Ask anyone working in festival production what they consider the most fundamental part of an event, and you’ll get a variety of answers: licensing, budgets, logistics, or programming. But here’s one that rarely makes the list, despite being the foundation
Keen to find out about how Labyrinth on the Thames came together? We Group CEO Nick Morgan spoke to Access All Areas about planning and producing this landmark series of shows at Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College (ORNC)
Communities are at the heart of every festival, which is why genuinely engaging with them and giving back is so important. Speaking to StandOut Magazine, our Operations Account Director Jan shares how meaningful collaboration with local communities helps
As the Operations Manager at We Are OPS, I spend most of my time behind the scenes, planning, coordinating, responding, and making sure everything runs smoothly. But every now and then, you get a moment that reminds you
Planning an event can be an exciting yet complex task, especially when it comes to managing multiple teams and contractors on site. Whether it’s security teams, catering staff, or technical crews, contractors play a pivotal role in making
Looking for the latest update on Martyn’s Law? Or wondering how best to liaise with local authorities for your next event? The Institute of Licensing Conference for Large Events delved into all of these key areas and more…
When it comes to organising an event, guest safety is non-negotiable. With large crowds, stages, food traders, and multiple activities, it’s vital to ensure that attendees, staff, and artists are all safe. In our experience, a strong health
Accessibility is central to the event planning process – ensuring events can be enjoyed by everybody who wishes to attend. We spoke to Jan Rankou, Senior Operations Manager at We Are OPS, to explore some of the ways
Event safety isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Writing for Evcom, (the Event and Visual Communication Association), Nick Morgan, CEO of We Are OPS and WeGroup, explains why… You only have to look at recent headlines to know
‘Sustainability isn’t a luxury or a fringe movement: it’s an absolute necessity’ Key insights from Sarah Tew, Account Director at We Are OPS and Sustainability Lead across We Group At We Group, we are aware of the urgent
Neurodiversity refers to the different ways a person’s brain processes information. It is estimated that around 1 in 7 people in the UK have some kind of neuro difference. This Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we spoke to Jan Rankou,
Health and safety is often tarnished with assuming stereotypes – “boring” being one of them. If I have learnt anything in my first six months in an official role, however, it is that health & safety, particularly in
Looking for some insight on Crowd Safety, Stakeholder Engagement or Accessibility at festivals and events? Our recent article in Festival Insights explores the importance of these considerations, and explains how they were put into practice at Boiler Room
When it comes to creating new festivals and events, key components which are crucial to the process can often get overlooked…including stakeholder and community engagement. Ahead of our return to Boiler Room this weekend, we sat down with
The OPS team returned to the South Coast over last month for the build of the iconic Bournemouth 7s festival. Given that it’s the biggest sports and music festival in the world, attracting 30,000 people each year, ensuring
It’s been less than a month since Yas Galletti, Director at We Are OPS and The Fair, launched The Advice Line – a brand new careers tool offering free advice to anybody looking to start their own festival,
Continued government inaction will be catastrophic for everyone in the event supply chain, from artists to labels, to grassroots venues and festival sites across the country. The government must act now, and fast, or we risk losing the
The team at OPS have pledge to run, walk, cycle, 100 kilometres to help raise money for our extended family at Badu Sports and One Community, a community support and engagement hub based in East London catering for
This Wednesday marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the day each year that the Earth Day organisers and activists attempt to engage us all through sharing an environmental priority. This year the priority is climate action and
We have explored the history of festivals in our last few posts, but what could the future hold for the world of large-scale events. Will we see millennials watching artists performances from their computers, or could music become
Social distancing and mass gatherings are not obvious bedfellows. With that at the forefront of our mind, there is uncertainty over how the festival world will look after this is over. Rather than assume this will all go
It’s the weekend and we all know what that means – it’s paaaaaarty time! Don’t let enforced confinement be a Debbie downer, I’m here to show you that while Glasto may be off, you can still have an
Due to national shutdown of the industry and with no events to manage yet this season, what does the Event Safety Advisor do with their time in Lock-Down? The Safety Team at OPS have been trying to use
Do you know that feeling when you watch a live performance back and your whole body shivers? The hair on your arms stands on end, your heart rate quickens, and your breath gets short. This is what I
Keen to find out more about how we brought Labyrinth on the Thames to life? Speaking to StandOut Magazine, We Are OPS Account Director Jan Rankou talks about our role at the sold out series, and how we
Festivals and live music are a big contributor to the UK’s economy, generating £8 billion and attracting 19 million visitors and sustaining 62,000 job roles. Despite this, 39 UK festivals have already cancelled this year, with 249 gone
The team at We Are OPS and We Group were in the press again this week. Our CEO, Nick Morgan co-authored a thought-provoking article for Campaign Live. The piece, titled “Why more brands should be considering an owned
You may have heard the news this week about STOREHOUSE – London’s new and daring immersive theatre show… Spanning across 9000 square metres (two football fields) in Deptford, STOREHOUSE will be one of the largest immersive shows the
