Open Air Business June 2016
The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glampsites and event organisers
The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glampsites and event organisers
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ISSUE 2 | <strong>June</strong> <strong>2016</strong> | www.openairbusiness.com<br />
BUSINESS<br />
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
Outdoor Ceremonies<br />
ACCOMMODATION<br />
Glamping Growth<br />
Marketing Toolkit<br />
CHARM<br />
EVENTS<br />
Why Wi-Fi?<br />
Festival Accommodation<br />
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WELCOME<br />
Welcome<br />
Introducing <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
WELL, I AM still reeling from the launch<br />
issue’s feedback! I am delighted to report that<br />
<strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> has been overwhelmingly<br />
well-received by the outdoor hospitality<br />
industry. Thank you to all who took the time<br />
to write or email your words of support and<br />
encouragement, and to all who returned the<br />
subscription request forms to continue to<br />
receive <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> for free. This really<br />
assists with our ABC audit – an independent<br />
circulation appraisal which helps the magazine<br />
be as transparent as possible to advertisers.<br />
Speaking of advertisers, I would like to<br />
thank those who have supported us in these early issues. I really do appreciate<br />
your enthusiasm for this new publication and your trust that we will deliver<br />
your message effectively to this exciting, expanding market. Readers, if you see<br />
something you like and make an enquiry, please do mention you saw it in <strong>Open</strong><br />
<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong>.<br />
One of the most enlightening aspects of my work as editor is hearing from<br />
our case study businesses. Early on in the conception of <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong>,<br />
the team thought it valuable to include interviews with business owners in the<br />
Function Venue, Accommodation and Events sectors of the outdoor hospitality<br />
industry. In this issue we have a diverse selection, two of which span the sectors<br />
in their offerings: a glampsite that holds weddings, and a wedding venue that<br />
provides glamping as well as running an event. That’s exactly the message <strong>Open</strong><br />
<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> wants to promote: maximising revenue by embracing outdoor<br />
hospitality in all its forms. I hope these interviews will inspire you to investigate<br />
new opportunities too.<br />
Visitors’ first impression of a function venue, glampsite or outdoor event will be<br />
how each is ‘dressed.’ However, there are many more mundane considerations<br />
that go into their preparation. In every issue you will find a product focus for<br />
each editorial section, with words of wisdom from an industry expert and some<br />
product choices. I have enjoyed these features so much that the next time I visit<br />
an outdoor hospitality offering you may well find me round the back checking out<br />
the generator (page 22), site facilities (page 42), or asking how they got Wi-Fi to the<br />
middle of a field (page 56).<br />
Finally, I would like to introduce a new ‘voice’ to the magazine - Periwinkle (page<br />
66). I will leave you to ponder how long this rural entrepreneur and his eccentric<br />
friends will remain in business. One thing’s for sure, we’ll have some fun reading<br />
about their exploits along the way!<br />
PUBLISHERS<br />
Tally Wade - tally@openairbusiness.com<br />
Steve Rix - steve@openairbusiness.com<br />
EDITORIAL TEAM<br />
Richard Kruger - richard@openairbusiness.com<br />
Tally Wade - tally@openairbusiness.com<br />
ADVERTISING SALES<br />
Antoinette Marley - 01892 677721<br />
antoinette@openairbusiness.com<br />
DESIGN<br />
James English -<br />
www.jamesenglishdesign.co.uk<br />
PUBLISHED BY<br />
Coffee Shop Media<br />
t: 01580 848555<br />
www.coffeeshopmedia.com<br />
The House on the Hill, Friezley Lane,<br />
Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2LL<br />
t: 01580 848555<br />
Find more expert advice online:<br />
www.openairbusiness.com<br />
NOW<br />
LIVE<br />
FOLLOW US ON<br />
TWITTER<br />
@openairbusiness<br />
FOLLOW US ON<br />
FACEBOOK<br />
www.facebook.com/<br />
openairbusiness<br />
Tally Wade<br />
Editor / Publisher<br />
COVER PHOTO<br />
Polly’s Dynamic Pictures. Making the<br />
most of a rural venue from page 13<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 3
INSIDE<br />
Contents ISSUE #2 | <strong>June</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />
6 News<br />
9 Industry Talk – How to<br />
find grants, finance and<br />
alternative sources of<br />
business funding<br />
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
13 Case Study – Deepdale<br />
Farm on what will be<br />
its first full year as a<br />
wedding provider<br />
16 Charm in Demand –<br />
Gwil Jones on making<br />
the most of a rural<br />
venue<br />
18 Al Fresco Nuptials<br />
– Legalities and<br />
practicalities of holding<br />
outdoor ceremonies<br />
22 Power to Hand – How<br />
to specify generators<br />
and what to consider<br />
24 Product Focus – Heat<br />
and power options for<br />
function venues<br />
ACCOMMODATION<br />
27 Case Study – Harvest<br />
Moon Holidays boasts<br />
seven treehouses and a<br />
location to die for<br />
30 Glamping Growth –<br />
Sarah Riley unearths<br />
the latest stats on<br />
glamping’s rapid rise in<br />
popularity<br />
34 Marketing Toolkit –<br />
Get set to market your<br />
glamping enterprise<br />
to the max with Bella<br />
Given’s insights<br />
38 Call of Nature – ‘Dry’<br />
toilets can be installed<br />
anywhere and offer a<br />
pleasant, reliable facility<br />
42 Product Focus – Site<br />
facilities for glampsites<br />
45 Company Profile –<br />
CampPlus en-suite<br />
toilet and washroom<br />
facilities<br />
EVENTS<br />
47 Case Study – Hodder<br />
Valley Show remains a<br />
traditional agricultural<br />
affair<br />
50 Festival Glamping –<br />
Extra revenue from prepitched<br />
accommodation<br />
at festival events<br />
54 Safe, Profitable<br />
Events – NCASS’ 10<br />
point checklist for<br />
best practice in event<br />
organisation<br />
56 Why Wi-Fi? – Meeting<br />
exhibitors’ and the<br />
general public’s<br />
expectations for<br />
connectivity<br />
60 Product Focus –<br />
Professional services for<br />
outdoor events<br />
62 Spotlight<br />
64 Classifieds<br />
66 Introducing Periwinkle<br />
✁<br />
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THE HOUSE ON THE HILL, FRIEZLEY LANE, CRANBROOK, KENT, TN17 2LL or online at: www.openairbusiness.com/subscribe-free<br />
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Your details<br />
Ms/Miss/Mrs/Mr<br />
Surname<br />
Company<br />
Website<br />
Address<br />
First Name<br />
1) What best describes your business?<br />
2) Which sector(s) do you operate / are you interested in?<br />
Outdoor Accommodation, Outdoor Events, Outdoor Functions,<br />
OTHER (please specify)<br />
3) What best describes your job role?<br />
4) Are you involved in the purchase of products and/or services?<br />
Email<br />
Phone Number<br />
Postcode<br />
5) <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> is independently audited by the ABC. Please answer the<br />
following question for auditing purposes. What make of car do you<br />
drive? (you can put ‘Don’t drive’ etc.)
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The latest news from the world of outdoor hospitality<br />
50 Tonne Monster Move<br />
AN EMBALMER FROM<br />
Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, Ireland,<br />
has moved a Boeing 767<br />
aeroplane from Shannon runway<br />
to Enniscrone beach, and<br />
intends to convert it into luxury<br />
glamping accommodation.<br />
David McGowan took delivery<br />
of the 159ft plane on 8 May<br />
following 36 hours at sea,<br />
transported by barge.<br />
Speaking to Today FM, Ireland, McGowan said: “I have<br />
a 15 acre site of marshy field and I was wondering what I could do with<br />
it. Whatever I was going to do with it had to be tourism because we’re<br />
on the Wild Atlantic Way. I looked at different types of accommodation<br />
and unusual places to stay and saw that glamping was a modern type<br />
of camping that was spreading throughout Europe.<br />
“I then got the idea that I might like a plane. There are so many<br />
planes that have been decommissioned so I rang around three different<br />
airports and Shannon got back to me.”<br />
The 30 year old Boeing 767 cost £16,000 and will be converted into<br />
accommodation for a transport themed glamping village together<br />
with 10 buses, three train carriages, four boats and eight London taxis.<br />
McGowan is raising money for the project via crowd funding and VOOM,<br />
Richard Branson’s annual start up competition where businesses pitch<br />
for a share of a £1million fund.<br />
READER OFFERS<br />
OPEN AIR BUSINESS is delighted to announce two special offers<br />
for readers.<br />
› CAPITAL ALLOWANCE SPECIALISTS is offering readers a free,<br />
no obligation assessment as to their potential Capital Allowance<br />
entitlement. Contact 01992 505011 / rajesh.parmar@casluk.com<br />
or visit www.casluk.com. Turn to pages 9-11 for more on financing<br />
options.<br />
› SARAH RILEY OF Inspired Courses is offering readers 10% off the<br />
‘Ultimate Glamping <strong>Business</strong> Guide,’ with code BM10. Visit<br />
www.inspiredcourses.com/glamping. Turn to pages 30-32 for more<br />
from Sarah.<br />
NCASS Award Win<br />
The Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS) has been<br />
named as the winner of the <strong>Business</strong> category in the<br />
Regulatory Delivery’s Primary Authority Awards. The<br />
awards are designed to recognise outstanding work<br />
by those involved in the Primary Authority scheme (a<br />
gateway to simpler regulation) and to celebrate frontline<br />
success.<br />
NCASS won the <strong>Business</strong> category, highlighting its<br />
commitment to helping mobile and event caterers<br />
comply with food safety regulations and reducing<br />
burdens on both member businesses and regulators<br />
by decreasing the number of inspections that caterers<br />
experience at events.<br />
To these ends NCASS produced a common set of<br />
standards and due diligence pack, including online<br />
editable risk assessments that members can tailor to<br />
their individual needs. They also created the Connect<br />
system; an online database of members which allows<br />
enforcement officers to upload inspection reports<br />
to help inform other local authorities whether any<br />
enforcement contact is needed at future events.<br />
Judges said: “NCASS has embraced Primary Authority<br />
as a mechanism for assisting members to provide safe<br />
food and reduce the burden of over-inspection. The<br />
Connect System is an innovative approach that enables<br />
local authorities to access, check and store information<br />
on transient businesses, enabling them to benefit from<br />
the same risk-based intervention frequencies as fixedpremises<br />
businesses.”<br />
6 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
Tourism Awards<br />
adds Glamping<br />
VISITENGLAND HAS ADDED<br />
a new category to its<br />
national tourism awards.<br />
The ‘Glamping Provider<br />
of the Year’ category will<br />
celebrate excellence in<br />
glamping provision in the<br />
2017 round of awards.<br />
To be eligible to enter,<br />
businesses must be an<br />
individual or a multiunit<br />
glamping-only site, have<br />
a non-traditional and<br />
alternative feel, provide hot<br />
water, private bathroom<br />
facilities and private<br />
cooking facilities to each<br />
unit and must be open for<br />
business at some point<br />
between 17 October <strong>2016</strong><br />
to 24 February 2017.<br />
Applications will open in<br />
late August with an awards<br />
ceremony in April 2017.<br />
Where there is a local<br />
(county or regional) awards<br />
programme, businesses<br />
VISITENGLAND<br />
must apply to the regional<br />
programme first where<br />
a glamping category<br />
exists. Winners at county<br />
or regional level are then<br />
eligible to be put up for<br />
the national awards. In<br />
some cases finalists are<br />
also put forward to the<br />
national level. If there are<br />
no awards in a particular<br />
location then glamping<br />
businesses can apply<br />
directly to the national<br />
awards. Details on each<br />
region will be posted at<br />
www.visitenglandawards.<br />
org in coming weeks.<br />
<strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> has<br />
made enquiries to the<br />
national tourism boards of<br />
Northern Ireland, Scotland<br />
and Wales but has not been<br />
able to ascertain whether<br />
glamping will be included<br />
in their respective award<br />
programmes.<br />
Don’t Discount the<br />
Growth Programme<br />
“WHILE THERE HAS been criticism of the government’s £177m<br />
Growth Programme, it shouldn’t be discounted if you are planning<br />
to develop a rural outdoor hospitality business in the next five<br />
years,” says Annie Hunter, a senior consultant at How2 <strong>Business</strong><br />
Solutions.<br />
Last month Farmers Weekly stated that only two applications had<br />
been reported by the programme since its launch in 2015, as part<br />
of the Rural Development Programme fund, to support projects in<br />
areas that created jobs and growth in rural economies.<br />
“While only two projects have been approved at the time of<br />
writing, and there being a potential nine month time lag from initial<br />
outline application to, hopefully, a final offer, the Rural Payments<br />
Agency has stated that others are in progress, with over 400 initial<br />
applications received since the scheme’s launch and 200 projects<br />
invited to submit full applications,” Hunter explains.<br />
“The grants are managed by The Rural Payments Agency (RPA),<br />
working with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The RPA<br />
publishes calls for applications for grants in specific LEP areas. Each<br />
call will reflect the priorities set by the LEP and will state what types<br />
of grants are open and the application dates. Currently there are<br />
grants available for business development and small scale tourism<br />
infrastructure, as well as tourism cooperation and food processing.”<br />
Worth more than £450m over the period 2015 to 2020, there<br />
are a number of other schemes under the Rural Development<br />
Programme, an umbrella initiative with separate programmes for<br />
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
Tel: 01945 463857<br />
info@fireworksdisplayteam.co.uk<br />
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INDUSTRY TALK<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
In what, for some outdoor hospitality businesses, is a fallow grant funding landscape, the<br />
good news is that alternative funding and financing options for new ventures or to expand<br />
businesses do exist. How2 <strong>Business</strong> Solutions’ Annie Hunter shows you where to look<br />
FOR OUTDOOR HOSPITALITY business<br />
owners, sourcing business funding<br />
whether for start up, land use<br />
diversification or business expansion and<br />
growth is often a frustrating struggle.<br />
Undertaking a search for available grants can be<br />
time-consuming, confusing and disheartening.<br />
While hundreds of UK business grants do exist and<br />
can help fund many business expenses, identifying<br />
one that you can apply for, meet the criteria on and<br />
have a good chance of being awarded, can appear<br />
like a ‘post code’ and industry sector lottery.<br />
That’s because the grant scheme provider will<br />
have objectives, strategies or aims which the<br />
funding supports, hence many grant programmes<br />
are targeted to assist regions defined as<br />
economically disadvantaged, specific industry<br />
sectors and projects. Usually these have criteria<br />
for directly creating or safeguarding jobs and<br />
involve capital investment. It is extremely rare for<br />
a grant to finance the total cost of a project, unless<br />
it is for a very small amount. Many grants require<br />
equivalent funding: you need to match the funding<br />
from the grant provider.<br />
To help identify the few grants that your<br />
business may be eligible for, visit government and<br />
grant funding information sites (see below). Each<br />
listed website provides information on different<br />
grants: there is no one source. Secondly, contact<br />
your local Regional Development Authority (RDA),<br />
<strong>Business</strong> Link service, Chamber of Commerce or<br />
Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Hub. ›<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 9
INDUSTRY TALK<br />
If you do put in the hours to find<br />
a suitable grant, ensure you are<br />
prepared for the following:<br />
› Be ready to put up your own money.<br />
Grants typically cover 15 to 60% of<br />
the total required project finance and<br />
you almost always need to match<br />
grant funding. The smaller a grant is,<br />
the quicker it will usually be awarded<br />
and going for a smaller grant can<br />
often help ease overall financial<br />
pressure. Find out when the grant<br />
money would actually be paid. It can<br />
be up to a year between winning a<br />
grant and receiving the money.<br />
› Grants are usually targeted to<br />
specific projects. Supporting the<br />
organic growth of a business<br />
does not normally qualify, though<br />
there may be grants in your region<br />
themed to accelerate job creation or<br />
investment.<br />
› Grants are typically aimed at<br />
new projects and often impose<br />
restrictions. You will need to<br />
demonstrate that your project<br />
will help achieve the objectives or<br />
strategic aims of the grant provider<br />
and that the project would not take<br />
place and achieve the same benefits<br />
without the grant.<br />
› Have a credible business plan<br />
and show that your business is<br />
sustainable. You could have the best<br />
idea in the world but if you are not<br />
worth investing in then you won’t<br />
get the money. So, you need to write<br />
a compelling, easily understood<br />
story and ensure you have read and<br />
shaped your application to meet all<br />
stated grant criteria, including the<br />
financials.<br />
› Use a grant consultant. Doing so can<br />
save search and application time and<br />
increase your chances of success.<br />
However, a consultant typically takes<br />
about 10% commission and doesn’t<br />
usually get involved in grants worth<br />
less than around £20,000.<br />
Start up or SME hospitality<br />
businesses looking for an external<br />
expert to help their business growth<br />
can apply for an innovation voucher<br />
worth up to £5,000. Applications are<br />
made online and subject to a random<br />
draw. Most schemes are operated<br />
locally or regionally and operate<br />
periodically. For current available<br />
schemes visit https://vouchers.<br />
innovateuk.org<br />
ALTERNATIVE<br />
FINANCING OPTIONS<br />
The 2007-2008 global financial crisis<br />
and ensuing UK recession of 2008-2013<br />
inflicted a period of real hardship for many<br />
businesses and their owners. However, a<br />
by-product of many banks and traditional<br />
financing institutions closing their doors<br />
to new borrowers and withdrawing<br />
overdrafts from SMEs was the emergence<br />
of vibrant and increasingly competitive<br />
alternative financing sources. Today these<br />
sources threaten to eclipse banks in terms<br />
of attractiveness for smaller businesses.<br />
Generally, they are also easier to apply for<br />
and more flexible, and you are more likely<br />
to have your funding application accepted.<br />
Although alternative finance as a<br />
whole, including peer-to-peer and peerto-business<br />
lending, crowdfunding and<br />
other products, has more than doubled<br />
since 2014 and is fast becoming viewed as<br />
mainstream, 56% of SMEs are unfamiliar<br />
with any form of alternative finance. So,<br />
here are a few pointers to the wealth<br />
of alternative financing options, from<br />
equity crowdfunding to innovative invoice<br />
platforms and debt options, for businesses<br />
seeking funds at more reasonable terms.<br />
› <strong>Business</strong> Angels - these investors make<br />
equity investments (the raising of capital<br />
through the sale of shares) in businesses<br />
in the early stages of development or in<br />
established businesses seeking expansion<br />
capital. They tend to back higher-risk<br />
opportunities, seeking to have a high<br />
return on their investment over a period<br />
of three to eight years when they exit.<br />
Most Angels invest through syndicates.<br />
In addition to the capital they put in,<br />
valuable first hand skills and experience<br />
will usually be shared with the business,<br />
as well as their network of contacts. Many<br />
operate within small geographic areas.<br />
Charges are between £250 and £750. www.<br />
ukbusinessangelsassociation.org.uk<br />
› Equity Crowdfunding<br />
- many internet-based<br />
platforms exist that connect<br />
businesses looking to borrow<br />
with, potentially, hundreds of<br />
thousands of investors. You will<br />
need to show that your business<br />
is investment ready and, like other<br />
forms of equity finance, have a business<br />
plan and financial forecasts. A short video<br />
to summarise the business opportunity<br />
can be beneficial. Crowdfunding platforms<br />
typically charge a success fee. www.ukcfa.<br />
org.uk<br />
› Peer to Peer (P2P) Loans - these<br />
internet-based platforms operate as a<br />
marketplace, matching lenders with<br />
borrowers, removing any financial<br />
institution and usually at better rates.<br />
Typically, secured and unsecured loans<br />
from £5,000 to £1m over six months to five<br />
years can be quickly arranged. P2P loans<br />
are also a way of allowing family, partners,<br />
friends and customers, who invest through<br />
the platform, to share in the returns of the<br />
business. As a borrower you will be credit<br />
checked. Lenders can state an interest<br />
rate at which they will lend, allowing the<br />
borrower to accept the lowest on offer.<br />
P2P platforms charge an arrangement fee.<br />
www.p2pfa.info<br />
› British <strong>Business</strong> Bank - this government<br />
owned business development bank is<br />
dedicated to helping those looking to start<br />
a business, expand or stay ahead of the<br />
competition. The bank works with over<br />
80 finance partners to unlock finance for<br />
smaller business be it general working<br />
capital, debt capital, or equity finance.<br />
www.british-business-bank.co.uk<br />
› Asset Finance - in the form of a finance<br />
lease or an operating lease, asset finance<br />
is usually used to obtain items and<br />
equipment for your business without<br />
incurring the cash drain of an outright<br />
purchase. Due to the fact that the loan is<br />
10 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
INDUSTRY TALK<br />
secured on the asset<br />
being financed, the need<br />
for additional collateral<br />
is reduced, together with<br />
the flexibility to update<br />
the asset at the end of<br />
the lease. Available directly<br />
from specialist providers or<br />
equipment suppliers or brokers.<br />
www.fla.org.uk<br />
› Invoice Financing and Discounting -<br />
this form of asset-based finance provides a means<br />
to borrow money against cash owed to you by your<br />
customers, supporting cash flow and releasing monies<br />
for investment, effectively helping your credit control.<br />
Factoring companies purchase invoices owed, advancing<br />
the majority of the value of the invoice, managing the<br />
sales ledger and collecting the money owed by customers.<br />
With invoice discounting your business retains control<br />
over the administration of the sales ledger. Interest rates<br />
are between 1.5 to 3% plus a management fee of 0.2 to<br />
0.5% of turnover. www.compare-invoice-factoring.com<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
An example of the potential benefits gained by using a specialist to<br />
assess all due Capital Allowance tax relief.<br />
Company Profit<br />
Integral Features<br />
AIA (200K from Jan <strong>2016</strong>)<br />
Balance of Integral Features<br />
General Plant & Machinery<br />
£ CA identified £<br />
268,000<br />
500,000<br />
(200,000) (200,000)<br />
68,000 x 8% (5,440)<br />
50,000 x 18% (9,000)<br />
DOES HMRC OWE YOU MONEY?<br />
Before you start to work through the financing maze<br />
to determine the best option to meet your business<br />
needs, it’s well worth ascertaining if you or your business<br />
is owed money by the HMRC in the form of Capital<br />
Allowance tax relief. Why? Well, 95% of businesses do<br />
