Open Air Business May 2017

ISSUE 10 | May 2017 | www.openairbusiness.com 

BUSINESS 

FUNCTION VENUES 

› Building a Brand 

› Show Rounds 

GLAMPSITES 

Canvas 

Structures 

› Unit Design 

› Summer Ready? 

EVENTS 

› Green Events 

› Festival Décor 

CASE STUDIES: 

THE OAK GROVE • BROWNSCOMBE LUXURY GLAMPING • THE SUPERCAR EVENT

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ISSUE 10 | May 2017 | www.openairbusiness.com 

WELCOME 

Welcome 

THIS ISSUE MARKS our one year anniversary, and I 

want to take the opportunity to thank readers and 

advertisers alike for their enthusiasm and support 

of the magazine. This industry is such a delight and 

the people in it so much fun! 

It is important to me as editor to find out what you 

want from me going forwards. We have included 

a short survey on page 9 to find out how to better 

the magazine and website. I would be very grateful 

if you could spend five minutes on this – as a little 

incentive, we have 10 bottles of champagne lined 

up ready and will draw 10 names out of the hat from responders to say thank 

you. 

We are also busy in the background qualifying our mailing list, so please do 

fill in your subscription forms (page 4) or subscribe online asap. Remember, 

just because you are receiving the magazine doesn’t mean you will continue 

to do so if you haven’t officially subscribed. Very soon we will only mail to 

officially signed up people. It doesn’t cost anything if you live in the UK – drop 

me a line to check if you are on the subscriber’s list if you aren’t sure – tally@ 

openairbsuiness.com 

I hope you enjoy the case studies in this issue. We have a brand new business 

featured in the Function Venue section and talk to Sam and Paul Holland about 

launching The Oak Grove in Kent this year. They had a piece of land with no job 

so researched their market and are offering a dry hire venue with a living willow 

arbor licensed for outdoor ceremonies and a gorgeous stretch tent. 

Talking of doing your homework, Kate Tregoning has done hers and created a 

superb glampsite on the south coast of Devon. Brownscombe Luxury Glamping 

is the result of some excellent planning and it seems to be paying off. Having 

looked into the franchise business model, Kate decided to go it alone and is 

enjoying the benefits. 

In Events, we talk to Tracy Poulton from the Children’s Trust about the Supercar 

Event, a once small scale charity gathering that now attracts over 20,000 people! 

If you are into aesthetics and providing atmosphere at events, you are going to 

love our feature on decorating festivals by the creative team behind Bestival. 

You don’t need thousands of pounds either – many of the best effects are ‘home 

made.’ 

Finally, if you are a George Clarke type and can’t get enough of ‘Amazing Spaces’, 

turn to pages 30-32. Here you will find the finalists of the Welsh Epic Retreats 

glamping design competition; the first of its kind in the UK. Attracting entries 

from around the world, the designs are inspired by the theme ‘Welsh Legends’, 

and feature truly innovative use of space. The final eight will appear as a pop-up 

hotel in three locations in Wales this summer. 

Tally Wade 

Editor / Publisher 

PUBLISHERS 

Steve Rix - steve@openairbusiness.com 

Tally Wade - tally@openairbusiness.com 

EDITOR 

Tally Wade - tally@openairbusiness.com 

ADVERTISING SALES 

Graham Alleyne - 01892 677740 

graham@openairbusiness.com 

Antoinette Marley - 01892 677721 

antoinette@openairbusiness.com 

DESIGN 

James English - 

www.jamesenglishdesign.co.uk 

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ISSUE 10 | MAY 2017 | www.openairbusiness.com 


› Building a Brand 

› Show Rounds 

Canvas 

Structures 

CASE STUDIES: 

THE OAK GROVE • BROWNSCOMBE LUXURY GLAMPING • THE SUPERCAR EVENT 

GLAMPSITES 

› Unit Design 

› Summer Ready? 

EVENTS 

› Green Events 

› Festival Décor 

COVER PHOTO 

Tentickle stretch tents - 

www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk 

07826 843099 

BUSINESS 

WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 3

INSIDE 

Contents ISSUE 

#10 | May 2017 

UP FRONT 

6 News 

9 Survey – help us go from 

strength to strength 


10 The Oak Grove – a rustic dry 

hire venue on the edge of the 

River Medway 

14 Building a Brand – how to make 

customers fall in love with your 

venue 

16 The Show Round – conducting 

the perfect tour of your facilities 

22 OAB Loves... Loos! - What we 

love about these event toilets 

GLAMPSITES 

26 Brownscombe Luxury 

Glamping – safari tents meet 

farm life in Devon 

30 Design Legends – the finalists 

of the UK’s first glamping design 

competition 

34 Are you Summer Ready? - 

maximising summer glamping 

opportunities 

38 Canvas Structures – a range of 

options for your glampsite 

EVENTS 

44 The Supercar Event – 20,000 

people and 150 very fast cars 

48 Could you do More? - 

sustainable practices at outdoor 

events 

52 Festival Décor – the design 

team behind Bestival share their 

tips 

57 Stage and Sound – advice and 

tips from suppliers 

20 Industry Legends – John Parr of 

Tentipi 

62 Spotlight 

64 Classifieds 

66 Periwinkle 

✁ 

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1) What best describes your business? 

2) Which sector(s) do you operate / are you interested in? 

Outdoor Accommodation, Outdoor Events, Outdoor Functions, 

OTHER (please specify) 

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Beautiful stretch tents 

for any occasion 

Comprehensive selection of free style Stretch Tent 

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01403 333135 email enquiries@tentstyle.co.uk 

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The latest news from the world of outdoor hospitality 

A Glamping Story 

SOMETHING TO CHARM 

your guests, or to adorn 

your coffee table, 

Collecting Sticks by 

Joe Decie is a tale of 

glamping. Published 

by Jonathan Cape, 

and available through 

Amazon, the book 

was the Observer 

Graphic Novel of the 

Month and is about a family 

glamping trip. The story touches on the 

challenges nature can present to city folk 

as they forage for berries, get stuck up 

a tree, endure perilous encounters with 

stinging wildlife, compete to build the best 

fire and discover the importance of finding 

good sticks! 

Glamping-inspired 

‘Poshcorn’ 

LUXURY SNACK 

MANUFACTURER 

Tyrrells has extended 

its Poshcorn 

range with a new 

glamping inspired 

flavour, aimed at 

the summer market. 

The new Toasted 

Marshmallow variant 

is now available in 

Coop stores until 

September in 75g 

sharing bags. Combining sweet, creamy 

marshmallows and deep, smoky woodfire, 

the new flavour aims to capture the taste 

of a British campfire favourite. It is popped 

in small batches at Tyrrells Court Farm in 

Herefordshire. 

Glamping Provider of the Year 

CONGRATULATIONS TO DANDELION 

Hideaway, the 2017 winner of the new 

VisitEngland Glamping Provider of the 

Year Award. Two finalists were also 

named as Longlands in North Devon 

and Secret Meadows in Suffolk. 

A feedback report from the tourist 

board stated: “The standard and 

quality of entries for this year’s awards 

was excellent, with numbers entering 

higher than in recent years, so there 

was more competition. When judging 

each category and creating shortlists 

our team of judges were looking for 

a concise and positive application 

form, great reviews that demonstrate 

excellent customer service, an 

engaging website with excellent 

images that sells the business and all 

other services that are offered, and 

evidence that supports any claims 

made about excellence, innovation 

and business success.” 

On their win, Dandelion Hideaway 

owners John and Sharon Earp say, “We 

are utterly ‘thrilled with bells on’ that 

we won! This is the fourth consecutive 

year that we have received an award 

from VisitEngland for the Dandelion 

Hideaway, however this year’s new 

glamping award is truly the icing on 

the cake. As pioneers of glamping, 

and with 10 years of dedication 

and immense hard work, we are 

completely overwhelmed, humbled 

and delighted.” 

For further information and to enter, 

visit www.visitenglandawards.org 

READER OFFERS 

TreeTents International 

is offering £1,000 

worth of free upgrades 

with every Tree Tent 

ordered, and will have 

structures installed 

ready for the summer 

season! Just quote 

'Summer Ready' - 

01273 973 937 

info@treetents.co.uk 

Brownscombe Luxury 

Glamping is offering 10% 

off for readers on a mid 

week stay (outside of 

school holidays). Take 

the chance to check out 

three types of luxury 

accommodation in 

a blissful valley near 

Dartmouth, Devon. Turn 

to pages 26-28 for more. 

6 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM

David Cameron’s 

Shepherds Hut 

DAVID CAMERON HAS purchased a luxury shepherds hut for his 

Cotswolds home as a writing retreat and play house for his children. 

The £25,000 custom made hut from Oxfordshire based Red Sky 

Shepherds Huts features Bakelite switches, a corner-set woodburning 

stove and a pull-out double sofa bed. He found the company 

through Google. 

Business owner Paul Bennett said, “I got the call from Mr Cameron 

totally out of the blue. He had Googled shepherd huts and I’m 

pleased to say he found our website and liked the look of us. We’re 

based near Abingdon - so also local to his Oxfordshire home, and that 

was important to him. The other thing was the fact that I’d only been 

able to set Red Sky up a few years ago because of a change in rules 

on pensions that Mr Cameron made happen while he was PM. It only 

dawned on me that this was the case when I was going over to meet 

him – so that gave us lots to talk about! 

“Apart from the fact that he had once been our Prime Minister, he 

was every bit a typical customer and keen to enjoy the process of 

designing a bespoke, hand-crafted hut which could be used by all the 

family. Although we were helped by his wife Samantha’s fantastic eye 

for design and colours – she chose the colour palette and I have to 

say I’ll be pinching some of her ideas!” 

Showman’s Show 2017 

WITH PLANS WELL underway for the Showman’s Show 2017, Lance Show and 

Publications has announced that exhibitor bookings are 35 per cent ahead of this time last 

year. Taking place at Newbury Showground from 18–19 October, the event, with a history 

spanning four decades, is the largest exhibition dedicated to outdoor events, covering an 

impressive 95,000sqm. 

Show organiser, Jeremy Lance comments: “It’s great to have so many exhibitors already 

confirmed for this year’s event. Not only have we seen a surge in re-bookings but we are 

also 20 per cent ahead on new stand bookings. In addition, some of our long-standing 

exhibitors, such as Custom Covers, Andy Loos, Marquee Carpets, Rosetone Event Furniture, 

TheTicketSellers and attend2IT have also significantly increased the size of their stands. 

As the original and most comprehensive exhibition for the outdoor and special event 

world, 2017’s visitors can expect to see more than 350 suppliers exhibiting the best 

products and services available in the event industry. The popular Campfire Sessions, new 

for 2016, will also make a welcome return. 

£2.67 Billion 

Boost from 

Staycations 

THE UK’S TOP caravan, 

camping and holiday park 

companies grew their turnover 

to £2.67bn last year, thanks 

to the continued appeal of 

staycations and short UK 

breaks, states a report from 

Ortus Secured Finance, a 

London-based commercial 

lender. 

It reported that glamping 

has made this sector of the 

market increasingly popular in 

recent years, and could receive 

a further post-Brexit boost, as 

the reduced value of sterling 

makes holidays abroad even 

more expensive compared to 

staying in the UK. 

Jon Salisbury, managing 

director at Ortus Secured 

Finance, comments: “Caravan, 

camping and holiday parks 

are going from strength to 

strength, combining value for 

money with high standard 

facilities to maximise the guest 

experience.” 


PRODUCT 

IN BRIEF 

› NEW 10M SCREEN 

Skylight Cinema has added a 10m inflatable 

Airscreen to its range of mobile cinema hire options. 

The company reports that it will do well over 150 

screenings using its range of outdoor screens this 

year. Prices start at £999 for a turn key cinema 

package including inflatable screen, PA, projection 

and technician. www.skylightcinema.co.uk 

› FREE MARKETING AUDIT 

FOR GLAMPSITES 

Glampaways Media is offering 

a free marketing audit to help 

glampsite owners increase 

business. The team will analyse online and social 

media presence, create a detailed proposal and 

design a campaign to target desired audiences. Visit 

www.glampawaysmedia.co.uk for more. 

› MEMBERS ONLY GLAMPING GROUP 

Glamping business consultant Sarah Riley has 

launched a members only Facebook Group for 

glamping businesses. “There are currently very few 

places you can go to seek advice in the glamping 

industry,” says Riley. “Going it alone can leave you 

questioning if you're doing it right or whether you're 

just going to end up with egg on your face and huge 

debts around your neck. 

“It's hugely frustrating that no matter how hard 

you work it's still a struggle to get quality advice that 

helps tackle daily issues and operational challenges, 

such as dealing with customer complaints, planning 

issues, maximising unit occupancy rates and profit 

potential, PR tactics, checking industry news and 

trends, maintaining the marketing momentum and 

ensuring a future for your business.” 

In launching The Glamping Business Group, Riley 

will share free members only training and advice, 

and encourage the community to share best practice 

and ideas. Search ‘Glamping Business Group’ on 

Facebook and request to join. 

Glamorous 

Lighting 

for Weddings 

FRENCH MANUFACTURER AIRSTAR has developed a full range of lighting 

balloons and inflatable solutions to help organisers deliver truly exclusive 

weddings. 

With the launch of the Crystal Dynamic White (DW), Airstar has now 

completed a dedicated range of lighting solutions and inflatable structures 

to decorate and illuminate venues as well as entertain newly-weds and 

their guests. 

For weddings where glamorous lighting is an essential aspect, Airstar 

developed a dedicated range of lighting solutions of various sizes and 

shapes – spheres, stars, tubes, cones, heart, sunshade, etc. – which can be 

deployed on the ground, in the air and even on water. www.airstar-light. 

com/en/event-build-range 

Excellence in Tents 

Two sites in the final of the new glamping 

category in VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence 

use Tsavo safari tents from Somerset glamping 

equipment manufacturer, Albion Canvas at 

Boldscan. MD, Steve Hansford, commented, 

“The Dandelion Hideaway and Longlands were 

amongst our first clients, so we are thrilled 

that they have received such a prestigious 

award. The trend for this idyllic escape from 

the high tech world has really taken off and we 

are currently setting up sites from the Isle of 

Wight to Scotland. It is great that VisitEngland 

has officially recognised this unique holiday 

type, and that the word, a blend of Glamorous 

and Camping, has even made the Oxford 

Dictionary.” 


ReaderSurvey 

Open Air Business magazine is now one year old 

and we want to make sure that we are on the right 

track. We would be very grateful if you could take 

five minutes to fill out this short survey to help us 

produce the most useful magazine we can for you. 

What’s more, we’ll enter you into a draw to win 

one of 10 bottles of Moët & Chandon! Thanks in 

anticipation – the Open Air Business team. 

Win a bottle of Moët & 

Chandon - 10 to give away 

Fill in and return the form below or visit 

www.openairbusiness.com/survey 

(entries drawn on 01/08/17) 

EDITORIAL 

Which sections do you find most 

interesting/enjoyable/interesting? 

(Tick as many as you like) 

Function Venues ■ 

Glampsites ■ 

Events ■ 

News and Industry Talk ■ 

Periwinkle ■ 

We try and include a range of editorial, 

which do you find most useful? 

(Tick as many as you like) 

Case Studies ■ 

General articles ■ 

Product feature articles ■ 

ADVERTISING 

Do you think there is: 

Too much advertising? ■ 

Not enough advertising? ■ 

The advertising balance is just right ■ 

Comments 

Do you keep your 

copies of Open Air Business? 

Yes ■ No ■ 

Comments 

WEBSITE 

Do you read archived articles on the 

website? 


Comments 

Would you use an online directory of 

suppliers? 

Yes ■ 

No ■ 

Comments 

How much of it do you read? 

What could we do to improve the 

magazine and make it more useful to you? 

What could we do to improve the 

website and make it more useful to you? 

Any other feedback? 

Do you engage/look at the advertising? 


Comments 

Would you use an online advice and chat 

forum? 


If yes, what topics would you be 

interested in? 

Name 

Address 

Phone 

Email 

Have you made purchasing decisions 

based on adverts in the magazine? 


If yes, to what approximate value? 

What do you most value about the 

magazine? 

Please send your form to: Open Air Business, The House on the Hill, Friezley Lane, 

Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2LL or fill it in online at www.openairbusiness.com/survey 

Business Type (Tick as many as you like) 

Function/Wedding Venue ■ 

Glampsite/Accommodation Provider ■ 

Public Event ■ 

Landowner ■ 

Supplier/Advertiser ■ 

Are you a registered subscriber? 

Yes ■ 

No, sign me up for free ■ 

Not sure - give me a call ■ 

Other ■ 



CASE STUDY 

The Oak 

Grove 

A Kentish venue making use of 

land previously ignored for 15 years 

Sam and Paul Holland have created an ‘asset’ business on the edge of the River Medway, 

providing the structure, electricity, toilets and furniture for couples who want to add 

their own touches to their big day. Facilities also include a living willow arbor licensed 

for outdoor ceremonies. We talk to Sam about what will be their first season in business. 

When did you start your venue 

business and what is its history? 

We set the business up in late 2015 

with the forlorn hope of getting 

some bookings in 2016. However, 

once reality had set in, we aimed 

to be ready enough to get some 

promotional photography done 

before the end of the summer and 

to get started properly this year. 

We have owned the site for over 

15 years and have gradually been 

clearing it of brambles and getting 

the oak trees back in good shape. 

We didn’t really use the space 

“WE DIDN’T 

REALLY USE 

THE SPACE 

PREVIOUSLY, 

NOT EVEN 

FOR GRAZING 

HORSES 

BECAUSE 

OF THE OAK 

TREES” 

previously, not even for grazing 

horses because of the oak trees. 

We can’t remember when the idea 

came to us, but once we had the 

idea we couldn’t understand why 

we hadn’t thought of it before! 

Tell us about your location and site 

The Oak Grove is right on the 

edge of the River Medway in north 

Kent, and surrounded by fields 

and orchards on the other three 

sides. We are lucky to be rural 

while right in the middle of the 

densely populated South East. 

Despite being rural, we do have 

neighbours and this has been our 

biggest concern. We want to be 

neighbourly – but have to balance 

that against running a business. 

