Access All Areas Magazine

OUT NOW 🥶 The Winter edition of Access All Areas, 'Breathing New Life Into Festivals', is out now! This year has been an incredibly tough one for independent festivals operators, with AIF reporting more than 70 UK festivals were cancelled this year largely due to escalating production costs. Against that backdrop, it is great to not only hear plans announced for the launch of new independent festivals such as Found and Homestead, but also large-scale festivals including Lido in London and Newcastle’s Come Together. In the latest edition or AAA, we hear from independent promoters and major players, including AEG’s James King and TEG’s Toby Leighton-Pope, on why they feel next year is a good time to launch a festival.    We also hear from two other major players in the festival world, with Tomorrowland co-founder Michiel Beers calling on today’s investors to take a more positive approach to supporting young live event entrepreneurs, while on the back of the 25th edition of the Isle of Wight Festival, promoter John Giddings discusses the event’s reprisal and continued evolution.   Sticking with the festival theme, we also focus on the success of one of the big winners from the AAA Awards. Voted Promoter of the Year, From The Fields has seen its Kendal Calling festival sell out in record time this year. We ask co-founder Andy Smith what’s behind its continued success. 👉 View the issue online here: https://lnkd.in/eY-NgHjP 👉 Request a physical copy here: https://lnkd.in/ebC9pyGg David Martin John Rostron Jeff Burke Jonathan Davies Mary Hodson Gerard Edwards-Webb Nico Elliott John Probyn Jess Shields Rupert Bassadone 📍🎪

What a year it’s been for Team EPS! 👏 As 2024 draws to a close, we’re overjoyed by the incredible successes we’ve achieved this year. February saw our biggest event yet, with record-breaking numbers of visitors and exhibitors, setting the stage for an even more exciting EPS 2025! The energy and enthusiasm from this milestone has been our driving force as we look ahead. The rest of the year has been a whirlwind of activity—visiting our valued clients, planning for the future, and attending key events and exhibitions. Along the way, we’ve expanded our network, strengthened relationships, and made even more genuine connections💖 While the team is definitely overdue a well-earned break to rest, recharge, and reflect on an incredible year, we’re already setting our sights on what’s to come. Behind the scenes, preparations for EPS 2025 are in full swing. Be ready - EPS 2025 is going to be one for the books! 📖 Register today: https://lnkd.in/eaTgbbjj Big shoutout to our data team, Samy Shafeeq & Sean Thornton, along with our Exhibitor Liaison, Sneha Srinivasan who help make our EPS world spin! 🤗 #EPS #sport #music #culture #2025 #newyear Access All Areas Magazine Gus Agostini Saskia Robinson-Rising Steve Theivendrarajah Salman S. Christopher Barrett Ewan P.

CONFIRMED: The 2025 edition of the Event Production Awards (EPAs) will be staged on 21 March at the stunning Art Deco venue De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London’s West End 🎉🎉 Overseen by the team behind the Event Production Show and Access All Areas Conference & Awards, the EPAs was launched in 2012 to recognise excellence in the delivery and production of live events, focusing on the work of suppliers, agencies, venues, production teams and promoters. If you're associated with any of these groups, we want to hear about your achievements! Nominating your company, yourself or a colleague for our awards is completely free, so what are you waiting for? Request the submission guide 👉 https://lnkd.in/ebQthCVG Find out more about the EPAs 👉 https://lnkd.in/eFuvfngt

The O2 arena, owned and operated by AEG Europe, has achieved Commended status as part of its updated A Greener Arena certification by A Greener Future . In 2022, The O2 became the first venue in England to gain AGF’s A Greener Arena certification. AGF said the Commended status recognises arenas that show ‘demonstrable improvements’ and ‘a significant engagement in reducing negative environmental and social impacts’. AEG Europe director of sustainability Sam Booth said, “From history-making moments like our carbon removed events, to the essential works we’ve done behind the scenes to create efficiencies and minimise waste and emissions, we’ve made incredible strides at The O2 this year and we’re proud to have this recognised by A Greener Future. The path to net zero is one that is constantly evolving, and we’re committed to continued innovation so that we can deliver world-class, sustainable events for our fans, bands, and brands.” #news #o2 #sustainability #live https://lnkd.in/dnD9yn6r

Live Nation-owned ticketing giant Ticketmaster is the latest events industry operation to make a major donation to support grassroots music venues (GMVs). Ticketmaster has donated more than £60,000 to the Music Venue Trust (MVT); the UK charity which represents hundreds of GMVs. The donation follows a contribution to MVT of more than £30,000 from WeGotTickets earlier this month. Ticketmaster UK MD Andrew Parsons said, “We have long been supporters of MVT’s work and proud to have helped raise £60,000 in 2024 through our annual MVT upsell where we match every pound donated by fans on our site." #news #ticketmaster #live #grassroots https://lnkd.in/da7De3ek

