festival traders- its tough out there.

[Kashkin]

I was just at Arctangent and all card payments came up on my app as 'Arctangent Festival' rather than the individual trader name. 

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, Kashkin said:

I was just at Arctangent and all card payments came up on my app as 'Arctangent Festival' rather than the individual trader name. 

 

Oh. 

 

Aside from skimming off traders I've known members of this parish use that info to check where they ate once they sobered up. 

 

Presumably this threat to traders future is the consequence of festivals fighting to survive? 

[efcfanwirral]

21 hours ago, Neil said:

i juast saw this article, which reminded me of a chat i had with a trader a few days ago, he said it now harder to get into festivals than  it is into the usa .

off the back of what he said which included having police checks , i checked with an  festivals markets expert i know, who confirmed its true about police checks

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3d958247g9o

 

it'll be a real shame to lose the colour and diversity that these small traders bring to festivals.

 

 

16 hours ago, Neil said:

as some festivals are now doing police checks on traders its probably won't be long before they do that for staff too.

What are they checking for? Is it criminal record checks etc?

[Neil]

26 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

 

What are they checking for? Is it criminal record checks etc?

i was told PNC checks, so yeah.

[incident]

1 hour ago, stuie said:

Traders were taking their own card payments via their sumup's at Wilderness a couple of weeks ago.

 

That's interesting - they didn't at Wilderness 2021.

[Skip997]

1 hour ago, efcfanwirral said:

 

What are they checking for? Is it criminal record checks etc?

They can f**k off with that nonsense.

[efcfanwirral]

49 minutes ago, Neil said:

i was told PNC checks, so yeah.

 

11 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

They can f**k off with that nonsense.

Only checks I'm interested in is food standards, which Glastonbury appears to be very good at. Not so much at other festivals, some of the stuff some of the traders were serving up at Y Not was worryingly bad, and cold. Some great, but a higher proportion of pretty bad stuff than I've seen in years.

 

Those Download stories were concerning, hopefully they don't point towards a general lowering of standards and competency 

Edited August 19 by efcfanwirral

[4AssedMonkey]

I think to a degree. we're back in to the same circular argument here about artists income and streaming services taking the piss.

 

Artists get f**k all from the music/content they create.  They need to be paid.  This pushes up the cost of live performance tickets and festivals.  Organisers need to make more income to compensate.  Reluctant to hike ticket prices for fear of reducing demand, they seek to cut costs and corners.  Fleecing the traders is just one symptom of that.

 

Regards Police checks, I see that it seems unnecessary, but what are we talking about?  Full physical searches of all the ingredients/staff/equipment?  Just a background PNC check?  Something in between?  It wouldn't surprise me if this isn't them gearing up for the introduction of Martyn's Law, in which case they probably need to be seen to do something.  It may be legislation introduced for purely political reasons and complete bullshit, but it's still the law.

[Skip997]

Police checks?

 

Glastonbury could potentially lose half the SE corner/Arcadia/Silver Hayes and Glade crew 

[stuie]

24 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Police checks?

 

Glastonbury could potentially lose half the SE corner/Arcadia/Silver Hayes and Glade crew 

 

I wouldn't worry too much.  Avon & Somerset police really don't want the crime stats they'd generate if they fully cracked down on festival crews and punters.

[gfa]

37 minutes ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

I think to a degree. we're back in to the same circular argument here about artists income and streaming services taking the piss.

 

Artists get f**k all from the music/content they create.  They need to be paid.  This pushes up the cost of live performance tickets and festivals.  Organisers need to make more income to compensate.  Reluctant to hike ticket prices for fear of reducing demand, they seek to cut costs and corners.  Fleecing the traders is just one symptom of that.

 

Regards Police checks, I see that it seems unnecessary, but what are we talking about?  Full physical searches of all the ingredients/staff/equipment?  Just a background PNC check?  Something in between?  It wouldn't surprise me if this isn't them gearing up for the introduction of Martyn's Law, in which case they probably need to be seen to do something.  It may be legislation introduced for purely political reasons and complete bullshit, but it's still the law.

Legislation put in place to stop people getting bombed at concerts...?

[efcfanwirral]

37 minutes ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

Regards Police checks, I see that it seems unnecessary, but what are we talking about?  Full physical searches of all the ingredients/staff/equipment?  Just a background PNC check?  Something in between?  It wouldn't surprise me if this isn't them gearing up for the introduction of Martyn's Law, in which case they probably need to be seen to do something.  It may be legislation introduced for purely political reasons and complete bullshit, but it's still the law.

