel for your guests. 

GETTY IMAGES 

TRAINING AND INFORMATION 

Despite the challenges of the current situation, 

taking the opportunity to train and inform staff 

can bring many positives. It can enable and 

encourage you to standardise systems and 

processes, raise quality standards, support staff to 

work more productively and so on. 

CREATE AN ACTION PLAN 

By getting a plan down on paper, you will see 

where the pressure points are likely to be in 

your business. The aim here is to give you the 

confidence to manage and, in turn, deliver a safe 

strategy for re-opening. This will include several 

elements such as: 

› Risk assessments 

› Cleaning procedures 

› Communication 

› Staff training 

› Resourcing (cleaning products) 

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SYSTEMS 

Implementing systems is not only a tool 

reserved for large companies, in fact it’s crucial 

to small businesses and can be the best way 

for you to safely manage your way through this 

BUSINESS AS USUAL 

It all too easy to forget about other parts of your 

business, especially when the focus is on safety. 

Now is the time to: 

› maintain the quality of your offering 

› do those jobs you have always been putting off 

› communicate with clarity – internally and 

externally – to set and meet expectations. 

SELL YOUR STRENGTHS 

We are in a very unique position currently. We 

have a captive market in the UK and our industry 

is best placed to sell fresh air! And that’s what 

everyone wants at the moment. Sell your safety 

credentials by all means to reassure your potential 

customers, but make sure you sell you! What 

makes your site so good? Is it quiet and secluded, 

offering great access to the surrounding area? Be 

clear and confident about why people should stay 

with you. 


GLAMPSITES 

No Change Here 

While Covid-19 will affect glamping, it won’t 

change it, concludes Kate Morel 


A leading diversification 

consultant specialising in the 

experiential accommodation 

sector, Kate’s unique approach 

balances practicalities with 

creativity to produce innovative 

developments. Drawing on 

first-hand experience in business 

development, holiday property 

rental and seven years managing 

a leading UK glamping agency, 

Kate’s time is now shared 

between consulting and her 

design and build company. 

Because of her own lifestyle 

and passions, both consultancy 

and design follow the same 

approach, by viewing return on 

investment within the context of 

authentic and creative direction, 

“because when it comes to 

experiential tourism, nothing else 

works”. 

Kate is a regular contributor to 

Open Air Business and a familiar 

figure on the professional event 

circuit, presenting innovative 

seminars and sharing knowledge 

on expert Q&A panels. www. 

morelconsultancy.com / www. 

morelcompany.co.uk / LinkedIn: 

katemorel24 

WELL, WHAT a year so far. We’ve had Brexit, 

flooding and are still dealing with a pandemic 

that’s had a phenomenal impact on life as 

we know it. It also completely shut down 

the hospitality industry - some businesses 

permanently. We live in challenging times, so 

when Tally asked me to write about the impact 

of Covid on our industry for this issue, for once 

I wasn’t quite sure where to start, because 

we’ve never been in this situation before have 

we! However, after a little musing I arrived at 

the conclusion that whilst Covid will affect 

glamping, it will not change it. 

That might sound a bit cryptic, maybe slightly 

zen, possibly a tad non-committal! But let me 

explain why I came to that conclusion, although 

as usual I might have to generalise here and 

there given the diversity of glamping these days 

and that Scotland and Ireland in particular are 

still developing. 

Before and after Covid-19 

Before Covid-19, the glamping industry 

was already way ahead of the game in 

a lot of ways. It’s an outdoor, back-tonature 

experience that, I believe, has 

been instrumental in developing this 

worldwide wave of experiential tourism. 

As such it might be interesting at this 

point to look back briefly and track its course to 

date. 

In the UK, glamping started just over 15 years 

ago with pioneers such as Larkhill Tipis and, 

a few years later, Trellyn Camping, small indie 

businesses run by landowners and smallholders 

who decided to share their land and lifestyle 

with paying guests. The guests stayed in 

handmade tipis and yurts set out in the fields 

– proper glamping, one could say. This type of 

glamping prevailed for some years but then sites 

started to get bigger, franchises popped up and 

‘glamping’ became a lucrative bolt-on for tourist 

attractions and holiday parks. I got involved 10 

years ago and when I look back at how things 

were then it was a different picture, it was niche, 

I knew every glamping site in the UK. 

It’s now a mainstream sector in its own right 

and I’ve long lost track of glamping sites, but it’s 

not all been roses has it? Glamping has come 

in for some criticisms too – overpriced, bad 

facilities, poor H&S measures and structures 

that don’t meet any British standards. I can’t 

argue with that, I’ve visited places that ticked all 

those boxes! Yet it’s still growing in popularity, 

why? 

Here’s my theory for what it’s worth. As a 

society we’ve become less and less connected 

to our indigenous culture and heritage, our 

GETTY IMAGES 


GLAMPSITES 

food sources and our land – a survey 

headline announced that 50 per cent of 

children couldn’t identify a nettle. That 

says it all, right there. However, I don’t 

believe people are really content when they 

are disconnected from things that were a 

fundamental part of the development of 

their species (same with animals, but they 

don’t book glamping holidays so we’ll skip 

over that for now!). This is why I believe 

glamping has enjoyed, and will continue to 

enjoy, growth as a hospitality sector, people 

actually really do need it. 

Sometimes they don’t know they need it 

until they try it – it’s like taking a lion out of 

a circus and putting it to grass for the first 

time; all of a sudden life has meaning, it 

feels right. Am I waxing too lyrical and going 

off topic? Possibly but this is fundamentally 

why I love my work. I was lucky enough to 

grow up in the countryside so nature is an 

inherent part of my life, and now I get to 

create places that help others reconnect to 

it – best job in the world if you ask me. 

Before lockdown, glamping trends 

were on a steady trajectory. The number 

of UK staycations were increasing year on 

year, and each sector, structure type and 

demographic had its own development 

pattern. In the indie boutique sector, guests 

were increasingly looking for private-use 

facilities and better standards, whereas in 

the mainstream sector, demand for more 

character and authenticity was on the up. In 

essence, these two opposing markets were 

seeking out what the other was good at 

and a polarised market was, at least a little, 

beginning to blur at the edges. 

More new glamping sites were offering 

an experience beyond accommodation 

by including activities or hosting events 

as part of the business model, and more 

established sites were diversifying to do so. 

When it came to types of accommodation 

structures, new sites with pods and huts 

were slowing down in some areas due to 

saturation, and even stalwarts such as safari 

tents were becoming less popular due to 

market saturation, again in some areas - 

unfortunately I don’t have the space to go 

through the UK by county. 

After Covid-19 

future trends 

So, glamping post-Covid. As I said at the 

start, glamping was already way ahead of 

the game before all this. Most glamping 

accommodations have distance between 

them, the locations are natural, open air 

environments and associated activities are 

outdoors, food or craft related. All the things 

that people are craving as the lockdown 

lifts – space, fresh air and nature – are in 

glamping’s DNA. As such, I believe it unlikely 

GETTY IMAGES 

“MORE NEW AND EXISTING 

GLAMPING SITES ARE 

ADDING PODS AND BELL 

TENTS, MAYBE AS AN 

AFFORDABLE WAY TO MEET 

CURRENT DEMAND, BUT 

SOONER OR LATER ONE 

WONDERS IF THE MARKET 

WILL RECALIBRATE AND 

RETURN TO PRE-COVID 

TRENDS” 

that pre-Covid trends will change much, 

although some might accelerate as guests 

seek out more secluded accommodations 

with private facilities. 

Right now, however, one trend seems to 

be in reverse because we are seeing a higher 

demand for more basic accommodations 

that were previously (in England and Wales) 

heading in decline. This is probably due to 

a surge of post-lockdown guests seeking 

a much-needed outdoor break meaning 

that some sites which weren’t doing so well 

pre-Covid might enjoy a renaissance, but will 

this last? 

More new and existing glamping sites are 

adding pods and bell tents, maybe as an 

affordable way to meet current demand, but 

sooner or later one wonders if the market 

will recalibrate and return to pre-Covid 

trends. It could go one of two ways, more 

people might have tried glamping instead 

of camping and will stick with it, giving the 

industry a new wave of guests, or when (if?) 

things return to normal, people will once 

again want better facilities and we’ll have 

even more entry level accommodations 

competing in a shrinking market. 

For the time being at least, as long as 

quarantine on inbound travel is on the 

cards, the staycation trend, regardless of 

accommodation type, looks likely to remain 

robust as more of us forgo the hassle of 

travelling abroad. 

One trend that shows no sign of abating 

is activity and experiential breaks and their 

associated accommodations. In fact, I’m 

going to predict that they will have an out 

and out surge in popularity, and no, I didn’t 

need to consult my crystal ball for this one. 

I have a question for you, if you found 

yourself with more time on your hands and 

at home during lockdown, what did you do 

with it? Did you take to the garden or veg 

plot? Dig out your baking tins? Pick up an 

old hobby or craft, or learn a new one? Turn 

preparation and cooking into an event? Take 

time to enjoy good food and eating meals? 

Spend better quality time with your children, 

crafting, exploring, playing in the garden? 

