TUESDAY 16TH FEBRUARY

Guitar gods set to descend on London

MB Interactive Group, the organisers behind Drummer Live and the London International Music Show, has launched Guitar Nation Festival 2010, a two-day exhibition taking place at Olympia on May 8 and 9.

Clive Morton of MB has brought together some of the world's top guitarists – Steve Vai, Nicko McBrain and Guy Pratt – to offer budding musicians and those serious about entering the music industry master clases, tutorials, seminars and performances.

Sustainable Events Summit line-up announced

The 2010 Sustainable Events Summit will take place on April 19 at One Wimpole Street, London.

Speakers announced so far for this year’s summit include Jonathon Porritt CBE, the writer, broadcaster and founder of Forum for the Future, who will be delivering the morning keynote address, introduced by the summit's chair Ed Gillespie from Futerra.

The focus for the day is on extending knowledge from the basics (switching the lights off and printing double sided, for example) to the more in depth. Expert speakers and panels will deal with a broad range of issues such as transport, energy, waste, procurement, BS8901 and social responsibility.

Speakers and topics confirmed so far include:

• Phil Cumming and Amanda Kiely from LOCOG who will address how sustainable procurement has affected planning for the Olympics;

• Stephen Greene, CEO of RockCorps, who will explain the model it developed with Orange to use events as a platform for social change;

• Gerry Hopkinson from Unity, who will tell delegates about the ground breaking premiere for “The Age of Stupid;”

• Andy Fryers, greenprint director from the Hay Festival, explaining how it worked with Sky to improve the sustainability of transport around the site; and

• 10:10, which will explain the theory behind its carbon reduction campaign, along with a case study from a well known company that is signed up to 10:10.

MONDAY 15TH FEBRUARY

Diamond appoints Hoare to assist with business development

Eddie Hoare of Events Management Consultants (E+M+C) has joined Donna Comfort's Diamond City Events as project director to oversee a number of key projects and to assist with business development.

Hoare will be working Comfort to help the company with its next stage of development. An events industry professional of over 25 years standing Hoare previously headed up the Elegant Days Group, Arena Events, Tutankhamun Hospitality and Grant Leisure Europe. He plans to develop a number of new hospitality properties for the company.

Sparks fly as NEC announce new electrical regime

A new plug and play electrical system that the NEC say will reduce costs and installation times has been met with criticism by exhibition contractors and suppliers.

Organisers of exhibitions and events at Birmingham’s NEC are being offered a reduced tariff if they opt to use the venue’s new electrical infrastructure.

From April 1 2010, a two-tier pricing structure will be put in place, offering a 2.5 per cent reduction on the “business as usual” tariff for organisers who opt to use the full plug and play system, providing their own cables and isolators.

The new system uses fixed sockets set into the under-floor ducts in the venue’s exhibition halls, and Kathryn James, managing director, NEC, explains that recent trials have seen 100 mains connected in less than two hours.

The traditional method of connecting to the mains supply, with isolators and cables provided by The NEC, will still be available at the standard mains supply rate but ESSA members, which undertake over 90 per cent of the installations at the venue, suggest that plug and play could ultimately compromise build up and break down times and increase the cost to operate at the venue.

Despite almost three years of consultation with the NEC, the group comprising of representatives from Early Action Group, Joe Manby, Melville Exhibition & Event Services, Showlite and Stanco Exhibitions (part of the Opex Group), has concluded that the discounted tariff will not work, arguing that it will cost users more to receive the same service they receive today; further exacerbate the existing issue of collapsed build up and break down times; necessitate the review of existing tenancy agreements; provide no visible benefits other than to the NEC; and provide no savings to organisers or exhibitors.

The companies in this group have said that they will continue to work at the NEC under the existing tariff. However, concerns have been aired with regard to when this option will be removed.

THURSDAY 11TH FEBRUARY

Lib Dems head North for 2011 conference

The Liberal Democrat Party is to hold its Spring Conference, in March 2011, at Sheffield City Hall. It will be the first time that Sheffield has played host to such a high calibre national conference of this size and nature.

Approximately 1,500 delegates are expected to attend the event, which will run from March 11-13, with Sheffield City Hall as the main conference venue and Mercure St Paul’s will be the HQ hotel.

Beauty show returns to Olympia

Professional Beauty is to return to Olympia in 2011 after running for six years at London's ExCeL. The show will take place between March 6-7 2011.

Professional Beauty first launched at Olympia in 1983 and remained at the venue until 2004. Olympia already hosts Emap's BETT and Pure at Olympia and Civils and Broadcast Video Forum at Earls Court 2.

WEDNESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY

Giveaway: Bloody Mary tickets up for grabs

Merlin Entertainments' London Dungeon is turning the temperature up with its latest experience - Bloody Mary: Killer Queen featuring one of England’s most feared rulers – Mary Tudor, the deadliest daughter of Henry VIII.

