Tag: events

Events are back!

Thursday 24 February 2022 by Amazing News Editor

If you’re looking for available tickets for the confirmed festivals this summer, you’ll discover that Glastonbury is sold out, Creamfields is sold out, Reading Festival only has day passes remaining and Creamfields South has just a few tickets up for grabs too – get on those waiting lists now!

That’s before we start to look at the likes of Camp Bestival, Greenbelt and all the other fabulous festivals dotted around the UK, which are planned alongside a host of university balls, weddings and parties – it looks like we’re in for one Amazing (pun intended) summer of fun. Pull on your wellies, don your festival gear and glitter your faces…

That said, the return of events and festivals will certainly bring some learnings from the last couple of years. These are the musings from our team for the summer of 2022:

In-person events will be social and creative

Despite some hybrid events still being around, we do expect there to be a surge in in-person events such as outdoor festivals and concerts, where there is plenty of space and fresh air. People are keen to socialise in person, make up for lost time and host those events that just couldn’t be done in the same way online. For that reason, we expect in-person events to be more creative with a focus on experiences – something that online events simply can’t recreate in the same way.

Focus on sanitation and cleanliness will continue

Even once restrictions are relaxed, we predict that there will be a continued focus on sanitation and cleanliness. People are much more conscious of hygiene after two years of being constantly reminded, and the expectations of cleanliness will continue. This might mean extra toilet facilities at festivals, or hand sanitiser dispensers remaining a feature at events for the foreseeable future.

Contactless will still be king

From QR codes to virtual check-in, e-tickets and cashless bars, we expect the contactless ways of the last few years to continue. These processes have been particularly useful during social distancing, but have also proved their worth in efficiency, reducing costs and reduced waste.

The pandemic accelerated an already established trend towards more digital and contactless solutions for events. We expect that things like e-tickets are here to stay.

Reducing environmental impact

One of the benefits of events being online has been the reduced environmental impact – from less travel to less plastic packaging. This will all be on the minds of those running events, but also for attendees. We are much more aware of our impact than we were a few years ago, and all much more concerned with reducing our plastic waste and carbon footprint. We expect to see event organisers focus even more on reducing single-use plastics and looking for ways to off-set the carbon footprint of the event, such as Glastonbury’s ‘Love The Farm’ initiative, encouraging festival goers to ‘reuse, reduce, respect.’

In summary outdoor festivals and events are definitely back for 2022 and our #SaddleSpan tents will be found on site at:

Creamfields

Creamfields South

BBC Big Weekend, Coventry

The VET Festival

With more to follow…

We look forward to seeing you out there!

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The SaddleSpan is the perfect party tent

Monday 20 December 2021 by Amazing News Editor

If you’re looking for a great, bespoke event space to hold your party, why not consider a SaddleSpan event tent? Our tents offer the wow factor for any event and make it a memorable experience, as well as offering flexibility that is hard to find in a traditional event space.

Here are a few other reasons our SaddleSpan event tents could be the ultimate event space or party venue for you:

We can assemble it almost anywhere
All we need to put up a SaddleSpan tent enough space. We can erect our event tents in a wide range of different locations, from car parks and large gardens to fields and even the grounds of stately homes. They can be put up on a variety of surfaces, including grass and concrete. We recommend you find out how much space you have to work with ahead of hiring your SaddleSpan so we can make sure you hire the right size tent for the space. We also suggest you leave a little space for us to set it up, and for any additional equipment you might need.

It’s modular, so we can make the shape work whatever your event
We can completely customise the shape and layout of our tents to meet the requirements of your event. From adding a marquee for caterers to work from, to opening out the sides to make the most of a beautiful setting or allowing ventilation. One of the best advantages of a SaddleSpan, however, is the option to create zones within the tent. This could include space for a bar area, or a dance floor; perhaps you need space for a buffet, or a chillout area as well as a dining space and a conference area? All this is possible within one tent – our team can talk you through and carefully design the best layout for you.

It has all the space you need
In our SaddleSpans you can accommodate many more guests than most interior spaces. Although there is a maximum capacity for each tent and configuration, they are larger than average indoor event spaces. This means the sky is the limit with how big you can go with your party, making it perfect for a memorable event.

It’s a blank canvas
Despite being such a large space, SaddleSpans are perfect for customising, the large white interior is the ideal blank canvas. From hanging banners, to laying click-together flooring, rig lighting to hanging screens, the options are endless, and can be absolutely spectacular. You can make your event truly customised in a way that would not be possible in a conventional venue.

