DOIN' IT FOR THE KIDS
As part of this year's Children In Need fundraising extravaganza three live concerts were organised across the country.
Venues in Weymouth, Maidstone and Stoke were the chosen to host the free live events which featured chart toppers like Holly Valance, Blazin Squad, Sophie Ellis Bextor and the Cheeky Girls.
ELP were a key component within all productions, providing a range of location services to support the BBC outside broadcast units across the country.
Weymouth was serviced by ELP fixed and moving lights, a twin set TV silenced generator and staging was organised as part of the production package. Similarly, in Maidstone ELP organised staging and power.
But as project manager Robbie Wilson explains it was the Stoke gig where ELP were able to flex their considerable production muscles.
"In Stoke I was the overall site manager so in addition to providing the concert lighting and power we were able to utilise our fleet of production vehicles to provide VIP hospitality areas, production offices and dressing room facilities for the acts.
Our 'Instant Office' vehicle was really popular with the BBC production crew. It allowed them to arrive on site and start work immediately with no time wasted setting up.
The larger of our fully furnished production trailers was used as a VIP hospitality suite. This provides just over 60 square metres of floor space. Perfect for this size of event"
Almost 4000 people attended the Stoke concert, (many of them screaming teenage girls there to see Blazin Squad!) so safety was a main concern.
All the barriers and crowd control arrangements were also coordinated by ELP as part of a one stop full service package.
"These live link shows can be tricky" explains Wilson "as well as catering for the crowd at the venue you have to be on cue to switch over to a live broadcast on national television. With millions watching there is no margin for error and planning needs to be spot on.
I was delighted with the way the evening went. Best of all, they announced that £15 million was raised by the end of the nights broadcasting."