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Group Information

With a client list including world class music artistes, multinational communication and exhibition companies, international building contractors and government agencies, ES Group is a major force in the provision of staging and event support services worldwide.

We provide an innovative and adaptable approach to meeting our clients' requirements. From simple platforms to the provision of large complex turnkey projects, our comprehensive service includes project management, design, manufacture, transportation and assembly.  

Accreditation

ES Group is an ISO 9001:2008 accredited company with an excellent health and safety record. We are currently implementing an environmental management system aligned with ISO 14001 and will achieve full accreditation soon.

<@>Bureau Veritas ISO 9001:2008<@>ES Group have achieved ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management Systems, a certification recognised worldwide as a symbol of excellence. ISO 9001:2008 demonstrates ES Group's achievement and continued commitment to conduct the business in a thoroughly professional and consistent manner.

Supply Chain

Due to the fast track nature of the projects it has been crucial for ES Group to ensure selected suppliers had a proven track record of timely delivery as well as being able to demonstrate commercial value and product/service quality.  

ES Group has built good working relationships over several years and on many projects with a broad range of suppliers and employed an integrated approach on every project to ensure timely delivery, efficient design and manufacture along with transparency of costs.  

The selection of suppliers is based on their ability to supply the specification at the best quality and cost, and their capacity to produce within the timescale stipulated.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of the group's philosophy on all their projects throughout their whole life and as such we ensure the impact of the design is evaluated through manufacture, delivery, construction and removal/reuse.

With respect to materials selection, ES Group adopts two key approaches.

Firstly, the use of materials from replenishable resources or material that can be recycled and reused.  Secondly, ES Group designs the structure and its individual components to be re-usable for future projects in their current state or with minimal adaptation.

For EST sustainability means regular assessment of its fleet. It recently added eight Daf Euro 5-rated trucks to the fleet, considerably enhancing its green credentials.

The Euro 5 standard is the latest in a series of measures to reduce emissions and protect the environment.  ES Group is also setting up its Environmental Management System in line with ISO 14001 and hopes to achieve full accreditation soon.

Delivery

ES Group has successfully delivered a vast range of projects utilising many different materials and technologies, mainly on a design and build basis.

A brief, but diverse, selection of some of the projects we have successfully delivered are illustrated on this website.

People

ES Group Ltd is staffed by highly motivated and customer focused people creating a company made up of a broad range of skills, from creative design to management, fabrication, installation and logistics planning and delivery.

The many years ES Group have spent serving the Rock and Roll industry have left them with a distinctively creative and flexible company culture. Our creative and dedicated staff will ensure that your needs are met on time and on budget.

Group Policies

es_group_ltd_environmental_policy__current_09_03_30___2_.pdf<@>ES Group Environmental Policy<@>

hsms_14_1259834017.pdf<@>ES Group Health & Safety Policy<@>

Contact

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ES Group Ltd

ES Group Limited is an event industry group, comprising EST (Trucking), ESS (Staging), ESP (Projects), ES Group Australia Pty Ltd (Australia), ESS Inc (USA), ESS Japan (Japan) and as of September 2009, ES Group LLC (Qatar).

ES Group was first established in 1974 and is now experiencing considerable international growth, with current work in Europe, Russia, USA, South America, Japan, Australia and the Middle East. ES Group has extensive experience and a proven track record of delivering challenging projects on a global basis. The ES Group is supported by an extensive network of contacts and trusted quality suppliers.

ES Group provides a range of live event support services including, staging, trucking and logistics, temporary structures and project management and is market leader with more than 35 years experience in the provision of live event support services.

Our underlying ethos is a ‘can do' attitude that will take on difficult designs, tough deadlines and logistical challenges for highly demanding clients and projects.

ES Group is an ISO 9001:2008 accredited company with an excellent health and safety record. We are now implementing an environmental management system, aligned with ISO 14001, and will achieve full accreditation soon.

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ESS Japan

ESS Japan are a staging company based in Tokyo, Japan. We specialise in the design, management, transportation, installation and dismantling of temporary staging and structures for the music and events industries.

ESS Japan have been providing high quality staging and event equipment, for over ten years, to a growing range of clients.

Working with the music, corporate and sporting industries we have developed bespoke, adaptable solutions to clients' requirements. This allows us to work at a fast pace whilst maintaining a high standard of quality and a safe working environment.

ES Group Australia

ES Group Australia Pty Ltd is an event equipment hire company based in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. With over 25 years experience worldwide in providing high quality temporary staging and event equipment hire needs to the music, corporate, sporting, film and television industries.

