Issue 61

ISSUE 61 | 2023 | www.openairbusiness.com 

BUSINESS 

WINTER 

BOOKINGS 

VENUES 

› Keywords 

› Exteriors 

GLAMPSITES 

› Hot Tubs & Saunas 

› Glamping Show Review 

EVENTS 

› Illuminations 

› Bars & Catering 

CASE STUDIES: OAK TREE BARN • LOOSE REINS • ARCTANGENT

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ISSUE 61 | 2023 | www.openairbusiness.com 

WELCOME 

WELLNESS, SAUNAS and sustainability – you just need to look at 

Open Air Business to understand the drivers behind mainstream 

hospitality’s adoption of the likes of lakeside lodges, woodland 

‘rooms’ and cabins in castle grounds – all featured on the news 

pages. The big boys are capitalising on the demand for nature 

stays; what are glamping operators doing to stay relevant and 

keep hold of their market? Will 2024 be the shakedown year we 

knew was coming or will there be demand enough in the market 

for all? Surely, at more often than not £300-£1,000+ bed night 

rates for such accommodation delivered by hoteliers, there will 

still be plenty of customers for the more affordable offering; and 

as Booking.com’s 2024 trends report shows, authenticity is a key consideration for many 

travellers – not something easily delivered by identikit prefab cains; no matter how much 

shou sugi ban you cover them in. 

Certainly owning their unique selling point, our glamping case study in this issue, Loose 

Reins, pays homage to the occupation of its equestrian owners and offers an authentic wild 

west experience to guests. It succeeds with details including its Buckeroo Club for children, 

cabin porches for nighttime cocoa and American quilts for cosy times. 

Standing out in a crowded market is also challenging for wedding venues – perhaps even 

more so than for glampsites. Business consultant Sam Lloyd lays out simple tactics for an 

effective keyword strategy – with the tips and free tools she suggests there is no excuse for 

not creating online content to target your absolute perfect customer. 

Short days means great opportunities for seasonal lights. We usually turn our attention 

to winter illuminations in this issue and this time we’ve gone to one of the best for some 

insights. Rob Paul is design director at LCI Productions, the man behind Windsor Great Park 

Illuminated and Halloween at Hampton Court Palace, and offers his advice on creating the 

perfect show. 

I sign off here for 2023 before the team and I turn our attention to the 2024 Little Black 

Book. Big news… following its success over the last three years, we’ve decided to open its 

directory-style pages up to the whole of our industry – why should glamping have all the 

fun?! So, if you are a supplier, make sure to give Marney a call to secure one of the limited 

editorial opportunities, and if you are a subscriber, you can look forward to unwrapping a 

new year pressie from us in January. Until then, happy Christmas! 

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 

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Milroy House, Sayers Lane, 

Tenterden, TN30 6BW 

01580 848555 

RECEIVE 9 ISSUES FOR £20 

To start a paid subscription, please visit 

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Tally Rix 

Editor / Publisher 

Contents ISSUE 61 – 2023 

Find more expert advice online: 

www.openairbusiness.com 

UPFRONT 

4 News 

6 Product News 

12 Glamping Show 

Review 

14 Entrepreneur’s Chat 

– Vicki Jones, Tractors 

and Cream 

FUNCTION VENUES 

18 Oak Tree Barn – a 

festival-style venue in 

Kent 

23 Keyword Tactics 

– understand and 

use the power of 

keywords 

27 Landscape & 

Exteriors – products 

in action 

31 Professional Services 

– products in action 

GLAMPSITES 

33 Loose Reins – glamp 

like a cowboy in 

Dorset 

39 Winter Bookings – 

boost your bookings 

with a direct email 

strategy 

43 Hot Tubs – products 

in action 

44 Saunas – products in 

action 

EVENTS 

47 ArcTanGent – 5,000 

metalheads in the 

Mendips 

52 Light Magic – trade 

secrets from LCI 

Productions 

57 Heat & Power – 

products in action 

59 Bars & Catering – 

products in action 

60 Spotlight 

62 Classifieds 

65 Behind the Scenes – 

Rentadinosaur 

SUBSCRIBE 

ONLINE 

WINTER 

BOOKINGS 

VENUES 

› Keywords 

› Exteriors 

GLAMPSITES 

› Hot Tubs & Saunas 

› Glamping Show Review 

CASE STUDIES: OAK TREE BARN • LOOSE REINS • ARCTANGENT 

EVENTS 

› Illuminations 


COVER PHOTO 

CoalBunker Glamping Pods offers a seamless, one-stop 

solution for year round glamping accommodation. Made 

from structural insulated panels for a quick build and great 

performance. 

01269 850 224, info@coalbunkerpods.co.uk. 

www.coalbunker.co.uk 

BUSINESS 

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 3

Event Medical 

Association Launches 

The Event Medical Association (or Event 

Medical) is a new body representing medical 

providers working within the events industry. 

Launched at The Showman’s Show in October, 

the organisation is part of a shared vision to 

build stronger foundations within the industry 

and will answer the call to provide events 

with closer, more standardised, and coherent 

working practices. It also addresses incoming 

governance that will regulate the medical 

treatment of attendees at events. 

In its initial stages, Event Medical will sit on 

the NOEA Council and be part of its website, 

benefiting from the support resources 

available through the association. It has 

also been massively supported by seed 

funding from The Showman’s Show, ahead 

of its launch. NOEA will encourage dual 

membership of both associations amongst 

its many members concerned with medical 

support at events. 

Talking on the launch, one of the Event 

Medical Association’s co-founders, Chris 

Howes, said: “The government is looking 

at regulation that will examine the way 

medicine is provided at major events and, 

for us, it’s important that the industry has a 

voice in these discussions. The Event Medical 

Association allows us to do this.” 

Michelin Restaurant adds 

Garden Room Accommodation 

MOOR HALL, the two Michelin-starred 

restaurant with rooms in Lancashire, is 

launching seven cabins in spring 2024. The 

‘garden rooms’ have been created by KOTO 

and will be situated in woodland around the 

restaurant’s gardens. Each unit has its own 

hot tub and has been designed to high eco 

standards. 

Chef patron Mark Birchall has worked 

with KOTO to select seven botanicals 

that will become the names and inspire 

the different designs for each of the new 

Sustainable Travel Trends 

BOOKING.COM’S 2024 trends report has shown that over 

half (53%) of travellers are seeking accommodation that 

blends comfort with innovative sustainability features. 

They crave the serenity of nature indoors, with 65% 

desiring green spaces and plants in their stays. Travellers 

are keen on eco-friendly choices and, even more so, 

on app rewards for making sustainable decisions (60%). 

Authenticity is key, with 47% eager to connect with locals in 

less-travelled areas and 44% venturing into less touristy spots. 

rooms. “Moor Hall is constantly evolving”, 

he says. “Innovation, sustainability, and 

an outstanding guest experience are at 

the heart of everything we do, and I am so 

excited for this next stage in our journey. 

Moor Hall is located in a beautiful setting, 

and it has been a pleasure working with 

KOTO to design new rooms that celebrate 

the surroundings and connect guests to the 

natural world around them.” Prices will start 

from £1,100 for dinner, bed and breakfast 

for two. 

KOTO DESIGN 

KOTO DESIGN 

Leeds Castle adds Lakeside Lodges 

LEEDS CASTLE near Maidstone, Kent, has launched four new 

lakeside lodges with private direct entry to the castle, views over the 

Great Water from a private deck, and a stargazing rooflights above 

the beds. 

Helen Bonser-Wilton, chief executive of the Leeds Castle 

Foundation, said: “Our new Lakeside Lodges will add another 

exciting opportunity for guests to enjoy a luxury stay within the 

grounds of Leeds Castle. 

“The lodges have been meticulously designed to offer a perfect 

blend of modern comfort and luxury, with breathtaking views of the 

picturesque Great Water and the historic Leeds Castle estate. We 

are confident that guests will be captivated by the unrivalled views, 

impeccable service, and the peaceful serenity of their surroundings, 

ensuring an unforgettable stay.” 

4 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM

Waterside 

Lodges 

THE SOUTH Lodge hotel 

in Horsham will launch six 

lakeside lodges and two spa 

lodges in the estate’s 93 acre 

grounds in summer 2024. The 

spa lodges will feature a steam 

shower, outdoor whirlpool 

bath and infrared halotherapy 

sauna. 

Last year, owner Exclusive 

Collection became the first 

hotel group in the UK to 

achieve B Corp certification. 

As part of this ongoing 

commitment, a number of 

planting initiatives are being 

started across the group as 

part of its Land App / Protect 

Earth partnership. 

In March, 1,500 trees over 

four acres were planted at 

South Lodge to extend the 

ancient woodland over time. 

UK Greener Festival Award Finalists 

A GREENER FUTURE (AGF) will once again 

join forces with the UK Festival Awards to 

present The UK Greener Festival Award 2023. 

The top five nominees for the award are 

selected from those who have applied for 

the AGF certification and demonstrated 

outstanding success in reducing their 

environmental impacts and changing the 

industry for the better. 

The 2023 UK Greener Festival Award 

shortlist is: American Express Presents 

BST Hyde Park, Cambridge Folk Festival, 

Greenbelt, Green Gathering and Love Saves 

The Day. 

The festival that scored the highest in the 

AGF’s UK assessments during summer 2023 

will be crowned the winner at The UK Festival 

Awards, held on 5 December at Manchester’s 

Escape to Freight Island. 

All AGF certified events from the UK 

and worldwide will be announced at the 

International AGF Awards during the Green 

Events & Innovations Conference, GEI 16, 

London, on 27 February 2024. 

LOVE SAVES THE DAY 

Guy Ritchie 

WildKitchen 

Partnership 

SURREY HOTEL Beaverbrook has 

announced a partnership with Guy 

Ritchie’s WildKitchen business 

allowing for year-round alfresco dining 

experiences. 

Seating 12-26 guests, the outdoor 

kitchen structure will be located in 

a meadow overlooking the site’s 

woodlands. The structure is the brain 

child of British film-maker Guy Ritchie 

and includes under table heating, a 

copper tabletop to keep plates heated 

and a fully retractable canvas roof and 

sides. 

Ritchie and his business partners 

spent seven years refining numerous 

prototypes for the WildKitchen, which 

also made a cameo in the film ‘The 

Gentlemen’. 

He commented: “You want the 

benefit of the indoors and the 

outdoors, so we made WildKitchen 

completely retractable. If you want to 

furl everything up you are completely 

outdoors within minutes, if the wind or 

rain starts to hit, you just drop the roof 

and you are completely protected from 

the elements. And when the evenings 

get cooler the table keeps you warm”. 

WILD KITCHEN 


PRODUCT 

Woodpecker Modular 

Accommodation 

FOR THOSE of you who visited the Glamping 

Show recently at Stoneleigh Park, you will 

have seen Woodpecker Tubs’ showstopper 

that was created for the event. The product 

was a spacious modular house building 

developed for those looking to add 

accommodation units to their glamping, 

camping or lodge sites. 

The in-house design team have thought 

about everything needed for that moment of 

luxury, with a spacious sleeping area, large 

kitchen and dining area and a full bathroom 

to make holiday escapes special. 

As with all Woodpecker products, the 

unit can be made bespoke depending on a 

customer’s needs. Add more living space, 

an additional bedroom, or take it off-grid. 

Woodpecker prides itself on going the extra 

mile. 

07435 866929, info@woodpeckertubs.co.uk, 

www.woodpeckertubs.co.uk 

Step into a Realm of A-Frame Lodges 

WHEN IT comes to opulent holiday 

accommodations, wanderers are 

progressively in search of distinctive 

and extraordinary architectural styles 

that surpass the norm. The allure of 

these unconventional constructions 

lies in their ability to provide an 

unmatched encounter that is both 

visually mesmerising and unforgettable. 

Outerspace has recently introduced a 

range of SIP (structural insulated panel) 

A-frame lodge kits targeted at luxury 

destinations looking for something out 

of the ordinary that also fulfils several 

sustainable objectives, primarily due to 

their remarkably insulated properties. 

A-Frame holiday lodges not only boast 

stunning aesthetics but also offer a lavish 

and cosy retreat for guests. From their 

efficient insulation to their contemporary 

amenities, these lodges are meticulously 

crafted to provide a superior level of 

comfort and elegance. 

In today’s environmentally aware 

world, sustainable and eco-friendly 

accommodations are gaining 

momentum among luxury vacationers. 

SIP holiday lodges lead the charge in 

sustainable design, featuring a range 

of eco-conscious elements that attract 

environmentally mindful travellers. 

01978 532930, phil.jackson@ 

outerspacegroup.com, 

www.outerspacelife.co.uk 

Is Recycled Aluminium the Future for Pods? 

WHAT COMES to mind when you think about aluminium? For most of us, we tend 

to think about the aluminium foil we use in our kitchens. Aluminium, however, is 

an extremely versatile metal not to be overlooked. 

Aluminium is only 150 years old and was classified as a precious metal during 

the mid-1800s, making it one of the youngest commercial metals. Strong but 

lightweight, it’s just one-third the weight of steel and only takes 5% of the energy 

needed to extract from ore. Also, about 75% of all aluminium ever produced is 

still in use today, thanks to recycling. 

Super flexible, aluminium is resilient to the shock of impact from things like 

wind, which is why the metal is used in manufacturing cars and, more recently, 

outdoor structures. 

The future has arrived with the revolutionary new LOCX system, using recycled 

British aluminium to build strong structural frames of any shape and size. If you 

think your future project could benefit from aluminium, get in touch! 

07767 666999, info@luxurypods.com, www.luxurypods.com 


MARSHALL MEADOWS MANOR 

Riding the 

Waves at Lost 

Shore Surf 

Resort 

LOST SHORE Surf Resort is 

coming to Scotland in 2024, and 

Armadilla will be providing 22 luxury 

accommodation pods when it proudly 

becomes Europe’s largest inland 

surfing resort. 

Based in Edinburgh, this worldclass 

facility will change the 

landscape of Scottish tourism, 

bringing an iconic sport to a new 

inland home, and further establishing 

Scotland as the go-to destination for 

adventure. 

With visitors being attracted from 

all over Scotland, the UK and the rest 

of the world, Lost Shore has invested 

in eleven of Armadilla’s iconic Pods: 

five Waves that sleep up to six people 

and six of its new DDA-compliant Kurv 

products providing differing ecofriendly 

waterside accommodation 

pods that cater for all types of visitor 

needs. 

All Armadilla products provide 

unparalleled levels of comfort with 

smart technology as standard, but 

it is the unique design of each unit 

that will create the biggest impact at 

Lost Shore and the perfect place for 

unwinding after a day on the waves. 

Capable of generating up to 1,000 

waves per hour, Lost Shore will be set 

within a 60-acre country park, offering 

a food market, shopping, and a 

wellness spa alongside the Armadilla 

accommodation units. 

Mark Stewart of Lost Shore Surf 

Resort, said: “Our Armadilla pods 

will help Lost Shore become one 

of the premier tourism and leisure 

destinations in the country.” 

01314 404000, sales@armadilla. 

co.uk, www.armadilla.co.uk 

New Designs from 

Coal Bunker 

COAL BUNKER Pods has released a new portfolio 

of designs for 2023/24. All buildings across its 

garden and leisure range are made with highquality 

structurally insulated panels (SIPs), giving 

builds a robust edge with more longevity than 

conventional timber frame structures. They are 

also fast to build. 

Coal Bunker offers on-site or offsite modular 

builds across the UK and Ireland alongside holiday 

home structures on chassis. 

The third-generation, family-run business 

situated in Carmarthenshire originated in 1971, 

beginning as a coal merchant. The team has 

gained a unique insight into the leisure industry 

over many years and is sensitive to the key 

challenges faced by site owners. The launch 

of Coal Bunker Glamping Pods caters to these, 

offering something different in the market. 

01269 842620, sales@coalbunkerpods.co.uk, 


Recycled Planters in any Size 

Exeter-based DCW Polymers has announced the launch of its new sustainable planters, 

expanding the firm’s popular outdoor products range. The stylish planter can be made in a 

variety of sizes, giving purchasers the option to tailor the planter to fit their own space. 

