Tag: stage

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FIFA introducing World Cup Fan Fest events for Qatar 2022 and could see London bid to stage its own

FIFA has launched 'Fan Fests' for the 2022 Qatar World Cup this winter, which will be outside the host country for the first time, to make the tournament more accessible for football fans

FIFA has launched ‘Fan Fests’ around the world for the 2022 Qatar World Cup to make the tournament more accessible for football fans.

The competition, lasting a little less than a month from October-November this winter, will take place in the remote Middle Eastern peninsula. 

And global football’s governing body FIFA is introducing fan parks outside the host country for the first time, to allow supporters to drink in the World Cup experience outside Qatar – and London could bid to host its own.

FIFA has launched 'Fan Fests' for the 2022 Qatar World Cup this winter, which will be outside the host country for the first time, to make the tournament more accessible for football fans

FIFA has launched ‘Fan Fests’ for the 2022 Qatar World Cup this winter, which will be outside the host country for the first time, to make the tournament more accessible for football fans

If London does secure its own venue, it would be competing with the hugely popular Winter Wonderland in the city centre around the same time. 

Officially licensed Fan Fests began at the Germany World Cup in 2006 and have continued since then. 

There were 11 festival parks across each of the host cities in the competition’s last edition, in Russia in 2018, and the previous four World Cups have seen 40million visitors across five continents.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: ‘To support our mission to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive, we are thrilled to introduce a new vision for the entertainment experience surrounding future FIFA World Cup events.

Official Fan Fests began at the Germany World Cup in 2006 and have continued since then, with 11 festival parks across each of the host cities in the last edition, in Russia in 2018

Official Fan Fests began at the Germany World Cup in 2006 and have continued since then, with 11 festival parks across each of the host cities in the last edition, in Russia in 2018

‘The FIFA Fan Festival provides an incredible opportunity for fans to come together beyond the stadiums and the on-pitch action and experience football in new and unique ways. 

‘We are truly excited about the future of the FIFA Fan Festival and the enhanced entertainment offerings that will bring fans and partners alike closer to both men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, as well as global football culture.’

The fan parks at the Euro 2020 tournament, held across 11 countries in Europe, were largely successful, and the demand for tickets to the fan park in Hyde Park, London for the 2018 World Cup semi-final between England and Croatia was massive.

Qatar, a smaller country by area than Vanuatu, the Falkland Islands and Moldova , will only host one fan park, a ‘reimagined’ space in Al Bidda Park in Doha, with the capital city’s skyline in the background.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (pictured) called the fan parks a 'new vision for the entertainment experience' in order to 'make football truly global, accessible and inclusive'

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (pictured) called the fan parks a ‘new vision for the entertainment experience’ in order to ‘make football truly global, accessible and inclusive’

It will feature live broadcasts of every match on giant screen, concerts with top global music artists, a food court with ‘local cuisine and international delicacies’, matches with FIFA Legends, gaming stations and an official FIFA store.

The country is inaccessible compared to previous editions of the World Cup, with costs expected to be high.

If an England fan travels return from London, follow the Three Lions’ to the final (if they get there) and attend all eight matches along the way, sit in the cheapest seats and stay in the least expensive accommodation, the Football Supporters’ Association has calculated you will part with £5,000, before you pay for any food and drink.

However, this has to be caveated with the fact tickets sales have been strong, with nearly 2.5million sold so far.

FIFA will be offering fans a chance to camp at the World Cup in tents costing £350 per night

FIFA will be offering fans a chance to camp at the World Cup in tents costing £350 per night

Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Secretary General H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi added: ‘It will be the centrepiece of our FIFA World Cup – the first to be held in the Middle East and the Arab world. 

‘When fans arrive in November, they should expect a warm welcome, amazing football and a large number of entertainment options. We look forward to welcoming the world in just over 70 days.’

The Fan Fest will appear at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand, for the first time.

In July, FIFA unveiled a ‘tent city’ offering accommodation for the World Cup, which will cost supporters £350 per night as part of a ‘fan village’ camping experience. The tournament, at the time of writing, will take place in 75 days. 

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Food, art take center stage at these 3 upcoming Triangle events :: Out and About at WRAL.com

Food, art take center stage at these 3 upcoming Triangle events :: Out and About at WRAL.com

Raleigh, N.C. — The summer is heating up and that means more events are happening in and around Raleigh.

Here are three upcoming events that combine food, art and fun!