We are known in the industry for maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety in all of our work.

ES Group LLC

ES Group LLC, based in Doha, Qatar, is the newest ES Group organization which provides a temporary staging and structures operation and trucking divisions.

Recent projects ES Group has carried out in the region include Qatargas Dome (2009) and Abu Dhabi Gulf Cup (2007). 

Any enquiries for this office should be directed to the ES Group London office.

EST

EST is a London based trucking company which provides specialist transportation and logistics planning for concerts, corporate events and live events.

Edwin Shirley Trucking (EST) was founded in 1974, by Edwin Shirley, Roy Lamb and Del Roll, the latter remaining as a director to this day. The famous trucking company has grown from a single truck to a successful transport and logistics company, responsible for the management of 25 tractors, 6 rigids and 50 trailers, currently employing 10 full-time staff and a pool of over 100 drivers.

During its 35 years in operation, EST has supplied transport in the music industry for numerous artistes such as Jethro Tull, Abba, Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. With an operation that stretches from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Moscow to Tenerife, the haulage company has developed its expertise in satisfying a diversity of clients and handling logistically complex projects.

EST has managed to maintain its position as an internationally recognised transport company by diversifying its client base, to include corporate events, and investing in a small fleet of 7.5 tonne trucks to service the small conference sector.

Being part of an event industry group has equipped EST with an understanding of the bespoke requirements of every event and the importance of dealing with clients on a personal basis, thus increasing their competitive edge as a successful truck rental company.

ESS

ESS, based in London, provides event support services, staging and temporary structures to music concerts, festivals, corporate events and experiential marketing events. ESS is expert in the provision of bespoke, relocatable, modular, temporary stages and structures and has been providing rental staging equipment for rock shows and concerts since 1979. 

To meet the ever changing needs of its clients, ESS has evolved its service offering to include the management, design, manufacture, transport, assembly and disassembly of large scale permanent and temporary structures from their head offices in London's Docklands area and internationally.  

ESS is the oldest company in Europe dedicated to the design and installation of staging for the music industry.   With a client list that includes world class music artistes, multinational communication, experiential marketing agencies, international building contractors and government agencies.

ESS is a major force in the provision of modular temporary structures, event support services and temporary structures worldwide. The many years ESS have spent serving the Rock and Roll industry have left them with a distinctively creative and flexible company culture. Our creative and dedicated staff will ensure that your needs are met on time and on budget.

ES Projects

ES Projects, based in London, is a trading division of ES Group. ES Projects provides technical project management, a main contractor service and consultancy service for bespoke projects.

ES Projects operates in the event, corporate, experiential marketing and sports industries, and is defined by its unique ability to manage clients, the design process, designers, suppliers, sub-contractors and the execution of projects. 

ES Projects provides technical project management, consultancy, project delivery and a main contractor service, delivering a diverse range of project types including venue provision and fit out, event implementation and direction and interactive installations.

ES Projects work with world renowned designers, architects and engineers and a number of international clients requiring highly specified structures for large-scale public events. 

The primary skill of the organisation is specialist, intelligent technical project management which is supported by a global network of contacts and like minded suppliers.

ES Projects’ people and technology produce temporary buildings and structures of integrity, to be located on a site then relocated for use on other sites or decommissioned, and then used on entirely different projects.

Current News

X in the City

ES Group is Appointed Delivery Partner for the Capital’s New Urban Sports Event

X in the City is an urban action sports event which encourages everyone to get involved through sport.  The event focuses on the promotion of shared goals and ethos of social inclusion, building confidence and promoting healthy lifestyle through urban action sports.

ES Group is delighted to be delivery partner for X in the City, and will be responsible for supplying all the necessary structures for this exhilarating event. ES Group’s reputation for high standards, professionalism, and excellent delivery service coupled with their proximity to the venue made them an obvious supplier for this event. 

Proximity to the venue works to reduce the event’s carbon footprint, increase the ease with which ES Group can carry out site visits, and promotes the event’s drive to work with and support local businesses in Newham.

As well as demos and taster sessions, X in the City will see over 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest in urban action sports equipment.  The event will combine world class performers, amazing demos, “have a go” sessions and Extreme Cinema XTC; creating the ultimate day out for fanatics and families.

The diversity and breadth of the event’s attractions makes it the ideal event for ES Group, with their expertise in delivering tailored, bespoke event structures, customised to individual client requirements, and their experienced crew ensuring work is completed safely, and on schedule.