🎅 This week on LiveWire... In this final edition of 2024, Tomorrowland co-founder Michiel Beers calls on today’s investors to take a more positive approach to supporting young live event entrepreneurs. Live Nation alumni Jess Shields and John Probyn are working together again – they tell Access what their reunion means for production company FAB. Meanwhile, the man behind some the world’s biggest dance events including Thunderdome, Mysteryland and Sensation, ID&T co-founder Duncan Stutterheim is the latest leader to feature in the AAA Backstage podcast. In other news, the entry deadline and venue for the Event Production Awards is revealed, Arts Council England is to undergo an independent review, Cambridge’s Strawberry Fair is cancelled after 50 years, AEG Presents to build back-to-back one-day festivals at Milton Keynes Bowl, and the UK could see the opening of a string of new comedy venues on the back of a new partnership announced between Live Nation Entertainment and The Comedy Store. Have an eventful and fun-filled festive season! #news #newsletter #live #LiveWire #festival #culture

THAT'S A WRAP! 🎉 On 5 December, Access All Areas hosted the third edition of its Conference & Awards, sponsored by LMP Group - Entertainment Insurance, at Indigo at the O2! The conference featured four engaging sessions, including a live podcast with Isle of Wight Festival boss John Giddings, who shared career highlights and insights on the festival's 25 editions. Other panels explored the future of festivals, the blending of sport and live entertainment, and advances in sustainability, with speakers including AEG Presents' Lynsey Wollaston, Secret Garden Party's Freddie Fellowes, LIVE Green’s Ross Patel, Silverstone’s Nicki Seifert and Ryder Cup's Paul Dunstan. The awards crowned 19 industry leaders, including the likes of Alexandra Palace and Park, Co-op Live, Far and Beyond, From The Fields, FKP Scorpio Entertainment Ltd, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut and Wembley Stadium. Special recognition went to Green Man Festival owner Fiona Stewart, who received the Editor's Award for her huge contribution to the industry. Huge congratulations to the winners and a heartfelt thanks to our judges, sponsors, partners, speakers, and attendees for making this our biggest edition yet. We hope to see you all in 2025 for the next one! Watch below for our highlight video packed with conference content, winner's interviews and plenty of pyro, provided by event partner Le Maitre Ltd. #conference #awards #live Guy Dunstan Lefteris Angelidis Ross McMeekin Muhammad Zeeshan Irshad Kate Livingston Ben McCarthy Mash Productions

Some 16 years after he gave Far and Beyond (FAB) founder Jess Shields her first job in the events industry, former Live Nation UK COO John Probyn is once again working alongside her having been appointed head of event operations at FAB. Said Shields “John and I have been friends for many years and it’s great to be working with him again. We’ve come full circle, it’s a really positive thing for FAB, and we’ve got some really exciting projects in the pipeline for next year.” #news #FAB #live https://lnkd.in/eh-dafrW

Many thanks to Rob van Wegen and the team at ESNS for inviting me to chair the Unusual Suspects: A Spotlight on Front-running Festivals panel. I am looking forwarded to delving beyond the hype to discover and highlight the work of festival operators, across Europe, who are quietly leading the charge in innovative ways, shaping their communities and the wider industry in ways it is yet to fully appreciate. I’ll be joined by Electric Castle’s Oltea Zambori, Rock For People’s Jan Freidinger, Sziget Festival’s Akos Dominus and Linecheck Festival’s Sarah Parisio.

🗣️ "Be different. Be creative." ICYMI, last week we released an exclusive interview with Duncan Stutterheim, who becomes the latest name to feature on the Access All Areas podcast series, 'Backstage', following the likes of Boomtown Fair co-founder Luke Mitchell and Notting Hill Carnival CEO, Matthew Phillip. After co-founding ID&T in 1992, at the age of 21 from his parents’ house, Stutterheim was involved in the launch of some the world’s biggest dance events, including Thunderdome, Mysteryland, Sensation and Tomorrowland. We met Duncan at the Amsterdam Dance Event where he discussed his fascinating career along with current industry issues, including market consolidation, before providing advice for budding promoters and outlining the work he is doing to create new cultural venues and spaces in and around Amsterdam. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eC__vEaQ Listen here: https://lnkd.in/ezzjmuSp #podcast #festival #music