The planters, made out of 100% recycled plastic collected from UK businesses, are 

available to order now. Well-suited to open-air businesses, the planters are maintenancefree 

and long-lasting. Completely weatherproof, they will not rot, splinter, corrode or ever 

require painting or treating. The planters are also robust and hard-wearing, meaning that 

they are not easily vandalised. 

Simon Almond, managing director, said: “We understand that different planters are 

needed for different spaces, so our team can work with customers to create a planter that 

fits. You even have the option to add small wheels to the bottom of your planter, giving you 

the ability to move it easily.” 

01392 535353, polymers@dcw.co.uk, www.dcwpolymers.co.uk 


PRODUCT 

Stage Bus Scales up Manufacture 

A BLACK Country engineer with a passion for sustainability is 

disrupting the events industry with a new stage innovation. 

Andrew Teverson, who started The Stage Bus in 2006 with 

inheritance money from his grandparents, has used years of 

experience to develop the Stage Box, a stage platform that can 

operate from the back of a truck or as a detachable unit that selfdismounts 

using hydraulic legs. 

Built into a converted 20ft container, the entire stage is solar 

powered, can run for up to eight hours on a full charge, takes less 

than one hour to set up and comes with all the audio-visual and 

PA systems a band or organiser could wish for. 

It can be used for events or festivals attracting up to 5,000 

people and has already been chosen by Battersea Power Station 

to celebrate the King’s Coronation as well as by the London 

Marathon. 

With interest in The Stage Box going through the roof, the 

Halesowen-based entrepreneur is now looking to scale up 

manufacturing to provide the concept for longer-team leases or 

for sale in the UK and overseas. 

It is an ambition that could generate an additional £600,000 in 

revenue and create five new jobs at the firm’s Black Country base. 

0121 585 9264, info@thestagebus.com, 

www.thestagebus.com 

The new AIRSCREEN nano 2m 

AIRSCREEN is thrilled to introduce the latest addition to its 

family – the new AIRSCREEN nano, with a 2m (6.6ft) wide screen. 

It is designed to bring an intimate and captivating cinematic 

experience to guests, both for outdoor and indoor projections. 

Imagine enjoying a movie under the stars by the campfire, on a 

lake shore, by the pool or on the beach. 

Together with laser projectors and stunning sound systems, 

AIRSCREEN offers a complete outdoor movie system for the 

hospitality sector. Cinema in a box. Just take it out, inflate the 

AIRSCREEN and start the projector. Within minutes you can 

create your own cinema under the stars. 

0114 2210295, uk@airscreen.com, www.airscreen.co.uk 

Sale Division Launches 

TO COMPLEMENT the success of its thriving and UK wide shepherds 

hut washroom hire service, the directors of Nomadic Washrooms are 

now pleased to announce the opening of their new sales division, 

which will specialise in the design and construction of bespoke 

shepherds hut toilet and shower facilities for fixed and semi-fixed 

site venues. 

The team brings together years of experience in the provision 

of washroom facilities and bespoke design to recreate its trusted 

washroom concept for more permanent installations. Whether that 

be a shepherds hut toilet block for a fancy gastro pub garden, a 

bespoke shower facility for an expanding campsite or a couple of 

complete shepherds hut bathrooms for that more intimate setting, 

the team has got you covered. 

All Nomadic Washrooms retail shepherds huts are built on 

custom-made steel chassis with authentic-looking ‘cast iron’ style 

wheels. The units are, therefore, movable with a tractor or 4x4 

around a site for ease of installation and winter storage. Each unit 

is built in the same style as their own rental fleet, with a corrugated 

iron external appearance and wooden internal cladding to give that 

rustic look and feel. 

01938 580057, info@nomadicwashrooms.co.uk, 

www.nomadicwashrooms.co.uk 

Demand for 6,000 use Zero Discharge Toilet 

NATSOL IS increasing sales of its stand-alone Zero 

Discharge (ZD) toilet. This is a pump-out toilet, 

not a composting toilet, and is very useful 

on busier public sites. Each toilet can take 

around 6,000 uses. 

This model of toilet was originally 

designed for large facilities such as architectdesigned 

buildings with numerous cubicles. 

But NatSol decided that it could be an 

excellent product for less busy sites where just 

one or two toilets are required. 

This led to the development of the ZD2. This is a 

wheelchair-accessible, non-composting toilet for remote sites where 

no mains sewage is available. Many of these sites do not have water 

either and hand cleansing is by alcohol gel dispensers. 

NatSol often supplies one of its own buildings for these sites. 

Shown in the picture are two such toilets supplied for a village 

green in West Sussex. Ventilation on this type of site is by passive 

ventilation duct. In larger facilities with numerous cubicles, the 

company is more likely to supply a fan-driven vent, but passive 

ventilation works well for individual cubicles. 

Emptying is infrequent and takes place by removal of the toilet 

pedestal. 

01686 412653, andy@natsol.co.uk, www.natsol.co.uk 


SPONSORED FEATURE 

and landscape architects to develop 

schemes that respond to local and national 

targets, mitigate impacts of development 

and protect and enhance local wildlife 

habitats. 

We’re a good business too. Canopy & 

Stars is an independent company, mostly 

employee owned with 24% owned by a 

charitable trust. We’re proud to be amongst 

the highest-scoring travel B Corps in the 

world. 

Canopy & Stars 

Glamping is evolving. Gone are the days where a tent in a 

field is enough. Guests demand and expect more 

CANOPY & STARS has been at the forefront of 

the glamping industry since day one, leading 

the evolution from “glamourous camping” into 

meaningful experiences in nature. 

The market is growing but with this growth 

comes increased competition. New sites have 

to differentiate themselves in an increasingly 

crowded market. 

This is where Canopy & Stars can help. 

With years of experience and data insights, 

our consultancy service is ideally placed to 

help you turn your glamping dreams into a 

profitable business. 

We can offer the following services to make 

sure your business stands out and attracts the 

right guests. 

› Land research reports 

› Viability assessments 

› Full appraisal and business modelling 

› Planning services 

› Architectural design 

SUSTAINABILITY AT EVERY STEP 

At Canopy & Stars, sustainability is about 

more than solar panels or local sourcing, it 

permeates all aspects of our consultancy, 

design and planning services. Our ultimate 

aim is to work with people on projects 

which aren’t merely “low-impact” but 

actually benefit the land they’re built on. 

We encourage our clients to make 

the green choice at every step, in their 

infrastructure and promotion of green 

travel, to the use of renewable and lowcarbon 

energy, all the way through to 

design and interior finishes. We know that 

in the long term this approach results in 

environmental, cultural and economic 

benefits. 

Every project we work on integrates a 

comprehensive and detailed biodiversity 

enhancement plan, delivering biodiversity 

net gain. We work closely with ecologists 

KEEPING YOUR COMPETITIVE EDGE 

Profitability Enhancement – for existing 

businesses 

If your business is already up and 

running, but not performing as you’d 

hoped or how it used to, we can visit 

and provide you with a plan to improve 

occupancy and profitability. We’ll 

troubleshoot problems and provide 

actionable suggestions to enhance your 

offering and jump start your business. 

"We are so pleased with the 

consultancy services that Canopy & Stars 

have provided; we cannot recommend 

them highly enough. The lodges were 

already on site and we had to work with 

the existing structures. From the outset, 

both the business development and 

design team listened to our ideas and 

understood exactly what we were trying 

to achieve…enabling us to put our own 

unique stamp on our project.” 

SUZANNE, SPINDLEWOOD LODGES 

Contact us to find out more 

ideas@canopyandstars.co.uk 

Case Study 

Bracken Treehouse, Joy and Nick Rees 

We worked with Joy and Nick from when they had only trees to the launch 

of their beautiful treehouse. We began with a viability assessment and 

planning support, then kept in touch with informal advice while owner Nick’s 

vision took shape in the build. When the space was ready, we gave pricing 

advice then put our marketing platform to work for a very successful launch. 

› Joined Canopy & Stars August 2022 and achieved 75% total occupancy 

over their first 12 months 

› £194 average nightly rate 

Nick said: “When we were designing Bracken Treehouse, we had a very clear 

vision of how the space should look and feel. However, we felt it would be 

good to get a second opinion from someone who knew the industry inside and 

out – just to make sure we were on the right track! It was really helpful for us 

to understand what might work and what changes would make our treehouse 

more attractive to guests.” 


Innovative products 

for Temporary Structure installations 

• Structure Support and Levelling 

• Modular Steps & Ramps 

• Balustrades 

• Cassette Floors 

• Bespoke Engineering 

+44 121 526 6060 

info@regenteng.com 

www.floorstak.com 

affordable 

sustaina ble 

materials 

eco 

friendly 

Paynetts Farm, Cranbrook Road, 

Goudhurst, Kent, TN17 1DY 

bespoke 

design 

Mobile homes, holiday chalets, log homes. 

All built to your requirements, delivered and 

erected anywhere, we offer builds in round, 

square, cavity and random log up to 360mm 

thick. Houses supplied to meet building 

control regulations. 

Bespoke Design Service 

And Technical Data 

• Mobile Homes 

• Club Houses 

• Country Parks 

• Garden, Studio & Office Buildings 

Finance Options 

To spread the cost of your investment, 

we have partnered with iDeal 4 Finance 

and Town and Country Finance to offer a 

range of finance options to suit your needs, 

including mortgages and short term loans. 

• Sectional Timber Buildings 

• Timber Built Garages 

• Log Cabins 

• Flood Proof Cabins 

The Natural Way To Build 

For more information on all the buildings please visit our website. 

Web: www.timberspecs.co.uk Email: info@timberspecs.com 

Tel: 01580 212141 Mob: 07710 480259 

PLANNING 

HELP 

AVAILABLE 


INDUSTRY UPDATE 

Farm Business Innovation Show 

Don’t miss these exhibitors at the Farm Business Innovation Show on 15-16 November at 

the NEC Birmingham 

OAB’s Top Picks 

Cinderella Eco Stand FM852 

www.leesan.com 

Cinderella incineration toilets 

are designed for cottages, 

leisure homes, and tiny homes 

eliminating the need for water 

supply and sewage connections. 

Made in Norway, these toilets 

consume minimal energy and 

create minimal waste. They 

are engineered for maximum 

efficiency, ensuring 

guests can enjoy a 

comfortable living 

space off-grid. 

Luxury Pods Stand FM220 

www.hexagonluxurylodges.com 

The secret to the strength, speed of construction and custom 

shape of these pods is their steel frames and the patent 

pending LOCX system. This allows any size steel box section or 

steel I-beam to be quickly and securely attached to create any 

size or shape frame. The rest of the construction uses recycled 

British aluminium and eco insulation. 

Natural Habitat Bank Stand FM1043 

www.naturalhabitatbank.co.uk 

Natural Habitat Bank partners with landowners to create biodiverse habitats, aiding 

developers in fulfilling BNG obligations, championing large-scale habitat restoration, 

and ensuring a quantifiable increase in biodiversity. It covers all costs for establishing 

and managing the habitat bank, including legal fees and farming infrastructure. 

SEAN ELLIOTT PHOTOGRAPHY 

Armadilla Accommodation 

Stand FM230 

www.armadilla.co.uk 

Armadilla designs, builds and delivers 

luxury experiential accommodation that 

will transform a site’s offering and wow 

guests. The Pod is the original and iconic 

Armadilla product with a uniquely curved 

form. The Wave is a new addition to the 

Armadilla family – its incomparable shape 

and finish creating a stand out feature in 

any hospitality landscape. 

CoalBunker Glamping Pods 

Stand FM971 


These stylish huts can be custom 

made to order. Whether setting 

up a small exclusive glamping 

experience or a large-scale holiday 

facility, CoalBunker can fabricate a 

range of sizes and designs to suit. 

Its craftsmen and subcontractors 

provide comprehensive glamping 

pod installation services, including 

electric, heating and plumbing. 


INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 

The Glamping Show 

The industry’s favourite show 

THE GLAMPING Show returned to the NAEC 

Stoneleigh in September with another 

successful event and remains the favourite 

expo for those in the alternative and 

outdoor hospitality industry. 

The number of exhibitors increased 

by over 10% compared to 2022 – 118 

companies joined in September, offering a 

huge range of accommodation, services and 

accessories. Exhibitors reported great sales, 

with one company selling hundreds of hot 

tub units across the three days and another 

team selling everything on their stand on 

day one. 

The seminar programme addressed the 

key topics and issues facing the glamping 

sector and beyond. Leaders in the industry 

held 17 sessions held over the three days of 

the show, with topics ranging from “Has the 

Glamping Bubble Burst?” by marketing and 

OTA company Canopy & Stars, to the future 

of hospitality, led by Sarah Riley of Inspired 

Courses. With standing room only, the 

feedback from visitors was fantastic. 

Over 3,000 valuable buyers and decisionmakers 

attended the show, with 25% of 

overall attendance being experienced 

glamping operators hailing from 42 

countries. Stands are already being booked 

for The Glamping Show 2024, with several 

asking for increased space. The location 

at the NAEC in Stoneleigh Park remains 

popular, with strong transport access from 

both air, rail and car. Despite some wet 

weather at the start, exhibitors and visitors 

didn’t let it dampen their spirits – a major 

success for The Glamping Show 2023. 

For information on next year’s event, visit 

www.theglampingshow.com or contact Dan 

Wiseman at dan.w@swanevents.co.uk to 

enquire about booking a stand. 


INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 

OAB’s Top Picks 

Likewise Matting 

www.marqueefloors.co.uk 

The Marquee Floors by William Armes glamping collection has 

some fantastic new products and accessories at affordable 

prices. The luxury faux sheepskin rugs are available in three 

colours and two sizes including large at 180x60cm. Four new 

faux hide designs have also been added along with the new Silk 

Road Rug and Persian Rug Collections. 

Regency Shepherd Huts 

www.regencyshepherdhuts.co.uk 

Regency builds high-end shepherd huts, offering a bespoke 

option to completely custom make any design envisioned – 

particularly important when thinking about the layout of the 

interior. Inside, huts feature handmade kitchens with quartz 

worktops, a bathroom with shower, chunky oak steps and a 

skylight over the bed area. 

Californian Grills 

www.californiangrills.com 

Californian Grills is a Kent 

based fabrication company 

manufacturing steel barbecues 

based upon The Santa Maria 

style grill from central California. 

The grilling rack can be raised 

or lowered by a hand crank 

mechanism to control the 

temperature whilst cooking. 

Bespoke grills can be made for any 

size project. 

Farm Stay UK 

www.farmstay.co.uk 

Farm Stay UK is a membership 

based organisation made up of 

around 400 farm or rural based 

members. Farm Stay UK finances 

its entire operation through 

membership fees boosted, 

wherever possible, by income 

from sponsorship or advertising. 

Through its website and printed 

directory as well as through 

various marketing activities, it 

promotes farm and rural tourism 

in the UK. 

Tree Tents UK 

www.treetents.co.uk 

Tree Tents manufactures sensational wilderness 

cabins, tree houses and glamping structures. They are 

captivating and charismatic, offering guests luxurious 

accommodation that inspires them to reconnect with 

nature. All Tree Tents structures are created in rural 

Sussex by artisans, using largely recycled materials 

with off-cuts upcycled into rucksacks and camping 

equipment. 


PEOPLE 

ENTREPRENEUR’S CHAT 

Vicki Jones 

Cream tea BnB in a fabulous geodome? Vicki and Bryan Jones’ 

impressive family glampsite has grown from humble beginnings 


PEOPLE 

ractors and Cream is a glamping and events site in 

Somerset comprising six glamping domes, a holiday 

cottage and an event dome. It also offers private 

afternoon teas and parties for up to 40 guests, networking 

events, pilates and yoga retreats. 

From the age of five Vicki Jones knew she wanted to 

be a dance teacher and had a burning desire to work 

for herself. Her dad had his own business in the meat 

production industry and entrepreneurism was in her 

blood. “Once I finished my dance degree I started as a self-employed 

dance teacher very much assuming that my business would be a 

dance school,” she says. “During my teacher training, I worked in a 

Gatwick airport hotel and got a love for the hospitality industry. It is 

also where I went on to meet my husband and now business partner 

Bryan.” 