20 leading urban, action and extreme sports associations will be at X in the City, including the British Elastic Rope Sports Association, the Jetski Racing Association, the UK Gravity Sports Association, the UK Freestyle Skaters Association, the International Mountain Biking Association, Parkour UK, the UK Slalom Skateboard Association and the British Snowboard Association. 

X in the City is set to be Europe’s most interactive urban action sports event, and will be held at London’s Excel centre from 22nd – 24th October 2010.

For more information about this event go to http://www.xinthecity.co.uk/

Camp in Asagiri Jam

For the 6th year in a row ESS Japan provided a stage to the Camp in Asagiri Jam festival in Asagiri, Shizuoka. ESS used its half-dome-shaped Orbit System to supply the Rainbow Stage for the weekend event. The stage featured a variety of acts such as Dachambo, the Cinematic Orchestra and The Skatalites.

Under the gaze of Mount Fuji, against the beautiful background of forests and mountaintops, the build took 3 days to complete, finishing the evening before the event. The characteristic multi-coloured decorations of the Rainbow Stage were provided by Designs in Air. As the day turned to night the decorations lit up, adorning the stage with multi-coloured stars.

We were lucky enough to have fine weather and be able to enjoy the fresh mountain air during the build and for most of the festival. However, when rain did begin to pour during the final performances and continued during the dismantling, the Orbit kept the performers and electrical equipment covered.

ESS also provided the Mojo barrier crowd control system for both the Rainbow Stage and the Moon Shine Stage to ensure the safety of the enthusiastic crowd over the two-day event.

Guide Live Spring 2010

ES Group to Exhibit at the Guide Live Spring 2010

After a highly successful and enjoyable day at the Guide Live Winter 2009, at which ES Group met with some of the industry’s leading event companies and agencies, instigated numerous exciting new relationships, and have been engaged to work on a very interesting project as a result. 

ES Group is looking forward to returning to the event this year which will be held at East Wintergarden on 20th May 2010, to get together with industry peers to initiate further fruitful relationships. 

ES Group see the Guide Live as a great opportunity to communicate their capabilities and project delivery scope to new clients, and to gain a better understanding of client’s unique and individual creative ideas and project requirements.

The Qur’anic Garden at Kew

In April 2010, HRH the Prince of Wales and Qatar's first lady Sheikha Mozah chairwoman of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development celebrated the opening of the new Qur'anic Garden exhibit in Kew Gardens, London.

ES Group installed a striking, elegant temporary building in the gardens to house The Qur'anic Garden, showcasing plant species mentioned in the Qur'an, including holy plants, such as fig, olive, and pomegranate.

The custom-built structure was an adapted version of ES Group's ‘superstructure' which has previously been used at Goodwood Festival of Speed and Sandhurst Music on Fire.

The temporary structure had a wind load of 26.3 m/s and cross bracing at each end to increase its stability.

During their visit the Prince and Sheikha Mozah planted a Sidra tree.  The sapling was the first Sidra to be planted in Kew Gardens, and will be used in studies in the scientific facilities onsite for DNA and seed testing, furthering scientific exchange between Britain and Qatar.

The logo for the Qatar Foundation, the Sidra tree, symbolises The Qatar Foundation's belief that sharing knowledge is the best way to confront environmental, social and economic challenges, and to create an important bridge between different cultures. 

Doha Tribeca Film Festival

ES GROUP ‘STAGES’ INAUGURAL DOHA TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

The opening night of the inaugural Doha Tribeca Film Festival took place in the picturesque grounds of the Museum of Islamic Art. ES Group built a 30m wide x 18m high x 32m deep stage housing a spectacular 24m wide screen on which a variety of films would be shown under the stars. More than 5,000 guests enjoyed a special screening under the stars of Hilary Swank’s new movie ‘Amelia’ and a spectacular performance from the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra who delighted the crowd with highlights from classic cinema scores.

In addition, ES Group also built special screens at two other unique locations. The beach at the Four Seasons Hotel was transformed into an outdoor cinema with a screen measuring 24m x 9.5m set up on the jetty that curved in front of the beach offering an uninterrupted view for the guests.

A screen measuring 16m x 12m at Souq Waqif provided a dramatic back drop for the Qatar premiere of The Mummy. This classic film was first made in 1969 and recently restored by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation.

ES Group was delighted to be working with Scena Projects Ltd on this prestigious event. Both the festival and the partnership with Tribeca were devised by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, a leader in Qatar’s cultural development.

The event, attended by more than 35,000 people including Robert De Niro, Sir Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson, was brought to a close on the Sunday night with a stunning firework display above the Corniche.

