There are forever changes in event world. Clients, the weather, performers, local and national news and all points between can have an impact on the process, right up to doors and beyond. Despite even the very best preparations and planning.

To that end, the Event Industry News response is reassuringly predictable. The annual ‘Last minute life savers’ feature, a straight ahead directory of trusted suppliers available at short notice.

Every company on the list is experienced in providing kit and solutions against the event clock. The feature will be updated and expanded over the next few weeks, so bookmark the page and make it your 12th man this summer.

5. Whatever your event, where ever it is, Extreme Medics have you covered

The success or failure of an event is borne from days of pre-planning, hard work and occasional stressful moments. Despite all angles being covered, the last few hours prior to going live can be immensely chaotic; caterers? Check! Porta Loos? Check! Power? Check! Participants? Check! The list is as long as the days and days of preparation, but an often under considered aspect is the level of medical cover. When it comes down to the seconds, between life and death, it really is worth considering your options for a little longer.

Did you know that a human can bleed to death in 3 minutes?

Did you know that brain damage from lack of oxygen can occur in under 5 minutes?

Time suddenly becomes much more critical.

This may be extreme, but its what we, Extreme Medics™, are used to dealing with. With over two decades of experience in the provision of critical care we have stood side by side with event organisers during some of the worse scenarios that could be considered. When injuries occur the physical, mental and material costs to an event and a individual can be significant. So how do you offset this risk? With gold standard providers.

Forming part of the Extreme Sports Medical Company, Extreme Medics is a specialist provider of all aspects of medical, safety, security and logistical services to the International Media and Events industry.  Wherever you and your event are we can be there in direct support, on land, on the water, in the air, mountains, ice, jungle or desert.  We have you covered.

We are not your average event medical provision.

Based in Shropshire we have operated both in the UK and worldwide. We only employ registered health care professionals (our gold standard) the majority of which are either Doctors with specialist knowledge of both primary and emergency care or Paramedic Practitioners that can provide a full range of treatments and operate autonomously without direction from a senior clinician. Many of our clinicians are serving or Military Veterans. With the latter in mind our staff are all robust, self-sufficient and fit, this means our footprint is small but our impact is big. We specialise in smaller teams achieving bigger results.

Because of the team we employ and the equipment we operate, Extreme medics are most at home working in austere conditions, either in terms of Geo-political risk or climate and terrain. We can operate independently of any wider team following a client brief, or we can work as a small unit within the confines of a wider operations team.

At Extreme Medics, we are proud of our team reputation, we offer so much more to an event than just being ‘the medics’, we understand that sometimes jobs need doing, we get the job done, keep a sense of humour and add value.  We thrive on the success of a production, we know It’s a two way road, not just take from our point of view, your success is our success and reputation is everything in both our worlds.  We bring practical event support as added value of our service, from cleaning floors to shifting canoes we have done it. Our history and knowledge of dealing with production and events means we know what jobs need to be done.

Our Capabilities:

We can happily provide a full company C.V. however, there is not much (or anywhere!) we can’t provide. Here are a few highlights:

  • Full spectrum, turn key- Health, safety and security consultancy before, during and after production.
  • Full medical, General Practice, prolonged field care, critical care, on water, land and in the air (including static or dynamic locations).
  • Working at height compliance.
  • Fire Safety and Management.
  • Medical, rescue and first aid kit provision.
  • Full and complete healthcare management system and emergency planning.
  • Cast and Crew Training, Pre-deployment training, Rehabilitation, Pre-Deployment/production medicals.
  • Standalone consultancy, top cover, or short notice solutions.
  • Full Command and Control.
  • Communications
  • Environmental medical and intelligence and briefing.
  • Asset Protection.
  • Location scouting.
  • Press Management.
  • Statutory, Governmental and contractor management/liaison.

Whatever your event, where ever it is, whatever stage it is at, get us involved, we reduce costs, improve performance, save time and most importantly lives.

Contact us at:

24/7 Line: +44 (0) 7805 873 717

If you require any further information, or would like to discuss working together please contact:

E: rich@extrememedics.com

Feel free to view our website, www.extrememedics.com

Find us on Facebook with over 9500 connection @Extrememedics

Follow us on Twitter @Extrememedics

4. Big TV

“Thank you soooooooooo much for yesterday. It wasn’t the easiest of days to hold an event (and that’s probably an understatement) but on the whole we put on a great show….Your guys were stars again!! When I arrived at 9am the screen was up and everything in place with the video already playing – FANTASTIC.” – Feedback from a client after a Christmas Light Switch on event.