The couple was married in 2008 and in 2011 Bryan was relocated to 

Bristol, which took them from a tiny flat in Surrey to a small holding 

in Somerset. “I had a successful dance teaching career in Surrey 

but when we moved I had no connections, knew nothing about the 

dance schools here and found it really difficult to get a full-time dance 

teaching role,” says Vicki. “I had always made celebration cakes for 

friends and so I thought maybe I could part-time teach and also start 

a business making cakes. I started Bedwell Cottage Cupcakes and also 

got a job at a local dance school.” 

Then along came two children, Annabelle in 2013 and William in 

2015. “William was about two weeks old when we decided to plan 

the business we had been thinking about since we moved here. We 

went through lots of ideas from rearing goats for meat to ice cream 

production but then decided that with our mutual love of hotels we 

would create our own outdoor hotel, aka a glamping site!” 

AFTERNOON TEA EXPERIMENT 

Vicki and Bryan started their application for planning permission and 

while waiting bought a yurt from eBay. “It was a bit of an experiment,” 

says Vicki. “My mum paid for it and it was about £2,000. We put it up 

and offered private afternoon tea experiences in it. We could seat up 

to 16 people so we got lots of hen parties and baby showers which 

were great fun. We needed a name for our business which would 

encompass dance teaching, celebration cakes, afternoon teas in a yurt 

and potentially glamping in the future so came up with Tractors and 

Cream – it was totally random!” 

In 2016 the planning permission came through and two further 

yurts were purchased from Mongolian Yurts Direct. “Again, my lovely 

mum paid for these and we took out a £15,000 loan to get the rest of 

the infrastructure sorted. We opened the glamping site to our first 

guests in May 2017.” 

In total, the couple have invested £150,000 over seven years 

building the site. “We started on a shoestring with help from my 

mum and then each year we have re-invested profits. We keep saying 

we need to stop adding things but we have planning for up to 10 

structures so would like to build at least one more dome! Turnover is 

great, profit is not so great as we keep spending it all on improving the 

site. 

“We have done things really gradually as we didn’t have £150k to do 

it all in one go and I honestly wasn’t sure how many structures I could 

cope with! In our first year we had two yurts up but I had a two and 

four year old to contend with so only ever had one yurt in operation at 

a time. 

“2018 saw me get a bit braver and have both yurts in operation. In 

2019 I got even braver and we tried out a bell tent as a third structure. 

It was an absolute disaster as literally one week after it was up and 

furnished, it came straight back down in a storm! We got it repaired 

but then I didn’t trust it so barely rented it out. That is when we started 

looking for the most wind-resistant canvas structure, which turned 

out to be a geodesic dome. We bought one ready for the super duper 

“WE STARTED ON A 

SHOESTRING WITH 

HELP FROM MY MUM 

AND THEN EACH 

YEAR WE HAVE RE- 

INVESTED PROFITS. 

WE KEEP SAYING 

WE NEED TO STOP 

ADDING THINGS 

BUT WE HAVE 

PLANNING FOR UP 

TO 10 STRUCTURES 

SO WOULD LIKE TO 

BUILD AT LEAST ONE 

MORE DOME!” 


PEOPLE 

2020 season, which turned out to be not so super duper! Luckily in 

2018 we had invested in more shower facilities so managed to get 

the bulk of the summer holiday season in Covid times so it didn’t hit 

us too hard. We also replaced the original afternoon tea yurt with an 

octagonal hut.” 

KEEPING UP WITH THE COMPETITON 

In 2021, with the glamping industry booming and more and more 

sites opening up, Vicki decided to keep up with the competition 

and installed her first en-suite dome, which quickly became the 

most popular structure. “In 2022, we added another even better 

en-suite dome and a 10m event dome as I was also getting asked for 

events for more than 16 people which was the most we could fit in 

the hut. We built a third compact 4.4m dome that year too as extra 

accommodation for groups. 

“We were under pressure from guests for hot tubs but we had no 

mains power, and felt it was a tremendous waste of water which 

went against our eco philosophy, so we decided on outdoor baths, 

one even with jacuzzi bubbles that run off solar power. 

“In 2023 we decided that the yurts had reached the end of their 

lives here and that we were fed up of taking them down every winter, 

so we replaced them with more domes.” 

Vicki says the overarching vision for the site came from Bryan. “He 

could visualise exactly what the site would look like from the air, 

where he wanted trees and woodland, how much space he wanted 

between each structure and what type of guests we wanted to 

attract. The vision for the future is to add our last dome and create 

another events space with our stretch tent. 

“Next year we have our first wedding! I don’t really want to get into 

the world of weddings as we are on the edge of a village and I worry 

about complaints about noise but we had a family come and stay 

last year who loved the place so much they asked if they could have 

their wedding here. I couldn’t say no so plans are in full swing for 

a festival-themed event and I will be doing an afternoon tea as the 

wedding breakfast.” 

YOUTUBE STARS 

When Vicki and Bryan started in 2016, there wasn’t much information 

around about glamping. “ We went and stayed in a yurt in Devon as 

a bit of market research,” says Vicki. “We didn’t really like it much 

so formulated a plan to create a site we would actually be happy to 

stay in, bearing in mind we are not really campers and would always 

choose to stay in hotels! We realised that we needed to be across 

what was happening in the industry so we always go to the Glamping 

Show every year and also read Open Air Business cover to cover!” 

The couple’s YouTube channel has been a huge part of their 

continuing professional development. “We started the channel in 

2020 to document the crazy happenings of running a glamping site, 

but quickly found that we were getting messages from people all 

over the world about how we started our site, asking for tips and 

ideas. Over the last three years we have helped or mentored at 

least 40 people on their glamping business journey, spending hours 

showing them around the site, chatting on Zoom or WhatsApp to 

people in America, Australia, Canada and even Tanzania. We often 

end up visiting people’s sites to follow their story and show off their 

accommodation for the channel. 

“Now here is where I suck as an entrepreneur; we do all this for 

free. Why would you give hours of time for free to people who are 

going to end up in competition with you?! Well, because what we 

both love most is talking to people about glamping, helping them 

not to make the same mistakes we did and hopefully getting the 

Tractors and Cream name out there. 

“We get paid from YouTube with ad revenue but it no where near 

covers the cost of the camera equipment, time travelling to different 

sites or the time I take to edit each video, but we just absolutely love 


PEOPLE 

it and it’s become a hobby that has allowed us to travel all over the 

UK and also to the States for the Glamping Show Americas where 

we helped TruDomes out on their stand. By visiting lots of different 

sites and immersing ourselves in the glamping world we have 

learnt so much about what makes a great site and what guests are 

expecting from a glamping experience in 2023.” 

OPEN TO OPPORTUNITY 

Vicki’s mantra is to take any experience or opportunity that comes 

to you. “Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there because you 

never know what opportunities might come your way.” 

She says she is most proud of building a site that has so many 

repeat customers. “We have the same guests coming back year 

after year and we’ve watched their children grow with our children 

and our site will be a core memory for them for the rest of their 

lives.” 

As with many hospitality entrepreneurs, relaxation doesn’t 

come easy to the family, especially in the summer. “We try to get 

away from the site whenever there is a day with no changeovers 

or events, which is normally a walk outside, National Trust visit or 

similar. Although we are all outside all the time, all four of us enjoy 

a walk somewhere else too! 

“We’ve got so many things we want to do going forwards – 

there is a top secret filming project in the pipeline as part of the 

YouTube channel, which is going to be really good fun, but we are 

also going to add an 8m dome and another 4.4m dome, which 

should complete our build projects. The master long term plan is 

to sell this site in the next 10 years and start a completely new one 

somewhere else, but who knows!” 

Vicki has an idea of what that new site would offer but says the 

details will become clearer nearer the time. “It would be aimed at 

the demographic we would be in at the time. Currently we have 

a site specifically for young families as that’s what we know, but 

in 10 years’ time our kids will be grown and we will be able to 

put ourselves in the shoes of our target customer, if that makes 

sense?” You can’t argue with that logic! 

“WE’VE GOT SO MANY THINGS WE WANT 

TO DO GOING FORWARDS – THERE IS A TOP 

SECRET FILMING PROJECT IN THE PIPELINE 

AS PART OF THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL, 

WHICH IS GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD FUN, 

BUT WE ARE ALSO GOING TO ADD AN 8M 

DOME AND ANOTHER 4.4M DOME, WHICH 

SHOULD COMPLETE OUR BUILD PROJECTS” 

DETAILS 

Tractors and Cream 

Bedwell Cottage, Othery, Bridgwater, Somerset TA7 0QJ 

www.tractorsandcream.co.uk 

www.youtube.com/nvdanceandfitness 

Outdoor Toilets 

and Showers 

• Portable 

• Customisable 

• Quick delivery 

• Instant solution 

www.sheepshed.co.uk • 01865 600400 



CASE STUDY 

Oak Tree Barn 

A seasonal rustic chic venue in west Kent 

We talk to Renee Simpson 

about creating a striking 

festival-style venue with no 

previous experience of the 

hospitality industry 

When did you start your 

venue business and what is its 

history? 

The venue was previously a family 

home with a derelict barn that 

was used for storing farming 

equipment. We fell in love with 

the location and saw its potential. 

We were hoping to open in August 

2020 but due to Covid our first 

wedding was June 2021. 

Tell us about your location 

and site 

We are located in south 

Tonbridge, Kent, just off the A21 

with great access to London and 

the coast. 

We try to be sustainable so 

where possible we have reused 

materials so most of buildings 

“OUR THREE 

OUTDOOR 

BARS ARE 

CONVERTED 

HORSEBOXES 

AND OUR 

MAIN TOILETS 

MAKE 

USE OF A 

CONVERTED 

PRISON VAN” 

are built using reclaimed scaffold 

boards, tin roofing, windows and 

doors. Our three outdoor bars 

are converted horseboxes and 

our main toilets make use of a 

converted prison van. We also 

have an onsite beauty salon and 

hairdressers, where you can book 

beauty treatments, make up and 

bridal hair. 

What facilities for outdoor 

functions do you offer? 

We have an outdoor ceremony 

area “The Love Shack”, a 

multipurpose top hat tipi and 

offer up to seven glamping pods 

for our couples to use for up to 

14 people to stay in, along with 

a three bedroom cottage, The 

Bothy. 


LAUREN BETH PHOTOGRAPHY 

BECKY TRANTER 

What services do you offer? 

Within our wedding package we 

offer three areas to hold your 

wedding ceremony, two outdoors 

- The Loveshack and top hat tipi – 

or indoors within the main barn. 

We include use of four bar areas 

and our staff plus an on the day 

wedding coordinator, who is on 

hand throughout the wedding 

planning process. 

Describe how you researched 

and sourced your structures 

One of the owners, Jamie, 

has extensive knowledge of 

constructing farm buildings and 

years of experience converting 

property. Whilst looking for the 

perfect venue, we contacted the 

relevant authorities to ensure 

that we could obtain permission 

for how we envisaged the venue. 

Within the venue the barn and the 

cottage are permanent buildings 

but everything else is temporary 

and can be taken down or moved. 

How do you work with your 

customers to make their events 

unique? 

From the first viewing we 

discuss their ideas and can offer 

suggestions when needed. From 

the moment they book we are on 

hand to help with any questions 

they may have or for them to bring 

their suppliers for site visits. Our 

in house wedding coordinator 

ensures everything goes to plan 

and is aware of every detail. 

We can provide couples with a 

recommended supplier list of 

businesses who have been to Oak 

GAVIN PHOTO 

Tree Barn but are happy if they 

choose their own suppliers. 

How do you publicise yourself? 

We have a website, Instagram 

and Facebook and are using 

Bridebook, Hitched and Rock My 

Wedding for advertising. 

How would you describe your 

style or unique selling point? 

We are a festival-style venue and 

offer a blank canvas for couples 

to create their special day with. 

We are lucky to have couples with 

wonderful imaginations, so every 

wedding really is unique. 

What challenges have you faced 

historically? 

Covid delayed our opening by 10 

months. 



SAMSONOVS PHOTOGRAPHY 



How large is your team – any 

special people you’d like to 

mention? 

We have six main members of staff 

and then others who help on the 

wedding day. We feel lucky that all 

of our staff are friends who really 

want the best for us, the venue 

and most importantly our couples 

and they go above and beyond in 

everything they do. 

Have you worked with any 

industry bodies or consultants? 

We have used the Wedding Owl. 

She has proven invaluable with her 

knowledge when we were starting 

up and is always on hand with 

advice if we need it. 

What are your plans for next 

season? 

We are constantly evolving and 

making plans for next season 

during our closed season of 

January-March. We have just 

erected a stretch canopy over 

our patio area to create a magical 

enclosed area, so we may extend 

our season into the winter months 

and also offer twilight weddings. 

Describe your average day midseason 

Our season currently runs from 

April to November and event 

days start from 6.30am, when 

hairdressers and suppliers arrive, 

and go on to past midnight and the 

last guests leave the barn. As every 

BECKY TRANTER 

GAVIN PHOTO


ANDREW MARSHALL 

BECKY TRANTER 


wedding is different, we don’t have 

a typical day. 

What do you enjoy about the 

business? 

We feel so privileged to host 

someone’s wedding day and help 

create the memories that will last a 

lifetime for them and their guests. 

Someone described us as an 

experience not a venue. 

What are you most proud of? 

We are so proud that we have 

“WE HAVE 

ENQUIRIES, 

BOOKINGS 

AND GUESTS 

FROM 

AROUND THE 

WORLD AND 

IT AMAZES US 

THAT PEOPLE 

HAVE HEARD 

ABOUT THE 

VENUE” 

built the buildings and business 

from scratch with no previous 

experience of the events or 

hospitality business. We have 

enquiries, bookings and guests 

from around the world and it 

amazes us that people have heard 

about the venue. 

What advice could you give 

to someone coming into the 

industry? 

To do their research with all 

aspects of the wedding and 

hospitality business. To be 

successful, it’s a total commitment 

and you may need to initially 

sacrifice other aspects of your life. 

The rewards definitely outweigh 

the sacrifices though. 

ADDRESS BOOK 

TIPI 

The Tipi Company 

www.thetipicompany.com 

CONSULTANT 

The Wedding Owl 

www.theweddingowl.com 

INSURANCE 

NFU Mutal www.nfumutual.co.uk 

DETAILS 

Oak Tree Barn 

Oak Tree Cottage 

Pembury Rd 

Tonbridge 

Kent, TN11 0NB 

www.oaktreebarnweddings.com 


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Keyword Tactics 

Sam Lloyd explains why keywords are so important to promoting your wedding business 

WITH THE engagement season speedily 

approaching, and the wedding season 

behind you, getting your website to work 

harder for you is a must-do. Why? Because 

from the weekend before Christmas to 

the end of March is the time of the year 

when most couples get engaged, so it’s 

your opportunity to fill your books. If you 

haven’t heard of the engagement season, 

please read my blog! 

One of the ways you can make your 

website work even harder for you is to look 

at the words you have used to describe 

your venue and ask yourself: 

› are the words working hard enough for 

me? 

› are the words up to date? For instance, 

whilst the term bridesmaids is still really 

important, if you want a younger crowd, 

now it’s all about the bride tribe 

› are the words getting you the right 

clients? For instance, do you want 

to start working with a different 

demographic to your typical couple? 

› are your clients motivated by price 

and not the quality of your product or 

service? 

“IN THE WEDDING INDUSTRY, 

WE ARE OFTEN INTERACTING 

WITH CLIENTS WHO HAVE 

NEVER GOT MARRIED 

BEFORE, SO EVERYTHING 

YOU CAN DO TO BUILD 

CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IS 

SO IMPORTANT” 

› is your website on brand? Do your words 

feel personal and reflect your brand or a 

new direction? 

If when you take a reread of your 

website, you say “no” to any of the above 

questions, then it’s time to do some 

serious rewriting. 

WHAT ARE KEYWORDS? 

Keywords are the words or phrases that 

your potential clients are typing into 

search engines, such as Google, right now! 

