WINTER | WELCOME
CONTENT DIRECTOR Christopher Barrett
REPORTER Joe Gallop
SALES DIRECTOR Steve Theivendrarajah
MARKETING EXECUTIVE Gus Agostini
PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Sabrina Boucher
CIRCULATION MANAGER Samy Shafeeq
PAGE PRODUCTION PA Media
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It ’ s been a tricky year for many in the live events world , with very different levels of demand and customer behaviour patterns at each end of the market . Many operators of smaller festivals have struggled with slow ticket sales and soaring supply chain costs , even well-established events such as Bluedot Festival and NASS Festival have been postponed . Grassroots venues are also feeling the pinch , with MVT reporting that 100 of them have been shuttered in the past year .
Clearly it is not all doom and gloom , 2023 has seen countless successful sporting events such as the British Grand Prix , UCI Cycling World Championships and Ryder Cup , while A-list acts including Taylor Swift , Beyonce , Ed Sheeran and Coldplay have enjoyed remarkable demand for their stadium shows . Some people may be struggling to pay their bills let alone buy tickets for shows but major festival promoters and arena operators are reporting record demand for high-end hospitality packages . On page 33 , we hear from event producers , promoters , venue operators and industry association heads about how 2023 shaped up and what the year ahead is likely to bring .
In this issue ’ s cover feature ( p19 ) we focus on the dynamic world of brand activations , across experiential product launches , and installations at venues and outdoor events . AI and other swiftly evolving technologies are transforming the way in which brand activations are being delivered in all live event environments . From lifelike holograms of tennis players promoting tournaments to emotion sensing technology impacting the customer experience in previously unimaginable ways ; it is a fascinatingly innovative sector .
On page 41 , we dive deep into the world of immersive exhibitions and hear why a growing number of major concert promoters are investing not only in events but also dedicated venues .
While it has been a tough year for many there have been no shortage of momentous achievements , not least Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest , Glastonbury being entirely powered by renewable energy , and Burna Boy becoming the first African artist to headline a UK stadium . Here ’ s to plenty more landmark moments in 2024 !
Christopher Barrett , Editor
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