Peak City Pig Fest

If you love everything to do with pork and succulent meat in general, you won’t want to miss the Peak City Pig Fest. Held in nearby Apex, this festival is all about barbecue and just about anything else you can make out of a pig.

Every year, 42 cooking teams come together and compete for the grand prize of $12,000. They do this by cooking their very best pork along with other types of meat such as beef and chicken. As you can imagine, with so many people cooking at once, there will be no shortage of delicious food to eat.

The festival runs from July 22 to July 23 and is located at the downtown Apex.

In addition to food, there will be live music and a beer garden.

Summer in North Carolina

Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival

If you’re a fan of the arts and love festivals in general, the Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival is the place to be in late August. You can find this festival in Cary on Aug. 27 and 28.

This event has been attracting more than 300 artists from 16 states across the country each year.

There are craft shows and tents full of art that you won’t be able to find in your average museum. And, of course, there is always plenty of food. The food is usually dispensed from many colorful and unique food trucks, so when you get a bit tired of all the commotion of the festival, you can take a break and hang around these trucks for some delicious festival food.

Mount Moriah At the Cat's Cradle

Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival

Another event that features lots of food – Beer, Bourbon and BBQ at the Koka Booth Amphitheater. The event is Aug. 5-6 and features lots of samples! Plus, there is always live music and games. 

Mount Moriah At the Cat's Cradle

The Best Events in Raleigh

If you’re looking for the best events in Raleigh area for the summer, you don’t have to look too hard. The area is full of fantastic festivals and events that you can enjoy throughout the year. 

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William Head on Stage celebrates its 40th anniversary with events this weekend

William Head on Stage celebrates its 40th anniversary with events this weekend

ON STAGE

What: Prison Theatre Time Machine

Where: Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre, 525 Johnson St.

When: Thursday through Sunday

Tickets: $10 (suggested donation) from snafudance.com

Ingrid Hansen has been involved with William Head on Stage since 2006, when she volunteered to lead workshops for incarcerated artists at the federal correctional institution.

Canada’s longest-running prison theatre program had been in full swing for 25 years when the Victoria-based Hansen signed on, and was already the subject of national attention. But the SNAFU Society of Unexpected Spectacles co-founder has injected new life into W.H.o.S. productions in the years since — the latest being Prison Theatre Time Machine, which runs tonight through Sunday at the Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre on Wharf Street.

The project is a collaboration between members of W.H.o.S. and SNAFU, the dance and theatre company Hansen runs with Kathleen Greenfield. Hansen describes the event as “part theatre exhibit, part art installation, part shadow puppetry performance,” with a set co-designed and built by Jeni Luther and several incarcerated artists at the correctional institution.

The gallery exhibit and performance series is celebrating 40 years of prison theatre at William Head. Guided tours through the pop-up gallery include reams of memorabilia from four decades of W.H.o.S., including photos, posters, clothing, news articles, costume pieces, audio recordings and more.

“It’s a tribute to all the hard work and sweat which has gone into making these shows over the years,” Hansen said. “It really is a time machine.”

The company was unable to stage its annual play for the public in 2021, due to the pandemic, which would have marked its 40th year of operation. Hansen felt it was important to mark the date with an appropriate celebration, so Prison Theatre Time Machine was bumped forward one year to its spot on the calendar this weekend.

“Forty years of passing the baton from incarcerated artist to incarcerated artist, as they get paroled, is an achievement,” Hansen said.

W.H.o.S. has grown exponentially during the past 10 years, Hansen said. The artists involved have begun making their own work, collaboratively staging their own shows of original material (in the past, the program primarily tackled work by outside sources, from George Orwell and Bertolt Brecht to J. R. R. Tolkien and William Shakespeare). Attendees will have an opportunity to see the progression unfold this weekend, as Prison Theatre Time Machine is arranged by decade in chronological order.

There will also be music provided by residents of the Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre, Hansen said.

Guided tours of 10 people run every 45 minutes during operating hours. Attendees are required to pre-book, due to demand. Tickets are available for purchase by donation through snafudance.com.

mdevlin@timescolonist.com

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Banned Books Take Center Stage At Two Events – Brookdale Community College

Banned Books Take Center Stage At Two Events - Brookdale Community College
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On the comeback trail: Live events take centre stage

Recovery for live events is slower than that of cinemas, as it was the film exhibition industry that first experienced easing of restrictions.