This is because they are looking to find 

a particular wedding product or service. 

Such as: 

› Wedding venue 

› Wedding venue south east 

› Wedding venue near me 

› Festival wedding venue 

› Marquee wedding venue 

› Sustainable wedding venue 

› Farm wedding venue 

› Wedding venue with accommodation 

As a wedding venue, identifying the right 

keywords that your potential couples are 

searching for should be very important to 

you and tweaking your webpage content, 

and ideally incorporating them into blog 

posts. You, therefore, need to think and start 

to ask questions just like your client would. 

But to stand any chance of being found and, 

harder still, to stand out in the wedding 

industry – a highly crowded marketplace 

– you also need to ensure your website is 

secure and fast to load. 

In the wedding industry, we are often 

interacting with clients who have never got 

married before, so everything you can do to 

build confidence and trust is so important. A 

slow loading, unsecure website would make 

me question the quality and validity of the 

company – would it you? 



TOP TIP 

It’s really not an expensive 

investment to make your website 

secure with an SSL certificate, so 

ask your website host to resolve 

this as a matter of priority. Follow 

this up by reducing the size of 

your images for faster loading 

and then you can concentrate on 

writing better content. 

WHAT KEYWORDS SHOULD I 

RANK ON SEARCH ENGINES 

WITH? 

Some keywords for your venue 

will be obvious but it won’t be a 

surprise to learn that the more 

obvious the keywords the harder 

it is to rank for them (to appear 

higher up on a search engine’s 

results). 

For your website to stand out, 

you next need to identify your 

‘long-tail keywords’ which are 

often defined as any search query 

with four or more words. For 

instance: 

› Broad keywords: Venue 

› Short keywords: Wedding 

venue 

› Medium keywords: Festival 

wedding venue 

› Long-tail keywords: Festival 

wedding venue Kent 

› Longer tail yet: Festival 

wedding venue Kent glamping 

By honing your keywords, you are 

more likely to be found, for example 

by someone specifically looking for 

a festival-style wedding venue with 

glamping accommodation in Kent. 

Once you have identified your 

longtail list of keywords, it is time to 

start planning your blogs for the next 

12 months around them. Remember 

to focus on creating high quality, good 

content built around your keywords; 

by this I mean your blogs must contain 

useful information to help you get 

found. So using the example above, you 

could blog about the top 10 reasons 

why festival-style weddings are such a 

great idea. You could write about the 

props and styling you can offer and how 

your on-site bell tents make the perfect 

accommodation option for guests and 

for couples who want to extend their 

celebrations over a weekend. 

EVENT IN A TENT 

Free Keyword Tools 

Here are some free tools I recommend to help you find your keywords – short and long 

tail: 

› WordStream has a free keyword tool to show number of searches 

› Google auto-suggest. If you type a question into a Google you will notice it autosuggests 

other questions that searchers are inputting 

› Google related searches show you at the bottom of the screen other search criteria 

that previous customers have inputted 

› To create your webpage content, or when writing blogs, if you need some ideas for 

keywords I like https://analytics.moz.com/pro/keyword-explorer 

“REMEMBER TO FOCUS ON CREATING HIGH QUALITY, GOOD 

CONTENT BUILT AROUND YOUR KEYWORDS; BY THIS I MEAN 

YOUR BLOGS MUST CONTAIN USEFUL INFORMATION TO HELP 

YOU GET FOUND” 

WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S 

ON-TREND 

It’s important to stay on trend for changes in 

your sector. If a trend emerges for geodesic 

domes instead of conventional marquees, 

make sure you are not only talking to couples 

about this at your showrounds or at wedding 

fairs but that your website also reflects this 

trend change. So, if for example, you go to 

an industry wedding fair, why not write some 

great copy on the latest marquee structure 

trends – such as ‘Styling ideas for geodesic 

dome structures’ – this shows that you are: 

› taking an active interest in what is 

happening within your own wedding sector 

› giving valuable information, free of 

charge, to couples who might never have 

considered what marquee structure they 

might want 

› helping improve your SEO 

› showing couples that they can trust you as 

you know what you are talking about. 



Increase your pricing by 

changing your keywords! 

If you are getting too many bookings and 

would like to get more quality wedding 

bookings, or you want to increase your 

prices, here is a fantastic infographic from 

brideappeal.com showing how avoiding 

certain keywords can help! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Sam Lloyd is a specialist 

wedding business 

consultant and stylist, 

and the founder of The 

Wedding Owl. She offers 

a free two-hour business 

consultation session where you 

can discuss your areas of concern 

which might include marketing, 

lack of a business plan, improving 

conversion of showrounds to bookings 

and training. Get in touch at info@ 

theweddingowl.com or call 07957 

218340 for chat. 


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CWC Advert (Open Air Magazine).pdf 1 23/02/2021 12:04:51 

Expert 

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M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

• Increase 

profitability 

• Reach your ideal 

customers 

• Maximise sales 

opportunities 

• Streamline your 

processes 

Ideal for the reinforcement of 

parking areas, access tracks, 

pitches etc. at: 

- camping & glamping sites 

- open air event venues 

- country & leisure parks 

www.charlottewinship.com 

07493 350303 / charlotte@charlottewinship.com 

Tel. 01992 522797 

www.perfo.co.uk 



PRODUCT IN FOCUS 

Landscape & Exteriors 

Wasdale Lakehead, Cumbria 

Product: NatSol Zero Discharge Toilets 

Supplier: NatSol, 01686 412653, info@ 

natsol.co.uk, www.natsol.co.uk 

Details: In 2018 the National Trust asked 

NatSol to design and supply waterless 

Zero Discharge toilets for a site at the 

head of Wast Water, Cumbria. This is a 

very busy site for walkers who head up 

the fells. There is also a campsite there, 

but concerns had been raised about the 

existing flush toilet provision and the risk 

of polluting England’s cleanest lake. The 

technology installed to clean the discharge 

had not been reliable. 

NatSol worked with the trust and with 

Crosby Granger Architects who designed 

the building. The project opened to the 

public in July 2020 and the toilets are 

functioning as designed. 

NatSol originally developed the Zero 

Discharge model for The Royal Parks. New 

toilets were needed for a site in the Isabella 

Plantation, Richmond Park, London. These 

Zero Discharge toilets are pumped out by 

vacuum sludge tanker after around 6,000 

uses per toilet. There are now such toilets 

in Wasdale along with several urinals. The 

interconnected tanks collectively contain 

waste from over 50,000 uses. 

NatSol designed the ventilation system 

that makes the cubicles completely odourfree 

under normal operation. The toilet 

pedestals are stainless steel with Corian 

tops and are coated internally with PTFE 

(Teflon). Maintenance is minimal. 

The key to the success of these toilets is 

the ventilation system. There is a single fan 

driving the ventilation. This is connected 

to a manifold from which individual pipes 

connect to each tank. Air is drawn down the 

pedestals and also down the urinal pipes. 

An anemometer can be used to check the 

airflow down each pedestal to ensure that 

this is sufficient to prevent odours escaping 

from the tanks into the cubicles. In order 

to speed up the passage of air through the 

pedestal aperture, and for reasons of child 

safety, NatSol has designed the pedestal 

tops to have narrow apertures. This also 

reduces light transfer into the tank below. 

At the request of the National Trust 

(NT), Natsol also installed an odour filter 

tank in the final stages of the ducting. 

This can take a filter medium if odours 

coming from the final vent termination 

ever become noticeable at ground level. 

So far, no medium has been required. The 

vent pipe termination is at the ridge level of 

the building, and this is well above ground 

level. 

The fan power is around 200W and uses 

around five units daily. This is a reasonable 

cost for a facility of this size. The NT 

reported that it is pumping out around 

four times a year, which equates to around 

100,000 uses, given the size of tanker 

employed. 

Feedback: The National Trust was 

sufficiently pleased with the function 

of the toilets at Wasdale that word got 

around within the organisation, and soon 

after NatSol was asked to supply toilets 

for a similarly sized facility at Bannau 

Brychieniog (formerly the Brecon Beacons). 



Septic Tank vs. Sewerage 

Treatment Plant 

The Septic Tank Store 

01295 236101 

sales@theseptictankstore.co.uk 

www.theseptictankstore.co.uk 

One thing we 

regularly explain 

to clients is 

the difference 

between a septic 

tank and a sewage 

treatment plant. 

Septic tanks 

are usually 

underground 

tanks where 

wastewater flows 

for basic bacterial 

processing. They 

separate the solids 

and liquids, and, 

per the government binding rules, the polluting liquid 

discharges to a drainage field. They don’t need electricity 

and need emptying every six to 12 months. 

Sewage treatment plants are an eco-friendly solution as 

they use naturally occurring bacteria to digest the organic 

matter. The liquid is non-polluting and can normally 

discharge to a stream or a drainage field. Most require 

electricity and need emptying every 12 months; some only 

every three to five years. 

At The Septic Tank Store, we offer a bespoke installation 

service. We are experts in all things ‘poo’ related, and our 

projects can vary from a single glamping unit to a large 

campsite, farm shop or wedding venue. 

Sustainable Outdoor 

Furniture Range 

DCW Polymers 

01392 535353 

polymers@dcw.co.uk 

www.dcwpolymers.co.uk 

Outdoor hospitality 

businesses need to think 

about how they can use 

sustainable products in their 

outdoor spaces. Introducing 

DCW Polymers’ outdoor 

furniture range. 

Combining stylish design with durability, the range includes picnic 

benches, park benches and dining sets handmade by joiners from 

100% recycled British plastics. 

An excellent alternative to timber, wave goodbye to corrosion, rot, 

and splinters. Products are weatherproof, so don’t require painting 

or treating. If your business opens seasonally, enquire about DCW 

Polymers’ long-term rental options, perfect for those who don’t require 

outdoor furniture all year round. 

By purchasing from DCW Polymers, you are not only helping 

keep plastic waste away from landfill, you will be giving back to the 

environment too. For every furniture product sold, DCW Polymers 

plants one tree in Devon. 

DCW Polymers offers UK-wide delivery and all products 

come fully assembled with a 25-year guarantee. 

Instant Heavy-duty 

Ground Protection 

Mudcontrol 

01536 669630 

sales@mudcontrol.co.uk 

www.mudcontrol.co.uk 

Don’t bury your 

investment. Mudcontrol – 

the perfect alternative to 

concrete. 

Mudcontrol slabs are 

revolutionary – a simple 

way to create instant, 

hard-standing for people, 

animals and vehicles, rated 

to 60 tonnes load capacity 

per square metre. 

Used to create instant 

heavy-duty ground protection to create parking, pathways, driveways, 

storage areas, turnouts, feeding stations and much-much more quickly and 

easily with minimal disturbance, Mudcontrol slabs are the answer, solve your 

access issues in a matter of minutes. Make high traffic areas safer and more 

robust for your business. 

New Compact Event Floor 

FloorStak 

07841 069627 

alan@regenteng.com 

www.floorstak 

Designed to minimise costs of transport and storage, 

the new FloorStak Compact Floor is 60% more space 

efficient than conventional cassette flooring systems. 

The attention to panel design and sub-structure 

also means that it is very easy and quick to install – the 

heaviest component is less than 20kg against upwards 

of 40kg for most conventional cassette systems. 

Another great feature is the built-in integration with 

FloorStak support and levelling products, excellent for 

dealing with sloping and uneven terrains. Most lowlevel 

(up to 60cm height), smaller installations can be 

achieved with FloorStak’s i-Stak intermediate supports 

alone, and connection to tent legs using Step-Over 

brackets is really simple. 


CREATING EXPERIENCES THAT YOUR 

GUESTS WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER. 

armadilla.co.uk 

sales@armadilla.co.uk +44 (0)131 440 4000 Photo credit: Marshall Meadows 

https://bit.ly/3ZBdSUg 

https://bit.ly/3iz0JKZ 

https://bit.ly/3FMpXhK 

https://bit.ly/3HxVfdn 

https://bit.ly/3HyIGyK 

sales@glampsan.com 

http://bit.ly/3wjhxc6 

https://bit.ly/3uRi1FC 


01453 767171 

www.bondfabrications.co.uk 

enquiries@bondfabrications.co.uk 

WINNER : Best Safari Tent Manufacturer 

British Design & Manufacture of Bespoke Canvas Structures & Safari Tents 

We offer an unrivalled custom design service with structural engineers reports ensuring our clients take their business forward with 

confidence and ongoing support. From luxury glamping tents to exclusive hospitality lodges and large outdoor event venues, all structures are 

made to order at our Gloucestershire factory with CAD support, exceptional award winning quality and professional service. 

Bond has served the hospitality industry for over 35 years, designing & manufacturing permanent canvas structures with an emphasis on 

clientled design and high performance technical fabrics, alongside traditional British craftsmanship. Call us to discuss your project. 

A SLAB FOR ALL SEASONS 

• Act now and control mud forever • 100% recycled 

heavy plastic • Solid, interlinking, slabs create 

instant hardstanding • Immediately transforms 

and protects the ground beneath • Create access, 

yards & parking exactly where you need them • 

Base & sub-base in one • Removable and reusable 

DON’T BURY YOUR INVESTMENT WITH CONCRETE, 

USE THE ECO, CARBON-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE 

SALES@MUDCONTROL.CO.UK / TEL: 01536 669630 

FOR REVIEWS & 

TESTIMONIALS 

FIND US ON 

FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE 



PRODUCT IN ACTION 

Professional Services 

Hope Farm, Dorset 

Service: Venue consultancy 

Supplier: Charlotte Winship Consulting, 

01884 277306, 

charlotte@charlottewinship.com, 

www.charlottewinship.com 

Details: Hope Farm is an exciting and unique 

venue that offers bright spaces with a rural 

outlook and more modern, edgier interiors. 

Perfect for couples looking for something 

different from the more traditional stone barn 

venues. 

The venue has incredible 360 degree 

views over the surrounding hills and offers 

attractive indoor and outdoor spaces and 

overnight accommodation. 

They are licensed for wedding ceremonies 

of up to 130 guests and limit the number 

of weddings each year to ensure that 

they can give all their couples their 

full attention. 

After viewing the venue and 

speaking with owner Sue Stones, 

Charlotte Winship helped 

identify specific areas they 

could develop the business to 

achieve higher hire revenue and 

help improve their appeal to 

couples including the opportunity 

to develop a second adjacent 

barn which would enable couples to 

enjoy an indoor wedding ceremony in 

wet weather without the disruption of later 

moving furniture for a wedding breakfast. 

Charlotte also undertook market research which 

helped Sue to benchmark Hope Farm against other 

local wedding venues. This determined that there 

was an opportunity to raise their hire fee whilst still 

retaining good value for their clients. 

The website was also in need of a re-vamp so 

Charlotte worked with their web designers to 

produce a new website which would better attract 

new clients. This included writing a detailed brief, 

web content and curating an image gallery. 

Customer feedback: Owner Sue Stones said: 

“Working with Charlotte has provided the contact 

I needed with the outside world of weddings. The 

professional advice given has been invaluable. 

Her attention to detail enabled me to achieve a 

professional website to be proud of and the ability to 

move forward with confidence knowing she is there 

when needed to advise and guide. She is altogether a 

lovely person.” 

Event Teams 

for any Event 

Just Event Services 

01276 590325 

john@justeventservices.co.uk 

www.justeventservices.co.uk 

We provide a comprehensive traffic and parking plan along with 

management for all types of events, small or big. We also supply security, 

man guarding and stewards, employing locals and utilising a core team 

to guide and teach. With over 20 years in the event industry, and seven 

years as an independent supplier, we strive with providing a high quality, 

affordable and personal approach offering solutions for any event. 


Luxury shepherd huts 

crafted by hand, fully bespoke 

to your requirements 

BESPOKE OPTIONS 

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CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR IDEAS 

01531 821599 

regencyshepherdhuts.co.uk 

info@regencyshepherdhuts.co.uk 

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YOUR QUOTE WITH THIS FEATURE 

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10th ANNIVERSARY OFFER! 

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with every en-suite pod order! 