(OK, I know home-schooling may have been 

tough!) Did the one hour of exercise make 

you go for more walks and appreciate small 

roadside flowers that you’d normally drive 

by at 30mph? Did you camp out in your 

garden?! 

I’ve been watching the UK in amazement, I 

really have, as people immersed themselves 

in pastimes and hobbies, and observed 

nature in the smallest detail delighted by 

what they were discovering. The British 

people showed us exactly what they’d rather 

be doing when they are not working. Who 

needs surveys, statistics and reports? It’s 

plain to see what we want to do with our 

leisure time. 

The Covid pandemic has brought loss 

and suffering on many levels, but for some 

it also provided a space in which they could 

express their passions, as well as re-evaluate 

their lifestyle and workstyle. I include us as 

business owners in this too. Maybe we now 

want to work smarter not harder, change 

how or even why we do business, or simply 

sell up and retire. If we’re not already a 

business owner, we might have gained the 

motivation to start that dream lifestyle 

business where we wake up in the morning 

thinking ‘let’s get at it!’ rather than facing a 

long commute for a day working to someone 

else’s agenda. 


GLAMPSITES 

What to do next 

Given these lockdown insights 

for existing and new hospitality 

providers, glamping or otherwise, 

there’s an opportunity here to review 

and develop our businesses, so let’s 

take a look at this. It could involve 

a change in the business model, or 

simply develop it to include activities, 

maybe adding extra accommodations 

to facilitate this. But where to start, 

because sometimes the most favoured 

or obvious diversification or activity 

isn’t the most financially viable. We 

need to consider aspects such as 

the strengths and weaknesses of the 

existing business model, the location, 

the owner’s interests and skills, 

resources, relevant space, catchment 

area and investment funding available. 

My overriding piece of advice is to 

be creative and do it in your own way, 

because there’s very little that hasn’t 

been done before. Personally, I’m a fan 

of juxtaposing opposites so here’s a 

very brief example: 

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: 

Positives – affluent catchment, good 

access and highway sightlines, good 

parking area, water on site, existing 

clearance in woodland. 

Negatives – no electricity, planning 

permission might be an issue (check out 

cert exempt potential), tight budget 

LOCATION: 

Rural Sussex 

OWNER’S INTERESTS & SKILLS: 

Bushcraft and forest school crafts, camp 

cooking, interior design, hosting parties, 

good organisational skills, very creative 

RESOURCES: 

Local friends with equipment, time to 

dedicate, already has equipment and 

furnishings in storage 

RELEVANT SPACE: 

Owns the woodland 

CATCHMENT AREA: 

London 

INVESTMENT FUNDING AVAILABLE: 

£100k 

Looking at the brief, I’d look at 

running bushcraft courses, obviously, 

but with a difference – a luxury 

experience with chandeliers and 

vintage sofas, and a fully laid dining 

table with the usual bushcrafters' silk 

parachute for cover, of course. Some 

equally lavishly furnished canvas 

accommodations with very posh trailer 

loos and showers. Given the budget 

it would have to be a summer only 

set-up (at least initially, PP permitting 

I’d look at adding all year structures 

in year 3), marketed and branded as 

a limited, exclusive experience with 

commensurate rental fees. You might 

think that’s completely mad, but you 

get the idea. The most successful spaces 

and experiences offer something special 

and memorable. Surprise people. 

The benefits 

Diversifying and adding activities not 

only generates additional revenue 

streams but can increase marketing 

opportunities because there’s more 

to talk about and more evocative 

images to share. Get it right and new 

diversifications can help fill those 

low season and midweek slots that 

are sometimes hard to fill without 

discounting. It also facilitates something 

else we’ve been doing in the glamping 

industry for a long time - working with 

and supporting our community and 

other local businesses. Collaborating 

with local activity providers, food and 

drink producers, farm shops, pubs and 

restaurants is a great way to help our 

guests to get a real flavour of the region 

and to ‘travel like a local’ as well as share 

the business around. 

And finally 

A personal note. During lockdown my 

local cottage/glamping site extended 

its farm shop by three times its size to 

sell more and more produce on behalf 

of local shops and garden centres that 

had to close, and for local producers 

who saw their usual orders dry up 

overnight. I know that many other rural 

business communities throughout the 

UK rallied together, with a genuine sense 

of solidarity and community that I can 

only imagine existed many decades ago 

before franchisee high streets and retail 

parks. 

Post-Covid, it would be great if this 

collaborative mentality continued. It will 

help us better futureproof ourselves in a 

developing rural business landscape and 

build a solid base for longevity. 

Writing this, I wondered if there was 

a rural business network that had an 

authentic support ethos, so did an 

internet search and found one. I’ve just 

finished speaking with its founder, Jo, 

who recently set up the Rural Business 

Network (www.rbn.org.uk) as a means 

for rural businesses to support each 

other. I admire her ethos and what she is 

trying to achieve so here’s a blatant plug 

– membership is £5 a month, less than an 

overpriced, over-flavoured G&T in a fancy 

(or even not-so-fancy) bar. Do consider 

joining, I think she’s starting something 

that small to medium rural business will 

find helpful as it grows and develops. 

Till next time, Kate. 

GETTY IMAGES 


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GLAMPSITES 

Nomadic Musings 

An International Perspective on Glamping 

Past, Present 

Louis Thompson discusses the 

evolution of tensile structures 

and what the future might hold 

& Future Tents 


Louis Thompson is CEO 

of Nomadic Resorts, an 

interdisciplinary design and 

project development company 

servicing the hospitality 

industry with offices in the 

Netherlands, Sri Lanka, 

Mauritius and South Africa. 

Using a holistic approach, 

Nomadic creates sustainable 

resorts, tented camps, lodges 

and residential projects that 

reflect a true sense of place 

and fit organically into their 

natural surroundings. Its ethos 

is that designs should serve 

as a bridge to connect nature, 

culture and people. 

The team specialises in 

sustainable architecture, 

contemporary bamboo 

construction, treetop 

living concepts, as well as 

tent design, engineering, 

manufacture and installation. 

Over the last 15 years Louis 

has worked on some of the 

leading luxury tented camps 

across the world including 

Wild Coast Tented Lodge in the 

south of Sri Lanka, Soneva Kiri 

on Ko Kut island in Thailand 

and Hoanib Skeleton Coast 

Camp in Namibia. The projects 

have won multiple awards in 

both the design and hospitality 

sectors including the 2019 

Ahead award for the best resort 

in Asia and the 2018 UNESCO 

Prix Versailles for the best 

restaurant design in the world. 

louis@nomadicresorts.com 

www.nomadicresorts.com 

PAST TENTS 

The picture below right may look like the ultimate 

shabby chic, boho hideout for gypset living 

but it is in fact a replica of what is considered 

to be one of the earliest nomadic housing 

structures, judged to have been built around 

25,000 years ago. Woolly mammoth bones were 

used as a construction material for dwellings by 

Neanderthals and modern humans throughout 

the ice age. Large bones were used as foundations 

for the huts, tusks for the entrances and the roofs 

were skins held in place by bones or tusks. 

At that time, mammoths were a rapidly 

renewable, local resource and the whole thing 

seemed sustainable… today a safari lodge made 

from elephant tusks and giraffe skins might raise a 

few eyebrows. 

Tents have improved quite slowly throughout 

the ages, the essential construction methodology 

remaining similar for thousands of years – 

multiple rigid structural elements (locally sourced 

timber poles, bamboo or bones) covered by 

animal skins or various rudimentary woven 

fabrics. The fur from animal hides provided a 

high level of insulation during the winter months 

in cooler climates and protected against passive 

solar gain during the summer. 

Be it camel hair Bedouin tents in the desert or 

seal skin tupiqs in the far north, typically 

tent interiors had a distinct ‘feral’ smell. 

In truth they wouldn’t really meet the 

level of comfort expected by a new 

generation of ‘woke’ ecotourists 

A Sami family 

in 1900 

(I occasionally enjoy imagining an encounter 

between an Inuit woman skinning a baby seal 

for her tupiq and a scandalised ethical traveller 

thirsty to learn about indigenous culture). 

It is interesting to note that despite the lack of 

en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning there is 

significant evidence that ‘civilised’ colonial visitors 

to these indigenous camps often refused to return 

‘home’ to colonial society. Native Americans 

themselves seldom integrated into ‘white’ society 

for any significant length of time, but there are 

multiple accounts from reliable historical sources 

that ‘colonial’ American prisoners of the Native 

American tribes in the Far West often refused to 

return to ‘civilised’ society, and literally had to be 

dragged back to town… 

“When an Indian child has been brought up 

among us, taught our language and habituated 

to our customs, yet if he goes to see his relations 

and make one Indian ramble with them, there 

is no persuading him ever to return.” Benjamin 

Franklin,1753. 

Neanderthal dwelling made 

from mammoth parts 


GLAMPSITES 

PRESENT TENTS 

Having noticed the distinct lack of innovation 

in tented accommodation over the last 10 

thousand years, we concluded that there 

may be an opportunity to leverage new 

developments in fabric engineering (initiated 

by the work of Frei Otto and Buckminster 

Fuller) to create nature inspired, modular 

structures that are better suited to the 

expectations of a more ‘coddled’ society. 