We love good feedback and after a long, hard day’s work it makes us feel great. That’s why we’ve spent the last 14 years that we’ve been in business gaining knowledge, planning well and always trying to stay ahead of the game.

The LED screen industry has changed a lot over the last few years. The range of screens available has increased massively and there’s a huge variation of quality out there. In addition to that the scope of clients and events requiring screens has also grown. Regardless of the event and the requirements, we want to be confident that we can meet all of our clients’ demands on site with no issues or complications.

That’s why all of our mobile LED screens have built in diesel generators, with enough power to run the screen and a few extras (additional PA equipment, lighting, sound desks, etc). We have newly upgraded on-board HD production suites with 16 channel inputs, able to accept a wide variety of media inputs, create graphics, and mix between live feeds and pre-recorded content. We have optional satellite systems for live TV broadcasts of Free View channels, we can provide professional and experienced camera crew with broadcast quality HD cameras and we can offer a post-production editing service. Whatever your AV requirements, we want you to feel confident that we have them covered.

Our “All-in-one” mobile LED screens are the only mobile trailers in the UK to offer an LED screen, D&B PA Sound System, Stage, Lighting Rig (with 40 spotlights and 6 roaming lights), on-board generator and production suite all within the one trailer. The screen can be in use within 20 minutes of arriving on site and the stage can be rigged in less than an hour. It’s the ideal solution for an outdoor event where you need a quick turnaround, and a more cost effective option than bringing in separate stage, PA, screen and OB suppliers.

Our Sky-fly 33sqm screen is mounted onto a hydraulic crane arm and has a greater reach and level of flexibility than any other mobile LED screen in the industry. It can rise up and over a wall, stage or structure to exactly where you want it and you still have the advantage of a mobile screen with a built in edit suite and generator, all housed within a modest footprint.

Big TV is proud of the reputation we’ve built over the years, remaining the preferred supplier of many major outdoor events and successful event managements companies. We pride ourselves on providing outstanding attention to detail, full technical support and expert consultancy across our range of services. We understand what is important to event organisers and we know how to help them utilise our screens to get a maximum impact for their event.

Most events are organised several months in advance, but it’s a fact of life that unfortunately sometimes things go wrong. Through no fault of your own a supplier might let you down, your requirements might change and you need a screen or additional AV equipment at very short notice. In these circumstances we’re always on hand and we’ll help however we can. We employ full time, dedicated screen technicians and our LED screens are always prepped and ready to go. In the past we’ve received phone calls less than 24 hours prior to an event and managed to be on site, set up and with a picture on screen before the event begins. We understand the pressures of running an event and however we can ease the stress, we will!

3. DCRS

Two-Way Radios can often be one of the first things to arrive on site on the build-up of an event but what do you do if your usual supplier lets you down?

Events throughout the world have heightened the need to ensure staff and visitors are safe, and situations need to be reacted to quickly. DCRS have built an excellent reputation, with a large adaptable stock that is available off the shelf for the same day, or next day delivery.

  • Analogue & Digital Radio Equipment with Repeaters for Increased Coverage
  • Nationwide PTT for wide area events such as Marathons, Cycle Events
  • Full Range of Audio Accessories
  • Onsite Engineer Support
  • Radio Traffic Recording & Monitoring Software

As the company approaches 30 years in the business, its experience of last minute changes and alterations are second to none.

2. Evolution Dome save the day, at the last minute

15m Inflatable Cube

The events world is fast paced and ever changing. Problems can arise in a split second with anything from a venue to catering, cancelling at the last minute.

The events team at Vindis Audi in Huntingdon experienced this first hand when they were planning a launch night to unveil their new showroom. Having booked a marquee, they were given just 48 hours’ notice that the structure had fallen through and it would not be installed as planned. With the invites out and clients as well as staff expected to attend the evening, there was no possibility of postponing the event. A replacement had to be found.

Simone Gill, Senior Marketing Coordinator at Vindis Group, approached Evolution Dome with the last minute request. The brief included creating a modern and elegant space within which to host clients, colleagues and the local business community, for the unveiling of the brand new Audi showroom. The space had to be big enough to comfortably accommodate guests as well as AV equipment, seating, live music and a stage where a presentation would be delivered from.