Quote offer code: PODZ10 

premium quality amazing value 

www.podzrus.com 

07767733044

GLAMPSITES 

CASE STUDY 

Loose Reins 

Experience the Wild West in the heart of Dorset 

Following their equestrian 

interests, dressage rider Yasmin 

Wilkes and farrier husband Sam 

moved their respective businesses 

to Ridgeway Farm. Taking over 

the reins of the existing glamping 

site, the couple now have charge 

of three pioneer themed huts 

and three frontier inspired safari 

lodges. We talk to Yasmin. 

What’s your back story- life before 

glamping? 

Sam (my husband) and I met in Winchester 

back in 2016. Sam was deep into the 

world of farriery, apprenticing as a skilled 

horseshoer, while I was pursuing a career 

as a professional dressage horse rider. I 

also managed my breeding stud dedicated 

to top-notch dressage horses. When Sam 

completed his apprenticeship, we settled 

in his home county, Dorset. Sam aimed to 

establish his independent farrier practice 

across the county while I continued as a 

dedicated dressage rider and breeder. After 

several years of this routine and building 

our respective ventures, the idea of finding a 

more permanent base began to take shape. 

This is where Loose Reins entered the scene, 

offering an unexpected turn in our journey 

and steering us into the world of glamping – 

a venture we could never have predicted. 

What made you decide to start offering 

glamping accommodation? 

We were looking for a base where we could 

manage our competition horses and run 

our businesses. We were also interested 

in exploring the camping industry and 

utilising some available land. It was quite a 

specific combination we were after. When 

we stumbled upon Loose Reins, it ticked 

all the boxes and instantly stole our hearts. 

Sam was already familiar with the place 

and often said it was his dream spot. As for 

the opening, Loose Reins had started back 

in 2016, but our adventure began in August 

2020 when we took over the reins, so to 

speak. 

How did you research the business before 

entering it? 

Familiarity, family influences, and personal 

experiences shaped our decision. Sam's 

connection with Loose Reins wasn’t just 

coincidental. He used to frequent the place, 

bringing his younger sister for various 

occasions like birthday treats when it was 

still a western riding school. This exposure 

gave him a first-hand experience of the 

site. The allure of Loose Reins as a splendid 

holiday destination was something that had 

already caught his attention! 

Sam’s stepfather and older brother 

had already ventured into the world of 

hospitality as local hoteliers. This exposure, 

combined with his mother’s involvement in 


GLAMPSITES 

a reputable local riding school, had 

acquainted him with the nuances 

of the hospitality industry and the 

associated lifestyle. 

Interestingly, having a camping 

or glamping site alongside 

their farming enterprises was a 

longstanding goal. Our personal 

experiences also played a role – 

before the pandemic, we frequently 

enjoyed glamping staycations for 

quick getaways. The appeal of a 

serene environment, a home-like 

setting, and a relaxed atmosphere 

has always drawn us to this type of 

experience. 

Tell us about your location 

and site 

Our location is a true gem, nestled 

within a wooded coombe that 

evokes the rugged charm of 

Montana's mountains, adapted to 

the British landscape. Situated at 

the heart of the Blackmoor Vale, 

our expansive 13.5 acre site graces 

a sweeping valley resting on chalk 

soil – a critical factor in maintaining 

impeccable ground drainage, 

particularly during the winter 

months. The site strikes a perfect 

balance, conveniently proximate to 

significant attractions like Studland 

Bay, Lulworth, and the iconic Durdle 

Door. Yet, its rural seclusion offers a 

respite from the bustle of everyday 

life. 

Access is a notable advantage. 

Our location is strategically placed 

near vital routes such as the A303 

and A31, ensuring easy accessibility 

to London and a vast portion of the 

South of England. 

Remarkably, we have yet to 

experience location-related 

challenges. We are seamlessly 

integrated into village life, 

fostering strong relationships with 

local suppliers and agricultural 

producers. The convenience of 

being within walking distance of 

country pubs and shops further 

enhances the guest experience. 

One challenge that merits 

mention is public transport 

accessibility. While our site enjoys 

proximity to local train stations 

like Gillingham and Poole, they are 

still approximately half an hour 

away from us. As a result, most 

of our guests opt to travel by car. 

Fortunately, this hasn’t dimmed the 

appeal of our unique location and 

offerings. 

How did you finance the project? 

We were lucky that we had a good 

mortgage advisor on board to get 

us in the door. Also, the timing was 

such that we could benefit from the 

government’s pandemic grants. 

What glamping accommodation 

do you offer? 

Loose Reins has three shepherd 

huts and three safari lodges. The 

shepherd huts run year-round, 

have been dressed up to fit our 

frontier theme, and are styled as 

ranch cabins. The safari lodges run 

seasonally, April-October, and have 

been similarly styled as pioneer 

lodges. 

What occupancy levels and price 

per night do you achieve? 

Excluding the winter closure of 

our lodges, our overall occupancy 

is around 64%, with cabins being 

between 50-60% and lodges being 

“THE SAFARI 

LODGES RUN 

SEASONALLY, 

APRIL- 

OCTOBER, 

AND HAVE 

BEEN 

SIMILARLY 

STYLED AS 

PIONEER 

LODGES” 

70%. Our cabins range from £125 to 

£250 per night, and our lodges range 

from £175 to £340 per night. 

How did you work out your 

brand and how do you publicise 

yourself? 

Our brand identity is deeply rooted 

in a captivating frontier theme 

inspired by the spirit of the Wild 

West. This distinctive approach 

occupies a unique niche in the 

market. The site’s origins trace 

back to its days as a western riding 

school, aligning perfectly with 

our equestrian background. This 

natural connection and history have 

unequivocally led us to embrace 

and continue this theme. 

In terms of publicity, we’ve 

found that harnessing the power 

of social media has been our most 

effective avenue. It gives us an 

extensive reach to our potential 

guests, allowing us to engage and 

interact meaningfully. Additionally, 

we’ve established a presence on 

various other advertising platforms, 

ensuring comprehensive coverage 

and visibility across multiple 


GLAMPSITES 

channels. This approach maximises 

our chances of attracting a diverse 

audience and generating interest 

that translates into actual visits. 

By strategically combining these 

promotional efforts, we’ve created 

a robust brand presence and 

effectively communicated our 

unique offerings to the world. 

How would you describe your 

ethos and unique selling point? 

At our core, our ethos revolves 

around delivering a serene and 

rejuvenating experience, allowing 

guests to immerse themselves in the 

embrace of nature and rediscover 

a sense of tranquillity. Our primary 

goal is to provide an environment 

where individuals can unwind, 

recharge, and establish a profound 

connection with the natural world. 

What truly sets us apart is 

the marriage of our remarkable 

“WHAT 

TRULY SETS 

US APART 

IS THE 

MARRIAGE 

OF OUR 

REMARKABLE 

LANDSCAPE 

WITH OUR 

DISTINCTIVE 

FRONTIER- 

THEMED 

AESTHETIC 

AND ATMOS- 

PHERE” 

landscape with our distinctive 

frontier-themed aesthetic and 

atmosphere. This harmonious 

blend creates an immersive 

experience that resonates with our 

guests. We also proudly stand out 

as an exceptional destination for 

those travelling with their canine 

companions. With an abundance 

of local trails, securely fenced 

fields, and our genuine affection 

for all things four-legged, Loose 

Reins is an inviting haven for both 

human and canine guests alike. This 

unique combination of elements 

encapsulates our distinctive 

identity in the glamping market 

and exemplifies the warmth and 

authenticity that define us. 

How did you choose your interior 

decoration? 

Given the whole site is frontier and 

Wild West-themed, this continues 

throughout the accommodation. 

Each shepherd hut is set in a 

different era and decorated 

accordingly. Named Ranchers, Gold 

Panners and Trappers, the interior 

decorations reflect their namesake 

heavily. 

What challenges have you faced? 

Undoubtedly, one of the most 

significant challenges we’ve 

confronted was navigating the 

impact of the pandemic. Mere 

months after assuming ownership, 

we faced a lockdown, just as our 

bookings were flourishing due to 

the Covid-driven surge in interest 

in glamping. The uncertainty 

surrounding when we could reopen 

and resume bookings demanded 

strategic management and 

meticulous organisation. 

Amidst all this, we also embraced 

the joyous arrival of our baby, 

coinciding with the reopening in 

2021. Balancing the responsibilities 

of nurturing a young family 

alongside our commitments to our 

other two ventures — one centred 

around horses and the other in 

farriery — added complexity to our 

already dynamic lives. 

It’s safe to say that we thrive on 

staying engaged and active, even in 

the face of tough challenges, a trait 

that keeps us resilient as we chart 

our path in the glamping industry. 


season? 

We have big plans for next season! 

We will be doing some vast 

revamping on one of the lodges, but 

for now, this is top secret, I’m afraid! 

We also plan to offer further extras 

next season and gain our alcohol 

license to sell local wines. 

Describe your average day midseason 

Amid the bustling mid-season, 

our day kicks off by tending to 

our horses, ensuring their wellbeing 

comes first. Simultaneously, 

we quickly check our emails for 

incoming messages from arriving 

guests. As the morning unfolds, 

we set the stage for the day by 

updating the whiteboard in our 

main hub. This board outlines the 

number of guests checking into 

each accommodation unit and 

any additional services they’ve 

requested. Our meticulous 

preparation includes arranging 

extras and assembling welcome 

hampers, ready for the later run. 

Preparations continue with 

organising laundry packs tailored 

to the upcoming arrivals. Our ATV 

is stocked with cleaning essentials, 

laundry supplies, and vacuums 

– a mobile toolkit to facilitate 

the meticulous cleaning process. 

Collaboratively, we strategise 

allocating cleaning tasks among our 

team members, ensuring efficient 

distribution of responsibilities. 

Our dedicated cleaners begin their 

assignments, commencing with 

check-out cleaning at 10am. 

Throughout the day, 

communication flows seamlessly. 

Our cleaners keep us updated 

via messaging apps, relaying any 

crucial information about units or 

replacement requirements. While 

our cleaners are on site, I retreat 

to the office, addressing emails, 

crafting our weekly social media 

strategy, managing bookkeeping 

tasks, and overseeing ongoing 

projects. 

As the afternoon progresses, 

around 3:30pm, the cleaners 

return with the completed cleaning 

packs, marking the beginning 

of the final run. A synchronised 

effort ensues: part of our team 

replenishes supplies for the 

upcoming changeovers, while the 

others distribute logs around the 

site and deliver welcome hampers 

and extras. By 4:30pm, we’re poised 

for the arrival of guests, having 


GLAMPSITES 

attended to all preparations. 

Our day has yet to conclude. 

While Sam and I address any 

remaining animal care tasks, we 

ensure we’re readily available for 

any guest needs. Self-check-in 

procedures are facilitated with the 

information provided beforehand, 

while our contact number remains 

accessible to guests for any initial 

queries. Our commitment to 

guest satisfaction extends into the 

evening as we stand by to address 

any immediate requirements they 

might have. 

Do you enjoy the business? 

Our fondness for the business is 

undeniable, stemming from its 

myriad opportunities for future 

ventures and growth. Embracing 

the glamping world has opened 

doors and brought us in contact 

with a diverse range of guests, 

each with unique stories and 

backgrounds from around the 

world. This aspect of human 

connection resonates deeply with 

them. 

The joy of sharing our own little 

paradise with guests is immensely 

rewarding. Witnessing the delight 

that Loose Reins imparts to people 

during their holidays brings a 

profound sense of fulfilment. 

Facilitating a memorable escape 

and providing a slice of heaven in 

the midst of nature’s beauty is a 

gratifying experience that fuels our 

passion. 

Additionally, the business serves 

as a platform to showcase our other 

pursuits – the world of farriery and 

dressage, as well as our on-site 

horse breeding program. Guests 

can engage with these aspects, 

fostering an environment of shared 

interests and genuine interactions. 

“OUR 

FONDNESS 

FOR THE 

BUSINESS IS 

UNDENIABLE, 

STEMMING 

FROM ITS 

MYRIAD 

OPPORTU- 

NITIES FOR 

FUTURE 

VENTURES 

AND 

GROWTH” 

What are you most proud of? 

What truly fills us with pride is 

our site’s ongoing enhancement 

and evolution. Witnessing the 

continuous progress and the 

tangible improvements we’ve made 

is a constant source of excitement. 

Reflecting on our accomplishments 

and anticipating our future 

endeavours ignites a genuine sense 

of pride. 

We also take immense pride 

in the evolution of our social 

media presence. The journey 

from its inception to its current 

form, including our active 

engagement on platforms like 

TikTok and collaborations with 

travel influencers and bloggers, is 

a testament to our commitment 

to innovation and adaptation. This 

dynamic approach to our online 

presence has yielded tangible 

results, generating booking leads 

and amplifying our reach in 

impactful ways. 

In essence, our pride is woven into 

both the tangible transformation of 

our site and the intangible growth of 

our digital presence, encapsulating 

the collective efforts that have 

propelled Loose Reins to new 

heights. 



industry? 

Stepping into the glamping industry 

is undoubtedly a lifestyle choice 

that demands a genuine passion for 

hosting and creating memorable 

experiences. The essence of 

what you provide – an immersive 

experience – must remain consistent 

for every guest, regardless of 

personal circumstances. This 

dedication to delivering a consistent 

experience is paramount. 

Living on-site has proven to be 

a cornerstone of our approach. 

Engaging with guests while 

managing our day-to-day farm 

responsibilities enhances their 

experience. Our site's functioning 

as a farm isn't just a backdrop; it's a 

key part of what makes us unique. 

Educating guests about our way of 

life adds an extra layer of personal 

connection that resonates deeply. 

Sharing the intricacies of farm 

life, which might be unfamiliar to 

many guests, fosters a sense of 

appreciation and uniqueness. 

This combination of personal 

interaction and showcasing a 

genuine family-driven business 

model adds an unparalleled human 

touch. It distinguishes you from 

impersonal, corporate entities and 

resonates with guests who seek 

authenticity in their glamping 

experience. Remember, people opt 

for glamping to escape the ordinary 

and appreciate the extraordinary 

- it's not about being just another 

number but about feeling truly 

welcomed and valued. 

ADDRESS BOOK 

CABINS 

Plankbridge www.plankbridge.com 

LODGES 

Clear Sky 

www.safaritentsandlodges.com 

HOT TUBS 

Baltic Hot Tubs 

www.baltichottubs.co.uk 

Cotswold Eco-Tubs 

www.cotswoldecotubs.co.uk 

DETAILS 

Loose Reins, Ridgeway Farm 

Lanchards Lane, Shillingstone 

Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 0TF 

01258 863533 

www.loosereins.co.uk 


When Nature Calls 

Complete waste handling 

No need for waste tank 

Child safe operation 

Does not use water 

Produces only 

clean ash 

Only LeeSan 

truly specialise 

in toilets 

sales@leesan.com 

T: 01295 770000 

Our journey starts and 

ends with you! 

Contact Us 

info@woodpeckertubs.co.uk 

07435866929 



HEAT YOUR HOT TUB 

IN UNDER AN HOUR!* 

Glamping Pods | Tiny Houses | Mobile Cabins 

PORTABLE 

RAPID WATER 

HEATER 

FE ATUR ES IN C LU D E : 

• From 5.5P per kWh!** 

We craft beautiful spaces, providing a tailored service 

from initial design ideas to project completion. 

www.bespokehideouts.com 

hello@bespokehideouts.com 

instagram: bespokehideouts 

07703387322 

• Heats 20x faster than typical 

3kW electric spa 

• High efficiency 60kW diesel boiler 

• Compact portable unit 

• Runs on diesel or kerosene 

Manufactured in Britain. UKCA/CE 

Complies with UK and European health, 

safety and environmental protection 

standards. 

**operating cost based on Kerosene 28 

(heating oil) at £0.77/L. Price correct at time 

of printing 7/10/23 (source: boilerjuice.com) 

Please contact 

info@hydro-heater.co.uk 

0203 457 0343 / 07968 162 659 

www.hydro-heater.co.uk 

* in tests the Hydro Heater heated a 1200L spa from 

8-46°C in 45 mins (ambient temperature 18°C)

GLAMPSITES 

Driving Winter Bookings 

GETTY IMAGES 

How direct email marketing can boost your winter bookings, with advice from Sarah Orchard 

WINTER CAN be a tough time for 

glampsite owners, especially in colder or 

wetter climates. But don't worry, if you are 

staying open, there are plenty of things 

you can do to boost your bookings and 

make the most of the low season. 