Our focus was to redefine the notion of 

‘tented accommodation’, reduce the physical 

footprint of our developments and provide a 

similar level of ‘luxury’ as many of the resorts 

we had worked on at Six Senses. 

Our aim, in essence, was to develop 

modular tensile structures, using the most 

advanced fabrics available, that could be 

accurately engineered to withstand extreme 

weather conditions, provide efficient thermal 

comfort and last a similar length of time to a 

conventional building. 

Since 2011 we have designed, engineered, 

fabricated and installed a family of tented 

products – The Looper, The Urchin and The 

Seedpod – at lodges and resorts for various 

luxury hotel groups. 

As a team we hope we have found a 

balance between the nerdy and the beautiful. 

For the interiors of our tents we worked with 

Bo Reudler and Resplendent Ceylon to create 

an atmosphere that combines a steampunk 

aesthetic with references to the golden era of 

exploration. 

A strong focus on noble materials, tactile 

pleasure and analogue technology was 

critical to produce the desired effect at Wild 

Coast Tented Lodge. 

FUTURE TENTS 

Every vernacular architectural tradition 

across the entire world would have found 

a use for a water repellent, UV resistant, 

self-cleaning, durable fabric either for 

waterproofing or shading, be it the Pygmies 

of the Kalahari or the tribes of the Amazon. 

The history of weaving correlates in many 

ways with the history of civilisation itself. 

Humankind has shown extraordinary powers 

of improvisation to transform available 

materials into thread. Those innovations 

continue today, and we are extremely 

fortunate to work in a rapidly changing field 

in which new smart fabrics take advantage 

of improved weaving technology and 

innovative material applications. 

Each year we see improvements in 

durability and performance – some of the 

high performance, PTFE fabrics available for 

tents today were developed by NASA for the 

spacesuits worn by astronauts in the 1970s. 

The biggest challenge we face is 

identifying fabrics that combine high 

performance with a sustainable life cycle 

analysis. 

Unfortunately, today one of the most 

commonly available materials worldwide 

is plastic waste. As there are no mammoths 

around, we decided to see if we could 

find a way of harvesting a pollutant and 

transforming it into a sustainable asset… 

In our next tent model we are delighted to 

announce that we will be making extensive 

use of reclaimed shoreline plastics for the 

fabrics, insulation, soft furnishings, bedding, 

fixed furniture and even the floor. It will in 

fact be the first tent, that we know of, made 

predominately from ocean waste plastic. 

Pavilion made from ETFE 

Biomimicry is also an important theme at 

Nomadic – it is a design process that learns 

from and mimics the strategies found in 

nature to solve human design challenges. 

We believe that there are significant 

opportunities to develop lightweight 

structures based on existing natural forms 

and materials to provide shelter more 

efficiently. To give a little bit of an insight 

into where we are headed in our quest 

for lightness I have included this pavilion 

structure (bottom centre) by one of our 

engineer friends which takes its inspiration 

from an inherently strong animal body 

part, the beetle wing, to create a shell roof 

structure clad with ETFE. 

The structure used robots to weave carbon 

fibre reinforced plastics (which share key 

characteristics with natural composites 

cellulose, chitin or collagen) into lightweight 

structural members. This may be only the tip 

of the iceberg. 

Today new intersections between 

academic disciplines are bearing stranger 

fruit still. Seeing the recent developments 

in digital morphogenesis by Neri Oxman at 

MIT, we expect to see hybrid combinations 

of materials in the future as biomimicry, 

organic chemistry, architecture, membrane 

engineering, 3D printing and natural 

fabrication combine to provide us with a host 

of incredible new tools, materials, methods 

and techniques. 

The Neri Oxman: 

Material Ecology 

exhibition 

These new materials will be developed 

with performance and behaviour that differs 

hugely from our current expectations. Let’s 

hope that one day we too will be able to 

harness the enthusiasm of silk worms to 

create our tent fabrics, or robotically fabricate 

structural members from the molecular 

components found in tree branches, insect 

exoskeletons or our own bones… 

The tourism industry is currently in a state 

of flux and adaptation, and it is increasingly 

clear that the hospitality sector is in need of 

a radical shift to face a changing commercial 

landscape that is learning to function in 

a low-touch economy. Rather than be an 

obstacle, this could be a moment for the 

industry to reconsider the traditional travel 

modus operandi and adopt bold new 

strategies to develop and operate camps 

in an entirely new way. Maybe the future of 

glamping could become an inquiry into our 

relationship with the planet and a unique 

opportunity to explore ways to reduce the 

weight of Mankind on the earth. 

I hope we are ready for it. 


Luxury Bubble Tents 

A Holiday Like No Other 

Available 

to buy 

or hire 

Furnished options 

available 

WWW.SLEEPINGBUBBLES.CO.UK 

info@sleepingbubbles.co.uk 0800 002 5698 

THE POP-UP ACCOMMODATION EXPERTS 

Boutique accommodation for year-round glamping & staff 

info@cabooseandco.com | 01273 086368 | cabooseandco.com

GLAMPSITES 

Bounce Back 

Embrace the new normal with these products and 

services for the glamping industry 

Bounce Back PR Pack 

Rural Roots 

www.rural-roots.co.uk 

megan@rural-roots.co.uk 

Public relations can be really time 

consuming, which often puts 

businesses off doing their own. So, 

to make it as easy as possible, Rural 

Roots Media – tourism PR specialists 

– have created a Bounceback PR 

Pack. They have ploughed their 15 

years’ PR and media experience into 

one comprehensive course to guide you in your communications and getting fully 

booked. 

The pack is a download containing three done-for-you campaigns, including 

templated press releases, social media copy and blog ideas, as well as lots of handy 

hints and tips and a few secret formulas to get your business noticed by the local and 

national press. 

“It's chocked full of templates, tips and secrets to give your business the best 

opportunity to reopen and fill the booking calendar,” says Kate Symonds from Round 

the Woods. 

The Bounce Back PR Pack is available for £249 from the Rural Roots website. 

The Answer to Rain, Shine or Social 

Distancing 

TruDomes 

024 7632 6585 

www.trudomes.com 

As businesses look ahead and 

consider how they will trade in the 

‘new normal’, UK based TruDomes 

says that the key to success is the 

ability to adapt to changing 

circumstances. 

“At TruDomes we’ve 

adapted too,” says sales 

director, Kelda Bassett. 

“We have invested in 

developing new products 

and are delighted to add 

two new structures to our 

range, designed especially 

for social distancing in the glamping, 

hospitality, leisure and events 

industry.” 

Last month it launched the ‘Dining 

Yurt’ and ‘Dining Cube’, but these 

structures can be used for much more 

than just dining. 

“The Dining Yurt and Cube are 

perfect for restaurant table isolation 

and outdoor dining all year round,” 

says Kelda. “In addition to socially 

distanced dining, they also make 

great reception spaces. It’s not just 

about responding to current concerns 

either, they also offer protection from 

the typical British weather – no more 

rainy meals or dashing for cover. 

“Whatever the end purpose, we 

are dedicated to offering 

our customers the best 

solution to ensure their 

guests have the very best 

experience.” 

UK-Based Ensuite Bubbles 

Sleeping Bubbles 

0800 002 5698 

www.sleepingbubbles.co.uk 

BubbleTents from Sleeping 

Bubbles bring a unique sleeping 

experience to glampsites. These 

multi-purposes structures can be 

adapted for many experiences, 

from luxury accommodation to 

outdoor dining. Privacy is no 

problem with opaque areas of the 

bubbles, and bespoke bathrooms 

can be added – essential during the 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

A bubble can be set up in just 

30 minutes so a site can have a 

bubble hotel in matter of hours. 

For off-grid camp- and glampsites, 

a Solar Sleeping Bubble is being 

created, fully powered by solar 

energy. Portable and easy to install 

anywhere, it avoids expensive 

electric mains installation costs. 

Bubbles are also available to hire 

for events, creating experiences 

such as honeymoon suites and 

special accommodation for 

wedding anniversaries, Valentine’s 

day and more. 

Sleeping Bubbles offer fast ROI 

with a low capital investment, 

premium tents and 24/7 customer 

service. 


GLAMPSITES 

The New Kula Suite 

Kula Tents 

+31 657 787 377 

www.kulatents.com 

The Kula Suite 

accommodation lodge 

provides a perfect space for 

small or large families and 

takes influence from a bygone 

era of remote luxury and safari 

tent opulence. Its conical roof 

works well in all European 

climates and its unique design 

allows for a range of spacious 

and ambient interiors for 

groups, families and couples 

and fits well in any site layout, 

small or large. 

Optional high end interiors 

with ambient lighting, 

bespoke furniture and stylish 

soft furnishings are available 

together with an ensuite or 

spacious bathroom tent. 

Tents are fabricated in 

Europe with ethically sourced 

materials to high standards of 

craftsmanship and designed 

for functionality, offering 

beautiful living spaces for 

glamping. 

