Event Articles

The use of  digital wristband technology has been discussed during a the second day of seminars at The Event Production Show.  In the first Access Session of the day, a panel of experts including suppliers and organisers addressed the impact that the technology could have on UK events.

RFID wristbands, that have the details of the wearer embedded within them through the use of a small chip, are set to become commonplace at UK festivals over the next few years following their success at major US events.

The wristbands help to combat counterfeiting, can help organisers to monitor crowd flow and can also be used as a cashless payment method.

Using kiosks located around a festival site, customers can top up their wristband with credit and use it to pay for services within the event.

The panel pointed out that although the theory behind the system is undoubtedly applicable, it still has to work out as a cost-effective service solution.

Other issues such as the storage and destruction of customer information held within the operations system also have to be addressed in order to comply with data protection.

US festivals including Coachella have successfully integrated the technology within their events and trials in the UK have yielded positive results and responses.

This event news story was originally published at http://www.eventindustrynews.co.uk/2012/02/digital-wristbands-to-feature-in-uk-festivals.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+event-industry-news+%28Event+Industry+News+-+An+online+magazine+and+news+blog+for+people+within+the+events+industry%29 Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

Louise Ridley

Clarion Events has appointed David Audrain to the newly-created role of president and chief executive of Clarion Events North America, as it aims to launch more events in the region.

Audain held the same position at Messe Frankfurt North America, where he ran the US division of the German trade show organiser for six years. He has held senior roles at international exhibition companies including Advanstar, Hanley Wood and Miller Freeman.

Clarion is increasing its work in North America and launched a US version of its Counter Terror Expo for 22-24 May this year. The company said it is seeking further opportunities for growth in the market, including acquisitions and new launches.

Audrain said: “The American market remains the largest and most important economy in the world and presents a tremendous growth opportunity for Clarion Events. I’m extremely pleased to be joining Clarion on this exciting expansion into North America”.

This event news story was originally published at http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/bulletin/bulletintest2/article/1115155/?DCMP=EMC-CONEventnewsbulletin Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

Jeremy King

Last night Altitude 360 Black hosted Fashion Monitor’s first AW12 party for the industry’s fashionistas, and Event has pictures from the evening.

Guests at the black and pink themed party included modern day dandy Prince Cassius and fashionistas from designers such as Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Cosmopolitan, Diesel, Giorgio Armani, Harvey Nichols, Vogue, Ozwald Boateng, and Vivienne Westwood.

Caterer Nomad Food Design provided a range of culinary and drink delights that included apple and raspberry mojitos , and canapés such as squid ink buns with salmon wasabi lime and honey with baby cucumber, chicken mojito with mojito dip and fresh mint and smoked duck courgettes and orange roll with enioki mushrooms.

The caterer also created a nitrogen station for desserts, which included strawberry and tiramisu cream, honeycomb with white chocolate sauce and lemon meringue pie frozen on a stick.

Other suppliers from the event included Ice Box, Options Furniture Hire and Re-Recruitment staff, while entertainment was provided by Sternberg Clarke’s Organic Jam and the Powder Puff Girls.

This event news story was originally published at http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/bulletin/bulletintest2/article/1115283/?DCMP=EMC-CONEventnewsbulletin Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

Rachel Bull

Westminster Boating Base has been so inundated with requests to hire the venue during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June that it has decided to hold a sealed bid auction and will offer its premises to the highest bidder.

The base is a children’s charity, and says its decision was fuelled by the need to raise as much money as possible for the organisation, which teaches children aged 10 – 23 to sail and canoe on the Thames for £10 per year.

Peter Selby, of the Westminster Boating Base, said: “We have been inundated with enquiries and the auction route has been picked as the best solution.”

The base is accepting bids over £25k for the dry hire of the venue. All bids must be received by 28 February.

The pageant – expected to measure 7.5 miles long from end to end – will be one of the major focal points of celebration during the special Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend.

On 3 June, 1,000 watercraft led by the Queen in a converted Thames Sailing Barge, will parade down the River Thames accompanied by fireworks, barges, ships and kayaks.

This event news story was originally published at http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/bulletin/bulletintest2/article/1115276/?DCMP=EMC-CONEventnewsbulletin Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

Rachel Bull,

It was carnival fever last night at Madame Tussauds, as Merlin Events trialled its new event concept It’s Your Party to the industry.