What facilities for outdoor 

functions do you offer? 

From the start, we have seen this 

business as an ‘asset business’ 

not a ‘service business’. Of course, 

we need to provide excellent 

customer service, but what we are 

offering is a blank canvas rental of 

the land, tents, toilets (converted 

Rice horse trailers), tables, chairs, 

electricity and water. 

We have a pavilion that we 

describe as a living willow arbor, 

and it is licensed for outdoor 

ceremonies so a couple can do 

the whole day here. They are free 

to choose their food, drinks and 

entertainment from any supplier – 

or do it themselves. 

What services do you offer? 

Other than a helping hand, 

contacts and staff on the day 

to keep on top of clearing up, 

we don’t provide any services. 

However, there is still lots of coordination, 

site visits and emails to 

deal with. 


Describe how you researched 

and sourced your marquee 

Paul was at the Showman’s Show 

in Newbury, with his work, when 

he saw the stretch tents from 

Freeform. We got prices for tipis 

and stretch tents, but the stretch 

tent suited out location better and 

is a bit different. We also preferred 

the ‘one big space’ aspect over 

a triple hat tipi. We didn’t shop 

around. Having found what we 

were after, we just went with it. 

How do you work with your 

customers to make their event 

unique? 

We don’t find that we need to work 

at it – our couples seem to come 

with such a range of great and 

different ideas. We are just here 

to help them bring those ideas to 

fruition. 

How do you publicise yourself? 

We list on two ‘wedding’ 

websites – Festival Brides and 

Coco Wedding Venues. We have 

invested a lot in our website as 

well, including a ‘mock’ wedding 

using my son and his girlfriend as 

the bride and groom. We invited 

all our friends to be the guests, 

offering free prosecco. It was great 

to see how much effort they put 

into their outfits, and we got some 

fabulous promo photos. 

We feel that we need to be 

‘discoverable’ so that couples 

looking for our type of venue come 

across us, so we have worked hard 

on our Google profile and have a 

Facebook page. We also do a local 

wedding show once a year and 

are booked into the Gay Wedding 

Show in Brighton later this year. 

In five years’ time, we will tell you 

which activities worked. 

How would you describe your 

style or unique selling point? 

We have two main strands to 

our approach. Firstly, we aim to 

provide a hybrid venue. We are 

outdoors, relaxed, woodland 

and countryside, but by having a 

wooden floor in the tent and first 

class facilities (including toilets 

– very important) we can deliver 

traditional and formal too. 

Secondly, we like to reduce the 

stress on couples. By supplying 

the venue with the tent included, 

the floor down and all the 

essentials already there (such 

as tables, chairs, power, toilets, 

festoon lighting etc.) a huge part 

of the organisation of an outdoor 

wedding is already done. There is


always pressure on couples on 

the day but we want to remove 

as much as practical. By only 

doing one event a week we can 

offer couples plenty of time to 

set up. This arrangement also destresses 

the events for us. 

What challenges have you 

faced? 

Time mainly. From the outset, 

we wanted to do things by the 

book. We applied for a ‘permitted 

development certificate’ to 

confirm that we had the legal 

right to set up and run this 

business. This took forever – and 

you can do nothing about it. 

It also took a bit of work to 

convince the two banks we 

approached for funding that we 

could do this. They immediately 

want to pigeon hole us as being 

part of the hospitality and 

entertainment industry. We have 

no track record in that sector. 

We argued that this was a rental 

business and that made it much 

easier for them to translate our 

other business experience across. 

Describe your average day midseason 

We have not done a season 

yet – however, we only do one 

event a week. This means our 

week will be clear up, grounds 

maintenance, build up. Most of 

the hard work will be down to 

our couples and their suppliers 

but we will be there to receive 

deliveries, make tea and help in 

whatever way we can. 

What do you enjoy about the 

business? 

It’s great to be dealing with 

excited customers! 

What other outdoor hospitality 

sectors do you operate in? 

None! We have other businesses in 

hybrid power systems, sculpture 

and commercial premises. 

What advice could you give 

to someone coming into the 

industry? 

Be prepared to spend more 

than you budget! Also – it takes 

a long time before writing the 

first cheque to cashing the first 

cheque. Cash flow is King, and if 

you run out of cash 90 per cent 

done you will not make it. 

“THERE IS ALWAYS PRESSURE ON 

COUPLES ON THE DAY BUT WE WANT 

TO REMOVE AS MUCH AS PRACTICAL” 

ADDRESS BOOK 

MARQUEE 

Freeform Tents 

+27 (0)21 709 0034 

www.freeformtents.com 

HEATING 

TroTec – uk.trotec.com 

+49 2452 962 400 

FURNITURE 

Second hand 

LIGHTING 

Custom designed 

TOILETS 

Converted Rice horse trailers 

DIRECTORY SITES 

Festival Brides 

www.festivalbrides.co.uk 

Coco Wedding Venues 

www.cocoweddingvenues.co.uk 

INSURANCE 

Blyth and Brown 

01509 622 220 

www.blythinandbrown.co.uk 


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GETTY IMAGES 

How to have your chosen customers fall in love 

with your venue, with tips from Isabel Smith 

EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS a brand, 

whether you own a bicycle shop, a 

global multinational or a wedding 

venue. Many start-ups get excited 

when it comes to marketing their 

new service and completely forget 

to create a brand, but this step is 

absolutely vital if you are to gain 

long term profitability through a 

consistent reputation. So, get back 

on the branding boat and let’s do 

this right. 

No doubt you’ve heard of venues 

such as The Ritz and Four Seasons 

Hotels. Strong brands, right? You 

may be thinking, “but they are well 

established companies - of course 

their brand is strong”, but yours can 

be too. If your brand is powerful 

then it doesn’t matter if you’re long 

established or just starting up. So 

how do you create and maintain an 

awesome brand? 

“PEOPLE FALL 

IN LOVE WITH 

A BRAND 

BECAUSE 

OF THE 

EXPERIENCE 

THAT COMES 

WITH IT” 

WHAT IS BRANDING AND WHY IS 

IT IMPORTANT? 

Let’s start with the basics and 

define what branding is. The things 

that tend to spring to mind are 

often logo, product and website but 

your brand is so much more than 

that. Ultimately, it is the process 

of creating a long-lasting identity 

for your business. Just like people, 

with their individual personalities, 

are drawn to those who are 

likeminded, your brand is the soul 

and personality of your business - 

how can you connect with the right 

clients without it? 

People fall in love with a brand 

because of the experience that 

comes with it. Apple is a great 

example of this. It’s not just about 

its leading technology – it has set 

about forging an impression of 

mutual values with its customers 

over time, building strong 

relationships and, eventually, 

brand loyalty. It’s all about 

appealing to the senses; what your 

customers see, hear and feel about 

your business. That is what creates 

an experience. Why would you want 

to phone ‘technical support’ when 

you could go to the ‘genius bar’? 

Why would you want clunky boxes 

full of cables and software discs 

when you could get a sleek box 

with a sexy product inside, already 

loaded up with software and with 

an intuitive set up process? 

Do you see how your brand is 

represented by everything you 

put out there? How much you 

charge, how you interact with 

your customers, what marketing 

activities you undertake and how 

you use them, right down to the 

tiny details like whether your e-mail 



address is ‘enquiries@’ or ‘hello@’. 

Knowing how to differentiate 

from your competitors and having 

that intriguing edge is something 

you don’t want to miss out on. It’s 

the personality of your company 

that will attract the right (or wrong) 

clients, and while you don’t need 

to aim ‘Apple’ big, you do need to 

develop your own unique identity 

and stick to it. 

GETTING STARTED 

Hopefully you have some idea of 

what feeling you want your venue 

to portray, even if you haven’t 

formalised it in your mind and put 

it on paper. If not, the first place 

to head to is your target market. 

You can only brand appropriately 

once you have chosen who your 

target audience is. Think about 

what sort of clients you would 

love to work with and the style of 

events you want to host. Will it be 

sophisticated classic weddings 

and corporate events or more 

fun weddings with a free-spirited 

approach? Equally useful is 

thinking about the type of clients 

you don’t want to be selling to. 

Doing this helps keep you on the 

right track and your vision clear. 

Now think about your venue 

itself. What will your target clients 

expect from you? Do you have a 

USP to make your venue stand 

out? Maybe your view is out of this 

world? What do your staff do to 

go above and beyond? Once you 

know what you want to highlight 

it’s easier to know how to brand 

yourself to fit. 

Next up, find a branding agency. 

As I said in last month’s article on 

start-up costs, this is not a place to 

scrimp. This is the team who will 

create your brand package – logo, 

typography, tagline, and general 

branding ‘standards’ that all your 

marketing must meet. As with 

sourcing any other service in life, 

do a bit of Googling first, find a 

handful of agencies who appeal 

to you (yeah – that gut instinct on 

whether they might work for you 

or not – that’s branding) and then 

meet at least three of them for a full 

discovery of what they can offer. 

Your chosen agency should ask 

you to work through a big long 

briefing sheet which will give 

them all the information they 

need to build your brand package 

options. This should be a breeze 

because you should have already 

thought through the information 

they need (details of your target 

market, colourways you like/want 

to associate with your brand, key 

brand values and attributes to 

reflect etc.), but if this is the first 

time you’ve really given all this any 

thought then make sure you invest 

the time now. 

The agency should then present 

you with two or more distinct ideas 

to work from so you can work with 

them to refine the designs down to 

your final branding package. 

But remember, branding 

agencies can only do so much of 

the work for you. They will give 

you the foundations from which to 

build your brand up, and the rules 

to follow in doing so, but this is just 

one part of the long-term strategy. 

Everything you then put out into 

the universe must be reflective of 

this brand and those values (the 

‘personality’ of your venue) so as to 

build up continuity. 

BUILDING YOUR BRAND OVER TIME 

A brand isn’t born overnight; it needs to be nurtured 

and given time to grow. In the same way reputation 

and trust is built, branding is about consistently 

forming this one image/feeling for your clients over 

time. 

To do this, you need to know that all 

communication – tweets (both tone of voice and 

style of content), blog posts, e-mails, telephone 

manners etc. – fits the brand. This means having all 

your staff on the same page and making sure that 

they are as aware of, and as passionate about, the 

values your business is promoting as you are. It’s no 

good if someone lets the side down and lets those 

values down since it is only through consistency that 

a brand grows. 

Imagine your business brand as a physical 

structure. Everyone has their own ‘pillar’ to hold up; 

those delivering the guest service, your marketing 

team representing your business and those in charge 

of the site design/maintenance. If anyone working 

in these areas fails to keep up with your values, then 

your brand will fall. It’s not always easy to monitor 

this – no-one else will be as devoted as you are – but 

setting the tone yourself if a great way to start. 

CONCLUSION 

As you can see, building and 

maintaining a brand is a bit of an 

epic journey, but if there’s one 

thing to take away from this article, 

it’s that consistency is key. You’ve 

spent time and money building this 

business and its character, so don’t 

let it go to waste by not sustaining it. 

It’s down to you to keep it alive. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Isabel Smith has 10 years in the wedding industry behind her as one 

of the UK’s top wedding planners and business consultant to venues 

and other suppliers. Isabel’s expertise spans marketing, sales and 

operations as she helps new vendors launch as well as assisting 

established businesses should they find their sales falling. www. 

isabelsmithconsulting.co.uk / www.isabelsmithweddings.co.uk 



GETTY IMAGES 

The Show 

Round 

1 

Conduct a brilliant venue show round 

with top tips from Kelly Chandler Consulting 

YOU’VE WORKED HARD at 

your branding, at your website 

content, on your wedding offering, 

launched a wedding PR campaign, 

you’ve worked diligently and 

consistently on engaging social 

media content, hired help with 

your SEO, collaborated on photo 

shoots with bloggers, hosted a 

wedding showcase and now you’re 

getting great enquiries firing their 

way through to you. Juicy, perfect 

wedding clients want to see and 

experience what you have to offer. 

Crack open the champagne. 

You have done the hard work 

and now you have actual enquires 

and the chance to go face to face, 

but you have to make sure you 

16 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 

and your team put your very best 

foot forward. This is your moment 

to seal the deal, it’s a real sign of 

interest when a couple wants to 

come and visit you, particularly 

if you have taken them through 

your gentle screening process to 

ascertain their needs and make 

sure they are a good fit (and I do 

recommend a screening process is 

put in place to protect and focus 

your time, but this will make up 

another feature, another time). 

So how do you conduct a spot-on 

brilliant show round of your venue 

and spaces, and what things should 

you avoid? 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

It goes without saying that you’ll want your venue 

to be in the best possible state and the most 

presentable. You may well be showing round while 

set up is ongoing for an event that day and that’s 

fine; it can be a positive thing as it’s often nice 

for couples to see some of the items they might 

include in their wedding, particularly if you are a 

‘blank canvas’. You should make sure the venue 

is as tidy and clean as possible; inviting clients to 

visit before the cleaners are in for the party the 

night before isn’t the best option and never sets a 

good impression. 

Aim to switch lights on ahead of time and unlock 

key doors if you can – it’s never ideal as a potential 

client if you enter a cold, dark location; that first 

impression can stick with you. 

While I’m suggesting you’re neat and tidy, do try 

and show the genuine atmosphere of your location 

– if you’re a working farm for example, couples are 

best to know and experience that in all its guises 

(so let the animals loose). It’s best to be authentic 

and genuine to attract the very best weddings for 

you, but by putting your best foot forward always.


4 

NO RUSH 

As you show round your spaces be 

sure to give clients time to take it all 

in – you work in your venue each day 

so some of the magic of the first view 

of such a space is lost. I see a lot of 

show rounds conducted at huge speed 

which doesn't always allow the couple 

to stand and appreciate the space – 

allowing them some time at the end 

alone gets around this problem. I 

know that security issues may mean 

you can’t do this but if you can, allow 

clients just a few minutes to look, 

discuss and consider without your 

presence. 

THE STORY 

Be sure to point out not just the 

key areas and what they are used 

for in a logistical sense (although 

this is really important) but key 

features too. If you have historic 

features, keep the history lesson 

short but interesting. Wedding 

couples, far more than any other 

type of client, want a venue with 

a story and somewhere they can 

connect with. Although the focus is 

on spaces they can use, don’t forget 

to sell the quirkiness and interest in 

your venue; a couple marrying are 

choosing a location that they will 

remember forever and will become a 

part of their personal story, so make 

sure that past famous events, people 

or interesting facts are peppered 

amidst your show round's practical 

facts. Describe your team, describe 

what other clients have done with 

your lovely spaces, this is 

all very useful information. 

GETTY IMAGES 

5 

2 

A HEARTY WELCOME 

One of the simplest things to start off a successful meeting in my book is to make the 

visitor comfortable. I am still shocked by how rarely I’m offered a drink on arrival at 

a show round. It may not be practical to have a fully stocked café or bar to hand, but 

anyone can have a fridge or kettle to whip up a simple coffee or a cold drink. Try to 

think of something quirky, fun and 'on brand' for you either with the choice of drink 

(botanical soft drinks are very on-trend currently) or perhaps by using gorgeous mugs 

in your company colours, or featuring wedding-related quotes. 

Don’t forget to ask if coats or bags can be stored – particularly if it’s really not 

necessary for the visitors to keep their coats with them. Comfort is key here and this 

simple indicator of attention to detail and service goes a long way. 

PHOTOGRAPHIC 

FEATURES 

Every wedding cares about photos 

so where in your venue is an obvious 

backdrop or amazing feature or 

features? If you’re not sure, ask some 

of your professional photographers 

where they like best and talk about 

and show those areas in other great 

images. Point out these features 

clearly; couples need to be very 

obviously shown where creates great 

shots so they can imagine themselves 

in the spaces on their 

own day. 



GETTY IMAGES 

6 

BRING IT TO LIFE 

The iPad is the best invention for 

bringing a venue to life and many of 

you use these I’m sure in your show 

rounds. It is unlikely that your spaces 

will be set for wedding ceremonies 

or dinners when clients visit, so 

bring your iPad round on the tour 

with some amazing images of the 

rooms, marquees and locations set 

up. Show them as you are in the 

spaces to help couples envisage their 

event, particularly if they show a 

specific interest in something or ask 

a question. Remember that you are 

dealing with largely an inexperienced 

audience who do not naturally 

possess the experience or imagination 

to visualise how those spaces may 

look all set up so you need to show 

them. 

An extension of this is if you have 

the opportunity to showcase some 

kind of more permanently dressed 

area, even if you are able to dedicate 

a corner of your barn for example to 

host one dressed dining table showing 

a range of chairs, linens, tableware, 

paper goods and stationery – it all 

really helps bring things to life and 

helps couples imagine their day in 

a more realistic sense. This is great 

exposure for your supplier partners 

too who should be keen to help here. 

7 

PLAN YOUR ROUTE LOGICALLY 

Try to plan the route so that you take visitors from space 

to space in a logical sense - wedding ceremony to drinks 

reception to wedding breakfast to evening party. It can be 

really helpful for a couple to move as the wedding guests will 

on the day; they are more likely to feel at home in your space 

and see how it works for them. While the natural layout of your 

venue may not allow this, I’d suggest a verbal recap for them of 

the key spaces at the end of your tour and an offer to revisit key 

spaces. Often, it’s only when they have seen the whole venue, 

that people can then start to look at things like ‘Where do I as 

the bride arrive?’, ‘Where do the guests enter?’ It’s these things 

which they need to leave with a clear idea of so they can really 

see the whole day working for them and imagine themselves 

living it. 

Don't forget to show them some of the less important 

spaces, even if you think they might not need them. If you have 

a fully kitted out Bride’s Room I am sure you will show it, but 

even if you have some less exciting but functional options, 

point out what they could be used for – such as storage of gifts, 

supplier/band changing areas,’ crèche areas, quiet zones for 

elderly relatives – these things may be something which crop 

up for couples at any point in their planning journey and often 

before they will 

confirm their ideal venue. 