not claim their full entitlement, equating to billions of<br />
pounds of unclaimed tax relief that can provide an often<br />
much needed business cash injection and negate the<br />
need to seek financing.<br />
Capital Allowances provide tax relief against<br />
expenditure on commercial properties (freehold and<br />
leasehold). The scheme benefit is typically 20 to 40% of<br />
the qualifying base cost and applies to:<br />
› commercial properties which have undergone<br />
renovation, fit out, extension or conversion<br />
› fixtures and integral features applied to a new build or<br />
property acquisition<br />
› items integral to running the business such as power,<br />
lighting and heating installations, fire and security<br />
alarm systems, sanitary and kitchen fittings, phone<br />
and data installations, specialist equipment, flooring,<br />
windows, ceilings, signage and even artworks.<br />
Commercial property owners and investors can<br />
retrospectively claim for unused allowances (often going<br />
back years) for alterations, extensions and upgrades<br />
to their building, even for eligible work carried out by<br />
previous property owners. It can pay significant dividends<br />
to engage a Capital Allowance specialist who will often<br />
identify up to four times in additional allowances<br />
versus the standard accountancy approach, assigning a<br />
specialist quantity surveyor to carry out a full site survey<br />
and advise on environmentally friendly items, that are<br />
subject to 100% tax relief.<br />
Taxable Profit<br />
20% Corporation Tax claimant = £42,888 Tax Saving<br />
40% Personal Tax claimant = £85,776 Tax Saving<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Annie Hunter is a consultant for How2 <strong>Business</strong> Solutions, an information and advisory<br />
service for SMEs and large companies. Delivered mainly through a nationwide<br />
programme of free seminars, the company provides free information, advice and<br />
practical solutions for your business issues to help you achieve more sales and more<br />
money with less tax and less risk.<br />
FREE READER NO OBLIGATION ASSESSMENT<br />
<strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> has partnered with Capital Allowance<br />
Specialists Ltd to provide readers with a free no obligation<br />
assessment as to their potential Capital Allowance entitlement.<br />
Simply contact 01992 505011 / rajesh.parmar@casluk.com or<br />
visit www.casluk.com<br />
USEFUL LINKS<br />
285,560<br />
www.gov.uk/business-finance-support-finder<br />
www.greatbusiness.gov.uk<br />
www.gov.uk/business-support-helpline<br />
www.gov.uk/guidance/regional-growth-fund-programmes-guide<br />
www.smallbusiness.co.uk/financing-a-business/government-grants<br />
www.smarta.com/tools/grants<br />
www.idoxgrantfinder.co.uk<br />
www.startups.co.uk/growth-finance<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 11
Event Kitchens<br />
Busy planning your summer events?<br />
dontforgetthekitchen.com<br />
Whether you need to hire temporary kitchens or<br />
stand-alone catering equipment for use in a marquee<br />
or existing building, we can help.<br />
Choose from our range of over 9,000 items of catering<br />
equipment and hundreds of temporary kitchen units to<br />
make your event kitchen amazing!<br />
Give us a call for a chat with our events team, or visit<br />
our website for an instant online kitchen estimate!<br />
Have fun planning your events this summer, but<br />
whatever you do… Don’t forget the kitchen!<br />
• Event kitchens<br />
• Catering equipment<br />
• Pop-up restaurants<br />
• Marquee kitchens<br />
• Crockery, cutlery<br />
and glassware<br />
• Instant online estimate<br />
@PKLEvents<br />
12 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM<br />
www.DontForgetTheKitchen.com
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
Deepdale<br />
PHOTOS BY: POLLY’S DYNAMIC PICTURES<br />
Farm<br />
A truly rustic wedding experience<br />
with on-site accommodation<br />
and flexible party spaces<br />
Inspired by holding two family weddings at Deepdale Farm,<br />
Charlotte Lawson and her husband James were encouraged<br />
to offer a similar opportunity to couples seeking a rustic wedding location.<br />
With enviable views and the freedom to design the barns and fields as couples<br />
desire, Deepdale Farm provides imaginative scope and exclusivity
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
Tell us about your venue<br />
Deepdale Farm is a 12 acre<br />
smallholding set on the edge<br />
of the North Yorkshire moors,<br />
on a hill with views across open<br />
countryside. We have been<br />
here for six years now. In the<br />
main we keep horses, although<br />
we do have two token goats!<br />
During the winter the whole<br />
farm works as a livery yard but<br />
from May to September most of<br />
the horses are in the fields and<br />
we use the farm as a wedding<br />
venue. We have three wooden<br />
barns: one is used for the<br />
horses year round; one is open<br />
at both ends and usually used<br />
for the ceremonies; the third is<br />
enclosed and mostly used for<br />
dining, dancing and general<br />
celebrations.<br />
What made you decide to cater<br />
for weddings?<br />
We wanted our wedding in 2011<br />
on the farm so we erected a<br />
marquee in one of the barns.<br />
Then a friend of a friend saw the<br />
pictures and asked to use the<br />
farm as a venue too. After that<br />
more and more people became<br />
interested so I built a website for<br />
Deepdale last summer. This year is<br />
our first as an official business.<br />
What facilities do you offer?<br />
We have a bow top caravan for<br />
overnight stays plus eight bell<br />
tents for the wedding party.<br />
They are 5m diameter and can<br />
hold four single beds or one big<br />
double; it all depends on guests’<br />
requirements. The decor is very<br />
country shabby chic. Maybe, in<br />
the longer term, we’ll branch out<br />
beyond weddings, like holding<br />
hen parties. Our middle barn can<br />
be adapted for different purposes<br />
such as beer pong, a photo<br />
booth or chill out area. Couples<br />
interested in having a humanist<br />
service will hold the service here<br />
as it has fantastic views.<br />
How did you research and<br />
source your marquee?<br />
For our wedding a local company<br />
lined our barn like a marquee at<br />
a third of the price of having a full<br />
outdoor marquee. We have stuck<br />
with that company since. Some<br />
guests want the full marquee<br />
set-up but more are opting for the<br />
rustic look of the barn. There’s<br />
definitely a wow factor when you<br />
walk into the barn and discover
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
a marquee inside! It’s erected by<br />
placing the pole structure within<br />
the barn and then adding the<br />
lining. The floor is carpeted, the<br />
dance floor is black and white<br />
squares and the walls and roof<br />
are white lining fabric. It can hold<br />
150 seated with the option of an<br />
extension marquee to the back<br />
of the barn which increases the<br />
capacity.<br />
How would you describe your<br />
‘style’?<br />
We offer a blank canvas for guests<br />
to ‘paint’ with their own ideas<br />
and decorations and do whatever<br />
they like. We allow people the<br />
freedom of choice; it makes us<br />
more appealing. Yes, we have a<br />
recommended suppliers list of<br />
caterers, florists and the like but<br />
guests are not obliged to use it.<br />
Certainly, a DIY venue requires<br />
more work but guests should be<br />
allowed to add their personal<br />
touch – it’s their wedding after all.<br />
This year will be tough in terms<br />
of the workload but I’m going to<br />
enjoy the process and what each<br />
couple brings to their wedding<br />
will provide me with more ideas to<br />
suggest to others.<br />
Where does your husband fit into<br />
the business?<br />
Well, it is a joint enterprise. James<br />
is a self-employed farrier but looks<br />
after the everyday maintenance<br />
work. He also built a grillkota (a<br />
wooden structure designed for<br />
cooking grill meals outside the<br />
house), with a fire pit in the middle<br />
and festoon lighting in the tree<br />
line. It’s a great space for evening<br />
celebrations: at a recent wedding<br />
guests congregated there to play<br />
their musical instruments and<br />
sing. James is also a keen gardener<br />
GUESTS<br />
SHOULD BE<br />
ALLOWED TO<br />
ADD THEIR<br />
PERSONAL<br />
TOUCH –<br />
IT’S THEIR<br />
WEDDING<br />
AFTER ALL<br />
so all the flower beds and hanging<br />
baskets are always perfect for<br />
the wedding days. He’s now also<br />
offering a bacon butty breakfast<br />
service for campers the morning<br />
after the wedding.<br />
How do you publicise the venue?<br />
I made the website myself; I’m<br />
not particularly technically<br />
minded but it was quite easy. The<br />
website is linked to our Facebook<br />
page. These two seem to have<br />
provided sufficient publicity to get<br />
bookings. We thought about using<br />
Festival Brides, which insisted<br />
on taking charge of the booking<br />
process and website, but I wanted<br />
to stay in control.<br />
What challenges have you faced?<br />
None yet although this year,<br />
our first as a proper wedding<br />
venue, will likely be a steep<br />
learning curve. The pressure of<br />
being responsible for couples’<br />
special days will be a challenge:<br />
I don’t want to let anyone down.<br />
Hopefully my own experience of<br />
the space and being wed here will<br />
help.<br />
Have you any other hospitality<br />
interests?<br />
We hold a charity hog roast called<br />
‘Deepdale Do.’ The first year we<br />
attracted some 120 and raised<br />
about £2,000 for the Yorkshire<br />
ambulance service, and last year we<br />
gave to the local riding group. We<br />
have music and food and a bar; it’s<br />
a fun event.<br />
Any advice for those entering the<br />
industry?<br />
Just don’t be greedy. Although this<br />
is a business I want to give couples<br />
a wedding in a beautiful setting on<br />
their own terms. At Deepdale they’re<br />
able to have a really spectacular<br />
wedding without spending a<br />
fortune, although they can if they<br />
want to!<br />
Do you enjoy the business?<br />
Every day is different, every<br />
wedding is different – what’s not to<br />
like?<br />
ADDRESS BOOK<br />
MARQUEE<br />
Black Cherry Events - 01924 254738<br />
07990 558475<br />
www.blackcherryevents.co.uk<br />
Will’s Marquees - 07790 221252<br />
01423 339915<br />
www.wills-marquees.co.uk<br />
FURNITURE<br />
As above and Black’s Furniture Hire -<br />
01347 878838<br />
www.eventfurniture.com<br />
BELL TENTS<br />
Good In Tent – 07928 084605<br />
belltenthire@gmail.com<br />
LIGHTING<br />
Black Cherry Events - 01924 254738<br />
07990 558475<br />
www.blackcherryevents.co.uk<br />
Fabulously Finished - 01439 788416<br />
www.fabulouslyfinished.co.uk<br />
CATERING<br />
Hog and Apple - 07984 319168<br />
thehogandapple.co.uk<br />
TOILET HIRE<br />
Loos2ewe - 01723 582346<br />
www.loos2ewe.co.uk<br />
DETAILS<br />
A: Deepdale Farm, Keldholme, York, YO62 6LE<br />
T: 01751 430919 or 07887 691810<br />
W: www.deepdalefarmweddings.com<br />
E: charlotte@deepdalefarmweddings.com<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 15
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
Charm in<br />
Demand<br />
More and more landowners, writes Gwil Jones, are opening<br />
their gates to a wide range of commercial opportunities which<br />
embrace their rural roots<br />
stage: functional and practical.<br />
You can then dress the stage, be<br />
it a marquee, barn, woodland<br />
or garden, to suit the audience.<br />
Flair and imagination brought to<br />
bear, with modern touches, can<br />
transform the simplest site into a<br />
venue in demand.<br />
DIVERSIFICATION IS NOTHING<br />
new and when agricultural prices<br />
are at a low, as they currently are,<br />
farmers need to fully harness the<br />
potential of their assets. The Great<br />
British Public now embraces the<br />
countryside more keenly than ever<br />
before. This unquenchable thirst is<br />
constantly being fed with TV and<br />
advertising, promoting everything<br />
from food to fashion and lifestyle<br />
in the great outdoors.<br />
This is no bad thing, indeed<br />
quite the opposite, but merely<br />
a change in the status quo. The<br />
British countryside is no longer<br />
the playground solely for those<br />
dressed in tweed: a traditional,<br />
mixed farm now harvests the<br />
sun and the wind for its crop, has<br />
industrial lets in stables, weddings<br />
“HAVE A<br />
KEEN<br />
SENSE OF<br />
KNOWING<br />
WHO<br />
YOU ARE<br />
APPEALING<br />
TO”<br />
in barns and an obstacle race<br />
over fields.<br />
When you’re setting up a new<br />
enterprise everything that needs<br />
doing generally has a number of<br />
zeros behind the Pound sign. So,<br />
it’s important to stay focussed<br />
on your end goal and have a<br />
keen sense of knowing who you<br />
are appealing to. Often, even<br />
with these thoughts etched on<br />
the brain, so many make the<br />
mistake of thinking their potential<br />
customers are just like them: “If we<br />
like it, they will too.” Wrong!<br />
Simplicity and quality should<br />
be your initial watchwords.<br />
Thereafter, you’ll have time to<br />
refine the areas you want to<br />
concentrate on in the future.<br />
Think of your venue as a theatre<br />
Rough around the edges<br />
If redeveloping an old building<br />
don’t be led by an architect who<br />
loves to over spec and wants to<br />
design a structure as if it were a<br />
show home. This would be crazy.<br />
There are also occasions when<br />
unnecessary money has been<br />
spent on a beautiful, old barn<br />
transforming it into something<br />
that resembles a bland conference<br />
room suite, taking away all its<br />
former charm and appeal. This is<br />
not always the case, and I am not<br />
endorsing the cutting of corners to<br />
save money, but often the appeal<br />
of a country venue tends to be the<br />
slightly ‘rough around the edges’<br />
look.<br />
New wedding and event venues<br />
are springing up everywhere<br />
16 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
offering the exclusivity and<br />
bespoke appeal which hotels<br />
cannot match. These venues,<br />
even at the top end, are also<br />
considerably cheaper than<br />
private one-off marquee events,<br />
once everything is taken into<br />
consideration. Regardless of the<br />
type of farm venue you intend<br />
on setting up, there is room for<br />
many more entrants yet, and all at<br />
differing levels of involvement and<br />
investment.<br />
The events industry is closely<br />
knit and intertwined; it relies<br />
heavily on mutual cooperation.<br />
So do your research and find likeminded<br />
suppliers to build up a<br />
network to support your business.<br />
They’ll often be as keen to work<br />
with you, as you are with them.<br />
Key considerations<br />
The events industry is about<br />
1 working when your guests want<br />
to play, so busy days, evenings and<br />
weekends become the norm.<br />
How close are you to your<br />
2 neighbours? People who live<br />
in the countryside fear noise and<br />
traffic more than anything, so if you<br />
intend to set up a venue you need a<br />
plan to deal with this.<br />
Chimney pots. In order to get a<br />
3 critical mass, you not only need<br />
be close to your customers but be<br />
close enough to other amenities like<br />
hotels, main roads, taxis, suppliers<br />
and a labour force.<br />
Something that sets your venue<br />
4 apart from the rest, regardless of<br />
competitive factors. Some venues<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
ABOUT THE<br />
AUTHOR<br />
Gwil Jones is the<br />
director of The Venue<br />
Group, a leading<br />
provider of bespoke<br />
event management<br />
solutions to unique<br />
rural venues<br />
and country<br />
estates. www.<br />
thevenuegroup.<br />
co.uk<br />
will be able to draw customers<br />
further than others.<br />
Don’t try and be something<br />
5 you’re not. Play to your strengths<br />
and the strengths of your venue.<br />
Planning permission and<br />
6 highways access. Get<br />
professional advice to fully<br />
understand the financial and legal<br />
implications of what you will need.<br />
Risk assessments and Health<br />
7 & Safety. This is all very dull,<br />
but don’t just push it to one side<br />
and ignore it. The countryside,<br />
and farms in particular, can be<br />
dangerous places and many of your<br />
guests may be very unfamiliar with<br />
these dangers. Mix this with over<br />
excitement and alcohol and you will<br />
soon find that things can quickly get<br />
out of control.<br />
Running a countryside events<br />
8 venue can be a very lucrative<br />
business but don’t rest on your<br />
laurels. You need to keep investing,<br />
improving and evolving to keep the<br />
pennies coming in.<br />
Hospitality and events are not<br />
9 something that is limited to the<br />
summer months only, they happen<br />
all year round, so make sure you are<br />
open to the possibilities.<br />
There is always so much that<br />
10 can’t be done until the last<br />
minute. So if it can go wrong, it<br />
inevitably will. Always plan for the<br />
worst case scenario so you’ll always<br />
be prepared.<br />
SWALLOWS NEST BARN, WARWICKSHIRE<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 17
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
Al Fresco<br />
Nuptials<br />
A wedding ceremony outside: how difficult can it be? Isabel Smith guides<br />
<strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> readers through the legalities and practicalities<br />
PHOTO BY LEMORE MANOR, HEREFORDSHIRE
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
BEACH WEDDINGS BOURNEMOUTH / ANNELI MARINOVICH PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
WE LIVE IN an age where a<br />
wedding taking place in Singapore<br />
can be live-streamed to a bride<br />
sitting in her pyjamas in Denmark,<br />
and where a couple can look to<br />
Big Sur, California, for inspiration<br />
for their Norfolk coastal wedding<br />
via Google images or Pinterest.<br />
Couples view stunning and<br />
creative imagery of fairytale<br />
weddings taking place in every<br />
imaginable setting and think to<br />
themselves ‘we want some of<br />
that’ even if it means braving the<br />
unreliable British weather.<br />
In fact, outdoor wedding<br />
ceremonies are becoming so<br />
popular that the mainstream<br />
venue directories, like Hitched.<br />
co.uk, allow you to filter search<br />
results by those offering outdoor<br />
ceremonies or, at least, feature in<br />
their descriptions the outdoors<br />
policy of each venue. Yet, both the<br />
public and the industry remains<br />
largely uneducated about what<br />
is and what isn’t allowed when<br />
it comes to legally marrying out<br />
of doors. The investment and<br />
administration to set this up isn’t<br />
as terrifying as you might think<br />
and really does add another string<br />
to your bow.<br />
The legalities<br />
The first thing to know is that<br />
registering an outdoor space<br />
as an approved venue with<br />
your local registry office is, in<br />
truth, no different to registering<br />
one of your indoor spaces.<br />
UK law does require that the<br />
wedding itself take place under<br />
a permanent structure, large<br />
enough for the bride, groom,<br />
officiant, registrar and actual<br />
registry documentation to sit,<br />
but beyond this (ie, where the<br />
guests might sit) is totally up to<br />
you. This structure might consist<br />
of a wooden or stone pagoda, a<br />
purpose built hut or garden room<br />
or indeed simply the stone porch<br />
which leads into a building, such<br />
as that found at Lemore Manor in<br />
Herefordshire.<br />
“UK LAW DOES<br />
REQUIRE THAT<br />
THE WEDDING<br />
ITSELF TAKE<br />
PLACE UNDER<br />
A PERMANENT<br />
STRUCTURE,<br />
LARGE<br />
ENOUGH FOR<br />
THE BRIDE,<br />
GROOM,<br />
OFFICIANT,<br />
REGISTRAR<br />
AND ACTUAL<br />
REGISTRY<br />
DOCUMENT-<br />
ATION TO SIT”<br />
According to the official<br />
guidance from the Registrar<br />
General’s office, ‘premises’<br />
are defined as ‘a permanently<br />
immovable structure comprising<br />
at least a room, or any boat or<br />
other vessel which is permanently<br />
moored. Any premises outside<br />
this definition, such as the open<br />
air, a tent, marquee or any other<br />
temporary structure and most<br />
forms of transport, would not be<br />
eligible for approval.’<br />
If you are fortunate to be<br />
building your own structure,<br />
think sensibly about positioning:<br />
far enough away from your main<br />
building to create the romantic<br />
atmosphere, but not at such a<br />
distance that guests in heels will<br />
struggle to reach it if the ground<br />
is a little soggy. And, of course,<br />
make sure that the couple and the<br />
guests will get the best possible<br />
view.<br />
Your local licensing officer<br />
will then need to visit the site:<br />
to ensure that the space fits in<br />
with the above definition; to<br />
determine its suitability in terms<br />
of fire regulations and other health<br />
and safety concerns; to ensure<br />
that the venue can reasonably be<br />
accessed by the public; and, that it<br />
is deemed ‘seemly and dignified’<br />
for the purpose of marriage<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 19
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
BEACH WEDDINGS BOURNEMOUTH<br />
“...AS THE ONLY<br />
VENUE IN ENGLAND<br />
AND WALES WHERE<br />
WEDDINGS CAN<br />
LEGALLY TAKE PLACE<br />
ON THE BEACH, YOU<br />
CAN WELL IMAGINE<br />
THAT WE KEEP A CLOSE<br />
EYE ON THE WEATHER<br />
ALL THE TIME”<br />
ceremonies. Once approved, there<br />
is a fee to license your venue and<br />
ongoing conditions to be met, but<br />
from a legal perspective you are<br />
good to go.<br />
Legalities aside, should your<br />
couples be looking for an outdoor<br />
ceremony that suits their spiritual<br />
needs, there are no hard and<br />
fast rules regulating non-legal<br />
ceremonies. If their vicar, priest,<br />
rabbi or imam is willing to officiate<br />
at your venue, then crack on by<br />
all means, as long as your clients<br />
are aware that they will need to<br />
legally marry at the registry office<br />
some other time. Another option is<br />
the Humanist Society which has a<br />
number of trained professionals all<br />
over the UK who are able to write<br />
and perform symbolic ceremonies<br />
entirely tailored to the client’s<br />
beliefs and outlook.<br />
The practicalities<br />
Whether going down the legal<br />
route or not, once you have the<br />
formalities sorted there are, of<br />
course, still one or two practical<br />
issues to be thought through – not<br />
least the weather. Your bride and<br />
groom will be covered during the<br />
ceremony itself – the registrar<br />
will have ensured that during the<br />
legal process - but what about the<br />
guests? You’ve got to have a plan!<br />
Melanie Kiani of Beach Weddings<br />
Bournemouth - the master at<br />
weather planning - says “...as the<br />
only venue in England and Wales<br />
where weddings can legally take<br />
place on the beach, you can well<br />
imagine that we keep a close<br />
eye on the weather all the time.<br />
We need to erect a marquee for<br />
each and every event. If we’re<br />
lucky with the weather, the guests<br />
can sit with two sides open to<br />
create the al-fresco feeling with<br />
the couple and registrar in our<br />
bespoke wedding beach hut, but<br />
if the weather doesn’t play ball<br />
we drop the two sides with their<br />
panoramic window walls so you<br />
still know you’re at the beach.”<br />
If you’re not on the beach or<br />
able to build coverage for each<br />
individual event, use common<br />
sense to keep things simple. If you<br />
have an indoor space that seats<br />
120, don’t sell an outdoor wedding<br />
for more than that number of<br />
guests or where will you put them<br />
all if the weather fails on the day?<br />
When weather proofing, don’t<br />
overlook the importance of the<br />
smaller details. Simply having a<br />
couple of white golf umbrellas to<br />
hand can help ensure your bride<br />
remains pristine as she makes it<br />
from her room or the car to the<br />
aisle.<br />
It’s worth giving a little thought<br />
to what your guests will be sitting<br />
on too. Your venue might already<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Isabel Smith has 10<br />
years in the wedding<br />
industry behind her<br />
both as one of the<br />
UK’s top wedding<br />
planners as well as a<br />
business consultant<br />
for venues and other<br />
suppliers. Isabel’s<br />
expertise spans<br />
marketing, sales and<br />
operations as she<br />
helps new vendors<br />
launch as well as<br />
assisting established<br />
businesses should<br />
they find their<br />