The Fair, We Are Placemaking and We Are OPS kicked off Day 1 at the Event Production Show with a jam-packed panel on the Knowledge Hub, about ‘Dealing with Disaster on a Festival Site: Live Table-Top Session’… View this post
We Are OPS appeared in the press again, announcing a new partnership with TRO. The global marketing agency adopted We Are OPS for top brand events – enabling activations for some of the world’s leading brands including BMW,
Our sister company The Fair celebrated a decade of large-scale festival and event safety and production, with a four-page feature exploring global expansion and campaigning for the industry. In this month’s Access All Areas Magazine, Editor Chris Barrett
Did you spot We Are OPS on the front cover of LINK Magazine this month? Our directors Yasmin Galletti and Robert Dudley offered a deep dive into the world of festival and event licensing, sharing experiences from over
OPS Account Director Sarah Tew leads on environmental sustainability at We Group and is committed to establishing a sustainable business model which ensures the agency can continue to deliver world-class events and experiences. She recently joined the Vision:
Our sister agency The Fair released a behind-the-scenes festival documentary, highlighting challenges faced across the industry, and why the events sector deserves further support. ‘It Take A Village’ followed The Fair and We Are OPS teams on site
A lot can happen in a decade – especially when it comes to festivals and events… In the latest edition of StandOut, the WeGroup directors look back on 10 years of The Fair, the growth of We Are
Looking for some insight on Crowd Safety, Stakeholder Engagement or Accessibility at festivals and events? Our recent article in Festival Insights explores the importance of these considerations, and how we enabled 20,000 festival goers to dance in the
Our hard work was highlighted in Festival Insights, following our work to safely bring London food festival Savour to life. “It was also great to have our sister agency We Are OPS by our side. We couldn’t have
We are so excited to announce that We Are Ops has been selected as a finalist for Access All Areas Magazine’s Supplier of the Year Award at the Event Production Awards.
Our shining star Jan has been nominated for an ‘Unsung Hero’ award at the Access All Areas Conference & Awards. Jan is The Fair’s Events Operations Manager, but has a hand in each of our departments, supporting our
We Are Ops Director Yasmin Galletti takes the spotlight in this latest Access All Areas Magazine interview. Yasmin discusses the new female led division of our business We Are Ops, and the issues of diversity and inclusion within
CEO Nick Morgan & Director Yasmin Galletti featured in this latest article on Resident Advisor. The WeGroup directors discuss the ramifications that the delay to reopening the festival and events sector has on the industry and supply chains.
We are very excited to announce the launch of a new division within the We Are The Fair company. We Are Ops “A group of senior female staff from production services company We Are The Fair have launched
The cancellation of Glastonbury Festival will have a short-term impact on the confidence of promoters and consumers, but smaller festivals are far better placed to go ahead this summer, according to We Are The Fair CEO Nick Morgan.
Following a live music action plan published on Tuesday by industry body UK Music, the cross-party Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee (DCMS) committee inquiry heard a plea from the sector for the government to offer its own
This year, King’s Cross will have not one but three elaborate trees. The upmarket Coal Drops Yard shop Botanical Boys has designed The Terrarium Tree, a 28-foot structure made up of 70 little terrariums that will be lit
Figures from the worlds of sport, music and outdoor events will be speaking at the Major Events Summit, taking place online on 2 December. Among the speakers are Teresa Moore, director of A Greener Festival; Eileen Williams, safety
Our CEO Nick Morgan joins Roger Woodall on his latest podcast episode. “On this week’s episode, I’m talking to a proper events man, a champion of our industry, Nick Morgan.Nick had a similar start in events as I
Our CEO Nick Morgan on BBC News discussing the struggle for the event industry. We are really positive for 2021 and are doing our upmost to support and champion the industry to ensure we have a season next
We Are Placemaking organised a three day Autumn Food Market in Portland Square Gardens for our client Baker Street Quarter in partnership with Portman Marylebone. OPS provided full Health & Safety and Licensing services for the event which
Who are you and What do you do at The Big Weekend? I’m Rob Dudley and my role at The Big Weekend is Event Safety Advisor. This involves working with the organisers in advance and during the event
More than 250 people put their best foot forward for The Big Issue as they took on the Big London Night Walk to raise £80,000 for The Big Issue Foundation (TBIF). Walkers travelled 25km around the English capital
Our CEO Nick Morgan has been elected as a vice chair of the BVEP. The Business Visits and Events Partnership’s (BVEP) vision is to support sustainable growth for the United Kingdom’s Events Industry. BVEP’s mission is to support
“That was the best buzz ever!” exclaimed the 28-year-old from Market Rasen. “It is a dream come true. I didn’t expect him to jump so high in the first round, but once I got on the right spot
OPS have been supporting our Placemaking team this week delivering H&S for three christmas events across London. WINTERFEST: Wembley Park’s Winterfest is free to wander through, with a huge light tunnel, halo light towers and a towering Christmas
Despite the cold and rain, we successfully delivered Health & Safety services for the Cambridge bonfire night and firework display for around 20,000 people on Midsummer Common.
“The organisation of all of the events was spot on, with a smoother sign-up process in motion.”
Eldorado Festival has been praised for its consideration, when it came down to night-time festivities. Wellington Heath correspondent, Peter Constantine said: “They turned off the great loudspeakers in the sky that they used last year, and we enjoyed
Wonderland magazine tell us why GALA is quickly becoming one of London’s favourite one day festivals. “Intimacy, convenience and seamless everything at Peckham Rye’s house and techno all-dayer.”
