HotBox Events News

2010 Festivals Application is live!

HottBox Events — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Hotbox Events 2010 Festivals Application is now live!

If you already have a Hotbox Events PAAM account you can login and apply now!

If you don't yet have a PAAM account you can sign up here.

You can find further details about volunteering at the Reading Festival, Leeds Festival, Latitude Festival, and Big Chill Festival via the About Pages on the Hotbox Events website.

If you are interested in applying to volunteer at the Big Chill Festival please read this news article before applying.

We're still in discussions about a 5th festival for 2010 - we'll let you know as soon as we do!

We look forward to seeing you all this summer!

2010 Big Chill Festival - updates!

HottBox Events — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Further info about volunteering at the 2010 Big Chill Festival has been added to the Hotbox Events website!

As this is a new event for Festival Republic many of the details are yet to be confirmed including:

PNC deadlines
Arrival date
Briefing times
First shift start time and date

The info above will be confirmed in early March 2010.

When the application goes live - if this information still hasn't been confirmed we advise you only apply to volunteer at the Big Chill if you are flexible when it comes to which day you will be required to arrive. If you need specific times and dates we advise you hold off applying until these have been confirmed.

2010 Big Chill Festival!

HottBox Events — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Festival Republic has asked Hotbox Events to bring the CATs & HATs to the Big Chill Festival!

We'll be adding further info about the 2010 Big Chill festival to the Hotbox Events website soon.

In the meantime if you would like to find out more about the Big Chill Festival please visit www.bigchill.net/festival

You'll be able to apply to work at the Big Chill via the Hotbox Events PAAM Application.

As with applications for the Reading Festival/Leeds Festival and Latitude Festival - you only need to pay one deposit for all the festivals you would like to work at e.g. one deposit will cover you for Reading/Leeds, Latitude and the Big Chill!

Please note - the Big Chill Festival isn't the new fourth festival we mentioned in the February newsletter and this news article - the Big Chill Festival is another new festival for 2010!

So, there may be five festivals on the 2010 Hotbox Events Calendar! We'll keep you posted!

2010 Application & New Event!

HottBox Events — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The 2010 Hotbox Events festivals application is planned to go live in early March!

We'll be letting everyone know once it's live via the newsletter - so if you're not subscribed please join the Hotbox Events newsletter to be kept up to date.

Additional to the Latitude Festival, Reading Festival and Leeds Festival, there may be a new fourth event on the 2010 application! It's yet to be confirmed - as soon as we know for sure we'll let you know!

Please note the refundable security deposit has increased for 2010, this has been set by the director of Festival Republic at £225.00 GBP.

Looking forward to seeing you all again this summer!

Any questions in the meantime please contact us.

Hotbox Events on Facebook!

HottBox Events — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

If you haven't yet joined our Facebook Group you can find the Hotbox Events CATs & HATs Facebook Group here! There are hundreds of photos, messages and discussions for you to check out!

The Hotbox Events CATs & HATs Facebook Group is run by Hotbox Events staff; so if you're wondering about something or just want to get a feel for working onsite at a festival it's a great place to start!

Festival Photo Galleries Updates!

HottBox Events — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

New photos from the 2009 Latitude Festival and Leeds Festival have been added to the Hotbox Events Photo Galleries!

Many thanks to Jo Shields for all the photos - some great shots!

You can visit the Hotbox Events Galleries by clicking here.

It's great for new volunteers to be able to see what working at a festival is like by viewing the photo galleries on the Hotbox website – so if you do have any photos you'd like to see on the website please email them over to info@hotboxevents.com.

Also, out of those we receive – we pick a few each year to be used for the next year's publicity so who knows, send over your photos you could be on the homepage of the official 2010 Reading Festival, Leeds Festival and Latitude Festival websites!

Updates for the 2010 Season!

HottBox Events — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Hotbox Events Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct have been updated for the 2010 season!

Please read the updated Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct if you are planning on applying to work with us in 2010.

Please note the Hotbox Events Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct apply to both Hotbox Events employees and Hotbox Events Volunteers.

You can also find the Hotbox Events Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct on the Hotbox Events PAAM Festivals Application Signup page.

Festival Photo Galleries Updates!

HottBox Events — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

New photos from the 2009 Latitude Festival, Reading Festival and Leeds Festival have been added to the Hotbox Events Photo Galleries!

You can visit the Hotbox Events Galleries by clicking here.

Many thanks to all who have sent over photos!

It's great for new volunteers to be able to see what working at a festival is like by viewing the galleries on the Hotbox website – so if you do have any photos you'd like to see on the website please email them over to info@hotboxevents.com.

Hotbox Events has moved offices!

HottBox Events — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In early December 2009 Hotbox Events moved with it's sister company Hotbox Studios into its new offices! It’s been a long time coming and a lot of work but we’re very happy in our new home! There is still a wall of boxes to empty (we’re not entirely sure what’s in them all...), misc bits and bobs to arrive, including a fridge! Fortunately the frost and snow has been keeping our milk cold!