sales falling. www.<br />
isabelsmithconsulting.<br />
co.uk / www.<br />
isabelsmithweddings.<br />
co.uk<br />
USEFUL LINKS<br />
have a stock of lovely dining<br />
chairs for receptions, but do you<br />
want them to be available for<br />
outdoor use? Bear in mind that<br />
even a light sprinkling of rain can<br />
ruin furniture or cause your seats’<br />
legs to sink into the mud, and will<br />
quickly sustain damage if moved<br />
from place to place a great many<br />
times.<br />
One final, practical<br />
consideration for outdoor<br />
weddings is sound. You will be<br />
amazed how little can be heard by<br />
guests at the back when outside,<br />
even from the lips of the most<br />
confident officiant and couple. I<br />
strongly recommend investing in<br />
a portable PA/speaker/mic system<br />
to ensure that every word can be<br />
heard.<br />
All in all, if you offer indoor<br />
wedding ceremonies, there really<br />
isn’t much standing in your way<br />
to offer an outdoor option too. It<br />
provides another feature for your<br />
marketing efforts and might just<br />
open up a broader range of clients<br />
and, of course, more weddings.<br />
Isn’t that what it’s all about?<br />
www.gov.uk/approval-of-premises-for-civil-marriageor-civil-partnership<br />
www.lemoremanor.com<br />
www.beachweddingsbournemouth.co.uk<br />
www.humanism.org.uk<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
20 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
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Over 95% of businesses do not claim their<br />
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Scheme Scope<br />
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undergone renovation, fit out,<br />
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• Fixtures and integral features<br />
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• Items integral to running the<br />
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& heating installations, fire &<br />
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Capital Allowance Specialists Ltd,<br />
Experience House, 5 Port Hill, Hertford, Herts SG14 1PJ<br />
This document and its content is copyright © of Capital Allowance Specialists ltd <strong>2016</strong>. All rights reserved.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 21
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
to Hand<br />
Richard Denholm talks to <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> about generators, the essential<br />
but largely unsung kit at the heart of a successful outdoor function<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
When might you need a<br />
generator?<br />
Any activity which takes place<br />
outdoors and requires power<br />
should have its own, temporary<br />
source to get the event up<br />
and running. Temporary<br />
power solutions, in the form<br />
of generators, offer event<br />
and function organisers more<br />
flexibility, being brought on-site as<br />
and when, with the ability to hook<br />
up directly where they’re needed.<br />
We’re seeing a growing<br />
demand for portable power<br />
across a diverse range of sectors<br />
from boutique festivals like The<br />
Secret Garden Party, through<br />
county shows and major festivals<br />
including T in the Park and<br />
Glastonbury, to weddings and<br />
pop-up events. An example of<br />
the latter was when we supplied<br />
ultra-silent generators to the<br />
Manchester Christmas markets.<br />
Outdoor power also lends itself<br />
“EVALUATING<br />
THE TOTAL<br />
COST OF<br />
OWNERSHIP<br />
OF A<br />
GENERATOR<br />
IS CRUCIAL”<br />
to communications, with high<br />
demands for network coverage in<br />
the remotest locations.<br />
Specifying the correct size<br />
of generator requires that the<br />
voltage requirements of each<br />
‘plug-in’ product are totalled. It is<br />
good practice that the generator<br />
be able to power the actual<br />
load plus 20%. If in doubt seek<br />
an electrical contractor or site<br />
electrician to confirm your loads.<br />
What should one consider?<br />
Choice of a generator should be<br />
based on the power requirements<br />
for the event, the footprint<br />
and weight of the generator to<br />
determine where it should be<br />
sited, and the emissions, including<br />
CO2 and sound levels. A further,<br />
operational factor is the total<br />
hours of use to determine how<br />
many times it will need to be<br />
refuelled during the period of an<br />
event.<br />
Transport to, inside and from<br />
the site needs to be appraised.<br />
Our Eventa 37kVA generators<br />
are available for road tow so are<br />
easy to get onto site, eliminating<br />
the need for heavy lorries. This<br />
generator size, for example, can<br />
power a bar, disco, lights and<br />
heating, toilets and welfare units<br />
for a wedding depending, of<br />
course, on numbers and what<br />
equipment is used.<br />
The cost: hire or buy?<br />
If the event is a one-off, such as a<br />
birthday or wedding, I advise the<br />
client to hire a generator, but for<br />
multiple events purchase is best.<br />
A small, 2kw petrol generator<br />
could cost around £1,000 while<br />
a 100kw super-silent diesel,<br />
on road tow, could cost some<br />
£25,000. Evaluating the total cost<br />
of ownership on a generator is<br />
crucial. Many buyers are often<br />
22 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
FUNCTION VENUES<br />
swayed by cheaper alternatives<br />
but, in the long run, these<br />
tend to cost more in terms of<br />
maintenance, parts and servicing,<br />
along with high on-site fuelling<br />
costs.<br />
How noisy are they?<br />
There are many makes and<br />
models of generators available<br />
on the market, however, we offer<br />
a range of ultra-silent generators<br />
with sound pressure as low as<br />
55Dba. This is really quiet when<br />
you consider that a normal<br />
conversation level is about 65Dba.<br />
For events, super- and ultrasilent<br />
generators offer the best<br />
experience because they don’t<br />
create extra noise pollution or<br />
disturbance.<br />
How noxious are they?<br />
In 2011, the European Union<br />
established a series of increasingly<br />
strict regulations for diesel-powered<br />
equipment, including generators,<br />
to regulate the emissions within an<br />
urban zone and ensure acceptable<br />
use. Over the coming years, as<br />
more and more cities introduce<br />
acceptance levels and increasingly<br />
regulate emissions to meet<br />
environmental targets, I anticipate<br />
that emission levels will be further<br />
reduced. In fact, the EU is already<br />
working towards the introduction<br />
of Stage IV.<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Richard Denholm<br />
is sales director at<br />
Morris Site Machinery,<br />
a leading British<br />
manufacturer and<br />
distributor of on-site<br />
machinery through its<br />
brands ArcGen, Hilta,<br />
SMC and Denyo. For<br />
over 25 years Morris Site<br />
Machinery has supplied<br />
to a host of industries<br />
including hire, rail and<br />
construction. Since its<br />
entry into the events,<br />
TV and film sectors five<br />
years ago, the company<br />
has enjoyed growth<br />
and prominence as the<br />
go-to power source<br />
for its generators<br />
and lighting tower<br />
product range. Its SMC<br />
lighting and Denyo<br />
generator ranges<br />
have been used on a<br />
number of blockbuster<br />
film sets and events<br />
from Glastonbury to<br />
Goodwood Festival of<br />
Speed.<br />
“MANY BUYERS ARE OFTEN SWAYED BY CHEAPER<br />
ALTERNATIVES BUT, IN THE LONG RUN, THESE<br />
TEND TO COST MORE IN TERMS OF MAINTENANCE”<br />
What about siting?<br />
Issues start when a large truck<br />
has to deliver a heavier generator<br />
over soft ground. In such cases I<br />
recommend using floor mats or<br />
trackways, which your event hire<br />
company will be able to advise<br />
on. Even if a smaller, road-tow<br />
unit is to be supplied the surface<br />
must be sufficiently firm for a<br />
van to bring it to site. The larger<br />
generators (100+kw) are generally<br />
heavier and will need a hard base<br />
to stand on. Refuelling is also a key<br />
consideration during the event.<br />
Larger generators may require<br />
a fuel bowser to sit alongside to<br />
increase running time. Generators<br />
should be positioned close to<br />
where they are needed to prevent<br />
undue cabling so improving site<br />
safety.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 23
FUNCTION VENUES | PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
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For weddings, parties, corporate events,<br />
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The Yeti range from American<br />
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The Yeti 1250, is fuelled by the sun<br />
and designed to bring high quality,<br />
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EVENTA 37KVA<br />
Morris Site Machinery<br />
0345 409 0280<br />
www.morrismachinery.co.uk<br />
The ultra silent Denyo EVENTA 37kVA<br />
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noise must be kept to a minimum.<br />
It offers 25 hours of uninterrupted<br />
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tow it can be transported onto site<br />
conveniently. The Denyo range is the<br />
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events, TV and film sectors and offers<br />
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24 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
COOLING & HEATING SOLUTIONS<br />
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26 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
ACCOMMODATION<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
Harvest Moon<br />
Holidays<br />
Seven treehouses, luxury safari tents and a private<br />
beach put this glampsite firmly on the map<br />
Lochhouses is mainly an arable farm, with rolling fields of barley, wheat and market garden<br />
vegetables, inland from its magnificent beach with woodland, lochs and wetland. Alex Mitchell<br />
grew up on the farm but worked at a bank in London until he returned to run the hospitality<br />
side of the business - Harvest Moon Holidays. Alex talks to <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> about the enterprise.<br />
What glamping accommodation<br />
do you offer and why did you<br />
choose it?<br />
In 2007 we started out as a<br />
franchisee of Feather Down Farms<br />
but after a couple of years decided<br />
to run the business independently.<br />
Our experience had been with<br />
tents so we opted for them again.<br />
We now have seven of a safari<br />
style, each sleeping six to eight<br />
people in two bedrooms and a cosy<br />
‘cupboard’ bed. About half a mile<br />
from the tent site we’ve erected<br />
seven treehouses purposely<br />
positioned to take advantage of<br />
the breathtaking views to the sea<br />
and forest behind. These were built<br />
by Cheeky Monkey Treehouses to<br />
our specification for space - large<br />
decking areas - and comfort.<br />
Each treehouse offers two double<br />
bedrooms, one with an extra, single<br />
bunk above and an en-suite WC<br />
and hot shower room.<br />
What are the differences between<br />
operating as a franchise and<br />
running independently?<br />
A franchise requires less initial<br />
capital outlay and aspects like<br />
marketing and bookings are<br />
taken care of, so there is much<br />
less to worry about. Basically,<br />
we managed the day to day<br />
operations: tent cleaning, site<br />
maintenance and customer<br />
satisfaction. As a franchisee your<br />
responsibilities are fewer but you<br />
have a lot less control and less<br />
profit. It is much more rewarding,<br />
both financially and personally,<br />
running the business ourselves.<br />
We are fortunate as we have an<br />
excellent site and initial outlay<br />
wasn’t an issue. Once a business<br />
gets to a certain size it doesn’t<br />
make sense to franchise any longer;<br />
you can be much more in control<br />
and make a better profit from being<br />
independent.<br />
Tell us about your location and site<br />
We’re in East Lothian, the south<br />
eastern corner of Scotland. There<br />
are so many glamping sites out<br />
there now but something that’s<br />
hard to replicate is a great location,<br />
which we have. Our safari tents<br />
are pitched by the beach. There<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 27
ACCOMMODATION<br />
are woods nearby and a diversity<br />
of bird and wildlife. We’re only<br />
45 minutes drive from Edinburgh<br />
and 15 minutes from a main train<br />
line. Guests may feel like they’re<br />
in the middle of nowhere but, in<br />
reality, our site is quite convenient.<br />
There are local, complementary<br />
businesses including a farm<br />
park and another offering wakeboarding,<br />
although our guests<br />
seem to just spend all day on the<br />
beach. There’s a communal BBQ<br />
and deck area for all to use.<br />
How did you tackle planning?<br />
The planning guys were fast<br />
and efficient, as was economic<br />
development. At times we found<br />
dealing with building control a<br />
challenge; if we were to need<br />
them again direct contact would<br />
be best to establish what was<br />
required of us.<br />
What is your unique selling point?<br />
Definitely our location. We’re next<br />
to a lovely, lovely beach. It’s as<br />
good a beach as I’ve seen anywhere<br />
in the world. Added to that we’ve a<br />
fabulous landscape.<br />
How did you choose your interior<br />
decoration?<br />
We prefer a homely, farmhouse<br />
style. We have wood burning<br />
stoves and soft furnishings so the<br />
tents and treehouses are cosy and<br />
comfortable, with chickens, ducks<br />
and lop-eared rabbits running free.<br />
What convinced you to become a<br />
wedding venue too?<br />
That started by accident. Having<br />
enjoyed their holidays so much a<br />
couple asked whether they could<br />
get married here. Initially we said<br />
no. However, they kept asking<br />
and, liking them, we eventually<br />
agreed. The event went well and<br />
was fun for all. So, what began as<br />
a one off has evolved into some 10<br />
weddings every year. Weddings are<br />
a completely different kettle of fish<br />
to glamping. Running a holiday site<br />
is more consistent in terms of hours<br />
and responsibilities: it’s much<br />
easier to plan the work that needs<br />
“IT’S AS GOOD<br />
A BEACH AS<br />
I’VE SEEN<br />
ANYWHERE IN<br />
THE WORLD”<br />
doing. Weddings are busier, more<br />
full on affairs with the additional<br />
headache of dealing with marquee<br />
suppliers and caterers; there<br />
is far more that can go wrong.<br />
Certainly, they’re high stress but<br />
fun, enjoyable and working out to<br />
be profitable.<br />
We never have weddings<br />
planned for July and August due to<br />
the school holidays. Our customers<br />
want to stay for at least a full week<br />
28 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
ACCOMMODATION<br />
but that would be impossible if<br />
we had an event every weekend.<br />
We organise the weddings to fill in<br />
during quieter times like May and<br />
<strong>June</strong>, to top up bookings. First and<br />
foremost we are about glamping<br />
and family holidays.<br />
What challenges have you faced?<br />
Finding good staff has been a<br />
problem. Seasonal running is to<br />
blame; we have days when we<br />
could employ double the number<br />
of staff but then in winter we need<br />
no one. The best decision we made<br />
was to hire a cleaning company<br />
instead of doing it ourselves. It<br />
has the infrastructure to cope with<br />
issues like sickness while we just<br />
pay a set fee.<br />
What is your experience of<br />
outside suppliers?<br />
We have a list of recommended<br />
suppliers which we hope wedding<br />
clients will use: working with<br />
new people can be a pain in the<br />
backside! If something goes wrong<br />
then we are the first point of call.<br />
We suggest that cheaper isn’t<br />
always best. For example, at one<br />
wedding the toilets, booked for £80<br />
less than our recommendation,<br />
broke after an hour. We always<br />
try to help but sometimes it’s a<br />
challenge; in that instance our<br />
expertise proved insufficient.<br />
How did you research your<br />
business?<br />
Feather Down Farms first<br />
approached having recognised<br />
that we had a good site.<br />
Becoming a franchisee is a good<br />
way of dipping a toe into the<br />
market, learning about the day<br />
to day operations of a business<br />
like this, especially if you don’t<br />
have a background in hospitality.<br />
For farmers to run a successful<br />
glampsite they have to deal<br />
successfully with people. Many<br />
find that’s too much hassle and<br />
they have to stop after a couple<br />
of years. At the end of the day, if<br />
you don’t have the social skills<br />
then the hospitality industry isn’t<br />
for you.<br />
How do you publicise yourself?<br />
To help get us off the ground for<br />
the first year we employed a PR<br />
person who had contacts in the<br />
press. She invited journalists<br />
to stay and write a review. This<br />
proved to be a worthwhile<br />
but expensive exercise. We’ve<br />
scaled back on press days but<br />
if publications approach us we<br />
invite them to visit. Social media<br />
and optimising Google searches<br />
“FOR FARMERS<br />
TO RUN A<br />
SUCCESSFUL<br />
GLAMPSITE<br />
THEY HAVE<br />
TO DEAL<br />
SUCCESSFULLY<br />
WITH PEOPLE”<br />
is really important; we spend a lot<br />
of time on that. Now we’re using<br />
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.<br />
Our website accounts for over two<br />
thirds of our bookings overall.<br />
We’re also listed on glamping<br />
booking websites which tend to<br />
be quite high on Google listings,<br />
so they’re useful for promotion.<br />
Canopy and Stars, for example,<br />
takes 20% of the fee for a booking.<br />
What are your plans for next<br />
season?<br />
We could build more accommodation<br />
but I don’t want to ruin<br />
what we have. I grew up here so<br />
my attachment is emotional. At<br />
capacity there are 100 people: our<br />
hands are full enough as it is!<br />
What’s your advice for someone<br />
coming into the industry?<br />
Aim to provide the best service<br />
possible. Don’t assume it’ll be an<br />
easy buck because it’s not. Be ready<br />
to give your time and resources<br />
unsparingly. Be ready and willing to<br />
be a jack of all trades.<br />
Do you enjoy the business<br />
and why?<br />
I do! Sure, it’s busy, busy, busy<br />
and I’m always on call but I enjoy<br />
working with people and our<br />
location is to die for.<br />
ADDRESS BOOK<br />
TREE HOUSES (BESPOKE DESIGN)<br />
Cheeky Monkey Treehouses -<br />
01403 732452<br />
www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.com<br />
INTERIORS<br />
Stoves by Nordica -<br />
www.lanordica-extraflame.com/en<br />
BOOKING SYSTEM<br />
Supercontrol - 01556 506701<br />
www.supercontrol.co.uk<br />
DIRECTORY SITES<br />
Canopy and Stars - 0117 2047830<br />
www.canopyandstars.co.uk<br />
Cool Camping - www.coolcamping.co.uk<br />
Goglamping – www.goglamping.net<br />
Awaywiththekids -<br />
www.awaywiththekids.co.uk<br />
INSURANCE<br />
NFU Mutual - www.nfumutual.co.uk<br />
DETAILS<br />
A: Harvest Moon Holidays, Lochhouses<br />
Farm, Tyninghame, East Lothian<br />
W: www.harvestmoonholidays.com<br />
E: info@harvestmoonholidays.com<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 29
ACCOMMODATION<br />
Glamping<br />
Growth<br />
What is it about the portmanteau ‘glamping’ that’s making us lose interest in our usual<br />
holidays abroad and seek out staycations in highly original and sometimes peculiar<br />
structures instead? Sarah Riley offers some answers.<br />
IT SEEMS GLAMPING goes really<br />
well with our current need to have<br />
unique experiences that fit our<br />
reduced budgets and increased<br />
environmental principles: to buy<br />
locally and economically while<br />
reducing our carbon footprint. This<br />
has been helped by an increase<br />
in overall UK staycations, a result<br />
of expensive overseas holidays,<br />
fluctuating fuel prices, European<br />
political unrest and major external<br />
factors such as the refugee crisis.<br />
Recently, IBISWorld reported<br />
growth in the outdoor hospitality<br />
industry of 1% and revenue of 3bn.<br />
It noted that this surprisingly solid<br />
growth followed the economic<br />
slump and bucked the trend of<br />
many other sectors. Analysis<br />
showed the recession provided<br />
a perfect mix of conditions that<br />
“...encouraged many to travel<br />
domestically, to make trips to<br />
campsites or holiday parks near the<br />
coast or in the British countryside,<br />
rather than forgoing a holiday<br />
altogether.” The report said that<br />
growth had “...been supported by<br />
the expansion of glamping sites,<br />
luxury campsites that offer modern<br />
facilities and services, such as<br />
Wi-Fi, and aimed at higher income<br />
customers who may not normally<br />
camp.”<br />
Trends in the location of<br />
campsites can also provide us with<br />
more insight into the industry. IBIS<br />
Worldwide further reported: “The<br />
“GLAMPING IS<br />
PERFORMING<br />
EXTREMELY<br />
WELL BY<br />
GROWING<br />
RAPIDLY ON<br />
A STRONG<br />
INCREMENTAL<br />
LINE”<br />
GOOGLE ADWORDS<br />
South West accounts for the largest<br />
number of establishments, at<br />
18.1%. Cornwall, Devon and Dorset<br />
are popular for holidaymakers<br />
seeking warmer weather and<br />
beaches. Ideal surfing conditions<br />
also make the region a hotspot.<br />
Wales accounts for 16.8% of<br />
establishments, the second largest<br />
share of establishments, with<br />
most sites being located on the<br />
coastline. Sites in the vicinity of the<br />
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park<br />
and Snowdonia are particularly<br />
popular.”<br />
To support this, the Journal Of<br />
Outdoor Recreation And Tourism<br />
found that the outdoor hospitality<br />
industry had shown “...stellar<br />
performance during the recent<br />
global financial slowdown”.<br />
Analysis of The Camping and<br />
Caravanning Club’s own members<br />
also noted an increase in families<br />
holidaying in yurts, pods and other<br />
forms of glamping. In addition,<br />
INTEREST IN CAMPING OVER TIME<br />
figures from the National Caravan<br />
Council showed an increase in<br />
bookings of caravan and camping<br />
holidays, attributing this to the rise<br />
in the popularity of glamping.<br />
As this niche is such a new and<br />
emerging segment of outdoor<br />
hospitality, it is unfortunate that no<br />
official studies have currently been<br />
conducted within the industry.<br />
Indeed the Journal Of Outdoor<br />
Recreation And Tourism made a<br />
direct plea for further investment in<br />
this area by stating that glamping<br />
was “an area in need of academic<br />
research.”<br />
There is one place we can go<br />
to get a very good idea of what<br />
people are looking for as their next<br />
vacation, as well as discovering<br />
other new and emerging trends.<br />
This place is the most popular<br />
online search engine in the world…<br />
Google. When we study data<br />
Google provides about its users,<br />
it shows that the term ‘camping’<br />
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015<br />
30 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
ACCOMMODATION<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
has strong seasonal fluctuations and<br />
is on a very gradual decline. This<br />
demonstrates that users of Google<br />
are starting to use different search<br />
terms, which in turn can indicate a<br />
change of behaviour.<br />
However, when we study the<br />
term ‘glamping’ we discover that<br />
it is performing extremely well<br />
by growing rapidly on a strong<br />
incremental line, while still<br />
demonstrating seasonal fluctuations.<br />
GLAMPING PROVISION<br />
IS RAPIDLY BECOMING<br />
A ‘LIFESTYLE<br />
BUSINESS’ CHOICE FOR<br />
ENTREPRENEURS<br />
INTEREST IN GLAMPING OVER TIME<br />
GOOGLE ADWORDS<br />
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015<br />
Google can also give us more<br />
clues about how our habits as<br />
tourists are changing, as new ways<br />
to book our holidays are becoming<br />
more common. For example, the<br />
hospitality booking system <strong>Air</strong>bnb<br />
is rapidly increasing in popularity<br />
and showing no signs of slowing<br />
down. This online system gives<br />
owners of unique glamping stays the<br />
opportunity to easily and cheaply list<br />
their structures and generate healthy<br />
annual bookings and financial<br />
returns.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 31
ACCOMMODATION<br />
GLAMPERS WHO HAVE NEVER<br />
CONSIDERED TRADITIONAL CAMPING<br />
GOOGLE ADWORDS<br />
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015<br />