This killer queen, nicknamed Bloody Mary for ruthlessly burning 300 Protestants as heretics, is the attraction’s latest feature. A slow painful death awaits her victims, brought to life with a mix of state-of-the-art special effects that conjure up flaming sights, piercing screams and charred stench as another helpless victim steps into the pyre.

If the smell of burning flesh excites you then Stand Out has two pairs of tickets to give away to the new attraction, courtesy of Merlin Entertainments. Simply email caroline@cimltd.co.uk, entering Bloody Mary in the subject heading, and the first two names out of the hat on Friday, February 12, will win.

The addition of the Bloody Mary Killer Queen ensures the London Dungeon remains one of London’s most thrilling and chilling venue for corporate and private events. The London Dungeon is available for exclusive hire for networking events and parties and can accommodate up to 220 guests priced from £41 + VAT per person.

TUESDAY 9TH FEBRUARY

Neptunus goes Dutch

Neptunus is providing temporary structures to the Dutch Olympic Team, which is set to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

From February 12-28, over 80 nations will complete in 86 events across 15 sports on either snow and ice, including figure skating, bobsleigh, curling and cross country skiing.

The Holland Heineken House hosted by the Netherlands Olympic Committee provides a “home away from home” entertainment centre for the Dutch athletes, their friends and family, supporters, sponsors and media representatives.

The “house” has been accommodated in the 5,000 square metres Minoru Arenas ice hockey stadium in Richmond with Neptunus extending the entrance of the house to create space for a reception and visitor registration area.

Neptunus linked an Alu Hall to the stadium, in which the ice-rinks were temporarily removed for the duration of the games. The Alu Hall was complete with glazed side panels and an opaque roof canvas to blend in with the Minoru Arenas, creating the impression of one venue.

Decorated in patriotic orange, the main attraction of the Holland Heineken House is the central hall which, over the next few weeks, will feature large screens showing live action of the team, host medal ceremonies for the successful Dutch athletes and nightly performances by renowned Dutch artists and DJs. With a capacity of 4,000, the house will provide a vibrant and unforgettable atmosphere during the games.

MONDAY 8TH FEBRUARY

New appointments for 2011 event

Sail Inverclyde, the charity established to deliver the Tall Ships Races 2011, has appointed of a new site manger and entertainment manger to ensure that the Greenock-based event is a success next year.

Mike Richmond, from Richmond Event Management (REM), has been appointed as site manager and Kim Wilson, from Fruit Salad Events, has been appointed as entertainment manager. Both will work closely with Helen Drummond, Sail Inverclyde’s project manager, and the management team.

Richmond will be responsible for the overall site layout to ensure the safety of those attending the event. As entertainment manager, Wilson will be responsible for managing and arranging the event programme for Tall Ships Races 2011; this will involve arranging activities for crew members and the public, as well as coordinating community entertainment for the public to enjoy.

Greenock previously hosted the Tall Ships races in 1999. The event attracted 800,000 visits across the four days and generated new expenditure of £8.3m in Inverclyde and £7.5m in Renfrewshire.

The Tall Ships bonanza will take place at the James Watt Dock in Greenock, which is currently being redeveloped by owners Clydeport in conjunction with Riverside Inverclyde.

THURSDAY 4TH FEBRUARY

Grow your own show squashed until 2011

The Edible Garden Show has been postponed until 2011 with the organisers blaming the recession for the cancellation of the inaugural event.

The exhibition dedicated to “Grow your own” fruit and vegetables failed to squash the concerns among potential sponsors and exhibitors over the uncertain economy. Although the show’s imaginative concept had been well received, the show will now debut on March 18-20, 2011, at Stoneleigh Park, giving the organisers more time to maximise the number of exhibitors attending and to secure sponsorship deals.

Brian Wiseman, a shareholder and a founder of the show, said: “We always knew we faced an immense challenge to launch a national show of this scale against the backdrop of recession. When we decided to go ahead with the project back in September 2009 there were signs of the green shoots of recovery. There was real hope that the UK would be coming out of recession early in 2010.

“Timing has simply been against us with a number of potential exhibitors expressing their keenness to be involved but at the same time being cautious to committing themselves financially when there is still such uncertainty about the economic future.

“Naturally we are disappointed. A great deal of time, effort and money has been invested so far in this project. We might be downhearted at the moment but we remain unwavering in our belief in the show and that we have a concept which will be a massive hit with exhibitors, sponsors and the public.”

WEDNESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY

Upper Street extends Gadget Show

An unprecedented demand for tickets has led Upper Street Events to add another day to Gadget Show Live.

The show will now open on April 7 and run until April 11.

