EventPlan News

All news items are presented in reverse order, with the most recent towards the top of the page.

Gloucester through the ages a huge success!

A fabulous weekend festival celebrating the rich heritage of Gloucester, from the Romans to WWII, set at a number of key locations within the city including the Cathedral and close, historic docks, Parliament Rooms, Blackfriars, Greyfriars, St.Michael's Tower, St.Oswald's Priory, City Museum & Art Gallery, and the folk museum.  Around 10,000 people braved bitingly cold and later on Saturday afternoon, wet weather to enjoy the huge number of displays staged around the city by hundreds of participants including re-enactors, minstrels, singers, entertainers and others. Visitor comments were extremely positive and on the Gloucester City Council survey form, achieved a  70% "excellent" rating, 30% "good" and no adverse ratings at all.

Click for event survey results and letters about the event from Gloucester City Council and the people of Gloucester.

EventPlan will be back in Gloucester on 24-26 October, providing living history and historical entertainments for the City Council's maritime event at the historic docks.

12 May 2008

Looking forward to 2008!

After a record year for EventPlan, its already looking like it will be even busier during 2008, with another action-packed programme developing. But there's still a few free dates in the programme, so if you are interested in us staging a high quality historical event on your behalf please contact us without delay. Click for details of our 2008 programme so far.

6 October 2007

Its a record - over 100,000 visitors so far this season!

It's been a bumper season for EventPlan with huge numbers of visitors enjoying our shows. With two events still to come we are already over the 100,000 visitor mark, despite a summer that has not entirely been kind weather-wise (although happily we missed the worst of it). So it looks by the season end, we will have had our busiest year ever, which is excellent news for our clients. And our performers seem to have had a great time too (which is extremely important!). We are always looking for new opportunities and challenges, so if you are interested in a fantastic event - well planned., popular but not costing the earth - then contact EventPlan today!

10 September 2007

EventPlan attracts press and PR coverage

Our events tend to attract quite a lot of interest but things are particularly busy on the PR front at present. Nottinghamshire Today magazine (May issue) published a 6 page feature about our forthcoming events in the county, and this month a double page spread about our summer programme appears in the Book Club Associates "Days Out" guide (to be sent to 50,000 BCA members). We are always interested in new opportunities for EventPlan and our clients so please do contact us if you have a proposal.

12 June 2007

At the Museums and Heritage Show

Immediately after staging Osterley through the ages at Osterley Park over the early May bank holiday, we exhibited at this years Museums and Heritage Show at Earls Court, on 9-10 May. It was a very interesting two days, spent meeting existing and potential clients, and exploring ideas for forthcoming projects. This was followed by the first of four events at Rufford Abbey Country park, a super weekend of medieval living history and displays.

Updated 22 May 2007

2006 - a busy year, but 2007 looks busier still...

Our 2006 season has just ended with another successful event in Sherwood Forest. The Forest Time Trail attracted large numbers of visitors who explored the picturesque Major Oak pathway through the forest, enjoying numerous displays and meeting characters who have helped shape the area through the ages. However, although this marked the end of one season, planning for the next has long since begun in earnest with a very busy 2007 programme likely, including old favourites and more events for the National Trust. We look forward to a very busy year ahead!

2 October 2006

Fantastic sell out show at Cliveden!

Following on from a highly successful Sheffield Fayre, we staged our 3rd Blasts from the Past at Cliveden on 9-10 September, the beautiful weather perfectly complimenting the picturesque location. So many visitors came that the National Trust ran out of parking spaces on both days and were forced to shut their gates at lunchtime (temporarily on Saturday, but for most of the afternoon on Sunday)! This didn't deter visitors however and they parked on every road and verge for half a mile in each direction before walking in. Fortunately, EventPlan had planned for large numbers of visitors and with at least three displays happening at any one time during the day, and two main living history areas, there was plenty of room and viewing space. A truly excellent weekend all round!

11 September 2006

High Summer and the crowds flock in

The summer heat wave didn't stop around 30,000 happy visitors from enjoying the Colchester Military Festival on Saturday 15 July, with thousands also attending Sunday's Roman chariot show. The weekend featured a spectacular blend of British army displays, historical re-enactments and living history on a truly enormous scale. Another high point in a busy season of first class events, with others still to come. So as long as nobody performs a rain dance before our forthcoming shows, everybody should be happy!

