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Absolute Events Helps Make Beat the Baton a Runaway Success
Even the inclement conditions of the Bank Holiday weekend couldn’t dampen the spirits of the participants of brand new event Sue Ryder Care’s Beat the Baton – a 5km run held on Monday 28th May in London’s Battersea Park.
Beat the Baton attracted over 800 participants, who ran the course around the Park to the rousing strains of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to raise money for people suffering from multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke and cancer.
Logistics for event were taken care of by London-based company Absolute Events, working closely with Wandsworth Council’s events manager for Battersea Park, Alison Smith.
Formed in 1998 by Jonathan Price, Absolute Events experience stood them in good stead to handle what was a unique event for the Park. In fact, Beat the Baton featured a number of elements that had not been seen there before and Jonathan and Account Manager Kirsten Jongsma assembled a team of top end suppliers to ensure the brief was fulfilled.
“Not only was this the first Beat the Baton Sue Ryder Care has held, but it was the first time the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has played in the Park so, amongst the other requirements, we needed a stage that could accommodate them adequately and a sound system that would do them justice,” says Jonathan.
To this end, Star Events Group and SRC supplied a 13m Alpha Stage, whilst sound rental company Britannia Row provided a loudspeaker system that was hung around the perimeter of the course and fed from a DiGiCo D5 Live digital mixing console.
Jonathan also employed the services of Big TV’s truck mounted LED screen, with a live feed from a camera positioned at the front of the stage displaying both the orchestra on stage and the activity out in the Park.
“I chose the supply companies we were working with very carefully,” adds Jonathan. “And it certainly paid off. From staging to security, everyone did a great job and it all went according to plan despite everything the weather threw at us.”
To make sure the runners were fully warmed up before the race, Jonathan had organised fitness instructor Dean Hodgkin to put them through their paces. Even those not participating in the race joined in, including the staff of Claymore Security, which provided some added amusement. Then the main race started as famous conductor Anthony Inglis raised his baton, with participants having to complete the course before his baton was brought down for the final note.
Despite the challenging weather conditions, Beat the Baton was declared a triumph. “It was a really successful event,” said Alison Smith, events manager for Battersea Park at Wandsworth Council. “Absolute Events is a great company to work with and this was a good experience.”
Eric Grounds, director of fundraising for Sue Ryder Care, expressed his thanks to the Absolute Events team, declaring the day to be a triumph. “Let me pay full tribute to you and your team for a superb job, completed in the most trying conditions,” he said. “Many of my team have taken the trouble to express their admiration for all the behind the scenes work. Just consider what we can do next year.”
Chris Evans, head of press and marketing at the RPO added, "The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was absolutely thrilled to be taking part in such an important fundraising event. Beat the Baton is a fun and unique concept it brings a whole new meaning to not only Fun Runs but to classical music.”
Victoria Glover, head of events for Sue Ryder Care, summed up: “Absolute Events were absolutely fabulous! – totally professional and great to work with.”
12th June 2007
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