An interesting aspect of glamping<br />
is how it is attracting an entirely<br />
new group of customers into the<br />
outdoor hospitality market. People<br />
who have never before considered<br />
traditional camping - and never<br />
will - are exploring the possibilities<br />
of glamping. This is helping the<br />
market grow while opening up<br />
opportunities and prospects for the<br />
future.<br />
Unsurprisingly, as the glamping<br />
trend increases, the popularity<br />
of starting a glamping business<br />
increases too as it offers an exciting,<br />
new opportunity for lifestyle<br />
entrepreneurs and landowners.<br />
One of the best kept secrets in this<br />
industry is that some glamping<br />
business models can achieve a<br />
return on investment and pay for<br />
set up costs within the first two<br />
years, and sometimes even before.<br />
This is quite an achievement for a<br />
new business.<br />
Glamping is also a diversification<br />
option for farmers and landowners<br />
wanting to broaden income<br />
achieved from a plot of land and<br />
spread their earning portfolio to<br />
cushion fluctuations throughout<br />
the year. Previously this may<br />
have been bed and breakfast,<br />
but the impact on everyday life<br />
with strangers wandering around<br />
the family home can prove to be<br />
difficult. It may also have been<br />
possible to develop self-contained<br />
holiday accommodation within an<br />
unused space, but for many the<br />
early development costs can prove<br />
to be too much. As a result, the low<br />
cost and high income benefits of<br />
starting a glamping business are<br />
being explored.<br />
In addition, glamping provision<br />
is fast becoming a ‘lifestyle<br />
business’ choice for entrepreneurs<br />
who have become increasingly<br />
disillusioned with the day job and<br />
turn to it as a way of improving<br />
their quality of life. New owners<br />
are able to use their time being<br />
creative and in charge of their<br />
future, while spending much more<br />
time outside. It’s an empowering<br />
shift from the conventional 9 to 5<br />
existence and is another reason a<br />
glamping business is proving to be<br />
so popular.<br />
From my experience as an<br />
independent industry expert,<br />
helping new businesses launch into<br />
this market, I have identified many<br />
key areas that lead to success.<br />
However, it’s particularly important<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Sarah Riley is a coach,<br />
trainer and advisor<br />
supporting the outdoor<br />
hospitality industry<br />
through tailored<br />
programmes designed to<br />
nurture new businesses<br />
launching into the<br />
glamping market. This<br />
includes ‘The Ultimate<br />
Glamping <strong>Business</strong><br />
Guide’, a comprehensive<br />
step-by-step guide to<br />
success in the market<br />
today.<br />
Sarah is offering readers<br />
of <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> a<br />
special 10% discount to<br />
gain access today with<br />
code: BM10. Claim your<br />
discount by visiting www.<br />
inspiredcourses.com/<br />
glamping or gather more<br />
inspirations from www.<br />
inspiredcamping.com<br />
to focus on a degree of uniqueness<br />
- not impossible when glamping<br />
options are so various and flexible.<br />
It comes in many different forms,<br />
from tree houses to retired Boeing<br />
767 aircraft (http://bit.ly/1ZWljQ6).<br />
This is what’s thrilling the<br />
glamping customer and enticing<br />
them to come back for more.<br />
So, if a business wants to get an<br />
immediate boost at the beginning,<br />
the key is to stay different.<br />
This is all great news for holidaymakers<br />
as their choice of luxurious<br />
yet affordable family breaks is set<br />
to improve with the increasing<br />
number of exciting options being<br />
offered. However, people are now<br />
more astute than they’ve ever been<br />
about what makes a glamping<br />
service great. Their expectations<br />
are growing and keeping pace<br />
with increases in the market itself,<br />
making this a very exciting time for<br />
both customers and the outdoor<br />
hospitality industry.<br />
32 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
Glamping Pods | Outdoor Kitchens | Meeting Spaces<br />
Made from aviation grade aluminium, engineered to fly at 30,000 feet and finished to the<br />
highest standards to your individual specification; Aeropods are unique and distinctive<br />
• Made from upcycled<br />
commercial airliner<br />
fuselage<br />
• Fully insulated and<br />
finished to the highest<br />
specification.<br />
• Electricity and water<br />
can be installed<br />
• Options include<br />
heated floors and a<br />
wide range of<br />
finishes<br />
• Can be made to any<br />
length with a 2m<br />
standard depth<br />
• Easily transported<br />
01359 271 876 / 07774 750152 www.dappr-aviation.com<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 33
ACCOMMODATION<br />
A Marketing<br />
Toolkit<br />
Entrepreneur Bella Given shares her marketing<br />
know-how which helped develop Longlands, a<br />
glamping business with an annual turnover of<br />
£200,000 and 95% occupancy in its first year<br />
NOT SIMPLY IMPORTANT to<br />
the success of your business,<br />
marketing is absolutely essential.<br />
It’s about creating a brand that<br />
will set your business apart from<br />
every other glampsite. At its<br />
simplest, your brand is a promise<br />
to your guests. It is more than<br />
just a set of features or benefits;<br />
it should encapsulate the values<br />
and feelings that run through<br />
everything, from your logo to the<br />
manner in which you answer the<br />
telephone.<br />
Marketing is about identifying<br />
your potential future guests,<br />
or ‘target market’. You need to<br />
understand what they expect<br />
from a glamping holiday so<br />
you can deliver it. A family with<br />
four children and a dog will<br />
be looking for different things<br />
compared to a couple or a<br />
group of friends. Marketing is<br />
about knowing what to say,<br />
how to say it and through which<br />
media channels to ensure your<br />
messages not only reach your<br />
future guests but engage and<br />
motivate them to take action: to<br />
book!<br />
Here are a few of the key<br />
branding and communication<br />
tools that you need to consider,<br />
plan and budget for.<br />
34 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
ACCOMMODATION<br />
GENERAL<br />
› Name and logo: these are the<br />
primary branding elements and<br />
will appear on everything. The<br />
longer the name the harder it will<br />
be to recall.<br />
› Photographs: a picture paints<br />
a thousand words. Find a<br />
professional whose work is in<br />
keeping with your brand and<br />
don’t skimp on the number of<br />
shots you take. You need fantastic<br />
photography for your website and<br />
your brochure, and for editorial<br />
coverage: those with the best<br />
pictures will get the publicity.<br />
Without great photographs you<br />
cannot expect to engage potential<br />
guests. They are judging your<br />
offering from the pictures they<br />
see on your website, listing page,<br />
TripAdvisor page or advert. You<br />
need to hire a photographer who<br />
can help style the images so that<br />
guests can easily see themselves<br />
in each setting.<br />
› Your competitors: keep an eye<br />
on other websites, particularly<br />
those who you feel are direct<br />
competitors because they are<br />
in your area or offer something<br />
very similar. Benchmark yourself<br />
against two or three and ensure<br />
your website and photographs<br />
are as engaging and inspiring, or<br />
more so.<br />
› Networking: there are real<br />
opportunities to learn from<br />
others in the same business and,<br />
possibly, your competitors may<br />
become some of your best allies!<br />
Take the opportunity to attend<br />
glamping shows or sign up for a<br />
course and get networking. So<br />
often it is about who you know<br />
and not what you know.<br />
› Pricing: check what others charge,<br />
in your area particularly. What will<br />
you ask extra for? How will your<br />
pricing change throughout the<br />
season?<br />
› Promotion: think added value<br />
rather than discounts when<br />
offering special promotions during<br />
the year. ‘Free’ is the biggest<br />
motivator of all! Think what will be<br />
relevant to families with children<br />
of different ages or to couples.<br />
› Remember: marketing is essential<br />
to the success of your business so<br />
budget accordingly.<br />
WEBSITE<br />
› Domain name: keep it simple, short,<br />
easy to spell and easy to remember.<br />
› Website: ensure it is responsive (easily<br />
viewed on devices such as mobiles<br />
and tablets) and can be updated<br />
easily by you or your web agent. An<br />
active management package should<br />
allow for monthly updates of text and<br />
photos. The website needs to be easy<br />
to navigate, be highly visual and have<br />
a clear call to action, usually ‘Book<br />
Now!’ Your logo and branding should<br />
sing through and copy should be kept<br />
to a minimum and in clear, easy to<br />
understand sections or pages.<br />
› Copy: when writing about your<br />
accommodation never talk ‘features’,<br />
always talk benefits and paint pictures<br />
for your future guests to engage with.<br />
You can then use features as support<br />
points. When you think about what<br />
you are offering ask yourself, ‘so what?’<br />
For example, ‘there is a wood burner,’<br />
becomes ‘curl up in front of a flickering<br />
fire with a good book.’<br />
› Blog/latest news: ensure your website<br />
has this functionality so you can add<br />
content regularly. Think of it as a<br />
means of story-telling; guests love to<br />
hear the tale behind a particular site<br />
or read more information about an<br />
area. This is vital for search engine<br />
optimisation (SEO).<br />
› Search engine optimisation: your<br />
website copy needs key search terms<br />
built in so that when a potential guest<br />
types a search term into Google your<br />
website ideally appears on page one,<br />
but certainly page two. To increase and<br />
maintain your Google ranking you need<br />
to add ‘refreshed, relevant content’ to<br />
your website on a regular basis.<br />
› Links with local businesses:<br />
include links on your website to<br />
businesses that offer relevant<br />
activities, along with a list of<br />
favoured restaurants and pubs.<br />
Some of these business may<br />
reciprocate with links to your<br />
website. This helps boost your<br />
search engine rankings and, most<br />
importantly, provides guests with<br />
more information about things to<br />
do in the area and where to eat.<br />
› Social media: Facebook, Twitter,<br />
Pinterest… the list keeps growing.<br />
Learn to use Facebook at the very<br />
least. Think of it as a photo album to<br />
showcase your accommodation, site<br />
and area. It should engage guests who<br />
will then want to share with friends.<br />
Link your Facebook presence to your<br />
website’s blog or latest news section.<br />
› Bitly.com: this is an invaluable website<br />
enabling you to convert long links to<br />
short, bitly links. For example http://<br />
www.longlandsdevon.co.uk/news/blog-<br />
159-10-reasons-to-come-glamping-atlonglands<br />
becomes just bit.ly/1OTaXub.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 35
ACCOMMODATION<br />
BOOKINGS<br />
› Booking agent: even if you decide to<br />
take bookings direct think about using<br />
a booking agent, at least in the first few<br />
years. A booking agent will increase your<br />
exposure and maximise your reach and<br />
awareness. Canopy & Stars, part of the<br />
Alastair Sawday group, generated half the<br />
bookings in our first year.<br />
› Booking engine: Supercontrol is an<br />
excellent booking engine enabling guests<br />
to book any time of the day or night.<br />
The majority of my bookings are made<br />
between 10 and 11pm at night. Most<br />
people will spend an evening researching<br />
their preferred holiday options. Once they<br />
have identified where they want to stay<br />
they want to be able to book then and<br />
there. If you don’t have the means for<br />
them to book immediately you may well<br />
lose the booking to someone who does<br />
have online booking.<br />
› Endorsements: VisitEngland and the AA<br />
are now offering glamping accreditation<br />
and are worth considering if they will<br />
motivate your future guest.<br />
› Glamping listing sites: these are sites<br />
where you pay for an annual listing rather<br />
than a commission per booking. These will<br />
certainly increase your reach by generating<br />
interest and enquiries. The top sites with a<br />
Google search for “glamping” are:<br />
• Love Glamping – www.love-glamping.<br />
co.uk<br />
• Go Glamping – www.goglamping.net<br />
• Cool Camping – www.coolcamping.co.uk<br />
• Cool Places – www.coolplaces.co.uk<br />
• Glamping UK – www.glamping-uk.co.uk<br />
• Quirky Accommodation – www.<br />
quirkyaccom.com<br />
• VisitEngland – www.visitengland.com<br />
• Don’t forget county, area and local<br />
websites<br />
› TripAdvisor: sign up and pay for a business<br />
listing so you have links to your site,<br />
can manage your page, post offers and<br />
announcements and monitor reviews. Do<br />
not invite guests who have experienced<br />
any problems to write a review! Tell them<br />
you hope they will rate you as ‘excellent’<br />
and, if not, ask why they wouldn’t. Act on<br />
feedback.<br />
ABOUT THE<br />
AUTHOR<br />
With 18 years<br />
of marketing<br />
experience<br />
working on<br />
brands such<br />
as Beefeater Gin,<br />
Solpadeine, Hedex and Huggies<br />
nappies, plus two of her own<br />
businesses, Bella Given knows how<br />
to create and market brands. Five<br />
years ago she started Longlands, a<br />
glamping operation in Devon. With<br />
an occupancy of 95% in its first year,<br />
Longlands produced a turnover<br />
of almost £200k in year two and is<br />
generating an operating profit almost<br />
twice that of the business plan.<br />
In response to the dozens of would-be<br />
glampsite owners visiting Longlands<br />
and asking for the secrets behind<br />
the site’s success, Bella decided<br />
to package her insight, guidance<br />
and useful contacts for setting up<br />
and running a successful glamping<br />
business into a one-day course. As one<br />
delegate said: “Bella has not just been<br />
in the business, she is the business!<br />
Fantastic and essential insight from<br />
the dream to the first guest arriving.<br />
Save yourself a fortune and get a<br />
guru!”<br />
If you would like to learn more<br />
about how to plan, set up and run<br />
a successful glamping business<br />
Bella runs one-day courses at<br />
Longlands and also provides<br />
bespoke consultations. Visit www.<br />
learningsfromlonglands.co.uk or<br />
telephone 01271 882004.<br />
For more on Longlands, visit<br />
www.longlandsdevon.co.uk<br />
PRESS & PR<br />
› Adverts and advertorials: think who is the key decision maker<br />
in making a booking and what they might read. Magazines allow<br />
for more images and more information than, for example, radio.<br />
Keep it simple with one key message and some supporting text<br />
and some knock-out visuals. Ensure you know the circulation and<br />
readership of the magazines you want to use and take time to<br />
compare costs between similar titles. The best way to do this is to<br />
calculate the cost per thousand people reached. Remember that<br />
price is negotiable depending on the size of the advertisement and<br />
the number of issues you want to advertise in.<br />
› PR: good editorial is priceless. Go out of your way to make friends<br />
with a freelance travel writer or good freelance journalist. Make<br />
good use of coverage on your website. Don’t expect all coverage to<br />
generate enquiries; some just helps move people from interested<br />
to actually booking.<br />
› Competitions: the offer of a free weekend as a competition<br />
prize should buy you some good coverage. Make sure you ask for<br />
entrants’ email addresses for the future.<br />
› Use your local area: people aren’t just coming to stay at<br />
Longlands they’re also buying into North Devon, the coast and<br />
Exmoor. We use photographs and stories from the locality to help<br />
us promote our glamping operation.<br />
IN CONCLUSION<br />
With so many elements to consider it is easy to lose sight of<br />
what you are trying to do. This is why it is important to capture<br />
your objectives and actions in a marketing plan. Know what<br />
you are trying to achieve for each part of the year so you can<br />
be clear what messages you need to convey in what months.<br />
These objectives will then cascade into a series of action<br />
points against the marketing vehicles you have decided<br />
to employ. For example, offers on TripAdvisor or which<br />
magazines you are advertising in and for how much.<br />
Be clear about how much you intend to spend and ensure<br />
you measure the effectiveness of each element of your plan so<br />
that you can be certain it is generating value for money. At the<br />
very least ensure you know where every booking comes from!<br />
36 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
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ACCOMMODATION<br />
Waterless toilets are suitable for all kinds<br />
of remote and environmentally sensitive<br />
locations – this toilet is on the Handa<br />
Island nature reserve in Scotland<br />
SITE FACILITIES<br />
Call of Nature<br />
For sites with no mains water or sewer connection, ‘dry’ toilets<br />
offer a pleasant, reliable alternative to conventional toilets,<br />
writes Andrew Warren<br />
IMAGES COURTESY OF NATSOL.CO.UK<br />
FOR ANY OUTDOOR venue<br />
premises, one of the first<br />
considerations is sanitation.<br />
Without toilets, that lakeshore,<br />
woodland glade or scenic meadow<br />
- potential locations for magical<br />
nights under the stars, romantic<br />
wedding ceremonies or outdoor<br />
pursuits - have much less potential.<br />
Provide toilets and immediately<br />
visitors can stay longer: events can<br />
be run, refreshments provided,<br />
overnight stays become possible.<br />
Even if you have conventional<br />
toilets in one or two locations,<br />
adding remote toilets means you<br />
and your visitors will be able to<br />
make the most of the whole site<br />
and reduce pressure on the ‘hot<br />
spots.’<br />
Yet bringing mains services to a<br />
remote location can be expensive,<br />
difficult or even impossible. With<br />
water but no sewer, septic systems<br />
and leachfields can be deployed<br />
but these can be large and very<br />
expensive - and they are not always<br />
permitted. Gardens and historic<br />
buildings are also sensitive sites<br />
that should not be subject to<br />
extensive digging and trenchlaying.<br />
The bottom line is, however, that<br />
customers - especially young<br />
families and relatively elderly or<br />
infirm visitors - are much happier<br />
“DRY TOILETS<br />
HAVE BEEN<br />
SUCCESSFULLY<br />
INSTALLED IN<br />
ALL KINDS OF<br />
LOCATIONS<br />
FROM<br />
GLAMPING<br />
SITES TO<br />
REMOTE<br />
SCOTTISH<br />
ISLAND<br />
NATURE<br />
RESERVES”<br />
visiting attractions with easy toilet<br />
access.<br />
Fortunately, it is possible to<br />
install toilets even when a water<br />
supply or a sewer connection<br />
are impossible to provide. We<br />
are familiar with toilets that use<br />
water, however the flush is mainly<br />
a vehicle to carry away the waste<br />
for biological treatment at a<br />
sewage works. Yet, instead, this<br />
treatment can take place right on<br />
site, also using biological processes,<br />
removing the need for any mains<br />
connections.<br />
Even where flush toilets are<br />
possible (connected to a sewer,<br />
cesspit or septic system) it can<br />
be cheaper and easier to install<br />
toilets that require no water - either<br />
coming in or going out. These toilets<br />
can also be more reliable and more<br />
pleasant for customers to use than<br />
the conventional kind. And, as they<br />
don’t add five to 10 litres of water<br />
from the flush for each user visit,<br />
there is far less waste to deal with.<br />
‘Wet’ toilets in outdoors settings<br />
may have to contend with frost<br />
which can render them unusable<br />
or, worse, lead to burst pipes and<br />
flooding when it thaws. Flush toilets<br />
sometimes block; it is depressing<br />
how often the floor in outdoor toilet<br />
facilities seems to end up wet and<br />
with an unhappy smell of urine.<br />
‘Dry’ sometimes known as<br />
composting, toilets don’t block<br />
and tend to smell less than wet<br />
toilets. They are more likely to stay<br />
pleasant and functional between<br />
staff checks. Most dry toilets also<br />
incorporate a ventilation system<br />
(often passive and therefore silent,<br />
and requiring no power supply).<br />
How dry toilets work<br />
The decomposition process<br />
that breaks down the waste is<br />
kick-started by bacteria that are<br />
naturally present. Instead of a<br />
flush, users or staff add aerating<br />
38 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
ACCOMMODATION<br />
ABOVE Compact, waterless toilets need<br />
emptying more often but easily fit into<br />
a small cabin or, as here, a shepherd’s<br />
hut used for glamping holidays at Penn<br />
Farm, Devon<br />
LEFT NatSol full access, twin vault<br />
toilets serve shepherd’s huts at Hollow<br />
Ash, Broad Oak, Herefordshire. The<br />
customer designed and built the<br />
structure to suit the venue<br />
BELOW LEFT Churches and churchyards<br />
are very sensitive sites. This architectdesigned<br />
accessible compost toilet<br />
has been installed in a churchyard<br />
in Gloucestershire with minimal<br />
disruption<br />
‘soak’ such as wood shavings; the<br />
air in the mixture helps the process<br />
along, and means it smells a lot<br />
less than at the sewage works. The<br />
waste breaks down over a period<br />
of months and years to form an<br />
inoffensive loamy compost that can<br />
safely be returned to the soil. This<br />
natural process makes it possible to<br />
build a dry toilet almost anywhere<br />
and it is not as difficult to manage<br />
as you might think. All these toilets<br />
require some maintenance and<br />
time to remove the waste but,<br />
depending on the system, this may<br />
only take a few hours a year.<br />
A variety of different dry toilet<br />
options are available, from a<br />
range of suppliers. They have been<br />
successfully installed in all kinds<br />
of locations from glampsites,<br />
golf courses, parks and gardens<br />
to remote Scottish island nature<br />
reserves. Some dry toilets can be<br />
put in new buildings, some can be<br />
retrofitted into existing ones. Some<br />
suppliers will install the entire<br />
facility, including a building, some<br />
give options for you to design and<br />
construct your own shelter, some<br />
supply a kit.<br />
What all have in common is that,<br />
rather than large volumes of flushed<br />
waste, much smaller quantities<br />
of more solid waste are produced<br />
which can be managed on site. This<br />
is usually straightforward for site<br />
staff and not necessarily unpleasant<br />
or difficult. One or two suppliers<br />
also offer service contracts for<br />
ongoing or seasonal maintenance.<br />
Although it is more or less<br />
sterile, urine (especially lingering<br />
urine) is what usually leads to the<br />
worst toilet smells because its<br />
high nitrogen content produces<br />
ammonia. Many dry toilets,<br />
therefore, separate the urine and<br />
drain it directly to the ground where<br />
it soaks away harmlessly into the<br />
soil, removing the problem at<br />
source. The remaining compost is<br />
lighter and easier to manage as a<br />
result. To improve separation, many<br />
systems recommend adding a<br />
waterless urinal; some provide one<br />
in the toilet cubicle as standard.<br />
The choice: big or small<br />
The most important difference<br />
between the options available is<br />
probably the size. Put simply, a<br />
large installation stores the waste<br />
for longer, meaning it will be broken<br />
down further before it needs to be<br />
removed. The longer it composts in-<br />
situ, the less material remains to be<br />
removed, as the bacteria gradually<br />
break the waste down into carbon<br />
dioxide and water. The longer it<br />
composts, the more inoffensive it<br />
becomes.<br />
Where there is room for a large<br />
chamber or ‘vault’, composting can<br />
continue for one to two years, or<br />
even longer, before any emptying<br />
is required. For toilets that only<br />
need emptying yearly, pretty big<br />
chambers (or sometimes twin<br />
chambers) are required - usually<br />
at least 1 x 1 x 2m in volume. Large<br />
systems are suitable for freestanding<br />
toilets or toilet blocks.<br />
