What makes a good concert? Taylor Swift 1989 World Tour

Last night I attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Hyde Park London with 65,000 others, needless to say it was one of the best gigs I have ever been to.. T Swift sure knows how to put on a good show!

Instead of writing a review of the concert itself (basically everything = amazing!) I want to talk about what makes a good concert for a customer, and by that I don’t mean the actual performance but the overall experience you have at the event.

Let’s start with pre-event information:

You want to know exactly what to expect when attending the gig/concert, be that an email before-hand with timings, directions and general information. A section of the website stating what you can take and what you can’t.. this means you can prepare and plan ahead to make your day even better. There’s nothing worse than loading your bag with some tasty snacks only to be told you can’t take them inside! It's also good to receive the tickets in plenty of time, to save you worrying about them not arriving.

The venue:

When I talk about the venue I’m not talking about how good the acoustics were or how good the seats were. I’m talking about the venue from an operational point of view. Was it easily accessible by public transport? Were you able to find your seats quickly? Was there enough signage eg directing you to the foods/toilets etc? Speaking of toilets, were there enough of them? My pet hate at any event is having to wait in an hour long queue to get into dirty toilets! Was there a big crush to get out or was there a free flowing exit? These aren’t things you often think about when planning a good concert but they are very important to the overall experience for the spectators.

The staff:

Were the staff at the venue helpful and knowledgeable, could they answer your questions and if not were they able to find someone who could? Venue staff play a critical role in shaping the event experience for a customer, one rude staff member can put someone off a venue/event for life. Most of the time event day staff are contractors as opposed to full time venue staff so it is important they are briefed thoroughly and have access to enough information to allow them to do their job properly which sadly, is something that doesn't always happen.

Space:

An issue that a lot of people have at concerts, especially at standing concerts, is space. For claustrophobic people, or people with anxiety being crushed in a crowd is their worst nightmare. Are there appropriate spaces at the back where people can get some space? Are there people on hand to get someone out if the crush becomes too much for them? This is a big issue at concerts and

Huge screens at Taylor Swift

one which I feel can ruin the experience for people if they spend the whole time worrying about being squashed, or being elbowed and stood on the whole time. Now of course you can’t expect to be in the front row of a standing concert without being crushed, however there should be enough space for people who are happy to stand further back perhaps closer to an exit without fear of being injured or scared, preferably with a big screen to watch.

Safety:

Boring I know, but is has to be clear as soon as you get to the event where the fire exits are and where you should go if you need help. Whether it’s a huge stadium or outdoor event such as this one, or an intimate gig in front of 50 or so people it’s vital that everyone is made aware of this information even though it’s unlikely that they will have to use it.

Well that’s enough from me for now – is there anything else that you can think of that makes a concert that extra bit special? (bear in mind this has nothing to do with the quality of the act… for us event managers singing and dancing is something which we cannot control!)

Special guests included Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid

A weekend at Royal Ascot

This weekend I was lucky enough to attend Royal Ascot, which I now want to make an annual event with my friends!

It was probably the most British event I have ever attended, fascinators, coat and tails and more Pimms than anyone could possibly drink. We were in the Grandstand section of the venue so had a great view of the races and even spotted her Royal Majesty a couple of times! 

Now I'm not a betting person and am not particularly keen on racing but it was quite fun to put on a few pounds and join in with the crowds as the horses went by. Though to be honest I think people were there for the atmosphere and the fashion as opposed to the racing itself!

Overall it was a great day and from what I could tell the event ran very smoothly. Friendly staff, good signage and fun times had by all.. I definitely recommend going if you ever get the chance.

Event Uniforms - The best and worst!

One of the best things about working in events is getting your uniform. Your uniform means you are part of the team, you are ready to do your job and most important of all you are the face of the event.

Once in uniform spectators don’t know if you a volunteer or the venue manager so it’s always important that you conduct yourself in the best manner possible.

Uniforms can range from a simple t-shirt with the event name to a full on kit including bag, shoes and multiple items of clothing, you probably all remember the red and purple games makers uniforms from London 2012!

Your uniform has to be practical, durable and wearable in all weather conditions. For summer events you may need a hat and similarly for winter events a warm jacket. Most importantly you have to be identifiable, both to spectators and to your other colleagues. Another benefit of having a uniform is not having to think about what to wear every day, especially handy during busy event times!

