Tag: organising a festival

Beyond the Beats: The Amazing Tent Co’s Summer of 2023

Monday 04 September 2023 by Amazing News Editor

As the vibrant days of summer start to fade, we are reflecting on Summer 2023. It has been a whirlwind of extraordinary festivals, concerts, and events for us at The Amazing Tent Co. We have been at the heart of many exciting experiences with our SaddleSpans, transforming the humble field into a realm of creativity, comfort, and exclusivity. Within the kaleidoscope of summer, our versatile SaddleSpan structures have become part of the landscape of festivals, concerts, and outdoor extravaganzas.  

In what has been a summer of mixed British weather, amidst the sea of glitter, elaborate costumed festival-goers, and thumping beats, our SaddleSpans have provided a haven of continuity, ensuring that the show goes on regardless of the elements. Whilst sometimes associated with more utilitarian purposes, SaddleSpans metamorphosise of the event tent – housing everything from sprawling stages to cosy bar areas and exclusive VIP zones. 

Our summer journey helped to provide festival shelter and comfort, with spaces to rest, connect, and rejuvenate. From the sun-drenched shores of Cornwall’s Boardmasters, to the star-studded BBC Radio One Big Weekend. We ventured further north to the dual engines of Leeds & Reading Festivals where bands and fans created unmatched festival experiences. The Big Feastival offered a different kind of event—one of flavours and aromas merging from food stalls to open-air stages. Creamfields North & South, was an immersion into the electronic realm, of pulsating beats and dazzling lights.  

The intricate planning, collaboration, and dedication that goes on behind the scenes ensures that The Amazing Tent Co’s SaddleSpans enhance the festival experience – uniting style, innovation, and functionality as extensions of the festival spirit— as places to take cover, mingle, and connect, immersed in the magic of music and community. 

So, here’s to next year’s mud-splattered wellies or sun-kissed skin festival and event season. However next summer unfolds, now is the time to contact us to discuss how we can support you to create an unforgettable 2024 festival experience. +44 (0)7778 835 207 / enquiries@amazingtent.co.uk 

 

Photo credit: Anthony Mooney 

 

 

 

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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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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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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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