The five day event, which has doubled in size since last year, has already sold out on Friday and the weekend, with more than 53,000 tickets purchased – leaving limited availability on April 7 and 8 at Birmingham’s NEC.

Matt Hodgins, event director for the show at Upper Street Events said: “We’ve never heard of a tenancy being extended in this fashion before, it’s a real indication of the nation’s enthusiasm for the latest technology.

“This will be the biggest ever consumer electronics show in the UK, with the world’s leading manufacturers, top tech brains and a huge range of exhilarating and intriguing experiences all under one roof. But we do encourage people to buy tickets soon as they’re selling out fast.”

TUESDAY 2ND FEBRUARY

DRP does the double

drpgroup has become the first communication and events agency in the world to achieve accredited certification against the combined ISO 14001 (International Standard in Environmental Management) and BS 8901 (the recently launched British Standard for a Sustainable Event Management System).

drpgroup worked closely with EcoEvents, which specialise in sustainable management solutions designed specifically for the events industry.

Dale Parmenter, drpgroup managing directort: “Without a doubt, sustainability is one of the most important challenges our industry faces.

"As the recession comes to an end and businesses begin to focus on the bigger picture again, sustainability will not only start to become as important as health and safety is, but it will get to the stage where businesses will need to account for their environmental impacts in much the same way as they are required to meet their fiscal responsibilities. Above all, we as an industry have a moral obligation to reduce any damaging effects to the environment our operations may cause."

MONDAY 1ST FEBRUARY

Grass Roots reveal green shoots

Grass Roots has launched its fourth Meetings Industry Report, which states that there are signs of growth in the meetings market with findings forecasting an upturn in events particularly in the last quarter of 2010.  However, this figure will be 25 per cent down on the industry peak of 2008.

Nick Bender, head of global events, Grass Roots comments: “The consensus amongst clients is that budgets, whilst unlikely to rise greatly in 2010, will not be cut any further and a number of the events that were cancelled in 2009 will now take place in 2010.”

The report sees evidence that the recession has driven an increase in teleconferencing as companies cancel meetings to save money, but that in 2010 corporates will start to look at the impact on sales of not holding meetings. The report findings firmly suggest face-to-face is still the proven means of building business and remains the preferred choice of communication.

Bender notes: “Agents and venues will have to target their clients carefully in 2010. In 2009 they turned to Government business but given the stark warnings about reigning in public spending this sector may not prove as reliable this year.”

Grass Roots reveals the North West offered meeting planners best value in 2009 with three-star venues in the region charging an average DDR of £26.09.

To receive a complimentary copy of the Grass Roots Meetings Industry Report visit www.grassrootseventcom.uk.com/web/guest/meetings-industry-report

THURSDAY 28TH JANUARY

Point receives medical attention

NB Medical Education has made the inaugural booking at The Point, the multi-million pound conference and events development currently under construction at Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC). NB Medical is the first of several confirmed bookings, and will be bringing its Hot Topics GP Update Course to the Old Trafford ground in September 2010.

The Point is a £12 million development, which is due for completion in June 2010. It will be an elevated suite with a stunning aspect, being glass-fronted and having a 2.5m wide balcony overlooking the Old Trafford pitch. Inside the facility there will be seven-metre headroom with no pillars to spoil the view.

It will have a sit-down dinner capacity of up to 1,000 or 850 with a dance floor; conference capacity is 1,000.

WEDNESDAY 27TH JANUARY

New Purple Guide on the way

Agreement has been reached between the event industry and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to revise and republish  the Purple Guide (“The Event Safety Guide - A Guide to Health, Safety & Welfare at Music and Similar Events”).

A steering group is being set up and work is expected to start shortly on redrafting the guide to take account of the changes in practices and legislation since the original was published in 1993.

The revised guide will have a greater focus on risk assessment and management of health and safety. It will clearly set out the health and safety duties of all those involved in putting on events to ensure the wellbeing  of employees, contractors and the public. The revision will also provide an opportunity to improve the existing format by the addition of case studies and practical information on risk management. The guide will be cross referenced to other sources of information and the Event Industry Forum (EIF), which has been negotiating on behalf of the industry, has made a commitment to provide guidance on non health and safety issues which are nonetheless important to consider. The intention is that these, together with the new guide, will be available from a central website as a complete ‘virtual’ guide.

The EIF has developed an online consultation system, which will allow everyone in the industry to contribute to the process of developing the Event Safety Guide.

Based around an Internet site, which will be available through the EIF site at www.eventsindustryforum.co.uk, the process will involve a series of working groups taking responsibility for writing and consulting on different areas of the guide. Each working group will be managed by a trade body from the industry and other relevant stakeholders. Each will have its own chair.