They can also be included in the<br />
design of a full-sized building,<br />
though excavation - or a storey<br />
below the bathroom - is needed to<br />
accommodate them.<br />
For smaller huts or cabins, or<br />
existing buildings or shelters, it may<br />
be easier to opt for a compact unit.<br />
These store less waste so require<br />
more frequent emptying; the<br />
waste is removed for composting<br />
elsewhere. However, the weight<br />
and volume is still a lot less than<br />
with a chemical toilet and waste<br />
management can be completed on<br />
site. Some neat systems have been<br />
developed that make this process<br />
straightforward and help keep the<br />
waste contained, and good design<br />
can make these systems as simple<br />
and pleasant for customers to use<br />
as the larger units.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 39
ACCOMMODATION<br />
Between the two extremes there<br />
are units that need fairly regular<br />
emptying but allow the waste to be<br />
removed and stored for composting<br />
to continue in the same container<br />
(eg, a wheelie bin) so waste is not<br />
handled for several months or<br />
longer. Depending on the length<br />
of time the compost has been<br />
in-situ, most systems recommend<br />
further composting of the waste<br />
but, usually, this can be achieved in<br />
regular slatted compost bins. The<br />
quantities diminish even further<br />
during this process and the small<br />
volumes remaining can safely<br />
be spread in non-food garden or<br />
landscape areas.<br />
If a power supply is available,<br />
waste treatment in a dry toilet may<br />
be taken a step further. Composting<br />
can be accelerated by tumbling or<br />
aeration, or the waste dehydrated,<br />
or even incinerated leaving only<br />
a very small quantity of ash for<br />
disposal. These approaches are<br />
more complex so potentially more<br />
prone to malfunction but may be<br />
appropriate if outdoor space is<br />
restricted and the waste needs to<br />
be taken off site. Incinerating toilets<br />
are also available to work off grid,<br />
powered by propane.<br />
Toilets can work very well<br />
without water but users still need<br />
to clean their hands. Dry toilets,<br />
therefore, usually make provision<br />
for antiseptic gel. This has the<br />
advantage of working even in subzero<br />
temperatures and it makes less<br />
mess than a washbasin.<br />
They’re not complicated<br />
Compost toilets are generally very<br />
acceptable to users who are, after<br />
all, likely to be grateful the facility<br />
is there! Most compost toilets look<br />
superficially like ‘normal’ toilets but<br />
with a hole or holes instead of a pan<br />
with water. A simple explanation<br />
is generally all that is needed (for<br />
example requesting that men and<br />
boys sit, or use the urinal, to ensure<br />
urine separation) but, as with all<br />
toilets, it is important to provide<br />
and maintain appropriate bins<br />
for disposing of sanitary towels,<br />
nappies, etc.<br />
As well as for sites in regular use,<br />
dry toilets can also make sense in<br />
outdoor venues that are used only<br />
a few times a year. Here, if there are<br />
no mains services, the alternative<br />
is likely to be a hired toilet trailer<br />
or chemical toilets. For one-off or<br />
sporadic use at low numbers these<br />
may be the economical option but<br />
it is worth performing a cost/benefit<br />
analysis over say 10 or 15 years,<br />
looking at the recurring costs of hire<br />
versus the investment in permanent<br />
facilities. If the capital investment<br />
in a dry toilet is made, there are a<br />
couple of additional advantages to<br />
consider:<br />
› dry toilets are generally reliable,<br />
pleasant and odourless and can<br />
be decorated to suit the venue<br />
and occasion (for example with<br />
fresh flowers or pictures and<br />
posters)<br />
› the (toilet-related) marginal<br />
cost of running extra events<br />
at the same venue is reduced<br />
to virtually nothing. This may<br />
mean it is possible to generate<br />
extra income or extra value from<br />
the site.<br />
Add to the flexibility and<br />
convenience of these toilets the fact<br />
that they are resource efficient and<br />
environmentally friendly and ‘going<br />
naturally’ has a lot going for it!<br />
LEFT Most venues need fully accessible<br />
toilet provision. This compost toilet,<br />
at Leabrook Allotments, Derbyshire,<br />
comes with wheelchair space and<br />
handrails as standard<br />
RIGHT A<br />
farm shop in<br />
Bernard Castle<br />
constructed this<br />
magnificent<br />
structure of<br />
timber, stone and<br />
thatch<br />
OUTDOOR TOILET CHECKLIST<br />
SUPPLIER SHOULD<br />
ASK YOU:<br />
USAGE<br />
› Total uses over the<br />
year, expected pattern<br />
and highest in any one<br />
day / week / month<br />
› Daytime or overnight?<br />
Food and drink on site?<br />
› Users and their access<br />
needs (eg, wheelchair<br />
access, young children,<br />
etc)<br />
SITE<br />
› Services available<br />
(water, sewer, power)<br />
› Access for vehicles /<br />
tankers / construction<br />
equipment<br />
› Space and height /<br />
depth available for<br />
toilets and waste<br />
management<br />
› Vandalism risk low /<br />
high<br />
› Type of ground<br />
› Environmental<br />
considerations<br />
(eg, watercourses,<br />
ecologically<br />
sensitive sites, risk<br />
of waterlogging or<br />
flooding<br />
YOU SHOULD ASK<br />
SUPPLIER:<br />
LEFT Compost<br />
toilets can adapt<br />
to all kinds of<br />
locations. Here<br />
an accessible<br />
toilet in a<br />
vandalism<br />
resistant shed<br />
has been<br />
installed at an<br />
urban allotment<br />
site in Cardiff<br />
COSTS<br />
› Groundworks, toilet,<br />
building, (capital + person<br />
hours)<br />
› Consumables (eg, soak,<br />
liners)<br />
› Design life of installation<br />
SITE REQUIREMENTS<br />
› Dimensions, footprint, depth<br />
of excavation if needed<br />
› Drainage – height of drain<br />
outlet, what area and<br />
conditions needed downhill<br />
of drain<br />
› Further composting – space,<br />
equipment, location<br />
› Vehicle access requirements<br />
(for delivery, construction<br />
and management)<br />
MAINTENANCE (BEYOND<br />
NORMAL CLEANING)<br />
› Frequency of visits / person<br />
hours / equipment required<br />
› Quantity, management<br />
and disposal of composted<br />
waste<br />
› Some suppliers may be<br />
able to point you to existing<br />
installations that you can<br />
visit<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Andrew Warren is the managing director of NatSol, a company that designs, manufactures and supplies wheelchair accessible waterless<br />
toilets for a wide variety of remote sites. These toilets require no mains connections and are odour free under normal use. With designs for<br />
very low and very high use situations, NatSol toilets are ideal for glampsites, wedding venues, allotments, nature reserves, churches, golf<br />
courses, gardens and all sites without mains services. www.natsol.co.uk<br />
40 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
Private bathrooms mean happier<br />
guests and increased revenue<br />
Studies show that campsite users wish to have more<br />
privacy and luxury. En-suite facilities are certain to<br />
appeal to the new breed of guest looking for more<br />
luxury from their camping experience. A great fit for<br />
glamping sites, as well as more traditional<br />
campsites seeking to improve their guests' comfort.<br />
An investment in CampPlus private campsite facilities<br />
has an attractive payback period because of the<br />
increase in turnover and occupancy.<br />
You will be creating an affordable luxury for your guests<br />
and enhance the atmosphere of your campsite.<br />
THE ADVANTAGES:<br />
❤ Higher turnover and occupancy<br />
❤ Short payback period<br />
❤ High quality – long lifespan<br />
❤ Freestanding units = easy to set up and move<br />
❤ Very compact 5'3" x 6'5" = 33ft², yet very<br />
spacious inside<br />
❤ Durable and low maintenance<br />
❤ Easy to clean<br />
❤ Lots of options and extensions
ACCOMMODATION | PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
Site Facilities<br />
Facilities to give your glampsite the edge<br />
WOOD FIRE TASTE<br />
The Garden Oven Company<br />
01256 581014<br />
www.garden-oven.co.uk<br />
These transportable wood oven<br />
BBQs are bang on trend, and are in<br />
high demand to create the ‘smoked’<br />
and ‘wood fire’ taste. They enhance<br />
the outdoor living experience with a<br />
whole host of uses. Designed for all<br />
year round cooking, this is a multi<br />
function oven and will bake, grill,<br />
roast and smoke a wide range of<br />
dishes from pizza to fish, bread to<br />
Sunday roast!<br />
EN-SUITE PODS<br />
CampPlus<br />
+31 186 769 054<br />
www.campplus.co.uk<br />
The CampPlus unit is a compact plug<br />
and play building with a complete<br />
shower room and WC. Designed to feel<br />
spacious and be easy to clean, it is the<br />
missing link between a fully serviced<br />
pitch and a lodge, and increases the<br />
occupancy and profitability of pitches<br />
where installed. A unit costs around<br />
£4,200 – check out our online calculator<br />
to help you work out your return on<br />
investment.<br />
LET YOUR IMAGINATION<br />
RUN WILD!<br />
Modular Building Blocks<br />
01933 411159<br />
www.modularbuildingblocks.co.uk<br />
From modern tables and funky benches<br />
to bars and screens, create your own<br />
designs with our modular building<br />
blocks. Available in 15 colours and four<br />
formats, they can be lit up too! Each full<br />
size block contains two cable channels<br />
that allow you to run power cables,<br />
creating illumination with LED lighting<br />
strips. Make sure to check out our online<br />
3D modelling tool for more inspiration.<br />
COMPACT PIZZA OVEN<br />
Dalby Firewood<br />
01653 917803<br />
www.dalbyfirewood.com<br />
This compact Alfa Pizza wood-fired oven<br />
for bread and pizza features castors for<br />
easy moving. Perfect for glampsites,<br />
it has a refractory oven floor, stainless<br />
steel dome and rapidly reaches cooking<br />
temperature in five minutes. Taking<br />
two pizzas at time, it can cook six in 15<br />
minutes. We are stockists for a range of<br />
Alfa Pizza refractory wood-fired ovens<br />
and larger sizes are available.<br />
BESPOKE DESIGN<br />
DAPPR Aviation<br />
01359 271876<br />
www.dappr-aviation.com<br />
We have access to many varied and<br />
interesting aviation parts and pride<br />
ourselves in producing unique, inspiring<br />
and innovative furniture, firepits, BBQs<br />
and pizza ovens using the highest levels<br />
of craftsmanship. Stand out from the<br />
crowd this season with a truly bespoke<br />
piece to wow your guests – it is sure<br />
to be a talking point! Give us a call to<br />
discuss your requirements or view our<br />
work.<br />
HANDCRAFTED HOT TUBS<br />
Naked Flame Eco Tubs<br />
01484 766233<br />
www.nakedtubs.com<br />
Give your site the ultimate ‘wow’ factor<br />
with a luxurious Scandinavian woodfired<br />
eco hot tub. Handcrafted to a size<br />
that suits you, choose a totally natural<br />
chemical free experience or add our<br />
Dual Fuel option which provides filter,<br />
bubbles and electric thermostatic heater<br />
and allows the use of chemicals with<br />
a touch screen. Surveys show that the<br />
highest rated searches within glamping<br />
are now for hot tubs.<br />
42 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
DO YOU HAVE AN UNUSUAL<br />
PROPERTY, OR LAND SUITABLE<br />
FOR GLAMPING?<br />
We are always interested in representing additional<br />
quality, unique holiday properties, and offer advice to<br />
those thinking of setting up glamping or unusual holiday<br />
accommodation.<br />
WHAT WE OFFER<br />
We are an independent, conscientious family business and work<br />
closely with property owners to achieve good results for them. We<br />
also keep an eye on glamping trends and domestic tourism so we<br />
can continue to offer sound advice about site and accommodation<br />
development, pricing and marketing.<br />
50 years of experience in self catering rentals<br />
Targeted marketing knowledge<br />
A bespoke online booking and payment system<br />
Superb office with helpful holiday advisors<br />
Hassle free payments to owners<br />
Quality photography and marketing<br />
Whatever the nature of your interest, please contact us to discuss<br />
your plans and options.<br />
Call Kate on 01348 830 922 or email kate@qualityunearthed.co.uk<br />
www.qualityunearthed.co.uk<br />
ROTO SPAS<br />
AT HOLIDAY LETS<br />
Hot tubs increase accommodation<br />
occupancy by 25% and drive out<br />
of season bookings.<br />
Only RotoSpa build<br />
hot tubs in the UK<br />
and provide ongoing<br />
service and support.<br />
Call 0121 354 3428<br />
www.rotospa.co.uk<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 43
LUSHNA Villa <strong>Air</strong><br />
Hotel bed in the open nature<br />
FRESH AND MODERN DESIGN<br />
wooden frame with waterproof canvas<br />
BRIGHT AND AIRY BEDROOM IN NATURE<br />
king size bed with the view<br />
ALL THE COMFORTS<br />
lighting, AC/DC plugins, mosquito net<br />
EASY TO SET UP<br />
eco Ground Screw Foundations<br />
www.glamping-lushna.co.uk / info@lushna.com / +386 30 440 330<br />
Glamping & Safari Tents<br />
All of our structures are handmade at our<br />
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We have over 25yrs experience in the design<br />
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Glamping structures.<br />
Visit our website and give us a call to discuss<br />
how we can help you enter the rapidly growing<br />
market of Luxury Camping.<br />
0 1 4 5 3 7 6 7 1 7 1<br />
www.bondfabrications.co.uk<br />
enquiries@bondfabrications.co.uk<br />
44 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
ACCOMMODATION<br />
COMPANY PROFILE<br />
CampPlus<br />
Some Erik Verwaaijen, of the best the solutions man behind for CampPlus’ glamping plug in and style<br />
play toilet / shower unit, expands on the business and<br />
its product offering<br />
What is a CampPlus unit?<br />
The CampPlus unit is a compact<br />
plug and play building with a<br />
complete shower room that<br />
turns any camping or glamping<br />
site into a 5 star facility. It is the<br />
missing link between a fully<br />
serviced pitch and a lodge, and<br />
increases the occupancy and<br />
profitability of pitches when<br />
installed.<br />
Who are the people behind<br />
CampPlus?<br />
Erik Verwaaijen: Having spent<br />
30 years as a lighting director<br />
and stage manager in music and<br />
theatre, Erik moved to England<br />
in 2006. He settled in Cornwall<br />
where, some time later, he was<br />
asked to design a camp site for a<br />
friend. This is where the idea of<br />
an en-suite toilet / shower pod<br />
for camping guests was born.<br />
Wietse Tjoelker: Wietse, a retired<br />
KPMG partner is still very active<br />
as a consultant, mainly for<br />
family-owned businesses. He<br />
also invests in start-ups and has<br />
been co-owner of CampPlus<br />
since 2014.<br />
When did you start the<br />
company and why?<br />
I started the company in 2013<br />
and Wietse joined in 2014. The<br />
inspiration was to increase the<br />
level of comfort for guests while<br />
camping. Being an experienced<br />
camper myself, I always felt that<br />
the trip to the toilet / shower<br />
block was a big negative. This<br />
is where I began to explore<br />
the idea of providing a facility<br />
for every pitch. I knew I would<br />
be more than happy to pay<br />
extra for the added comfort<br />
and privacy, and was certain<br />
that a lot of other camping<br />
guests would feel the same. We<br />
started designing a small but<br />
comfortable outhouse but soon<br />
realised that, since you need<br />
water, sewerage and electrics<br />
anyway, we might as well turn<br />
it into a complete en-suite with<br />
a shower, toilet and washbasin.<br />
Basically a private shower room<br />
right next to a guest’s tent or<br />
caravan.<br />
What product options do<br />
you offer?<br />
To keep the product affordable<br />
we keep it simple. There are<br />
only two options for most<br />
elements like cladding, toilet,<br />
wash basin: Good and Excellent.<br />
On our website there is a<br />
downloadable Excel calculator<br />
that allows customers to choose<br />
all the different options. Tick<br />
the boxes and it gives an instant<br />
quote.<br />
Describe your target market<br />
Campsite owners who:<br />
• Want very happy campers<br />
• Want to make their pitches<br />
more profitable<br />
• Want to clean once a week<br />
on changeover day, instead of<br />
twice a day<br />
Can you provide some average<br />
return on investment figures?<br />
It depends on the situation.<br />
If units are installed instead<br />
of a toilet and shower block<br />
the payback time is usually<br />
two to three years. It’s hardly<br />
ever more than four years,<br />
whatever the situation. A base<br />
unit costs around £4,200 and<br />
our downloadable calculator<br />
quickly helps customers work<br />
out the return. The bathrooms<br />
are made of solid materials and<br />
will last easily more than 10<br />
years.<br />
What do customers say?<br />
Simon Williams, commercial<br />
director of Bridge Leisure Parks,<br />
said: “We were convinced of the<br />
advantages of en-suite campsite<br />
pods and ordered 16 CampPlus<br />
units. We have been really<br />
pleased with the customer<br />
reaction and forward bookings<br />
have been very impressive. We<br />
will be installing further en-suite<br />
pods on our other parks as well<br />
as expanding the number at our<br />
Trevella and Sand le Mere sites.”<br />
How many units have you sold<br />
in the UK?<br />
On top of the 16 units for Bridge<br />
Leisure Parks, CampPlus has<br />
sold seven more units to three<br />
other campsites in the UK.<br />
See the projects page on our<br />
website.<br />
What is CampPlus working<br />
on now?<br />
We are currently working on<br />
the new Duo unit which sits<br />
between, and serves, two<br />
pitches. We will be touring it<br />
on a trailer throughout the<br />
UK this summer and would<br />
be very happy to visit readers’<br />
sites so that they can see the<br />
advantages first-hand. We are<br />
also working on a unit with two<br />
separate toilets and a small<br />
wash basin.<br />
What are your future plans for<br />
the business?<br />
To make en-suite facilities a<br />
regular option on campsites<br />
and, in the long term, to make<br />
it a standard facility. It was not<br />
so long ago that hotels had<br />
shared showers and toilets in<br />
the corridor - nowadays you<br />
expect a hotel room to have a<br />
bathroom. We want to achieve<br />
the same at campsite pitches.<br />
DETAILS<br />
CampPlus<br />
+31 186 769 054<br />
info@campplus.co.uk<br />
www.campplus.co.uk<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 45
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EVENTS<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
Hodder Valley<br />
Show<br />
A traditional agricultural<br />
show where the centrepiece<br />
remains the livestock itself<br />
Tracing its history back to 1864, the Hodder Valley Show prides itself on<br />
being a traditional agricultural and horticultural event and a perfect family<br />
day out. Held on the second Saturday of September each year, the Show<br />
offers a slice of rural life in the community. Mark Blakey (Committee Chair)<br />
and Julie Harrison (Committee Secretary) describe the event to <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
Describe your event and how<br />
many visitors it attracts<br />
Hodder Valley is a traditional<br />
agricultural show; our centrepiece<br />
remains livestock. ‘Traditional’<br />
is the highlight word: we don’t<br />
want a car boot sale kind of vibe!<br />
There are usually about 100 cattle<br />
and 380 sheep and some shire<br />
horses. Uniquely, the show site<br />
moves every year between three<br />
villages - Dunsop Bridge, Newtonin-Bowland<br />
and Slaidburn. It’s the<br />
kind of event where people catch<br />
up once every so often. We aim to<br />
bring the community together.Each<br />
show’s content, other than the<br />
livestock, changes every year. It’s<br />
“EACH<br />
SHOW’S<br />
CONTENT,<br />
OTHER<br />
THAN THE<br />
LIVESTOCK,<br />
CHANGES<br />
EVERY YEAR”<br />
hard to continuously reinvent but<br />
worth the trouble. We rely on the<br />
generosity of the local farmers and<br />
landowners for the site. The show<br />
is pulled together by the Show<br />
Committee, a non-profit making<br />
charity, of enthusiastic, hardworking<br />
rural people and friends<br />
who look to provide visitors with<br />
an insight into how the community<br />
works, coupled with a day out<br />
to remember. Different people<br />
join us all the time while the<br />
chairman stands for one cycle,<br />
so three years (one show in each<br />
village). Attendance is very much<br />
dependent on the weather but it<br />
averages out at about 3,000.<br />
What are the challenges of<br />
moving location so often?<br />
As said, every show is different<br />
so every plan varies. We need to<br />
consider how large is the ring,<br />
how many trade stands will we<br />
have, what is the layout going to<br />
be. We haven’t cancelled recently<br />
but severe rain would make us<br />
reconsider, for health and safety<br />
reasons. The whole field just<br />
becomes a quagmire. Since the<br />
land is theirs we have to consider<br />
the farmers’ and landowners’<br />
thoughts on how the ground will<br />
hold out. We always take their<br />
advice on whether the show should<br />
go ahead or not.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 47
EVENTS<br />
Tell us more about working with<br />
trade stands<br />
We attract many agricultural trade<br />
stands of farm machinery dealers,<br />
vets, auction markets and so on.<br />
We also have trade stands for<br />
food and children’s activities, like<br />
bouncy castles, and a craft tent for<br />
locals to demonstrate their skills<br />
and sell their wares. Last year, in<br />
the handicraft and horticultural<br />
classes, we received 1,400 entries<br />
- from floral decorations to knitted<br />
items and cakes. It’s competitive<br />
but in a friendly fashion. There’s<br />
also a farmers’ market. To offer<br />
suppliers a good bite of the cherry<br />
we don’t have five burger stands,<br />
for example, and we try to be<br />
different by offering hog roasts and<br />
Indian food, with no two stands<br />
the same. We tend to stick to those<br />
traders who have worked with us<br />
for a long time and provide a good<br />
service.<br />
How does permission to run the<br />
event work?<br />
Most farms are tenanted in this area<br />
but we’ve found that landowners<br />
(there are three different estates<br />
in the valley) and farmers are very<br />
sympathetic towards the show.<br />
Since the foot and mouth outbreak<br />
in 2001 any event with livestock has<br />
to have a foot and mouth licence.<br />
The land has to be livestock free<br />
for 28 days before the event and<br />
the site has to be inspected. This<br />
is quite a commitment for the<br />
farmers whose land we use. Cattle<br />
“KEEPING<br />
THE SHOW<br />
TRADITIONALLY<br />
AGRICULTURAL<br />
IS IMPORTANT;<br />
THAT’S WHY<br />
PEOPLE<br />
LOVE IT AND<br />
RETURN<br />
EVERY YEAR”<br />
need animal passports and farmers<br />
must register the movement of the<br />
animals. Then we have to verify<br />
the presence of the animals at the<br />
show. New movement rules have<br />
just been announced regarding<br />
Bovine TB. This is all to ensure<br />
traceability in case of a disease<br />
outbreak.<br />
How do you plan the layout?<br />
We have a chap who does that:<br />
he creates the layout with the<br />
aid of computer software taking<br />
into account the size of the ring,<br />
the quantity and size of stands,<br />
the routes of egress and exit for<br />
livestock and people, etc. It’s quite<br />
a responsibility! He tries to change<br />
the layout every year, not least<br />
because of the different locations.<br />
Where larger shows have avenues<br />
and straight lines, we place stands<br />
in groups around the ring; it’s not<br />
so formal. We want everyone to<br />
have a chance to do good business<br />
so we place different people in<br />
the prime positions on different<br />
years. We make sure the food hall is<br />
placed near the exit so people may<br />
purchase on the way home.<br />
Tell us about the marquees<br />
you use<br />
The marquees are our biggest<br />
outlay so any provider has to be<br />
competitive. Although a national<br />
operator, our marquee supplier<br />
is based locally so we benefit<br />
from smaller transport costs. He’s<br />
someone we use year on year<br />
although he’s not a given; his price<br />
is always compared to others’.<br />
Having said that, we’ve built up a<br />
good relationship over time; we<br />
trust him and his structures.