India’s organised events and activations industry, which was estimated to be worth `8,300 crore in 2019 as per the FICCI-EY Media and Entertainment Report 2022, has been among the worst hit by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, the industry could manage a 20% y-o-y revival, clocking a revenue of `3,200 crore. The organised live events industry has its hopes pinned on 2022 to make a healthy recovery.

Several event organisers utilised the Holi weekend to conduct on-ground events and gauge spectator interest. Sunburn, for instance, was held across 10 venues, including in Bhopal, Thane, Chennai, Kasol, New Chandigarh, Pune, and Goa. Yet another music, comedy and gaming festival, BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender, was held across 11 cities including Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Shillong, Guwahati, and Goa.

According to the FICCI-EY report, the live events segment will recover to pre-Covid levels by the last quarter of CY 2024 or first quarter of CY 2025, growing at a CAGR of over 30% over the next three years. In 2022, the industry is espected to rake in about `4,900 crore in revenue.

Small is better

In late 2020, when live events were attempting a comeback, the initial events were creator-led shows by performers, singers and stand-up comedians. Two years down the line, that trend seems to continue. “With comedy events still leading the race, techno music is a close second, gaining a niche but strong consumer base. Independent music (Indie) bands with both experienced and relatively new artists have been garnering fans across major cities in India,” says Anil Makhija, COO – live entertainment and venues, BookMyShow.

The Maharashtra government announ-ced lifting of all Covid restrictions in the state from April 2, including celebrations of festivals and events. Live event organisers, though, are being cautious and are running scaled down versions at the moment. “For BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender, we opted to go with just 25-30% of our 2019 capacity,” says Sameeksha Uniyal, consumer marketing lead, BACARDÍ, India and South-East Asia.

Since smaller venues like restaurants have fewer restrictions, event organisers are opting for these as they resume live gatherings. “The most recent trend on the block has been that of small-scale and micro gigs across venues like nightclubs, restaurants, lounge bars and malls,” observes Makhija.  

Karan Singh, chief executive officer, Sunburn, informs that the event this year saw a daily footfall of 4,000-5,000. This is a small number as compared to the tens of thousands of revellers who would attend the festival pre-Covid. While people are keen on experiencing events again, the traction is coming mainly from metro cities. Amar Sinha, chief operating officer, Radico Khaitan — partners to the Sunburn Festival — says that these scaled-down events are experiments to check how hygiene and safety protocols need to be implemented and accounted for, before large-scale events take off later in the year.

Not enough takers?

Recovery for live events is slower than that of cinemas, as it was the film exhibition industry that first experienced easing of restrictions. Industry executives say that live events organisers are awaiting further easing of restrictions on capacity and formats.

As a result, brands are taking it slow, too, when it comes to event sponsorships. “With the festival capacity at slightly conservative numbers, the sponsorship levels are minutely different,” says Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director, NODWIN Gaming. Organisers are trying to sell a combination of solutions to brands, including online and offline engagements. “We have added a lot of content and influencers as a part of our offerings to brands, which means the value for brands as well as the festival remains similar to previous years,” he says.

Brands and organisers are also trying to work out deals with safety clauses. “Organisers are trying to figure out new contracts that have shared responsibility between artistes, event organisers and venue owners,” says Roshan Abbas, MD, VMLY&R Commerce Encompass. Another challenge is that the hospitality industry has hiked venue rates to make up for the losses from the previous two years, he adds.

Read Also: Milking demand

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FTSE 100 shrugs off events in Ukraine as huge payouts from Rio Tinto and Barclays take centre stage

FTSE 100 shrugs off events in Ukraine as huge payouts from Rio Tinto and Barclays take centre stage

The Market Report with Katie Pilbeam.

FTSE 100 again shrugged off the events in Ukraine as huge payouts from Rio Tinto and Barclays diverted investors’ attention. The blue-chip index was up 43 at 7,537 in early trades.

 

Rio Tinto unveiled one of the biggest dividends ever seen in the UK. The mining giant is handing out an annual dividend of US$10.40 per share including a special of 247c, costing around US$16bn.

 

Barclays meanwhile is pay out £2.5bn after annual profits jumped to £8.4bn, nearly three times the previous year. The bank has also frozen shares worth £19mln that belonged to former chief executive Jes Staley. 

 

Ted Baker sales jumped 35% in its fourth quarter in spite of omicron. Trading margins also improved with full price sales especially strong said the fashion clothing retailer.