‘Uniquely Different’ Pod Manufacturer 

Podz R Us 

07767 733044 

www.podzrus.com 

Pop-up Accommodation Experts 

Caboose & Co 

01273 086368 

www.cabooseandco.com 

Caboose & Co, the pop-up accommodation experts, 

believe the glamping industry can collectively 

demonstrate resilience and emerge stronger from this 

pandemic. During lockdown, Caboose has used its 

expertise and hire fleet to provide an NHS Staff Village and 

emergency showers for supported housing. Now they are 

helping glamping sites to extend capacity and meet the 

soaring demand for UK staycations. 

Designed to offer guests the best possible night’s 

sleep, Cabooses include heating, sun terraces and all the 

luxuries needed for a relaxing stay. Caboose provides a 

year-round solution for landowners and right holders to 

realise new profit streams and maximise the glamping 

season with hire and purchase options available. 

The UK staycation market is set to soar this year, and Podz 

R Us owner Andrew Lang explains how they are wellplaced 

to provide new or existing glamping site owners 

with a bespoke service that sets them apart. “As the leisure 

industry recovers from these unprecedented times, Podz 

R Us is ready to support our clients who want more than a 

high quality product that delivers on value. As experienced 

pod manufacturers, we’ve always taken time to understand 

our customers’ needs, and right now that’s more important 

than ever. We offer a free design service, and all our pods 

are hand-built to individual specifications”. 

This means that up and down the country, Podz R Us are 

supplying glamping pods that are uniquely different, from 

high end luxury pods with en-suite and underfloor heating, 

to budget accommodation, including pods that are off-grid 

and solar powered. Check out what they have to offer. 

Dedicated Bathrooms 

– the New Glamping 

Normal 

CampPlus 

01908 538055 

www.campplus.co.uk 

With the most popular 

glamping add on search 

since the pandemic’s 

outbreak being for private 

bathrooms, forward 

thinking glamp and 

campsites are adjusting to the ‘new normal’ with ensuite facilities 

for each pitch. 

With the CampPlus unit, guests have their own private WC and 

shower room right next to their accommodation, which can be 

deep cleaned between stays for Covid-19 safety. 

The washrooms are plug and play – just connect them to water, 

electric and sewerage and they’re ready to go. They are available 

as the Solo single unit or the Duo, which serves two pitches – state 

of the art soundproofing and a floating floor ensure that guests 

have enough privacy. 

Superb quality, with a very short payback period, they have 

been installed extensively by the Bridge Leisure Group at its parks 

including at its Trevella and Sand le Mere sites. 


GLAMPSITES 

HANDMADE TOWABLE 


Greg and Jules Gypsy Bowtops 

07505 485185 

www.gregandjulesgypsybowtops.co.uk 

Greg and Jules Gypsy Bowtops offer a fleet of 

beautifully crafted and hand painted gypsy 

caravans as guest accommodation for glamping 

sites, festivals and private events up and down 

the country. The fleet of seven provides unique 

and comfortable four berth accommodation in 

each wagon with designer bedding, a kitchen 

area, table and seating, plenty of storage and 

shelving, clothes cupboard, electric hookup 

plus a full inventory of items for a no hassle stay. 

Giving your guests a memorable stay, they can 

deliver and set up the caravans ready for couples 

or families to enjoy a unique and fun holiday. 

ART, BBQ AND FIRE-PIT IN ONE 

Quan Garden Art 

0117 974 6050 

www.quangarden.art 

A passion for food, premium design and the love of spending time 

outdoors with family and friends is what brought Quan to life. So why 

not reward guests with the facilities they deserve and turn alfresco 

dining into an artform? 

A Quan fire plate encourages guests to cook a vast variety of delicious 

dishes in different ways, far more so than a traditional BBQ, taking 

cooking to the next level. Quan's fire plate products also provide an 

interesting centrepiece for any party or gathering while creating an 

amazing atmosphere. 

Fully Functioning Compact Kitchens 

Elfin Kitchens 

01206 545700 

www.elfinkitchens.co.uk 

Elfin has supplied many glamping 

manufacturers and end users compact 

kitchens, in a wide range of colours, and 

a great selection of appliances including 

gas hobs where electrical supply is 

limited. 

Pre-built in Germany, these powder 

coated stainless steel kitchens are 

compact, modern, robust and hygienic. 

With full kitchen functionality in as little 

as 1,000mm they allow for more living 

space in small accommodations. Elfin 

also offers a good selection of additional 

storage space in wall cupboards and 

larder units if space allows. Kitchens are 

delivered nationwide within three days 

of order when in stock, and with no more 

than a three week lead-time if factory 

ordered. If you have limited space Elfin 

has a solution. 


EVENTS 

CASE STUDY 

Carry on 

Kelmarsh 

A chance to decompress in the beautiful surroundings 

of Northamptonshire’s Kelmarsh Estate 

As event organisers pivot their offerings, Kambe 

Events has reimagined its flagship festival’s site and, instead of 

Shambala, is offering a socially distanced glamping event with 

added extras. We talk to Kate Burgess. 

Describe your event 

Carry On Kelmarsh is a safe, 

socially-distanced camping 

experience in the beautiful 

surrounds of Shambala Festival’s 

site. It is a spacious pop-up 

campsite running over August 

2020 in the uniquely stunning 

grounds of Kelmarsh Estate, and 

is a chance for people to connect 

with nature and roam about. 

It will run over three separate 

weekends: 7-10, 14-17, and 21-24 

August. 

“THERE ARE 

OVER 200 

ACRES OF 

GROUNDS, 

LAKES, 

STUNNING 

GARDENS 

AND EN- 

CHANTING 

WOODLANDS” 

Explain a bit about your venue 

and its history 

Kelmarsh Hall is situated in 

the beautiful countryside of 

Northamptonshire, and the 

longstanding home of our flagship 

event, Shambala Festival. There 

are over 200 acres of grounds, 

lakes, stunning gardens and 

enchanting woodlands. For the 

first time, it’s a chance to see the 

estate in its gorgeous natural state, 

including areas normally off limits 

over the Shambala weekend. 

What is the event’s history and 

what made you decide to run it? 

Carry On Kelmarsh emerged out 

of the challenging landscape of 

a festival season devastated by 

coronavirus. We were compelled 

to cancel our festivals Shambala 

and Starry Skies leaving us very 

much in the red, as well as our 

crews and suppliers. 

As we emerged out of lockdown, 

we wanted to offer people a way to 

get out in the fields in a genuinely 

safe manner that connected 

like-minded souls to beautiful 

countryside and offered the high 

production value expected from 

our events. It is the first of its kind, 

and is born out of this uniquely 

strange time. 

How have you planned the 

layout of the event? 

We’re incredibly lucky to have a 

longstanding relationship with the 

Kelmarsh Estate, and have been 

able to plan Carry On Kelmarsh 

so that it delivers safe, socially 

distanced camping while making 

the most of the beautiful grounds. 


EVENTS 

By making the entire event 

pre-pitched we have been able 

to guarantee that each pitch 

is at least 10m apart, erring on 

the side of caution with social 

distancing measures so our 

guests can totally relax and feel 

safe. It is very exciting to be 

offering people the chance to 

decompress by uninterrupted 

views of the lake, wander in the 

enchanted woodlands (with some 

art installations) and also, for the 

first time, experience the house 

grounds. 

We are using some of 

Shambala’s beloved glamping 

providers, Vintents and Fred’s 

Yurts, with plenty of options to 

choose from. These will all be 

pre-pitched and deep cleaned 

between each weekend. By using 

trusted suppliers we not only 

support some of the folk that 

lost out on festival cancellations, 

but we can guarantee all the 

additional health and safety 

measures will be met. 

How did you research and source 

your other structures? 

As Carry On Kelmarsh is ostensibly 

a camping experience (with lots of 

lovely extras thrown in) there has 

not been the need for quite the 

same kind of infrastructure as that 

used at Shambala or Starry Skies. 

We’re very excited to be opening 

up our crew bar bus to the public, 

which lives on site all year round. 


EVENTS 

What entertainment do 

you offer? 

Our fantastic production 

coordinator Abi supports our 

creative director in picking 

incredible and colourful content 

for our events. In record time, Abi 

has managed to adapt, discover 

and book an array of onsite 

activities, all of which are Covidsafe. 

On offer there will be lawn 

games, den building, lip sync 

battles, pub quizzes, nature 

mandala and other craft 

workshops, orienteering, human 

football table tournaments, tai chi 

and yoga, musical workouts and 

more! 

It was key that we could offer a 

“WE WANTED 

TO FOCUS 

ON THE 

OUTDOORS, 

MAKING THE 

MOST OF THE 

BEAUTIFUL 

SETTING AND 

DRAWING 

INSPIRATION 

FROM OUR 

OTHER EVENTS 

THAT OFFER 

PROGRAM- 

MING THAT 

CONNECTS US 

TO NATURE” 

range of entertainment that left 

space for guests and family to do 

their own thing and also get stuck 

in, in a socially distanced way. We 

wanted to focus on the outdoors, 

making the most of the beautiful 

setting and drawing inspiration 

from our other events that offer 

programming that connects us to 

nature. 