Event has a picture gallery from the night here.

Guests voted for what they wanted to see, hear and eat at the party, and were treated to Rio carnival performers, food from Payne and Gunter, and a chance to dance the limbo alongside figures of world leaders and A-list Hollywood stars.

Partygoers tucked into food from three stations offering up jerk chicken, pad thai and tortilla, and washed it down with delicious Rio Daiquiris.

Guests were encouraged to register for an RFID-enabled business card, allowing them to share exclusive content via Facebook at various locations throughout Madame Tussauds. They could also follow comments and updates on Twitter using the hashtag #Itsyourparty.

Were you there? What did you think?

This event news story was originally published at http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/bulletin/bulletintest2/article/1115296/?DCMP=EMC-CONEventnewsbulletin Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

Louise Ridley,

The Olympic torch will touch down at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall when it arrives in the UK for the 2012 Games, Locog has revealed.

The torch will be lit using the sun’s rays in Olympia, Greece on 10 May, in an hour-long ceremony at the ruins of the ancient Olympic Games.

After a seven-day relay around Greece, it will be passed to a London 2012 representative at a handover ceremony in Athens’s Panathenaic Stadium. The flame will then board flight BA2012 on a special gold-liveried aircraft provided by British Airways, the official airline partner of the Games. It will arrive at Culdrose on 18 May, when Locog expects 1,000 visitors to welcome it.

The following day, the flame will travel to nearby Land’s End for the start of the Olympic torch relay. It will journey around the UK, reaching within 10 miles of 95% of the population before arriving at the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony on the evening of 27 July.

This event news story was originally published at  http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/bulletin/bulletintest2/article/1115146/?DCMP=EMC-CONEventnewsbulletin Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

Rachel Bull

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) is calling on government to champion the industry and help to create jobs in the sector.

A report commissioned by the BHA has found there is a “real opportunity” to generate more than 236,000 jobs in the hospitality sector by 2015.

The association is now proposing greater partnership between the industry and government. It wants to hold annual meetings between the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers and members of the association to discuss the challenges facing the industry, and establish a cross-cabinet committee for hospitality and tourism to coordinate policy across government departments.

The sector employs more than 2.4 million people in Britain, representing one in every 13 jobs, and directly contributes £49bn to the UK economy. It’s the fifth largest British industry in employment terms.

Paul Hopkins, general manager of the AC division at LG Electronics, which partnered with BHA on the report, said it is “encouraging” to see the association taking a “strong position” on issues that affect the wider economy.

“Sustainability and energy efficiency being key areas where the BHA can support their membership to save money, improve services to their customers and help deliver the government’s carbon reduction commitment. LG fully supports the BHA in this endeavour,” he said.

Does the government fully understand how important this sector is to rebuilding the economy? Do you support the BHA’s initiatives?

This event news story was originally published at  http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/bulletin/bulletintest2/article/1115292/?DCMP=EMC-CONEventnewsbulletin Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

By David Gold

January 31 – The Russian Cup, which was due to be the first ski jump test event for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, has been postponed as facilities are not yet ready.

The Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti has reported that the comeptition has been moved to another city whilst Sochi will test its ski jumping facilities with another competition.

A series of Sochi 2014 test events are set to take place in February, including the Alpine World Cup and European Cup snowboard, whilst a biathlon competition is closed to the public due to construction delays.

The Russian Cup was meant to take place from February 12-17, but RIA Novosti quoted the Russian Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Federation President Alexander Uvarov as saying that “there will be no test competitions in Sochi from the 12th to 17th.”

“The test events in Sochi remain in our plans,” he added.

“The question is about when they will be held, and this will be decided by an Interdepartmental Commission.”

Sochi 2014 have not yet made any official comment on the cancellation of the event.

Last week it was revealed that the test event for the biathlon on the crests and slopes of Psekhako Ridge in Krasnaya Polyana between February 6 and 10 will take place behind closed doors because of construction delays.

The Russian National Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Training Centre is located in the village of Esto-Sadok on the northern slope of the Aibga Ridge and integrates the most up-to-date Olympic ski jumps К-95 and К-125.

