Dear Auntie Noea
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Hello my dears and welcome to my new little bit in this lovely website. What a very interesting year it's been for me and my eventing family with plenty of problems along the way which has inspired me to be there for you also. Long gone are my days of cobbling together stage blocks, tearing around on noisy Massey Ferguson forklifts or strip searching festival goers for Mary Jane. However, I keep a good hand in - resisting the call of a rocker and Radio 4, to give the newbies what help I can - and if I can't my big family will always step in. So please, do drop me a line with your event woes, questions or just to say 'Hello' - send these by email to auntienoea@googlemail.com and I will then reply to all your lovely letters. |
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Auntie Noea
Dear Auntie
I have heard that all pubs and restaurants have to give customers free water as from 6th April. How does this affect things like beer tents at outdoor events?
Joe, Maidenhead
Dear Joe
I have asked lovely NOEA lawyer Phil and this is what he said:-
"The new regulation will be that from 6th April 2010, the "responsible person" at "relevant premises" has to ensure that free tap water is provided on request to customers where is is reasonably available.
This seems pretty straightforward but unfortunately, it isn't. Relevant premises for this purpose means anywhere that is licensed to sell alcohol, either under a premises licence, club premises certificate or temporary event notice (TEN). That would include a Beer tent.
Responsible person means the holder of the licence, club certificate or person who gave the TEN, the DPS and anyone over 18 who is authorised to sell or supply alcohol at the premises i.e. just about everyone.
The catch is that it doesn't explain what "tap water" is. I assume that what they mean is water from a tap connected to the mains but that's not what they said, nor did they say "drinking water." So suppose that you have some water for washing your hands that's in a water butt. The butt has a tap on it so does that make it tap water? What if the butt is filled with nice sustainable rain water - does it become tap water when it comes out of the tap at the bottom of the butt? And what is reasonable when it comes to being available? How far are we expected to go and when? Should we have filled a few barrels from the tap before we left home and brought them with us and besides, what do we mean by a customer? If someone walks in and doesn't buy anything but asks for a cup of tap water, does that make them a customer or not? What if he wants a beer and she wants free water and is the answer different if he asks for a beer for himself and free water for her?
I don't know but I do know that falling foul of this could cost a fine of up to £20,000 and 6 months in prison so better give anyone who asks for it water if you possible can!"
Damn, I should have known better than ask a lawyer..........
Happy flows, Auntie NOEA
Dear Auntie Noea
I run an event that attracts more and more attendees every year. This results in the local authority demanding I provide more and more toilets which, quite frankly, is beginning to bust our budget as it's a free event. Have you got any bright ideas?
Gerald of Eastbourne
Hello Gerald
Stop crossing your fingers or your legs - firstly, look at the gender split of your audience as much as you can. Let's face it, if you're running a steam rally you're going to get far more guys than you would if you were hosting flower festival. So, more urinals are your answer here - up the number of the urinal blocks to replace cubicles. And, don't despair if it is a flower festival - there are now at least two companies offering the tackle for you to operate female urinals…yes, you heard right. Quite simply, you provide the urinal blocks and the supplier will come along and sell your desperate housewives with either cardboard (throw away) or plastic funnels. Sounds grim but it works at festivals. Punters too posh to pee this way? Then up the stakes and provide screens along the blocks for privacy - they'll be giggling at the very least.
So sit yourself down, get out your calculator and flush away those pounds by consolidating your toilets units.
Auntie Noea
Dear Auntie Noea
The council have told me that unless I have £3,000,000 worth of public liability insurance cover, I can't hold the traditional French street market in our town's market place. Is this true?
Jean-Paul
Bonjour Jean-Paul
Anyone arranging an event of any kind would be insane if they didn't arrange appropriate insurance. How much cover is needed is usually for the organiser to decide but the council can dictate that if it is a condition attached to (for example) a licence granted under the Licensing Act or an agreement to allow the organiser to obstruct a highway during the event.
Opening a dialogue with the council to agree something reasonable and sensible is usually the best way forward. And don't forget to shop around for your insurance. There are even specialist event insurers - talk to them and brokers. It's also well worth looking at the National Market Traders Federation too - a good body to join and they also offer insurance.
Auntie Noea & Uncle Phil
Dear Auntie Noea
I have been running a craft and food festival for a number of years. We always have a beer tent and give a TEN for this. This year the Council told me that I have to have a premises licence because the park where we hold the event has a capacity of 10,000 people. Can the council do this or is it a load of rubbish?
Yours
I have been running a craft and food festival for a number of years. We always have a beer tent and give a TEN for this. This year the Council told me that I have to have a premises licence because the park where we hold the event has a capacity of 10,000 people. Can the council do this or is it a load of rubbish?
Yours
Harry from the South
My dear Harry
According to my darling cousin Phil the answer is not that straightforward. He agrees you are entitled to give a TEN for your beer tent on the basis that you will never have more than 500 people in there at any one time and your event only lasts two days. However if the Council own the land and, if they have had problems with other events where alcohol has been sold, they will want to make sure that all the responsible authorities have an opportunity to insist on conditions being attached to a licence - but they can't do this with TEN's. The Council as the licensing authority cannot insist on this but as land owners, they have every right to lay down conditions before allowing anyone to use their land.
I hope this helps and good luck with the real ale.