If you’d like more on this topic and on perfecting your 

wedding offering generally you might like to attend 

one of my group training days for ambitious wedding 

venues. For more information, visit 

www.kellychandlerconsulting.co.uk/wedding-markettraining 


Kelly Chandler is a longterm 

preferred service 

provider for exclusive 

venues such as Syon 

Park, Highclere Castle, 

Spencer House and 

Stoke Park Club. Kelly’s 

consulting services to 

wedding venues draw 

on prior experience in 

international conference 

and event planning, 

over 13 years of business 

management, and 

working directly with 

discerning couples 

planning their weddings 

in diverse locations 

and forging successful 

relationships with all 

components of the 

wedding industry. A 

former director of trade 

body, the Alliance of 

Wedding Planners, 

Kelly is a well-regarded 

innovator, mentor, 

trainer and industry 

spokesperson on and in 

the wedding business. 

www. kellychandler 

consulting.co.uk 


CUSTOMISED CONTAINER SOLUTIONS 

BRANDS HOSPITALITY EVENTS BARS 

POP-UP SPACES 

w w w . c n t n r . c o . u k 

i n f o @ c n t n r . c o . u k @ c n t n r _ b a r c n t n r b a r 



JON PARR 

The man who first introduced the giant event tipi to the UK 

Industry Legends 

on his passion for professionalising the marquee industry 

PROFILE 

Name: Jon Parr 

Role: Managing Director 

Company: Tentipi 

Contact: 01256 883163 / jon.parr@ 

tentipi.com / www.tentipi.com 

Favourite tipple: Tea – best drink 

of the day 

Last holiday destination: 

Pyrenees – cycling some cols 

and understanding a bit of the 

pain those Tour de France guys 

experience 

Cats or dogs? Dogs – cats won’t go 

for help when you’ve fallen in the 

river (remember Lassie?) 

Current boxset / TV must watch: 

Better Call Saul – hoping it matches 

up to Breaking Bad 

Something people may not 

know about me: Mad keen on 

green woodworking – felling trees 

in the woods and turning them 

into beautiful chairs using just 

muscles, sharp tools and 

good old-fashioned 

techniques and 

wisdom. Teaches 

patience, 

craftsmanship, 

and working 

with nature. 

How did you get started in the business? 

Left an international career in a large IT 

consultancy after becoming fed up with 

corporate life - being expected to put profit 

ahead of doing the right thing for customers. 

Wound up in a field in Dartmoor at a storytelling 

festival, listening to stories being told 

in yurts - a type of tent I’d never seen before. 

Perhaps if I bought one, along with a few 

other ‘canvas and timber’ tents I could start 

a rental business with a difference… 

What is the history of Tentipi and your 

involvement with the business? 

Tentipi was established as a one person 

business in 1989 in 

Moskosel, a tiny 

village in the far 

north of Sweden. 

It has grown 

steadily over 

the years, 

driven by many 

breakthrough 

inventions such 

as the ability to 

link giant tipis by 

raising the brim 

(seems so 

obvious now!). We now produce Nordic Tipis 

in three locations worldwide, including that 

original site in Moskosel, and sell into over 

15 countries. 

My first involvement with Tentipi was 

bringing the first giant Nordic Tipi to the 

UK at the beginning of 2005 and founding 

The Stunning Tents Company, the world’s 

first full time rental business based on this 

style of tent. As the business grew I quickly 

became Tentipi’s largest customer. Within 

a year I’d become the distributor in the UK, 

and subsequently have taken the rights 

to distribution in other English speaking 

countries. 

Having sold the rental business several 

years ago, I’m now full time in developing 

Tentipi’s products and services, selling 

Tentipi tents and advising and training 

customers. I manage all the structural 

calculations, write all the training manuals, 

lead many of the developments of new 

products and services, and am responsible 

for our digital marketing. After 12 years, it’s 

still interesting every day and I never tire of 

being inside the tents. 

What is the appeal of Tentipi products to 

venue owners? 

Coupled with a beautiful venue, beautiful 

tents make a powerful business case. Tentipi 

and its tents are tried and tested, having 

been around for nearly 30 years, which 

helps de-risk a decision to invest. There’s a 

wide network of rental companies around 

the country using our tents and, more and 

more, they are teaming up with venues 

to handle the logistical side of managing 

tipis they have purchased. 

What is the appeal of Tentipi 

products to end users? 

A beautiful atmospheric structure 

that can be dressed up or down to 

suit the wishes of the customer. I’ve

seen everything from a few bales 

of straw inside an empty tent, to 

lavish productions with statues, 

antiques, exquisite floristry, 

sumptuous furnishings and 

dazzling lighting. 

The solid timber poles and 

natural-looking canvas are very 

appealing in a world of massproduced 

disposable products. 

How would you describe the 

state of play in the outdoor 

hospitality market? 

We see a continuing drive towards 

natural-looking structures, ever 

higher levels of sophistication 

inside the structures, and the 

desire to be different. The most 

successful customers have 

an ‘angle’ to help them stand 

out from the crowd. The most 

important thing, though, is the 

quality of the venue. 

How have you personally 

impacted the industry? 

Back in 2005 I took a risk and 

brought the first giant Nordic Tipi 

into the UK and started hiring it 

out. That started the market in the 

UK. It would be interesting to know 

if/how the market would have 

developed if I hadn’t done that. 

It was immediately clear that 

“IT WAS 

IMMEDIATELY 

CLEAR 

THAT THE 

REQUIREMENTS 

FOR UK EVENTS 

WERE VERY 

DIFFERENT 

TO THOSE 

THAT HAD 

BEEN TAKING 

PLACE IN 

SCANDINAVIA” 

the requirements for UK events 

were very different to those 

that had been taking place in 

Scandinavia: a much higher level 

of finish; a real focus on safety; and 

an expectation that tents would 

not leak or pond. My work in those 

early years professionalised the 

building and linking techniques for 

the Nordic Tipis, and created the 

stable, reliable methods we use 

today. 

I’ve been on the Executive 

Committee of MUTA for nearly 

eight years, the last three years 

as President. MUTA is the trade 

body for marquees, tents and 

structures in the UK, and all of 

us on the Executive Committee 

are unpaid volunteers giving our 

time to help the industry more 

widely. Being involved in the heart 

of the industry always seemed 

important to me, for Nordic Tipis 

to be seen at the centre of things, 

not as some weird offshoot. I 

think it’s fair to say that Nordic 

Tipis are seen as part of the event 

industry landscape today. MUTA’s 

mission to drive up standards in 

the industry fits very well with 

Tentipi – we want to “do things 

properly” and with integrity - 

being involved with MUTA is a 

constant motivation to continue in 

that vein. 

What are the major 

achievements of Tentipi as a 

business? 

Inventing giant linkable Nordic 

Tipis has to be top of the list. Tipis 

had been around for thousands 

of years and yet no-one had made 

that leap. That single invention 

– by Bengt Grahn, founder and 

CEO of Tentipi - has created an 

industry which has now spread 

around the world. 

Alongside that, having been a 

stable, reliable supplier of Nordic 

Tipis for nearly 30 years now is 

something we feel proud about. 

We’re in this for the long term, not 

here today and gone tomorrow, 

and that deeply affects our 

behaviour as a business. 

What plans do you have for the 

future? 

There’s a lot in the pipeline. We’re 

continuing to develop products 

following our FieldReady 

design principles – products that 

really work out there in the field. 

We have some innovative new 

service developments that will 

present new opportunities for our 

customers in their businesses. 

And we’re increasing the level 

of charitable support that we’ve 

quietly been doing for many 

years. 



What the Open Air Business team 

loves about these event toilets 

WHAT WE LOVE 

Hi tech loos with awesome 

artwork 

WHY? 

The WC2 and WC3 pod and 

trailer toilets designed and 

built by Classic Chambers 

have some funky and hi tech 

features. 

Both have a state of the 

art vacuum-operated fresh 

water flush, and floor to 

ceiling graphics in multiple 

designs from the Golden age of 

Hollywood to comic book chic! 

Both ranges also feature sensor 

taps, LED lighting, heating 

and the ability to add bespoke 

touches with picture frames for 

your own artwork or integrated 

TV screens for your choice of 

digital media. Included in the 

WC3 range are bridal changing 

rooms, big enough for the 

dress! 

Give me the number 

01347 888 262 

www.classicchambers.co.uk 

WHAT WE LOVE 

Luxury loos without a 

trailer 

WHY? 

IGLOOS Moduvac and 

Panelled Loo Systems 

mean venues can have 

temporary toilet facilities 

with an air of luxury, and 

with no trailer in sight. Both 

systems can be installed 

in tents or permanent 

buildings and offer a 

huge array of fixtures and 

fittings, finishes and design 

options. 

The Moduvac range 

comprises prefabricated 

modules that can be 

delivered and removed 

quickly and easily. The 

Panelled System comes flat 

packed meaning ease of 

access for tricky locations 

such as walled gardens. 

We have learned that the 

Panelled System is very 

cost effective for venues 

that require installations 

lasting a period of months, 

such as over the summer 

wedding season or at 

Christmas, or even years 

at a time. This creates a 

setting whereby the loos 

feel as permanent as 

those found in any hotel, 

stately home or iconic 

venue. 

IGLOOS also wins 

us over by its designled 

approach. The 

team will work with 

function venues to 

deliver bespoke 

touches, such as wall 

finishes, worktops, and 

decorative features. The 

loos can be adapted 

to operate on vacuum 

technology or mains 

flushing systems. 

Great! How do I find 

out more? 

01438 861418 

www.igloos.co.uk 

WHAT WE LOVE 

Vintage horse trailer WCs and 

shower 

WHY? 

It’s just such a neat idea! For 

small, quirky events, this 

1960’s converted Rice horse 

trailer is just so charming. It 

has been fitted with a gas fired 

hot shower and two WCs, and 

runs on solar power so all you 

need to do is attach a water 

tap and find some level ground 

with decent drainage. It also 

contains some ‘surprises’ for 

guests to discover and some 

Banksy inspired artwork. 

We love the simple, quirky 

design and the fact you can 

service 100 guests for just 

£400 a weekend! Perfect for 

weddings, private parties, corporate gatherings and campsites, the 

Bell Tent Company rents the trailer out across the south coast. 

I need this at my next event! 

07771 535350 / 07812 605094 

www.belltentcompany.co.uk 


WHAT WE LOVE 

Trailer toilets in disguise 

WHY? 

Overcoming the problem of obvious, 

ugly or boring event toilets, Site Event 

has come up with some truly fabulous 

designs for its toilet trailers. Themes 

include the Gypsy Caravan, Beach 

Hut, Potting Shed, Shepherd’s Hut, 

Horse Stable and Shabby Chic. Fitted 

with luxury furnishings, co-ordinating 

accessories and featuring a themed 

exterior, these quirky toilet trailers are 

WHAT WE LOVE 

Own your own toilet trailer 

with a 10 year guarantee 

built by Site Event’s sister company Site 

Build and are sure to be the talk of any 

event! 

The range can service between 125 

and 400 guests, depending on the model, 

and feature porcelain sanitary ware, 

high end wooden cabinets, mirrors and 

spot lights. Trailers arrive on site with 

a uniformed driver who will set up the 

toilet ready for use. 

Who do I call?! 

0800 371994 

www.site-equip.co.uk 

WHAT WE LOVE 

A green toilet solution 

WHY 

For venues that want a permanent 

solution to toilet provision, and have 

an eye on sustainability, the ‘dry 

separating waterless toilets’ from 

Ecotoilets are spot on. Considered 

to be the ideal solution for off grid 

venues, the toilet is odour free (as long 

as it is used correctly) and requires 

very little maintenance. This clever 

but simple system needs no water 

supply, sewage outlet, septic tank or 

cesspit, and can be placed anywhere, 

even where you couldn’t install a 

conventional WC. 

For those of you who don’t want 

a hands on approach, how about 

an ‘incinerating toilet’? A high 

tech solution that reduces our 

human by-products to a fine ash by 

achieving temperatures up to 550 

degrees centigrade (requires mains 

electricity). 

Waterless toilet systems enable 

venue owners and their clients to 

achieve a low impact system of 

sanitation, which is a pleasure to use, 

easily maintained and saves water. 

They do not pollute the environment 

with harmful chemicals and are 

becoming more and more popular. 

The other main advantage is cost, 

there are no pits or trenches to dig 

and toilets can be fitted and ready to 

use within a few hours. 

Let’s talk about this 

01327 844442 

www.ecotoilets.co.uk 

WHY? 

GigLoo manufacturers event 

toilets and showers from a 

special co-polymer called 

Polybilt. The product is so 

unique that it offers a 10- 

year guarantee on the bodies 

of any trailer, pod or building 

purchased. 

The GigLoo pedigree, 

comes from John Dennis 

Coachbuilders, the brand 

that builds fire engines and 

other emergency vehicles 

in use throughout the UK, so you can be 

sure they are up to the job. As all GigLoo 

equipment is assembled by the same 

team you will be on to a winner. 

What’s more, you can own your toilet 

trailer rather than having to hire one in for 

every event, and units can be personalised 

with vinyl wrap for a unique look. Trailers 

can service from 100 to 1,000 people – 

that’s one of the largest capacities on the 

market! 

I want to own one of these 

0330 333 8778 / www.GetGigLoo.com 

I want to hire one of these 

0330 333 8777 / www.GigLooHire.co.uk

FUNCTION VENUES | PRODUCT FOCUS 

Temporary Toilets 

Event toilets with class 

EXPERT LOO-OLOGISTS! 

IGLOOS 

01438 861418 

www.igloos.co.uk 

For nearly 25 years IGLOOS 

has been proud to supply the 

UK and international events 

markets with the best loos in 

the business. 

Major sports events, 

Christmas parties, private 

gatherings, fashion shows, 

trade fairs, conferences and 

long term venue installations 

have all benefited from the 

inspirational expertise of 

IGLOOS. Across the breadth 

of the UK and Europe, and 

as far as Mexico, the US, 

New Zealand, Russia and 

Iceland, trailer mounted loos, 

Moduvac® and Panelled loos 

on vacuum technology and 

mains flushing systems have 

seated discerning guests 

and been used in large scale 

general public enclosures. 

THEMED TRAILERS 

Site Event 

01256 384134 


Site Event is a family run 

company established 

for nearly 30 years and 

is arguably the longest 

established portable toilet 

hirer in the UK, having 

imported the first ever 

cubicles from the US. It 

constantly builds upon its 

wealth and experience in 

the sector by innovating 

the saturated portable 

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GLAMPSITES 

CASE STUDY 

Brownscombe 

Luxury Glamping 

Luxury glamping near the south coast of 

Devon with a touch of farm life 

Following careful research, Kate Tregoning and her family have created a 

luxury glamping offering on their farm. By enhancing the environment for the 

protected species found on site, planning permission was granted and the 

family welcomes guests to three safari tents, a Tabernacle and luxury cabin. 

Open Air Business speaks to Kate. 

What’s your back story – your 

life before glamping? 

I worked in London for over 20 

years, running a finance then 

a legal recruitment business 

while juggling a young family. 

My husband Andrew still works 

in London during the week and 

travels down to Devon at the 

weekend. 

What made you decide to start a 

glamping business? 

My parents decided to retire and 

sell their family farm in Devon and 

we had enjoyed spending time 

there so much as a family that we 

decided to buy it. I still wanted 

to work but to spend more time 

with my children, and glamping 

seemed to be the perfect fit. We 

moved back to Devon in 2013 and 

I spent a year project managing 

the build for our new family home 

on the farm. In 2014, we applied 

for and got planning permission 

for the glampsite, and opened in 

the spring of 2015 with three safari 

tents and a tabernacle (similar to a 

shepherd’s hut). 

How did you research the 

business before entering it? 

I spoke to a well-known farm/ 

glamping franchise, and they 

visited the site. They were very 

helpful and thought the location 

was perfect, but they wanted 

a very large percentage of the 

revenue, so I thought why not do 

it ourselves? The rest was a lot of 

online investigation and talking to 

glamping agencies. We also visited 

three safari tent glamping sites 

and took a course at Longlands 

with the wonderful Bella Given. 

Ultimately, I built the kind of 

safari tents that I would have liked 

to stay in with my family, plus 

our romantic Tabernacle. This is 

what I would have liked to stay in 

with my husband if we could ever 

have found a babysitter for the 

weekend. 

Tell us about your location and site 

Having the right site, in the 


GLAMPSITES 

right location, offering the right 

accommodation has been the key 

to getting the initial bookings. We 

are in the South Hams in Devon, 

which is a huge advantage as it 

is a very well established holiday 

destination. We are very close to 

both Dartmoor and the sea, so can 

offer everything from hill walking 

to surfing. Our location itself 

is only 1.5 miles from the dual 

carriageway, which links to the 

M5 - so we are within three hours 

of London and are very accessible. 

We have a very private little valley 

with great views that feels very 

rural, but we are within 15 minutes 

of zoos, Totnes, the Dartmouth 

steam railway and countless other 

attractions. 

We also have two outstanding 

village pubs within walking 

distance that accept dogs. 

How did you tackle getting 

planning? 

I engaged a planning consultant 

and we approached it as a farm 

“THE 

HABITAT 

CHANGES 

HAVE ALSO 

HELPED 

THE CIRL 

BUNTINGS 

WHO HAVE 

NOW GOT 

MULTIPLE 

NESTS ON 

THE SITE...” 

diversification. I also knocked 

down a couple of dilapidated 

barns, so overall there was a 

planning gain. We found we were 

on a lesser horse shoe bat super 

highway (that was protected under 

European law), had a barn owl and 

were a breeding ground for cirl 

buntings (only 700 breeding pairs 

left in the UK). 

Instead of being an obstacle, 

we embraced it and enhanced 

the environment for them; for 

example, the owls are now 

breeding as we have put up a 

nesting box and are managing the 

grassland to maximise their food 

source. The habitat changes have 

also helped the cirl buntings, who 

have now got multiple nests on 

the site, and we are very careful to 

have minimum light disturbance 

for the bats. All of this was in our 

planning document and seemed 

to be well received - as well as 

keeping it to a small scale. 

What glamping accommodation 

do you offer and why did you 

choose it? 