While the working groups will take responsibility for assessing the content, and drafting each section of the guide, the whole process is intended to be as transparent as possible with each update being posted to the website as it is written. This open approach will enable everyone in the industry to keep up with progress and comment on the contents of each section as it evolves.

People in the industry can register their interest in each section online and will then receive email alerts whenever updates are posted on the site.

While the HSE will be leading and publishing  the new Purple Guide, the EIF is aiming to develop guidelines for events organisers on non-health and safety issues. These will all be brought together on a website to create a virtual guide which everyone in the industry will be able to access and which the EIF, HSE and others can keep updated.

Anyone interested can register on the EIF website at www.eventsindustryforum.co.uk/purple_guide/form.shtml

Eventia needs you

Eventia is calling on venues to take part in its 2010 UK Event Market Trends Survey (UKEMTS) in a bid to produce estimates for the wider economic impact of business events on the national economy.

The survey aims to gather data from in-house teams within venues on on the number of events held during 2009, rates achieved, event duration and size, client type, lead times, and projections for business levels and product investments in 2010.
The survey questionnaire is available online and as a Word document and will remain open until April 2. The report will be available in June 2010.

The results provide an estimate of the market’s value in terms of direct revenue to event venues, and are widely used to inform investment, advocacy and marketing activities. The 2009 research estimated that the sector was worth some £7.2 billion, compared with £8 billion the year before.

To access the survey questionnaire, visit www.eventia.org.uk

TUESDAY 26TH JANUARY

Pelham launches sustainability support service

The team behind Organise this and Positive Impact have launched Sustainable Events Limited.Led by Fiona Pelham, Sustainable Events Limited will provide sustainability, support and consultative services to businesses across the events sector.

Fiona Pelham comments:  “Throughout the course of the last year both Positive Impact and Organise This have received feedback and requests for in-depth sustainability support and advice. Businesses across the events industry are seeking professional, expert knowledge as they attempt to improve their sustainability policies and practices – with our history and enthusiasm to support the event industry to increase it’s level of sustainability we decided to respond to these demands with the creation of Sustainable Events Ltd.”

Sustainable Events Limited has already won several substantial clients and projects including: The Global Reporting Initiative development of the Events Sector Supplement, Old Trafford Manchester United Football Club and Reed Exhibitions Ltd.

Both Positive Impact and Organise This will continue to run as an event management service and education provider and operate underneath the Sustainable Events Ltd umbrella.

Fiona is also co chair of the ISO 20121 standard (the international development using the BS8901 framework).

MONDAY 25TH JANUARY

EC&O issues statement over future

EC&O Venues has taken steps to end the speculation that Earls Court is to be sold or even bulldozed to make way for new homes. Earls Court’s owners – Capital & Counties – has recently purchased the remaining 50 per cent of the venue, giving rise to endless rumours about the venue’s future.

EC&O has issued a statement to “re-iterate that no plans have been finalised. The project remains at an early stage as Capital & Counties continue to work with the neighbouring landowners on various options. The current status for all of our venues is therefore very much business as usual.”

Capital & Counties state that it is currently exploring options for the future of the site, together with adjacent landowners TfL and LBHF. “The three landholdings together make up a 70-acre site, which makes it a place of outstanding opportunity. Our thinking is still at a very early stage and no plans nor planning applications have been finalised. In terms of future exhibition uses at Earls Court, no final decisions have been taken. But we are presently exploring a range of options including the enhancement of our world class exhibition centre at Olympia.”

THURSDAY 21ST JANUARY

Former Arena CEO acquires ARB Audio & Visual

David Walley, former CEO of Arena Group, and David Harding have acquired ARB Audio & Visual in a deal for an undisclosed sum.

The Buckinghamshire-based company supplies sound, light, vision and power services to the event industry with clients including major sporting events and venues such as Silverstone, The RFU, Twickenham, and the Lawn Tennis Association.

ARB employs over 30 staff and turnover is in excess of £4 million. All staff will remain with the business. ARB has recently demerged from its sister company Piccadilly.

Walley’s partner on the deal is David Harding who will become company CEO. Harding has had several senior roles in the event industry including heading up GL’s operations at the NEC. ARB’s previous owner Bob Boote will also remain with the company and continue to work with his existing client base whilst developing new ones.

The acquisition is the first deal in a strategy to build an event services group and the team are currently looking at a number of further acquisitions. This has been a cash deal and the company will now be fully funded and looking to build on the excellent reputation for service.

Walley, who will lead the group as chairman said: “I am delighted to be back in an industry I am so fond of. Having spent the last two years racing cars and collecting motorcycles I feel it is now time to get back into things, I have really missed the industry and the people. David Harding will manage the business on a day to day basis, Bob will head up client liaison and my role will be to work on the strategy and identify new opportunities and potential targets.”

WEDNESDAY 20TH JANUARY

Confex announces keynotes

International Confex has announced its keynote speakers for the 2010 event.