Evolution Dome advised on using the 15m cube for the event. The 185sqm structure is fully waterproof and 55mph wind rated, ready for whatever the British weather has to throw at it.  The Audi showroom was designed to a high spec, with a minimalist and futuristic feel, the cube complemented the modern architecture well. It was the perfect choice for the Vindis Audi event as it combined the functionality of a marquee with the unique design and look of an air structure.

The added benefit of using an inflatable structure meant that the whole venue; structure, flooring and lighting, were ready in a matter of hours. This helped greatly in making sure that the event was ready on time, with a minimal amount of stress.

LED coloured lighting battens were installed to complete the venue and provide an ambient glow. Simone commented that the inflatable cube provided ‘a wow factor when everyone entered the event, which was in keeping with our building structure’. It was ‘above and beyond’ the team’s expectations. Evolution Dome sprang into action and ‘saved the day after we got let down last minute, and created something much more than we imagined!’

Simone was kind enough to comment that the service she received was ‘excellent service from start to finish. They couldn’t have been more helpful or cooperative’ and would ‘definitely’ use Evolution Dome again for future events.

1. Superheroes of Live Events: An award-winning team with a reputation for saving the day

When the police get into trouble they call the Armed Response Team, when sailors are in distress they call the coast guard, and when festivals have a crisis they call Intellitix.

At its core, Intellitix delivers Access Control, Cashless Payment, and Experiential solutions for live events. But over the years, the company has proven itself to be so much more than an RFID technology provider.

Their elite team of experts eat, sleep, and breathe live events. It’s this dedication to the profession and “all hands on deck” mentality that makes Intellitix the best company to have on your side in case something goes awry.

I spoke with Sean Coates, a Customer Success Manager at Intellitix, about how their team has gained a reputation as the go-to experts in all things festivals and live events.

“The second we partner with a live event, we become intrinsically tied. Their success is our success,” says Coates. “Likewise, their failure becomes our failure so if a problem arises that doesn’t involve Intellitix, we still want to find a solution.”

Take, for example, a first-year music festival that signed on to deploy Intellitix’s Access Control, Cashless Payment, and Experiential solutions. The festival decided to choose a bargain-priced network vendor, who assured both the festival and Coates that they were capable of providing a stable network for Intellitix and on-site vendors.

“We met face-to-face with the network provider to discuss the project and they said they’d do one thing and did the exact opposite,” said Coates.

This vendor slip-up would have made operations impossible for vendors, ticketing providers, and even parts of the event production. An immediate solution was necessary. Jean-Pierre Cyrenne Intellitix’s IT Director, was immediately put on a jet and worked through the night reconfiguring equipment and re-cabling hardlines.

“In essence, we saved the day,” says Coates.

This superhero mindset isn’t limited to technology. While meeting with another live event, Coates arrived on site only to realize that the festival had absolutely no signage.

“Having the right on-site signage can deflect costs and touchpoints at customer service, but it also shows a level of thoughtfulness,” he explains.  “People need to know where the bathrooms are located, where they can get food, and where they can find the entrances and exits, among other things,” says Coates.

Again a member of the Intellitix team dropped everything for a festival that was in need of help. This situation inspired the company to develop a signage template toolkit that can be easily modified to fit any festival.

“We’re always thinking of the patron experience beyond RFID,” says Coates. “That’s why our partners choose us time and time again.”

Intellitix was named the Best Technology Provider at the 2016 Event Production Awards in London and was also ranked as one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies” in live events.

One of the main reasons for the company’s incredible success thus far is the open lines of communication that run through the organization. When a live event partners with Intellitix, they don’t just get a dedicated Customer Success Manager. They get the whole corporate knowledge base working to find optimal solutions for their needs.

“We run weekly health checks where we assess the status of live events as well as upcoming milestones and potential risks. We include Intellitix’s on-site team, front of house team, and customer success team. This allows us to talk about shared issues and easily determine the best solutions.”

“It’s all about working smarter, not harder,” Coates adds.

Some of the other areas of expertise for the company include fulfillment, back of house management, sponsorship activations, and site planning.

While it’s idealistic to think that nothing will go wrong at your live event, it’s not the reality. Problems will arise. Situations will come up. And when they do, you’ll want a partner like Intellitix.

“At the end of the day, live event organizers and promoters need to ask themselves if their suppliers are actually invested in their success, and I can assure you that we are.”

Adam Parry
Author: Adam Parry

Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.