We have three safari tents 

(sleeping six in each), a Cornish 

tabernacle for couples and a cabin 

(sleeping four). The safari tents 

and tabernacle are entering their 

third season and we are about to 

launch our new Cabin. The mix has 

worked well for us because of how 

we were able to position them on 

site. Marketing to such different 

audiences is a challenge though, 

but we are able to open all year 

round while maximising the peak 

season. 

How do you publicise yourself? 

We have worked with glamping 

agencies initially to get bookings 

and now, in our third year, we are 

high up in Google rankings so we 

get a lot more direct customers as 

well as using some of the glamping 

websites.

GLAMPSITES 

How did you choose your interior 

decoration? 

I decided not to try to appeal to 

everyone, but to do something that 

I really loved. It might put some 

people off, but most people that 

book really like it too, so I find that 

I have guests that I get along with. 

This makes it a pleasure to look 

after them rather than a job. 

What challenges have you faced? 

Building the platforms over a 

very wet winter on a hill was a 

challenge, and expensive as we 

had to sort out roads to them 

rather than mown paths. It has 

been worth it in the end as guests 

can drive to their tents to drop 

off children and luggage before 

returning to the car park. 

If you look at the cost of the tents 

it seems like a relatively cheap 

option, but getting your site up to 

scratch and furnishing them to the 

right standard is very expensive 

if you want to appeal to the 

luxury glamping market and have 

customers return to you. Whatever 

your budget is, have 30 per cent in 

reserve because there can be a lot 

of unforeseen costs. 

What are your plans for next 

season? 

Having invested a lot in the last two 

years, I want a year off building and 

to grow the cash reserves before 

the next expansion. 

What advice could you give 

to someone coming into the 

industry? 

Location, location, location! If you 

“BE 

REALISTIC 

ABOUT HOW 

MUCH TIME 

IT TAKES TO 

RUN AND 

GROW A 

BUSINESS 

- PARTICULA- 

RLY IF YOU 

ARE TRYING 

TO FIT IN 

LOOKING 

AFTER A 

FAMILY” 

are not in a recognised holiday 

destination, are you close to a 

major city and can you build 

something extraordinary to attract 

guests? 

There has been a huge influx 

of new glamping sites in the last 

couple of years of varying quality. 

You will need to have a strong 

marketing plan to attract guests to 

your site, or be prepared to sacrifice 

money for an agency fee - better to 

have 75 per cent of something than 

100 per cent of nothing when you 

first start out. 

Be realistic about the earning 

potential in the first three years - 

we have been able to invest in and 

grow the business because we have 

had another income coming in. 

Be realistic about how much time 

it takes to run and grow a business 

- particularly if you are trying to fit 

in looking after a family. You will be 

at your busiest during the school 

holidays, which works well with 

older children that can help out 

and earn some pocket money but 

doesn’t fit so well with pre-school 

children. 

With five plus units you can’t do 

changeover by yourself - each of 

our tents takes five man hours to 

clean and prepare. Hire fantastic 

people and keep them happy and 

motivated! With our new Cabin 

opening we have a team of six 

of us now on changeover days, 

plus a carpenter, plumber and 

electrician on speed dial in case of 

emergencies. 

Don’t do it unless you really 

enjoy talking to people and helping 

them to get the most out of their 

holiday. It is not like having holiday 

cottages; if you live on site you will 

see and hear them, so it is not a job 

for an introvert. 

SPECIAL OFFER 

Kate is offering our readers 

a 10 per cent mid-week 

discount (outside of school 

holidays) and the chance to 

come and see for yourself 

three different types of 

accommodation. 

DETAILS 

Compton Holt, Marldon 

Devon, TQ3 1TA 

01803 872532 

www.brownscombe.co.uk 


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GLAMPSITES 

ARTHUR’S CAVE 

By Miller and Kendrick, London 

www.millerkendrick.co.uk 

Legendary 

› The design team says: 

“This design is inspired by the 

legend of King Arthur and a 

cave where he and his knights 

slept while travelling – it is said 

it could be discovered once but 

never again. 

“Locally sourced sheep’s 

wool insulation will be placed 

within the panels to provide 

a high level of thermal 

insulation. The build benefits 

from a full width sliding door 

to offer panoramic views of the 

Welsh landscape.” 

Design fans, this one’s for you! Open Air Business takes a look 

at the finalists of the UK’s first glamping design competition 

IN SEPTEMBER LAST year The Epic Retreats 

project posted a tender competition calling 

for “high quality, self-contained glamping 

accommodation units” that would be 

developed to form a ‘pop-up’ hotel. They 

would appear in three different locations in 

Wales this summer. 

The competition was conceived by a 

partnership between holiday cottage finder 

Best of Wales, Cambria Tours and George + 

Tomos Architects. Part funded by the Welsh 

Government’s Tourism Product Innovation 

Fund, one of its main objectives was to 

“draw attention to Wales’ wealth in terms 

of landscape, character and crucially, its 

legends” in line with tourist board Visit Wales’ 

2017 £5m global Year of Legends campaign. 

The competition was originally posted 

on the Welsh website Sell to Wales, a portal 

where public tenders are listed. It was picked 

up from here by the architectural press and 

48 entries were received from all over the 

world. “We had designs from Zimbabwe and 

a winning design from Australia,” said Llion 

Pughe, director of the project’s lead partner 

Best of Wales. “We had originally stated there 

would be three winning designs, but the 

quality was such that we ended up with 

eight.” 

The brief called for designs inspired by 

the theme ‘Welsh Legends’ and that made 

use of Welsh materials where possible, with 

a build cost of no more than £11,000. Each 

had to feature a chassis so they could be 

easily moved, and include a king size bed, 

luxury shower, compost toilet, wood burning 

stove, hob, seating area and solar panels. The 

winning designers received £1,500 to take the 

plans forward. 

In February, the locations and dates of the 

pop-up hotel were announced. The units will 

appear in West Wales from 5 June to 3 July, 

the Llŷn Peninsula from 10 July to 7 August, 

and Southern Snowdonia from 14 August 

to 11 September. Over 200 bookings will be 

made available for the season through www. 

epicretreats.wales 

“After the summer season we hope all the 

designs will find a permanent home together,” 

says Pughe. Each design team will retain the 

copyright to their structure, so who knows? 

Perhaps these truly inventive and beautifully 

imagined creations will be available to other 

glampsites sometime in the future? 

THE BRIEF 

› Design theme: Welsh Legends 

› Build cost: No more than 

£11,000 

› Chassis size (no more than): 

2.7m wide 

5.7m long 

3.4m high 

› Structure: 

Floor and roof– no less than 

125mm thick 

Walls – no less than 100mm 

thick 

› To include: 

King size bed and mattress with 

1.3m headroom 

Luxury shower (at least 0.7x0.7m 

footprint) 

High quality compost toilet (at 

least 0.5x0.5m footprint) 

Sink/basin, wood burning stove 

and hob 

A comfortable place to sit 

Two 1,000x700mm solar panels 

on the roof 

www.epicretreats.wales 


GLAMPSITES 

CABIN IN THE WOODS 

By Francis & Arnett, Carlisle 

› The design team says: “This nature-inspired 

building sits on legs high above the ground 

and explores the theme of the ‘animated 

forest’ shaping the Welsh landscape. Inspired 

by the poem Cad Goddeu, meaning ‘battle 

of the trees’, from the medieval Welsh 

manuscript known as the “Book of Taliesin”, 

the unit will be developed to give the 

impression of movement. 

“Its highlights include a padded sleeping 

area and a stove area with featured chimney 

above, as well as a box window designed 

to catch the morning sun to wake travellers 

naturally. It will use raw materials derived 

from the Welsh landscape including timber, 

steel, slate and leather.” 

BLACK HAT 

By Rural Office for Architecture, 

Carmarthenshire 

www.ruralofficeforarchitecture.co.uk 


“This unusual structure is inspired 

by France’s failed attempt of a British 

invasion through Fishguard back in 1797. 

It is said that as the French began their 

assault, hundreds of local Welsh women 

came to witness the fighting between the 

French and the local militia. 

“Dressed in their traditional scarlet 

tunics and tall black hats they were a 

formidable sight and at a distance may 

have been mistaken for British army 

Redcoats – suffice to say the French 

didn’t stick around for long. 

“A king-sized bed fits within the upper 

floor of the hat and the domed roof 

allows for stargazing opportunities.” 

DRAGON’S EYE 

By Timber Designs Wales, Aberystwyth | www.timberdesignwales.co.uk 


“Inspired by the legend that is the Welsh dragon, this eye-shaped pod could fool 

passers-by into thinking such a creature was hiding in the great outdoors. 

“The walls will be covered with stainless steel shingles resembling a dragon’s 

scales. The cabin features a wet room and Hungry Penguin wood burner for cooking 

and heating.” 

LITTLE DRAGON 

By Barton Willmore, Bristol 

www.bartonwillmore.co.uk 


“This vertical unit celebrates 

the best Wales has to offer. 

The three prongs represent 

the dragon’s foot. The overall 

design is inspired by Wales’s 

famous industrial past and 

the steel door displays 

the country’s iconic Celtic 

knotwork. 

“The layout features 

a sleeping area upstairs 

and panoramic glazing at 

both levels provides for 

magnificent views across the 

Welsh landscape.” 


GLAMPSITES 

MINER’S HUT 

How About Studio, London 

www.howaboutstudio.com 


“This cabin is a tribute to Wales's mining industry – a 

Welsh legend that spans generations and landscapes 

across the country. 

“Visitors are invited to enter the cabin by crawling 

through a small tunnel, allowing them access into 

an angular corridor space only lit by borrowed light. 

From here they can follow a glow of light from the 

main space which extends to the full available height, 

with large windows that provide scenic views of the 

great outdoors beyond. 

“Visitors must return into the tunnels to discover 

the washroom and to climb a flight of steep steps 

to the sleeping area, from where they can enjoy 

panoramic views from their bed.” 

SKYHUT 

By Waind Gohil & Potter, London 

www.wgpa.co.uk 

›The design team says: 

“As a country, Wales has the highest percentage 

of sky designated as an ‘International Dark Sky’ 

area making it one of the most outstanding places 

in the world to stargaze. The SKYHUT is designed 

to provide a unique place to experience the sky, 

taking its inspiration from Cadair Idris where 

legend states that travellers sleeping out under the 

night sky awaken as madmen or poets. 

“The tradition of sleeping out under the night 

sky is manifested in the roof with a simple geared 

cable system borrowed from proven sailing 

technology, allowing it to open fully. With the 

doors open too, the SKYHUT can be configured as 

a glamping-observatory.” 

SLATE CABIN 

By TRIAS studio, Sydney | www.trias.com.au 


“Inspired by the Welsh landscape, this cabin is based on 

the material Wales is built on, and of – slate. Slate Cabin is 

the perfect place to experience the silence and solitude of 

the Welsh landscape. This place of retreat is designed to 

reinvigorate those who stay there. 

“Drawing upon the restrained elegance of Japanese and 

Danish design, the space is almost monastic in its use of simple, 

minimal materials. The cabin is clever and compact, with a 

built-in table that’s perfect for two and a raised bed platform 

for rest and relaxation. Natural light bathes the space, and a 

pot-bellied stove brings warmth and cosiness. At one end of the 

cabin, a seat and desk frame a picturesque view of the Welsh 

landscape. It’s the perfect spot to sit with a cup of tea and a 

book. 

“Slate Cabin is an escape from the everyday, and is the ideal 

place for waking up to the quiet beauty of rural Wales.” 


☎ 

✉

GLAMPSITES 

GUEST COMMENT 

Are You 

Summer 

Ready? 

Tree Tents International’s Anna 

Hedley runs through ways to 

maximise summer glamping 

opportunites 

Summer’s just around the corner and it’s time to get 

your site ready if you want to attract the crowds. More 

and more people are turning to the great outdoors to 

take a break from their hectic lives and the good news 

is, if you’re a site owner, there’s never been a better 

time to make the most of your land! The bad news? 

Well, you’re up against some pretty fierce competition. 

Here are a few tips to help you get your site ready for 

summer, stand out from the competition and keep the 

customers coming back. 

1PREPARE AND CARE FOR YOUR SITE 

Harsh winter conditions can cause changes on 

your land. Take a few days to make a full inventory 

on what you have before making plans. Once 

you’ve assessed the health of your site, you can decide 

how to start preparing it for the summer. You might want 

to think about planting new trees to replace any that have 

been damaged. For older trees, the end of winter is the 

perfect time for pruning, but this can last several months. 

So, make a schedule with a specialist so you know how 

often you’ll have to visit your site and the level of cost 

involved. 

According to Justin Mumford of Lockhart Garratt, 

an independent firm of tree and forestry consultants 

that work all over England, you need to have a clear 

understanding of the condition your tree resource is 

in and what risk the trees pose. From this you can take 

whatever remedial work is needed. Getting rid of old trees 

and dead wood is not necessarily a priority, especially if 

you wish to develop wildlife on your property and they are 

in areas not accessed by campers. Many species of bats, 

insects and birds can find shelter in your old trees. Finally, 

check the condition of any existing accommodation and 

plan your renovations wisely. 

2GETTY IMAGES 

LOOK FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES 

ON YOUR LAND 

Try looking at your land with a fresh 

pair of eyes to release its full potential. 

Are there any parts you’re not using 

that could be right for treehouses or 

suspended structures? What about rough 

terrain and hard-to-reach areas? Author of 

one of the very first books on treehouses, 

Anthony Aikman said, “You only have to 

go up a few feet and you have a different 

view of things”. So, take a leaf out of his 

book and get some fresh perspective -- 

are you getting maximum potential from 

your site? 

If treehouses are too big an investment 

for you right now, try taking a different 

approach. Tree Tents are semipermanent, 

prefabricated structures 

that are causing a stir throughout the 

glamping community, providing an 

unforgettable experience in nature’s back 

garden. This is a simpler way to give your 

guests an incredible adventure while 

maximising your site’s potential at an 

unbeatable ROI. 

GETTY IMAGES 

3 


ADVERTORIAL 

4STAND OUT FROM THE 

COMPETITION 

The natural beauty of your land is a good 

starting point. But you’ll need to provide 

something more than a nice view or a 

comfortable mattress if you want to stand 

out from the competition. Holidaymakers 

have changed a lot over recent years and 

they demand an experience that is both 

authentic and convenient. Glamping is on the 

rise, according to IBIS Worldwide, thanks to 

“modern facilities and services, such as Wi-Fi, 

that aim at higher income customers who may 

not normally camp”. 

Investing in uniqueness and utility is a good 

strategy if you want to stand out from the 

crowd but make sure you provide hot showers 

and private toilet facilities as well as the ‘wow’ 

factor! 

GETTY IMAGES 

APPLY FOR PLANNING PERMISSIONS IF NEEDED 

No doubt as a site owner you’ve already experienced the headache of dealing 

with planning permissions. So, be sure to check all regulations in your area 

before starting any extensions or new construction work. You’ll need to have 

all your documents ready. A planning consultant who has experience in 

the glamping area could be helpful. You may incur some extra fees, but the 

investment will pay off in the long run. 

If you want to get started on your site sooner, it’s worth knowing that some 

structures require less paperwork than others. Suspended or semi-permanent 

structures, such as Tree Tents, can provide the perfect solution if you don’t 

have the time or money to go back and forth with applications. 

5 

SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF 

They might not seem important, 

but it’s often the smallest 

things that make the biggest 

impression. Details can transform your 

site into the ultimate destination for 

glamping fans. So, make sure you furnish 

your accommodation with more than a 

sleeping bag and a rusty old chair! Look 

for suppliers who can customise your 

accommodation at affordable prices. 

Jason Thawley, Innovation and Design 

Director, Tree Tents International, 

confirms that simple things that “make 

the space your own” are important. These 

can include “original furniture made from 

local or recycled materials, fluffy pillows 

and comfortable sheets, or having fun 

with modern camping accessories like 

binoculars and a bird spotter’s guide - 

after all, what better place to spot them 

than up amongst the treetops!”. 


GLAMPSITES 

6 

CALCULATE YOUR ROI 

FROM THE START 

The demand for outdoor holidays is 

steadily on the rise, with the word 

‘glamping’ registering over 175,000 searches 

a month. But that doesn’t mean you should 

start spending your hard earned cash without 

calculating your likely return first. Consider a few 

important questions: Is there a strong demand 

for the type of accommodation you have? Will 

it extend the length of your season and provide 

good returns compared to your investment? 

Make sure you look thoroughly into the cost 

of adding new accommodation, renovations, 

maintenance and how many nights you can get 

out of the season. Helen Shaw, from Sheepskin 

Life, confirms, “One of the best ways to increase 

your ROI is to choose a solution that extends your 

letting season well beyond the summer months.” 

9ASK FOR HELP! 

Glamping is continually evolving and it 

can be hard to stay ahead of the trend. 

But remember, you don’t need to do 

everything yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help 

in delivering the perfect experience and look for 

companies that go the extra mile. 

GETTY IMAGES 

7 

TAKE CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 

Remember to take care of the environment 

at all times when preparing your site for 

the summer. After all, the reason that 

glamping is becoming so popular is the enjoyment 

of the great outdoors! Any landscape changes, tree 

cutting or planting should be done respecting the 

environment and flora and fauna. When buying new 

accommodation, make sure the manufacturers use 

sustainable materials, preferably from local sources. 

Try to find suppliers that respect nature and offset 

their carbon footprint by planting trees. 

Receive £1,000 

worth of free 

upgrades 

8FIND YOURSELF A GREAT AGENT 

If you’re breaking into the glamping industry, 

finding the right agent can make the difference 

between success and failure. There are many 

great ones out there offering booking services and 

promotion. Tom Dixon at Canopy & Stars says, “With the 

growth in glamping, it’s so important you make sure you 

stand out. Not just in the experience you provide guests, 

but also in your marketing. So don’t compromise on 

either. Find a partner that can provide the support you 

need in guest experience and marketing. Collaboration 

is the key thing here. Glamping is a business that’s about 

creating wonderful relationships. The whole thing can 

and should be fun!” Working on your own may seem like 

an easy way of keeping down costs, but in the glamping 

industry, having an agent to promote your business will 

certainly pay off. 

