Issue 59
The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glamping, festivals and outdoor events
The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glamping, festivals and outdoor events
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
EVENTS<br />
social media accounts with some<br />
collaborations with relevant<br />
influencers. We maintain a mailing<br />
list of past attendees so that we can<br />
let them know directly when ticket<br />
sales open for the following year<br />
and keep them updated with new<br />
legends and sports on offer.<br />
This year we ran a rugby<br />
masterclass at Holt RFC led by<br />
Ben Youngs (who began his rugby<br />
career at the club) and Austin<br />
Healey, which resulted in regional<br />
broadcast, print and online<br />
coverage in May so that was helpful<br />
for local promotion. We offered a<br />
family ticket as a competition prize<br />
to the rugby club in exchange for<br />
promotion to their full membership.<br />
Other competitions have also run<br />
with selected partners who share<br />
our ethos and target audience,<br />
online and on social media. We<br />
also lean on our event partners,<br />
including individual legends and<br />
activity providers to help spread the<br />
word amongst their networks.<br />
What additional challenges have<br />
you faced?<br />
During the planning phase, our<br />
biggest challenge is essentially<br />
balancing the books to offer a<br />
high-quality customer experience<br />
without making a loss. Given the<br />
high costs of transport due to<br />
Holkham’s location, increases in<br />
energy costs, most services and<br />
the general impact of the cost-ofliving<br />
crisis, it’s been tricky to work<br />
it all out without increasing ticket<br />
prices as we don’t want to impact<br />
affordability either.<br />
On a more practical note,<br />
encouraging people to register<br />
promptly so that we can get one<br />
step ahead with scheduling is<br />
always a bit of an issue. We’ve also<br />
had some curveballs from suppliers<br />
going out of business, or doublebooking<br />
our event with another, but<br />
fortunately we have always been<br />
able to find replacements.<br />
There have been occasions where<br />
we’ve had to add extra elements<br />
at the last minute, like last year<br />
when the event took place during a<br />
heatwave. We drafted in extra water<br />
fountains and a giant open-sided<br />
event shelter as well as providing<br />
sunscreen to anyone that needed<br />
it. In addition, we introduced water<br />
“THERE<br />
HAVE BEEN<br />
OCCASIONS<br />
WHERE<br />
WE’VE HAD<br />
TO ADD<br />
EXTRA<br />
ELEMENTS<br />
AT THE LAST<br />
MINUTE,<br />
LIKE LAST<br />
YEAR WHEN<br />
THE EVENT<br />
TOOK PLACE<br />
DURING A<br />
HEATWAVE”<br />
breaks into all sports sessions<br />
to ensure everyone was actively<br />
staying hydrated.<br />
How do you finance the event?<br />
We’re lucky to have a solid bank<br />
of corporate sponsors, many of<br />
whom have stayed with us for the<br />
duration, but every year we re-pitch<br />
for their support and work hard to<br />
make sure that they are happy with<br />
outcomes.<br />
We’re also very grateful to the<br />
benefactors who generously<br />
fund places for disadvantaged<br />
families. We work with a number<br />
of charities who attend the event<br />
to raise awareness of how they can<br />
support families with particular<br />
needs and issues including the<br />
Youth SportTrust, Matt Hampson<br />
Foundation, Timpson Foundation,<br />
Saracens Foundation and Brave<br />
Mind. This year, we’re pleased to<br />
have a new partnership in place<br />
with Break, a regional charity<br />
based in East Anglia that supports<br />
vulnerable children and young<br />
people and their families.<br />
What are your plans for next year?<br />
We’re certainly hoping to be<br />
bringing Festival of Sport back in<br />
2024 though we have yet to confirm<br />
a venue and dates. Watch this space!<br />
What advice could you give to<br />
someone coming into the outdoor<br />
event industry?<br />
It will always cost more than you<br />
think so a good contingency budget<br />
is essential. Be prepared for the<br />
unexpected and know how to return<br />
a curve ball!<br />
ADDRESS BOOK<br />
MARQUEES<br />
Events Under Canvas<br />
www.eventsundercanvas.co.uk<br />
Morton Events<br />
www.mortonevents.co.uk<br />
STAGES/SCREENS<br />
ADI www.adi.tv<br />
POWER & AV<br />
Audio Resolution<br />
www.audioresolution.co.uk<br />
GLAMPING<br />
Hotel Bell Tent<br />
www.perfectlypitchedproductions.com<br />
GROUND PROTECTION<br />
GAP www.gap-group.co.uk<br />
TOILETS<br />
Lincs Loos www.lincsloos.co.uk<br />
SECURITY<br />
SRM www.srmsecurity.com<br />
INSURANCE<br />
Tysers www.tysers.com<br />
FIRST AID<br />
First Aid Matters www.firstaidmatters.org<br />
PONTOONS<br />
The Pontoon and Dock Company<br />
www.pontoonanddock.com<br />
DRINKING WATER<br />
FM Events<br />
www.fmeventservices.co.uk<br />
DETAILS<br />
Festival of Sport<br />
11-14 August 2023<br />
Holkham Park<br />
Wells-next-the-Sea<br />
Norfolk NR23 1AB<br />
www.festivalofsportuk.com<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 51
Change language