Auntie Noea
Dear Auntie Noea
What would you recommend for tightening fence clips - for the past few years I've been using a standard scaffolding spanner but it doesn't half get boring when doing all of a perimeter fence and why is it my spanner always goes walking into others golf buggies, fork lift trucks or tool kits? Help me please…
Pete from Woking
What would you recommend for tightening fence clips - for the past few years I've been using a standard scaffolding spanner but it doesn't half get boring when doing all of a perimeter fence and why is it my spanner always goes walking into others golf buggies, fork lift trucks or tool kits? Help me please…
Pete from Woking
Poor Pete
I know where you're coming from on this. I have even wrapped floral sticky-back plastic round mine and they still go their own merry way. In the past year or so, I have seen many ingenious solutions on site including the faithful swinger handle type, poker handles, good old podgers and rather nifty ratchet types. Some even come with their own holsters which could solve the 'walking' issue and do look out for the more fashion-conscious production managers (oh yes, they have been known to be suitably equipped) who have dyed their leather holsters so as not to clash with their boots and belts.
Happy Heras (or any other fence make) clipping.
Auntie Noea
Dear Auntie Noea,
I have a question regarding attendance numbers. There is a general tendency to over exaggerate the attendance numbers in meetings and publicity material. However, how do we exactly know the actual figure of an event especially when it's a new contract. Is there a general 'rule of thumb' for estimating the actual numbers of people? For example, if an event promoter says that they receive 14,000 people to their event, do you knock off 10,000 and anticipate for 4,000?
Yours,
I have a question regarding attendance numbers. There is a general tendency to over exaggerate the attendance numbers in meetings and publicity material. However, how do we exactly know the actual figure of an event especially when it's a new contract. Is there a general 'rule of thumb' for estimating the actual numbers of people? For example, if an event promoter says that they receive 14,000 people to their event, do you knock off 10,000 and anticipate for 4,000?
Yours,
'Mathematically Challenged' from London
Well, MC from London...
This is a very interesting question and one I can happily ramble on about for pages. But, in short - it certainly has been known that some promoters over-egg attendance figures. Big numbers attract sponsorship, encourage suppliers to their event such as caterers and sellers or is great to boast theirs is the largest so-and-so event in the town/region/country or world. Funnily enough, the very same event may insist to the authorities their attendance figures are half of what they have stated in their own publicity. After all, high attendances will lead to all sorts of increasing costs in licensing, health and safety provision and many more delightful portable toilets. More implications welcome on a postcard email please.
But, to help you in this case with a suggested figure - and using my trusted abacus, I would go for 6,856 - maybe? Good luck and happy counting.
Auntie Noea
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Auntie Noea Welcome to the summer at long last. My seaweed tells me it's going to be far more kind than the last. Please don't dry up, if you have anything at all to say, shout about or ask, email me at auntienoea@googlemail.com. |
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Dear Auntie Noea
The council have told me that unless I have £3,000,000 worth of public liability insurance cover, I can't hold the traditional French street market in our town's market place. Is this true?
Jean-Paul
The council have told me that unless I have £3,000,000 worth of public liability insurance cover, I can't hold the traditional French street market in our town's market place. Is this true?
Jean-Paul
Bonjour Jean-Paul
Anyone arranging an event of any kind would be insane if they didn't arrange appropriate insurance. How much cover is needed is usually for the organiser to decide but the Council can dictate that if it is a condition attached to (for example) a licence granted under the Licensing Act or an agreement to allow the organiser to obstruct a highway during the event.
Opening a dialogue with the Council to agree something reasonable and sensible is usually the best way forward. And don't forget to shop around for your insurance. There are even specialist event insurers - talk to them and brokers. It's also well worth looking at the National Market Traders Federation too - a good body to join and they also offer insurance.
Auntie Noea & Uncle Phil
Dear Auntie Noea
I run an event that attracts more and more attendees every year. This results in the local authority demanding I provide more and more toilets which, quite frankly, is beginning to bust our budget as it's a free event. Have you got any bright ideas?
Gerald of Eastbourne
I run an event that attracts more and more attendees every year. This results in the local authority demanding I provide more and more toilets which, quite frankly, is beginning to bust our budget as it's a free event. Have you got any bright ideas?
Gerald of Eastbourne
Hello Gerald
Stop crossing your fingers or your legs - firstly, look at the gender split of your audience as much as you can. Let's face it, if you're running a steam rally you're going to get far more guys than you would if you were hosting flower festival. So, more urinals are your answer here - up the number of the urinal blocks to replace cubicles. And, don't despair if it is a flower festival - there are now at least two companies offering the tackle for you to operate female urinals…yes, you heard right. Quite simply, you provide the urinal blocks and the supplier will come along and sell your desperate housewives with either cardboard (throw away) or plastic funnels. Sounds grim but, it works at festivals. Punters too posh to pee this way? Then up the stakes and provide screens along the blocks for privacy - they'll be giggling at the very least.
So sit yourself down, get out your calculator and flush away those pounds by consolidating your toilets units.
Auntie Noea
Dear Auntie Noea
For many years now I have been running a very small and successful company supplying sound and lighting to many local venues but recently branched into events. We would like to expand into this market further. We are members of NOEA and another trade association but don't really utilise either. How can this work better for us to reach more event organisers?
Les Mitchum
For many years now I have been running a very small and successful company supplying sound and lighting to many local venues but recently branched into events. We would like to expand into this market further. We are members of NOEA and another trade association but don't really utilise either. How can this work better for us to reach more event organisers?
Les Mitchum
Dear Les
I am so glad you've come to me on this one and it's very timely. Of course I cannot be unbiased here and really have to sell you the idea of getting yourself into the networking side of associations. In addition to the many events that NOEA host throughout the year, you'll know that the convention is coming up in February and I can tell you from experience that you will not only meet many event bods there but will benefit from the great talkers and workshops. Don't sit back and wait for it to come to you, come and join us and find out what your other association is up to also.
Auntie Noea
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