A SaddleSpan could be the perfect space, giving you the flexibility and wow factor to make a very memorable event. Don’t forget to consider what size tent you need – our recent blog highlights all the factors to take into consideration: Hiring the right size tent

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Hiring the right size tent

Wednesday 27 October 2021 by Amazing News Editor

Making sure you hire the right size event tent can seem daunting, and certainly isn’t something you want to get wrong. There are many online calculators that estimate the size based on the number of guests and basic information, such as standing or seated events; these are great for roughly estimating what you’ll need but over-simplify your requirements. When you hire through us our team will take the time to talk through what you need in detail to make sure the tent you hire is right for your event. There are multiple factors to consider, from the number of guests to the layout of the space, from extras such as dance-floors to any staff working the event too. Here’s what we’ll need to know:

How many people?
We’ll need to know how many people will be at your event, this includes all guests, any speakers/hosts, event planners, serving staff, performers etc. It might be more than you initially think once it’s all added up.

Will your guests be seated or standing?
The type of event you are having will massively affect the size of structure you need. We calculate the space needed per person for different events. Seated events such as a sit-down dinner require more space per person than a theatre-seated seminar; a standing drinks reception will need less space than a party with a dance-floor. Our team can calculate this for you, taking out the guess work!

How will the space be arranged?
As well as the type of event we also consider how the space will be laid out. Will you need a bar in the space or an auxiliary tent to serve from? Will there be a dance-floor in the middle of the space or tucked into one corner? Will you have a speaker or performer requiring a stage? Will there be lighting rigs or sound systems to take into consideration?

Hiring an event structure isn’t just about getting the right size. Our team can also advise on other aspects to make sure your event goes smoothly, such as considering acoustics, making sure you deliver the wow-factor and practicalities such as planning for the weather.

 

Read our blog on choosing the right event structure for your event: https://www.amazingtent.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-right-cover-for-your-outdoor-event/

 

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Live opera in a SaddleSpan tent

Friday 12 October 2018 by Amazing News Editor

Every year clients amaze us with the inventiveness of their events, the setting, the staging, the lights or the performances themselves.

But Scottish Opera really won the prize this year for the most unusual and inspiring event – a performance of Pagliacci in a tent.

And not just any tent, but an Amazing Tent Co QuadSpan tent, which accommodated the live orchestra, all the cast who moved around the tent and the audience who were mainly standing to enjoy the whole movement and sense of the opera.

This was Scottish Opera’s attempt at bringing opera to a wider audience, attracting many people who had perhaps never seen one before. It has widely been recognised as a huge success, and a world first in terms of the format and staging of the opera.

Take a look at this video on the Scottish Opera YouTube account of the set-up of the event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0kIih01ELc

And this video of the news coverage on STV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BMUIni7UFU

We certainly had our challenges – being in Paisley, Scotland, we had to contend with those strong Scottish winds. But what a successful event! The QuadSpan offered a vast space for the performance, that worked well with the lighting and the orchestra. We were very proud to support this unique event and provide event cover for Scottish Opera.

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Amazing Tent Co to supply cover for the UK’s number one outdoor cinema event company

Thursday 21 June 2018 by Amazing News Editor

We are delighted to announce that this year we’ll be working with The Luna Cinema to provide temporary event cover for their brand new open-air cinema season designed specifically for kids.

Luna Kids Cinema will be touring six venues across the UK from July to September, screening family-friendly classics alongside this year’s blockbusters, as well as the first ever outdoor screenings of The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man. All the screenings will utilise the highest definition outdoor screen in the country, meaning a crystal-clear picture even in full daylight for an amazing cinematic experience.

We are providing SaddleSpan tents for six children’s cinema events in Dulwich Park, London; Hatfield House, Hertfordshire; Hampton Court Palace; Priory Park, Surrey; Heaton Park, Manchester and Tatton Park, Cheshire.

Simon Fookes, director of Amazing Tent Co, said: “We are really pleased to be working with the team at Luna Kids Cinema. These are seriously cool events at fantastic locations around the UK. But the focus is on a quality experience for the audience, from the sound and lighting to the food and drink suppliers, so we are delighted to be working with Luna Kids Cinema to help provide that experience.”