Following the event, Scena Events project director, Sarah Whitmarsh said, “Given the task of providing one of the largest outdoor film screens ever, the structure surrounding it had to be of world class stature and quality.  I was in no doubt and my first call was to Jeff Burke of ESS.  Having worked with ESS on many occasions, I knew that the provision of the structures, for our multi venue festival, had to go to the best company, able to complete the task know matter what delays or problems were thrown at them.   The completed structure of the main stage, in the grounds of the Museum of Islamic Arts, Doha created such impact, that at times it appeared to dwarf its host building.  On Souq Wakif too, the towering 19m screen structure filled the sky and created a stir, even before the event took place.  Professionalism and commitment – key words when working with ESS.”

Images Allan Navarro

Proms in the Park 2009

For the 9th consecutive year, ES Group provided the 25m Orbit main stage, the hospitality plinth and ancillary structures for the BBC Proms in the Park in Hyde Park on the 12th September.  The event was broadcast live on BBC 2 with highlights shown across the BBC.  The Proms was presented by Ken Bruce and Sir Terry Wogan with a host of special guests including Barry Manilow, Katherine Jenkins, The Royal Choral Society, BBC Concert Orchestra and the Counterfeit Stones.  The event was a sell out and attracted a crowd of 40,000. 

Load in began 9 days before the event with the stage and hospitality plinth completed by Monday 7th September ready for production to load in and the hospitality structures to be built. 30 ESS crew were on site during the build and for load out.

The following day the same stage hosted Thank You For The Music – A Celebration of the Music of ABBA. Chris Evans led the celebrations which featured Kylie Minogue performing Super Trouper and When All Is Said and Done. In addition, Lulu, Jamie Cullum and The Feeling featured amongst a number of other stars, including the cast of Mamma Mia! London.

Images Rob Brown

MINI United 2009 Silverstone

ESS supplied the festival stage, hydraulic lifts, cable ramp, front of stage barrier and 2.3 km of crowd control for the MINI United event at the Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, from 22nd – 24th May 2009. 

Following on from the previous MINI United events held in Misano in 2005 and Zandvoort, 2007, for its 50th year celebrations, the world’s third MINI United event was held in the UK at Silverstone’s Formula One racecourse, where all previous major MINI anniversaries have been held, just 50km from Oxford where MINI started its life in 1959.   

The 3-day festival which fell on the May Bank Holiday brought together more than 25,000 MINI enthusiasts from across the globe for the event which comprised a music festival, fashion show and racing with the live music including, Paul Weller, Twisted Wheel, Calvin Harris and Fake Blood. 

A convoy of more that 30 MINIs made their way from Derby to Silverstone to mark the start of the event for which ESS supplied its 20m Orbit stage.

The stage was customised with white sheets and two platforms on either side which were raised by hydraulic lifts as part of the stage configuration to reveal the commemorative MINI. As standard the stage was waterproof to ensure weather did not affect the event and was removed once the event was complete without a trace.

Images Rob Brown

Zurich Wine Tower

Europe’s tallest wine tower, standing at a staggering 15 metres, has been unveiled as the centre piece of the new Radisson Blu Hotel at Zurich Airport. The innovative installation was the focal point of the recent grand opening ceremony.

ES Projects designed, built and commissioned this magnificent structure with the support of specialist sub-contractor Stage One who installed and commissioned key features such as the LED lighting and Angel flying winches. ES Projects called on its experience in the events industry to provide training and choreography for the ‘Wine Angels’.  

The wine tower is a steel framed, glass clad structure designed to act as a vertical four sided temperature controlled wine cellar, operated in full view of the hotel guests and bar customers. The total capacity of the tower is 3,840 bottles. Wine bottles are stored in specially designed racks providing microclimate areas that maintain the correct temperatures for the red and white wines as well as comfort cooling for the ‘Wine Angels’ and operators. 

‘Wine Angels’ equipped with flying harnesses perform acrobatic routines to music and automated lighting sequences as they ascend the tower to retrieve the wine bottles.  The winches that raise and lower the angels are controlled at an operator station located within the tower at ground level. The lighting sequences are specific to each bottle and as such also guide the angel to the correct bottle.

The LED lighting used to provide the lighting sequences, consists of over 800 HexaPix; a unique media server to pixel software product that was developed by Stage One in house and controlled by the company’s Qmotion® control system. 

In order to provide the precise, controlled flying required to deliver the ‘Wine Angel’ to the correct bottle, Stage One supplied an automation package specially developed to enable their NextQ software to directly control the winch positioning drives.

