WINTER | FEATURE
“ It was our realisation of the Formula E Fan Village that would become a moment to remember , setting precedent for the Formula E Fan experience across the global race schedule ,” she says .
Among LS Event ’ s business wins this year was being appointed by the Greater London Authority as its event management agency to produce , programme and manage the UEFA Champions League 2024 Fan Meeting points , aspects of the Champions Festival and other key host city activity .
Armstrong says that key to the company ’ s ability to cope with the challenging economic climate , not least the impact of staffing cost inflation , was the implementation of a detailed procurement review and development of a systematic approach to evaluating contract proposals to mitigate the impact on client budgets : “ When analysing data , we worked at a forensic level of detail to understand which areas were tracking an increase against inflation and which could be leveraged for budget efficiencies . We simply wouldn ’ t have been able to carry out such a detailed investigation without the support and engagement of contractors who were prepared to be transparent and flexible .”
Looking ahead to 2024 , Armstrong says the industry will doubtless feel a pinch on supply chain resources due to it being an Olympics year : “ Especially when you factor in the impact of Euro 2024 which is taking place in Germany around the same time . It ’ s so important to leverage strong supplier relationships during these times to get a handle on the risks posed to your event infrastructure . We are working further ahead than ever before , in collaboration with suppliers who are keen to adopt a proactive approach to mitigating stress points in the calendar .”
Laura Armstrong
Among the highlights of 2023 for production agency Engine No 4 was simultaneously working on Lost Village festival in Lincoln , and Noel Gallagher and Primal Scream shows in Manchester ’ s Wythenshawe Park during the August bank holiday weekend . Director Jim Gee says that while it was heartening to see the
post-pandemic return of experienced freelancers to the industry this year , and improvements to the supply chain , the company felt the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on all sides .
“ Slow ticket sales , combined with an assumption of a reduced spend per head on site by those who could afford tickets , puts huge pressure on event organisers trying to align budgets ,” he says . “ At the other side of the scale , suppliers and freelancers are also facing increased operating and living costs . Many of them only just scraped through losing two seasons of work due to Covid and are still paying back the loans . Constant increases in energy , fuel , materials , insurance and wage costs continue to compound the issues for all of them .
“ Promoters are struggling to increase the costs of tickets ; suppliers
Jim Gee
are struggling to control the increasing costs of delivering their services . It doesn ’ t take a genius to see that there are a lot of shows out there that have got uncertain futures . We need the next generation of promoters and creatives to have confidence in the wider future of the industry so we can all continue to create these invaluable experiences .”
“ We just need Government to understand the importance of the live music industry .”
United approach Across the festival sector , and wider live music industry , initiatives have been launched to encourage ticket sales and try to persuade the Government to invest in the future of an industry that , in the live music segment alone , generated more than £ 5.2 billion last year and employs over 228,000 people . Among the headline asks from live music industry associations is a reduction in VAT on ticket sales to 5 %.
Clare Goodchild , a director at live event production agency Organise Chaos , says that among the highlights of 2023 were winning Site Manger and Employer of the Year at the AAA Awards . Operationally , key moments were being awarded the Brockwell Live contract and delivering a site move for We Out Here festival .
“ The longer these challenges continue
37