EVENTS<br />
What entertainment do you offer?<br />
Sheep shearing features every year,<br />
for the local farm lads. Judging is<br />
based on quality of work as much<br />
as it is speed. For up to 21 year olds<br />
we hold sheep and cattle handling<br />
competitions. It’s an art form<br />
really: how to wash the animals,<br />
trim them, polish their hooves and<br />
so on, as well as learning how to<br />
present themselves - showmanship<br />
can make a huge difference. The<br />
young people love it. If they don’t<br />
have an animal but want to get<br />
involved they can borrow one from<br />
farmers at the event. We hold two<br />
or three forms of entertainment so<br />
that the ring is never empty and our<br />
visitors get good value for money.<br />
Last year we had motorcycle<br />
displays and dog agility both of<br />
which proved popular. A vintage<br />
tractor show is held every year,<br />
with many demonstrating their<br />
machines’ capabilities in the ring.<br />
How do you manage admissions<br />
and visitor safety?<br />
We employ a security company<br />
to marshal the public and the car<br />
park, run admissions and sort out<br />
any problems. The show committee<br />
also assists with these duties: it’s<br />
all hands on deck! Hodder Valley<br />
ADDRESS BOOK<br />
is not a wealthy show, its success<br />
is reliant on people giving their<br />
time freely. We live in a community<br />
where people like to be involved<br />
but don’t push themselves forward.<br />
However, they’re happy to give<br />
their time when we ask.<br />
How do you publicise the event?<br />
Hodder Valley is on Facebook<br />
and Twitter, has a dedicated<br />
website and is advertised in the<br />
local newspapers as well as on<br />
posters. However, word of mouth<br />
seems to work best. Keeping the<br />
show traditionally agricultural is<br />
important; that’s why people love it<br />
and return every year.<br />
What challenges have you faced?<br />
Our main challenge is financial.<br />
One or two big banks sponsor the<br />
show as does the NFU and local<br />
companies are a great help. We<br />
like to keep the admission price<br />
low, provide something of interest<br />
for everybody and offer value for<br />
money so visitors come again<br />
and again, year after year. Higher<br />
admission costs might deter visitors<br />
from spending at the stands which<br />
would be counter productive. While<br />
it’s not driven by making a profit,<br />
the show has to make up for the<br />
inevitable losses such as when the<br />
weather is wet. Usually we hold a<br />
function, like a dance on a farm or a<br />
fund-raising event in the village, to<br />
generate more funds in advance of<br />
the event.<br />
What’s the secret of the show’s<br />
success?<br />
Without the enthusiasm,<br />
dedication and time given so freely<br />
by our committee, and the support<br />
from the community, the show<br />
just wouldn’t happen. A driven,<br />
active, friendly team is the essential<br />
component to our success.<br />
MARQUEES/FLOORING<br />
Nationwide Marquees - 01282 617398<br />
www.nationwidemarqueehire.com<br />
LIGHTING/POWER<br />
B A Wills - 015242 61438<br />
SOUND & STAGE<br />
Yorkshire Sound Service - 01535 637273<br />
www.yorkshiresoundservice.co.uk<br />
TOILET HIRE<br />
North West Portables - 01254 249433<br />
www.northwestportables.co.uk<br />
VISITOR MANAGEMENT<br />
Exlusec Security - 0844 8707495<br />
www.exclusec.co.uk<br />
INSURANCE<br />
NFU Mutual -<br />
www.nfumutual.co.uk<br />
DETAILS<br />
A: Boarsden Farm, Dunsop Road,<br />
Newton-in-Bowland, Lancashire,<br />
BB7 3ED<br />
T: Mark Blakey (Chairman)<br />
01200 447671 or 077110827,<br />
Julie Harrison (Secretary) 01200 446698<br />
W: www.hoddervalleyshow.co.uk<br />
E: harrophall@sky.com<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 49
EVENTS<br />
Festival<br />
Glamping<br />
PHOTO BY TIPI GURU<br />
More than just an extra revenue stream, to offer<br />
glamping accommodation at festivals opens up a<br />
whole new clientele writes Ian Hamilton<br />
TEN YEARS AGO ‘glamping’ didn’t<br />
exist in the lexicon of hip-talk.<br />
There was just a handful of ‘prepitched’<br />
accommodation providers<br />
supplying units for festivals.<br />
However, in a short period of time<br />
(from 2005 to 2010) the scenario<br />
changed dramatically. The demand<br />
for pre-pitched accommodation<br />
(later to morph into glamping) at<br />
festivals was suddenly in demand<br />
and grew from basic tipis and<br />
yurts with air beds, to all manner<br />
of structures, with ever-increasing<br />
interior luxuries, with plenty of new<br />
entrepreneurs joining the market to<br />
provide them.<br />
It was this move, I think it fair to<br />
say, that led the way in glamping<br />
as a holiday choice for many,<br />
especially as the demand for<br />
staycations increased due to the<br />
economic climate. As the market<br />
50 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
EVENTS<br />
PHOTO BY p o d p a d s<br />
“OF COURSE,<br />
OFFERING<br />
GLAMPING<br />
AT FESTIVALS<br />
ALSO<br />
EXTENDS THE<br />
APPEAL OF<br />
A FESTIVAL<br />
EXPERIENCE<br />
TO A WHOLE<br />
NEW<br />
CLIENTELE”<br />
PHOTO BY TIPI GURU PHOTO BY TIPI GURU<br />
PHOTO BY TIPI GURU<br />
expanded, glampers’ expectations<br />
changed and they started to pay<br />
more attention to what was going<br />
into their tents rather than the<br />
structures themselves. Yurtel were<br />
one of the first companies to put<br />
a full blown bed inside its yurts<br />
at festivals. That is when things<br />
started to change and a very small<br />
market became very big, in fact<br />
a multi-million pound market in<br />
temporary real estate.<br />
Today, practically every major<br />
festival, and many of the smaller<br />
ones, presents some sort of<br />
additional accommodation to<br />
the ‘bring your own tent’ offering.<br />
Organisers quickly learned that<br />
there was a considerable amount<br />
of money to be made and that<br />
hundreds of people, who had<br />
already paid for a ticket and the<br />
right to pitch a tent, were prepared<br />
to spend even more for a prepitched<br />
glamping option.<br />
Offering glamping also extends<br />
the appeal of the festival experience<br />
to a whole new clientele. This has<br />
gone hand in hand with the change<br />
in image which many festivals<br />
have undergone in recent years.<br />
There is no better example than<br />
Glastonbury; originally very much<br />
‘underground’ it now appears on<br />
many people’s bucket list. This<br />
change in perception has opened<br />
up different sectors of the market<br />
and even different ‘classes’ of<br />
festival goers. The comfort and<br />
ease of festival glamping means<br />
more families and, at the big name<br />
festivals, the ability to ask sky high<br />
prices. Perhaps the pinnacle of<br />
festival glamping is Camp Kerala<br />
at Glastonbury, where a supreme<br />
concierge service in sumptuous<br />
Shikar tents can set you back<br />
over £8k, although you also enjoy<br />
access to gourmet food, a cocktail<br />
mixologist, a spa and ultimate<br />
kudos.<br />
Of course, the level of luxury<br />
and the price commanded will<br />
alter dramatically from festival<br />
to festival, and guests will be just<br />
as comfortable in a £450 familysize<br />
tipi at a smaller festival with<br />
lesser known acts. However, more<br />
importantly, for organisers offering<br />
glamping at the lower end of<br />
the market there is still plenty of<br />
margin left to make it a worthwhile<br />
investment.<br />
<strong>Business</strong> Models<br />
There are three basic models for<br />
an organiser who wants to offer<br />
glamping at an event:<br />
› Full package: an organiser hires<br />
a contractor to manage the<br />
whole glamping operation. The<br />
contractor sets up the tents,<br />
furnishes them and provides the<br />
guest services. The organiser<br />
will receive a percentage of the<br />
bookings taken, which may be<br />
handled by the festival or the<br />
contractor.<br />
› Dry Hire: a contractor provides the<br />
tents and furnishings but nothing<br />
else. It is then up to the festival<br />
organiser to arrange security and<br />
guest services. The organiser may<br />
pay a fixed fee to the contractor<br />
and keep the rest of the money<br />
from the bookings, which it<br />
handles directly.<br />
› DIY: Some big festivals are giving<br />
it a go themselves. Michael<br />
Eavis (Glastonbury) has recently<br />
purchased 1,000 coloured canvas<br />
tents from China to add to his<br />
pre-pitched accommodation.<br />
This option takes a huge amount<br />
of investment, not to mention<br />
logistical and staffing capacity.<br />
PHOTO BY p o d p a d s<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 51
EVENTS<br />
Smaller scale festival organisers<br />
probably have enough to worry<br />
about without trying to arrange their<br />
own glampsite, but it can be done.<br />
How many tents?<br />
The number of glamping units a<br />
festival organiser can sell depends<br />
on many things including the type<br />
of accommodation being offered,<br />
the demographics of the event and<br />
the organiser’s budget. A small- to<br />
medium-sized festival will have<br />
attendance from between 3,000-10,000<br />
people. A sensible start for a glamping<br />
concession would be between 15 and<br />
30 units.<br />
It makes good sense to offer a range<br />
of accommodation options to give<br />
guests choice, and this may mean<br />
working with a range of suppliers. As<br />
in the tourism industry, consumers<br />
are now looking for more and more<br />
interesting structures so it is now not<br />
uncommon to see <strong>Air</strong>stream caravans,<br />
glorified sheds, even Japanese-style<br />
pop up hotels. Each option will appeal<br />
to a different demographic and help a<br />
festival stand out from the crowd.<br />
Of course, adding a glampsite to a<br />
festival does come with costs above<br />
and beyond that of the contractor<br />
supplying the units. Fencing, security,<br />
special wristbands, luxury toilets<br />
and showers, etc all have to be<br />
factored in, and the location of the<br />
site needs to be carefully planned.<br />
As part of the package, organisers<br />
usually try to locate their pre-pitched<br />
accommodation conveniently near to<br />
the stage and amenities (but not too<br />
close to be affected by noise) and may<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
DEER SHED FESTIVAL 7<br />
22-24 July - Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire<br />
www.deershedfestival.com<br />
› About: Deer Shed is a family-friendly music, art and science<br />
festival. With a capacity of 6,000, it has an intimate feel. Acts<br />
include Richard Hawley, Everything Everything, Beth Orton,<br />
Anna Calvi and Steve Mason.<br />
› Accommodation: A range of pre-pitched accommodation<br />
options is offered over two nights - tipis (from £450), yurts (from<br />
£260) and 1980s retro tents (from £200).<br />
› Bookings: Bookings are managed through the<br />
accommodation supplier who provides a full, turnkey package.<br />
also designate a special car park for<br />
ease of access. All these will add to<br />
the appeal of paying a premium for a<br />
more luxurious festival experience.<br />
A good supplier<br />
As with everything, finding a good<br />
contractor is so important. Once the<br />
type of accommodation has been<br />
chosen there are some basic aspects<br />
to look for. Experience is everything<br />
in this industry, as is documentation.<br />
Ensure contractors have all the<br />
necessary Health & Safety policies,<br />
public liability insurance, etc. Then<br />
start the negotiations: what price,<br />
how much can I make, can suppliers<br />
agree to my terms? It’s always worth<br />
negotiating as there is a big difference<br />
between supplying units to an event<br />
like Glastonbury or to a boutique<br />
festival. Suppliers know everyone<br />
needs to make some money and it’s<br />
in their interests to support events of<br />
all sizes.<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
FESTIVAL NO 6<br />
1-4 September – Portmeirion, North Wales<br />
www.festivalnumber6.com<br />
› About: An annual art and music festival held<br />
at Portmeirion, Wales, attracting 15,000 people.<br />
The festival presents a wide range of music<br />
genres including rock, folk, house, techno and<br />
dance. <strong>2016</strong> acts include Noel Gallagher, Echo<br />
and the Bunnymen, Hot Chip, Roots Manuva,<br />
Super Furry Animals and Bastille.<br />
› Accommodation: As well as a campsite of<br />
pre-pitched tents, a range of bell tents (from<br />
£760), yurts (from £1,510), luxury tipis (£1,465),<br />
‘Emperor’ tents with memory foam mattresses,<br />
fluffy bath towels and even a Chesterfield<br />
lounge sofa (£1,465) and <strong>Air</strong>stream caravans<br />
(£4,510) are on offer. Guests also have the<br />
option of booking into the ‘No. 6 Boutique<br />
Retreat’ which provides a reception, concierge<br />
service (offering phone charging, a private<br />
restaurant and bar) and a dedicated spa.<br />
Accommodation here includes yurts (from<br />
£2,675), Bedouin tents (from £2,765) and bell<br />
tents (from £2,290).<br />
› Bookings: Bookings are handled by the<br />
organiser through its website. Suppliers provide<br />
a turnkey service. The ‘No. 6 Boutique Retreat’ is<br />
managed by the festival organiser itself.<br />
PHOTO BY TIPI GURU<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Ian Hamilton is the owner of TIPI GURU and has been supplying pre-pitched accommodation to<br />
the festival industry for over 10 years, with 30 years in and around festival culture. TIPI GURU can<br />
be found at some of the largest UK festivals including Glastonbury, Download, the Isle of Wight<br />
Festival, Latitude and Festival No6, as well as smaller boutique events. For further information<br />
and free advice please contact Ian at festival@tipi.guru / 07889 288982 / www.tipi.guru<br />
52 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
Weather services for<br />
outdoor events<br />
Speak to a forecaster<br />
09065 77 76 75<br />
Calls cost £1.50/min plus network access charges<br />
weatherquest.co.uk<br />
@weatherquest_uk | /Weatherquest<br />
Traditional Canvas Bell<br />
Tents and Awnings<br />
Perfect for:<br />
Festivals<br />
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Glamping<br />
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Bulk discounts for trade customers<br />
+44 (0) 7740 197838<br />
sales@coolcanvastentcompany.co.uk<br />
www.coolcanvastentcompany.co.uk<br />
Parties<br />
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info@boutiquecamping.com<br />
+44(0)203 394 2986<br />
boutiquecamping.com<br />
Providing luxury bell tents perfect for:<br />
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• Weddings and much more!<br />
Available for both hire & purchase.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 53
EVENTS<br />
Safe, Profitable<br />
Events<br />
Mark Laurie’s 10 point checklist for success at outdoor events<br />
WHEN IT COMES to running a public event there is much you should know and do to ensure<br />
that it’s safe, legally compliant and, of course, profitable. Your traders, your employees and the<br />
public will be your responsibility and there’s nothing more important than keeping them safe and<br />
making sure they have a great time. Get started with this handy checklist.<br />
1. FIND THE RIGHT VENUE<br />
Before you start physically looking take<br />
the time to write down the most important<br />
elements you want from a venue and stick<br />
to that list. If you find the right place at the<br />
right price (especially if it’s in a high footfall<br />
area), snap it up. Before you go in all guns<br />
blazing, know that securing a high footfall<br />
area is a hard task. For obvious, commercial<br />
reasons, high footfall locations are very<br />
expensive. Don’t be disheartened: with<br />
the right promotion you can turn a venue<br />
that’s off the beaten track into a must visit<br />
destination.<br />
2<br />
GET INSURANCE<br />
Having comprehensive event<br />
insurance is vital; you must ensure<br />
you are properly and adequately covered<br />
by a reputable broker or insurer. You’ll<br />
definitely need liability insurance and probably<br />
equipment cover, cancellation, abandonment<br />
or postponement and adverse weather cover<br />
too. If you need help or advice you can reach<br />
the only NCASS approved insurance<br />
broker on 0121 603 2524. Among<br />
other things, it specialises in<br />
events insurance.<br />
3. CREATE A SAFETY PLAN<br />
You’ll need to carry out multiple risk<br />
assessments to pinpoint every possible<br />
hazard and put measures in place to<br />
minimise them. Walk around your event<br />
space looking for anything that potentially<br />
could cause harm to workers or customers.<br />
Don’t forget fire and electrical risks, crowd<br />
management and emergency services’<br />
access. Always bear in mind the location,<br />
type of event, venue size and anticipated<br />
attendance. There are some really useful risk<br />
assessment templates on the HSE website<br />
but if in doubt call in the help of an expert.<br />
4. ENSURE YOU HAVE<br />
THE RIGHT LICENCES<br />
During the early stages of event<br />
organisation contact your local<br />
authority, explain the ins and<br />
outs of your event and ask which<br />
licences you will need. If you’re<br />
planning to have alcohol or other<br />
entertainment, which may require<br />
additional licensing, ensure you<br />
mention the fact. The licences<br />
you’re likely to need will include:<br />
› temporary events notice for<br />
events where the capacity at<br />
any one time is 499 or fewer and<br />
which will run for less than 96<br />
hours<br />
› premises licence for events with<br />
a capacity of over 499 and which<br />
will run for more than 96 hours<br />
(many venues already hold one)<br />
› a personal licence (if you’re<br />
planning to sell alcohol yourself)<br />
› licences from the Performing<br />
Rights Society and/or<br />
Phonographic Performance<br />
Limited for playing copyrighted<br />
music<br />
› a street collections permit<br />
(necessary if you will be<br />
collecting money or selling<br />
goods for charitable purposes in<br />
a public place).
