Issue 50

ISSUE 50 | 2022 | www.openairbusiness.com
WELCOME
DID SOMEONE say special anniversary celebration, bring
on the street parties and fling up the bunting?! Move over
Queen, it’s Open Air Business’s sixth year, 50th issue knees up!
Well, metaphorically speaking, although we’ll be toasting the
printing of this one in-house…
I was thinking I should really be dedicating pages to a
big industry recap, but let’s face it, you’re all in it daily and
there’s little insight I’m likely to add and we’d be a pretty
poor industry magazine if we hadn’t told you all about it as it
happened. Here’s my take in a nutshell...
In the last six years glamping’s gone bang and it’s time to hone offerings (although
this year might be a little slow as people get the desire to travel out of their systems).
Outdoor weddings are more popular than ever thanks to Millennials leading the
charge on individualistic and back to nature celebrations (and yes, we’ll take that nice
new wedding law change earlier in the year). With public facing events, it’s another
story. While appetite is there, the industry has been hit particularly hard in the past
two years. I can’t make any flippant remarks as people have lost livelihoods and the
industry, skilled professionals. Cost of living is making ticket sales hard but I think
people will prioritise getting together, even if it is a last minute decision.
Looking forwards (and not mentioning European conflict, energy prices and other
doom and gloom), I think we have all picked the right place to do business. The
collective conscience seems to be moving towards outdoors, nature, sustainability,
‘local’, celebration and togetherness – everything we champion. So, here’s to us,
here’s to you and here’s to the next 50 issues of Open Air Business showcasing a
booming open air hospitality movement.
Tally Rix
Editor / Publisher
PUBLISHERS
Steve Rix - steve@openairbusiness.com
Tally Rix - tally@openairbusiness.com
EDITOR
Tally Rix - tally@openairbusiness.com
ADVERTISING SALES
Marney Whyte - 01892 677743
marney@openairbusiness.com
David Hobden - 01892 677741
david@openairbusiness.com
ADMINISTRATOR
Kirsty Farrow – 01892 677740
kirsty@openairbusiness.com
DESIGN
James English -
www.jamesenglishdesign.co.uk
PUBLISHED BY
Coffee Shop Media Ltd
www.coffeeshopmedia.com
Milroy House, Sayers Lane,
Tenterden, TN30 6BW
01580 848555
Contents ISSUE 50 – 2022
UP FRONT
4 News
6 Product News
9 Entrepreneur’s Chat
– Charles Hooper and
Lisa Aitken, Forest
Garden Shovelstrode
FUNCTION VENUES
14 The Dell of
Abernethy – a multifunctional
tipi space
in the Cairngorms
18 Elopement Weddings
– monetising the
small but beautiful
celebration
21 Curating Creativity
– evolving the
traditional event
model
22 Family Friendly
Events – catering for
child guests
25 Get to Know… the
people behind the
products
27 Marquees and
Structures – products
in action
GLAMPSITES
31 The Roost Luxury
Glamping – bespoke
cabins in rewilded
countryside
36 Zero Waste – start
your journey here
38 Hot Water – specifying
water heaters
43 Get to Know… the
people behind the
products
47 Pods, Huts and
Lodges – products in
action
EVENTS
50 The Mighty Coe – the
UK’s first on-snow
festival
54 Green Energy –
decarbonise your
event with these
options
56 Hire or Buy? – when
hiring crowd barriers
makes sense
58 Get to Know… the
people behind the
products
60 Flooring and Ground
Protection – products
in action
62 Spotlight
63 Classifieds
65 Behind the Scenes –
Harry Londsale, Cube
Management
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PODS, HUTS
AND LODGES
FUNCTION VENUES
› Elopements › Child Guests
GLAMPSITES
› Hot Water › Zero Waste
EVENTS
› Hire or Buy? › Green Energy
CASE STUDIES:
THE DELL OF ABERNETHY • THE ROOST LUXURY GLAMPING • THE MIGHTY COE
COVER PHOTO
The Anderida Cabin at Forest Garden Shovelstrode. Read
more in Entrepreneur’s Chat with Charles Hooper and Lisa
Aitken on pages 9-12.
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 3
BUSINESS