We also wanted to offer 

activities where people could 

really let loose, get creative and 

have a well-earned laugh. Making 

sure this entertainment could be 

delivered in a spacious way has 

been integral to drawing up a 

programme that complemented 

the rejuvenating camping 

experience we are offering, where 

campers know all safety measures 

are in hand. 

What challenges have you faced? 

Obviously producing an event 

with such a quick turnaround and 

government advice constantly 

shifting has thrown up challenges. 

Advice about outdoor gatherings, 

live music events and so on has 

drastically shifted, and grappling 

with that has been strange. 


EVENTS 

We feel confident that we have 

taken initiative in producing a 

totally safe camping experience 

that takes into account the 

needs of everybody with valid 

concerns about holidaying at the 

moment. We’re on track to present 

memorable weekends on ‘home 

turf’ that are fun, rejuvenating, 

relaxing and most of all safe. 

For peace of mind, we have 

a cancellation policy that 

guarantees a full refund in the 

event of a cancellation relating to 

further coronavirus restrictions. As 

it stands we’re full steam ahead, 

with more incredible content 

being booked and visits to the site 

really making us itch to be back in 

a field filled (slightly) with other 

people! 

ADDRESS BOOK 

PRE-PITCHED TENTS 

Fred’s Yurts www.yurtevents.co.uk 

Vintents www.vintents.co.uk 

DETAILS 

Carry on Kelmarsh 

Kelmarsh Estate 

Northampton 

NN6 9LY 

www.kambe-events.co.uk/ 

carry-on-kelmarsh 


BOOK 

NOW 

Don’t pack your guests in 

like sardines, Event Profs! 

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more than 30,000 pieces of kit there 

ain’t nothing fishy about our event 

furniture hire advice! 

Europa International – 

delivering the stock you need that will 

give your delegates room to breathe. 

Call us today on 03454 303015 or visit us 

online at www.europainternational.com/oa 

hire happy 

@Europa_Int 

#HireHappy 


EVENTS 

Covid-19 

Comment 

Industry stalwarts on the state of the 

event sector in light of Covid-19 

Jim Winship 

Secretary, Events Industry Forum 

The Events Industry Forum (EIF) and the 

Department of Digital, Culture, Media & 

Sport (DCMS) have agreed guidance for 

restarting some elements of the UK’s £30.4 

billion outdoor events industry. 

New guidance, compiled by EIF 

in consultation with government 

departments, sets out how event 

organisers can restart some outdoor 

events this summer. It specifically lists 

different types of organised outdoor 

events that can now safely go ahead 

with Covid-19 secure planning in place, 

including outdoor performances, county 

shows and firework displays. The 

Culture Secretary has announced that 

performances outdoors can take place 

from 11 July with a socially distanced 

audience. 

The guidelines drawn up by the EIF, with 

support from DCMS and representatives 

from across the events industry, will keep 

staff, performers and visitors safe at smallscale 

events this summer. 

The outdoor event industry has 

“OUR INDUSTRY HAS BEEN 

DECIMATED BY COVID-19 

WITH MOST OF THE 

OUTDOOR EVENTS PLANNED 

FOR THIS SUMMER AND 

THE AUTUMN ALREADY 

CANCELLED” 

welcomed the guidance as a positive 

step. Our industry has been decimated 

by Covid-19 with most of the outdoor 

events planned for this summer and the 

autumn already cancelled. Nevertheless, 

publication of this guidance gives the 

green light which we hope will enable 

some smaller events to take place. 

We hope this will be the first step on 

the road to recovery which will allow the 

outdoor event industry to return at full 

blast in 2021. The guidance can be found 

on the EIF website. 

ABOUT THE EIF 

The Events Industry Forum (EIF) 

is an informal body which brings 

together event trade bodies, 

educational establishments 

and enforcement agencies 

twice a year to discuss issues of 

common interest. The Forum 

also publishes The Purple Guide 

which provides guidance for 

organising outdoor events and 

which was originally published 

by the Health & Safety Executive. 

www.eventsindustryforum.co.uk 


EVENTS 

Steve Heap 

Chairman, Association of Festival 

Organisers 

Here at AFO we have 132 festival members 

and 129 of them have moved their events 

to 2021, and it’s that we are looking 

forward to. 

When the lockdown began, we sat 

head in hands wondering how this could 

possibly happen to us. Whatever the 

cause, it is here and showing little sign of 

leaving us so the festival industry does 

what it knows best and is working out 

ways of survival. Some just used reserves 

of funds, others went for crowdfunding. 

Then the chancellor started making grants 

and support packages available. Would 

festivals and their organisers fit the bill? 

Not this time, so back to crowdfunding. 

Then he announced a package for the 

arts, which the PM had called “a very, very 

valuable sector”. Well we knew that being 

a £6 billion contributor to the UK economy. 

But don’t get excited, festivals were not 

mentioned in the text. 

AFO and others started the biggest 

lobbying campaign of the year. We made 

progress and at time of writing we have 

MPs and culture ministers announcing 

their support. 

We were asked by DCMS to submit a 

clear request on behalf of festivals; we 

did. To further the support for festival 

recognition, funding and the real belief 

of our importance in the UK arts and 

entertainment scene, you could write to 

your own MP at firstname.secondname. 

mp@parliament.uk. Tell them how 

important your local festival is, not only to 

“WITHOUT FINANCIAL 

SUPPORT WE BELIEVE MORE 

THAN 30 PER CENT OF THE 

UK FESTIVAL SCENE WILL 

NOT SURVIVE INTO 2021” 

you but to the local economy and quality 

of life. The social impact the festival has 

and the real value the attendees put on its 

survival. 

Without financial support we believe 

more than 30 per cent of the UK festival 

scene will not survive into 2021. Don’t let 

that be your local festival – act now. 

See also our website for much more 

news on Covid-19 and its effect on the 

sector. Organisers of festivals are honest, 

conscientious and resilient 

people. We will do 

our best. 

ABOUT THE AFO 

The Association of 

Festival Organisers 

(AFO) is a membership 

group of like-minded 

festival and event managers 

who believe in learning and 

teaching, sharing and networking 

to continuously improve the 

festival scene. Created in 1987 

with a small gathering of people 

working in the community festival 

business, AFO now has 132 festival 

members who exchange ideas 

and support one another to help 

develop the sector. 

www.festivalorganisers.org 

GETTY IMAGES 


Indoors or 

outdoors – 

14 hours run 

time / charge 

Battery operated 

digital signage 

Perfect for 

Covid-19 

messaging 

No 

wires – 

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Multiple 

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Available 

for purchase, 

lease or rent 

07973 208791 sales@Wayosigns.com 

www.wayosigns.com 


EVENTS 

GETTY IMAGES 

The Emergence 

of Events? 

Iain Beaumont explains how to build a strong case in 

applying for the government's £1.57bn support package 

and how to succeed in a new world for events 

IF, LIKE me, you’ve wondered whether or 

not the events season has been written off 

for 2020, you’re certainly not alone. Quite 

frankly, it has been a dramatic couple of 

months for the events and hospitality 

industry, with only a glimmer of light now 

beginning to appear at the end of a very long 

and dark tunnel. 

Back in March, when the speculation of a 

worldwide pandemic was just beginning to 

take hold in the headlines, we simply could 

not have foreseen what was to come. 

The consequences of lockdown and a 

hold on economic progression have had an 

impact on almost every industry worldwide, 

with some feeling the brunt more acutely 

than others. The events industry, together 

with those across hospitality, tourism, 

heritage and the arts, have been hardest 

hit and it has taken considerable effort in 

the form of industry groups lobbying the 

government for any support to materialise. 

The announcement by Rishi Sunak 

on 6 July of a support package equating 

to £1.57bn across the UK was broadly 

welcomed. The package will be split 

between England and the devolved 

administrations and will consist of both 

grant support and loans on “very favourable 

terms”. The money marks one of the biggest 

one-off investments in the UK culture sector 

and is designed to support the existing 

government measures that have been 

introduced by the Treasury since March. 

£1.57BN SUPPORT PACKAGE 

In England, the pot of new support is made 

up of £880m in grant funding and £270m 

in loans. For the devolved administrations, 

support is allocated as follows: 

› Scotland: £97m 

› Wales: £59m 

› Northern Ireland: £33m 

Whilst a financial buttress to a multibillion-pound 

industry can be seen as 

positive, there are concerns regarding the 

value of funds available through grant 

schemes, and money in the form of loans. 

The government has acknowledged that 

this stimulus will not save every job from 

disappearing and that we should expect 

further redundancies. 

The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, 

stated that there are two broad aims of the 

package: 

› To preserve “crown jewel” venues such 

as the Royal Albert Hall and national 

galleries 

› To help local institutions across the UK 

Applying for funding is, in the main, 

through industry bodies, with institutions 

and companies being asked to prove how 

they contribute to the wider economy. What 

is less certain is which venues are going 

to be looked upon more favourably than 

others. 

It is likely that the most prominent 

and accessible sites will be at the top of 

the government’s list, but with so much 

pressure being applied to support grassroots 

venues, both across arts, culture, music 

and heritage, I suspect that there will be 

opportunities for smaller, or more niche, 

venues to take advantage of the support 

package. 