George Wood, founder of The Luna Cinema, said: “We are delighted to be working with Amazing Tent Co for the very first Luna Kids Cinema this summer. Luna Kids will celebrate all that is great about cinema for children of all ages – this last year has been so fantastic for kids’ films, with pictures like Paddington 2, Coco and Despicable Me 3 topping box office charts and delighting adults and children alike. To experience these films, alongside timeless classics such as Aladdin, Up and The Incredibles, on a giant high definition screen will make for a truly unique summer family outing. No one wants to be cooped up in a darkened room during the summer holidays – Luna Kids encourages us all to get out in the open air and enjoy some of the most stunning parks and historic sites in the country, and Amazing Tent Co’s SaddleSpan tents will only enhance the experience.”

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Event structures – any size, anywhere

Thursday 18 January 2018 by Amazing News Editor

Every event needs a location and a venue. If you’ve got a site and need a structure, there is an endless world of possibilities, but often a list of problems and questions as well.

At Amazing Tent Co we are experts in temporary event structures, specifically SaddleSpan tents, one of the most adaptable and robust, yet impressive, temporary structures available for events. And we want people to know that you really can have your event anywhere and still have an amazing structure to cover it.

We have the largest stock of SaddleSpans in the UK, supplying them for major festivals, corporate events, parties and exhibitions. There is barely a location we haven’t been to or a situation our team hasn’t had to deal with – sloping ground, bad weather, difficult access, you name it, we’ve has seen it.

Simon Fookes, managing director of Amazing Tent Co, said: “When we are approached by event managers or festival directors, they have lists of requirements and we like to be able to say ‘yes’ to every one of them.

“We visit each one of their sites, and provide advice and guidance on the right structure, the exact siting of it, the different configurations and which parts to enclose or keep open.”

Simon added: “When Amazing Tent Co and Nomadic Spaces came together it formed the largest SaddleSpan installation team in Europe. Each team member brings a dynamic set of skills and experience to every project, ensuring its success.

“We want event and festival organisers to know, you don’t need to have all the answers when you come to us, just an idea of what you want to achieve at your event or festival.”

SaddleSpan tents can be put up on any ground surface from grass to concrete and they come in a range of sizes, catering for just a few hundred people up to 15,000- 20,000. They are often used for stage cover, festival tents, exhibition spaces, parties and balls.

The opaque fabric cover of the SaddleSpan is easy to brand with company logos and can even be used as a stunning film screen.

They can be entirely open, closed on one or two sides, or completely enclosed, depending on the needs of the event.

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Have your people call my people

Friday 30 September 2016 by Amazing News Editor

When it comes to creating the event of the year, you need to work with the best people, the best venue, the best interior, the best entertainment. Unfortunately, it’s not what you know it’s who you know and starting out alone, or trying something new, can be hard.

Perhaps you’ve been commended about the fantastic event you put on this year, and now you’ve out-done yourself and you’re struggling to work out how to go one better. There’s always the easy option of repeating the same formula, tweaking minor details and hoping that you get the same results, but you know you’re going to be expected to deliver an event that’s bigger and better.

We’ve got all the right contacts in all the right places and we know you’re busy, so if you know what you want, but not who you want, the chances are we’ll have the answers. We won’t recommend you anyone we don’t fully trust, so you’ll be in safe hands.

If you’re looking for something to really make the delegates’ jaws drop, why not try videomapping onto one of our SaddleSpans? Here’s video mapping in Prague on NYE to give you an idea of its potential https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YQxAv6zg9o

Or if you’re looking for a fantastic themed interior, we’ve got the contacts too! Give us a bell if you get stuck, or have your people call our people…

See some of our suggestions below: 

Talk to you soon,
The Amazing Team

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7 top tent tips for running a successful event

Thursday 11 August 2016 by Amazing News Editor

Without sounding big-headed, we’re pretty much experts at this stuff. We can empathise with you on the jaw-clenching, huffing and puffing process of organising events, but don’t you worry, we’re here to help!