 I have had a good few uniforms whilst working on events, some good, some not so good and I always love to see what the big international events come up with. In fact I picked my latest uniform up today (see my twitter withjulez for a sneak peak!) 

Below are some of my favourites from recent years, for very different reasons!!

The now famous London 2012 uniform

Sochi went erm.. retro for the Winter Olympics!

There was a very..bright(!) ensemble at the Asian Games in 2006...

   

One of my favourite uniforms was in Vancouver 2010

The Beijing uniform in 2008, very similar to the European Games in Baku this year.

What are your thoughts on event uniforms, love them, hate them!? Let me know!

Dealing with the Post-Event Blues!

One of the major down sides of working in events is the dreaded post event blues. You’ve worked tirelessly for months on end, made friends for life and have experienced almost every emotion possible and then just like that it’s all over. Everything you have worked so hard for is suddenly irrelevant and people have moved on.

It’s a horrible feeling and one that unfortunately comes with most big events! You actually miss waking up in the middle of the night worrying about barriers, miss the sound of your radio being constantly in your ear and you miss seeing your friends and colleagues every day. It’s especially difficult if you’ve had a longer contract and spent the last few years of your life dedicated to making it happen, only for it to end and you have no idea what to do with yourself or your new found time.

Now if you’re extremely lucky you may have a few days of rest then have another job lined up but for a lot of event professionals, one job can finish and you have no idea what you are going to do next. It’s a horrible feeling and one which unfortunately never gets any easier!

London 2012 closing ceremony

I wish I had some magic advice to help beat the post event blues but for me it happens every time I finish a contract, even on particularly difficult events. The only recommendation I have is to try and plan ahead - make sure you can support yourself financially and try where you can to start looking for a new job before your current contract has finished, even if it just means sending an expression of interest to future events. Keep an eye out for job postings and talk to your colleagues about their future plans, it might inspire you. 

Every time you finish a great event you find yourself wondering if you’ll ever have a job as fun again, or a team as supportive again but you just have to pick yourself up and start looking for new challenges. What I would say is to make the most of your time, look for new opportunities, perhaps ones you have never even thought of before. Get up early and use your time wisely, don’t sulk all day watching daytime TV and feeling sorry for yourself! Try a new sport or hobby, catch up with friends or go travelling, keep yourself busy and productive instead of staying inside all day.

Some people on the other hand may be delighted their event is over and never want to see any of their work colleagues again, however most of the time you secretly miss the crazy event life…which is why so many people stay in the industry and do it again and again! Event life as we all know is addictive and a little case of the post event blues isn’t enough to make us give it all up.

If anyone out there has any advice to beat the post-event blues be sure to let us know, I could definitely use a few tips!

Glasgow 2014 closing fireworks 

100 days to go!

Today I was lucky enough to be involved in the 100 days to go celebration for the England 2015 Rugby World Cup which was also marked the start of the domestic leg of the trophy tour.

With special appearances from Prince Harry, Will Greenwood and Jonny Wilkinson it's clear that the 2015 Rugby World Cup is going to be the biggest thing to happen in the UK since the Olympics, and will probably be last big international sporting event we will see in the UK for a long time. I really hope that the event is embraced as much as London 2012 was and I am sure it will be a fantastic tournament both for England and for the sport.

There are some amazing international sporting events coming up this year including the European Games in Baku which start this week, the Pan Am Games in Toronto and of course the England 2015 Rugby World Cup and I for one am very excited to see how they all unfold!

The England 2015 trophy, aka The Web Ellis Cup, will be on tour at various events all over the UK so have a look and see if it's coming to a town near you! http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/trophy-tour/events

Selfie with English legend Jonny Wilkinson!

Prince Harry at the photo call

Working in events : How I was inspired by London 2012

Yesterday I decided to take a walk around the Olympic Park in London and it reminded me how much I was inspired by London 2012, in fact it's probably the reason I work in events today!