On day one, “How it went so wrong for the Government and the economy in 2009” presented by Martin Bell, one of the most highly regarded names in British television journalism. Having had a number of career landmarks from BBC Correspondent, independent MP and UNICEF ambassador, Martin Bell takes a closer look at the state of the economy over the last 12 months, the lessons learnt and how to apply these to businesses.

On day two editor of the legendary London magazine Time Out, regular contributor to radioand TV and former Heat Magazine and Smash Hits editor, Mark Frith will draw on his extensive media experience to offer advice on reinventing your product, getting by on meagre resources and using the power of celebrity to leverage your brand.

And finally on day three Jo Fairley, co-founder of Green & Black’s, shares her knowledge and experience on entrepreneurialism, growing a small business and the importance of corporate responsibility. Fairley will also use her experiences to draw on more traditional messages of marketing and branding in a demanding environment.

TUESDAY 19TH JANUARY

easyFairs announce bullish three-year plan

easyFairs has appointed a new chief executive officer, who has been tasked with doubling the size of the organisation in three years.

Jean-François Quentin is to accelerate company growth and consolidate easyFairs position as a “reference brand” in low cost tradeshows.

Headquartered from Brussels, easyFairs has a portfolio of more than 90 shows in 16 countries. Over the next three years, it plans to increase the size of existing show, launch 30 new shows each year and make targeted acquisitions.

MONDAY 18th JANUARY

Burton targets the extreme with new project

Simon Burton has revealed plans to launch a three-day exhibition in the extreme sports arena. Talking to Stand Out, Burton unveiled his latest project, the first following the sale of Excite! to F2F Events. X in the City (XTC) is set to take place from October 22-24 at ExCeL, taking advantage of Phase 2’s tiered arena, which will host the Theatre of Extremes.

Tickets will be priced at roughly £30 per person, which will include a ticket to see one of three scheduled performances in the theatre each day. Burton is targeting extreme sport fanatics, “weekend warriors” and families.

Fourteen associations have pledged their support and Burton is currently in talks with a media partner to engage his target audience.

“The event came about from my travels overseas. I saw events in the extreme sports space, came back to the UK and discovered events in either fields or on beaches, but all either focus on hardcore sport or are a music festival at heart with extreme sports on the side,” Burton explained.

“All sports have a strong link to the urban lifestyle, and so I’m running the event in an urban environment that has access to water but also has a gritty, concrete urban feel to it.”

MONDAY 21st DECEMBER

Londonlaunch set to go live

Plans for londonlaunch:LIVE 2010 have been unveiled.

Over 80 top decision makers from some of London’s hottest venues and event service companies gathered at the Saatchi Gallery.

londonlaunch:LIVE 2010 will take place at the Saatchi Gallery, from October 20-21, and will feature over 150 exhibitors. Its' aim is to attract over 2,000 key buyers drawn from London’s event scene.

Exhibitors will be featured on specially created canvases.

londonlaunch:LIVE 2010 will run across 12 galleries. Within these, the five main areas of London - City, West End, Westminster, Southbank and Greater London – will be showcased. Each area will have its own look, feel and AV experience and will feature a selection of London venues from the well-established to the little hidden gems.

Service companies will be featured across three galleries.  These will include suppliers covering: catering, entertainment, AV, special effects, themes, services and equipment, staffing agencies, event management and hospitality.

There will also be two learning galleries carrying a programme of free to attend seminars delivered by industry experts. There will also be two networking zones, one for the ‘buzz’ and the second playing host to more formal meetings, and supported by an at show matchmaking service.

TUESDAY 15TH DECEMBER

Charity event aims to feed 5,000

An event highlighting the problem of food waste is to take place at Trafalgar Square tomorrow (December 16, 12-2pm).

Food waste campaigner Tristram Stuart and Fareshare, the largest food redistribution charity in the UK, are set to feed 5,000 people with food that would have otherwise been thrown away – because it is cosmetically imperfect.

Five-thousand tonnes of food will be distributed to passers-by, and the menu will include hot soups made from vegetables cast out and a range of sandwiches and freshly-made fruit smoothies, pressed on the day by customised bicycles.

Feeding the 5000 will highlight the work of the partner organisations, Save the Children; ActionAid; This is Rubbish; and FareShare. Supporters of the event include the Mayor of London; the Bishop of London; journalist and campaigner Rosie Boycott; and celebrity chef Thomasina Miers.

Stuart explains: “Feeding the 5000 is a wonderful partnership including food companies, farmers and charities. The aim of our lunchtime feast is to highlight how food waste can be avoided by putting food to good use i.e. feeding people.”

Chef and restaurateur Thomasina Miers will also be presenting a cookery masterclass on the day to demonstrate how to make the most of the food we buy.

