Open Air Business April 2017

opulent marquee offering beautiful
views across the lake. We also have
an abundance of other marquees
available to hire, from the traditional
pole style to the ultra-modern.
In our woodland we offer team
building, including quad trekking,
laser clay shooting and archery
amongst other things, and a new
4x4 course is being planned for this
year through 300,000 newly planted
trees.
What services do you offer?
We offer events services both
on- and off-site, and much of our
equipment is for hire. On-site we
host all manner of corporate events
including conferences, product
launches, team building and fun
days but also cater for private
functions such as weddings, parties,
proms, award ceremonies, balls etc.
We have two kitchens on-site, one
servicing our restaurant and the
other being much larger, catering for
the bigger events. Our park area has
electric and water points throughout
and we have many marquees of
varying sizes and styles available
for hire.
Describe how you researched and
sourced your marquees
We own our marquees but have
had occasions where we’ve needed
bespoke ones brought in for a
specific event. We tend to use one
company (Hoecker) for this who
have catered for all our needs over
the years.
How do you work with your
customers to make their event
unique?
Our creative events team is highly
skilled, with a wealth of experience
in designing and delivering bespoke
events tailor made to meet our
clients’ needs and budgets. Our
motto is “nothing is impossible” and
we encourage clients and staff alike
to dream big. We work very closely
with clients to ensure everything
they desire is achieved. This
approach is successfully evidenced
in the feedback and outcomes of our
events.
We’ve seen a rising trend in
customers wanting ‘out of the
ordinary’ and that’s where we
excel. We have a vast collection of
equipment that we own ourselves
and know what works well together
and this is why customers come
back year on year. For Example:
› ACE - For a tennis loving couple
wishing to get married, we created a
tennis festival themed wedding with
three marquee tournament zones,
bouncy castles, giant deckchairs and
picnic tables. We even built the bride
and groom a pair of bespoke umpire
chairs.
› FUN, FUN, FUN - Last Summer we
ran a corporate family fun day out
on our park, complete with carousel,
dodgems, zip wire, fire engine,
party bus, cricket, quadding, 4x4
driving, and ultimate wipe-out (as
seen on TV). Out on the lake we had
the pedalos and the pirate ship, so
“WE’VE SEEN A
RISING TREND
IN CUSTOMERS
WANTING
‘OUT OF THE
ORDINARY’
AND THAT’S
WHERE WE
EXCEL”
there was something for absolutely
everyone. A fantastic day was had by
all, and the customers are booking
again this year.
› CARRY ON CAMPING - We recently
had a corporate event with all
attendees wanting to do something
different and to stay on site. We halffilled
one of our event fields with
five berth bell tents and additional
toilet and shower blocks. The event
itself was an exhibition, which we
hosted in our giant marquee, and a
conference was held in our Birchley
Suite. It worked really well and the
feedback was brilliant.
How do you publicise yourself?
We have tended to advertise on
agency portals rather than in trade
publications to date. A lot of our
work comes from word of mouth
or agents; however, we have grown
so much over the years and want to
continue to grow so are now looking
at potential publication partners.
How would you describe your
‘style’ or unique selling point?
We are adaptable for both small and
large events both on- and off-site.