 

Among the small caps, shares in Mirriad Advertising jumped more than 10% in opening deals after the in-content advertising company announced a surge in US revenues and a first major partnership in Canada. US campaign revenues jumped more than 800% during the 2021 holiday season compared to the year before, thanks to content on the Hallmark and Lifetime channels and the Super Bowl.

Union Jack Oil is advancing plans to pay dividends or make share buybacks in the future. The company said it has reviewed its operational and financial plans for 2022 and has the cash to pay out.

OKYO Pharma has been issued a US patent for its dry eye disease candidate (DED) OK-101. The key claim in the application covered the drug’s use to treat neuropathic pain.

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Early stage Euro VC Backed brings in another €150M, and puts a heavy focus on founder events – TechCrunch

Early stage Euro VC Backed brings in another €150M, and puts a heavy focus on founder events – TechCrunch

London-based early-stage European VC fund Backed is bolstering its position by adding €75M to its Seed fund, while adding another €75M via a new follow-on fund vehicle. The ‘Backed Core 2’ fund will continue to invest in seed-stage startups, while the new ‘Backed Encore 1’ will do follow-on investments in later-stage rounds of existing portfolio companies.

Partner Alex Brunicki said in a statement: “We’ve pushed ourselves to be an entrepreneurial fund… I’d say we’ve made it to our ‘Series A’. We’re developing deeper edge in frontier markets like Biotech and Crypto; we’re bringing nascent communities together – such as Coin-Op – in a meaningful way; and we’ve built an exceptional team to support our founders at scale.”

Co-founded and launched in 2016 by Partners Andre de Haes and Brunicki, Backed says it now has 67 companies with an aggregate value of €10.7Bn. It’s also claiming three unicorns: SkyMavis owners of crypto game Axie Infinity; banking platform Thought Machine; and the Ethereum Layer 2 solution Immutable X. It’s also had exists such as mobile gaming studio, Hutch Games, which sold to MTG for $375M in November 2020.

LPs in the fund include firms such as Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (through their Sienna Capital vehicle) and private firms such as Wilshire Associates, alongside 20 family offices and over 20 entrepreneurs.

The question is, with so many early-stage VC funds now playing across Europe, what sets Backed apart from the others?

Backed says it’s all about being “human-centric”. That translates into an 18-month founder support programme, with leadership training, workshops, in-house recruiter, mental health service providers and an in-house executive coach for founders and leadership teams.

In other words: a large swathe of training and events. Backed’s other ‘special sauce’ – it says – is plenty of off-sites and founder retreats. Whether you want to describe those as ‘parties’ or not is up to you, but it’s just as well that, in modern times, UK Prime Minister Boris Johson has re-defined the meaning of the phrase ‘work events’.

This emphasis on hosting translates into 30 events annually, from founder dinners to a 1,000 person party at the Finnish tech conference Slush, and co-hosting conferences such as Coin-Op, a global blockchain-gaming summit held at the London Science Museum. 

Backed also has 60 Venture Scouts in its network across Europe such as Maximillian Bade, GP at Nucleus Capital, Abi Mohamed, Programme Lead at Tech Nation, Saloni Bhojwani, Partner at Pink Salt Ventures, and Nalden, Founder of WeTransfer and Adelee.

In an interview de Haes told me: “During the pandemic, we launched three different kinds of workshop or webinar series for founders, such as how do you survive a pandemic and how do you look after your people. Now that we’re moving back to an offline world… it’s ramping up again. So this year, for example, we’ve got two three-day retreats in Italy and Ibiza for founders, six crypto gaming events. So it’s we’re going back to a much more in-person experience.”

The question, however, is how are all these events funded, given VCs aren’t usually in the events business?: “We’re funding from management fee and from voluntary contributions that attendees make up the events,” de Haes told me. “And then from sponsors, so AWS, Pernod Ricard – these sorts of businesses want to be associated with this clan of people.”

What next, a Backed ‘Fyre Festival’?

BACKED’S INVESTMENT SECTORS (# OF INVESTMENTS)

•   21% Web3 / Blockchain

•   15% Gaming & Entertainment

•   12% Biotech

•   10% Financial Services

•   10% Manufacturing

•   6% Beauty / Fashion

•   7% Food / Agtech

•   6% HR / Legal

•   4% Pharmaceuticals

•   4% Property

•   3% Utilities

•   2% Education

FOUNDER DEMOGRAPHICS (Observed)

•   White male (71.2%) White female (6.3%)

•   Black male (1.8%) Black female (4.5%)

•   Asian/NBPOC male (13.5%) Asian/NBPOC female (2.7%)