Even though the project time frame was reduced by three weeks to ensure completion before Christmas, ES Projects delivered on time and to budget.

Other key sub-contractors include Adam Basset, Lighting Designer; Momentum; Richard Sinclair, Sound Designer; Jeremy Thom, Designer; Peter Roberts, M&E Designer; Unusual Rigging; Optima Glass; Alpha Electricals; Wrights Plastics; Total Air Systems and Sheetfabs.

Images Benjamin Reusser

Jonas Brothers Tour 2009

EST, the London based trucking company, was very pleased to supply 14 of their purple and yellow trucks for the European leg of the Jonas Brothers’ World Tour 2009. 

EST’s stint with the band began in Italy at the beginning of November, where they played three dates in Milan, Pesaro and Turin.  The tour continued on to Switzerland, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, England, Ireland and France. The brothers then played two nights at London’s Wembley Arena before finishing their tour in Paris at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy.

EST covered 87,375 miles with the band transporting everything from their lighting and sound equipment to their wardrobe and instruments across 336 border crossings.

The Jonas Brothers, who came to fame through the Disney Channel, have been touring since 2005 and have just released their fourth album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times.

The tour was the first time EST has provided the trucking services for the Jonas Brothers and the most notable run was from Madrid to Rotterdam using an extra 30 drivers.

EST wishes the Jonas Brothers every success for the future and looks forward to their return to Europe.

Scania at Work

EST is very privileged to feature in Patrick Dyer’s hugely successful “Scania at Work”.  In the book Dyer talks through the history and development of Scania’s.  

Patrick even swagged up in EST gear for his promotional book signing. EST wishes him every success with this book and those to come.

Taken from Scania at Work: by Patrick W Dyer

Looking resplendent in EST’s vivid pink (actually Elizabethan purple) and yellow colours, SOO 821R heads up the M2 from Dover in 1984 while working on the Van Halen tour of that year (1984 was also the title of the band’s album at the time).

Fuji Rock Festival

In October Naeba played host to the 12th Fujii Rock Festival and once again ESS Japan was a major part of the event. For this year's installment of Japan’s largest rock festival ESS was given the task of providing three stages.

Two weeks before the crowds arrived, ESS and associates traveled from Tokyo and further afield to the Naeba mountain range and began construction. ESS brought out all three of its systems available in Japan: the Regular system for the Green Stage, the Lite system for the White Stage and the Orbit system for the Field of Heaven.

The three-day show featured international acts such as My Bloody Valentine, Kasabian, Underworld and Primal Scream and the 100,000-plus attendees reveled in the festival atmosphere, many choosing to camp out in the lush surroundings and summer heat.

As the last note was played, dismantling of the stages began and three days later ESS pulled out of Naeba, proud again to be a part of one of the world’s most important rock festivals.

EST Enhances Green Credentials

Music and event trucking company EST has taken delivery of six brand new DAF XF 105.460 left hand drive space cabs with Euro 5 exhaust emission and low noise certification.  The east London trucking company is delighted to now run a fleet of 15 Euro 5 standard trucks, the latest investment in a number of measures EST has taken to reduce their harmful emissions.   EST’s trucks now produce particle emissions 25% below the EEV (Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicles) standard.

EST is committed to enhancing its green credentials, and is consequently updating their fleet at an accelerated rate to keep up with the increasingly stringent emission directives in place across Europe, as well as enabling them to  meet the demands of the busy year ahead including, Star Wars, Michael Bublé and Rod Stewart.

Each truck is fitted with dual fuel tanks giving them a range in excess of 2,200 miles enabling drivers to access cheaper fuel across Europe.  In addition, each truck boasts independent air conditioning enabling drivers to sleep comfortably without having to run the engine, super air seats, fridges and enhanced radio / CD players.

EST has also invested in six new Lawrence David Low Ride Mega box vans each with duel height suspension, additional locking bars and audible alarms to maximise security.  The trailers comply with the 4m European height restriction and run on 445 x 45R x 19.5 mega super single tyres.

Beyoncé I Am … Tour 2009

2009 was a busy year for Beyoncé Knowles as she embarked on her third worldwide tour, ‘I Am … Tour’, of 47 concerts across Europe, for which EST supplied the trucking, logistics and transport management.

EST’s logistics support began with the provision of 18 of EST’s Euro 5 standard trucks for the initial leg of the tour, which visited 15 countries altogether, culminating in two nights at London’s O2 Arena on 8th June 2009. 