WEDNESDAY 16TH DECEMBER

Opex launch OVS and secure three-year deal

Opex Group has been awarded a new three-year contract to continue to provide house services at Earls Court & Olympia on behalf of the venue. As such the group have brought all arms of their venue services under one banner – Opex Venue Services.

Headed up by Opex Group managing director Andy Gibb, OVS will service; the electrical mains and plumbing contract at Earls Court and Olympia, the floorcovering contract at Olympia and the cleaning service at Olympia.

MONDAY 21ST OCTOBER

Art in the fast lane

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER

ESC Events turns The Sun blue

iblinkworld to deliver energetic experiential campaign

TUESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER

CHF Events launches green sampling vehicle

CHF Events has launched an eco-friendly marketing vehicle division in the UK. The new division is dedicated to the sole use of all-electric, zero emission vehicles to be used for field marketing activity, sampling, product demonstrations and special events.

The company's line of electric vehicles, which are 100 per cent green and 98 per cent recyclable can be driven on city streets, pedestrian areas, at shopping centres – even indoors, without the worry of harmful exhaust fumes. The unique styles will grab consumers' attention and all can be branded with 100 per cent green signage.

"Using electric vehicles for field markeing, not only allows a company to send its message in a unique and cost-effective way, but also communicates that the company cares about the environment," said CHF Events client service director Sarah Ward.

MONDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER

Wiseman grows his own new show

THURSDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER

Caffé Culture creates a stir for 2010 event

Caffè Culture has announced that it will more than double in size to fulfil exhibitor demand. Caffè Culture, taking place from June 23-25, 2010, will now also include a third day and will take over both the Grand and National Halls in Olympia, London, to accommodate the World Barista Championships and SCAE annual events.

Caffè Culture’s organiser, Upper Street Events, had initially planned to relocate the event from its home in the National Hall, moving it to the much larger Grand Hall. However, demand from both UK and overseas exhibitors has been so great an early decision has been taken to expand the event further still to create the largest café and coffee focussed event the UK has ever seen.

The event’s expansion will also cater for the full competition programme for both the World Barista Championships and SCAE World Championships for Cup Tasting, Latte Art and Coffee in Good Spirits, in addition to a full SCAE workshop schedule and a conference. A programme of social and networking events have also been planned. This is the first time the SCAE Wonderful World of Coffee and the World Barista Championships will be hosted in the UK and the event as a whole is set to attract in excess of 10,000 international visitors to Caffè Culture over the three days.

Elliot Gard, event director, comments: "We are delighted to be able to announce such a major expansion for Caffè Culture and extremely pleased to be working with the SCAE to host the 2010 events. Since its launch, Caffè Culture has quickly established itself, proving to be an invaluable resource for the UK’s café and coffee bar market. It therefore provides the natural home for the UK premiere of the WBC and SCAE Wonderful World of Coffee. The event is set to provide a superb opportunity for our exhibitors to reach an even wider audience, providing an excellent platform to target both a UK and international audience of buyers giving the entire community a tremendous boost at a time when many businesses have been hit hard by the economic downturn.”

Sign up for ESSA G50

The ESSA G50 is a one day event specifically designed to focus on the issues most affecting UK exhibition contractors and suppliers. This year, the G50 will be held on October 30, at the IEC at Ricoh Arena, Coventry, and will cover topics such as: Planning for the future; An organiser’s view of the future and the contracting market; Views from a virgin exhibitor; Social media and An insight into the venues’ world.

Now in its third year, and been described by previous attendees as informative, motivational, inspiring and unified. The programme has been developed by ESSA members for ESSA members, it is only open to a maximum of 50 ESSA members, so places are limited for the event. 


This year's speakers are;

• Andy Gibb, G50 Chair & Group Managing Director of Stanco Exhibitions
  (a member of the OPEX Group)
• Phil Soar, AEO Chair and Chairman of 5 Exhibition Companies
• Rashid Ghafoor, Managing Director Sintrexo
• Peder Berg from Event Advantage Solutions
• Kevin Murphy, CEO of ExCeL London
• John Sanders, Event Director of excite!
• Steve Barratt, Managing Director of Early Action Group
• Luke Facey, Managing Director of Alfa Display And Design Ltd

Places are £199 plus vat per attendee.

WEDNESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER

Ex-RPM director launches new agency

TUESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER

Arena Structures celebrates Ryder Cup contract win

Arena Structures has been awarded the contract to supply part of the tentage structures for The 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort, Wales.

The company’s triple-decker structure will overlook the 18th green and the facility will host the stakeholders, partners, sponsors and VIP guests. Arena will also be supplying the Past Captains Club, the International Media Centre and a variety of on course structures.

