You Won't Go Back
Our flagship venues are perfect for all kinds of events, bringing together practical function with beautiful aesthetics, heaps of character, and the “wow” factor. Many of our clients say that they’ll never go back to using the plain old venues they used before!
Here are 7 reasons why the spaces we create are perfect to serve your event needs…
Flat Floating Floor
All of our vintage rinks have wooden plate flooring, raised off the ground with aluminium undergirding, making it completely flat and level with just the right amount of flex. Be it fine Finnish Spruce or Asian Birch, it’s sprung for dancing, smooth for skating, and slick for any banquet or standing function.
You’re no longer at the mercy of your site terrain: a floating flat surface means no more problems with uneven ground for placing tables, speaker stacks, bar units or other temporary fixtures. What’s more, it’s smarter and safer than sisal or sack carpet placed directly onto grass or other lumpy, bumpy surfaces.
Colour and Character
Traditional white marquees are wonderful, but there’s nothing like a splash of colour and light when you’re putting on a show! Each of our main venues has a different colour scheme to suit the taste and tone of your event, and with full cabochon festoon lighting, they’re a festival of colour in themselves.
They are guaranteed to enchant your senses. From the hand-painted detail to the overall atmosphere, they ooze character from every angle when viewed from inside or out. Our clients say that these venues are simultaneously both fun and classy, quirky and beautiful. We agree.
Atmosphere and Acoustics
Our clients and their customers have told us that each of our larger venues feels spacious and yet intimate at the same time: atmospheric even when empty, and absolutely rocking when full of people. The open sides with 1.5m of canopy cover enable viewing from outside, which adds to the ambience.
And the acoustics are amazing: the inside-yet-outside dynamic, hollow sub-floor and the dynamics of the roof make for a rich auditory experience, with no natural echo and a warm mixing of sounds in the air. Some of the country’s top sound technicians have worked with us, and they rave about it.
In-House Content
It’s always easier to hand things over to someone you trust, and to have it all fall under the same operation. Covering both the venues and a range of content options, we make it so much easier for our clients than having to co-ordinate multiple suppliers. With backgrounds in all areas, we know what works.
Having run roller rinks in London, and with the amazing wooden flooring on these mobile structures, it always made sense to offer the only touring roller rink in the UK as a whole package. Incorporating a dance company, a silent disco company and a technical events company into one… it was a no-brainer.
Adaptability
Unlike many roofed event structures, ours have 360 degree open sides, giving an open air feel despite being covered, letting light in and heat out on those gorgeous summer days. But for those rainy days, detachable perimeter panels keep the wind and the elements at bay.
The panels themselves can also alter the venue for your aesthetic – turning it from an outdoor-feeling space to an indoor, nightclub-type space, with the option of black or white walls. See the gallery on “The 1963” page for example pics of this configuration.
Sustainability
Upcycling of materials is at the very heart of what we do – in fact, it defines it. When we see potentially wasted material, our first thought is to figure out what it can be used for, which is why we do what we do: all of our vintage venues are rescued from a slow death in showmen’s boneyards, and brought back to life!
Sometimes new materials are necessary, such as fresh wood for our floors, but we work closely with suppliers and ensure that they are sourced responsibly. Any material we don’t use, we find a use for others – see our instagram post on a recent architectural project that uses our old metal Dodgems floor plates!
History and Heritage
Who doesn’t love a bit of history? We often pinch ourselves when we realise we’re dancing around in a venue that’s older than anyone in it! Sure, we’ve fixed, updated, and adapted them, but the fact that these structures have lasted for 50 to 80 years is testament to their quality and timeless popularity.
We have historical records and owner lineage for all of our larger structures, which is mostly for the nerds, but when you’re planning the event of your dreams, it’s nice to know that there’s a bit of history and quality there, and that the main venue isn’t a Covid vaccination tent made in China in 2019.