Here’s 7 tips, for a happy client:

  1. Safety first – we all want to have a great time at a party, but tripping over a loose cable, flying 3ft across the room and splatting on the floor is not just embarrassing, but dangerous. Where there’s a blame, there’s a claim – don’t let it be against you.
  1. We all talk about how organised we are on CV’s and in pitches, but when it comes down to it, sometimes doing comes before planning. This may seem like the right thing to do at the time, but you’ll always be left with the dreaded ‘I feel like I’ve forgotten something’ feeling in the run up to the event. Make lists, spreadsheets, plan the event as a series of interlinked projects – whatever works for you. Stay on top of deadlines and deposits, as well as managing your budget closely. However, at the same time, try to be flexible, some things are going to occur that aren’t in your spreadsheet or on your ‘to do’ list. Make a note of everything you’ve done for this event and in what order, to give yourself a checklist for next time.
  1. Treat the guests, give them something different, something special they haven’t seen before. Something they’d want to share on Instagram! Consider standout features to create the all-important wow factor. This could range from incorporating a funky feature like an ice bar, a photo-booth or even just creating an exciting atmosphere by lighting up your SaddleSpan with different coloured vibrant lighting. If your guests are dining, try changing the light colours throughout the different courses.
  1. Keep calm and take control. It sounds like simple advice, but if you’re able to stay calm then this will keep your team at ease and will reflect positively to your client. By establishing friendly relations, even in the midst of a crisis, you’ll build goodwill and help create positive energy at your event.
  1. Expect the unexpected. The beauty of being an event organiser, is that you’re the most sheer resilience of facing unexpected problems. Don’t keep these unexpected hiccups to yourself, sometimes they’re out of your control, keep your team in the loop, one of them might have a solution you haven’t thought of.
  1. Switch off. This doesn’t make you non-committed to your job or the event, it allows your brain to get the rest it needs in order to make the right decisions. You’re better off using all of your brain power some of the time than using some of your brain power all of the time!
  1. Utilise your suppliers. Don’t do their work for them, if you’re paying for a service, trust them to be able to deliver that service effectively. Don’t be guilty of thinking ‘if you want a job done properly do it yourself’ leave it to the professionals – like us.

 

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#SpotOurSaddleSpans

Tuesday 26 July 2016 by Amazing News Editor

It’s been great to get feedback through our beloved Twitter and Facebook about how much you all enjoy seeing our beautiful SaddleSpans out and about. We’ve been enjoying some of the snaps you’ve shared online and thought we’d take things one step further.

We’ve launched an ‘Upcoming Events’ section on our website to let you know where you can #SpotOurSaddlespans – we’ll be popping up all over the country so look out for us soon at an event near you! If you’re thinking of booking one of our lovely tents, why not take the opportunity to come along and look at them in person. Or if we’ve not listed anything in your area, drop us a line – it may just be that we are around the corner but are unable to publicise our attendance. We do guard our clients’ confidentially seriously, but if we can tell you, we will!

And don’t forget, if you do #SpotOurSaddleSpans then don’t forget to hashtag us – we love seeing your snaps!

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The wow factor venue: dress to impress

Tuesday 12 July 2016 by Amazing News Editor

One of the easiest ways to create a memorable event is by doing something unique and forever memorable. Create a magical, bespoke venue, which will immediately excite your guests. Once you’ve sorted the venue, it’s time to dress it to impress!

We know more than most folk about the importance of your venue matching the theme of your event. It’s the first thing people see when they walk into a venue and we all know first impressions are extremely important. Why not try some spectacular effects? After all, you want your guests to have the wow factor when they walk in!

So what are our trade secrets?

  • Choose your venue wisely. It needs to work hard to meet all the demands of your agenda. Whether it’s a historic house, a hotel or a custom venue such as one of our SaddleSpans, it needs to reflect the ethos of your event.
  • Think about how you’ll make your venue into a show stopping event to convey your theme. The beauty of our structures is that they allow your branding to be showcased onto a blank canvas. If you want to fully brand inside and out, you can! Or you can have a light show, projections…the only limit is your imagination (and the budget!)
  • Think big. Imagine your venue buzzing with your guests. Smaller or lower decoration won’t necessarily be visible when you’ve got a roomful of attendees – unless they are going to be sitting down to dinner or to hear conference speeches. Given the height of our SaddleSpans, branding effectively is easily achievable – you can create extremely effective results with lighting which won’t cost the earth.
  • Innovative technology definitely has a place in bringing an event to life. Motion graphics, glassless 3D screens, live streaming video, augmented reality and other techniques such as video mapping can all help your event have the wow factor.
  • Sometimes less is more. You might want to showcase one particular logo or use one lighting theme to create a spectacular backdrop – the large area of a SaddleSpan means you have the space to play with to create the look and feel you’re aiming for.

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