So it’ll probably be well into the New Year before we can come into work without shuffling round a box or wondering why no matter how many pieces of bubble wrap you pick up the stuff still seems to be everywhere...

For those who need to get in touch, please find below our new address.

Office: Hotbox Events, Unit 1, Middle Yard, Home Farm Road, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, RG27 8AW.

Registered Office (unchanged): Hotbox Events, c/o Ascot Drummond, 2-3 Cursitor Street, London, EC4A 1NE.

Map: To see where Hotbox Events is based on Google Maps please click here.

Season's Greetings from Hotbox Events!

HottBox Events — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Our very best wishes to all for the festive period, please find below Christmas messages from Steph, Jo and Tavis...

"As 2009 draws to a close we look back at another hugely successful year for the CATs and HATs, not only being the first year as Hotbox Events but also with a larger onsite presence than ever before! The future looks very exciting for Hotbox Events. It’s always wonderful to see so many new and returning volunteers and a pleasure to hear your feedback and how you enjoy the opportunity to experience a festival as part of the team.

To all Latitude CATs and HATs, a huge thank you for once again for helping to significantly reduce crime levels and ensure the festival goers experience is all the more enjoyable.

What a year – here’s to 2010 – I wish you all a wonderful festive break and look forward to seeing you all again at next year’s events.

With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!"

Steph Newman
Latitude Festival Project Manager

"As the holiday season approaches, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your work with Hotbox Events and at Leeds Festival. It is volunteers like you who make our jobs an absolute pleasure and help the company grow year by year. We have received so much praise from those we work alongside which makes us very proud of you all!

May your holiday season and the New Year be filled with much joy. We look forward to working with you in 2010!

Merry Christmas"

Jo Shields
Leeds Festival Project Manager

"I'd like to again pass on my gratitude to the CATs & HATs who worked at the Latitude and Reading Festivals in 2009. It was a joy to meet so many enthusiastic volunteers and I hope that I will be able to catch up with most of you again during 2010. I hope that you all have a fantastic Christmas and I look forward to seeing you at a festival site in the New Year... Hopefully without the need to wear waterproofs!"

Tavis Russell
Reading Festival Project Manager

Thank you from Suffolk Constabulary

HottBox Events — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Chief Superintendant Mark Cordell has got in touch thanking all who worked with the Hotbox Events Campsite Assistance Teams (CATs) and Helpful Arena Teams (HATs) at the 2009 Latitude Festival!

As you can see from the letter to the left (larger copy here) - there was an 80% reduction in overall crime at Latitude Festival 2009 compared to Latitude Festival 2008, and only 2 reported thefts from tents (there were 100 reported in 2008).

Congratulations to all who worked at the 2009 Latitude Festival - you should be very proud to have received such praise from Suffolk Constabulary and to have helped so many have a more enjoyable festival.

2009 Postal Strikes & Deposit Returns

HottBox Events — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

All international deposit returns have been sent - those who live outside of the UK and requested a return via PayPal.

Unfortunately the Communication Workers Union national industrial action is delaying the deposit returns which are sent as cheques to those who live in the UK. We have a business account with Royal Mail and were expecting a collection this week, Royal Mail advised yesterday that the earliest they can now collect is Tuesday 3rd November.

We're very sorry the postal strikes are delaying the returns getting to you. As you'll see when you receive your cheques we had the data files to the bank for printing at the beginning of October (the cheques are all dated 12th October 2009), we received the printed cheques from the bank at the end of last week, then worked like crazy getting them all ready to post out to you all.

We've tried our very best to get the returns to you as early as possible but there is now unfortunately nothing we can do but wait on Royal Mail.

Unfortunately we can't offer to send non-international (UK) returns via PayPal or BACS.

If you do contact us regarding this please remember those who reply to the emails work for Hotbox Events, not the postal service...

Sustainable Event Management

HottBox Events — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Meegan Jones, who you may have worked with at Glastonbury Festival, Latitude Festival, Leeds Festival or Reading Festival, has written a book!

Sustainable Event Management: A Practical Guide, is an indispensable one-stop guide for event and facility organizers, managers and professionals, and event management students who want to adjust their thinking and planning decisions towards sustainability and who need a powerful, easy to use collection of tools to deliver events sustainably.

Sustainable Event Management: A Practical Guide is currently available for pre-order; please click here for further info.

Reading & Leeds shortlisted for 4 awards!

HottBox Events — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Reading Festival and Leeds Festival have been shortlisted in two categories at the UK Festival Awards 2009!

It’s now time for the second round of voting! Please visit www.FestivalAwards.com to vote!

Reading Festival has been nominated for best major festival, and Radiohead's Reading performance has been nominated for best headline performance.

Leeds Festival has been nominated for best major festival, and Kings of Leon's Leeds performance has been nominated for best headline performance.

Voting ends on Wednesday 4th November and the winners will be announced on Thursday 19th November.

