JUNE | COVER FEATURE
Parking in London
Access runs down some key stats on
the capital’s events in and around the
parks
• It costs circa £40m to run the parks.
In 2016/17 events generated circa £11
million
• Events provide a vital source of
income; without it TRP could not
continue to improve and conserve the
parks to the high standards expected
• 87% of residents support events being
held in Hyde Park when they know that
money raised is reinvested into the
parks (IPSOS Mori 2016)
• 80% of local people agree that events
in Hyde Park have a positive impact on
London. (Ipsos Mori 2016)
• The Royal Parks attract over 77 million
visits each year
• Before events TRP works with event
partners to put measures in place
to protect the park and post event it
ensures the parks are fully restored,
funded by event organisers
• Major Events on the Hyde Park Parade
Ground take up approximately 13% of
the whole park, leaving 87% open and
accessible for all
• All events TRP hosts are in line with its
Major Events Strategy
• London & Partners estimate that
London’s event leisure tourism directly
contributed £2.8bn to the city’s
economy in 2015 and supported over
27,000 jobs. This includes events held in
the Royal Parks
• Major events are worth at least £400m
a year to London
32
Below: Hyde Park
revellers
guidelines to improve the event
from the initial stages.”
The enquiries really took an
upturn after the 2012 Olympic
Games, during which the parks
held events including the triathlon,
17 roller events, beach volley ball at
Horseguards.
Once the Parks breathed sigh
of relief from these, the team
took stock of its Major Events
Programme.
“We went from having a very
reactive department, dealing with
events and filming daily, to being
proactive. Our strategy document
was published in 2013, and then
updated in 2015. It went out for
consultation and has the buy in for
stakeholders,” says Mainwaring.
The list of stakeholders varies
from park to park. At St James
Park for example, The Queen,
Prince Charles, residents and
the military are among those
with vested interests. Hyde Park
has a similar list, including The
Friends of Hyde Park Group &
Kensington Gardens.
“Hyde Park is ‘the people’s
park’, so the consultation is
thorough. Its events are more
based around entertainment with
the Parade Ground hosting up
to nine concerts annually with a
60,000 capacity.”
Elsewhere, the park hosts
PWR’s Winter Wonderland, Proms
in the Park, the Royal Parks Half
Marathon and mass participation
sporting events.
“We set the capacities for
each event, and we tender for
opportunities. For concerts, we
want to tender for a seven year
contract, and we are way more
prescriptive in our requirements. I
wrote the specification for Winter
Wonderland’s tender. For concerts
in Hyde Park, we set a red line
boundary, and require certain
standards, like flushable loos,
the best artists, qualitative and
financial submissions.”
Long term contracts allow the
Royal Parks to become a partner
and allow organisers to invest
heavily in year one setup. “AEG,
for example, invested in the Great
Oaks Stage in 2013, a structure
that is in keeping with the
surroundings and is truly world
class.”
Elsewhere, St James Park,
Regents Park and Richmond Park
are used for more ceremonial
purposes, and as such are subject
to more branding restrictions.
“We try and restrict what
we do at Horseguards Parade
as it is a shared space with a
changing of the guards occurring
daily. It therefore has a national
importance. However, there are
various events that are suitable for
the space.