The tour kicked off in Zagreb, Croatia on 26th April before travelling to Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Holland, France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Ireland and UK. The tour involved 50 border crossings per truck and covered a total of 188,928 miles.

In August, EST supplied five of their artic trucks for Beyoncé’s one-off show in Donetsk, Ukraine which marked the official opening of the Donbass Arena.  The stadium is the first in Eastern Europe to be designed and built to UEFA five-star standards and it is home to Shakhtar Donetsk, the UEFA Cup Champions.

To conclude the 2009 ‘I Am … Tour’, Beyoncé returned to the UK in November.  The final leg of the ‘I Am ... Tour’ saw Beyoncé play 11 shows in England and Ireland, for which EST supplied 17 artics. The tour included three nights at London’s O2 Arena where she was joined on stage by Jay Z and Kanye West and the shows were recorded for a future DVD release.

The ‘I Am … Tour’ followed the release of Beyoncé’s third studio album, ‘I Am … Sasha Fierce’.  The tour also visited North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Middle East, becoming the 12th highest grossing tour worldwide. It also took the No. 1 slot on Hot Tours rankings and was nominated for Billboard/Eventful Fans' Choice competition for "Best Concert of the Year 2009".

EST was extremely privileged to have the opportunity to supply trucking to this highly acclaimed tour which required careful planning and precise logistical management to guarantee its success.

EST would like to thank Beyoncé and everyone who worked towards making the tour the phenomenon it was. We look forward to seeing Beyoncé again next time she is in Europe.

Newsletter Archive

Click on the links to view our archived newsletters:  

Volume 1 – September 2009 

Volume 2 – December 2009

Volume 3 - May 2010

ES Group Celebrates New Year's Eve Across the Globe

EST supplied the transport for Jack Morton’s stunning New Year’s Eve firework display on the River Thames. The show was viewed by thousands who crowded the banks of the river and millions who tuned in to see the show live on BBC One.

The spectacle was accompanied by a dazzling sound and light show with music mixed by Radio One’s DJ Nihal. This was the sixth consecutive year that EST has supplied trucking services for the event alongside the team at Jack Morton.

Meanwhile, ES Group Australia supplied the 160 metre stage which spanned the Etihad Stadium for Sensation’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Melbourne. The ‘Ocean of White’ themed event was the biggest in Australia’s clubbing calendar and saw the Etihad Stadium transformed into a spectacular underwater world with stunning water features.

ES Group was established over 35 years ago and offers a range of live event support services including, staging, trucking, temporary structures and project management.

ES Group wins Gala Award

ES Group has won the Gala Award for “Best Achievement in Logistics” for Chanel Mobile Art. 

The awards were handed out at The Special Event Show in New Orleans on Friday 15th January, and Richard Foulkes from Imagination kindly collected the award on our behalf.  Richard is president elect for the UK ISES Chapter.

The Gala Awards have been given by Special Events Magazine, one of the premier industry publications, since 1986. They recognize the finest work in special events worldwide.

Members of the Special Events Magazine Advisory Board, made up of leaders in the event profession, spent three days in October at the magazine’s offices in Pacific Palisades (Los Angeles), California, to select the 101 finalists. Nominated entries went through three rounds of judging.

Chanel Mobile Art is a structure designed to be demountable and tour internationally.  The value engineering process from the onset of the project heavily considered the logistics of moving all elements, via sea freight, from venue to venue.  The pavilion was designed for a 3 city tour that visited Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York over a 12 month period. 

Our Gala Award entry focused on its installation in Central Park, New York and the build and logistical challenges that were faced and overcome to enable the event to be successfully delivered. 

ESG Sign Fair Pricing Charter

ES Group commits to the 2012 UK Event Industry Fair Pricing and Practice Charter.

The charter is a voluntary code of practice set up by Visit London with the support of key events industry trade and marketing bodies, stakeholders and relevant delivery agencies, to combat the challenges associated with hosting the 2012 Olympics in London and enable the games to leave a lasting legacy for the entire meetings and events community.

The challenges that need to be offset are:

• Existing negative perceptions of the cost and logistical issues of holding an event, particularly in London.

• A desire to highlight the industry’s skills, creativity and experience as leaders in our field to the rest of the world

• The need to present a unified approach to ensure all business events taking place up to and during 2012 reflect the values and aspirations of the stakeholders

The charter is the first incentive of its kind to be launched across a nation to coincide with the handover of the Games, and is backed by an industry working group committed to making the 2012 Games a success, with the support of Visit London and Visit Britain to ensure continued industry engagement.