GETTING FUNDING 

At this stage, I am recommending that 

venues looking to take advantage of such 

support should spend time building a strong 

case as to why they should be a considered 

as a recipient of grant funding. To that end, 

now is the time to focus on the vital statistics 

and be ready to formulate a strong case 

based on public engagement, employment 

protection, local economy support, 


EVENTS 

by a large number of businesses, but now is 

the time to really up the game. 

› Experience 

This is all about the experience that your 

customers will get in an environment 

restricted by Covid-19 control measures. 

A huge part of why people attend outdoor 

events is down to the experience, and 

although it is always going to be different 

during a pandemic, the emotional and 

sensory aspects still need to resonate with 

guests. 

cultural significance and any heritage risks 

associated with your business. 

However, there are still those that have 

been left behind. Outside catering firms 

are just one of many sectors that have 

fallen through the cracks. With little in the 

way of support from rate relief, or from the 

recent announcements to the reduction 

in VAT across hospitality, the impact of the 

lockdown restrictions are not going away 

any time soon. 

However, the real crux behind 

determining whether the industry will 

recover to pre-Covid-19 levels is really going 

to be down to one important factor. People. 

RE-STARTING EVENTS 

While confidence in attending large events is 

starting to rise, there is still a huge amount 

of uncertainty regarding whether the 

current guidelines (and response measures) 

can truly provide the necessary safety 

and protection against a second surge of 

Covid-19 cases. 

There have been some operators 

who have been able to restart an events 

programme utilising the medium of open-air 

performances (Car Park Party and Luna 

Cinema are just two of several successful 

ventures), but there are those which have 

still been denied a licence due to concerns 

over the spread of the virus. Just earlier this 

month, Maidstone Borough Council erred on 

the side of caution by denying permission to 

a similar event due to be held in Mote Park. 

This being due to the concerns of the virus 

spreading through airborne means when 

people raise their voices or laugh loudly. 

It is clear that there is a degree of public 

appetite to attend events but the inherent 

risk that comes with large gatherings means 

that there are significant barriers that need 

to be overcome. 

For those looking to run events later in the 

year, it is paramount that organisers engage 

early with their local authorities and provide 

a robust plan covering detailed measures 

that seek to mitigate the risk of infections 

through the spread of Covid-19. However, 

even then that just may not be enough 

to persuade those authorities that have a 

strong aversion to risk. 

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? 

With most businesses in the events, 

hospitality and tourism industry, 2020 

is going to be difficult. If venues are to 

entice back visitors, and the supply chain 

see business reignite, confidence and the 

experience are going to play a key role. What 

do I mean by that? 

› Confidence 

When I talk about confidence, I’m referring 

to the measures that venues and organisers 

can take to instil a level of confidence that 

unequivocally satisfies even the most 

cautious of visitors. With no end in sight for 

a complete return to normal, businesses 

must prepare for the long haul. 

In most instances, this can be done 

utilising existing digital platforms to 

showcase the steps that you have taken to 

ensure that you are able to deliver a safe 

experience. Whether you are a licensed 

premises or a greenfield site, you should 

be looking at the steps that you can take 

now to demonstrate your commitment to 

controlling the spread of the virus. 

I know that this has already been started 

GETTY IMAGES 

GETTING IT RIGHT 

Inevitably, in order to strike the right balance 

between confidence and experience, there 

are going to have to be some changes by 

both the business and the consumer. There 

is a real opportunity for businesses to start 

identifying how they can mesh the two 

together neatly without compromising 

on their values or exposing people to 

unnecessary risk. The real positive is that 

the work you undertake now will no doubt 

provide a strong platform in the months 

and years to come. By engaging with new 

communication forms and implementing 

technology to augment a mid-pandemic 

experience, you will find that you have a 

greater appeal over those businesses and 

operators who choose to take the ‘not 

bothering’ route. 

It can be as simple as a video walkthrough 

of a venue highlighting the key 

measures that you are taking, through to 

more innovative approaches where you 

try new concepts and ways of operating 

to overcome some of the barriers that 

are currently holding people back. For 

example, if you rely on catering as a big 

part of your offering, why not create an 

experience that utilises the full scope of 

your site, or experiment with new ways of 

service delivery that really add a unique 

and engaging element to the customer 

experience. 

It can be all too easy to feel glum, but 

innovation and creativity is needed to 

really survive, and hopefully thrive. Failing 

to adapt and overcome is likely to result in 

being left behind, as consumers will quickly 

change their habits to fit their present-day 

needs. 

After all, no-one wanted to be a horse and 

cart when the Model T left the garage… 


Iain Beaumont is founder of consultancy Venues and Ventures, advising 

landowners and estates on their diversification into events. Iain 

previously ran the events business for the 16,500 acre Cowdray Estate in 

West Sussex. Prior to that he was castle director at Powderham Castle, 

running a large number of outdoor music events and festivals as well as a 

thriving visitor business. www.venuesandventures.co.uk 


EVENTS 

GUEST COMMENT 

Social 

Distancing 

Tools 

OnePlan’s Paul Foster introduces his calculators for 

delivering socially distanced events 

IN ANY other year, summer 

festival season in the UK would 

be in full swing. However, the 

current government regulations 

to control the spread of Covid-19, 

while essential for the wellbeing 

and safety of country, have had 

an unprecedented impact on 

the industry. Until a viable and 

adopted track and trace system 

is in place, or Covid-19 infections 

are eradicated (as in the case 

of New Zealand), some level of 

social distancing is going to be 

required, but this doesn’t mean 

that festivals and concerts cannot 

take place. 

Social distancing will be 

highly challenging to implement 

in many scenarios and will be 

largely reliant on the good will 

of attendees to follow direction 

and comply with the guidance 

given. Reducing the likelihood 

and frequency of close social 

interaction is certainly achievable. 

This is no different to other risk 

areas, where it is often impossible 

to eliminate a risk but achievable 

to manage it. 

As the developers of event 

planning systems, here at 

OnePlan we have been helping 

festival organisers to plan 

effectively, accurately and 

reduce the risks presented by the 

current pandemic, from when 

festivalgoers arrive at the venue, 

during performances, right until 

the last person leaves the site. 

Certainly, there are precautions 

and warnings that should be taken 

prior to attending; reminding 

people not to attend if feeling 

unwell, asking attendees to check 

their temperature leading up to 

the event. It is also advised to offer 

those who do show symptoms a 

full refund, although this is to be 

determined as the organiser sees 

fit. Yet, following the adherence 

of this, festivals may operate in 

almost-full swing. 

Our guidance on festival safety 

begins at the gates. The arrival 

calculator enables users to add 

as many entrances as required 

for their event, as well as the time 

people are expected to arrive, per 

minute. The width of the entrance 

is added, and any social distancing 

requirements necessary, to 

provide an estimate of both queue 

time and the amount of space 

needed to hold your queue at each 

entrance. By breaking down the 

arrivals into 15 minute blocks, the 

expected flow rate is calculated to 

provide an accurate estimate of 

the space required. 

Temperature checks at arrival 

points are being considered by 

many organisers and venues. 

Where possible, do not add an 

additional process at your entry 

point; one queue for temperature 

check, security check and ticket 

scanning. As an example, the 

temperature check could be 

undertaken by someone moving 


EVENTS 

“USERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO 

CHANGE SOCIAL DISTANCING 

MEASUREMENTS, FROM A LIST 

OF SET METRIC AND IMPERIAL 

MEASUREMENTS” 

along the queue for the security 

check or combine the ticket and 

temperature check at the same 

point. 

There are other factors to be 

considered, such as what to 

do if someone displays a high 

temperature and how will people 

react around them? This should be 

carefully considered. 

CROWD CALCULATION 

Once festivalgoers are safely 

through security and the ticket 

check, social distancing should 

be maintained where possible 

with mitigations focusing on 

high risk areas such as toilets, 

concession queues and any pinch 

points around the site. We have 

developed a social distancing 

crowd calculator which enables 

users to measure any area and 

calculate how many people could 

fit in a space whilst maintaining a 

set distance between each person. 

Users have the ability to change 

social distancing measurements, 

from a list of set metric and 

imperial measurements. This can 

be changed at any time and a new 

area capacity will be immediately 

generated. 

The in-plan crowd and social 

distancing calculator can be used 

for different stages and areas. 


Paul Foster is the 

founder of OnePlan, a 

centralised event site 

planning platform 

that allows anyone to 

map, draw, plan and 

procure every aspect 

of their event site and 

operations. OnePlan’s 

software includes 

space planning and 

measurement tools 

allowing users to 

generate consistent 

professional plans 

to share with 

stakeholders and 

clients. Visit www. 

oneplanevents.com/ 

social-distancing for 

more information and 

a 14 day free trial. 

In-and-out times can also be 

entered, meaning that different 

calculations for areas can be 

adjusted as crowd numbers 

fluctuate throughout the day. With 

this tool, organisers can prepare 

for a larger crowd at one time, 

whilst ensuring distancing is still 

upheld in a given area. 

The queue measurement tool 

can be used at concessions, food 

and bar stalls and public toilets. 