6. FIND YOUR TRADERS<br />
There are many ways to find<br />
great food traders for your event -<br />
Twitter, word of mouth and NCASS<br />
Connect to name a few. Use the<br />
latter for free as many times as<br />
you like and view trader profiles,<br />
make shortlists, contact traders<br />
and view hygiene documents.<br />
You’ll find more information about<br />
NCASS Connect below. You’ll also<br />
want to decide, by considering<br />
the demographic of your target<br />
audience, which non-food traders<br />
will enhance your event and bring<br />
in revenue.<br />
7. ENSURE ALL HANDS<br />
ARE CLEAN<br />
Before the event ensure that<br />
every food trader has<br />
separate hand washing<br />
facilities within their<br />
trading unit as it’s a<br />
legal requirement. If an<br />
Environmental Health<br />
Officer (EHO) shows<br />
up and finds people<br />
trading without these<br />
facilities then that’s going<br />
to reflect badly on you and<br />
may result in the trader being<br />
shut down.<br />
EVENTS<br />
5. CREATE AN<br />
EMERGENCY PLAN<br />
Legally you’ve got to have<br />
effective plans at the ready in<br />
case you ever need to respond<br />
to emergency health and safety<br />
situations. Your plan should<br />
be relative to the level of risk<br />
presented by what’s going on<br />
at your event and the potential<br />
severity of the incidents that<br />
could happen. You’ll need to<br />
consider the key risks to your<br />
event visitors and develop<br />
emergency procedures that<br />
staff and volunteers should<br />
follow if it’s ever necessary. Your<br />
emergency plan should address<br />
these areas:<br />
› getting people away from<br />
danger<br />
› calling for emergency services<br />
› looking after casualties<br />
› handling guests who are not<br />
injured but who have had to<br />
be moved<br />
› liaising with the appropriate<br />
authorities, and<br />
› protecting property.<br />
You should ensure all staff<br />
and volunteers know what to<br />
do in case of an emergency,<br />
including:<br />
› raising the alarm<br />
› informing event guests<br />
› responding to the situation<br />
(eg, use of fire extinguishers)<br />
› calling for emergency services<br />
› crowd management<br />
› evacuation<br />
› providing first aid, and<br />
› traffic management.<br />
8. PIN DOWN PAPERWORK<br />
Once you’ve agreed who’s trading, and before<br />
you sign the contracts, ensure you have sight of<br />
each trader’s legal and safety documentation<br />
(like insurance and training certificates, gas<br />
safety and electrical certificates, food safety risk<br />
assessments, etc). You need to be certain that<br />
your traders aren’t going to cause trouble by<br />
holding out of date risk assessments or lacking<br />
the appropriate hygiene training.<br />
To protect yourself as much as the traders<br />
you should always provide a written contract<br />
outlining the terms of each pitch at your event.<br />
You should include details of the pitch the trader<br />
9. CONSIDER THE<br />
WEATHER<br />
Every good event organiser has<br />
a contingency plan for when the<br />
weather doesn’t play ball. You<br />
might like to have emergency<br />
options for undercover areas<br />
in case the heavens open.<br />
Depending on the size of your<br />
event, investing in some gazebos<br />
or even having full marquee back<br />
up in place could do you no end of<br />
favours if the weather just doesn’t<br />
go your way on the day. Don’t<br />
forget that you may also need<br />
to provide trackway for vehicle<br />
access and pallets to keep visitors’<br />
feet dry.<br />
has agreed to, the expected number of guests<br />
and the total quantity of food and non-food<br />
traders present, amongst other things.<br />
If you have found and contracted your food<br />
traders through NCASS Connect you’ll already<br />
have their documentation stored for you to refer<br />
to whenever you need it. You can share these<br />
documents with enforcement teams with just<br />
one click. EHOs can assess the documentation<br />
and notify you of any potential issues with<br />
individual traders. Not only is this useful for<br />
your own peace of mind but it’s also a great<br />
way to improve the relationship with your local<br />
authority.<br />
10. DON’T FORGET ABOUT<br />
WASTE DISPOSAL<br />
You’ll need to ensure you have a decent waste disposal plan<br />
in place well in advance of the event. It’s not just general bins<br />
that will need emptying regularly; think of the waste your food<br />
and non-food traders will likely produce too. Waste needs to<br />
go somewhere out of sight of customers, and quickly.<br />
Similarly, if you’re holding your event in a loo-less location,<br />
find a high quality toilet provision so that people can go in<br />
comfort.<br />
NCASS CONNECT<br />
NCASS Connect is free for all UK event organisers and it’s<br />
one of the most useful tools you can have under your belt.<br />
NCASS Connect is an online hub system that essentially<br />
helps you make fewer phone calls, to stress less, to improve<br />
relationships with your local authority and to make some<br />
‘me time’ during the run up to the big day.<br />
With your free account you can create events like you<br />
would on Facebook, browse traders’ profiles and pictures<br />
and contact the traders you want to see trading at your<br />
event. More importantly, you can review and store traders’<br />
legal and training documentation and share them with<br />
relevant enforcement teams so that they can confirm<br />
traders are good to go. www.ncassconnect.co.uk<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Mark Laurie is director at the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS), the only trade association and primary authority for mobile caterers and street food<br />
sellers in the UK. The NCASS mission is to provide traders with all the information, systems and support they need for a profitable, safe and legal business.<br />
From start-ups to fully-fledged mobile ventures, NCASS offers support and materials to help caterers at any stage of business. Currently looking after 3,500 UK<br />
catering businesses, NCASS continues to grow year on year as a result of its care for and support to the catering and events industry.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 55
EVENTS<br />
Why Wi-Fi?<br />
In this Q&A with Morgan Denton, <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Business</strong> learns<br />
that supplying Wi-Fi to an outdoor event is not about<br />
having the biggest aerial!<br />
How is Wi-Fi use changing at<br />
outdoor events?<br />
We have noticed that year on year both<br />
people and their devices use more and<br />
more data. This is due to people putting<br />
more of their lives on Cloud-based services,<br />
while social media sites and Apps like to<br />
improve content by streaming video when<br />
on Wi-Fi connections. Also, devices are now<br />
more aware of conserving mobile data;<br />
most mobile devices sync large amounts<br />
of data when they have a Wi-Fi connection<br />
(assuming it’s an unmetered, high speed<br />
connection). This, therefore, increases<br />
the load to the networks we build, most<br />
specifically to the main internet connection<br />
we bring to event spaces.<br />
Furthermore, visitors to events expect<br />
to pay for services, products and whatever<br />
via card and contactless means so traders<br />
have to adopt reliable technologies to<br />
achieve this. It falls on the event organiser<br />
to provide a contractor who can supply<br />
and support this service on behalf of the<br />
traders.<br />
What is the public’s expectation?<br />
We have had a client refer to Wi-Fi as<br />
‘a human right’ before now! With the<br />
increase of free Wi-Fi in coffee shops<br />
and restaurants, expectations are most<br />
definitely rising. When an event is all built<br />
and shiny with the power, plumbing, stands<br />
and showmanship open for business,<br />
people seem to forget they’re standing in a<br />
field which a month before had nothing but<br />
sheep grazing in it.<br />
When is internet connectivity essential?<br />
Organisers always need to be connected to<br />
send and receive emails during the build<br />
and de-rig of an event. This is why we are<br />
normally one of the first contractors on<br />
site and the last to leave. Due to failing<br />
mobile phone networks at most outdoor<br />
events the use of GPRS or 3G PDQ machines<br />
become unreliable. Exhibitors spend a lot<br />
of money to attend shows and nothing can<br />
be more frustrating than not being able to<br />
take payments due to a technical difficulty.<br />
Many exhibitors like to offer hospitality<br />
IMAGES BY ATTEND2IT<br />
56 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
EVENTS<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
services, showcasing online content and<br />
products, so reliable internet connections<br />
are critical to making sales. We have a<br />
repeat client who attends three shows a<br />
year and he always books a large, leased<br />
package from us: if the internet fails he<br />
could lose a £100k contract. And then you<br />
have the visitors. Individual requirements<br />
are actually quite small but their sheer<br />
numbers can load the network very<br />
heavily: this needs to be controlled. We<br />
have different ways of managing this<br />
which varys from event to event.<br />
Are there any events to which you can’t<br />
supply Wi-Fi?<br />
We have never failed to get internet to<br />
a site, and we have worked some very<br />
interesting locations, from a 100Mb<br />
leased line on a moving train to the<br />
middle of a forest for a film shoot.<br />
Can Wi-Fi give organisers a competitive<br />
advantage?<br />
Very much so; people always want to be<br />
connected. If you are able to provide a<br />
value-added service above and beyond<br />
your competitor’s event site you’re in<br />
a better position to increase visitor<br />
numbers. You will also be able to use<br />
services like Wi-Fi as a tool for your own<br />
means.<br />
What Wi-Fi options are there?<br />
The list is endless: high use, low use,<br />
secure, public, pay as you go, free,<br />
hot spots, etc, etc. Which you go for<br />
depends on your commercial goal. Is<br />
user data more important than taking<br />
money to recoup costs? A decent<br />
supplier will help you work out your<br />
requirements. We most commonly<br />
work by reducing the risk and financial<br />
outlay to the organiser by offering paid<br />
services at agreed prices and then pay<br />
a commission to them. This means the<br />
service can be offered in sensible areas<br />
of the site, without either the organiser<br />
or the contractor wasting money and<br />
resources.<br />
In addition, the public attending an<br />
event will always consume connectivity.<br />
This is something an organiser can use<br />
to its advantage either as a means of<br />
generating more revenue or as a way to<br />
capture data from visitors by requiring<br />
they login at a Wi-Fi hotspot. In order<br />
to achieve this we would bring a leased<br />
line to site. Each business that wants<br />
the hotspot pays for their own needs<br />
and the service is then delivered to the<br />
whole site. This requires co-operation<br />
from the organiser which is one of the<br />
reasons we pay a commission for all<br />
services offered at its event.<br />
TWO COMMON MYTHS<br />
I get a great signal on my site visits so<br />
exhibitors / show visitors will too<br />
It’s almost a certainty that even if you do<br />
have a mobile phone signal when you, as<br />
an organiser, visit your site, that signal will<br />
fail at the event. The reason is that mobile<br />
phone operators build their networks for<br />
the day to day population in any one area.<br />
If that village of 1,000 devices suddenly<br />
increases when 3,000 more turn up for<br />
an event then the mobile phone cell site<br />
literally runs out of space. So, the cell site<br />
can’t provide service to devices like PDQ<br />
machines. It’s not in the mobile phone<br />
operator’s financial interest to spend<br />
tens of thousands to expand the capacity<br />
for the days of the show, even if it were<br />
technically possible. This means services,<br />
like properly deployed Wi-Fi networks, are<br />
crucial for the success of outdoor events.<br />
A big Wi-Fi aerial will fix my<br />
connectivity problem<br />
There are many technical reasons for not<br />
doing this. Yes, you can buy an aerial that<br />
is capable of ‘shouting’ internet across<br />
the whole site. However, your mobile<br />
has to ‘shout’ back and its aerial is only<br />
capable of reliably transmitting 70m in<br />
clear air and 50m in a crowded area or<br />
one with structures and fixed objects. This<br />
means multiple access points need to be<br />
strategically deployed across the site to<br />
cover areas of interest. The other technical<br />
limitation is that an access point can only<br />
handle a certain number of devices before<br />
connectivity slows or fails. So, you can’t<br />
install one big access point in the middle<br />
of the site and expect 30,000 guests to<br />
receive good service. People will berate an<br />
event’s bad Wi-Fi on social media; you’re<br />
better off having no Wi-Fi than risking the<br />
backlash if it doesn’t perform.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 57
EVENTS<br />
CASE STUDY<br />
Birdfair<br />
• 42 acre site<br />
• 3 day event<br />
• 22,000 visitors<br />
• 150 exhibitors<br />
• 350 trade stands<br />
• 450 concurrent devices<br />
• 28 PDQ machines<br />
• 31 wired connections<br />
• 54GB of data used<br />
Technical situation<br />
Each exhibitor has slightly<br />
different needs from their internet<br />
connection. This varied from<br />
checking international email to<br />
streaming live footage from across<br />
the globe - and everything in<br />
between. All 150 exhibitors were<br />
expected to order one of a variety<br />
of connections. This would mean<br />
around 400 devices requiring a<br />
stable and reliable connection for<br />
the duration of the event.<br />
Birdfair encompasses the whole<br />
spectrum of the bird watching<br />
industry while supporting global<br />
bird conservation. This is the event<br />
of the year if you’re into birds and<br />
wildlife. There are hundreds of<br />
stands selling the latest products<br />
for wildlife enthusiasts from<br />
scopes to sculptures, binoculars<br />
to bird food and eGuides to ecoholidays.<br />
The event takes over a 42 acre<br />
section of Rutland Water Nature<br />
Reserve and has more than 22,000<br />
visitors and over 350 trade stands<br />
every year. The site has no regular<br />
data infrastructure or 3G mobile<br />
phone service but the organiser<br />
had three separate requirements:<br />
1) The organiser needed the<br />
ability to sell internet connections<br />
to the exhibitors. In past years this<br />
had been problematic as various<br />
suppliers failed to deliver a reliable<br />
service<br />
2) The exhibitors needed to take<br />
electronic payments which, due<br />
to the lack of mobile and data<br />
infrastructure, had also proved to<br />
be challenging in the past<br />
3) A publisher required to launch<br />
an iOS App to be downloaded by<br />
visitors at the event<br />
Solutions<br />
› Wi-Fi: We created a unified Wi-Fi<br />
network across the majority of the<br />
site which was centrally managed.<br />
This allowed us to control the<br />
authentication of users and how<br />
much data they were allowed,<br />
based on the package they had<br />
purchased. We used a branded,<br />
captive portal that identified each<br />
user to their package, meaning<br />
one exhibitor only had one login<br />
for all of its devices. This stopped<br />
extra devices from affecting<br />
the network and, therefore,<br />
everyone’s quality of service.<br />
An added benefit of this form of<br />
authentication meant that users<br />
could also roam anywhere on<br />
site and still receive the same<br />
connection. We segregated the<br />
networks so the ticket gates,<br />
organiser and exhibitors could not<br />
affect each other. We did this to<br />
ensure ticket gate traffic was given<br />
the highest priority in the event of<br />
over subscription.<br />
› Electronic payments: We also<br />
supplied some exhibitors with<br />
PDQ machines and PayPalenabled<br />
tablets for electronic<br />
payments. These were also<br />
locked down so only encrypted<br />
IMAGE BY ATTEND2IT<br />
transaction information could pass<br />
uninterrupted. Many exhibitors<br />
required payment terminals that<br />
had direct connection to their<br />
merchant provider. We hardwired<br />
these terminals directly<br />
into the network to ensure stable<br />
connectivity.<br />
We also offered a cheaper,<br />
wireless solution to those not<br />
requiring the above. This used<br />
the PayPal platform, consisting<br />
of a tablet computer to provide<br />
a clear and easy to read screen<br />
for customers and a PayPal<br />
authorised Bluetooth card reader.<br />
This enabled exhibitors with<br />
smaller budgets to take credit card
EVENTS<br />
payments, as well as those who<br />
were simply not expecting to take<br />
so many.<br />
› App caching: Harper Collins, a<br />
publisher of wildlife books, was<br />
launching a new App for iPhone<br />
and iPad. The challenges for this<br />
on its own were quite measurable<br />
before adding the element of<br />
bringing the infrastructure to<br />
a nature reserve. We devised a<br />
solution to deliver this App to the<br />
end device faster and without<br />
the excessive bandwidth costs<br />
by caching the App locally on our<br />
servers. This meant that the device<br />
would only need to communicate<br />
with iTunes to get authentication<br />
for the App to download. However,<br />
our servers then seamlessly<br />
replaced the download with the<br />
locally cached version.<br />
IMAGE BY ATTEND2IT<br />
Benefits<br />
As Birdfair sells connections<br />
directly to the exhibitors, with<br />
the profits going to charity,<br />
reliability of this network is key.<br />
Since Birdfair had had issues with<br />
suppliers in previous years with<br />
connectivity and stability issues,<br />
the client was understandably<br />
nervous that a repeat was<br />
possible. We were confident that<br />
both our chosen equipment,<br />
method of delivery and our highly<br />
skilled team would be able to<br />
manage this without issues.<br />
We successfully delivered and<br />
as a consequence Birdfair is now<br />
expecting an even greater number<br />
of orders for next year. As an<br />
event organiser is always busy<br />
around and on show days it is<br />
important that a sub-contractor be<br />
autonomous, giving the organiser<br />
one less thing to worry about. We<br />
gave that freedom and peace of<br />
mind. Birdfair was so pleased with<br />
the Attend2IT service that it had<br />
booked us for the following year<br />
before the event had finished.<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Morgan Denton is the<br />
senior outdoor events<br />
project manager<br />
for Attend2IT, a well<br />
established specialist<br />
events IT company<br />
that only offers IT<br />
services for the events<br />
industry. Attend2IT<br />
has built its reputation<br />
on understanding the<br />
needs and reacting<br />
to the fast pace of the<br />
industry.<br />
www.attend2it.co.uk<br />
Festival<br />
Trackway<br />
the Ultimate solution<br />
for restraining temporary structures<br />
Multi award-winning trackway<br />
& safety flooring solutions<br />
01455 553700<br />
sales@ecotrackway.co.uk<br />
Ec<br />
Track<br />
& Access Ltd<br />
incorporating<br />
UmTech<br />
Epic Group<br />
www.anchorbloc.co.uk<br />
0800 122 3304<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 59
EVENTS | PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
Professional Services<br />
Services for smooth running events<br />
GETTY IMAGES<br />
MANAGE YOUR EVENT<br />
Event Owl<br />
0330 123 0324<br />
www.eventowl.co.uk<br />
The national, all in one website for event<br />
applications. A revolutionary UK centralised,<br />
pay as you use, online exhibition / trade<br />
stand booking system for organisers,<br />
saving significant admin time for both<br />
parties. Suits any industry / event. Create,<br />
promote and manage your events with<br />
tools for risk assessments, payments,<br />
sales receipting and promotion. Also,<br />
get your event seen by hundreds of<br />
exhibitors with our online listings.<br />
EVENT IT SOLUTIONS<br />
attend2IT<br />
01763 877477<br />
www.attend2it.co.uk<br />
We pride ourselves on a reputation for<br />
constantly delivering a professional,<br />
reliable, friendly and complete range<br />
of event IT services including Wi-Fi,<br />
broadcast / streaming, ticketing /<br />
registration, EPOS / PDQS and event<br />
Apps. Working alongside AV companies,<br />
agencies, venues and end clients, we<br />
deliver a high-end service to both small<br />
and large shows alike. Give us a call for<br />
a chat about your requirements.<br />
WEATHER ANALYSIS<br />
Weatherquest<br />
01603 507605<br />
www.weatherquest.co.uk<br />
Weatherquest is a privately owned<br />
weather forecasting and weather<br />
analysis company based in Norwich<br />
and located on the University of East<br />
Anglia campus. We can provide a wide<br />
variety of bespoke weather products to<br />
outdoor event organisers, glampsites<br />
and wedding venues alike. If you or your<br />
business is affected by the weather you<br />
should talk to us about how we can save<br />
you valuable time and money.<br />
EVENT STAFF<br />
HR GO Recruitment<br />
01604 621333<br />
www.hrgo.co.uk/events<br />
Your event is only as good as your<br />
crew. We’ve got what it takes to make<br />
your next event a big success! At HR<br />
GO Recruitment we provide high<br />
quality, experienced and skilled crew<br />
and support staff to major events and<br />
festivals across the UK. Everything<br />
from site managers, marquee erectors,<br />
plumbers, electricians, technicians and<br />
engineers to waiters, admin staff, car<br />
park / traffic marshalls and cleaners.<br />
EVENT INSURANCE<br />
Event Insurance Services<br />
01425 484862<br />
www.events-insurance.co.uk<br />
Event Insurance Services was<br />
established in 1996 and is the UK’s<br />
leading intermediary, providing<br />
comprehensive insurance for all types<br />
of event. From a coffee morning to<br />
a carnival, a food festival to a fete,<br />
it offers competitive premiums and<br />
comprehensive levels of cover. Rated 5*<br />
by its customers on independent review<br />
site Trustpilot, it is renowned for its<br />
personal and friendly customer service.<br />
EVENT SECURITY<br />
Churchill Security<br />