Following a rigorous tender process, the Ryder Cup match director Edward Kitson commented: “This is one of the most anticipated events in the sporting calendar, which deserves and demands the best. We have examined many criteria in making our selection of contractors for the forthcoming Ryder Cup, from setting new standards in environmental sustainability to creativity and I am delighted at the prospect of working with Arena Structures again.”

Sister companies Arena Scaffolding and Spaceworks will also bring their expertise with Spaceworks again complementing the interiors with its extensive and modern furniture product range, while Arena Scaffolding will install precisely engineered scaffolding sub-structures required for certain temporary structures.

MONDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER

Double win for NEC Group

Wernick acquire Rollalong Hire

WEDNESDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER

Media 10 buys Ideal Home Show

The Ideal Home Show has been sold to Media 10 – just over 100 years after the show was first launched. Previously owned by dmg world media, it is the first time in the show’s history that ownership has changed hands. Media 10 is best known for the Grand Designs Live events, will take over ownership and be responsible for staging the show next March at Earls Court.

Lee Newton, managing director of Media 10 stated: “The Ideal Home Show is a national institution and the plans we have for the forthcoming years will ensure it retains its status as the foremost location for property loving consumers. We see this acquisition as being perfectly timed; at a time when consumer confidence appears to be increasing and with interest rates at an all time low. In my opinion the clever money is being used to buy property at this moment – similarly I believe that clever money in exhibitions is also in this market.

“This brand has lived through six major recessions since its launch in 1908 and rather than just survive each time it has come out the other side stronger.”

The Ideal Home Show regularly attracts over 250,000 visitors and will take place from March 20 until April 5, 2010.

Cheesy grins all round for Watkins Hire

Watkins Hire, has won a five year contract to supply and install air conditioning for The International Cheese Awards – Nantwich – after impressing the show’s organisers with the installation at the 2009 event.

A high profile event attracting 28,000 visitors, The International Cheese Awards is the largest cheese show in the world. Part of the Nantwich Show which is also the largest one day agricultural show in the UK, it attracts over 2,700 entries of cheeses. The perishable nature of the exhibits has presented problems for the show organisers in previous years and for the past three years they have used three separate air conditioning hire providers in an attempt to find a robust solution that would meet any climactic conditions. After a proactive approach from Watkins Hire, the show organisers accepted the hire company’s quote and have been so impressed with the result that they have signed Watkins Hire up for the next five years.

“Keeping the marquee cool throughout the show is absolutely critical to the success of the event,” explains show director, Roger Mills. “The Watkins Hire team was not only able to specify and provide the equipment that we needed to do the job effectively throughout the event. They also provided us with excellent service levels and competitive pricing. The system was unobtrusive and operated at very low levels of noise. We have been so impressed that we have been happy to commit to using Watkins Hire as our air conditioning supplier for the next five years.”

Watkins Hire provided three 500kW chillers to keep the 110m x 40m marquee at the required temperature along with seven 150kW air handling units, all sited outside the marquee. The company installed 14 40-metre long ducting tubes across the width of the marquee, distributing the air conditioned air equally across the marquee. In addition, Watkins Hire installed 12 20kW indoor air handling units in the hospitality tent, specifying a low noise, unobtrusive unit to provide the required ambient temperature. The Hire specialist also provided an on-site engineer for three days to ensure that the system ran efficiently throughout the show and its build up.

“Our attention to detail and emphasis on customer service enabled us to provide a temporary air conditioning service that surpassed that offered by our competitors in previous years,” comments Alan Ferguson from Watkins Hire. “We are delighted to have secured a long-term relationship with the show and look forward to next year’s event.”

Shows continue to launch at EC&O

Later in the year, Olympia 2 will play host to M2 Events’ London Running Show. Between November 28-29 running enthusiasts – both those new to the sport and seasoned competitors – will be able to see the latest brands in running as well as learn about training, nutrition and avoiding injury.

Jeremy Rees, EC&O Venues exhibition sales director said: “We are delighted to be hosting debut events such as The Brand Protection Show and the London Running Show. It’s encouraging that organisers are continuing to launch events in these challenging times and we are pleased to be able to show our support.”

AEO appoint new board members

The Association of Event Organisers (AEO) has appointed Douglas Emslie as the new chair and Paul Byrom as deputy chair. The appointments, which were confirmed at the AEO Board meeting and AGM on September 9, take immediate effect.

Douglas Emslie is the group managing director of Tarsus Group and Paul Byrom is managing director of Upper Street Events.

In their new roles, Emslie and Byrom will take a place on the EIA Board, which next meets on September 29.

At the AGM, it was also announced that the AEO Board has appointed Austen Hawkin as the association’s CEO, having previously served in the role on an interim basis.

