Tag: festivals

A summer of events!

Tuesday 06 June 2023 by Amazing News Editor

What is that big yellow shining sphere in the sky?!  It seems we might have a summer of better weather ahead, which has us contemplating what’s coming up for us over the next few months. Some of our old favourites are back, with a few new events thrown into the mix. Here’s where you can spot us in the fields of England over the summer – you might even be able to bag yourselves some tickets for some of these if you are quick. 

We’ve already had some fun in the sun recently, you may have spotted our majestic SaddleSpans at Creamfields South and BBC Big Weekend in Dundee? Coming up in June we have the Birmingham Guild of Students Ball and we’ll be amongst the regal racing action at Royal Ascot later in the month. 

The rest of the summer looks something like this – give us a wave if you see us: 

Boardmasters  

 

Creamfields North 

 

Reading Festival  

 

Leeds Festival  

 

Big Feastival  

 

If you have any events or festivals for 2023 or 2024 that you are looking for stage, bar or VIP cover, please give us a call and we can chat over your options:   

+44 (0)7778 835 207 / enquiries@amazingtent.co.uk  

 

Image credit: Geoffrey Hubbel 

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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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A few of our favourite festivals

Tuesday 24 August 2021 by Amazing News Editor

We all love a good festival, whether that be music, food, arts or otherwise. We’ve seen our fair share of fantastic festivals over the years in both glorious sunshine and pouring rain, and we’ve certainly missed attending them.

After cancellations across the board in 2020 due to the pandemic, we had all hoped for a return to normal this summer, none more so than the entertainment and events industries. The government decision for restrictions to end on 19 July was music to our ears, but unfortunately it was too late for many of this summer’s festivals, and some have found insurance and other challenges too insurmountable for this season. We are delighted to see that some festivals are managing to run again this summer and are looking forward to a return to the full festival season next summer.

We decided to take this opportunity to look back at the festivals we’ve provided our Saddlespan event tents for over the years, and to celebrate some of our team’s personal favourites.

 

WOMAD festival imageWOMAD

More than just a festival, WOMAD is an experience, bringing music, workshops and cuisine from around the world all to a little corner of Wiltshire. The festival is inclusive in every way possible and that is part of why we love it, as well as its commitment to the environment. We’ve provided the event tent for what our team think is the best part of the festival ‘Molly’s Bar’ named after a beloved dog. A few of our team are very disappointed that WOMAD won’t be running again this year, as they like to attend with their own families – only once our Saddlespan stage covers are all in place of course!

 

Creamfields festival image

Creamfields

This huge festival is the biggest electronic dance music (EDM) festival in the UK and is always an exciting event to be a part of. The Creamfields festival brings the biggest names in EDM to Cheshire for a four-day event over the August bank holiday, with 70,000 people attending each day. For a number of years, we have provided two saddlespan tents for the VIP area for the festival. We are delighted that this festival is due to go ahead this year.

 

Latitude festival image

Latitude

A family-friendly festival set at Henham Park, in the Suffolk countryside, Latitude is a definite favourite of a few of our team. With a range of entertainment from top musicians to poetry, dance to comedy, art to theatre, there is something for everyone and all the family. We’re proud to have supplied our Saddlespan event tents to house the Lake Stage for the last several years, which has played host to the likes of Wolf Alice and Clean Bandit.

 

Electric Castle festival image

Electric Castle – Romania

Set against the backdrop of the 15th Century Banffy Castle in Transylvania, Romania, Electric Castle is an exciting festival, that brings an eclectic mix of music, technology and alternative arts. What truly makes the festival unique is that organisers donate a percentage of the profits from ticket sales towards the restoration of the historic castle. So far this has helped restore the roof and build flooring. We first supplied our Saddlespan tents to the festival in 2018, where it housed the festival food hall, which boasts an impressive variety of cuisines and even fine dining options.

If you are lucky enough to be attending a festival this year, we hope you have a fantastic time. And if you are an event organiser planning a festival for autumn or next year, then get in touch with us if you need to get it covered!

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Live events reinsurance – does the Government’s new scheme go far enough?

Thursday 12 August 2021 by Amazing News Editor

The events and entertainment industries have been hit hard by the COVID 19 pandemic. Events were postponed or cancelled, causing some venues to shut down for good, and many staff losing their jobs despite the furlough scheme, as companies couldn’t keep afloat. The government announcement on 19 July 2021 that the legal restrictions were over was music to the ears of all those in the entertainment and events industries, finally a chance to start the long road to recovery after the challenge of the previous 16 months. Many live events have since returned, festivals are going ahead, theatres can fill their seats, and musicians are returning to stages. However, the situation isn’t as rosy as you might think.

After a year of financially crippling restrictions and forced cancellations, live event and festival organisers are not in the position to take a gamble to get their events back up and running, so great insurance coverage is more critical than ever. Insurance problems have been cited by a number of festivals as the reason for them not going ahead this year. The launch of the new government scheme to help encourage insurers to cover live events is exactly what is needed. The government are stepping in to act as a reinsurer, meaning events can go ahead with the reassurance that pay-outs are guaranteed to be funded if events have to be cancelled due to COVID.

