Monday 12 February 2018

Fly your way to more events business

We have moved this content to and added more content on our new website:

www.cga-integration.co.uk


CGA met with an Events Manager at a London hotel recently and a worrying statistic
emerged; 30% of potential customers for large-scale functions declined to book their
venue after viewing the ballroom, as there were no flying points.

The actual number of ‘lost clients’ is probably even higher, as many events
companies having previously visited would already know that flying points were
not available, so would not even consider the venue as a potential option in the first
place.

So if you have a good size function space, one which can cater for over 200 guests,
with a good height ceiling and no flying points, then maybe you too are missing out
on a large portion of the available business.

So what is a flying point?
Flying points are in principal big hooks or fixing points fitted to the structure of your
roof or ceiling. They allow events companies to hang equipment without having to
build up from the ground with stands or scaffolding, therefore leaving your events
space looking more like a purpose-built function space. 
A flying point also has the added safety benefit of being rated and tested with a
loading which specifies the weight of equipment that events company can hang or
fly from it.

So why do I need flying points in my events space?
There is a growing trend that companies booking hospitality spaces to host large
scale events are either events companies themselves, or the company making the
booking will be employing an events company to manage the occasion.

The events company will want to bring in speakers, lighting, video screens and
lots of other technology to make the occasion special or even spectacular!  All
of this equipment needs to be mounted, often at a high level, to allow visibility
and sound dispersion throughout the function room to create the desired effects.

Is there anything else I should consider?
If you are considering adding flying points to your events space, you must work
with a structural engineer to ensure that your building is capable of taking the
weight required to be hung.  If this is confirmed, engage a reputable rigging
company to ensure that they correctly install flying equipment in the right place,
with the correct weight loading capability required.

To ensure minimal visual impact, you may also choose to work with an interior
designer to enable that these flying points ‘disappear’ when they are not in use.
Although please remember it is paramount to let the structural engineer & rigging
company agree the location of these points NOT the designer, to ensure the
safety and functionality of the points.

Plan to maintain flying points in your annual budgeting.  As they are essentially
lifting gear, they need to be regularly tested to ensure that they are safe and
compliant with industry standards.

If you are investing in flying points to enable events companies to fly lots of
technology, you equally need to consider power and cable management. Think
about how best to supply a suitable amount of power to the points, some in the
roof space, as well as how the power will be routed from the floor of the venue
up to these flying points without having unsightly bundles of cables swinging around.

If you would like to find out more about installing flying points then please give us
a call on 0845 058 4652, email or maybe take a look at refurbishing your events
space on the CGA website and we can advise you how to start the process to
maximise the effectiveness of your critical events space.

CGA … making hospitality sound Great!