Essentially, these tools provide 

an indicative maximum of the 

number of people that can safely 

be in any area or queue. This 

can be reduced using an instant 

re-run of the queue or area tool 

with distancing measurements 

changed. This will further decrease 

risk and ensure festivalgoers feel 

at ease and safe throughout the 

event. 

An exit and egress calculator 

ensures that safety comes first 

from the event’s start to finish. The 

calculator enables users to input 

all festival exits, their width and 

the number of expected people 

per minute to use the exit. Input 

any social distancing measures 

necessary and the calculator 

immediately shows the number 

of people able to exit through the 

space in 20, 15, 10 and 5 minute 

blocks. With the ability to instantly 

rerun the model with different 

distancing measurements, 

this tool provides essential 

guidance for organisers. Different 

arrangements are advised to be 

made in case of an emergency, 

in which case social distancing 

becomes secondary to public 

safety. 


EVENTS 

Bounce Back 

Embrace the new normal with products and 

services for the event industry 

Security at Your Service 

Event Safety Partnership 

0208 543 5588 

www.theeventpartnership.co.uk 

Re-inventing Bar and Table Service 

Tri-Star Packaging 

020 8443 9100 

www.tri-star.co.uk/portabrands 

As venues re-open, the biggest challenge 

is how to maintain social distancing and 

safety for customers and staff, while still 

delivering a great experience. 

The PortaBrands range from Tri- 

Star Packaging enables the easy and 

safe carrying of multiple drinks while 

speeding up service, saving space and 

converting more sales with fewer trips to 

EHA Covid-19 Safety Guidance 

Event Hire Association (EHA) 

0121 380 4600 

www.eha.org.uk 

and from the bar. 

“Our PortaBrands solution creates the 

opportunity to re-invent bar and table 

service,” says Tri-Star Packaging sales 

director Lee Richards. “To minimise 

waiting times and queues, drinks will 

need to be served quickly and safely with 

minimum contact between staff and 

customers. PortaBrands is a great range 

of quick-service drink carrier solutions 

which enables safe multi-drink serving 

under social distancing guidelines, as 

an individual can collect drinks for small 

groups of people.” 

Event Safety Partnership is open 

and ready for business. During 

lockdown we have been training 

and preparing our staff so they 

can bounce back to be ready to 

meet and greet visitors. 

Our team of safety 

professionals can not only 

provide your health and safety 

needs but can form part of 

your team to check your event 

is following the guidelines 

and protocols set up by the 

government. They can be on 

site, check all is in place and 

that everyone is carrying out 

their work in a safe and secure 

way. Over the last few weeks, we 

have had a member of our team 

doing just this for the polo at 

Cowdray Park. 

Our teams of security and 

stewarding professionals 

are able to assist with your 

social distancing plans and 

review your visitor and crowd 

management arrangements to 

ensure we can greet everyone 

politely, helpfully and safely. 

The Covid-19 outbreak has had a profound effect on the Event Hire 

Association (EHA) membership. To address the issues facing the sector, 

the trade body delivered an Events Industry Recovery webinar in June 

with 60 event professionals in attendance. 

In a bid to unite the industry, the panel included Dean Foster, MD of 

Cambridge Marquees and MUTA president, and Clive Owen, MD of A1 

Loo Hire and a PSE board representative. They were joined by Kevin 

McGuinness, MD of Allen’s Catering Equipment Hire, Paul Budden, a 

health, safety and training consultant who specialises in the events 

industry, Caroline Clift, editor of Stand Out magazine, Nicky Warner, 

director of Loos for Do’s, and Graham Arundell, CEO of EHA. 

The points raised formed the structure of a dedicated health and 

safety document finalised by EHA’s Paul Gaze and Carl Bartlett. The 

Events Industry Guidance Document for Returning to Work includes 

an e-learning package of three modules with a short assessment and 

certificate. See https://bit.ly/eventcovidguide 


EVENTS 

Socially Distanced Bar Service 

Bar-Go 

07971 871481 

www.bar-go.co.uk 

With the events industry on pause for the foreseeable 

future, organisers are having to get even more 

resourceful to adhere to the social distancing rules. 

Fortunately, Bar-Go units have an element of social 

distancing built in and, during the lockdown, the team 

moved fast to adapt the 30ft container bar so that 

service can be from the inside of the bar as well as 

the outside. The roof terrace also lends itself to well 

controlled VIP access. The Bar-Go structures are ready 

to go for drive in and socially distanced events. 

Battery Operated Digital Signs 

Wayo Signs 

07973 208791 

www.wayosigns.com 

The Wayo screen is a digital sign that runs on batteries. 

The screen can be placed indoors or outdoors and will 

run for up to 14 hours on a single charge. 

High definition images are uploaded via a USB 

stick directly onto the screen. The Wayo sign is easily 

moved and is lockable in position. It does not have 

any trailing wires and can be located safely where 

customers are passing. Ideal for showing Covid-19 

notices as well as instructions and marketing 

information, the screen can show multiple messages 

or video, rotating in order on repeat. 

Ideal for temporary sites, whether 

indoor or outdoor, and perfectly 

suited for bars, restaurants, retail, 

outdoor shows and events, 

shopping centres and other 

locations, Wayo signs are 

available to purchase, lease 

or rent. 

Eco Branding for Event Organisers 

Harrison Creative 

01325 355433 

www.harrisoncreative.co.uk 

Harrison Creative is keen to partner with companies that 

believe as strongly as it does in caring for the environment. Its 

new eco branding range, Envirofamily, is the product of choice 

for event organisers that care about the planet. 

The company is continually working to reduce wastage and 

become more environmentally friendly and is committed to 

helping clients deliver more sustainable events and festivals 

with its range of eco-friendly branding and signage products. 

Working closely with leading fabric manufacturers it has 

developed a range of materials that can be used as alternatives 

for a number of its most popular products. These include 

Enviroflag, an alternative to knitted polyester, Envirodisplay, 

made from 100 per cent recycled plastic waste, and 

Envirobanner, which is PVC free. 


Spot light 

A roundup of products for the outdoor hospitality industry 

TIMBER FRAME CABINS THAT 

DON’T COST THE EARTH 

Frame & Log Cabin Co 

01472 852704 

www.frameandlogcabins.co.uk 

Frame & Log Cabin Co 

design, supply and build high 

specification timber frame 

cabins and structures for a wide 

variety of uses including holiday 

buildings of all shapes and sizes, 

residential, B&B, offices, cafes 

and outbuildings. Our services 

provide the benefits of a bespoke 

build with the simplicity of an off 

the shelf solution. We are a small 

family business and, together 

with carefully chosen partners 

and suppliers, aim to deliver 

sustainable, energy efficient, long 

term value for customers, without 

costing the earth.” 

THE NEW KULA SUITE 

Kula Tents 

+31 657 787 377 

www.kulatents.com 

The new Kula Suite accommodation 

lodge provides a perfect space 

for small or large families and 

takes influence from a bygone era 

of remote luxury and safari tent 

opulence. Its conical roof works 

well in all European climates and its 

unique design allows for a range of 

spacious and ambient interiors for 

groups, families and couples and 

fits well in any site layout, small 

or large. Kula provides optional 

high-end interiors with ambient 

lighting, bespoke furniture and 

stylish soft furnishings together 

with an optional ensuite or 

spacious bathroom tent. Tents are 

fabricated in Europe with ethically 

sourced materials to high standards 

of craftsmanship and designed for 

functionality, offering beautiful 

living spaces for all your glamping 

requirements. 

REINVENTING BAR SERVICE AFTER 

LOCKDOWN 

Tri-Star Packaging 

020 8443 9100 

www.tri-star.co.uk 

As venues begin to re-open, 

the biggest challenge is how to 

maintain social distancing and 

safety for customers and staff, 

while still delivering a great 

experience. 

Tri-Star Packaging’s PortaBrands 

range enables the easy and safe 

carrying of multiple drinks while 

speeding up service, saving space 

and converting more sales with 

fewer trips to and from the bar. 

“PortaBrands creates the 

opportunity to re-invent bar 

and table service,” says Tri-Star 

sales director Lee Richards. 

"PortaBrands’ quick-service 

drink carrier solutions enable 

safe multi-drink serving under 

social distancing guidelines, as an 

individual can collect drinks for 

small groups of people.” 

BESPOKE LUXURY 

ACCOMMODATION 

Urban Blossom 

07973 672889 


Inspired by nature, we design 

and manufacture low impact, 

sustainable luxury structures 

for private landowners and the 

hospitality sector. Customers’ 

habits and behaviours are changing 

– more staycations, greater 

awareness of carbon footprints and 

the experience of being connected 

to nature. 

Our unique buildings are 

architecturally designed and 

furnished to the highest level of 

boutique-style luxury and comfort. 

Providing accommodation for 

couples or family groups (sleeping 

up to four adults), our designs have 

been created to be both part of 

the landscape and a platform to 

experience the calm and restorative 

effects of nature. Off-grid options 

are available for all 


HANDMADE TOWABLE 



07505 485185 

www.gregandjulesgypsybow 

tops.co.uk 


offer a fleet of beautifully crafted 

and hand painted gypsy caravans 

as guest accommodation for 

glamping sites, festivals and 

private events up and down 

the country. The fleet of seven 

provides unique and comfortable 

four berth accommodation in 

each wagon with designer 

bedding, a kitchen area, 

table and seating, plenty of 

storage and shelving, clothes 

cupboard, electric hookup plus 

a full inventory of items for a no 

hassle stay. Giving your guests a 

memorable stay, we can deliver 

and set up the caravans ready 

for couples or families to enjoy a 

unique and fun holiday. 