The area has been specially selected so that competitors, who will include women in the Olympics for the first, will be protected from side winds and so that the ski jumps would blend into the landscape.

This facility with capacity of 9,600 seats and, according to Sochi’s own website, was due to open for test events in 2011.

Their preparations for the Games have recently been hit by claims construction delays, with up to 70 venues behind schedule, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak admitted at the Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck earlier this month.

He defended the preparations though and insisted that the majority of delays were due to administrative issues.

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Coordination Commission are due to arrive in Sochi in just under a fortnight for their latest evaluation of their preparations for the Winter Olympics.

Sochi was given a glowing report on the last IOC visit in September 2011, though they may struggle to live up to those high standards given the recent delays.

This event news story was originally published at  http://www.insidethegames.biz/olympics/winter-olympics/2014/15711-sochi-2014-ski-jump-test-event-postponed-due-to-construction-delays Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

By Duncan Mackay

January 31 – Metropolitan Police have arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with an online fraud linked to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, it was revealed today.

Overseas victims were tricked into sending money to invest in a business which used the Metropolitan Police as a cover, including a 69-year-old American woman who was conned out of £140,000 ($220,000/€169,000), according to detectives from Scotland Yard’s Operation Podium.

They have been working alongside United States law enforcement agencies to try to crack the online scam which involved an alleged contract to supply buses for police officers for the Games.

Police believe initial contact with the victims is made via an online dating website, following a well known pattern which law-enforcement authorities across the world have seen emerging. 

Once befriended, the fraudsters claim that they need to pay “initial costs” of fulfilling the contract they had “won” to supply transport for the Metropolitan Police during the Olympics and Paralympics.

Promises to repay the money at a later stage are made.

The 24-year-old, from Forest Gate, East London, was arrested for fraud by misrepresentation and is currently in custody at a central London police station.

A 49-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman who were arrested in December have been bailed to return to a North London police station in late March pending further inquiries.

Detective Superintendent Nick Downing said: “We are concerned that fraudsters have been using the name of the Met to foster increased levels of trust in their victims. 

“Would-be fraudsters should be warned that we will investigate attempts to defraud the public in this way tirelessly.

“At the same time we would urge the public across the world not to fall victim to these or any similar schemes.

“You can protect yourself by following the advice recently published on the Met’s Fraud Alert website about just this type of crime, and if anyone attempts to obtain money from you in a way you suspect is fraudulent, report to police or via the Action Fraud website.”

This event news story was originally published at  http://www.insidethegames.biz/olympics/summer-olympics/2012/15712-metropolitan-police-arrest-24-year-old-man-in-connection-with-london-2012-fraud Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.

By David Gold

January 31 – There have been 16 expressions of interest from parties interested in moving to the Olympic Stadium after London 2012, including one from West Ham United, insidethegames understands.

West Ham originally won the right to move into the venue after the Olympics last year but the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) withdrew from negotiations with the club amid a legal challenge from Tottenham Hotspur, who had been defeated in the bidding process.

The tender process started by OPLC last December required potential applicants to register their interest by the end of January and insidethegames understands that West Ham have done this.

Tottenham have not expressed an interest on this occasion.

West Ham’s position regarding a formal application has not changed, though, and they remain unsure whether or not they will go ahead with a bid to become the new tenant at the venue.

West Ham are reluctant to go forward with a bid unless they are given more clarity over the bidding process.

“There have been 16 registrations from parties interested in bidding to use the stadium after the Games,” the OPLC said in a statement issued to insidethegames.

“They now have until 23 March, 2012, to submit their full bids.

“The (OPLC) plans to appoint the winning bidders in May 2012 and remains on track to reopen the venue in 2014.

“Each successful bidder will add to the athletics legacy already secured for the stadium including the new national centre for athletics and host of the 2017 World Athletic Championships.”

The OPLC will be reformed as a Mayoral Development Corporation in April, in a move designed to bolster their powers and give City Hall more control over the legacy of the Olympic Park, though the bidding process for the Olympic Stadium should be unaffected.

This event news story was originally published at  http://www.insidethegames.biz/olympics/summer-olympics/2012/15706-west-ham-among-16-interested-in-london-2012-olympic-stadium-as-deadline-passes Got your own event story – get in touch into eventsecrets.com – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.