Access All Areas March 2018 | Page 3

EDITOR’S LETTER aCcEsS ALl AReAs EDITOR Tom Hall CONTRIBUTORS Chantelle Dietz Matthew Vertigans Cash for councils DESIGNER Sean Wyatt-Livesley PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Duncan Siegle SALES DIRECTOR James Linin PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Elizabeth Nixon CONSUMER wallets are about to be upturned across the country as councils seek to raise taxes due to shortfalls in revenue. If only there was an overlooked and undervalued industry that might generate our bureaucratic friends some much needed extra cash. Festivals and events off er a fun and culturally enriching solution – and that’s just for the consumer. Noise complaints from local resident groups, mobilising with increased effi ciency in the Internet Age, must be tempered by hard data. Why? Because livelihoods, economic fl ourishing and the UK’s cultural heritage are at stake. Th ere’s a lack of awareness of events’ benefi ts among the general public. Th at’s why Access publisher Mash Media has teamed up with organisations including the Night Time Industries Association and Th e Fair for a research project to prove our industry’s business case. Our cover star, founder and CEO of Th e Fair and CEO of Big Cat Group Nick Morgan (p28), pulls no punches diagnosing the ‘death of festivals’, but, more importantly, he also off ers the remedy: A multi-pronged re-evaluation that involves government, local businesses, big brands, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Matthew Vertigans VIDEO PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE Karam Dhillon SUBSCRIPTIONS EXECUTIVE Kayode Adedeji DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE Kimberly Mullany PUBLISHED BY MASH MEDIA Second Floor, Applemarket House, 17 Union Street, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 1RR. Tel: +44 (0)20 8481 11 22 SUBSCRIPTION: Free to qualified readers within UK, Non-qualified readers within UK - £50, Readers in Europe/Eire - £70, Worldwide - £105. SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES: Tel: 020 8481 11 28. Address: Access All Areas, Second Floor, Applemarket House, 17 Union Street, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1RR. The opinions expressed by contributors to this publication are not always a refl ection of the opinions or the policy of the publishers. Information on services or products contained within editorial sections does not imply recommendation by Access All Areas. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form without written authority of Mash Media. INGENIOUS SOLUTION No. 804 + Ingenious Effects the media, consumers and the events industry itself. Th ere are, of course, other ways our industry can shape up. Th is issue highlights several carbon reduction initiatives, and challenges, in our Power feature (p34). Th ese come at a time when, sooner than anticipated, the market has provided a tipping point in the USA where cost per kilowatt hour for renewable energy and storage has dropped below that of coal. Meanwhile, consumer pressure is driving change for those with disabilities (p15), and Henley Festival (p50) is using its profi ts to benefi t a range of charities. Th ere’s cause for celebrations then. Just keep the noise below 85 decibels please. Tom Hall, Editor [email protected] @Access_AA @Access_AA Ingenious Gunge, CO2 & Confetti Effects! MT FX. com /AD S = Rock & Roll! Watch our highlights! When it comes to live special effects, tackling tough challenges is what we do best Welcome to MTFX. The ingenious effects people. 01452 729903 [email protected] www.mtfx.com Untitled-1 1 ACCESSAA.CO.UK 30/01/2018 09:45 MARCH 2018 3