Access All Areas September 2020 | Page 5

SEPTEMBER | WELCOME Colophon EDITOR Christopher Barrett DEPUTY EDITOR Stuart Wood SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sean Wyatt-Livesley SALES DIRECTOR James Linin JUNIOR NEWS REPORTER Olivia Powell PRODUCTION MANAGER Elizabeth Nixon SUBSCRIPTIONS EXECUTIVE Matthew Williams PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Duncan Siegle PUBLISHED BY MASH MEDIA GROUP Second Floor, Applemarket House, 17 Union Street, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 1RP. 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 1RP. The opinions expressed by contributors to this publication are not always a reflection 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. Subscribe on www.accessaa.co.uk It’s a strange and challenging time in our industry but surely, as Shakespeare once wrote, “Now is the winter of our discontent”, and there are signs of better times ahead. It has been heartening to see SSD Concerts work closely with the local council to stage 35 shows across six weeks in Newcastle (p8). Worldwide, event operators are finding remarkable ways to stage events against the odds (p16). That is enabling artists and audiences to re-engage, offline, while sending a powerful message that there is much life, ingenuity and unbridled talent left in the events industry. It’s been hugely encouraging to see industry associations unite behind campaigns such as #LetTheMusicPlay and the #WeMakeEvents (p37) to make the Government and media sit up and take notice. With so many people working remotely and the industry in a state of flux, joining a new company at a time like this has been a somewhat unusual experience but it is a privilege to join the team at Mash Media. It is a dynamic group of individuals intent on helping to lead the industry out of the current mire, raise the sector’s profile and highlight the issues it is facing. Whether it is offering free use of office space to event professionals or bringing the industry together behind the #WeCreateExperiences events industry PR campaign, Mash Media is a hugely positive environment in which to work. There is much uncertainty and many challenges in our midst but as Green Man owner Fiona Stewart points out (p22), the events industry “builds magical places out of thin air and creates memories that last a lifetime”, and being an obstacle savvy industry it is well placed to tackle the enormous obstacle that is Covid-19. The return of Access in its physical form emphasises Mash Media’s dedication to the outdoor events industry and we look forward to collectively putting this crisis behind us. Keep up to date by visiting: accessaa.co.uk Christopher Barrett, Editor @access_aa @access_aa 05