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In a field of their own

15 January 2020

A festival site can switch from being a green field utopia to hellish mud bath within hours if bad weather hits. Fortunately, the industry has a wealth of experienced infrastructure suppliers dedicated to making things run as smoothly as possible, come rain or shine. Christopher Barrett reports The festival market…

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Summing Up – Jonathan Edwards, 32

15 January 2020

Inspired by Leeds club night Back2Basics in 2006, while studying at Newcastle University, Jonny Edwards ran club nights and live shows for students and then at Digital, where audiences reached 2,000. Relocating to London in 2015 and seeing an opportunity for a festival in a Brixton park, he launched GALA…

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Far more than just the ticket

17 March 2018

Ticketing for festivals is an ever-shifting landscape which requires increasingly sophisticated systems to satisfy both the needs of event organisers and the expectations of festival-goers. Then add the competition between events and ticketing suppliers, not to mention the arrival of GDPR in May.  Mike Gartside reports    The range of…

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A lot of areas to cover

16 March 2018

Events getting bigger and more sophisticated, productions featuring increasingly high-tech equipment, the potential of extreme weather conditions and sadly the threat of terrorism make it all the more essential for festival organisers to connect with an insurance expert early in the planning process.  Tom Pakinkis reports Not all festivals boast…

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Comment – Equals Agency

14 February 2018

Finding the right  British summers wouldn’t be the same without music festivals and rain. Every year hundreds of thousands of people flock to fields, parks and woodlands. There is literally an event for everyone, from a folk festival to a techno rave. Every sort of demographic is catered for across…

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More than just about access

13 February 2018

While wristbands and even tickets may still be used for small events, when it comes to admitting tens of thousands of people in a reasonable timeframe, let alone managing cashflows across dozens of outlets, RFID technology seems to be steadily gaining ground as a reliable solution.  Tom Pakinkis reports  …

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Catering for higher expectations

13 February 2018

Once upon a time it was a greasy burger and a warm beer, but things have come a very long way since those primitive times when festival organisers were still finding their way. Now the word premium pops up across a wide range of food and drink offerings, and providing…

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From the ground up

6 January 2018

Whether accommodating the equivalent population of a modest village or a small town, festival organisers have to provide most of the same utilities and amenities, from food and water, to electricity, walkways, lighting and waste disposal. It’s not a task for anyone who’s just into the music.  Tom Pakinkis reports…

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Covering all the bases

5 January 2018

  Not too long ago they would have simply housed a bar or dining area, but the suppliers of tents and other temporary structures quickly embraced the demand from the burgeoning music festival sector, providing a wealth of options from big tops to structures that can accommodate 30,000 people. Allan…

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Comment – The Next Stage

2 March 2017

The festival model has never sat still – demand, organisers, promoters, production teams, suppliers, and technology won’t let it. Stages have gone from serving simply as a means to lift bands up a bit for audience sightlines and supporting the bare minimum PA, to providing the framework for full-on, almost…

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