We were recommended by Maverick Events who we work with on a regular basis at Norwood Park.
After attending a site visit and an organisational meeting on the 22nd of February by one of our events team we knew that there was going to be a lot of work involved, especially if the weather worked against us. The venue was only just opening so the grass had not had chance to grow properly and if it rained heavily it was going to be a big problem for vehicle access. Nightair as a company has been doing these sort of events for 30 years so it's not something that phased us in the slightest. When these sort of events are planned correctly they always go fantastically, however weather is one of the few things that cannot be influenced. More on the weather in a moment!
The first step was for our tech team to co-ordinate with the marquee company to get the measurements of the marquee to design a bespoke set to fit in the space available and also fit the size of the stage. Without the exact measurements it can cause issues when it comes to putting everything together on site. After designing the set we ordered in some more stage weights and some stage braces which will come in handy for events like this in future.
Monday morning came and the lads loaded the van. I however got a phone call from them at 9am to say the weights and braces had not arrived. That was my cue to phone the supplier to find out what was going on. It turned out the courier had been unable to find us to deliver them and they had then done nothing more with them when they arrived back at the depot. Thanks City Link...really helpful!
Anyway, I did the running around and headed over to site to meet the delivery driver who was dropping off the big daddy projector we had hired in.
On arriving on site at the prearranged time of 1230 It turned out that the heavy rain the day before had really hampered the progress of the marquee company and they were about 4 hours behind! My first thought was "this is going to be a late one". I rang the lads to let them know that there was little point in them being there before 3pm so no rush to get over to site. Due to very little 3g signal replying to emails wasn't an option so it was a case of "hurry up and wait!"
Finally at about 4pm the marquee was at a stage where we could start bringing kit in. In 2 teams we got it all in within half an hour. One team inside with shoes off to keep the carpet clean and one team outside to pass it in the equipment. After 1 Sprinter van and 1 Vito van full, it was all in. The rigging could finally begin. I won't bore you with the details except for the fact that many cables were plugged in, many speakers were stacked and many lights were hung!
We finally finished setting up at 1am! A long day indeed!
The best part was seeing the accommodation. On the way back we could hear a party going off in one of the cabin's, a shame we were too shattered to join in! The cabins were absolutely 1st rate. Great décor, a log burner, very spacious and even a hot tub! It certainly beats a travel lodge!
Watched TV to wind down, a quick shower and then straight to bed for a 7.30 start.
The conference itself went very well and until the evening the hard work for us was done.
The next step was to change the stage around for the band that evening. All hands to the pump. After about an hour or so it was all set up. The band were fantastic although right know I can't remember what they were called.
The party finished in the marquee at 11pm due to noise restrictions. So for us it was pack away the band kit and migrate to the hot tub.
WOW! I really didn't want to get out! As a trainee "lampy" I couldn't resist playing with the LED lights in the tub!
Next day wasn't as long and the delegates from Fatface split into groups for most of the day. and it was finished by 3pm. Next was the "get out" and it took us around 4 hours to de-rig and load up. We were back at the office by about 7pm and away by 8pm.
A long but worthwhile 3 days. It's great to do an event like this where the crew is looked after and not forgotton when it comes to food and drink.
A big thanks to Ian, Jen, Sophie and all the Fatface team for looking after us so well. Hopefully we will work with you again for your next event. You did a fantastic job. If your looking for a different line of work outside of Clothing then Events Management is definitely your forte!