One of the best ways to do this is to 

build and nurture your email list. This list 

is a direct line to your ideal guests and is 

one of the most powerful marketing tools 

for driving direct bookings. 

Let’s face it, the digital landscape is like 

a scary rollercoaster, and the algorithms 

of social media platforms can be as 

unpredictable as the British weather. One 

moment you’re riding high and the next, 

poof! Your account can disappear in a 

blink of an eye – seriously, it's not unheard 

of (I’ve spoken to two hosts this week who 

have lost their hard nurtured Instagram 

accounts) and can destroy businesses 

overnight. Or even more commonly, you 

feel like you are posting away and simply 

no one is seeing your messages. 

That’s why having a solid email list is the 

key to safeguarding your business from the 

“IT’S A DIRECT LINE TO 

A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE, 

YOUR IDEAL GUESTS WHO 

ARE EAGERLY WAITING A 

REASON TO GET AWAY 

FROM THEIR DAILY GRIND 

FOR A FEW DAYS” 

fickle whims of social media algorithms. 

It’s a direct line to a captive audience, your 

ideal guests who are eagerly waiting a 

reason to get away from their daily grind 

for a few days. 

WHY IS AN EMAIL LIST SO CRUCIAL? 

An email list is important for many reasons 

including: 

› Unfiltered connection: Emails land 

directly in your guests’ inboxes, 

bypassing the noisy social media 

landscape. This means that your 

messages are more likely to be seen and 

read. Who keeps on top of every social 

media notification these days? It’s so 

easy for people to miss your best bits. 

› Own your audience: Your email list is 

yours, and you’re not beholden to the 

whims of social media algorithms. This 

means you can reach your audience 

whenever you want without worrying 

about your reach being limited. 

› Boost your direct bookings: When you 

have a direct line to your audience, you 

can influence their booking decisions. 

You can send them exclusive offers, 

early access to new dates, and other 

incentives to book directly with you. 

TOP TIPS FOR BUILDING A POWERFUL 

EMAIL LIST 

There are a few things you can do to build 

your email list: 

› Offer irresistible incentives: People 

love freebies, so offer something of 

value to your potential subscribers. This 

could be a discount on their next stay, 

a free guide to the local area, or early 

access to popular dates. 


GLAMPSITES 

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› Create engaging content: 

Don’t just send your subscriber’s sales 

pitches. Instead, focus on creating 

valuable and interesting content. This 

could include blog posts, videos, or 

email updates that share behind-thescenes 

glimpses, local tips, and stories. 

› Promote your email list on your 

website and social media: 

Make it easy for people to sign up for 

your email list by adding opt-in forms to 

your website and social media accounts. 

You can also promote your email list 

in your marketing materials, such as 

brochures and flyers, digital guest guide, 

or on a QR code in your accommodation. 

TIPS FOR USING YOUR EMAIL LIST TO 

BOOST WINTER BOOKINGS 

Once you’ve built a healthy email list, 

you can start using it to boost your winter 

“MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE 

TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR 

EMAIL LIST BY ADDING 

OPT-IN FORMS TO YOUR 

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA 

ACCOUNTS” 

bookings. Here are a few tips: 

› Segment your list: Segment your email 

list based on different factors, such as 

location, interests, and past booking 

behaviour. This will allow you to send 

your subscribers more targeted and 

relevant messages. 

› Send seasonal content: Highlight the 

unique winter experiences that your 

glamping site has to offer. This could 

include snuggling up in front of the wood 

burner, enjoying a winter campfire, or 

taking a hot tub dip in the rain or snow! 

› Offer special winter promotions: 

Offer your email subscribers exclusive 

discounts, packages, and other 

incentives to book a winter stay. 

› Create a sense of urgency: Use 

scarcity and urgency to encourage your 

subscribers to book now. For example, 

you could offer a limited-time discount 

or early access to popular dates. 

› Make it easy to book: Include a clear 

call to action in all your emails, and 

make it easy for your subscribers to book 

directly with you. You can use a booking 

link or button in your email signature 

or add a booking widget to your email 

newsletter. 


GLAMPSITES 

Other Tips for Boosting Winter Bookings 

SEASONAL SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT 

Social media is excellent for sharing 

seasonal content and promoting your 

winter glamping experiences. Here are a 

few tips: 

› Use high-quality photos and videos: 

Social media is all about visuals, so 

make sure to use high-quality photos 

and videos of your glamping site and 

the winter focused experience and 

activities that you offer. 

› Tell stories: People love stories, so 

use your social media posts to tell 

stories about your glamping site and 

your guests’ winter experiences. 

› Use relevant hashtags: When you 

use relevant hashtags, your posts will 

be seen by more people interested in 

glamping and winter activities. 

› Run social media contests and 

giveaways: Contests and giveaways 

are a great way to engage your 

audience and generate excitement 

about your glamping site. 

› Use paid ads: Paid ads (Meta or 

TikTok) can be a great way to reach 

a wider audience and promote your 

winter glamping experiences. When 

setting up your ads, be sure to target 

people who are interested in glamping 

and getting outdoors. 

REAL LIFE SEASONAL CONTENT 

› Partner with local 

businesses: Partner with local 

businesses to offer your guests 

exclusive discounts and offers. For 

example, you could partner with your 

local pub to offer your guests a bonus 

when they book in for a meal. 

› Host winter events: Host winterthemed 

events at your glamping site to 

attract new guests and create a sense 

of community. For example bonfire 

night, winter feasting, winter wellbeing 

activities (sauna, ice bath etc) or 

Christmas wreath making. 

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Winter can certainly be a challenging 

time for glampsites if you remain open, 

but it doesn't have to be impossible. By 

utilising these tips and ensuring you're 

marketing your business consistently, 

you can make your winter bookings as 

buoyant as any other time of year. 


Sarah Orchard is an 

award-winning marketer, 

Amazon bestselling author 

and host of one of the most 

sought-after treehouses (The 

Hudnalls Hideout) in the UK, 

who works with other ambitious hosts 

to help them master their marketing 

to increase their direct bookings to get 

more profit in their pocket. The Hideout 

is 100% book direct and Sarah has 

saved £65,000 in commission in just 

three years! 

Sarah’s free guide “My 5 Proven Ways to 

Get More Direct Bookings” includes key 

marketing tactics to help you get more 

direct bookings and more profit into 

your pocket. Visit go.get-fully-booked. 

com/visibility-boost-guide 


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Details: Forest Holidays’ site at Keldy sits on the edge of the North 

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Hydro Heater has delivered a fleet of its revolutionary portable 

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The Hydro Heater’s typical one-hour heat-up time means that 

Forest Holidays can now guarantee guests that their hot tub will 

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The Hydro Heater’s 60kW output will heat a hot tub 20 times faster 

than a typical electric heater, with operating costs from 5.5p per kWh. 

Feedback: Ryan Birchnall, product quality manager at Forest Holidays, 

said: “The introduction of the Hydro Heaters will mean substantial savings 

in time and energy costs to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds per year on 

each of the parks.” 


GLAMPSITES 

Norseman Round Cube 

Logspan 

01389 500950 

austin@logspan.com 

www.logspan.com 

The Norseman Round Cube is an exclusive premium outdoor 

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The Terrace Sauna 

Woodpecker Tubs 

07435 866929 

info@woodpeckertubs.co.uk 


One of our latest products to enter the marketplace is the 

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The design of the Terrace sauna came from an idea one of 

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To find out more about our bespoke, handcrafted saunas, hot 

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The Nordic Misty Small 

Kirami UK 

01748 889303 

www.kiramiuk.com 

Custom Cabins – Saunas, 

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Bespoke Hideouts 

07703 387322 

hello@bespokehideouts.com 

www.bespokehideouts.com 

Check out this kitchen cabin. Bespoke Hideouts custom 

cabins can be used to create all sorts of spaces to help 

support your site. The prep kitchen here is used to support 

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EVENTS 

JEZ PENNINGTON 

CASE STUDY 

ArcTanGent 

A leftfield music festival attracting 12,000 metalheads to an 

eco-farm in the Mendip Hills 

We talk to organiser 

James Scarlett about 

his curation of an event 

celebrating niche rock, 

managing five stages, 

overcoming a hiccup with 

the police and growing 

to achieve an 18% profit 

margin. 

Describe your event and how many 

people it attracts? 

ArcTanGent Festival (also known as ATG) 

is a 12,000 capacity leftfield music festival 

located in the Mendip Hills. The main 

musical genres covered are post-rock, prog, 

math-rock, post-metal and noise rock. 

Explain a bit about your venue and your 

history with it 

The venue is Fernhill Eco-Farm in Compton 

Martin, Somerset. For 99% of the year it is 

home to pigs, cows and sheep. It is quite an 

interesting venue (www.fernhill-farm.co.uk). 

What is the event’s history? 

ATG started in 2013 at 5,000 capacity and has 

run every year since (apart from two years 

off for Covid). 

Two of the organising team (myself and 

Simon Maltas) also run 2000trees. ATG was 

started as a leftfield offshoot that aimed 

to explore some other genres (namely 

post-rock and math-rock). At the time it was 

a unique festival in the UK marketplace, 

although a few copycats have sprung up 

since. 

How does the relationship work with the 

venue you hold the event at? 

We pay Andy and Jen (the farmers at 

Fernhill) to rent the land for approximately 

three weeks a year. In theory we return 

the farm to them exactly as we found it, 


EVENTS 

although that can be tricky in 

a wet year! Andy also regularly 

helps us out onsite with use of 

his telehandler and other farm 

machinery. We couldn’t do it 

without their support. 

How is your relationship 

with the local authority and 

community? 

In the first year of ATG, our 

relationship with the local 

authority was a little tricky. 

They also look after Glastonbury 

Festival, which is obviously a 

vastly different beast to ATG. 

They expected all the same 

paperwork and detail that they 

would get from Glastonbury. This 

was extremely time consuming 

and caused one big fall out with 

the police. We’re all good now 

though and the relationship is 

excellent – they know that we are 

professionals and stay within the 

confines of our license (particularly 

with regards to noise). 

I think the community are quite 

fascinated by 12,000 “metalheads” 

turning up in their village. 

The closest houses all get free 

tickets and quite a few of them 

come along and take a look/listen 

while drinking an ice cold beer. 

How have you planned the 

layout of the event? 

The main structures used are stage 

marquees (through Carlinden) – 

due to the often bad weather, even 

our Main Stage is in a marquee. We 

also used South West Marquees for 

DEREK BREMNER 

JONATHAN DODDS 

SNAP ROCK AND POP 



EVENTS 



clearspan tents for bars, dressing 

rooms etc. All are hired. The only 

thing we have purchased is three 

or four Gala Tents, which are far 

from ideal if it gets windy. 

The layout of the event site is 

based on one principal, namely 

enabling the punters to see as 

many bands as possible. Therefore 

it is a very compact site in terms 

of the arena. There are five stages 

that alternate back and forwards 

(three on, two off then three off, 

two on). 

How do you work with creatives 

to make these spaces work? 

We have an excellent inhouse 

site decoration team lead by Dan 

Roblin. He works all year round to 

make the site look and feel great. 

“THE ENTER- 

TAINMENT IS 

ALMOST EN- 

TIRELY MUSIC 

FOCUSSED. 

WE HAVE 

AROUND 

120 BANDS 

PLAYING 

ACROSS THE 

FIVE STAGES 

SPREAD OVER 

THREE AND 

A HALF DAYS 

(WEDNESDAY 

TO SATUR- 

DAY)” 

with help from my booking 

assistant Mitchell Bell. Most of the 

artists on our line-up have booking 

agents and it is through them that 

bookings are made. The line-up 

is selected to have a spread of the 

key genres we focus on. 

In addition to bands we have 

a silent disco every night and on 

stage podcast/panel discussions in 

the mornings. 

What provisions do you make for 

power, lights and sound? 

Power, lights and sound are 

all provided by Peak Hire from 

Cheltenham. There are no 

particular challenges, although 

obviously 100% of this needs to be 

brought in on trucks (there’s a lot 

of generators and distribution!). 

There are a few challenges on 

sound. The type of bands the 

play ATG have very technical and 

specific requirements. 

How do you manage admissions 

and visitor safety? 

Like most events, admissions are 

via an electronic ticket which is 

exchanged for a wristband at the 

entrance. 

Visitor safety is looked after 

by our excellent health & safety 

team headed up by Rob Haworth 

(otherwise know as Rob Safety). 

www.eventsafetyplan.com 

How did you cope during 2020 

and 2021? 

COVID was tough. We had 2020 

and 2021 off and only survived 

How did you research and source 

your infrastructure? 

As noted above we use Carlinden 

and South West Marquees. The 

stage marquees are particularly 

difficult to source as there are 

very few quality suppliers in the 

industry. Carlinden are really 

excellent and I would highly 

recommend them. We do not 

source flooring for anything other 

than our first aid tent. 

What entertainment do you offer 

and how did you choose and 

source it? 

The entertainment is almost 

entirely music focussed. We have 

around 120 bands playing across 

the five stages spread over three 

and a half days (Wednesday to 

Saturday). I book all the bands 



EVENTS 




because we raised over £100k in 

a crowdfunder and also received 

a grant through the Cultural 

Recovery Fund. A lot of lessons 

were learnt during this time, not 

least how to communicate that 

cancellation of a festival to 12,000 

people. Hopefully a skill we’ll 

never need to use again! 

What ground protection do you 

use for cars and footfall? 

We hire trackway Box Panels 

from EPS. These are used for car 

parks and other areas of heavy 

traffic. EPS also supplies us with 

track matting which is used in 

backstage areas and to help with 

the trader get in. 

We do not have ground 

protection for footfall. If it rains, it 

gets muddy! 

How do you publicise the event? 

We have an inhouse marketing 

team (consisting of the 

aforementioned Simon, Mitch 

plus Danielle Battersby). They 

are supported by the brilliant 

Greenhouse Group (social media) 

and Good As Gold (press). 

We also do a lot of online 

advertising, plus some physical 

advertising via Out of Hand. 

DEREK BREMNER 

“I THINK 

THE MAIN 

CHALLENG- 

ES ANY 

MUSICAL 

FESTIVAL 

FACES ARE 

RISING 

COSTS AND 

INCREASED 

COMPE- 

TITION. IT 

CAN MAKE 

BALANCING 

THE BUDGET 

VERY 

TRICKY” 

What additional challenges have 

you faced? 

I think the main challenges any 

musical festival faces are rising 

costs and increased competition. 

It can make balancing the budget 

very tricky. 

How have you financed the 

event and how profitable is it? 

Each event is financed almost 

entirely through the ticket sales 

(we receive 90% upfront) and runs 

at a profit margin between 7% and 

18% depending on the year. 


year? 

More of the same. After a tough 

start we’ve had three really good 

years (2019, 2022, 2023) and 

are happy with where we’re at. 

Ultimately a festival like ATG can 

only grow so big due to the niche 

nature of the musical genres. 



industry? 

Don’t start a festival unless you 

have a unique idea that you are 

confident people will buy tickets 

for. The market is saturated by 

identikit indie-rock festivals! 

ADDRESS BOOK 

MARQUEES 

Carlinden www.carlinden.co.uk 

South West Marquees 

www.southwestmarquees.com 

STAGES 

DM Stages www.dmstages.com 

POWER 

Peak Hire www.peakhire.co.uk 

BARS 

Really Good Bars 

www.reallygoodbars.com 

GROUND PROTECTION 

EPS www.eps.net 

TICKETING 

DICE www.dice.fm 

SECURITY 

Vespasian 

www.vespasiansecurity.co.uk 

DETAILS 

15-18 August 2024 

ArcTanGent 

Fernhill Farm 

Cheddar Road 

Compton Martin 

Somerset 

Bristol, BS40 6LD 

www.arctangent.co.uk 



EVENTS 

ERIC AYDIN BARBERINI 

Light Magic 

Rob Paul, design director at LCI Productions, on lighting up the season with festive displays 

AS THE days grow shorter and the 

temperature drops, there’s a magical 

transformation that takes place across 

the UK. The streets come alive with a 

kaleidoscope of colours, and the darkness 

of winter is illuminated by the warm and 

inviting glow of festive lights. 

