Outdoor public events can be a great boost to the economic vitality of most places. Weddings, music festivals, fetes, arts events, exhibitions and markets: all of these attract visitors and create a thriving local economy. Yet any event promoter or town centre manager appreciates the complexity of staging events in busy public places. From parking provision to traffic regulation, crowd control and policing to the provision of public toilets, entertainment facilities and catering, event logistics can be taxing.
Nowadays, the lifeblood of most historic houses, parks and open spaces is a successful events calendar. Many events require increasingly sophisticated and power-hungry equipment: big screens, sound systems, lighting rigs and interactive kiosks. One of the regular problems with holding successful outdoor events is that of electricity supply, coupled with the constant need to maintain safety standards, including the risk management of equipment used by entertainers and catering suppliers.
Powering active spaces
Until recently, a key source of power was the mobile generator, albeit with the attendant problems of noise pollution, the difficulty of moving heavy vehicles over well-kept lawns and the danger of fire and fuel spillages.
Today, the answer is frequently in the hands of specialist suppliers. Retractable power units, such as those manufactured by Pop uP Power Supplies, can provide efficient electricity supply for most outside events, along with water and air supply as required.
One immediate benefit of this type of equipment is their discreet installation. With current minimalist trends in landscape design, these fully retractable units can be stored safely underground until they are needed. When they’re not in use they’re not visible, thanks to the unique way in which they can be ‘paved over’.
The multi-million pound Chiswick House and Gardens renovation project has made effective use of Pop uP Power Supplies’ retractable units. Chiswick House, a magnificent neo-Palladian villa set in beautiful historic gardens in west London, was built in 1729 by the third Earl of Burlington to showcase his art collection. The house continues to be a popular entertainment venue.
Conservation and aesthetics
Decades of intensive use and insufficient resources had left the grounds and garden buildings in decline. In response, English Heritage and the London Borough of Hounslow funded a £12 million restoration that, now complete, is helping to increase revenue and introduce more people to this historic site. Safe, secure and silent power is vital for health and safety purposes as well as conservation and aesthetic ideals, and the retractable installations underpinned the flexibility of the restoration.
In September 2009, the venue hosted the Chiswick House Dog Show – ‘the best yet’, according to the organisers, in association with Chiswick House Friends. More than 1,200 visitors enjoyed the show held in the gardens, basking in sunshine and soaking up the atmosphere. In June 2009, Chiswick House Friends hosted a successful summer opera, The Garden Opera Company’s The Barber of Seville, set
in the newly-restored gardens of Chiswick House.
Discretion and simplicity
Pop uP Power Supplies’ supply points are permanently installed underground, and can be raised to provide a range of power options by means of inserting and turning a simple handle. Unique environments such as streets, terraces, squares and gardens remain unspoiled by the intrusion of modern boxes and clutter; yet the latest technologies can be used on site.
At London’s Covent Garden, retractable service units are fitted with recessed tops for use with historic cobbles, blending the unit into an architecturally important site. Camden Lock, London, renowned for the crowds attending its outdoor weekend markets, has installed ground units that blend into the environment, providing safe and secure power to a vulnerable site.
Each unit is individually ‘tripped’, so that if one piece of equipment is faulty that socket will ‘trip out’ but the rest will perform as usual. As an additional safety benefit, the handles that raise and lower the units can be easily operated by a single individual.
The safety aspect of Pop uP Power Supplies’ ground units has been highlighted by a case in the north of England. Using generators to provide power is a risky process as meticulous care, cleaning and maintenance is needed to prevent fires or noxious gas emissions. In August 2009, fire crews from Stalybridge and Ashton were mobilised following reports of a fire involving a diesel generator at a food processing plant in Ashton-under-Lyne. Crews were faced with a well-developed fire involving the generator and a large quantity of diesel. Examples of generator-related fires make the news time and time again. A generator, since removed by police, is also at the centre of HSE investigations into the Maple Mill inferno, Oldham, which started April 2009.
Retractable service units are being successfully used to provide electricity, water and air supply to historic sites, market places, town squares and parks. They also offer possibilities for more varied uses, for example upgrading stadiums and sports venues. Pop uP Power Supplies has a commitment to providing safe, secure and silent power in an aesthetically pleasing way to enhance and activate a wide range of outdoor events.
Mike Brown is the managing director of Pop uP Power Supplies
www.popuppower.co.uk