READER OFFER 

At Tree Tents International we’re dedicated to helping site 

owners curate amazing experiences. With summer nearly upon 

us, now’s the time to secure award-winning accommodation 

that will ensure your best season yet. Get in touch and quote 

‘Summer Ready’ to receive £1,000 worth of free upgrades, and 

have your new structure installed ready for this season. 01273 

973 937 / info@treetents.co.uk 


SAFARI TENTS DIRECT 

UK 

Installation 

Team 

Rustic 

Furniture 

Packs 

Innovative 

Layout 

Designs 

01792 343305 

safaritentsdirect.co.uk 

sales@safaritentsdirect.co.uk 

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GLAMPSITES 

Canvas 

Structures 

How tents, tipis and yurts can elevate outdoor 

accommodation to the next level 

Guy Cutler, founder 

Fron Farm Yurts 

01994 419775 

www.yurtsforsaleuk.co.uk 

How can yurt accommodation benefit a 

glampsite? 

Yurts are an excellent choice for glampsites 

as they are beautiful to the eye and nestle 

easily into any landscape. Visitors feel 

totally relaxed on entering their yurt and 

enjoy stargazing through the roof wheel. 

They are perfect for seasonal glamping and 

can be taken down and stored, however 

for those looking to offer all year glamping, 

our Wooden Yurt can stay up permanently. 

What is the USP of your product? 

Our USP is our passion for what we do. For 

the last six years I have lived and breathed 

yurts through running an award winning 

glampsite and a yurt manufacturing 

workshop on my farm in Wales. I have 

first hand feedback from our yurt visitors, 

which has been channelled into product 

design, meaning we are constantly 

improving and making our yurts unique. It 

is undeniable that quality matters and our 

standards are high. When a customer says, 

“I absolutely love it”, this makes the time 

and effort I put into the fine detail all the 

more worthwhile. 

My passion has taken us on a journey to 

produce a new Wooden Yurt, The Owl 

House, which gives the feel and beauty of 

a permanent structure but can be put up 

and taken down. 

How can your product be customised or 

made bespoke? 

Our yurts can be made to any size, colour, 

with insulation, winter covers, wood 

burners, windows and clear roof panels. 

The Wooden Yurt can be made to client 

specifications, adding doors, windows, 

floors, and en-suite bathrooms/kitchens to 

make it as intricate or as simple as required. 

We work closely with our customers to 

ensure their involvement with the design 

process every step of the way. 

What options do you have for small, 

medium and large budgets? 

For a smaller budget, our 16ft yurt, which 

starts at £4,100, is an excellent option as it 

provides a large floor space, easily sleeps 

a family and is a low cost way to enter the 

glamping market. For larger budgets there 

are larger units, wooden yurts and various 

bespoke options. 

What is the estimated return on 

investment of your product? 

Rental charges per night depend on the 

location and quality of a glampsite, and 

to give an accurate answer depends on a 

number of factors. It is easily possible, given 

the right factors, that a site can recover the 

cost of a structure within the first year of 

opening. 

Please mention a glampsite that has 

installed your product and the results 

they have achieved with it 

The successful site Acorn Glade, which 

featured in the March 

edition of Open Air 

Business, is a proud 

owner of two of our 

16ft Bentwood yurts. 

Julie and Richard have 

created a wonderful site, 

which helps to enhance 

the natural beauty of 

their yurts meaning that 

they are hugely popular 

throughout the season. 

Alan Wenham, founder 

and designer 

Albion Canvas 

01823 665849 

www.albioncanvas.co.uk 

How can tent accommodation benefit a 

glampsite? 

Ready built, high quality, stylish and wellappointed 

tents will always give the edge 

to any business. To have luxury tents with 

en-suite bathrooms, individual bedrooms 

and kitchen facilities will give your site 

appeal to an aspiring demographic. Top end 

accommodation and facilities will always 

command a higher and more stable income, 

attracting repeat business and customer 

loyalty. 


The Albion Canvas range of tents is entirely 

hand built, designed and manufactured 

in the UK, using superior materials for 

durable and elegant structures. Having 

total day to day control over the design and 

manufacturing process gives us the ability 

to offer bespoke solutions to individual 

requirements. Our in-house engineering 

department, fabric print shop and heavy 

fabric manufacturing unit gives us the 

ability to respond to a wide range of unique 

requirements. 


made bespoke? 

We offer a broad range of options from our 

catalogue, from wood doors to opening 

windows, mosquito nets, bespoke printed 

linings, curtains, insulating liners and even 

deck chairs. Even our wood burning stoves 

are manufactured on the premises! 



The Albion Canvas range of tents for 

accommodation runs from our bijou 3m

GLAMPSITES 

diameter bell tent through to our wide 

Grand Tsavo at 6x12m. We also have our 

unique safari style marquee called the 

‘Clubhouse’, available in 6, 9 and 12m 

widths. The largest ordered so far has been 

a monstrous 12x39m! Prices start from 

as little as £711, but the average spend is 

around £25,000 for a six berth safari tent 

with en-suite bathroom. 



The estimated time for a return on your 

investment is 12 to 18 months for our most 

popular model, the Twin Canopy Tsavo. 

Return on smaller tent investments would 

be much quicker. 



achieved 

2017’s Visit England “Glamping Provider 

of the Year” winner Dandelion Hideaway 

and runner up Longlands Devon are 

both Albion Canvas Tsavo tent owners. 

They have achieved enormous success 

financially and with their customers, 

providing Gold standard accommodation 

and experiences. 

unusable space, providing excellent returns 

with minimal impact to your site. 

What is your USP? 

We are passionate about creating a product 

that is good for people, planet and profit. 

Our range of structures answers that call 

through totally unique design – they’ve 

been compared to bird’s nests, seashells 

and even a UFO! Attention to detail and 

quality in construction ensures comfort and 

longevity, while our passion for protecting 

wild places mean they are low-impact, UK 

made and use materials carefully selected 

for quality and eco-credentials. 

Can your product be customised or made 

bespoke? 

We understand that every glamping site 

is different, so we work with owners to 

customise our structures. Beginning with 

the base unit and most important features, 

owners can pick and choose from a range 

of upgrades such as colours and fabrics, 

insulation, secret trapdoors and sleeping 

configurations. This means they get exactly 

what they want and never pay for features 

they don’t need! 



We offer four products at different price 

points but all with the promise of great 

returns. Our flagship structure, the Tree 

Tent, offers a suspended tree top escape 

from £12,500. The Gridshell is our most 

down-to-earth structure; its organic design 

blending seamlessly with the landscape, 

and starts from £14,500. The Fuselage is an 

aeronautical inspired design that can be 

elevated on stilts or suspended between 

trees, and the Tree Wing – originally 

conceived for Bear Grylls – is the perfect 

companion to the Tree Tent, giving kids 

space for their own adventure. Create a 

premium experience through our range 

of upgrades or start really small with our 

luxury camping equipment. 



With wow factor in spades, the Tree Tent 

commands premium per night prices and 

delivers excellent occupancy rates. This 

will see a well-run unit returning a profit in 

12-18 months, with a return on investment 

of over 500% – I know, we did a double take 

too! 


installed your product and results 

achieved 

The Secret Campsite in Sussex was one of 

the first to install a Tree Tent and Gridshell. 

Owned by Tim Bullen, the site is a peaceful 

place for nature lovers and real campers. 

The addition of the Tree Tent and Gridshell 

has expanded their business by attracting 

a broader range of customers, providing 

a point of difference, allowing the option 

of year round letting and transforming 

previously unusable woodland into 

premium rental space. Demand followed 

quickly with a sold out season, helping to 

catapult The Secret Campsite to among the 

top sites in Cool Camping’s directory. 

ALISTAIR NICHOLLS 

Jason Thawley, innovation 

and design director 

Tree Tents International 

01273 973937 

www.treetents.co.uk 

How can your products benefit a 

glampsite? 

At Tree Tents International we’ve watched 

the glamping scene explode with new 

offerings from tents to tipis and everything in 

between. The skill now is finding something 

unique and unusual, and if you succeed you 

can add huge value to your glampsite. We 

recommend investing in options that help 

you stand out while utilising previously 


GLAMPSITES 

Ben Bull & Dean Burgess, 

owners 

DB Tepees 

www.dbtepees.co.uk 

07731 979933 

How can tipi accommodation benefit a 

glampsite? 

How many people can say they have slept 

in a tipi? The chance to sleep in a tent with 

a wood burner, to lay back and look up 

at the stars is special, and something we 

as owners never get bored of. We love to 

witness the initial ‘wow’ factor people get 

when the tipi is up and ready to be used; it 

always makes us smile! 


We believe a tipi brings out the child in 

all of us. No matter how old you are, you 

are drawn to tipis for the simple reason; 

they are stunning to look and make you 

wonder, ‘What are they like inside?’. A 

night in a Tipi is unique in itself; what 

other structure allows you to have a wood 

burner in the centre and be able to look 

up to the stars in the sky? 


made bespoke? 

The benefit of a tipi is there are no centre 

poles like a bell tent. This allows us to use 

all the space and not have to work around 

a centre prop. For wedding couples we 

install an oak framed double bed, with 

candles, rugs and ivy up the poles. For 

stag do’s we install beer fridges, iPod 

music docks and simple bedding like 

camp beds and sleeping bags. A tipi can 

be customised based on client’s ideas 

and budget. 



Our tipi hire business offers various 

options. For small budgets we supply 

the tipi only. For medium budgets we 

supply camp beds, lights, throws and 

cushions. For larger budgets we supply 

camp beds, sleeping bags, throws, 

cushions, pillows, rugs, lights, candles, 

iPod docks and power. 



It all depends on how well the tipi’s are 

looked after and the quality of the tipi 

fabric. Our tipis have lasted over five 

years. When you think about how many 

bookings you can take in this time, 

and the cost to hire or buy a tipi, the 

returns can be extremely good and very 

rewarding. 



they have achieved 

Our main static site is the White Dog Inn, 

Ewhurst Green, East Sussex. A stunning 

country pub overlooking the historic 

Bodiam Castle. During the height 

of summer we would have up to 12 

families staying over a weekend, most 

of which would eat and drink in the pub. 

If you said the cost of the family meal 

with drinks was £60 a family, that’s a 

healthy £720 a weekend generated from 

the tipi camping. 

Mark Scott, director 

Clear Sky 

0333 241 2660 

www.safaritents.net 

How can safari tent accommodation 

benefit a glampsite? 

Glamping attracts a wide range of 

demographic groups and social economic 

backgrounds. To meet the varying 

demands of the guests, it is wise to offer 

a range of accommodation types such 

as safari tents, shepherds huts, pods and 

other canvas-based products. 

The luxury canvas offering, whatever 

its form, will attract crossover guests. 

These guests come to glamping from 

two places, on the one hand there are 

the hotel and caravan vacationers and 

on the other there are the campers who 

want to move towards a more luxurious 

and comfortable experience. By providing 

safari tents with fully fitted facilities, a 

glamping site can capture both parts of 

the market and maximise the expected 

income. 


The safari tents from Clear Sky are unique 

in their quality and price ratio. Our 

most popular units, that sleep six, were 

designed with the holiday market in mind. 

The frame and canvas structure means 

there are no guy lines, making them much 

stronger, safer and more secure. They 

can be left up all year round, are sealed 

around the edge to reduce draughts and 

have been tested to withstand winds 

well above force 11. Most important, 

however, is the service we offer to all our 

prospective and current clients. We have a 

very experienced operations division that 

has been erecting tents for over seven 

years together. We can design bespoke 

tents as well as create beautiful interiors 

to suit our clients’ specific dreams. 

Most important is our latest 

announcement of wider tents. All our 

models now come in 5.4m widths as 

standard. 

He can your product be customised or 

made bespoke? 

This is an important question now with 

several manufacturers copying the 

designs we have used for nine years. 

To keep your site fresh, upmarket and 

relevant, you need to be able to create a 

unique offering that sets you apart from 

your competitors. All our tents can be 

altered and customised to suit our clients’ 

specific dreams and requirements. 

We can design the interiors to provide 


anything from a romantic getaway tent 

for use in the couples market through to 

huge tents that can sleep 32 in a dormitory 

configuration. The only limiting factor is 

our clients’ imagination. 



Our lowest entry point is our smallest 

Woody, which retails at £2,990. In the 

middle is our range of medium sized tents 

which range in price from £3,500, and at 

the top end the sky’s the limit. Our most 

expensive, fully furnished, luxurious tent so 

far was just over £31,000! 



The ROI is expected to be within the first 

season for most tents, but much depends 

on the marketing channels being opened 

well before the tents are available to stay 

in. In addition, the repeat rate will make a 

huge difference to the time scales for full 

repayment of the capital outlay, and is 

often an aspect of running a glampsite that 

owners leave far too much to luck. 



they have achieved 

Aller Farm was once a Feather Down Farm 

site, but Emma and Nigel decided that 

they would rather run their own tents and 

maximise the income from their labours. 

They ordered three mid-sized tents. After 

opening they have been fully booked 

through the peak periods and have seen 

a significant level of mid-week bookings 

coming through from a wide range of 

sources. More recently the addition of a 

wood fired hot tub has led to a significant 

increase in enquires and bookings. 

Glamping has allowed the family to earn 

additional income for the farm, which 

has taken some pressure off the dairy 

operation. 


GLAMPSITES | PRODUCT FOCUS 

Canvas Structures 

Guest accommodation under canvas 

STUNNINGLY 

BEAUTIFUL, 

HANDCRAFTED YURTS 

Green Yurts 

07823 339297 

www.greenyurts.co.uk 

We feel that staying in a 

yurt is an experience that 

everyone should have at 

least once in their life. As 

with all of our yurts, the 

one pictured has been hand 

crafted using locally sourced, 

environmentally friendly 

materials. The trellis is made 

from sweet chestnut, the 

roof poles from red cedar 

and for the crowns we have 

used poplar. For the cover we 

have used high quality 12oz 

extra proofed fire, water and 

rot-proof canvas. We look 

to have as many different 

options available as possible 

to try and suit every budget 

and requirement that our 

customers have. 

MAKE PROFIT WITH 

SAFARI TENTS 

Clear Sky Safari Tents 

0845 299 6484 

www.safaritents.net 

If you want to get into 

glamping, come and talk to 

us. Clear Sky is the UK’s 

leading supplier of high 

quality, exclusively 

designed safari tents, at 

prices that make setting up 

or extending your glamping 

business a profitable 

decision. 

With a choice of styles, 

sizes, colours and frames 

starting from only 

£2,990+VAT, and expertise 

gleaned from running our 

own glamping site, we can 

help turn your glamping 

dream into a reality. 

Call us today for more 

information or to book a 

free consultation. 

Fron Farm Yurts 

Yurts & Yurt-Roundhouses 

Self contained Portable or 

Static Solar Charging Station 

Unique Structures for all year Glamping & Events 

Custom Made in Wales to Create your Perfect Space 

Our Yurt-Roundhouses incorporate the beauty of the 

traditional yurt within a solid timber structure, which are 

suitable for all seasons and allow extended rentals. We work 

with all budgets to produce unique handmade spaces, which 

maximise business potential. 

fronfarmyurts@live.com Tel: 01994 419775 

www.yurtsforsaleuk.co.uk 

• All components stored and moved in Drum 

• 5v-12v power, WiFi, Lighting, CCTV 

Call 01935 825914 or visit www.solarchargingcan.com 


UK customer service 

& support 

New tent 

ranges for 

2017 

Bedouin 

Safari Tent 

6 

SUITABLE FOR 

P E R S O N S 

With the development of our own 

Bedouin tent, Clear Sky has gone back 

to the origin of the safari tent by 

producing a tent that would have been 

familiar to the ancient desert Nomads. 

Using the original North African tent 

as inspiration and combining this 

with the modern luxury and comfort 

expected today, we have successfully 

brought the atmosphere of the East to 

the West. 

Clear Sky 

Bell Tents 

4 

SUITABLE FOR 

P E R S O N S 

What sets our Bell Tents apart from 

the rest is that they are all made from 

heavy duty canvas, in fact the same 

canvas that we use to make our Safari 

Tents. That means they are completely 

waterproof and built to last for 5-10 

years. 

Our Bell Tents now come with an 

optional PVC Fly Sheet, giving extra 

protection & life to the canvas. 

Available in two sizes: 4m & 5m 

0845 299 6484 www.safaritents.net 

6 Alexander Road, Tonbridge, TN9 2AA UK

EVENTS 

CASE STUDY 

The Supercar 

Event 

A family friendly motoring event 

set around the track at Dunsfold 

Park, home of Top Gear 

Beginning as a group of Ferrari owners offering rides to children undergoing 

treatment for brain injuries, this family event now attracts over 20,000 people 

and 150 supercars. Open Air Business talks to The Children’s Trust event organiser 

Tracy Poulton about its unique appeal. 

Describe your event and how 

many people it attracts? 

The Supercar Event 2017 takes 

place on 24-25 June at Dunsfold 

Park, Cranleigh, and is one of 

the only car events that offers 

once-in-a-lifetime passenger 

rides, alongside family friendly 

attractions. There are around 

150 supercars in total, including 

the Ferrari 458 Speciale, Porsche 

911 GT3RS and the Lamborghini 

Aventador SV. And it’s very exciting 

when they’re all on the start line 

together. 

Now in its 11th year, the family 

event attracts around 20,000 

visitors and is expected to raise 

over £100,000 to help children 

with brain injury. It’s also known 

to attract a number of well-known 

personalities, with stars such as 

Chris Evans, Max Chilton, Andrea 

“WE NOW 

HAVE 150 

SUPERCARS 

ON THE TOP 

GEAR TRACK 

AND PRIDE 

OURSELVES 

ON BEING 

THE LARGEST 

INTERACTIVE 

SUPERCAR 

EVENT IN THE 

UK” 

McLean, and Craig Philips taking a 

spin in recent years. 

Where do you hold the event? 

We work very closely with the team 

at Dunsfold Park. The venue is a 

working airfield Monday to Friday, 

so we only have access to the event 

area the evening before the event 

starts, which is a challenge. As all 

the infrastructure has to be in place 

by 8am Saturday morning, it’s all 

hands on deck Friday night. 