From grand displays gracing stately 

homes to enchanting illuminations along 

forest trails, seasonal light displays have 

evolved into an annual tradition that bring 

joy and wonder to whoever visits them. 

These immersive displays serve to 

extend the seasonal charm of outdoor 

destinations, helping to generate additional 

and second gate revenue streams and 

further elevating the allure of their location. 

In this article, we’ll explore the art of 

winter illumination and delve into the best 

practices for creating captivating displays 

that not only light up the season, but 

also help to generate additional value to 

destinations. 

If you’ve ever experienced a light trail, 

you know that you’re in for a visual delight. 

“IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT 

FOR YOU TO HAVE A CLEAR 

IDEA OF WHAT YOU’D LIKE 

TO ACCOMPLISH, SO THAT 

EVENT DESIGNERS LIKE 

US CAN HELP BRING YOUR 

VISION TO LIFE” 

These enchanting displays captivate the 

senses and transport guests to a world of 

wonder. 

As experiential designers, we have seen 

first-hand the power that these installations 

can have to create memorable experiences 

that leave a lasting impression and keep 

guests coming back for more. However, 

there are some key things to keep in mind 

before you start planning your installation. 

Preparation is key after all, and you 

wouldn’t want your experience to flop once 

the gates are open. 

HAVE A CLEAR CONCEPT IN MIND 

First, before you begin the design process, 

it’s important to have a clear concept in 

mind. This concept should be based on a 

central theme or idea that ties everything 

together. This will help ensure that all 

of the elements of the installation work 

cohesively to create a seamless guest 

experience. It’s also important for you 

to have a clear idea of what you’d like to 

accomplish, so that event designers like us 

can help bring your vision to life. 

CONSIDER LOCATION 

The space in which the installation will 

be displayed is a critical element of the 

design process. It’s important to consider 

the size and layout of the space whether 

it will be held outdoor or indoor, as well 

as any unique features or limitations. This 

will help ensure that the installation is 

tailored to the specific space and that it 

takes advantage of any unique features or 

opportunities. 


EVENTS 

CASE STUDY 

Windsor Great Park 

Illuminated 

One of our notable light trail experiences 

was created for Windsor Great Park. This 

second edition of the Windsor Great Park 

Illuminated seasonal light trail showcased 

an innovative and imaginative design. This 

took place across 2.2km of the forest. 

Our brief from IMG events was to take 

the concept from last year and improve 

the flow across the geography of the site, 

make a bigger impact and add the ‘wow 

factor’. This was a unique site to work with 

because you get amazing views across the 

whole vista that you don’t get with other 

trails. We wanted to work with that and 

ensure that both visually and through the 

narrative, guests were always drawn to the 

next experience and looking across the trail 

in anticipation. 

We wanted to keep fan favourites, 

such as the sea of light, a 69m by 16m 

display created using 96-pixel chains each 

consisting of 300 LED lights, and transform 

other areas to give them more intrigue. 

As a result, the trail had 11 distinct 

zones. These included elements that 

you would expect from a traditional light 

trail, including LED beacons, architectural 

lighting and pixel chains, with creative and 

interactive show experiences including 

hydro screens, aquatic and 3D projection 

mapping, immersive holograms of forest 

creatures, holographic floating fairies and 

interactive motion tracked fireflies. 

the visitor flow, it helped to add a layer of 

depth to the overall experience. Visitors 

are not simply moving from one attraction 

to another; they are actively participating 

in a narrative journey. Each scene and 

storyline unfolds in a way that guides guests 

organically from one point to the next. This 

keeps them engaged and eager to discover 

what awaits them around the corner. 

TECHNICAL DESIGN AND DELIVERY 

We delivered the full audio, visual and 

lighting production, including technical 

design, concept creation, original media 

and audio scores, installation, show 

programming and onsite maintenance 

throughout the live dates. 

Notable features throughout the trail 

included ‘Lake View,’ which featured 

illuminated water fountains. There was also 

a water screen that showcased a festive 

display of Santa and Christmas elves. 

Other highlights of the trail consisted of 

a fairy disco, an LED tunnel of light, and a 

projection-mapped ‘Dreaming Tree’. LCI 

incorporated interactivity in the Firefly 

Forest, with an infrared camera detecting 

the motion of approaching guests. 

We are currently on site setting up this 

year’s Windsor Great Park illuminated with 

many new features and a new IP! We’ve 

gone bigger and bolder and we’re using our 

experience from last year to make the event 

even better than before. 

The site opens to the public on the 16 

November until the 2 January 2024. 

Windsor Great Park 

Illuminated 

ENGAGE IN ALL THE SENSES 

To craft an unforgettable experience, 

immersive installations must captivate 

every sense. Achieving this requires a 

harmonious blend of lighting, sound 

and interactive components. When all 

the senses are engaged in unison, the 

installation can have a profound impact 

on its audience. 

USE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY 

The use of projection mapping, 

generative content, VR/AR or 

interactivity can help bring your 

experience to the next level. However, 

it’s important to use technology in 

a way that enhances the experience 

rather than detracting from it, or 

making it overcomplicated. The 

technology should be seamlessly 

integrated into the installation and 

should not feel forced or out of place. It 

should cohesively fit with your overall 

theme and give visitors the opportunity 

to be a part of its narrative. 

STORYTELLING IS KEY 

Storytelling was a crucial addition for 

the 2022 trail. There wasn’t a specific IP 

or existing narrative, but we wanted to 

introduce elements of storytelling with 

characters that appear throughout 

the trail, to create a connected and 

memorable experience that would 

capture the guest’s imagination. 

By integrating storytelling into 




EVENTS 

CASE STUDY 

CASE STUDY 

Halloween at Hampton Court 

Palace 

This year, we’ve joined forces with Pastporte to 

create a truly mesmerising projection-mapped 

experience for Halloween at Hampton Court. This 

will be our third time working with the palace to 

create such an event. 

This multimedia AV solution is split into eight 

different sections across various rooms throughout 

the palace. We used different AV technologies to 

cast eerie projections of former palace residence 

and buried workmen within the palace walls. The 

experience also showcases frightening moving 

portraits and retellings of the darkest of ghost 

stories, a dedicated ‘Séance’ projection area, that 

recalls the fated night of Anne Boleyn's beheading, 

projections of the three witches of Macbeth and a 

crazed alchemist who meddles with dark magic. 

This collaboration has resulted in a one-of-akind 

experience, immersing visitors in a world of 

Halloween, but also gives them a different insight 

into the history behind the palace. 

A UK First 

Our expertise extends beyond light trails. With over 20 years of 

experience in the entertainment industry, we’ve helped design and 

install various attractions worldwide. Our portfolio includes several 

immersive experiences. For example, the UK’s first permanently 

installed 3D projection mapping on a high street in Boscombe. 

We created this innovative attraction in collaboration with 

Bournemouth Towns Fund. It showcases regularly updated shows 

and has transformed the space into a multifunctional destination. 

The show launched with a ‘Love Boscombe’ theme for Valentine’s 

Day. It featured 3D content that floated above the surface including 

hearts moving across the screen, pulsating, spinning and circling 

around the building. Images that represent the Boscombe seafront 

and artwork from local residents also came to life. 

The experience has been future-proofed and designed so that the 

content and show can be regularly updated. Different shows will 

take place throughout the year. Live sports can also be streamed, 

creating the ultimate immersive viewing experience on the side of 

the building. 

We’ve recently updated it so that it showcases Halloween 

content in time for the spooky season. This includes ‘coastal 

critters’, a concept we designed that involves different monster 

characters that are projected onto the screen and showcases their 

story. This is part of a larger project which is happening around 

Boscombe. Whereby these characters are brought to life in lifesize 

form and displayed across the town centre. The ‘Bezerker’ is hiding 

somewhere at the Sovereigns Centre, a ‘Chomper’ on Boscombe 

Specsavers, ‘Goofs’ landing on the Art Depot, a ‘Howler’ at Lyfe and 

a ‘Tentacle takeover’ in Southbourne. 


Rob Paul uses a blend of multidisciplinary talents to 

create stand-out shows, with a particular focus on 

projection mapping, pixel mapping, Laser FX, audiovisual 

installations, water screens, fountain displays, interactive 

displays and AR and VR technologies. His unique concepts 

have been delivered in diverse environments from visitor 

attractions, events, museums, live music shows, immersive experiences, 

guerrilla marketing campaigns and flagship retail and brand activations. 

Rob has an eclectic client mix collaborating with leading industry names 

including Boeing, Vogue, Norman Foster, Warner Brothers, Merlin 

Entertainment, Longleat, Historic Royal Palaces and Bentley. www. 

lciproductions.com 


FORT PV 

THE UK’S FIRST ALL-IN-ONE SOLAR BATTERY 

The new high performance, clean energy 

battery from Lifos 

Comes packed with 3.4kW of solar power 

Ideal for off grid usage such as camp sites, 

festivals, concerts & sports events 

www.lifos.co.uk 

T 01952 200198 E hello@lifos.co.uk 

Increasing footfall, 

business & happiness! 

Rent a Dinosaur 

Top Quality! 

IKEA 

“incredible 

success” 

HUGE 

& 

Small Clients 

Theatrical musical 

Dino Shows! 

Friendly - flexible - fun! 


ISSUE 51 | 2022 | www.openairbusiness.com 


BUSINESS 

ISSUE 46 | October/November 2021 | www.openairbusiness.com 

BUSINESS 

BESPOKE GLAMPING 

ISSUE 49 | March/April 2022 | www.openairbusiness.com 

EVENT STRUCTURES 



› Outdoor Ceremonies 

GLAMPSITES 

› Compost Toilets 

› Booking Systems 

EVENTS 

› Seeing Red 

› Total Immersion 

BUSINESS 

INFRASTRUCTURE 


› Sharing Snaps 

› Kitchen Efficiencies 

GLAMPSITES 

› Architects 

› Natural Pools 

EVENTS 

› Green Hydrogen 

› Tent Waste 

GLAMPING 

SHOW 

PREVIEW 


› Accommodation 

› Eco Marketing 

GLAMPSITES 

› Research 

› Sewage Strategy 

EVENTS 

› Stage Build 

› Ticketing 

BUSINESS 

FUNCTION 

VENUES 

› Pricing 

› Websites 

GLAMPSITES 

› Business Rates 

› Building Regulations 

EVENTS 

› Reusable Cups 

› Festival Costs 


STRUCTURES 


Tim Bowles -Campwell 

BUSINESS 


/ / 

GLAMPSITES 

EVENTS 

› Shoot Styling 

› Logo Protection 

› Insurance 

› Saying Thanks 

› Treehouse Builds 

› Going Hybrid 

CASE STUDIES: 

ROKA BELLA ROSE WEDDINGS • THE MEADOWS AT POLEHANGER • BURRS LIVE 

CASE STUDIES: 

GREEN & AWAY • BIRDHOLME GLAMPING • SHREWSBURY FOOD FESTIVAL 

CASE STUDIES: 

SYCHPWLL CENTRE • BROOK FARM SHEPHERD HUTS • IRLAM LIVE 


Derry Green - The Secret Garden Glamping 

› Derry Green - The Secret Garden Glamping 

CASE STUDIES: 

HYDE ESTATE WILD GARDENS • BROCKLOCH ECO RETREAT • TRAMLINES FESTIVAL 

CASE STUDIES: 

OLD OAK FARM • DRAGONFLY CAMPING • TORCHLIGHT FESTIVAL OF CAMPING 

INSPIRED? 

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EVENTS 


Heat & Power 

One Stop Shop for Audio, Power 

and Lighting 

Essential Supplies 

01752 817140 

sales@essentialsupplies.co.uk 

www.essentialsupplies.co.uk 

Pretty much everything technical you need to run events 

from a marquee. If you are a venue with your own 

structure then Essential Supplies is your one-stop-shop 

for power distribution, audio and lighting, as well as 

marquee rigging and accessories. You can order online 

or over the phone, and next day delivery is free for orders 

over £150. 

For power, this company has a large range of temporary 

power supplies using components from Mennekes and 

Eaton. As well as a range of stock power distribution 

boards, it can create boards to any specification, from 16A 

to 800A. They are lightweight, weatherproof and feature a 

unique stacking system with sunken components. 

Showman’s 

Show, Berkshire 

Product: Lifos Fort PV 

battery energy storage 

system including solar 

panels 

Supplier: Lifos Advanced 

Battery Technology, 

01952 200198, 

hello@lifos.co.uk, 

www.lifos.co.uk 

Details: The Showman’s Show B2B expo showcase every product 

an event organiser may need; from electrics, to power to glamping 

structures, to bouncy castles – everything! 

Lifos was asked by Essential Supplies to provide grid-free power to 

the front of its expo stand where their existing power supply could not 

provide the required power for the company’s products. The Lifos Fort 

was able to provide power for external space heaters, LED screens and 

multiple other devices throughout the expo. 

Thermobile UK 

02476 357960 

andy@thermobile.co.uk 

www.thermobile.co.uk 

Thermobile heaters are manufactured in Holland 

and built to a very high quality. They have a 

minimum efficiency of 90 per cent, which means 

that 90 per cent of the fuel burned goes as useful 

heat into the heated space and only 10 per 

cent via the flue. This is a very high efficiency in 

comparison to other heaters on the market. 

The Thermobile ITA range is ideal for heating 

marquees and other temporary structures. It 

comprises small, mobile units with a 5-10m range 

for ducting and 15hr integral fuel tanks. The larger 

IMA units require a separate fuel tank and can be 

ducted up to 40m. 

Feedback: Adrian Williams, MD of Lifos, worked with the client to ensure 

the company understood the power demand correctly and supplied 

the right specification of Fort PV. Although the weather conditions were 

constant rain, the solar panels provided useful recharging capability for 

the Fort batteries to ensure the load was constantly powered through 

every day of the expo. This power was provided without noise, emissions 

or running costs. 


WOW - FACTOR 

Let us transform your garden to create memories 

PROFESSIONAL & RELIABLE 

www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk 

0121 740 1385 or 07826 843 099 

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

@TentickleUK 

@Tentickle_UK 

TentickleUK 


EVENTS 


Bars & Catering 

Sleek Curves for any Event 

Alternative Stretch Tents 

01920 830256 

info@alternative-stretch.co.uk 

www.alternative-stretch-tents.co.uk 

Alternative Stretch Tents provides sleek curves to any event and venue across 

the UK. Whether it’s a 6x10m patio tent or a 15x64m festival tent, Alternative 

Stretch Tents can usually find a solution within their 7000+ sqm of premium 

hire stock. Contact them today for a chat about your next project. 

Helping Eliminate Single 

Use Plastic from Events 

Green Goblet 

01278 238390 

info@green-goblet.com 

www.green-goblet.com 

We’re on a mission to save the planet one 

reusable cup at a time. We are the UK’s 

leading producer and supplier of reusable 

cups, coffee cups and food-ware. All of 

our reusable cups can be customised to 

suit your brand or event. Transitioning to 

reusable cups couldn’t be easier no matter 

how big or small your event is. Whether 

you’re looking to eliminate single-use plastic 

from a stadium or offer your wedding day 

guests the perfect reusable souvenir, we’ve 

got you covered. 

Bespoke Structures 

with the LOCX System 

Luxury Pods 

07767 666999 

info@luxurypods.com 

www.luxurypods.com 

If you’ve ever wondered how to go 

about creating your own bespoke bar 

or any other structure for events – the 

LOCX system makes this possible for 

the first time. It’s simple, you tell us 

the shape and size, we design and 

create it in a matter of days. 

Our patented system uses bespoke 

aluminium extrusions and LOCX 

connectors to create a super-strong 

structural frame which can be clad 

with aluminium composite panels, 

timber, ply, canvas, etc. 