That threat around Austria Taylor Swift gig did involve them getting onto the security team.  Absolutely impossible to stop but I guess once that law comes in it'll be a lot harder for organisers with the heightened expectations. 

[4AssedMonkey]

31 minutes ago, gfa said:

Legislation put in place to stop people getting bombed at concerts...?

 

If you can tell me how this Act will stop terrorists targeting large crowds of people I'd be very interested to hear it.

[tarw]

49 minutes ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

 

If you can tell me how this Act will stop terrorists targeting large crowds of people I'd be very interested to hear it.

If I wanted to plant a big bomb at a festival I would certainly try to do it as crew. Much easier to get stuff in and access to more areas. 
If they just check whether any staff are a known threat it would make it more difficult to carry anything out. 
If they wanted to check other stuff (apart from sex offenders) they can f**k right off

[gfa]

1 hour ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

 

If you can tell me how this Act will stop terrorists targeting large crowds of people I'd be very interested to hear it.

 

It won't stop terrorists targeting crowds, but it will mean venues are more prepared for the risk. Is your suggestion sit back and do nothing?

 

Read into it. There's a whole list of things being implemented which when put together could be the difference. Its obviously not a silver bullet.

 

Often terrorist attacks are thwarted by staff, the plans for it would ensure staff are better trained and an intervention is more likely.

 

Would likely also help with other parts of venue security - i.e. staff more prepared for crushing.

[Chimps]

When you hear of food traders doing £100k turnover at a festival, think on this:-

30% + VAT to the big old festival organiser = £36k (the £6k VAT can be claimed back).
20% VAT on turnover to be given to the VAT man = £20k.
GP on food is about 70% - So food costs are £30k.

This leaves £20k!  From £100k turnover.

Got to pay staff a decent wage out of this £20k, and all the other costs associated with getting to a festival, and running a business.

Margins are now so tight on big festivals that you have to be out there at every festival every weekend busting your gut.

Glastonbury excluded as the fee is fixed for each trader and not based on turnover.

This is from a well established Glastonbury trader, who told me that they now only do Glastonbury as it is one of the few festivals left with a fixed up front, and reasonable pitch fee.
 

[Iphigenia]

16 hours ago, SwallowOrSleepOnTheWetSpot said:

 

Already the case in mainland Europe.

 

 

 

What next? A pop up IKEA stall for deck chairs? 😅

[Ayrshire Chris]

8 minutes ago, Iphigenia said:

 

What next? A pop up IKEA stall for deck chairs? 😅

An an hour minimum between acts to allow you time to assemble the bloody things 

[FKA SOSOTWS]

23 minutes ago, Iphigenia said:

 

What next? A pop up IKEA stall for deck chairs? 😅

Lowlands in The Netherlands this past weekend had both McDonalds and IKEA as sponsors...

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

The Dominos jet pack delivery thing comes to mind when talking about big brands coming in. I still can't work out if it was just a publicity stunt, how much the Eavii knew about it, and who would even want to order a Dominos at a festival when there's so much other more delicious food to be had.

 

 

 

[maelzoid]

On 8/18/2024 at 4:37 PM, Iphigenia said:

It's a real shame. A good selection of small traders can make a festival. Soon we'll see McDonalds stands at festivals, I bet.

There was a McDonalds at IOW this year. They were giving away free fries and totally drawing customers away from other traders.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

1 hour ago, maelzoid said:

There was a McDonalds at IOW this year. They were giving away free fries and totally drawing customers away from other traders.

 

That's actually f**ked.

[Nathan Explosion]

Was at Leeds for a day in 2022 and they had a McDonald's stand. The queue was depressingly massive throughout the entire day.

[Iphigenia]

5 hours ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

An an hour minimum between acts to allow you time to assemble the bloody things 

 

Stewards handing out those little silver spanner thingies instead of Coldplay wristbands 😅

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

9 hours ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

The Dominos jet pack delivery thing comes to mind when talking about big brands coming in. I still can't work out if it was just a publicity stunt, how much the Eavii knew about it, and who would even want to order a Dominos at a festival when there's so much other more delicious food to be had.

 

 

 

 

Has this flight been verified as actually having existed?