The summer of 2018

This summer’s heatwave undoubtedly added to a great year for the outdoor event industry but what trends did we spot as the sun shone down?

Security measures

The threat of a terrorist attack is now a real possibility and something that all event organisers must take seriously and plan for. Bag searches are now a regular occurrence and we’ve seen restrictions on the size of bags allowed into venues, the Rolling Stones tour insisted that only bags under the size of an A5 piece of paper were allowed. Whilst drones are somewhat of a double-edged sword for the event industry, there is no denying that there is value in using them for security purposes. The organiser of this year’s Coachella festival used them to keep a vigilant eye on the crowds and it is certainly something that we can expect to see more of here in the UK in the coming years.

Live Music

Live music continues to draw crowds and add to the overall visitor experience. Up and down the country we’ve seen stages added to established events in recent years. No longer the reserve of racecourses, many major sporting fixtures now include a big selling artist on their scorecard – Rudimental and Simple Minds both rocked the crowds at this year’s BMW PGA Championship. Countryfile Live added The Summer Party which was held in the main arena at the end of each day and saw Newton Faulkner and The Shires headline.

Shift towards cashless

With advancements in event technology improving all the time, a cashless festival is now a very real possibility. This year’s 2000 Trees was able to achieve just that, utilising Playpass’ RFID technology. The organisers have hailed it a huge success and stated that queues were vastly reduced. Bestival and Camp Bestival also made a sizeable shift towards a cashless festival. Utilising Tappit’s contactless payment wristbands for the first time, they were able to streamline the payment process whilst capturing more data from festival goers.

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Green is the word….

In keeping with the industry’s current focus on reducing the environmental impact of events and festivals, we’re taking our own responsibilities seriously. The 2018 show sees us undertaking a series of initiatives to reduce the Showman’s Show’s carbon footprint and promote sustainability to the wider event industry.

Vision:2025 will host an event the afternoon of Wednesday 17^th October with the festivals involved sharing ideas and learning more about the new suppliers, organisations and communities that are helping the industry move towards more sustainable practices.

The event will highlight the power of collaboration and what can be achieved when festivals and suppliers work together: with updates on industry initiatives, latest research, presentations, panels, Q&As, roundtable sessions, and a chance to continue the conversation over an ethically-brewed beer at the networking drinks.

For the first time, the Green Supplier and Innovation 2018 award will be judged live at the Show, forming part of the Vision:2025 programme. Three shortlisted exhibitors will be invited to deliver a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style presentation to a panel of sustainability champions and experts. The award is as much about companies who are implementing best sustainability practice, as it is about individual products and services, so we’re encouraging all our exhibitors to enter.

Reducing single-use plastic is now a key consideration for event and festival organisers. The RAW Foundation has published a ‘Guide to Reusable Bar Cups at Events’ with the core message of the campaign ‘re-use not single use’. It is working across the event industry to inspire change toward a ‘pointless plastic free’ world and will present a new conference at the show on Thursday 18th October.

We’re encouraging all contractors, exhibitors and visitors to bring along their own re-usable water bottles and cups and is looking to remove one off plastic water bottles from its own catering outlets wherever possible.

We’ve also signed up to Energy Revolution as a supplier member, this means that we’ll be offsetting our CO2 emissions from travel with direct investment in clean renewable energy. We’re also encouraging visitors and exhibitors to make use of the GoCarShare scheme that we introduced back in 2017. Popular with festival and sporting event goers who find that the service, where drivers link up with passengers, with the latter paying a contribution to the trip, is a great way to be kind to the environment and take the hassle out of travelling.

Sustainability is important to us and we’re really keen to do our bit. We’re actively searching and embracing methods that reduce our own carbon footprint and encouraging our exhibitors and visitors to do the same. Hosting important initiatives like the Vision:2025 meeting and RAW Foundation Conference, providing a platform for the industry to discuss them is exactly what the Showman’s Show is for.

 

In this technological age there are always new solutions

The Showman’s Show is renowned for keeping the event industry up to date with new trends and developments. In this technological age there are always new solutions and products being brought to the market to assist both event organisers and suppliers. This newsletter brings you a snapshot of the event tech that you can expect to see this October when you attend the Showman’s Show.

If you’re an event organiser there are several stands that should certainly be ear marked for a visit. Discover innovative ticketing and marketing solutions, along with vehicle and event goer tracking, utilising RFID and NFC technology.

Event hirers and suppliers also have a wide selection of companies offering platforms to assist them in the smooth running of their businesses.

If you haven’t already registered to attend then please do so by clicking here.

To keep up to date with all our latest news then follow us on Twitter @TheShowmansShow, Facebook @theshowmansshow and Instagram @theshowmansshow.

Impressive array of products and services on display

We’re extremely proud that the Showman’s Show has been a firm fixture within the event industry calendar for over 30 years. With an impressive array of products and services on display and initiatives that encourage and promote best practice, the show remains a must attend for any serious event professional!

This year’s event is shaping up to deliver in the region of 350 exhibitors, showcasing everything from state-of-the-art structures, plant and hire equipment, to entertainment and finishing touches.

This newsletter gives a strong indication of what you can expect from a visit to the show this October: product launches, innovation, practical solutions, creativity and inspiration from exhibitors old and new.

Newsletter

If you haven’t already registered to attend then please do so by clicking here.

To keep up to date with all our latest news then follow us on Twitter @TheShowmansShow, Facebook @theshowmansshow and Instagram @theshowmansshow.

 

 

 

Showman’s Show 2017 highlights

Showman’s Show 2017 highlights

 

 

 

Showman’s Show will once again be supporting the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) Awards

The Showman’s Show will once again be supporting the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) Awards later this year, having confirmed that it will be sponsoring the ‘Event Supplier of the Year Award’ at the annual celebration. The award recognises companies that have demonstrated quality in supplier customer relationships that have added value to events which seems apt as we enter a very busy period for the outdoor event supply chain. Our exhibitors will be involved in a vast array of events over the coming weeks, including the likes of the Fever Tree Championships,

Sustainable initiatives for the Showman’s Show 2018

Over the last four or five months you haven’t been able to pick up a newspaper or go online without seeing a story surrounding sustainability and in particular reducing single-use plastics. Indeed, many of the stories have featured event and festival organisers and their own plans to improve their environmental impact. Here at the Showman’s Show we’re keen to play our part and where possible help lead change in the event industry. We’re looking at a number of sustainable options for 2018 – trying to implement and encourage them as much as we can.

Being recognised with a Greener Event Award and signing up to schemes such as Energy Revolution and GoCarShare are important phases in the development of the Show. We’re also thrilled to be hosting another Festival Vision:2025 meeting and excited about plans to bring visitors dedicated content on the reduction of single-use plastics. All of which are at the early planning stages and we’ll share more news and details in the coming months as they take shape.

To find out more about our sustainable initiatives for the Showman’s Show 2018 click here….