By signing the charter, ES Group has consented that their pricing for the London 2012 Games will be reasonable and not artificially inflated.

ESS Supports Super Bowl at O2

ESS supported the Super Bowl fan experience at IndigO2, an event experience for fans of American football.  On Sunday 7th February entertainment marketing agency ITCH produced the NFL Superbash to mark the biggest night in the American Football season, the Super Bowl.

For the second consecutive year, ESS was contracted by Itch to deliver the support structures for the event including two towers, a platform for video production, and video screen supports for the large screens that broadcast the matches live from the Sun Life Stadium in Miami. 

The event was sponsored by Coors, EA Sports and Pepsi Max, and was hosted by DJ Trevor Nelson.  Entertainment included Mr Hudson, Hexstatic, dance crew Flawless, and the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush Cheerleaders.

Images ITCH Agency

ESG Arena Group JV

ES Group and Arena Group have come together to form ESG Arena Group JV, a Joint Venture to service the needs of large, global sporting events.

The challenge and opportunity of securing and servicing iconic world events was the catalyst for the formation of a joint venture between two of the UK’s leading event services / overlay providers, ESG and Arena Group.

By combining their respective resources, ESG Arena Group JV has created the largest single British based event delivery partner, with a combined turnover of more than £70 million. The new venture, trading as ESG Arena Group JV, has the financial resources, capability and track record to deliver large overlay projects such as Olympic or Commonwealth Games.

For more information about the ESG Arena Group JV, please visit www.esg-arena.com

Last Girl on Earth Tour

Rihanna’s third concert tour kicked off in Belgium on 16th April, visiting ten countries across Europe before concluding at the O2 Arena Dublin on 26th May 2010.

16 of EST’s iconic fleet were assigned to Rihanna’s 25 show tour which covered about 6,000 miles across Europe. 

The Icelandic ash cloud caused some disruption to the delivery of this tour.

Rihanna’s bright pink tank, a central spectacle of the show, was due to be air freighted from Los Angeles to Luxembourg for rehearsals in Antwerp. 

Due to the volcanic ash cloud, and restrictions on European air space, it could not land in Luxembourg.  As an alternative the tank was flown to Milan and was transported from there to Luxembourg by road. 

By the time it got there the tour had moved on, but eventually the tank rejoined the tour in Lyon having missed the first three shows, and can now be found centre stage as the tour proceeds.

KAUST Inauguration

On September 23rd, 2009, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, hosted more than 3,000 guests, including prominent Saudis, foreign leaders, and Nobel Laureates, at the KAUST Inauguration Ceremony.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has been built in Saudi Arabia as an international, graduate-level research university dedicated to inspiring a new age of scientific achievement in the Kingdom, the region, and the world.

ES Group constructed three bespoke structures for the inauguration of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) which took place in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. 

ES Group provided the 5,400m² Exhibition Structure, the 6,480m² Ceremonial Theatre with capacity for 3,500 guests, and the 11,025m² King’s Dining Hall.  The delivery of these three temporary structures constituted the largest construction project ES Group has been involved with to date.

ES Group was responsible for the design, fabrication, installation and project management for this project, as well as the freight and logistics management of ten Boeing 747 freighter loads of equipment to supply the kit needed for the project.

The inauguration ceremony climaxed with the reveal of the University’s Breakwater Beacon shrouded in a breathtaking display of fireworks.

King Abdullah himself triggered the grand finale by touching an interactive pylon. This gesture initiated the opening of the 70m wide, shaped projection screens with astounding animations synchronized to the screens’ movement.

ES Group erected the structure which held the screens, and constituted the largest clear span temporary arches ever constructed.

The three month project was led by Simon Ransome, Technical Director of FilmMaster Events, the events company who headed up the project, and the construction took six weeks to complete.

Images Andy Clark

Green Day 21st Century Breakdown World Tour

Saturday 19th June 2010, saw Green Day's first ever appearance at Wembley Stadium. Following the success of their last visit to London where they played at the O2, the band returned to London to perform the open air concert five years on from their last open air performance in England at Milton Keynes.

ESS was contracted to supply the stage and support structures and the company were more than happy to help the band mark the momentous occasion of playing Wembley Stadium.

ESS designed, managed and installed the 24m stage which was created using the company's regular truss system.  ESS also provided the spot towers, camera platforms, PA and video wings and the VIP platform.

The equipment was transported to Wembley Stadium using 15 of sister company EST's iconic purple and yellow trucks.

