Tag Archive: outdoor events

1. The Time To Plan Your Next Event Is Now!

   14th July 2020 11:52 am Leave a Comment

   Can we all agree that this disastrous Coronavirus and subsequent lockdown has severely impacted our economy? With companies and organisations being thrown into uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the last few months have been incredibly tough for everyone.

   We know that this pandemic has been difficult on the events industry specifically due to the lockdown measures in place – resulting in all public and private functions being postponed or cancelled. Thankfully, it seems that we are slowly conquering this deadly virus and the lockdown measures are beginning to ease. Businesses are starting to re-open their doors and welcome customers back for the first time in over three months.

   However, many businesses are still on hold at the moment and events are still cancelled or postponed until lockdown is completely lifted. Once these restrictions are over and we all get back to some semblance of normality, or a ‘new normal’, it will be time to play catch up!

   Here at Big Foot Events, we have been working closely with our clients to reschedule events that could not go-ahead during lockdown. This has resulted in a lot of events being fitted alongside events that have already been planned for later in the year. We are ready for exciting times ahead as the Big Foot Team help businesses to return with a bang!

   With so many events being rescheduled and planned ahead of time, we can guarantee that the best venue availability, alongside the greatest entertainment – which is always at the centre of any event, will soon be tricky to find due to being fully booked for the year. Which is why putting plans in place now will put you ahead of the rest! Whilst we don’t know for certain when this lockdown will fully lift and we can throw large scale events – or even events with more than ten people, if you don’t plan ahead now you could have your hands full when your business is back in full swing.

   The time to start planning your events is now! It gives you a high chance of securing your chosen venue and live entertainment before other competitors snatch them up! With help from Big Foot Events, you can easily, simply and quickly plan your event and still have plenty of time to get back to the day to day tasks of the business – which we imagine will be a hefty task due to not being in the office in a good while. With a dedicated, hard-working, and passionate events manager at your service, we will deliver all of your event needs and wants in an effortless and timely period.

   Calling on our fantastic array of artistes, performers, crew and suppliers, we will fulfil all elements of your event, from venue décor and live entertainment to props and catering. We’ll get creative on your behalf and come up with an exciting concept for the event; we’ll develop a cohesive theme that runs through every detail – from delegate name badges to your presentation slides. Or if you are wanting something a little edgy and outside the box, we can arrange anything from weird, wacky yet wonderful interactive meet and greet acts to world-class live entertainment that is suitable for all ages. With over 15 years of experience in the events industry – we have the skills, knowledge, and desire to step into our client’s shoes and understand what each event needs to achieve success. Prepare for an event that is on brand, unique and a definite stand out from the rest!

   In summary, lockdown is not going to last forever, and amazing events take time to plan. It is going to be a competitive market for the events industry over the next few years so this makes it crucial for you to get a head start in the event planning process in order to secure the very best venue, live entertainment, props and décor.

   Why not get in touch to discuss your next event – we’re ready to work alongside you to create a world-class experience for your guests. And if you need to engage with your customers before the lockdown ends then we have some amazing Virtual Events and entertaining Social Distancing solutions to discuss. 

   Contact us and speak to a member of our team today!

2. BVLGARI Snow Globe

   19th May 2020 1:00 pm Leave a Comment

   The Brief

   Big Foot Events were asked to create a fully bespoke Snow Globe for BVLGARI that would not only fit in with their brand but also generate media coverage and increase brand awareness.

   The Challenges

   The Client wanted the Snow Globe to be the main feature of their Christmas themed event, starting early December. One of the challenges we faced when creating the tailor-made Snow Globe was the time restraint. The client confirmed with limited notice and wanted a bespoke design that required sourcing specific materials for the build. Another challenge was that the Globe needed power and staffing 24/7 in order to function properly and keep the Globe inflated.

   Despite these challenges, we knew that with our 15 years’ experience in event management, providing world-class events, we would be able to overcome any issues and provide our client with a unique, personalised and interactive Snow Globe for their 28 day Christmas installation.

   The Solutions

   In order to overcome any issues on the day of the event, and to make sure we brought our clients vision to life, we arranged several site visits and meetings with our client, which resulted in creating mood boards with clear sketches and pictures of how the Globe would look once completed, so that we maintained consistency throughout the planning process.

   The team co-ordinated with the site and council to determine the size of the Globe and make sure all site requirements are met. In order to overcome any electricity issues, the team coordinated with the local council to use the power supply from Sloane Square London, where the installation was to take place.  

   The Results

   We only had a short time to execute this project perfectly and the fact of the matter was, it took so long for the designs to be finalised and for the council to give us the necessary permits we needed to be able to inflate the bespoke BVLGARI Globe in Sloane Square, London, that we literally only had eight days to actually create a bespoke globe (which would usually take 2-3 weeks minimum). This resulted in countless sleepless nights and gathering all hands-on deck to help complete the Globe in time.