While this is great news and a really positive step towards getting the sector back on its feet, the devil is in the detail. When you take a look at the fine print, the reinsurance is only valid if the event is cancelled due to another lockdown, not if the event is not feasible due to other COVID related restrictions. This could prove problematic as it seems more likely that there would be a reintroduction of restrictions, such as social distancing, rather than a full lockdown given how far we have come with vaccinations and the low number of hospitalisations due to COVID. Meaning that the reinsurance is not much of a guarantee to events organisers, who could still be at risk of losing out if social distancing restrictions were to be reintroduced. So, although this is an important and valuable step from the government to help get events going again, we aren’t sure that is it enough to give the sector the confidence boost it needs right now. If the government want their scheme to really boost the sector, they need to expand it to cover reintroduction of other COVID related restrictions that would affect the industry.

But the last year has brought out the pessimist in most of us, with massive changes to our daily lives and challenges to our livelihoods, but maybe now it’s time for us to be optimistic? Here’s to hoping that 2022 will be a year full of live events and festivals which gets the industry well and truly back on its feet!

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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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Festival tips for fun in a field!

Thursday 30 June 2016 by Amazing News Editor

As we spring into summer, more and more festivals are featuring in our calendar. We’ve got a busy season ahead installing Saddlespans at events across the country. Whatever the size of your festival, a SaddleSpan can be used as a stage cover, bar or to create a funky corporate area. Organising a festival is a momentous task and having the right people and experts on board helps to spread the load. Read on to find out our top tips to create fun in a field, whatever size of festival you’re planning.

  • Ah, the glorious British summer. The fashion welly is essential at most festivals, except those ones we work on in more arid climes. Fortunately, our SaddleSpans can give audience cover come rain or shine. And they’re built to resist winds of up to 70mph, meaning they’re an ideal choice whatever the weather.
  • It’s all about the money, money, money! You’ve so much to do with the budget you have, it’s good to know that the opaque fabric of our tents offers a fantastic blank canvas allowing you to create spectacular effects with fantastic light projections and gobos. It’s both easy to do and easy on the pocket.
  • Enabling everyone to see what’s going on can make the difference between happy punters or dissatisfied customers. Our structures offer good view lines for an audience of up to 5,000 festival goers.
  • Issues such as noise complaints, legal restrictions, licencing, access and litter can cause festival organisers a real headache. So it’s good to know that our SaddleSpans come with as little hassle as possible as they’re quick to install with a typical build time of 4-5 hours, and safe to build as there’s no working at height required. And there’s no plant or power required when installing, meaning you can focus on last minute preparations elsewhere!
  • You’ll need to cater for all sorts of festival goers, and sometimes this can mean supplying a corporate area. We’ve got it covered – use one of our SaddleSpans to provide their own version of a ‘banging’ environment!
  • Be flexible and expect the unexpected. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow – literally if there’s a month’s worth of rain in a weekend. Prepare for all eventualities by liaising with expert suppliers such as ourselves, meaning you can take time to put your wellingtons up and enjoy it.

If you’d like to talk to Amazing Tents about helping you create an awesome event, give us a call on +44 (0)1453 861 131 or email us at enquiries@amazingtent.co.uk

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SaddleSpan stage covers confirmed for Charlie Gillett stage at WOMAD 2015

Wednesday 28 January 2015 by Amazing News Editor

Amazing Tents is proud to announce that the SaddleSpan S5000 will once again be the stage cover for the BBC Radio 3 Charlie Gillett stage at WOMAD 2015 festival.

Many internationally renowned artists have performed under the S5000’s protective roof in previous years, including last year’s extensive line-up. 2014’s festival saw Caci Vorba, Yaaba Funk, 9 Bach, Elemotho, Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys, Cigdem Aslan and The Chair all take to the Charlie Gillett stage.

The stage is named after the celebrated British radio presenter and musicologist who died in 2010 following a highly successful career promoting world music (and, incidentally, discovering legendary bands such as Ian Dury and Dire Straits).

What to expect at WOMAD 2015

The organisers of this year’s world music festival, held in Charlton Park in the Wiltshire town of Malmesbury, are so far keeping the details of the 2015 line-up under their hats.

Tickets are now on sale for the summer event, but the only act confirmed so far is the Australian blues singer-songwriter C.W Stoneking. We eagerly await more line-up news, but at least the S5000 is primed and ready for a bumper selection of talented world musicians. Around 40,000 music fans are expected on each day of the event, taking place on the last weekend of July, so if you’re one of them – look out for the SaddleSpan stage cover. You should be able to spot it by its unique ‘saddle’ shape.

Why are SaddleSpan tents so popularly used as stage covers?

There are quite a lot of reasons why so many of the UK’s top festivals, music and performance events make use of SaddleSpan S5000 tents as stage covers.

The first of these is obvious – the tent’s unique shape makes it the perfect frame for a live performance act. It shelters acts and crew from the elements, specially designed to withstand winds of up to 60mph, and provides the audience with the ideal focal point. It is also perfect for rigging lighting, sound and other effects –whilst still retaining a very modern, almost futuristic look. You could even go so far as to say that the S5000 is stylish, especially when branded with festival colours, logos or lighting effects.

The SaddleSpan S5000 is also very versatile, which is perhaps why so many festivals – including WOMAD – choose it. It comes in a canopy form, where both ends are open, and a canopy configuration, where a back wall is added. It can also be enclosed, when it instantly becomes a large marquee suitable for all kinds of special events. As well as being modular, so you can connect it to other SaddleSpan configurations, the stage cover is also safe and easy to build, saving festival organisers some valuable installation time.

Just as importantly – audiences seem to love the SaddleSpan stage covers, which get a fantastic reaction every time they grace a festival field during the day or when night falls. Long may it continue!

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