Elton John Plays Charity Concert at Watford FC

Elton John returned to play a special one off concert at his beloved Vicarage Road on Saturday 29th May after a five year absence and ES Group were delighted to be part of this special event.

ES Group has worked with Elton John and his team for more than 30 years. The experienced team designed and installed the stage structure using the company's regular truss system. ESG also supplied the PA towers and camera platform for the concert. All the equipment required for the structure was transported to the Watford stadium using eight of sister company EST's yellow and purple trucks.

Production Manager Wolfie Woolliscroft had the following comment; "I just wish to thank you for a great job here at Watford - Robert and the team did a great job - and the show was a success for all concerned."

Over 19,000 fans obtained the highly sought after tickets to watch the Watford FC former chairman play this special concert raise funds to help pay for team transfers for the upcoming season. Elton John last performed at the stadium in 2005, to raise money for the club. The club hoped to raise £600,000 from the event.

ES Group Appointed as Key Supplier for FIFA Fan Fest

Following the success of the 2006 FIFA Fan Fest in Germany, 2010 saw FIFA extend their fan sites to include a further six official cities across the world alongside the nine cities in South Africa.

Darling Harbour in Sydney was one of the cities chosen to host the free event which broadcasted all the World Cup games live. The site which was open 24/7 from 11th June until 12th July, saw up to 20,000 people gather to watch the big games.

ES Group was contracted as one of the key suppliers for the event, managing the design and installation of scaffold structures.  ES Group provided over 3,000m² of scaffold structures including VIP hospitality decks.

ES Group was trusted to work with Darling Harbour's prized circular water feature, usually an attraction for the site, but for the Fan Fest event, the 20m diameter recessed water fountain created a hazard for large crowds.  To resolve this, ES Group built a scaffold substructure within the water feature, bringing it up to ground level, and with a combination of steel frame and carpentry detail, a flush finish was achieved. This increased the crowd capacity for the site, and ensured the safety of the public.

The event was produced by the Department of Premier and Cabinet through Community Engagement and Events also featured interactive games, appearances by footballers from Sydney FC, Central Coast Mariners and Matildas and family fun ensuring that there was no other place to be in Sydney during the World Cup.

ES Group Wins a Place on The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 100

ES Group is delighted to be ranked 21st in The Sunday Times International Track 100. The league table ranks Britain's top 100 private companies with the fastest growing international sales over the last two years. ES Group saw overseas sales increase by 100% a year from £6.4m in 2006 to £25.7m in 2008.

In its inaugural year, the league table which was published on Sunday 11th July, features companies from a wide range of industries such as engineering, manufacturing, computers and electronics and media.

The league table which is sponsored by HSBC was compiled by Fast Track, a networking events and research company. To view the full listing please click the link below

http://www.fasttrack.co.uk/fasttrack/downloads/2010IntTrack100.pdf

ES Group and Arena Group join forces in Delhi for the Commonwealth Games

October 3rd 2010 sees the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. ESG Arena JV (comprising ES Group and Arena Group), together with local partner d-artindia, have been contracted to provide Games Overlay for 3 competition venues and 18 training venues. The team are responsible for providing the temporary overlay for these facilities including more than 130 temporary structures, a temporary stadium to host the Rugby Sevens, power, grandstands, media facilities and lighting. The scope of the contract also includes maintenance during the Games and removal of the temporary overlay afterwards.

The local partnership has been set up specifically to deliver this £13million project but the intention is to develop the partnership and to deliver future projects together in India as the desire to deliver bigger and better world class events in India is very apparent. There are many opportunities in the region in the near future including the ICC Cricket World Cup, IPL and Formula 1.

"We are delighted to be working on the Commonwealth Games. It's vital to have a regional partner on a project like this to take advantage of existing relationships with local companies. We are working with some really great people and suppliers who are making this an exciting project to be involved with." said ES Group Director Jeff Burke.

ES Group Delivers for ExCeL London

To mark the occasion of ES Group developing their relationship as a logistics and staging supplier to the East London venue located just five minutes from their head office location in London, ESG provided the production transport for the official launch of London's first International Convention Centre (ICC) at ExCeL London. 5 artic trucks transported the production equipment required for this auspicious occasion. The official launch was organised by George P Johnson.

"It was a pleasure to have your drivers on site who were where they should have been when they were supposed to and proved that your company provides a first class professional service.  Please pass on my thanks to all of them." said Production Manager Will Roberts.

The new £165 million facility was launched by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, along with ADNEC Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan. ExCeL is one of the UK's premier venues for events, exhibitions and conferences and is located on a 100 acre site alongside Royal Victoria Dock in London.