0808 274 8837<br />
www.churchillsecurity.co.uk<br />
Churchill Security Ltd is proud to offer a<br />
complete range of security guard services<br />
throughout the UK delivered by our team<br />
of fully SIA licensed and trained guards.<br />
Offering static and mobile guards plus key<br />
holding and alarm response solutions,<br />
we are experienced in providing<br />
security guard services to a range of<br />
industries including the corporate sector,<br />
construction sites, retail establishments,<br />
industrial warehouses and events.<br />
60 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
ZooLoos<br />
os’ luxury range of portable,<br />
vacuum toilets, ts<br />
showers and<br />
washrooms.<br />
Give guests the VIP (Very Important Portables) treatment. Reserve your luxury loos today.<br />
+44 (0)1258 840233 | info@zooloos.co.uk<br />
THE EVENT IT SOLUTION<br />
SPECIALIST KEEPING<br />
YOU CONNECTED<br />
• EVENT WI-FI<br />
• PAYMENT SOLUTIONS<br />
• LOCATION SERVICES AND PEOPLE<br />
COUNTING<br />
• CCTV, 360 DEGREE AND TIME LAPSE<br />
• ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE<br />
• STREAMING AND BROADCASTING<br />
• TICKETING<br />
We pride ourselves on a reputation for<br />
constantly delivering a reliable, friendly and<br />
complete Event IT service. Working<br />
alongside AV companies, agencies, venues<br />
and end clients, we deliver a high-end<br />
service to both small and large shows alike.<br />
01763 877 477 • www.attend2it.co.uk<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 61
Spot light<br />
A round-up of products for the outdoor hospitality industry<br />
RESTRAINING TEMPORARY<br />
STRUCTURES<br />
Anchor Bloc<br />
0800 122 3304<br />
www.anchorbloc.co.uk<br />
Concrete ballast solutions for all<br />
types of temporary structures<br />
for hire or purchase. Lloyds<br />
British Testing Certified in<br />
accordance with BS5975:2008.<br />
Ensure you are CDM compliant<br />
when planning your next event<br />
with the use of Anchor Blocs.<br />
Available in four standard sizes<br />
250, 330, 500 and 1,000kg.<br />
Bespoke design service available<br />
to suit your needs, as well as a<br />
huge selection of accessories<br />
to accompany your Blocs from<br />
branded custom covers, painted<br />
finishes to all-terrain pallet<br />
trucks and protective matting.<br />
Anchor Bloc can look after your<br />
transport needs and can even<br />
deliver, off-load and place your<br />
blocs ready for use.<br />
SHIRE POD<br />
The Little Hut Company<br />
07763 055151<br />
www.thelittlehutcompany.co.uk<br />
The Little Hut Company<br />
specialises in bespoke, one<br />
of a kind structures mainly<br />
for the glamping market. We<br />
produce wooden shepherd<br />
huts and our unique Shire<br />
Pods. We pride ourselves in<br />
designing and constructing the<br />
most unusual accommodation<br />
to make your site truly<br />
memorable. Most of our huts<br />
are mobile meaning you<br />
can site them anywhere. We<br />
use only sustainable local<br />
materials and try to be eco<br />
friendly in our construction.<br />
The huts are built by craftsmen<br />
and handmade individually.<br />
Our shepherd huts start at<br />
£8,000 and our Shire Pods<br />
start at £12.600.<br />
IT’S ALL COMPLEMENTARY<br />
Furniture on the Move<br />
0845 459 9875<br />
www.furnitureonthemove.co.uk<br />
You look fabulous, the catering<br />
looks fabulous, the guests look<br />
fabulous. The final thing is to<br />
make sure the furniture does<br />
too. The decision to choose<br />
something that is elegant,<br />
luxurious, even beautiful,<br />
is part of every aspect of<br />
wedding and festival planning<br />
alike. Considering it’s the first<br />
thing your guests see when<br />
they enter the room, why is it<br />
so often overlooked? Here at<br />
Furniture On The Move, we are<br />
not in the habit of overlooking<br />
anything, which is why we are<br />
rapidly becoming the ‘go-to’<br />
company for new festivals and<br />
weddings. Call now for more<br />
information.<br />
PODS FROM<br />
FUTURE ROOMS<br />
Future Rooms<br />
01452 501455<br />
www.futurerooms.co.uk<br />
Our Pods are versatile,<br />
affordable and perfect to<br />
generate new income for<br />
glamping, event and function<br />
venue businesses. We design<br />
and build all of our Pods in our<br />
UK workshop and deliver as a<br />
complete unit to your site. We<br />
have a range of different sizes<br />
which can be designed to meet<br />
your exact needs, including<br />
furniture and equipment.<br />
Pods feature larch roofs and<br />
cladding or a Metro tile roof<br />
with cedar cladding. The walls<br />
and floors are fully insulated<br />
and feature a unique air flow<br />
system. Power, lighting and<br />
smoke / carbon monoxide<br />
detectors are also included.<br />
62 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
HOLLY WREN PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
A PIECE OF QUIET<br />
Losberger<br />
01949 845070<br />
www.losberger.co.uk<br />
Losberger, manufacturer of<br />
modular temporary event<br />
spaces, have installed a<br />
‘reading room’ in Finsbury<br />
Avenue Square, London, for<br />
Broadgate’s Literary Greats<br />
season. The event space<br />
has the look and feel of a<br />
contemporary, high quality,<br />
permanent building but was<br />
delivered and assembled in<br />
just 6 hours. Its modularity<br />
means you can add additional<br />
sections to increase the size<br />
of the 30sqm room in 6m x<br />
2.5m increments. The Reading<br />
Room opened to the 30,000<br />
or so people who work at the<br />
Broadgate business campus<br />
from 25 April to 20 May, as well<br />
as those visiting or passing<br />
though.<br />
VINTAGE LICENSED BAR<br />
Split Screen Bar<br />
07459 864 634<br />
www.splitscreenbar.co.uk<br />
Split Screen Bar is the vintage<br />
bar solution available to hire<br />
at your next event. We are fully<br />
licensed and can cater to suit<br />
any occasion be it a wedding,<br />
festival or community event.<br />
We can also operate as a<br />
full blown party bar with<br />
music of any genre. We serve<br />
draught beers, ciders, spirits,<br />
wines, champagnes and<br />
some spectacular cocktails.<br />
Our friendly staff will be on<br />
hand and are subject matter<br />
experts in getting the party<br />
in full swing. We specialise in<br />
working with our customers to<br />
create a unique and bespoke<br />
experience, tailored to suit<br />
their needs.<br />
PORTABLE FULL<br />
SERVICE BAR<br />
Zipbar<br />
01752 787422<br />
www.zipbar.co.uk<br />
Zipbar is first UK portable bar<br />
system that has been designed<br />
to offer a beverage service<br />
platform for event organisers,<br />
function venue owners and<br />
private clients. The bar set up<br />
offers a full front bar (in any<br />
size or shape) and a full back<br />
bar that you can set up on its<br />
own or incorporate with our<br />
connector bar. Whole systems<br />
can be bought as a single 1.2m<br />
bar, and you can add to them<br />
at any time in the future by<br />
buying or hiring additional<br />
elements. The system packs<br />
into flight cases and rigs with<br />
no tools in minutes.<br />
TRADITIONAL CANVAS BELL<br />
TENTS AND AWNINGS<br />
Cool Canvas Tent Company<br />
07740 197838<br />
www.coolcanvastentcompany.co.uk<br />
We stock traditional bell tents<br />
and awnings made from 100%<br />
natural cotton canvas. We only<br />
supply the ZIG model (zipped<br />
in ground sheet) because<br />
we believe that is the best.<br />
Traditional design with modern<br />
components to keep you<br />
warm and dry, cotton canvas<br />
is 285gsm and groundsheets<br />
are a tough 540gsm PVC. Pegs<br />
are heavy duty galvanised<br />
steel. All doors and windows<br />
have secondary bug mesh as<br />
standard. Guy ropes are highly<br />
visible and very tough. And<br />
last but not least, our unique<br />
canvas awnings are both a<br />
practical and beautiful addition<br />
that can also be used as a<br />
freestanding multi-use space.<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 63
CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY<br />
Classified Directory<br />
Stuck for furniture hire?<br />
www.europainternational.com/oa<br />
hire happy<br />
Call 08454 303015<br />
COOLING COOLING && HEATING SOLUTIONS SOLUTIONS<br />
temperature control specialists<br />
hire<br />
sales hire<br />
portable sales units<br />
temporary portable systems units<br />
temporary systems<br />
sales@candhs.co.uk – coolingandheatingsolutions.com – 01590 681 434<br />
Marlwood House, Silver Street, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 6DG, UK<br />
sales@candhs.co.uk – coolingandheatingsolutions.com – 01590 681 434<br />
Marlwood House, Silver Street, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 6DG, UK<br />
sales@candhs.co.uk<br />
coolingandheatingsolutions.com<br />
01590 681 434<br />
traditional tepees with a<br />
modern twist...<br />
Retailer of single pole canvas tepees with fly<br />
screens & windows in 3,4,5 and 6m diameter<br />
tent hire in the north east<br />
www.northernstartepees.co.uk<br />
T H E L I T T L E H U T C O .<br />
Bespoke, one of a kind structures for<br />
glamping including 'Shire Pods'<br />
07763 055151<br />
www.thelittlehutcompany.co.uk<br />
FOR ALL YOUR<br />
FURNITURE HIRE NEEDS<br />
AN ALL EXCLUSIVE LUXURY KITCHEN FOR YOUR<br />
GUESTS. PUT IN THE BACK OF A CAR AND GIVE<br />
THEM FREEDOM TO TOUR THE AREA.<br />
www.campchamp.at<br />
UK distributor - The Shack at www.instinctive-retreats.co.uk<br />
Providing luxury bell tents available<br />
for both hire & purchase<br />
info@boutiquecamping.com<br />
Providing<br />
Providing<br />
luxury bell<br />
luxury<br />
tents perfect<br />
bell tents<br />
for:<br />
perfect for:<br />
• Camping • Camping<br />
+44(0)203<br />
• Outdoor<br />
394 2986<br />
• Outdoor summer play summer roomsplay rooms<br />
boutiquecamping.com<br />
• Garden • lounge Garden areas lounge areas<br />
• Festivals • Festivals<br />
info@boutiquecamping.com<br />
info@boutiquecamping.com • Weddings<br />
• Weddings<br />
and much<br />
and<br />
more!<br />
much more!<br />
+44(0)203 394 2986<br />
+44(0)203 394 2986<br />
boutiquecamping.com Available for both hire & purchase.<br />
boutiquecamping.com Available for both hire & purchase.<br />
0845 459 9875<br />
Info@furnitureonthemove.co.uk<br />
COUNTRY HOUSE<br />
BUSINESS INNOVATION <strong>2016</strong><br />
LIVE <strong>2016</strong><br />
www.furnitureonthemove.co.uk<br />
The event for farmers, land owners and rural business<br />
entrepreneurs to gain inspiration, resources and advice<br />
INSPIRING RURAL ENTREPRENEURS<br />
6<br />
A WORLD OF IDEAS<br />
TO MAKE YOUR LAND<br />
MORE PROFITABLE<br />
9 & 10 NOVEMBER <strong>2016</strong>, NEC BIRMINGHAM<br />
INNOVATION <strong>2016</strong><br />
• 21ft and 18ft • Dry winter stored<br />
USED<br />
• Complete with extras<br />
• Used<br />
For<br />
two<br />
sale.<br />
and<br />
Our<br />
three<br />
black and<br />
summers<br />
white Tipi 21ft.<br />
respectively<br />
which has done two summers 2014‐2015<br />
TIPIS<br />
complete Festival<br />
with liner, cocounut floor matting, door flap, pegs and Ozan. Some very<br />
• marks. Offers cost - £4,000.00 delivery new. can Offers be (Could arranged deliver within 75 miles. £75.00).<br />
Trackway<br />
For sale.<br />
Tel:<br />
Our<br />
01258<br />
black<br />
880006<br />
and white<br />
| cj.moonfleetfarm@btinternet.com<br />
Tipi 21ft. which has done two summers 2014‐2015 (<br />
complete with liner, www.moonfleetfarm.com<br />
cocounut floor matting, door flap, pegs and Ozan. Some very m<br />
marks. cost £4,000.00 new. Offers (Could deliver within 75 miles. £75.00).<br />
For sale. Our green and white Tipi 18ft. which has done three summers 2013‐2015 (stored dry winter). Comes<br />
complete with ground sheet, liner, cocounut floor matting, door flap, rain catcher, pegs and Ozan. Some very<br />
For sale. Our green minor and mouse white damage Tipi 18ft. and which marks. cost has 3,500.00 done three new. summers Offers (Could 2013‐2015 deliver within (stored 75 miles. dry winter). £75.00). Comes<br />
complete with ground sheet, liner, cocounut floor matting, door flap, rain catcher, pegs and Ozan. Some very<br />
minor mouse damage and marks. cost 3,500.00 new. Offers (Could deliver within 75 miles. £75.00).<br />
The event 7,500 for farmers, VISITORSland owners<br />
and rural business entrepreneurs to gain<br />
200 SEMINARS<br />
inspiration, resources and advice<br />
400 EXHIBITORS<br />
Register for FREE tickets at<br />
www.farmbusinessshow.co.uk<br />
Your own private bathroom<br />
right next to your tent or caravan<br />
Tel. 0031 186 769 054 ❤ info@campplus.co.uk<br />
www.campplus.co.uk<br />
Multi award-winning trackway<br />
& safety flooring solutions<br />
01455 553700<br />
sales@ecotrackway.co.uk<br />
Ec<br />
Track<br />
& Access Ltd<br />
incorporating<br />
UmTech<br />
Epic Group<br />
64 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM<br />
1
A4 - Full Page Ad.indd 1 04/04/<strong>2016</strong> 17:17<br />
A4 - Full Page Ad.indd 1 04/04/<strong>2016</strong> 17:17<br />
CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY<br />
the Ultimate solution for<br />
restraining temporary structures<br />
the Ultimate solution for<br />
restraining temporary structures<br />
The coolest bar around available<br />
to hire at your next event.<br />
Completely self sufficient. We park up and<br />
start serving “with a license” it’s that easy!<br />
Specialist cocktails, bespoke<br />
drinks and brilliant beers<br />
Call Matt on 07459 864 634<br />
www.splitscreenbar.co.uk<br />
0800 122 3304 www.anchorbloc.co.uk<br />
0800 122 3304 www.anchorbloc.co.uk<br />
Simply the Best Events own and operate over 350<br />
different attractions in house for Corporate Fun Days<br />
and It’s A Knockout events throughout the UK.<br />
Speak to one of our Event Managers<br />
on 0800 019 3908<br />
www.simplythebestevents.co.uk<br />
ü Hire or buy your Anchor Blocs outright<br />
ü Take advantage of our 'Anchor Managment'<br />
programme - great if you have multiple events at<br />
different locations.<br />
ü<br />
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or<br />
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buy your<br />
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ü<br />
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by credit<br />
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ü<br />
programme<br />
Emergency telephone<br />
- great if you<br />
service<br />
have<br />
for<br />
multiple<br />
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events at<br />
different locations.<br />
ü Full logistics and storage facilities are available<br />
ü Payment by credit card for convenience<br />
ü Emergency telephone service for 24/7 support<br />
ü 1000kg, 500kg, 330kg and 250kg options<br />
ü Perfect for securing marquees, inflatables and any<br />
other fabric temporaty structures.<br />
CDM 2015 compliant Lloyd British Testing Certifed<br />
ü 1000kg,<br />
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500kg,<br />
with<br />
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ü Perfect<br />
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for<br />
options<br />
securing<br />
avalible.<br />
marquees, inflatables and any<br />
other<br />
Huge<br />
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Range<br />
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of accesories,<br />
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From branded covers to<br />
ü CDM<br />
specially<br />
2015<br />
adapted<br />
compliant<br />
all<br />
Lloyd<br />
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pallet<br />
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in accordance with BS5975:2008.<br />
ü Custom options avalible.<br />
Luxury Toilet Trailers, specially adapted Event all teraine Loos,<br />
pallet trucks.<br />
Themed Toilets, Shower Units &<br />
Accommodation Hire<br />
ü Huge Range of accesories, From branded covers to<br />
01256 384 134<br />
www.site-equip.co.uk<br />
event@site-equip.co.uk<br />
Weather services for<br />
outdoor events<br />
Speak to a forecaster<br />
09065 77 76 75<br />
Calls cost £1.50/min plus network access charges<br />
weatherquest.co.uk<br />
@weatherquest_uk | /Weatherquest<br />
Why not have an Event in a tent?<br />
Call us now: 01978 661449<br />
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Ensure your guests have the best!!<br />
• Luxurious eco-friendly modular vacuum toilet facilities<br />
• Bespoke and stylish<br />
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enquiries@classicalloocompany.com<br />
Ensure your guests have the best!!<br />
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Tel: 01945 463857 Mob: 07775 921182<br />
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www.fireworksdisplayteam.co.uk<br />
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 65
PERIWINKLE<br />
KEEPING YOUR FEET<br />
ON THE GROUND<br />
Periwinkle and friends fall victim to entrepreneurial zeal –<br />
all in the name of the great outdoors<br />
ALL THREE MEMBERS of the Toffee-Hammer<br />
Club - ‘Chuffer’ Donaldson, ‘Tubby’ Cartwright<br />
and yours truly - sat at our usual table in<br />
the lounge of the Glamper’s Retreat for our<br />
48th monthly meeting. We each own land in<br />
the county, devoted to the entrepreneurial<br />
pursuit of profit from the ‘Great Outdoors’.<br />
Chuffer opened the Glamper’s Retreat in<br />
2007 to offer guests rustic respite from the<br />
relentless luxury of Tubby’s glamping site (a<br />
couple of his tents have chandeliers).<br />
The meetings always start with a discussion<br />
to test our intellectual rigour. We had just<br />
finished speculating on the degree to which<br />
the Cubist movement might have been<br />
influenced by the invention of the Walnut<br />
Whip, had that particular confection been<br />
around at the time. When this discussion<br />
petered out, Tubby began bemoaning the fact<br />
that the early promise of his latest, grand idea<br />
for attracting more custom to his glamping<br />
site had expired within a period shorter than<br />
the lifespan of a moth. He’d nobody to blame<br />
but himself of course: Chuffer repeatedly<br />
warned Tubby that the introduction of an<br />
adults-only bouncy castle as a<br />
new service line was the worst<br />
idea since the wind-powered<br />
draught excluder.<br />
Desperate to somehow<br />
attenuate Tubby’s self-pitying<br />
whine, Chuffer interjected to propose<br />
a round of Knickerbocker Orange<br />
Slammers - a proposal I foolishly<br />
endorsed. I suppose you could consider<br />
Knickerbocker Orange Slammers<br />
the Toffee-Hammer Club’s signature<br />
drink. It’s a fully fledged ice-cream<br />
parlour Knickerbocker Glory into which<br />
is decanted four hefty measures of<br />
Cointreau.<br />
Downing my slammer faster than was<br />
medically advisable, I suffered that rarest of<br />
senior moments - the frozen brain fart. This<br />
is the synchronous occurrence of brain freeze<br />
and brain fart. The brain freeze element of the<br />
condition was like having the business end of<br />
a professionally sharpened HB pencil jabbed<br />
into my eye con gusto. The pain crescendoed<br />
exponentially, stopping mercifully short of<br />
outright agony, though it hovered at that<br />
excruciating level for three minutes before<br />
dissipating.<br />
Boffins call these events nano-strokes.<br />
Chuffer had one some years back. He was<br />
lucky: only a small cluster of brain cells was<br />
impaired. He had to re-learn the six times<br />
table, but otherwise made a full recovery.<br />
Luckily, I had no time to dwell on the pain: it<br />
was masked by the confusion caused by the<br />
brain fart element of the event. You know the<br />
kind of thing, you find yourself half-way up<br />
the ladder of a grain silo but can’t remember<br />
whether you’re going up or coming down.<br />
Or indeed why you’re wearing your pyjamas<br />
while doing so.<br />
Miraculously, I was unimpaired by the<br />
frozen brain fart, but it did provoke a<br />
spontaneous outpouring of entrepreneurial<br />
zeal beyond my conscious control. You’d have<br />
to go back to the days when Richard Branson<br />
had a bum fluff goatee beard to witness such<br />
commercial fervour. Before I knew it I was<br />
possessed by a raging desire to turn my lower<br />
paddock into an annual rock festival venue<br />
that would make Woodstock look like the<br />
Chipping Sodbury Scout Jamboree.<br />
I didn’t fight it; I embraced it.<br />
I resolved to make the event as<br />
eco-friendly as possible (I have<br />
been Ultra-Green since Bobby<br />
Shaftoe was a sea cadet). The<br />
Ultra-Green Party is a movement<br />
founded on Green Party policies,<br />
but leaning further to the left of<br />
the Greens than a horse after a<br />
trough full of Old Speckled Hen.<br />
Think wind-powered butter churns,<br />
home-knitted vegetable lasagne,<br />
free-range mince and weekly<br />
Dandelion and Burdock enemas.<br />
Believers are encouraged to sell<br />
their houses, buy a yurt and move<br />
to the unpolluted Eden of Corsica from where<br />
they should commute to their hydroponic<br />
farming jobs by hang-glider and return home<br />
on a llama.<br />
Anyhoo, that’s your heads-up for this<br />
edition. Catch you next time around.<br />
P.S. Apologies, readers. I failed to tell<br />
you the outcome of Tubby’s bouncy castle<br />
for adults fiasco. As a means of testing the<br />
contraption - which the safety instructions<br />
said must be inflated to a pressure ‘similar<br />
to that found at the bottom of the Marianas<br />
Trench’ - Tubby launched himself from a 10m<br />
diving board. He immediately executed a<br />
triple half-Humphrey with pike and ricocheted<br />
arse-first off the bounciest section of the<br />
bouncy castle with the force of a bunker<br />
buster bomb.<br />
As the ambulance crew said later, had<br />
Earth’s gravity been half of what it is, the<br />
rebound force would have propelled Tubby<br />
clean through the Van Allen belt into deep<br />
space. After reaching the highest point he<br />
plunged toward the planet’s surface at<br />
terminal velocity where the concrete lid of a<br />
septic tank broke his fall.<br />
Unfortunately the septic tank belonged to<br />
Tubby’s most westerly neighbour, Sir Donald<br />
Twistleton-Penge. Sir Donald has cultured<br />
a visceral hatred of Tubby since prep school<br />
and immediately had Tubby charged with<br />
‘breaking into a sewage processing unit<br />
without the owner’s consent’. The bouncy<br />
castle has been mothballed - a fate that may<br />
well befall Tubby if he doesn’t start walking<br />
with his feet a bit closer to the ground in<br />
future.<br />
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