PERFO GROUND REINFORCEMENT 

SYSTEM 

S2T Group 

01992 522797 


S2T Group’s PERFO® range of 

ground protection products 

comprises a system of interlocking, 

self-anchoring permeable plastic 

tiles which are embedded into an 

existing surface, eg. a mature grass 

area or prepared base consisting of 

a layer of crushed stone chippings, 

depending on the application. 

A number of light to heavy duty 

solutions are available to suit 

varied ground conditions, traffic 

profiles and loading requirements. 

Unlike other geogrid systems, 

PERFO® tiles are usually installed 

without the need for excavation, 

being compacted directly into 

the existing surface using rollers 

or compactor plates. Installation 

is therefore rapid and planning 

issues less problematic. 

QUALITY PEG AND POLE 

MARQUEES 

Barkers Marquees 

01883 337099 

www.barkersmarquees.co.uk 

At Barkers Marquees we have 

been making ‘peg and pole’ 

marquees for over 100 years. 

Our marquees are stunning 

and particularly suited to rural 

venues with their wooden poles 

and finials. Each marquee 

is modular in design, so can 

be extended to any length. 

Our marquees meet British 

Standards for structural 

stability and fire retardancy. 

Barkers Marquees offers three 

types of pole marquee: Celeste, 

Petal and Traditional, in a range 

of translucent fabrics that glow 

at night time events. We offer 

free training on construction, 

de-rigging and maintenance 

upon marquee collection from 

our workshop (Surrey/Kent 

border, Junction 6, M25). 

FLORIDA MARQUEES 

ART, BBQ AND FIRE-PIT IN ONE 

Quan Garden Art 

0117 974 6050 

www.quangarden.art 

A passion for food, premium 

design and the love of spending 

time outdoors with family and 

friends is what brought Quan to 

life. So why not reward guests with 

the facilities they deserve and turn 

alfresco dining into an artform? 

A Quan fire plate encourages 

guests to cook a vast variety of 

delicious dishes in different ways, 

far more so than a traditional 

BBQ, taking cooking to the next 

level. Our fire plate products also 

provide an interesting centrepiece 

for any party or gathering whilst 

creating an amazing atmosphere. 


Classified Directory 

Finman 

Glamping 

Cabins and 

BBQ Huts 

From 

£4,992 

UNIQUE • QUALITY • CUSTOMISABLE 

01389 887205 www.logspan.com 

Bespoke Built Shepherd Huts 

30 Year Guarantee on Steel Frame & Chassis 

Finance Packages Available 

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Two ways to enjoy the 2020 show 

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PEOPLE 

Behind the Scenes with… 

Amber Wykes 

There’s nothing better than a hard day’s work for Amber 

as she creates her summer bell tent camps 

I'M SURE this isn't uncommon, but being 

a business owner of any description in 

this age of technology has its drawbacks. 

While it's very convenient to be able to keep 

operating from wherever you are it also 

means that, for those of us without very 

strong boundaries, you will be checking 

your emails before you turn off the lights, 

and checking in before you're up and 

showered. 

I don't know if I'm a control freak, or if 

business makes you one, but there is only 

calm in my head if there is order. To create 

this calm, my first glance at my phone in the 

morning is to check that no late bookings 

have come through for any of the sites I am 

partnered with, and that there are no issues 

with the guests that are staying. 

I like to be as flexible as I can when it 

comes to my working schedule, so if it's a 

lovely sunny day, I can spend it helping my 

husband Shaun with site maintenance stuff. 

I started Amber’s Bell Tent Camping as I 

hate being indoors for long periods of time 

so the outside work, even when it's heavy 

lifting, is a joy to me. 

I love how I feel at the end of a hard day’s 

work in the sunshine. Tired and hungry, 

happy to eat and sleep. Camp set ups mean 

a nice big slab of being outdoors all day. 

Usually they take two to three weeks for 

each site, but this year it was a sprint to get 

things ready for re-opening. We set up the 

two sites we manage in North Norfolk in just 

10 days, while helping our partners with 

their set ups over the phone. But it was such 

a relief to be open again. 

Without any real knowledge of whether 

or not we'd be able to open for the summer, 

it was a huge risk for all my partners to open 

their calendars for bookings in July, collate 

those bookings and bank the deposits. 

It's only year two for the three franchised 

partners with us currently – all businesses 

that required a great deal of energy and 

investment to get them off the ground in

PEOPLE 

2019. I felt I was holding my breath for them 

all through the lockdown uncertainty. 

SAFE HOSTING 

The challenges this year, for us all in the 

hospitality industry, is safe hosting. The 

demand has increased hugely, but keeping 

staff, customers and ourselves safe is the 

biggest priority. Luckily, all our sites have an 

exclusive number of bell tents within a large 

space, so social distancing isn't a huge issue 

on the camp fields. The bathrooms are the 

challenge this year. We've had to outline and 

publish what each site offers and have added 

additional bathroom units where we can. 

Our Hopton Court site in Shropshire 

has individual bathrooms for each tent – 

the popularity of this was reflected in its 

bookings and it was the first of the five sites 

to sell out for 2020. I think this will become 

industry standard eventually, and will be 

what people are looking for when booking a 

glamping break. 

Last year, the top glamping add-on 

search was hot tubs, this year it's private 

bathrooms. I've seen a lot of new products 

coming to market to help solve this issue, but 

it's the services and drainage that creates the 

expense. Putting in sewage works requires a 

full planning application and when working 

in AONBs it's caused some sticking points. 

Back in the office, a lot of time is spent 

making sure everyone has all the info they 

need for their time outdoors. Glamping has 

created a very accessible way for people to 

enjoy the great outdoors, but they still need 

to be prepared for the weather and outdoor 

living to be able to enjoy it. 

When we first began, and were running 

just two tents in a private meadow on the 

“WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE 

END OF THE PHONE IF 

PEOPLE GET STUCK, BUT 

I THINK PEOPLE PREFER 

BEING ABLE TO GET ON 

WITH THEIR BREAK AND 

IT HELPS THEM FEEL 

OWNERSHIP OF THEIR 

SPACE” 

grounds of Mannington Hall in Norfolk, we 

used to meet and greet all our guests and 

give them a run down on fire lighting, shelter 

building, campfire cooking, as well as the 

local hikes and cycle rides. As we expanded, 

it became impossible to give every guest this 

one-to-one time, so we have created packs 

our guests can download once booked which 

contain all the info they need to enable a 

contactless check in. 

We are always on the end of the phone if 

people get stuck, but I think people prefer 

being able to get on with their break and it 

helps them feel ownership of their space. I'm 

sure they'd rather not hang around for a chat 

with the owner, but I may be wrong! 

BEAUTIFYING CAMPS 

Check in days see me away from the office 

and on the sites, making sure all is perfect for 

the new arrivals. Shaun and my sons spend 

the day mowing around the tent spaces to 

create lovely neat park like areas within the 

wilder setting. It makes such a difference. 

My helpers have all been trained in how to 

beautify the tents – just a quick check from 

me is all that's needed. 

The communal spaces I like to adorn with 

wild plants gathered from the meadows 

around. Shaun always says not to bother, 

as it takes a good hour, but it makes me 

happy. I have an interest in plants, so it 

gives me a chance to notice what is growing 

when, how the plants are responding to the 

weather, and see if there's anything useful 

to harvest. I like to make healing salves and 

tinctures when I have time. Mannington has 

a stupendous water meadow, absolutely 

stuffed full of medicinal plants. During 

lockdown, I spent a lot of time there. I picked 

comfrey for a soothing massage oil, useful 

for post set up sprains. I also harvested 

willow bark for pain relief, and a lot of water 

mint for soothing teas – it’s also great used in 

mouthwash. 

Then the guests arrive - earlier this year 

as people's schedules are different. We 

have lots of groups booked in too, looking 

to create their own 'bubble' for a few days. 

Last weekend, I could hear the children 

running down from the cars onto the field, 

their excitement to be out somewhere big 

and wild and open spilling over. That's when 

I feel a great sense of being exactly where I 

should be. 

PROFILE 

Amber's Bell Tent 

Camping runs at 

five sites across 

the UK from May to 

September. Do you 

have land in a stunning 

natural location? Amber is 

looking for further partners to join her 

growing glamping brand. Get in touch 

and launch your glampsite with proven 

experts in the field in 2021! 

www.ambersbelltents.co.uk 


Trade Fair for professionals 

in outdoor hospitality 

42nd 

3, 4 & 5 th 

November 2020 

Montpellier 

Organised by 

In partnership with 

www.salonsett.com 

Fédération régi 

onaledel ’hôtellerie 

deplein 

air 

Provence-Alpes-Côted’Azur

Make your site Corona-proof 

with CampPlus en-suite pods

June/July 2020

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