The Hire and Live Events department was recently responsible for the creative design and technical management of seven major events over three weeks. One of these included a 1920s themed event for a 60th birthday celebration. "Centred around the art deco period, this was a great event to work on," commented technical director Mike Naish. "Our team was involved from the very start of the planning stages. We designed the invitations, set, lighting and staging and organized the marquee, entertainment and table plans for the evening. Four members of our team were on site for the set build, with an extra six taking part on the night to control lighting and sound."
Event management and design is becoming big business for Stagecraft, which has resulted in greater need for hire equipment. The expansion of this department includes new Robert Juliat followspots, Selecon luminaires, Shure radio mics and a new range of Zero 88 lighting desks. Paul Harte, manager of the Hire Department, is delighted with the growth achieved since he joined Stagecraft in 2003. "It's important that we have consistency between each of the departments so that we can offer customers hire equipment to match that which is sold and installed. This makes everything simpler for organizations that may want to hire additional equipment for large events. The new hire range also means that we will be able to broaden our catchment area and move into additional sectors."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