The LOCX system uses 100% British 

recycled aluminium, designed and 

made in the UK. Easy to assemble 

and disassemble, maintenance free, 

flatpack and lightweight for ease of 

transportation and storage. 

Visit us at the Farm Business 

Innovation Show (15-16 November) 

and see for yourself the amazing LOCX 

system in action. Contact us with your 

project ideas – we design and create 

the strong framework! 

Cellar-in-a-Box 

CORE Bar and Event Hire 

0845 299 6499 

sales@core-barandeventhire.com 

www.core-barandeventhire.com 

The CORE ‘Wheel-Inn Cellar-in-a-box’ kit 

is a mobile fully featured cellar set up that 

allows you to dispense kegged beers and 

ciders whenever and wherever needed – 

in minutes! 

Easily integrated into CORE’s modular 

bar solution (pictured), it means you 

can have a professional bar set up for 

any event irrespective of location. The 

CORE ‘Wheel-Inn Cellar-in-a-box’ kit can 

dispense up to three different drinks and 

ensures that professionally dispensed, ice 

cold beverages can be served so you are 

not limited to only bottled drinks. 

The kit is ideal for any situation where 

you need to serve kegged beers and 

ciders in a temporary location without 

the need for expert installation crews. 

Kits are available to purchase or rent by 

contacting the friendly CORE team. 


Spot light 

A roundup of products for the outdoor hospitality industry 

MAXIMISE VIEWS WITH THE 

MUNRO 

Podz R Us 

07767 733044 

sales@podzrus.com 

www.podzrus.com 

The stand-out feature of our Munro 

pod has to be the full height and 

width glass front. If you have a 

location with a stunning outlook, 

this is the best way to view it, 

no matter the outside weather 

conditions. 

The pod comes complete with a 

full-sized double bed, kitchen area 

and en-suite. The layout offers a 

spacious interior living area and a 

partitioned-off sleeping zone for 

some extra privacy. There's a fullsized 

shower in the bathroom too. 

Like all our pods, the Munro is fully 

insulated and double-glazed. With 

the addition of underfloor heating, 

it is suitable for use all year round. 

TRUSTED BRITISH MANUFACTURER 

Bond Fabrications 

01453 767171 



Trusted British design and 

manufacture for over 35 years... 

from permanent glamping tents 

through to huge, exclusive event 

venues. We specialise in custom 

solutions for our clients who want 

something a little special. With 

several frame types to choose 

from and high-performance 

fabrics, we work closely with 

you to create unique structures 

with the help of structural 

engineers where necessary and 

the skill and expertise of our 

wonderful production team at our 

Gloucestershire factory. 

Beautiful bespoke canvas 

structures, safari tents of all sizes 

and specialist technical knowhow 

with a proven reputation 

throughout the UK outdoor 

hospitality industry. 

PREMIUM BESPOKE SERVICE 

Regency Shepherd Huts 

07807 072080 

info@regencyshepherdhuts.co.uk 

www.regencyshepherdhuts.co.uk 

Regency Shepherd Huts offer a fully 

premium bespoke service. Each hut 

can be different in terms of size, 

style, content and colours. When 

it comes to the designing part, we 

like to receive as much input as we 

can from our customers. This builds 

a picture of what the final product 

will look like. 

The two main cladding types 

we cater for are green oak and 

wriggly tin – which comes in a 

variety of colours. In the interior 

of a Regency hut, you will find 

sumptuous features such as 

a handmade kitchen, quartz 

worktops, hardwood windows and 

doors, chunky oak steps, bedroom 

skylights and pop-up TVs. Please 

get in touch with your ideas. 

ICONIC DESIGN 

Armadilla 

0131 440 4000 

sales@armadilla.co.uk 

www.armadilla.co.uk 

Armadilla designs and manufactures 

unique, luxury accommodation 

units for the hospitality sector 

across the UK and Europe from its 

facility in Edinburgh. Renowned 

for its pod series with a distinctive 

curved shape, Armadilla’s designs 

seamlessly blend into both 

traditional and contemporary 

settings. 

Known for their eco-friendly 

features, energy efficiency and 

integrated smart technology, each 

design promises a proven return on 

investment. The relatively recent 

Wave series, launched two years 

ago, has swiftly earned its status 

as a design classic, maintaining 

all the luxury elements of its 

predecessors but offering more 

space, accommodating up to four in 

luxurious comfort. 


SOUNDPROOF KARAOKE BOOTHS 

SingPods 

020 3886 1344 

hello@singpods.com 

www.singpods.com 

For venues, festivals and holiday 

parks, SingPod is your ultimate 

entertainment solution. Our 

soundproof karaoke booths deliver 

unmatched fun and revenue potential. 

Consider the SingPod a permanent 

addition to your site or as a captivating 

addition to your events lineup. 

SingPod offers non-stop karaoke 

excitement, keeping your visitors 

engaged and entertained throughout 

the day and night in a soundproof 

pod. 

Install SingPod as a permanent 

attraction to generate extra income 

with pay-to-play. 

Attract festival-goers with a unique 

karaoke experience, enhancing 

the overall festival atmosphere or 

enhance your holiday park experience 

by offering SingPod as a memorable, 

family-friendly activity. 

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF ECO 

BUILDINGS 

Outerspace Group 

01978 532930 

hello@outerspacegroup.com 

www.outerspacelife.co.uk 

Outerspace has recently launched 

a dedicated inspiration website 

(www.outerspacelife.co.uk) for 

modern luxury buildings that 

include garden rooms, home 

offices, bespoke glamping pods, 

bespoke holiday lodges, A-Frame 

lodges, SIP house extensions, 

annexes, modular classrooms, 

home gyms, bars and outdoor 

dining. 

Outerspace Life’s mission is to 

inspire, promote planet-friendly 

ideas, talk about nature, health 

and wellbeing, and connect people 

with reputable installers. 

We can introduce you to a 

reputable installer who can build 

both on-site or off-site depending 

on your needs. 

PERFO GROUND REINFORCEMENT 

SYSTEM 

S2T Group 

01992 522797 

www.perfo.co.uk 

S2T Group’s PERFO range of ground 

protection products comprises 

a system of interlocking, selfanchoring 

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. 

NEW CONCEPT FLAT PACK 

SHEPHERDS HUTS 

Into The Wild UK 

sales@intothewild.com 

www.intothewild.com 

Following multiple requests from 

customers, Into the Wild UK has 

developed an ingenious shepherds hut 

that arrives in flat pack format. This 

follows people’s frustration of not being 

able to manoeuvre regular transport 

into difficult areas such as into the 

middle of dense woodland, by a lake 

or river or through a three foot wide 

access to a property in a city centre. 

These clever huts can be carried piece 

by piece by two people and erected 

in just eight hours on average. Quality 

is not compromised and sections are 

pre-made with insulation, a painted 

interior, plug sockets, lighting points 

and double glazed hardwood windows 

and door. 

The standard size is 12x7 feet and the 

initial offering price is £18,500 + VAT. 

Delivery and assembly can be arranged 

for an additional fee. 

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 61

Classified Directory 

C RE® 

BAR& EVENTHIRE 

STYLISH CUSTOMISABLE BAR RENTAL 

01453 767171 



DRY HIRE OR FULL SERVICE 

T: 0845 299 6499 - E: sales@core-barandeventhire.com 

www.core-barandeventhire.com 

FOR 

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BUSINESS 

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Are you on the list? 

BUSINESS 

Little 

Black 

Book 

2024 

The must have supplier guide 

Sent to Open Air Business Subscribers 

£20/year = 8 issues 

www.openairbusiness.com/subscribe

PEOPLE 

Behind the Scenes 

Anna Littler 

Wonder what it’s like to work with some of the 

world’s largest dinosaur puppets? We hear from 

Anna Littler, the creative director at Rentadinosaur 

I’M THE creative director of Rentadinosaur 

– and also a chief Dinosaur Wrangler. We do 

dinosaur events all over the UK and beyond, 

and when we’re touring with the dinos I’m 

the director and producer of the A team (the 

Anna team), which may have three to 30 

puppeteers (and three to 35 Dinosaurs). I’m 

also a Dino Baby puppeteer – often with the 

adorable Peepo, the baby Parasaurolophus! 

Back in the office I oversee the fun stuff. 

Anything and everything to do with making 

our Dinosaur events a success – developing 

new ideas, writing shows and songs, sales 

and marketing, strategic planning, liaising 

and brainstorming with clients and lovely 

logistics. 

Over eight years ago my partner, Chris 

Coulson, announced out of the blue that 

he was thinking of buying a dinosaur. A 

4.5 metre long T.rex puppet! An Australian 

dino show had been at the O2 and Chris 

was hugely impressed by their realistic 

movements. He had an IT and film business 

and was interested in mechanics, and he 

loved the idea of making other people go 

‘wow’ too. 

I was working on a theatrical song 

project for children at the time and had 

previously worked in marketing and as a 

charity manager. My first question was ‘how 

much competition is there?’ We did lots of 

research and combined our skillsets and 

Rentadinosaur was hatched – one of the first 

in the country. 

My charity work had involved helping 

street children and children with disabilities 

overseas and I was always passionate about 

finding ways to help make children happy 

and boost their confidence. I never imagined 

I would be working with dinosaurs but they 

definitely bring happiness and our shows are 

uplifting and exciting, as well as educational. 

I always start the day with a huge mug of 

tea, as an office day is usually non-stop. After 

running through priorities and any exciting 

updates with my team, I might jump from 

writing a big proposal for a potential client 

at a castle, racecourse or council, to zooming 

with established farm park or festival clients 

to ensure everything’s on track for the 

following week’s events. I may need to sign 

off a film promo for social media, finalise the 

crazy logistics for four vehicles for five to 10 

events, and see if we can squeeze in a lastminute 

booking! There’s always one… 

I’ll often make coffees at intervals and take 

the opportunity to do a few lunges or star 

jumps (and hope no one sees me). I usually 

sing in the kitchen too, often experimenting 

with the lyrics or melody for my latest 

dinosaur song. Sometimes the cats sing 

along too! I sometimes visit some venues 

to do a recce and discuss the all-important 

logistics but a recent highlight was being 

allowed to hold a baby meerkat that was 

being hand reared. A furry perk of the job. 

A DAY IN THE LIFE 

A dino day involves lots of cups of tea, 

four theatrical dino shows or interactive 

walkabouts 

At the moment we have teams of 

puppeteers doing our scary and sweet 

Spookysaurus Shows – bringing seasonal 

excitement to farm parks, town centre 

BIDs and shopping centres, and we’re also 

arranging bookings with clients for our 

super Santasaurus Show, festive walkabouts 

events and Christmas Parades starring the 

Santasaurus and little baby Elfosauruses. 

A personal highlight this year was the huge 

production of my brand new stage musical, 

Jurassica Spectacular! It premiered at 

Bromley’s Churchill Theatre to three sold out 

performances to more than 2,000 people. It 

was magical! Starring lots of huge dinosaurs 

and adorable Dino Babies, the catchy fun 

songs and musical show have been a great 

hit. So we’re thrilled to be in discussions 

with some partners to bring Jurassica 

Spectacular! to both indoor theatres and

PEOPLE 

outdoor events in 2024. More venues 

welcome! 

Our company is now preparing for its nine 

year in the dinosaur entertainment business 

and we’ve grown massively year on year, so 

we’ve an expanding team but all squeezed 

into a small home office. Managing growth is 

an exciting challenge. This year we’ve added 

one and a half staff members and we’ve 

rented double the storage space nearby to 

store props and dinosaurs. We may need a 

third container soon, as we always want to 

re-invest in brand new dinosaurs. Although 

the storage is invaluable, it’s a 20-30 minute 

drive, so is not perfect, as I don’t like to waste 

time when we’re so busy! 

RIDING DINOS 

We recently worked for Radio X with Chris 

Moyles, who had arranged a surprise 

challenge for his colleague Dom Byrne to ride 

one of our ‘riding dinosaurs’, Neo, around 

Leicester Square. It was live on Radio X and 

being filmed for those watching online, so I 

was careful not to get in front of the cameras. 

Neo the naughty Neovenator (or its rider) 

suddenly decided to go into McDonalds to 

try to get some breakfast. Most places love 

this madness and will snap photos for their 

Instagram but the rogue dinosaur didn’t 

give me chance to do a recce! The staff and 

customers were loving it! But the very young 

manager’s eyes popped out of her head, and 

she seemed quite bewildered by the huge 

dinosaur invading their premises. So it was 

sent away with his tail between his legs. For 

me it was both hilarious and nerve-wracking 

watching the comical rogue DJ causing a 

little havoc on his runaway dino as I had to 

be the sensible adult! 

Rentadinosaur is often the key innovator in 

the field – with team members often creating 

or guiding new designs of dinosaurs and 

especially creating fun theatrical shows for 

outdoor theatre – always with a big song and 

dance number to finish. 

We have a great working atmosphere 

and even at very busy times, when we’re 

“OUR TEAMS OF EXCELLENT PUPPETEERS ARE FREELANCERS, 

PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED IN COMEDY, CREATURE ACTING, 

MUSICAL THEATRE AND PUPPETRY” 

sometimes loading four vans of dinos and 

props for several events, someone will often 

put on a silly hat, or surprise someone with 

a squeaky rubber chicken just to make 

everyone laugh, which can transform a 

potentially stressful situation! 

Our teams of excellent puppeteers 

are freelancers, professionally trained in 

comedy, creature acting, musical theatre and 

puppetry. An essential part of Rentadinosaur, 

they are a talented team, passionate about 

creating top quality theatre especially for 

our young audiences – and for the adults 

too. When they’re having madcap fun on 

stage with silly sneaky cheeky dinosaurs, the 

excitement is simply contagious. 

We sometimes have to bring small 

dinosaurs in the office if we’re testing new 

ideas or doing repairs. We’ve even had a 4.5 

metre long T.rex in the office which definitely 

tested our parkour skills! Sometimes you’ll 

also find our two office cats snuggling next to 

a baby dinosaur. 

My colleagues compete for kitty cuddles 

and the cats certainly add to the office 

mischief and laughter. The tomcat will 

steal your sandwiches, but he’s also a great 

‘therapy cat’ on a madly busy day. Our job 

adverts always include: Must love dinosaurs 

and cats. 

In terms of my most proud moments, it 

has to be when setting up a project to create 

special memories by bringing dinosaurs to 

children in children’s hospices, SEN projects 

and hospitals, including Great Ormond 

Street. 

Also I love seeing 100s or 1,000s of children 

beaming from ear to ear, as they join us in 

our dino arena to perform my song and 

dance ‘Can you Floss with a Velociraptor? 

They leave buzzing as they’re so proud that 

they’ve taken part in the show. 

BEST JOB IN THE WORLD 

At events when people see me having a blast 

with some cheeky dinosaurs, people often 

tell me I’ve got the best job in the world – and 

they’re right! Dino events days are absolutely 

thrilling and rewarding. There’s so much 

preparation and hard work in advance but 

there’s such a buzz when you see your clients 

brimming with delight and the huge crowds 

loving the interactive sell-out shows. A recent 

testimonial from IKEA: “Super Impressed! 

Management were absolutely gob-smacked! 

Thanks for creating such a buzz!” We’ve had 

five bookings with them now with more 

ahead. 

I love the variety too. In the school 

holidays we recently worked with both IKEA 

and Deliveroo, as well as a farm park, a 

shopping centre, a heritage railway, a BID, a 

council, Ascot Racecourse, a hot air balloon 

festival, a theme park and a huge three-day 

festival, where our dinosaurs met Will Young 

and Fleur East! 

I’m a mad ideas person who loves making 

those ideas become a reality – to bring 

funny, exciting, educational and musical 

entertainment to people all over the UK, and 

especially to children. Bringing smiles and 

laughter is what it’s all about for me – thanks 

to a little bit of dino magic and mischief! 

There’s not much better than parading down 

Chester High Street on a Saturday afternoon 

along with thousands of happy people and 

the biggest Stegosaurus in the world! 

DETAILS 

Rentadinosaur 

01689 862825 / 07757 162114 

info@rentadinosaur.co.uk 

www.rentadinosaur.co.uk 


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Issue 61

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