What is the event’s history? 

The event started at The Children’s 

Trust in Tadworth, Surrey, when 

a small group of Ferrari owners 

brought their cars to the centre for 

some of the children undergoing 

specialist brain injury rehabilitation 

to have a ride. The cars were so 

popular that it became an annual 

treat with more and more drivers 

interested in supporting the charity. 

It soon outgrew the grounds, and 

the group wondered if the public 

would consider paying for a ride in 

the cars if a suitable venue could 

be found. The Supercar Event was 

born, and has gone from strength 

the strength ever since. We now 

have 150 supercars on the Top Gear 

track and pride ourselves on being 

the largest interactive supercar 

event in the UK. 

How did you find applying for 

permission to run the event? 

There is no specific licence required 

other than the standard TENS 

licence with the local council, 

however, we have a detailed traffic 

management plan to ensure 

smooth flow of visitor traffic 

coming along to the event. We also 


have noise mitigation and waste 

management plans to ensure 

we create as little disturbance as 

possible to the local community. 

How have you planned the layout 

of the event? 

We use scale drawings for the 

layout and we use a mixture 

of marquees and temporary 

production offices. 

How did you research and 

source your marquees and other 

infrastructure? 

The Supercar Event committee and 

The Children’s Trust fundraising 

team have many years’ experience, 

and have built up a network of 

trusted companies who support the 

event. 

What entertainment do you offer? 

Apart from the cars on the track, 

and all the other rides, we are 

fortunate that TV presenter Craig 

Phillips has generously compered 

the event for many years. This year 

we have guest presenters including 

Mark Dixon from Eddie Stobart 

Trucks & Trailers and former British 

racing driver Nick Whale. Along 

with a few surprise guests. 

During the driver’s lunch break 

we have various displays on the 

track with all the action shown live 

on a big screen. 

As the event has grown, we have 

added more attractions including 

rides in Caterham Sevens, Sporting 

Bears, Lexus LFA, helicopters, fire 

engines and a 4x4 course. For 

our younger guests, we have a 

Stay Safe young drivers school, 

Diggerland, hovercraft, simulators, 

mini-tanks, Mini-Monster Truck 

Mania and Laser Quest to name just 

a few of the activities. The event is 

very family focused and has an area 

for smaller children. 

What provisions do you make for 

power, lights and sound? 

We have limited lighting as it’s a 

day time event. We use EES for 

all the sound including the PA; all 

other power is provided by hired in 

generators.

EVENTS 

How do you manage admissions 

and visitor safety? 

As the event has grown, so has 

the number of attendees, so it 

was necessary to outsource the 

ticketing. We partner with See 

Tickets who do an amazing job 

managing the pre-event ticket 

sales. We offer an early bird 

discount rate to encourage presales 

and sell the majority of the 

tickets pre-event. 

We work with GFI Event 

Services who handle all the traffic 

management and parking, crowd 

control and security at the event. 

How do you publicise the event? 

We are a charity so our advertising 

budget is very limited. See Tickets 

help us promote the event to its 

database and that’s extremely 

successful for us. We do some paid 

advertising, but we offer a lot of 

competitions in local newspapers 

and magazines in return for 

entrance tickets. This works really 

well for us. 

We also work with Mann 

Countrywide Estate Agents, and 

they provide 250 advertising 

‘for sale’ boards that our local 

supporters display in their gardens 

for us. Again, this has proved very 

successful. 

We have an increasing online 

following, and this year have 

invested in Facebook advertising 

for the first time. 

What challenges have you faced? 

Perhaps our greatest challenge 

is the late access to the venue, 

bearing in mind we have a very 

small core team and we rely 

heavily on volunteer support to 

set up safely and securely in time 

for the opening. We are also very 

weather dependent as the event is 

completely outdoors but so far, the 

weather hasn’t impacted on the 

event too much. 

The event is run with the support 

ADDRESS BOOK 

MARQUEES 

W Event Structures 

01903 444731 

www.weventstructures.co.uk 

SOUND & STAGE 

ESS Hire – 0845 177 0630 

www.esshire.co.uk 

BARES & CATERING 

DW Catering - 01428 685349 

www.drinkwaters.co 

GROUND PROTECTION 

GFI Event Services 

01276 28867 

www.gfieventservices.co.uk 

of volunteers, and we need to have 

recruited an army of 150 volunteers 

each day to help us sell tickets, get 

people safely loaded and unloaded 

from the passenger rides, give out 

information and help us set up 

and de-rig. Without volunteers, we 

simply wouldn’t be able to run the 

event. 

Our budget doesn’t allow for 

us to pay for any activities, and 

we rely on the support of all our 

attraction providers to donate a 

pre-agreed percentage of takings 

over the weekend to The Children’s 

Trust. Some of the suppliers 

such as Sporting Bears, Stay Safe 

Driving School and the Caterham 

TOILETS 

Loo’s for Do’s - 01420 588355 

www.loos.co.uk 

TICKETING 

See Tickets 

www.seetickets.com 

CARD MACHINES 

123Send 

0800 542 3123 

www.123send.net 

VISITOR MANAGEMENT 

GFI Event Services 

01276 28867 

www.gfieventservices.co.uk 

Club donate 100 per cent. We sell 

stand space to raise extra funds, 

we also have a VIP marquee in 

which people can buy space. All 

our ground suppliers offer us 

favourable rates as well and are 

generally very supportive of the 

charity. 

What are your plans for 

next year? 

This year’s event takes place on 

24 and 25 June so we are busy 

organising that at the moment. We 

hope to run the event the same 

weekend next year, and would love 

to hear from anyone interested in 

getting involved. 

What other outdoor hospitality 

sectors does the landowner 

operate in? 

Dunsfold Park organises its own air 

show every year and is a popular 

location for TV and film crews 

including Top Gear. 

What advice could you give to 

someone coming into the outdoor 

event industry? 

Meticulous planning is the key. 

Know your audience and work 

with reputable, recommended 

companies so you can build up 

your network of reliable suppliers. 

MEDICAL SERVICES 

Medevent Medical Services 

01622 753415 

www.medeventmedicalservicesltd.co.uk 

DETAILS 

24-25 June 2017 

Dunsfold Park, Surrey 

01737 364324 

www.thesupercarevent.com 


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EVENTS 

GETTY IMAGES 

Could you 

do more? 

Claire O’Neill, co-founder of A Greener Festival, details 

how events can embed sustainable practices at their core 

for business and reputational wins 

IN THE LAST decade, the event sector has 

moved in leaps and bounds from seeking 

bolt-on ‘seen to be green’ actions. Now, 

more and more organisers are integrating 

sustainability into their event planning, 

delivery and review. This is not just the 

ethical choice, it is good business sense for 

smart, efficiently-run events with longevity. 

At A Greener Festival we have been 

assessing, guiding and accrediting 

events (not just festivals) based on their 

environmental actions and sustainability 

management for over 10 years, and 

currently assess many different types of 

events for our award globally. This has 

resulted in a detailed insight into best 

practice, current challenges, and the 

importance of sharing experiences as the 

industry’s understanding and solutions 

evolve. 

The Greener Festival Award and Greener 

Event Award assessment criteria is a 

useful structure to help guide organisers 

to understand their event’s environmental 

sustainability and, in many cases, identify 

cost savings, USPs and new opportunities. 

THE VENUE 

We consider what are the potential local 

and ecosystem impacts? Where does your 

event take place? Does any venue you 

might be using have a sustainability policy, 

and is it in alignment with your own? 

There are a number of certifications that 

buildings can attain, if some of your event 

is held inside, such as BREEAM, LEED, and 

Green Tourism. Venues may have attained 

relevant ISOs such as ISO50001 for energy, 

or even ISO20121 for sustainable event 

management if they are event specific. 

Even without certification, you can engage 

with your chosen venue to find out whether 

or not they have an ethical procurement 

policy. Do they have low energy lighting 

systems? Where is their food sourced? 

What is the procedure for food waste? 

These are but a few of the questions which 

require answers. The key is to engage in the 

conversation and seek to work together 

to raise the bar where it is needed. Aim 

for your event to leave a positive legacy 

wherever it goes, and to continually learn 

from any good processes and procedures 

you encounter. 

If you are in an outdoor space, be it 

greenfield or urban, you may require a 

Biodiversity Impact Assessment. This 

can identify high risk areas and provide 

guidance to minimise any potential negative 

impacts of the event taking place. There 

have been many instances of events having 

to change the location of stages and even 

event dates due to protected bird nesting 

cycles for example. 

It is important that event organisers 

understand the site they are working with. 

In many instances, it is advisable to know 

the Site Drainage Plan, showing where 

drains are located, whether or not they lead 

to rivers or sewerage, and where potential 

contaminants are positioned in relation 

to this. The event should have a plan for 

managing spillages, potentially as part of a 

broader pollution incident response plan. It 

is important to note that substances such as 

beer and dairy can be pollutants – as well as 

the more obvious oils, fuels and solvents. 

THE LOCAL COMMUNITY 

Has the local community been engaged with 

the event, not only in gaining permissions 

for licensing, but also as participants, 

contributors, and with feedback surveys 


GETTY IMAGES 

post event? The local community will know 

best how the event can impact the area 

both positively and negatively so an open 

dialogue is key – especially in temporary 

event spaces. Whether the community is 

happy with your event taking place is a very 

good indicator of your local area impact. 

TRAFFIC AND TRAVEL 

What are the travel and transport 

implications of creating and delivering the 

event? Clearly if the event is implementing 

a successful travel and transport plan, 

which prioritises low carbon movement 

of audience, production and artists/ 

exhibitors/talent, the results can be seen in 

how people arrive to site. Do you monitor 

the modes of transport for each of these 

groups? This can be done by use of surveys 

both on site and post event. Ticket data can 

be utilised, as well as artist liaison records 

for example. 

Are local suppliers and artists sought 

where possible to minimise mileage 

associated with the event? On site, is low 

carbon transport utilised (eg. bikes, electric 

buggies, walking)? Are lift share schemes 

promoted and have locations been chosen 

for their good public transport links? If 

public transport is poor, what provisions 

has the event or venue made to help (eg. 

shuttles from nearest train stations/cities)? 

How are the audiences or participants 

incentivised to use public transport? 

POWER 

How is the event powered? Has your overall 

power use and relevant fuel usage been 

monitored, including peak and average 

use, in KW? We have found in recent years 

that many generators are being run at less 

than 30 per cent capacity. This means a 

huge amount of fuel - and hence money - is 

burned and wasted. The industry group 

Powerful Thinking has released the Smart 

Energy for Festival and Outdoor Events 

Guide, which gives the latest actions for 

improving this issue. Some events have 

managed to save as much as 80 per cent 

on fuel, and 98 per cent on CO2 emissions 

“THERE ARE A NUMBER OF 

EVENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN 

RUNNING ON 100 PER CENT 

RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR 

QUITE SOME TIME” 

through the implementation of a SMART 

Power Plan (eg. DGTL Festival Netherlands 

working with Zap Concepts 2016). 

Even if you are using mains power, are 

you using a green tariff provider? Are you 

monitoring usage and seeing where savings 

can be made and is it reducing each year? 

Does your choice of venue have a good 

energy rating? There are a number of 

events which have been running on 100 per 

cent renewable energy for quite some time. 

They have become experts in finding the 

most energy efficient equipment to deliver 

their shows without compromising the 

artistic integrity. 

If using generators or other temporary 

power sources, correct specification of 

exact power needs is key to avoid waste 

and save money. 

PROCUREMENT 

Sustainable procurement is absolutely 

key. Events have the power to influence 

suppliers simply by the purchasing choices 

they make. We must consider the ethical, 

social and environmental impact of any 

purchases made. Does the event use 

materials from reclaimed and recycled 

sources to avoid extraction of virgin 

materials? Are durable resources used 

that can be reused following the event, 

and are procedures in place to ensure this 

happens? Where virgin materials are used, 

they should be certified as ethically sourced 

(eg. FSC timber) and a plan made for their 

reuse. Events can be highly wasteful places, 

and it is in the hands of the organiser to 

manage and reduce the amount of waste 

generated. 

Suppliers and caterers can be 

asked to complete a pre-qualification 

questionnaire (PQQ), or to adhere to the 

event’s procurement policy and code of 

conduct, for example, to not engage with 

any company or product that contributes 

to deforestation, human rights abuses, 

or pollution to land and water. Is food 

local, organic, Fairtrade or otherwise 

ethically sourced? And are containers and 

cutlery reusable, recyclable or (facilities 

permitting) compostable? Provision of 

reusable bottles, cups and drinking water 

to avoid plastic bottles is highly advised. 

WASTE MANAGEMENT 

What is the waste management plan and is 

it implanted from the event design phase? 

Does the event have a policy to reduce 

waste, reuse or recycle materials used 

by the event? The use of non-recyclable 

containers for either food or drink is a clear 

sign to anyone attending that no steps have 

been taken to minimise environmental 


EVENTS 

impact. A waste management plan 

should be a collaboration between 

all vendors, organisers, the venue 

and the waste contractor, taking 

in to account all inputs and the 

process and destination for final 

outputs. 

Organisers should seek a waste 

transfer note and/or weighbridge 

ticket from the waste contractor 

post event or, if in a venue with 

collections from the local authority, 

seek information about the event’s 

waste figures. Understand where 

the waste goes and what this 

really means for your recycling. 

For example, if 80 per cent of the 

event waste is taken to a facility 

for recycling, this does not mean 

that 80 per cent is recycled. If it 

is taken to a mechanical refuse 

facility, for example, it might 

have an average recycling rate of 

20 per cent, with the remainder 

incinerated for energy with organic 

waste anaerobically digested. The 

waste hierarchy should be applied 

to all waste management plans. 

This is a legal requirement in the 

UK – prevention, preparation for 

reuse, recycling, other recovery, 

then disposal (amended UK Waste 

Regulations came into force 2015). 

Where provisions are made for 

separating waste streams at source 

(the best way for quality outputs 

with higher recycling rates), bins 

should be very clearly marked, and 

always stationed in groups (eg. 

recycling with general waste – not 

standalone). 

YOUR SUSTAINABILITY POLICY 

In order to effectively manage the changes 

and progress, there needs to be an 

organisational structure and documentation 

to support the event’s ambitions. The 

event should have a Sustainability Policy 

that extends to all areas of operation and 

to all staff and contractors. It should be 

endorsed by the organisers at board level, 

and backed up by an action plan to ensure 

that it is implemented in practice on the 

ground. There should be a clear chain of 

responsibility to ensure that the policies 

are actioned and reviewed, and those with 

a position for driving this should have the 

authority to effectively do so. 

Those in a position of upholding the 

event’s sustainability policies should also 

be suitably trained and informed about 

the latest actions, issues and best practice 

within the relevant field. Importantly, 

resources should be applied to this. While 

being a well-managed ‘green’ event will 

save money in many areas, in both the 

short and long term, it is important that the 

suitable resources are put behind it through 

staffing and training to ensure it is effective, 

and to avoid all talk and no action. 

Events have the potential to educate and 

ultimately influence attendees’ behaviour 

and cultural practices well beyond the 

duration of the event. Is your event seeking 

to achieve this shift by example through its 

operations, programming and messaging? 

Green campsite initiatives such as the Clean 

Out Loud scheme at Roskilde Festival in 

Denmark and Love Your Tent at the Isle of 

Wight Festival are just a couple of recent 

innovations which are leading the way in 

influencing audiences to leave campsites 

clean, relaying a highly visible message to 

all attending these events. 

Does the organisation have wider 

industry involvement through shared 

information, workshops and engagement 

outside of the event, or local projects and 

education? The event may involve and 

promote charities with environmental or 

social objectives. It is also important for 

events 

to shout about their sustainability 

aspirations including both the successes 

and the challenges. It is only through open 

and honest dialogue that we will achieve 

the changes that we desperately need to 

happen quickly. 

In order to monitor the above in a 

quantitative way it is useful for the event to 

monitor and measure it’s CO2 emissions. 

Not only will it help set an internal 

benchmark for the event itself, but it will 

also help provide industry benchmarking 

if it is shared. It is important to be aware 

of the methodology to see where figures 

are comparable. Organisations such as 

Event Impacts, Green Tourism, Julie’s 

Bicycle, and HCMI provide online tools in 

the UK. Many events also take in depth 

CO2 analysis studies in-house or with 

environmental consultants. 

This is a brief insight in to some of the 

actions and indicators to ensure your 

event is performing well for resilience in 

a maturing market. It is not exhaustive, 

but it is also not necessary to achieve 

everything all at once. If there are areas 

that your event simply cannot change, 

focus on where you can have a positive and 

meaningful impact. There is no one size fits 

all and we continuously learn. 

GREENER FESTIVAL AND GREENER EVENT AWARD 

Applying for the Greener Festival Award or the Greener Event Award is an accessible way 

to assess your event’s actions and effectiveness, to celebrate the wins, to identify where 

improvements can be made, where costs can be saved, and to receive recommendations from a 

decade of experience in global assessment of event sustainability. To get involved, get in touch. 

hello@agreenerfestival.com / www.agreenerfestival.com 


The organiser of Event Production Show and publisher 

of Access All Areas is delighted to bring you the... 

27 - 28 SEPTEMBER 2017 

This new two day show is aimed at the full array of outdoor events. Bringing 

together suppliers, venues and organisers of events across the music, 

sport, cultural and public spectrums, the show will allow suppliers to show 

off their full capacity using both the indoor and outdoor space of Sandown 

Park, allowing organisers to be inspired for their next events. 

This is a must attend new show for all professionals in the outdoor 

events market, with great accessibility to the south west of London. 

For more information on exhibiting at the show 

please contact Jason Jacob on 020 8481 1122 

or jjacob@mashmedia.net 

More information on how to attend as a visitor will 

be announced soon. 

