Andy Fidgeon (Birmingham Rep Theatre), Mark Burnett (Hawthorn), Adam Povey (Freelance Production LX), Tim Mitchell (lighting designer), Simon Spencer (Royal Shakespeare Company), Matt Cowles (Ambersphere) and Alastair West (Northern Ballet)
UK - Hawthorn celebrated turning 30 in style on Saturday 4 February, when more than 500 clients, suppliers and colleagues partied the night away at the company’s Leicestershire headquarters.
The full service technical production company drew on its expertise to transform its 105,000ft warehouse space into a glamorous party venue where guests enjoyed a night of fun, food and drink.
Guests were kept well entertained throughout the evening with live entertainment, as well as fun including karaoke, retro games and roving entertainers. Delicious food was served by Smart Hospitality and guests were treated to a menu of special themed cocktails kindly donated by Ambersphere.
Chris Green, lighting designer for the event, made full use of the in-house inventory, showing off fixtures such as the Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20 & K10, Alpha Spot QWO 800 and over 100 pendant lights with squirrel-cage lamps. Green’s desk of choice for the evening was a Tiger Touch Pro.
To make sure audio for the evening was on top form, Rob Allen, Hawthorn’s group head of sound, installed eight boxes of d&b V tops (four aside), T10 front-fills, T10s in cluster format as delays and six Vsubs. These were run from D80 amps and a Digico SD8 desk with Stealth Core2. Monitor speakers were Martin Audio LE1500 run from Powersoft X4s.
The company was formed in 1987 after Martin Hawthorn spotted a gap in the market for a top quality technical equipment hire company providing excellent customer service. Thirty years on, and having acquired well known technical supplier Core Creative, Rex Howard Drapes and production house Anagram, Hawthorn is currently celebrating a record year, turning over £18m in its last financial year.
Martin Hawthorn comments, “After 30 years we have so many long-term customers and felt it was important to thank them for their business and recognise our valued suppliers.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to our partners and colleagues who have been so generous in their sponsorship for our 30th anniversary party, helping us to really make it a night to remember.
“Our thirty-year anniversary is a great opportunity to not only share and celebrate our history but also look to the future. Hawthorn continues to grow and that’s a true testament to the hard work and creativity that the company bases itself upon.”
The party was sponsored by Five Star, Ambersphere, Barco, Chauvet, Doughty, KB event, Panasonic, Ten47 & Lex, SGM, Fly by Nite, Entertec, Lightware, GDS, ETC, Crewsaders, Prolyte, SES, Harman, Flashlight and TMB.
(Jim Evans)

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