Eat To The beat win Rockcorps contract

Eat To The Beat (ETTB) has been awarded an ongoing contract to provide all catering including media, artist, crew and VIP guests at the Orange Rockcorps concerts for film production company CCLabs.

Orange Rockcorps is a new initiative from telecoms giant Orange, encouraging young people to voluntarily give four hours of their time to local community projects to be rewarded with a free gig ticket. Headline artists so far have included Lady Gaga, N-Dubz and The Enemy.

The concerts are held at renowned UK venues such as The Manchester Apollo and The Royal Albert Hall and due to the nature of the concerts they have generated a huge amount of media and VIP interest.

ETTB is on site during rehearsals, then from production build-up, for the show itself through to de-rig.

TUESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER

White Air and MySpace team up to find new festival act

White Air has announced a partnership with MySpace that will see the festival teaming up with the social network to find a new unsigned band or artist to play the opening slot on the festival’s main stage on Saturday, September 19.

Interested bands and acts will be able to enter the competition by registering at the official White Air Myspace profile, between Tuesday September 8 and Sunday, September 13. The White Air music team will then review all entries, using songs uploaded to MySpace and other material across the entrants’ profiles to pick a winner, drawing on their wealth of festival-booking experience to identify the most talented act possible.

White Air founder, Nigel Howell said: “We are very excited to be working with Myspace for White Air 09. This collaboration enables us to take a look at the wealth of musical talent that is currently out there and offer them the chance to play alongside some musical greats. We are thrilled about the possibility of discovering some new talent! ”

The new and unsigned act will be given the chance to play alongside The Lemonheads and Biffy Clyro from September 18-20 at Brighton Beach.

MONDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER

Event Show rebrands

Ocean Media, owner of The Event Show, has announced significant changes to its annual trade exhibition. The show will now be re-titled the Event Production Show.

Michelle Tayton, event manager of the Event Production Show explained: "The change in the show's name more clearly defines the focus and scale of the events organised by our visitors and the array of products and services exhibited. It also sets us aside from other shows in the market by clearly defining what our show has to offer professional event organisers. The Event Production Show will enable suppliers of anything from lighting and sound and special effects, staging and rigging to themeing and entertainment to showcase their products and services to the nation's top event organisers. All in all, event organisers can pick up everything needed to produce all types of professional indoor and outdoor events at this exhibition."

The 2010 exhibition will move from what has been its traditional home in the National Hall, to the much larger Grand Hall at Olympia in London. The new venue enables the team to take advantage of a significant increase in floor space and ceiling height, so that suppliers with large scale goods can successfully showcase their products.

The show will now also take place from February 2-3, instead of its traditional January slot.

TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

DB official contractor at defence show

DB Systems has been appointed as one of the official audio visual supplier for this month's DSEi 2009 (Defence Systems & Equipment International).

The show, which will take place at ExCel London from September 8-11, is the biggest defence and security exhibition in the world, attended by more than 1,350 companies from around 40 countries.

DB was appointed by event organiser Clarion Events and will be responsible for providing exhibitors with AV systems and support. Among the equipment DB will take to DSEi will be new NEC MultiSync 46” LCD video wall modules and True HD LG 42” LCD panels. DB recently invested approximately £300,000 in these systems to ensure its customers are able to choose from the very latest in AV equipment available on the UK rental market.

Nickelodeon UK appoint Sledge for national roadshow

Nickelodeon UK appointed Sledge to produce a nationwide experiential roadshow to promote the channels to families throughout August 2009.

The Nickelodeon roadshow utilises two popular Nickelodeon characters to entertain and engage with families: Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePantsappeals to the older children aged six to 12, whilst Nick Jr’s Dora The Explorer appeals to pre-schoolers.

There has been huge demand by families to meet the characters, with the first weekend (August 1-2) at Lakeside, Essex, drawing crowds of 2,400. Both characters are making personal appearances at set times and have their own backdrop for photographs with children and a specific waiting area taking families through an interactive journey that is designed to entertain.

The roadshow has been created as a true family attraction with plasma screens showing Nickelodeon programming and interactive activities for families to join in with through the stand.

Due to the popularity of the roadshow, a ticketing system has been created to ensure families can see the show and have time with the characters. Each shopping centre allocates tickets each day to families on a first come, first served basis.

The roadshow toured Lakeside Thurrock Shopping Centre, Metro Centre in Gateshead, East Kilbride Shopping Centre in Glasgow, Meadow Hall Centre in Sheffield and Merry Hill Shopping Centre in Dudley.

Gill Woods, events manger at Nickelodeon UK, commented: “The activity has proved extremely popular, with thousands turning up to each event and feedback has been excellent. The children have loved meeting Dora and SpongeBob; it’s a fantastic way for us to showcase our much-loved characters as part of our summer holiday activity, plus make shopping trips much more fun for both kids and their parents!”