If you’re in outdoor events - you’re in 

the Festival & Outdoor Events Show 

festivalandoutdoorshow.co.uk 

@festoutshow

EVENTS 

Festival 

Décor 

Part of the leading UK festival brand Bestival, 

consultancy and prop hire company House of 

Bestival is an industry leader in decoration at 

festivals and events. Learn how the team creates 

wonder and how you can too 

SINCE IT FIRST began in 2004, it’s always been Bestival’s aim to create an 

environment in which festivalgoers not only experience an amazing curated 

music selection, but also let go of their inhibitions and their sense of 

disbelief. The idea is to make the audience feel totally at ease and to allow 

themselves to be transported into faraway lands, giving them and their 

friends a truly escapist experience that disconnects them from their day to 

day lives. 

Following on from that ethos, we created House of Bestival to help bring 

a sense of wonder to other events, to go beyond the predictable and make 

whatever we do an all-encompassing encounter. From the moment that 

the audience enters the gates, right through 

the duration of an event, every pathway, 

venue, tent or bar should add to the overall 

feeling, which in turn will create a greater 

sense of otherworldliness. This really helps 

to bring about the sense of community 

that is such an important aspect of 

what we do. 

Bestival was one of the first festivals 

to build our creatives around a theme 

that changes each year. Deciding on 

the theme and the style for each 

year is a lot harder than it seems. 

Bestival’s creative director Josie da 

Bank is the real driving force, and 

the core Bestival team will spend a 

few weeks of the planning stages 

sharing thoughts and ideas around 

the office, looking for something that 

has a bit of depth and that sparks our 

imaginations and that will excite our 

audience in turn. More often than not, 

the theme will crystallise around a new 

stage or destination on site. It’s important 

that there is an element of expansiveness 

to it, so that once the central idea is in place 

everything can branch out from it, not only 

following the natural path of the theme but 

also playing on aspects of it to really drive 

home what it’s all about. 

FOCAL POINTS 

Visual triggers play a big part in setting the tone for 

everything we do and the right look can really add 

to the feel of any event. As a creative team, we put 

a lot of thought and work into what will induce the 

right response from the audience. From colourful 

lightboxes, such as when we took our stars to Radio 

1’s Big Weekend, to well-placed props, like our 

Wurlitzer cars at The Metro’s circus-themed event, 

there’s huge scope to affect a reaction. 

One of Bestival’s best-loved venues, Bollywood, 

became a firm favourite with the audience because 

alongside evocative music, the parasols and daybeds 

that dressed the area really brought it to life and 

informed how it made everyone feel. This year, 

Bestival has commissioned a 6m long confetti cannon 

to sit as a centrepiece in one of the new arenas. As 

the focal point of an area with a world class line-up 

of DJs, the cannon will create a number of theatrical 

spikes that will heighten excitement throughout the 

music programme, enhancing the whole experience 

and adding a unique air to discovering something 

new or seeing your favourite act.

EVENTS 

INSTALLATIONS 

At House of Bestival we have always liked to 

create high impact installations that work 

on several levels. Ideally, we want to devise 

something that will create a talking point and 

command the atmosphere in its immediate 

area. From The Port, which featured a huge boat 

façade that worked as a DJ stage, a performance 

platform and an awe-inspiring visual spectacle, 

to the Guinness world record holding World’s 

Largest Disco Ball, the sense of wonder that large 

scale installations stimulate goes a long way to 

shaping the character of an event. 

BIG IMPACT WITH SMALL ITEMS 

When it comes to creating an atmosphere at scale, 

flags are an amazing tool that have a high impact 

within a large space, bringing bold and imposing 

colour pallets to an otherwise blank canvas. Focus 

in on finer details when working with smaller items 

such a festoon and lighting to keep a seamless 

feel. Think about how to group together pockets 

of creative throughout an area, rather than trying 

to cover the whole site. A well-dressed bar, with 

multiple levels of texture and depth created by 

multiple items will have a much stronger impact 

than those same elements spread thinly across 

a large open arena. Catching people’s attention 

is what really makes the impression that helps to 

develop a visual mood. › 


DIY 

There are a lot of things organisers can do 

themselves to bring their creative visions to life. 

Bestival started with, and still evokes, an organic 

and hands-on creative process. Handcrafted and 

bespoke pieces always make a deep impression 

on an audience and personal touches are 

always noticed. Alongside a dedicated team 

working year-round to produce large set pieces 

and immersive stages Bestival still has an army 

of volunteers on-site working hard to tie it all 

together with finer detailing. All this detailing can 

be achieved with a DIY ethos and goes a long way 

to elevate the creative landscape of an event. 

Outside of bespoke, commissioned pieces, 

there are plenty of areas that can be used 

to continue your theme uninterrupted and 

keep everyone’s imaginations firing wherever 

they look. The best areas to help really bring 

everything together are the bars, which give 

you a large creative breadth to play with. 

From containers with imposing facades to 

refurbished caravans, like the Jam Jar Bar, 

which is always very popular at events, you 

can make a lot of different impressions with a 

bar. Seating areas always offer a lot of scope to 

add character, and arena and venue signage 

can really engender the spirit of your creative 

theme. 

SPACE VS BUDGET 

One of the key things to think about when creating an atmosphere at an event is 

your space vs budget. Creative event signage is a great starting point for smaller 

budgets, creating a focal point as you enter in to an arena or venue, setting the 

tone for what to expect inside. The smallest of budgets will focus on the signage 

itself. Medium budgets can then look at how to build on this, extending out from 

the core creative with bespoke lighting, bunting and props that develop the 

signage into more of a statement set piece. This will extend the reach of your 

creative and add to the overall impact, which as we know is a key element of 

eliciting the right kind of atmosphere. With a larger budget, you can then look 

at how you carry on the thematic tone set at the venue entrance throughout the 

whole arena or venue. Bespoke sculpture, installations and art pieces can sit 

below bunting, flags and lighting all set to a distinct colour pallet. 


Joe Elkins is part of the creative team at House 

of Bestival, an event consultancy and prop hire 

business. Set up by Josie da Bank and Ziggy 

Gilsenan, the creative and brand marketing forces 

behind Bestival, House of Bestival was established 

to share their vision and work with likeminded 

clients. With one of the strongest creative teams in 

the industry and an exciting selection of microvenues, 

bars, furniture and props available, House 

of Bestival prides itself on turning events into 

something extraordinary. www.houseofbestival.net 


AWESOME 

INSTALlATIONS 

CREATIVE BAR 

SOLUTIONS 

EVENT 

PRODUCTION 

IMMERSIVE 

EXPERIENCES 

HOUSE 

of 

UNIQUE 

VENUES 

EPIC 

SPECTACLES 

PROP 

HIRE 

BRAND 

CONSULTANCY 

Over the last decade, we have created a huge catalogue of beautifully crafted handmade 

furniture, easy-install mobile bars and micro-venues. We have some truly unique pieces you 

won’t fi nd for hire anywhere else, and our crack team can create bespoke installations or 

breath taking brand activations to your specifi cation. So, if you’re searching for something 

with character and want to create an impact, you should be talking to House of Bestival. 

HOUSEOFBESTIVAL.NET 

HOUSEOFBESTIVAL

We Offer Premier Outdoor 

Event Structure Hire to All Events 

SADDLESPAN, MODULAR MATRIX TENTS AND MOBILE STAGES 

Office: 01223 870935 Mobile: 

07881 614134 

Email: enquiries@gigtent.co.uk www.gigtent.co.uk 

TRANSFORM YOUR EVENT WITH AN ICONIC AIRSTREAM STAGE 

AVAILABLE TO HIRE WITH OR WITHOUT PRO ENGINEERED SOUND AND LIGHTING 

www.bulletstage.co.uk 

Telephone: 07725 181374 | email: adam@bulletstage.co.uk 


EVENTS 

Stage and Sound 

How your event can deliver top performances with the right selection of suppliers 

Adam Morton, designer 

Bullet Stage 

07725 181374 


What advice can you give an event 

organiser? 

Get in early! Great crew and kit can 

make an event run effortlessly. If you’re 

interested in a particular supplier, chances 

are other people will be too – ask them 

to pencil your event in their diary and 

mutually agree on a date by which you will 

realistically be ready to confirm. 


Our iconic Airstream trailer stages are 

totally unique on the market. This, coupled 

with the professionalism, experience 

and attitude of the crew has enabled 

us to punch above our weight in the 

industry, with our stages now recognisable 

installations at some of Britain’s most 

prestigious events. 

Our stages are adapted classic Airstream 

trailers, which gives us an obvious USP. 

For our clients and their audiences, the 

Airstream stages offer a stage that looks 

great as soon as it’s in position, whereas 

other small to medium trailer stages can 

sometimes look a bit boring if there isn’t a 

big budget for lights and stage dressings. 



Our stages can be set up in under 20 

minutes by one operator and come 

equipped with basic lighting included in 

the price, making it a very cost effective 

solution for smaller events. From this 

starting point we can scale up our sound 

and lighting systems to an appropriate 

level for the size of event, and have the 

capacity to cater for much larger events as 

well. We take pride in our ability to deliver 

a pro concert level of service for ordinary 

budgets, and love being able to make an 

impact on the visuals and sound of well 

considered small festivals and events. 

Please mention an event that has used 

your product and how it performed 

Last season was an interesting one for us. 

As well as our continued festival presence, 

we also provided stage and sound at 

several race events, including the British 

Grand Prix where we took prime position in 

the VIP lounge garden of the British Racing 

Drivers’ Club. The stage looked completely 

at home in the garden next to the selection 

of vintage racing cars, and it played host to 

some past greats of Formula One. 

On the Saturday night the Drivers’ Club 

booked a function band mostly made 

up of members of Jamiroquai. Our PA 

equipment and engineers matched the 

professionalism of these top flight session 

musicians and we received compliments 

on the flawless sound on stage and out 

front. It was a very proud moment to 

see both band members and audience 

absorbed in the music. 

Amelia Riordan, 

director 

Gigtent 

01223 870935 

www.gigtent.co.uk 


organiser on procuring a stage? 

The two main considerations for any 

event organiser when booking stages 

are the size of stage required and the 

visual appeal of the chosen staging. 

Think about the expected audience 

numbers and the kind of stage 

requirements that your performers 

and acts will expect. Once this has 

been established, and you know 

the size needed, you must start to 

consider how you want your event to 

look. What kind of atmosphere and 

scene are you aiming for? The visual 

impact of an event can really set the 

tone from the start. 


Employing a cohesive look across an 

event site adds to an effective visual 

impact. We supply a wide range of 

Matrix Modular Marquees alongside 

our signature saddlespan structures. 


EVENTS 

Both ranges are produced in Canada 

by the same manufacturer, using the 

same fabric and parts, enabling us to 

supply an event with structures that 

coordinate in style. The structures 

are bright white, modern and funky 

looking – a welcome change from 

standard A-frame marquees. Using 

the two products together will give 

the event a slick look and avoid a 

mismatch of different styles. The 

modular nature of our structures 

enables the event organiser to design 

structures unique to their site and 

event. 



Our saddlespans are available in 

a range of sizes from the S2000, 

which is perfect for smaller stages 

and budgets, to its bigger sibling 

the S5000, and up to the impressive 

Duo-Span and the whopping Tri-Span 

models for larger events and budgets. 

All of the saddlespans have beautiful 

architectural curves and create 

a stunning centrepiece for event 

organisers to work with. 

Last year we decided to add 

another low to medium budget 

product to our range in the form of 

the XLR Mobile Stage. This is a great 

option for one day, urban and town 

centre events as it can be installed in 

a couple of hours and can be erected 

on all surfaces and on sites with 

limited space. 

Please mention an event that 

has used your product and how it 

performed 

The first ‘Countryfile Live’ event 

in 2016 used both saddlespans 

S2000 and S5000’s as stage covers 

for its celebrity chef cookery 

demonstrations. They were a great 

success and this year they have 

chosen to use the matching Modular 

Marquees for their food court areas 

to tie in with the demonstration 

stages. The overall impact is to create 

a defined foodie area within a much 

larger event. 

Another exciting new event for 2017 

is ‘Pub in the Park’ in Marlow, headed 

up by celebrity chef Tom Kerridge. 

The organiser, Brand Events, has 

chosen both saddlespans and Matrix 

Modular Marquees, giving the event 

a fresh, vibrant and enticing appeal. 

Having sold out within days, the event 

looks set to be an enormous success! 

GETTY IMAGES 

Chris Hannam, owner 

Stagesafe 

www.stagesafe.co.uk 

07831 437062 


organiser on stage safety? 

Allow yourself plenty of time and ensure 

you have the experience and training 

to deal with such matters, it’s all in the 

planning. 

Guidance on procurement, design 

and use by the Institute of Structural 

Engineers is essential reading for anyone 

involved in booking staging and event 

production. 

Since 2015 the CDM (Construction 

Design Management Regulations) have 

applied to the event industry, this means 

special regulations apply to events 

where structures (including stages) are 

being erected and used. The correct 

documentation must be in place and 

certain people will be duty holders under 

the regulations, including the end client 

who must ensure a number of duties are 

carried out. 

Most modern lighting and audio 

systems are now flown (suspended), this 

is also a very specialist operation known 

as ‘rigging’. If this is not carried out by 

GETTY IMAGES 

“IF THIS IS NOT CARRIED 

OUT BY EXPERTS 

(NATIONAL RIGGING 

CERTIFICATE HOLDERS) IT 

CAN BE VERY HAZARDOUS 

INDEED” 

experts (National Rigging Certificate 

holders) it can be very hazardous indeed. 

The stage structure needs to be capable of 

withholding the planned weight loadings 

and all rigging equipment must be tested 

and inspected. 

Temporary power supplies (generators) 

and distribution must meet BS 7909: 

2011 code of practice for temporary 

electrical systems for entertainment 

and related purposes. Your average 


EVENTS 

electrician and construction site 

generators and distribution do not 

meet these standards, and a specialist 

entertainment contractor needs to be 

engaged who can test and sign off the 

work to BS 7909. This is not the place 

for your mate who happens to be an 

electrician! 

How can you help? 

Stagesafe is a pioneer in event safety 

and introduced the Safety Passport 

scheme to the industry. Fully qualified, 

fully insured, and with over 35 years’ 

experience including production, stage 

and tour management. 



Options are dictated by legal 

requirements, the same laws and 

regulations apply regardless of the size 

of the event. 

Please mention an event that 

has used your product and how it 

performed 

Most recently Stagesafe was involved 

on a World tour with Duran Duran and 

has also consulted on several George 

Michael tours. 

Richard Wilson, 

project manager 

Impact Production 

Services (IPS) 

01908 657950 

www.impactproductions.co.uk 


organiser on stages, sound and 

lighting? 

Having a suitable stage makes a huge 

difference to any performance, as it is 

usually the focal point of the event. It 

needs to be large enough to meet the 

requirements of the performer and 

to be suitably visible to the audience. 

If band changeovers are taking place 

then space needs to be allowed for 

this, along with monitor positions 

and consideration for performer and 

equipment access. 

Sound needs to cover the audience 

area at an appropriate volume and 

the equipment needs to meet the 

requirements of the performer’s rider. 

Lighting can range from basic 

illumination to a full show in its 

own right, and specification will 

vary depending on the time of day 

of the performance and the artistic 

aspirations for the show (and don’t 

forget about house or site lighting for 

before and after the show). 

When enquiring about a production, 

the important details are the event 

dates, details about the event location 

and size, the type of performer and 

any specific rider requirement, and the 

anticipated audience numbers. 


IPS can supply a large range of equipment 

and services, from a single element 

to full technical production. With a 

range of different outdoor roof stages 

available, along with huge rental stocks 

of staging, rigging, lighting, video, 

sound and power equipment, IPS can 

put together a package for all kinds 

of event requirements, and this can 

lead to combined transportation and 

crew, keeping costs down. All IPS staff 

are trained and competent, and hire 

equipment is meticulously maintained 

and from leading manufacturers so a high 

quality and safe production is guaranteed. 



Starting from an equipment only hire 

of staging (that can be collected and 

returned to our warehouse in your own 

van for less than £100) to a full technical 

solution produced for your event, IPS has 

equipment and solutions for all budgets. 

Guide prices for outdoor roof stages 

are on the IPS website and we can add 

sound and lighting packages to suit your 

requirements. 

Please mention an event that has used 

your services 

IPS supplied a full technical production 

package for a series of running events, 

supplying outdoor structures, lighting, 

sound, generators and power, along with 

all technical crew, travel and logistics. IPS 

had great feedback from these events and 

supplied versions all over the UK. 


EVENTS | PRODUCT FOCUS 

Event Infrastructure 

Stages and solar lights 

LOOKS AND SOUND TO 

MATCH! 

Bulletstage 

07725 181374 


Bulletstage is a well oiled 

machine! We offer stage, 

sound and lighting packages 

throughout the UK, delivering 

a slick professional service at a 

good price point. 

We have a fleet of adapted 

classic Airstream travel trailers 

that transform into impressive 

concert stages, ideal for any 

event that requires a covered 

stage. Our packages combine 

expertly engineered public 

address systems together with 

the coolest outdoor stage hire 

solution around. 

Our broad range of work 

takes us to boutique festivals, 

street parties, weddings, PR 

and marketing events, major 

festivals, vintage events and 

race meetings. 

SOLAR POWERED LIGHT COME 

RAIN OR SHINE 

Prolectric 

01275 400570 

www.prolectric.co.uk 

Light up the environmentallyfriendly 

way with Prolectric 

solar temporary lighting. It 

offers you complete reliability, 

whether for hire or purchase. 

The ProTemp lighting column 

and ProLight lighting tower 

deliver hassle-free industrialgrade 

illumination that keeps on 

working even when there’s no 

sun. Unlike diesel alternatives, 

there’s no noise, no fuel and no 

emissions, they don’t need to 

be maintained or refuelled and 

there are no cable trenches to 

dig. Prolectric is the UK’s largest 

provider of solar lighting, with 

over 2,000 UK installations, 

including Boardmasters and 

London Marathon. Contact 

us for competitive prices and 

advice on your site needs. 

Professional Live Event Support 

• Stages & stage canopies • Lighting, good stocks 

• AV systems • Power & mains distribution 

• Skilled operators • Dry hire or supply and instal 

www.mosaicfx.co.uk | 01462 85 1234 


SPECIALIST MOBILE 

TOWER LIGHT PROVIDERS 

CONTACT US 

FOR SPECIAL 

OFFER DETAILS 

QUOTE “NEW10”* 

Brightlights, a division of A-Plant, is a specialist mobile tower 

light provider specifically set up to service the events industry. 

