EventPlan Limited is a UK based company founded in September 2000. We are deliberately small, highly specialised, very experienced and extremely client focused. We are efficient, reliable and always offer excellent value for money. Most of our work is derived from personal recommendation or repeat bookings, and each year we accept between fifteen and twenty projects of various themes and scales, from modest to extremely ambitious. In its very first year of operations, EventPlan won the "Most interesting Product or Service" Award at the Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens Event, November 2001.

With our wealth of specialist knowledge and contacts we can stage - or help you to stage - successful, enjoyable events, or facilitate filmmakers in arranging and directing appropriate re-enactors or extras for filming projects. Our fee structure is flexible and affordable. An initial consultation is usually free of charge.

We always operate a careful safety policy at our events and performers are required to adhere to our Conditions of Participation, which also outline standards of authenticity and behaviour.

Clients

The EventPlan and Historical Film Services teams

Flexibility is our watchword. Permanent staff are augmented as required by skilled colleagues who work with us on specific projects in specialist roles. Key staff include:

Howard Giles, Managing Director

Considered by many to be Britain’s most experienced historical event professional, Howard has been responsible for over 5,000 successful events over 35 years. He is perhaps best known for creating and thereafter directing English Heritage’s ambitious events programme, 1984-2000. With a flair for showmanship he often personally organised and scripted many of the thousands of events - both historical and non-historical - staged during this period, particularly large-scale “spectaculars”.  A huge number of major events aside, Howard’s achievements included consistently balancing a huge national programme of events by geography, theme, scale and date across 100+ historic properties, whilst still meeting English Heritage’s diverse regional objectives. Howard trained many staff and literally “wrote the book” on events, English Heritage’s 300-page manual covering every aspect of event planning and management.

Perhaps his greatest challenge to date came in June 2001 with the groundbreaking Battle of Orgreave, a re-enactment of the bloodily climactic confrontation of the 1984 miners’ strike, and EventPlan's first major project. Creating two opposing “armies” of 800 “police” and “miners”, he organised, scripted and directed scenes so vivid that hairs stood on end amongst the audience, many of whom had witnessed the original riot. Howard also wrote an account of the original conrontation for the acompanying book. In March 2002, he was invited to India, advising on improving the infrastructure and interpretation in and around the fantastic ruined city of Vijayanagara. In 2005 he trained performers, scripted and helped direct major displays for The Roman Army and Chariot Experience at Jerash in Jordan. Numerous UK based events have been staged each year and Howard is currently planning our 2010 programme, whilst planning ahead for 2011.

As a military historian, Howard offers his expertise as a historical advisor to film and TV. This was used to good effect when supplying and co-ordinating over 100 Roman extras for a major TV advert for Tetley's Bitter. He supplied and co-ordinated the historical extras for - and appeared in - all 6 episodes of Historyonics for BBC 1 as well as the pilot, Guy Fawkes, and was featured in the series Perfect weapon, as on screen military expert on the use of the iconic 1853 Enfield rifled musket.

Howard's love of history runs in the family. He is the son of historian and Western Front Association founder, the late John Giles, and just after 11am every November 11 is privileged to lay one of the first four wreaths at the Cenotaph as part of the official party, this year alongside General Sir Richard Dannatt, WFA President Correlli Barnett and Chairman Bruce Simpson.

Barbara Giles, Company Secretary and Administrative Manager

Barbara is a skilled facility manager, specialising in meeting and preferably exceeding visitor expectations of site facilities, together with daily managing, ticketing, crowd control and financial administration, all to very high standards. After working at English Heritage for many years she took on the role of Administrative Manager at Odds Farm Park, Buckinghamshire, one of the most successful children’s attractions in Britain. Barbara appeared in Dick Turpin and Mary Queen of Scots, two episodes of Historyonics and in Guy Fawkes.

Our valued part time staff includes:

Event Managers Heather Gallagher, Marco Kleijn, Jonathan Keeling, Susan Kirk, Tony Pinnington, Paul Bristow and Debby Chivers. Trusted, tireless, invaluable colleagues who join us for specific events, assisting with various on-site management functions.

Event Assistants: We augment our usual staff as required by the size of events from our gallant band of assistants including Alison Clayton, Marika Cotton, Mac McLoughlin, Jennie Irving, Jen Stephens and others.

Commentators: David Rumble and Dave McLoughlin are skilled narrators and Masters of Ceremony who we engage whenever appropriate. Howard is also an extremely experienced commentator.