18 July 2006

2006 season starts with a bang (well, lots actually!)

The Mayday bank holiday weekend saw the start of our major event season with the hugely successful Against all odds - the final siege of Newark 1646. Around 10,000 people thrilled to an ongoing event recreating the decisive English Civil War siege, which featured several venues, impressive cannon bombardments, living history, skirmishes and parades. Click for details and photos.

3 May 2006

2005 - our most ambitious season yet!

2005 will definitely be remembered as our most ambitious to date, with a large number of events and record crowds - well over 100,000 people enjoyed EventPlan displays this year.  Major highlights later in the season (post-dating the posting below) included Huntingdon 800 (20,000 visitors), The Sheffield Fayre (25,000 visitors) and Blasts from the Past (7,000 visitors). We are already planning for 2006 and look forward to another bumper programme of events.

22 October 2005

Summer brings out the crowds

Our first events staged this summer have all proved extremely successful, with thousands flocking to enjoy our shows. From Rufford through the ages (below) through 60 Years On to  the Colchester Military Festival, it's been a hectic summer so far with major events at regular intervals, together with smaller but equally pleasing displays such as Codename Hillside. Even a little rain at History in the Park couldn't dampen the spirits of visitors and participants alike. There's still lots to come though so please do check out our list of 2005 events. We are already confirming bookings for 2006, so next year looks as if it will be another extremely busy season!

26 July 2005

Royal Preview staged in Jordan

On May 9, HRH Prince Raad Bin Zeid and HRH Princess Majda Raad were guests of honour at a special preview production performance of the Roman Army and Chariot Experience, organised for a group of 150 incentive travel decision makers from around the world on a visit to Jordan as guests of the Jordan Tourism Board.

EventPlan was responsible for scripting, direction and commentary, including the sourcing of gladiatorial trainers (Mark Griffin and Wayne Destrete) who selected and trained 10 gladiators recruited locally. The performance included 45 fully equipped legionaries demonstrating their weapons and their usage and executing various battle formations. Appropriately stirring music selected by EventPlan played on the recently installed massive sound system during the show. Following the Roman Army, the gladiators entered the arena and fought two at a time in front of a very enthusiastic audience. The last act of the show included a chariot - the first of several being built for the ongoing show - drawn by two gray horses around the Spina (middle barrier) for a glimpse of this, the greatest spectator sport of all times. A parade of all participants concluded the event.
 
Daily shows are planned from early June, with the official opening taking place in late September or October of this year. We look forward to directing this event immensely.

27 May 2005

Sunshine and smiles at Rufford Country Park!

Warm, sunny weather, a superb venue, an excellent line-up of performers and appreciative crowds ensured that Rufford through the ages, our first multi-era event of the season, was a great success. Throughout the weekend visitors discovered and enjoyed the fascinating history of Rufford and the surrounding area, brought to life with living history displays and entertainments from the Romans to World War Two, including the Cistercian monks, ordinary folk, soldiers and warriors that helped shape the abbey, house and estate down the centuries.

20 May 2005

EventPlan commences major project in Jordan

EventPlan's Managing Director Howard Giles has returned from several days in Amman and Jerash, Jordan, where we were invited to join the planning team of the Roman Army and Chariot Experience. We shall be responsible for scripting, initially directing and advising on many aspects this exciting show (including armour and equipment, health & safety and so on), which will present exciting Roman army displays, gladiatorial combat and chariot racing in the actual Roman hippodrome of the impressive city remains of Gerasa (modern day Jerash) - the only place in the world where a show of this kind will be able to be seen on the exact spot, within the actual Roman remains. We are delighted to be part of  this fascinating project, which aims to open to visitors in October.

This initial trip has just been followed up by the second of several visits in. Scripting and daily training of legionary troops continues apace, promising an extremely exciting show. Gladiatorial training commences in early May, together with rehearsals integrating the different portions of the approximately 75-minute show. On May 9th a special "show in development" performance is due to be given to 200 United States travel trade representatives, the first of numerous such bookings as operators enjoy a taste of the show to come.

Updated 14 April 2005

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