   The day before the event was taking place, our Events Coordinator travelled down to London to meet up with the client and start building the Snow Globe. Our team worked throughout the day in order to get the Globe set up in time for the event, which was starting at 10am the following morning. After the globe was completed, the client decided at the eleventh hour that they would prefer the Globe facing another direction in Sloane Square, so we returned later that evening, when the square was quieter, and rebuilt the snow globe to their new requirements. The team worked into the night to ensure the client was happy with the results.

   The Globe was contracted to be up in the square for 28 days and our team staffed the Globe throughout the day and arranged for a security team in the evening for safety reasons. It was wonderful to see influencers, stars, families and couples enter the globe and instantly light up with happiness.

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   Overall, the event was a huge success generating thousands of visitors to the square as well as raising the profile of BVLGARI. We were pleased we brought our clients vision to life and that everyone who interacted with the Globe had an incredible and memorable experience.

3. Weir Minerals Europe’s Family Fun Day Out

   30th April 2020 2:19 pm Leave a Comment

   The Brief

   After creating a unique, memorable and successful event for their 125^th Anniversary in January 2019, Weir Minerals Europe, an innovative engineering consultant for the minerals, oil, gas, power, and industrial markets, wanted us to create a family fun day out for their employees, business associates and their families, in order to say thank you for all the hard work and dedication whilst working for the company.

   The Challenges

   As you may know, here at Big Foot Events we love new challenges, and creating a fun, family friendly day out that our client’s employees and their families will not only enjoy, but that will also draw attention away from a Party-in-the Park event taking place adjacent to the chosen venue on the same day, is certainly just that – a challenge! However, with over 15 years’ experience in providing entertainment, activities and personalised fun-day packages to outdoor events, we knew that we could win!

   In order for this family fun day to run smoothly, be successful and provide our client’s staff with a great time, we had to make sure that each employee of Weir Mineral Europe felt included and would want to join in on the fun. That meant incorporating a variety of enjoyable, outside-the-box entertainment and activities suited to all ages. It was also integral that our client’s branding was visible throughout the site.

   The Solutions

   In order to overcome any issues on the day of the event, and to make sure we brought our clients vision to life, we arranged several site visits and meetings with both the venue and our client, which resulted in creating mood boards with clear pictures of activities options, theme décor and site layouts, so that we maintained consistency throughout the event planning process.

   A family festival with explicit branding throughout was arranged, and in order to distract guests from the Party in the Park event next door and to ensure we had the element of surprise we had a Jurassic revelation up our sleeve….

   The Results

   As well as glorious sunshine on the day of the event, guests were greeted by a realistic, life-size Raptor and T Rex Dinosaurs, who interacted with children and parents on arrival to squeals of excitement and utter delight! Face painters provided glitter tattoos, glitter eye shadow and face paints to those wanting to experience the true festival vibe. Keeping with the summer fair/festival theme and bringing a little competitive fun to the day, giant inflatable assault courses and other sports games were available for guests to compete with one another and take part in some fun team building. For the children and young adults, they had the option to learn some incredible Circus skills in an interactive, fun, and energetic Circus workshop. Our personality hosts and games organisers ensured the fun was continuous throughout the afternoon with Sports races and It’s A Knockout style entertainment! Along with meeting our remarkably realistic, giant and baby Dinosaurs, children were able to play hide and seek in giant Dinosaur Eggs – which made for incredible photo opportunities. For the more adventurous individual, a giant inflatable Rodeo Bull was on full display for all to take on!

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   An impressive picnic style seating area with bright tablecloths & chair covers was accompanied by branded bunting, pop up flags and streamers inside an impressive 24 metre by 9 metre marquee. A great Summer family fun day out is not complete without an authentic British Barbeque. And making sure we catered for all dietary requirements, we offered Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free Food options as well. Not forgetting sweet lovers, as dessert carts made their way around the marque with Candy Floss, Ice Cream, Popcorn and Sweets. In order to add a true party atmosphere, an impressive PA system was installed inside the Marquee to play all the summer classic hits whilst LED Disco Lights lit up the venue and bubbles floated continuously for children (and dinosaurs) to chase and pop! And finally, as with any outdoor event, certain facilities need to be present and easily accessible, including portable toilets with disabled and baby-changing access. Clear signage was present throughout the site and around the marque to direct people to those facilities, as well as to first aid responders as a precautionary measure.

   Client Testimonial

   “We just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you so much for the excellent organisation of our event on Saturday. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with the circus skills, rodeo bull and, of course, the dinosaurs being the highlights. Your team were a delight.

   Thanks, once again, for arranging a great event and fantastic day out!”

   Weir Minerals Europe

4. Outdoor Event Planning Tips

   28th January 2020 9:15 am Leave a Comment

   We have put together a list of tips that will help you make your outdoor event a success.

   When it comes to planning an event, whether it’s a festival, exhibition, corporate function, wedding, private party or any other type of celebration or showcase, we’re considered experts in the field. So, believe us when we tell you that outdoor events are taking over the events industry by storm.