• Efficient, reliable and super silent equipment 

• Modern fleet from market-leading manufacturers 

• Brightest LED technology 

• Operate lights direct from iPhone 

• Available nationwide 

With over £1 million invested in new equipment, you can benefit from 

one of the most up-to-date mobile tower light fleets in the industry, 

with the added benefit of expert industry knowledge, high service 

levels and competitive pricing. 

01245 426 655 

info@brightlights-towers.co.uk 

www.brightlights-towers.co.uk 

*Offer valid until 30th September 2017. 

control code:04/17/5058 

I P S 

IMPACT 

P r o d u c t i o n S e r v i c e s 

Staging & Technical Event Services 

Rigging 

Sound 

Roof Structures 

Lighting 

Video/LED Screen 

Power Stage Platforms 

Staging & Technical Package Deals available 

Book now for Summer 2017 and beyond 

facebook.com/ImpactProductionServices 

twitter.com/ips_impact 

follow us on 

Call Now for a Quotation 

01908 657950 

impactproductions.co.uk 


ADVERTISING FEATURE 

Spot light 

A roundup of products for the outdoor hospitality industry 

AIRSTREAM 

ACCOMMODATION 

Airstream Facilities 

07775 802 611 

www.airstreamfacilities.com 

Airstream Facilities 

supply luxury Airstream 

accommodation to the 

boutique camping market at 

festivals, corporate events, 

weddings and to the TV/film 

industry. Each Airstream 

has been lovingly restored 

and fitted out to the highest 

possible standard. Popular 

with couples, families or 

friends, with a choice of 

double or single beds, they 

sleep between 2-5 people. 

Take your pick from our 

fleet of 37 luxury Airstreams. 

All Airstreams come with 

a fully equipped kitchen, 

bathroom, central heating, 

air-con, TV/DVD, hi-fi system 

and plenty of space to hang 

out. 

EVENT KITCHENS AND CATERING 

EQUIPMENT 

PKL Group 

01242 663000 | www.pkl.co.uk 

PKL Group is the UK’s leading 

supplier of modular commercial 

kitchens. With 27 years in the 

industry, we have hundreds of 

temporary kitchens and 10,000 

items of catering equipment 

available to hire. We work on 

around 500 events each year, 

including festivals, sporting 

events and pop-up restaurants in 

all sorts of weird and wonderful 

places! 

From stand-alone catering 

equipment for use in marquees 

or existing buildings, to complete 

modular kitchens and coldrooms, 

we supply events of all sizes. We 

are CDM Regulations compliant 

and offer a complete turnkey 

service, from design and project 

management to installation and 

24-hour technical support. 

OFF GRID LIGHT AND 

POWER 

Portable Power 

Technology 

01474 761051 

www.portablepowertech.com 

The fantastic NIWA Home 

200 X2 is the perfect 

modular solar system. With 

two ceiling lamps, it offers 

an easy start into off grid 

energy independence and 

is fully expandable to suit 

your needs. Each of the 

lamps has an impressive 

100 lumen brightness, 

more than enough for a 

glamping pod, tent or off 

grid building. The system 

includes a liFePO4 battery 

with a huge life cycle of 5+ 

years and can be used to 

charge smartphones, tablets 

and all devices via USB. 

Want to discuss NIWA or any 

off-grid power solution? – 

please call us. 

STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL, 

HANDCRAFTED YURTS 

Green Yurts 

07823 339297 

www.greenyurts.co.uk 

Inspired by the magic of 

festivals and designed to 

incorporate their spirit, 

our 42ft yurt is the perfect 

solution for anyone looking 

for an alternative to a 

traditional marquee. Be it 

a wedding, private party 

or corporate function our 

large yurt will make your 

event stand out and be 

one to remember. We are a 

company that understands 

the importance of luxury 

and have an ethos rooted 

in providing a top quality 

service at outstanding value 

for money. With the option 

of adding additional yurts, 

bell tents, stretch tents and 

marquees, the possibilities 

are almost endless! 


TREEHOUSE GLAMPING FOR ALL 

Cheeky Monkey Treehouses 

01403 732 452 

www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.com 

Our team has over 15 years’ 

combined experience in 

designing and building 

treehouses of all shapes and 

sizes. From simple elevated 

cabins to a complex maze 

of rope bridges and tree 

top hideaways. Whether 

it is a single structure as a 

luxury escape for two, or 

a field of individually built 

family glamping pods, we 

provide a personal treehouse 

consultation service with 

you at your proposed 

treehouse site, where ideas 

can be gathered, shared 

and implemented. Handdrawn, 

illustrated and 

three-dimensional drawings 

are then created to suit your 

needs and those of your 

desired end user. 

SHOWER COLUMN THAT 

REDUCES TAX BILLS 

Horne Engineering 

01505 321455 

www.horne.co.uk 

Did you know that the stylish 

Duŝo shower column from 

Horne Engineering can also 

reduce your tax bill? If you 

buy an asset that qualifies 

for First Year Allowances, you 

can deduct the full cost from 

your profits before tax. The 

Duŝo is named on the ECA 

Water Technology List as it is 

water and energy efficient. A 

flow rate of 8 L/min optimally 

balances the need to conserve 

pre-heated water but still 

provide an effective shower. 

The auto shut-off prevents 

water wastage and the 60 

second duration per paddle 

actuation also improves 

your customer experience. 

Narrated animation at https:// 

youtu.be/ZjrYa6Mreik 

ECO-FRIENDLY WASTE SOLUTIONS 

The Septic Tank Store 

0845 0945 603 

www.theseptictankstore.co.uk 

With many years’ experience, 

UK-based family firm The Septic 

Tank Store offers a wealth of 

experience in planning, supplying 

and installing sewage systems. 

Using the newest eco-friendly 

products where possible, our 

systems take foul effluent and 

put it through a natural process 

to leave water with reduced 

pollutant levels for discharge to 

the appropriate point. 

Each client and venue has a 

different requirement, therefore 

each solution is carefully 

planned to optimise capacity 

and minimise ongoing running 

costs, hence the use of ecofriendly 

compressors. The team 

specialises in providing the most 

practical system at the most 

competitive price, from initial 

concept to completed works. 

ADD ‘WOW’ WITH LIGHTING 

BALLOONS 

Airstar 

02033 016 339 

www.airstar-light.com 

Airstar, the inventor of and a 

world leader in lighting balloons, 

wanted to innovate a balloon 

that is ideal for any live event, 

including broadcasted events such 

as fashion shows, sport events, 

festivals and television shows. It 

launched the new Crystal Dynamic 

White 300W LED, the first balloon 

of its kind that is completely flicker 

free, dimmable, DMX controllable 

and allows you to control the 

colour temperature (3,000-6,500° 

Kelvin) of the light diffused. Perfect 

for decorating event spaces inside 

and out, it adds to the versatility 

of Airstar balloons, giving you 

enhanced control of your lighting. 

You can also customise the balloon 

by branding it with vinyls. 


CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY 

A4 - Full Page Ad.indd 1 04/04/2016 17:17 

A4 - Full Page Ad.indd 1 04/04/2016 17:17 

Classified Directory 

Sewage Treatment Systems 

For all residential, commercial 

and industrial applications 

mobile cookery theatre 

demonstration kitchens for hire 

01462 43 44 45 

www.onstagekitchens.com 

08450 945 603 • info@theseptictankstore.co.uk 

www.theseptictankstore.co.uk 

Providing luxury bell tents available 

for both hire & purchase 

info@boutiquecamping.com 

Providing 

Providing 

luxury bell 

luxury 

tents perfect 

bell tents 

for: 

perfect for: 

• Camping • Camping 

+44(0)203 

• Outdoor 

394 2986 

• Outdoor summer play summer roomsplay rooms 

boutiquecamping.com 

• Garden • lounge Garden areas lounge areas 

• Festivals • Festivals 

info@boutiquecamping.com 

info@boutiquecamping.com • Weddings 

• Weddings 

and much 

and 

more! 

much more! 

+44(0)203 394 2986 

+44(0)203 394 2986 

boutiquecamping.com Available for both hire & purchase. 

boutiquecamping.com Available for both hire & purchase. 

LEADING LIGHT 

AND POWER 

FOR THE EVENTS 

INDUSTRY 

0345 409 0280 

the Ultimate solution for 

restraining temporary structures 

the Ultimate solution for 

restraining temporary structures 

www.classicpodcompany.co.uk 

T: 07971 869058 

0800 122 3304 www.anchorbloc.co.uk 

0800 122 3304 www.anchorbloc.co.uk 

ü Hire or buy your Anchor Blocs outright 

ü Take advantage of our 'Anchor Managment' 

programme - great if you have multiple events at 

different locations. 

ü Hire 

Full 

or 

logistics 

buy your 

and 

Anchor 

storage 

Blocs 

facilities 

outright 

are available 

ü Take 

Payment 

advantage 

by credit 

of our 

card 

'Anchor 

for convenience 

Managment' 

ü 

programme 

Emergency telephone 

- great if you 

service 

have 

for 

multiple 

24/7 support 

events at 

different locations. 

ü Full logistics and storage facilities are available 

ü Payment by credit card for convenience 

InPartyTentsCo. 

ü Emergency telephone service for 24/7 support 

HIRING ALL OVER KENT & SUSSEX, NO VAT 

AND FREE DELIVERY WITHIN 30 MILE RADIUS 

O7917 457 820 | inpartytentsco@aol.com 

STYLISH & UNIQUE MARQUEES 

FOR WEDDINGS & PARTIES 

ü 1000kg, 500kg, 330kg and 250kg options 

ü Perfect for securing marquees, inflatables and any 

other fabric temporaty structures. 

CDM 2015 compliant Lloyd British Testing Certifed 

ü 1000kg, 

in accordance 

500kg, 

with 

330kg 

BS5975:2008. 

and 250kg options 

ü Perfect 

Custom 

for 

options 

securing 

avalible. 

marquees, inflatables and any 

other 

Huge 

fabric 

Range 

temporaty 

of accesories, 

structures. 

From branded covers to 

ü CDM 

specially 

2015 

adapted 

compliant 

all 

Lloyd 

teraine 

British 

pallet 

Testing 

trucks. 

Certifed 

in accordance with BS5975:2008. 

ü Custom options avalible. 

ü Huge Range of accesories, From branded covers to 

specially adapted all teraine pallet trucks. 


CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY 

Festival 

Trackway 

traditional tepees with a 

modern twist... 

Retailer of single pole canvas tepees with fly 

screens & windows in 3,4,5 and 6m diameter 

tent hire in the north east 

www.northernstartepees.co.uk 

Luxury Toilet Trailers, Event Loos, 

Themed Toilets, Shower Units & 

Accommodation Hire 

Multi award-winning trackway 

& safety flooring solutions 

01455 553700 

sales@ecotrackway.co.uk 

Ec 

Track 

& Access Ltd 

incorporating 

UmTech 

Epic Group 

01256 384 134 


event@site-equip.co.uk 

Your own private bathroom 

right next to your tent or caravan 

Tel. 0031 186 769 054 ❤ info@campplus.co.uk 

www.campplus.co.uk 

Simply the Best Events own and operate over 350 

different attractions in house for Corporate Fun Days 

and It’s A Knockout events throughout the UK. 

Speak to one of our Event Managers 

on 0800 019 3908 

www.simplythebestevents.co.uk 

Ensure your guests have the best!! 

• Luxurious eco-friendly modular vacuum toilet facilities 

• Bespoke and stylish 

• Ideal for all prestigious corporate and private outdoor events 

• Covering the UK 


• Luxurious eco-friendly modular vacuum toilet facilities 

Tel: • Bespoke 0345 and 459 stylish 0589 

• Ideal for www.classicalloocompany.com 

all prestigious corporate and private outdoor events 

enquiries@classicalloocompany.com 

• Covering the UK 

Tel: 0345 459 0589 

www.classicalloocompany.com 

enquiries@classicalloocompany.com 

BRAND NEW POP UP 

Erection and dismantling included 

in the price. Excellent for garden 

parties, birthdays, markets, 

weddings and other events 

Tel: 01789 267000 

Email: info@sketts.co.uk 

www.popuphire.co.uk 

COOLING & HEATING SOLUTIONS 


COOLING • Luxurious eco-friendly & HEATING modular vacuum SOLUTIONS 

toilet facilities 

temperature • Bespoke control and stylish 

specialists 

• Ideal for all prestigious corporate and private outdoor events 

• Covering hirethe UK 

sales hire 

Tel: 0345 459 0589 

portable sales units 

www.classicalloocompany.com 

temporary portable systems 

enquiries@classicalloocompany.com units 

temporary systems 

sales@candhs.co.uk – coolingandheatingsolutions.com – 01590 681 434 

Marlwood House, Silver Street, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 6DG, UK 

sales@candhs.co.uk – coolingandheatingsolutions.com – 01590 681 434 

Marlwood House, Silver Street, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 6DG, UK 

sales@candhs.co.uk 

coolingandheatingsolutions.com 

01590 681 434 

TIMBER INTENT 

Tensile structures: 

facilities, camp, glamp & event 

Architecture: 

design & planning application 

01297 444416 timberintent.co.uk 


PERIWINKLE 

WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED 

THEIR HUTS BY NIGHT 

More extracts from Periwinkle’s diary… 

MONDAY 

Woke this morning feeling gloomier than 

a milkman’s horse at the start of a 3 a.m. 

milk round. All these grandiose plans 

from Chuffer, Twistleton-Penge and Tubby 

have left me yearning for a simpler life. 

Something that doesn’t involve second 

hand Chinese tents or bouncy castles for 

grown-ups. Something a bit more rustic, 

a bit more Thomas Hardy. Some place 

compact and bijou where a chap could 

write some deathless prose - or his memoirs 

perhaps. 

Called my agent in the metropolis for 

advice. “I’m like, thinking, tree house, ya?,” 

Ms Meadow Flowers said. “Tarzan chic. All 

the rage in Uganda,” she said. “Or like, what 

about a sheep steward’s lodgings, they’re 

cool.” I took it that she meant a shepherds 

hut but metro-speak’s her only language. I 

liked the idea. 

TUESDAY 

A stroke of luck. While scanning the small 

ads last night, came across a ‘pre-owned 

shepherds hut’. A Godsend! I called the 

number straight away. The seller seemed 

a tad on edge. Judging by the way he 

conducted the entire negotiation in a 

whisper, he clearly suffered from laryngitis. 

He asked for £1,000. I countered with £250 

and he backed down right away. I haven’t 

lost my touch it seems. 

WEDNESDAY 

The shepherds hut has arrived. I haven’t 

been this excited since 1968, when Cliff 

Richard came second in the Eurovision 

Song Contest. It was parked up in a copse 

well off the main road and camouflaged 

with branches, just like the seller said it 

would be! Can’t wait to get my typewriter 

and desk set up inside, roll up my sleeves 

and start working on my memoirs. Look out 

publishing world, here I come! 

THURSDAY 

Colour me stupid. The shepherds hut 

misses my romantic expectations by a 

glamper’s mile. First off, I did not expect 

to find the shepherd still in it. But there 

he was in his smock. Or perhaps it was a 

nightgown, because he lay sprawled across 

the bed, dead to the world and did not even 

bother to get out of his pit when I arrived. 

Technically, he’s a squatter. Called PC Plod 

and insisted they evict the fellow. Left him 

sleeping to make it easier for them to sling 

the interloper in the back of their Paddy 

wagon when they arrived (they said this was 

not a priority). 

Secondly, as if finding a slumbering 

shepherd wasn’t annoying enough, the hut 

was packed full of sheep. A baker’s dozen of 

Hampshires and a Romney or three I think 

(I came down from Oxford with a double 

first in Sheep Management and Three-ply 

Knitting, but that was 30 years ago and 

when you’re not working with the woollies 

on a daily basis you lose the touch). 

I don’t know what I expected. After all, 

when it came down to brass tacks, it was 

just a hut. A hut that once (or in this case 

still) housed a shepherd, but still a tin hut 

for all that. The Akond of Swot could have 

lived there with his camels tethered outside 

and it would still have been a hut. 

FRIDAY 

Borrowed a sheepdog from Twistleton- 

Penge. Sent the mutt into the hut to shoo 

out the woollies. They weren’t having it. 

Rover came scuttling out again sharpish 

like with his tail between his legs. I have 

never witnessed loyalty in sheep before but 

these bleaters had the shepherd’s back, that 

much was sure. 

SUNDAY 

Oops! Turns out the shepherd squatting in 

my hut wasn’t just dead to the world - he 

was dead! The police are unhappy. The 

sheep aren’t exactly over the moon about it 

either. 

MONDAY 

Brainwave. I’ll call that chap from Channel 

4 - George Clarke off Amazing Spaces. He 

could turn an airing cupboard into a two 

up two down with en-suite bathrooms for 

less than a hundred quid I hear. I called him 

on my mobile from the hut and told him 

the story, hoping for some free publicity for 

my memoirs (what about ‘Glamping the 

Periwinkle way’ as a title?). 

At first Mr Clarke seemed keen. 

Enthusiastic even. “We might be able to 

build a two part special around this,” he 

said, “Or a season long reality TV show. It 

would be simply amazing!” He was making 

all the right noises. It’s just that the sheep 

were making all the wrong noises. Noises 

which the TV star could undoubtedly hear at 

his end of the line. 

When I got to the part about the dead 

shepherd - I made light of this by chuckling 

in a ‘you’ll never guess what happened next’ 

sort of way - he hung up on me. 

TUESDAY 

On reflection I can’t see my memoirs 

getting written any time soon. Not in that 

hut anyway. The police have impounded 

it as evidence, though they say I can keep 

the sheep since nobody else wants them. 

Except for a couple of the Hampshires which 

have been cited as witnesses. 

They say the case might take years 

to come to court. It’s a great pity really 

because the dead shepherd story would 

make a fascinating chapter. 


www.tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk 

Nationwide 

07826 84 30 99 

@TentickleUK 

TentickleUK

Open Air Business May 2017

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