I was in my final year of University in 2012 when Olympic fever hit the UK, I was living in Glasgow and had dreams of working in Marketing or HR (weird how things change!). I remember watching as the preparations took place and the Games Makers started to wear their uniforms and I was just so unbelievably jealous that I wasn't involved. I had never even thought of working in events before and hadn't paid much attention in the lead up to the Olympics, despite it being the biggest event in the world.. in fact I didn't even apply for tickets!

It therefore came as a huge surprise to me when London 2012 affected me in a way in which I could never have imagined. Suddenly I was interested in sport, interested in events and most importantly incredibly proud and inspired seeing the whole of the UK pull together to put on an unforgettable event. I remember watching the opening ceremony is awe, being so happy for medal winning athletes who's sports I had never even watched before and how I was so excited to be British, something which I had never really thought about before.



Needless to say when the opportunity to join the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth games came up shortly after London 2012 had finished I jumped at the chance. I had no experience in events but was lucky enough to get on the graduate scheme and the rest is history as they say! It still amazes me how much hard work and dedication goes into putting on an event of that scale and I am so proud that most of my work colleagues and friends I have met through various events were part of London 2012. I have now been very lucky to work on some fantastic events all around the world, but I will always be so thankful for London 2012 as I honestly have no idea what i would be doing now if it hadn't inspired me in the way it did. 

I can only hope that some of the events I work on have the same effect on people, leaving behind a legacy that inspires a generation which may be through taking up a new sport or like me completely altering the vision I had for my career. I am very excited to see how the next host city, Rio 2016, compares to what was described as the Best Games Ever. 

Event Life - Taking care of yourself

Now anyone who has ever worked on an event will know that the lead up to the event is the busiest, most stressful and most physically demanding part of the job.

There will be long hours, sleepless nights and non stop running around to get the event ready.

Whilst working hard and putting every effort into getting the event ready is very important you also have to remember to take care of yourself. Tiredness causes quick tempers, mistakes and sometimes health problems such as anxiety and stress. I have often seen people's personalities completely change during event time and it's simply due to the pressure of getting the event ready on time. 

With this in mind here are a few things that should help make you the best you can be during event time.

Sleep - where possible try to get a good nights sleep. You will be no use to anyone on 2 hours sleep and it's important to rest your brain and your body - even if there is a quieter period during the day that you can have a quick nap it will do wonders for you if you have to work through the night!

Eat properly - whilst it's tempting to eat junk food, or simply miss meals because you don't have enough time to eat (which you can often do without even realising) this is not healthy when working on events. You need energy to keep going all day and to get this you need to be eating healthy food throughout the day! Carrying a snack bar in your pocket or even a piece of fruit is a good way to make sure you can have something to eat during busy times and it's important to get a good meal inside you to keep your brain working.


Drink properly - it's important to stay hydrated, especially during outdoor events. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, which although sounds easy enough, is something you often forget to do when in event mode. You'll be amazed at what a lack of water can do to a persons body and brain!




Stay fit - event mode requires hours of running around venues doing checks and meeting people. It will be beneficial to start preparing for this prior to your event by maybe walking to work every day, or going to the gym. It will just give you that extra bit of stamina required when working 17 hours a day covering miles at a time. I like to wear a pedometer during events just to calculate on average how many steps I take - it's usually a lot! 

Time off - now it's not usually possible to take time off during the event so it's important to have at least have some time off before it starts just to give yourself time to relax before the madness begins! I know it's easier said than done and it's very hard to switch off in the lead up to an event, but it's important to have a day or even half a day of total rest just so you don't end up running yourself into the ground during the busiest times. 

Prepare - The most important one. Event time is hectic, some events for example the Olympics can last for weeks, leaving you no time for your personal life outside of the event bubble! To reduce stress I therefore recommend planning early - get all your birthday cards, shopping, clothes, dentist appointments in before the event starts so you don't have to worry about anything else. A venue manager once told me to email my family and friends and let them know not to expect to hear from me until the event is over. Initially I was horrified but turns out she was right - hopefully like me you have understanding friends and relatives who won't be offended when you don't reply to their texts until 3 weeks later! Another tip is make sure you have broken in your shoes and have plenty of extra socks.. for some reason I never have enough socks at event time.


Hopefully this will help you in the lead up to your event because ultimately your health is the most important thing and this should all help make your experience more enjoyable! Let me know in the comments if there is anything else you do to prepare yourself for an event.