   Why you ask?

   It’s simple, the aesthetics for one, there’s nothing more pleasing to the eye than being surrounded by natures beautiful scenery. With outdoor events, you’re often working with a blank canvas, making the event set up both practical and fun. Unlike inside venues, there’s no quirky spaces or odd floor layouts to take into consideration – amazing! This means that you can plan the seating, tables, podiums, and mingling areas where you see fit. That being said, hosting an outdoor event isn’t without its flaws, from permits to bad weather, it takes advanced planning in order to execute an outdoor event successfully.

   Location is key

   When you’re looking for the perfect outdoor venue there are a few factors to consider, the first being the time of year. If your event is in the winter months then you can expect to have rain, therefore choosing a field as your outdoor space wouldn’t be a great choice because let’s face it, who wants to be walking on wet, muddy and potentially stodgy grass? Although if your event is in the summer or even Autumn then by all means go ahead, there’s nothing better than a day at the park when the weather is beautiful.

   Another thing to consider…

   If you’re hosting a kids party then it wouldn’t be smart to host it where the floor is hard and jagged for obvious reasons – injuries. Kids like to roam around and be wild and have absolutely no concept of coordination, so it’s best to have some sort of soft surface for them to land on in case they fall. With so many different outdoor spaces, you will definitely find something that will suit your needs.

   Don’t forget about permits

   Once you’ve decided on the perfect outdoor space, you then need to determine what permits you need in order to be able to host your event on that site. The worst thing you could do is not do your research on permits and site regulations and go ahead with your event anyway because not only will it get shut down, but you could also face legal consequences. If your event includes selling alcohol or live music, then you must get a premise licence. It is always good to apply for any licenses at least a month in advance in case any problems arise. If your outdoor venue is privately owned, then the owner could already have a premise licence that they might let you use – it can’t hurt to ask.

   Check the weather

   Unless you have a crystal ball to hand, you will never know what the weather is going to be like on the day of your event. We’ve had people tell us that they’ve had countless sleepless nights because they’ve been too worried about the weather ruining the day. Don’t let the worry of the weather stop you from hosting your event outside as there are many things you can do to make sure your attendees stay dry, cool or warm.

   The first being to always have a backup plan, yes that’s right, it all comes down to a plan B, which is to have an alternative venue indoors in case the weather turns bad. Before it gets to plan B though, you should hire a gazebo or multiple shelter areas for people to stay dry or cool (depending on the weather) because you never know, the weather could change at any time. You may even want to purchase or hire portable outdoor heaters to keep people warm when it’s windy or purchase portable fans to keep people cool when it’s hot. There are many ways to manage the weather, so don’t let it stop you from hosting a stellar event outdoors.

   Theme ideas

   One thing we can all agree on is that anyone who hosts an event wants it to be memorable – for all the right reasons that is. And one of those reasons is the décor, which is a huge part of your theme. Often, the theme is the first thing that makes people interested in your event, so it has to spectacular.

   You could choose to dust of that old cowboy hat you’ve been hiding and host a good old-fashioned hoedown, or even better, get your dancing shoes on as you get into the swing of things with a 1960’s disco. Why not go a little left field and go down the rabbit hole to find the mad hatter, the queen of hearts and Alice? Get excited with a Dinosaur themed party, or steal that naughty list from Santa himself as you host a winter wonderland extravaganza. It’s your event, you can choose whatever theme you like and with so many to choose from, the sky really is the limit.

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   Don’t forget the entertainment

   It’s time for the best part – entertainment! This is one area that we can confidently say we excel at, which is providing the highest quality entertainment that is suitable for any event or function. We have over 25 years’ experience and knowledge running live music events, festivals and providing specialist entertainment to venues, resorts and military events. This means that we know what works, and we know what kind of entertainment will be right for your event. From spectacular, out of this world street performers, world-renowned tribute acts, state-of-the-art interactive entertainment to celebrities and lookalikes – the list is endless!

   Ideas…

   Wanting a party to remember? Book one of our popular club night packages which range from UV paint parties, foam parties, laser shows and live music with the best DJ’s in town. Hosting a summer street fair? We have a fantastic range of outdoor inflatables ranging from bouncy castles to obstacle courses, inflatable football and much more. We also have various food stalls that can be set up easily and provide scrumptious street food. If you’re wanting to add a little luxuriousness to your event, then hire our flair bartenders for an alternative source of entertainment. Watch as they flawlessly perform choreographed performances while serving everyone’s favourite drinks. Like we said before, entertainment is a huge part of any party, event or function so it’s important you make sure it’s something that everyone will enjoy.

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   Clean up

   Your event is over – which, if you followed our tips, was a huge success! It’s time to clean up. Making sure that you have cleaned up the area is extremely important because it will affect your reputation. Someone was nice enough to rent you their space, so it is only fair that you give it back to them the same way you got it.  You can plan with the local sanitation department to clean up afterwards or have a hauling firm on hand to clean up and remove unwanted items once the event is over.