Don’t forget, by voting you'll be in with another chance to win tickets to all of next year’s winning festivals!

Latitude Festival shortlisted for 3 awards!

HottBox Events — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Latitude Festival has been shortlisted in three categories at the UK Festival Awards 2009!

It’s now time for the second round of voting! Please visit www.FestivalAwards.com to vote!

Latitude Festival has been nominated for best medium sized festival, the family festival award, and Virtual Festivals critics' choice award for Thom Yorke’s sensational Sunday set.

Voting ends on Wednesday 4th November and the winners will be announced on Thursday 19th November.

Don’t forget, by voting you'll be in with another chance to win tickets to all of next year’s winning festivals!

A Podium Finish for Amy O'Loughlin!

HottBox Events — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Throughout 2009 Hotbox Events has been a proud sponsor of Amy O'Loughlin. Amy has spent much of 2009 training to compete in the the Gore Bike Wear TransWales 2009 Mountain Bike Event which took place in Wales in August.

Hotbox first sponsored Amy O'Loughlin in 2007 as part of a four woman mountain bike team competing in the Nightrider12 event at Plymouth's Newnham Park; raising money for the Force Cancer Charity. Following a podium finish in the Nightrider12, Amy got back in touch in early 2009, this time training for TransWales.

All here at Hotbox would like to send huge congratulations to Amy for making it through TransWales 2009, let alone achieving a podium finish! Having now recovered a little, Amy has sent through some info about the TransWales event and her journey from the start line to the podium, this you can find below...

My name is Amy O’Loughlin, I'm 24, from Devon (living in London) and proudly sponsored by Hotbox Events. On August 15th 2009, I embarked on the TransWales. The 'Trans' events have been happening globally for nearly ten years, in the UK for the last three. They are a combination of marathon mountain bike racing, extreme touring and adventure racing. Using the wondrous Welsh terrain as a backdrop, the GORE BIKE WEAR TransWales 2009 entailed seven days of untimed linking stages and four race stages. My race fee, sponsored by Hotbox, entitled me to a race entry, three meals a day and my kit taken from check point to check point each day.

I had trained on and off road intensively for six months and was averaging 150 miles a week, with a combination of on and off road rides, hill training and general commuting each day for my work as a cycle instructor. I had competed in a few cross country races prior to the TranWales event and been racing and training with a Swansea based club called Beyond 925. Three of the club members had also entered the big race; two in a male pair and one as a solo veteran. My previous racing experience had been in teams of two or four and on small circuits and nothing that involved consecutive days over such a distance. I sought nutritional advice and prepared measured amounts of gels, bars and electrolytes. I also did some zone training to ascertain my maximum heart rate and highest sustainable pace. I entered the race as part of a female pair but unfortunately my race partner had to drop out two weeks prior due to illness which was later diagnosed as over training. I decided to remain in the event but as a female solo; a larger and more competitive race category. My bike was tuned and ready to ride, with the combined riding knowledge and experience of the Beyond 925 riders and confidence in my own fitness, I felt I was as prepared as I could be for the event.

Each day we were given seven hours to arrive at the evening check point. If we did not get there in time, we would be penalized. The night race stage and final day both had shorter cut off times. The courses were well marked and the majority of the time I rode to the middle or rear of the pack during the linking stages. Top riders were taking 4 - 5 hours to complete each day, and stayed at the front to ensure they would not be held up in the technical sections and most importantly, the timed race stages. The first day was without a race stage, I was finding my feet sinking back into a long day in the saddle and conserving as much energy as possible. I would often ride with my Beyond 925 friends but found mid morning slogs up the hills suited me solo and allowed me time to concentrate on my breathing and finding my rhythm for the day. The riding throughout the week was some of the best I have ever done, and we were spoilt with the best natural trails Wales has to offer. The moorland, river crossings and valleys kept the riders on guard and by the third day fatigue began to show and the aim of the game was self preservation. I came third in two of the four race stages and achieved a third place overall in the female solo category! My first podium finish came as a great surprise and when I did not make it up there again the following night I had to really push myself to fight for a good time in each of the following race stages and not take risks during the linking stages. The below is a little more detail about each day:

Linking stage One – Sunday 16th
Builth Wells to Llanidloes
Total distance: 91km
Climbing: 1650m

I spent the day adjusting saddle height, chatting to fellow riders, and observing the race etiquette. The climbs felt tough and my body took time to adjust.

Stage Two – Monday 17th
Llanidloes to Machynlleth
Total distance: 91km
Climbing: 2523m

Special Stage One
The Climachx Trail, Machynlleth
Total distance: 11km

Early in the day I was taken down on a road climb; an unfortunate accident. For the following 5 days I sought medical attention each morning and night and now have a fantastic war wound to prove it! A surprise third place in the race stage gave me a reason to have a thermos cup of wine that evening.

Linking stage Three – Tuesday 18th
Machynlleth to Cwmystwyth
Total distance: 73km
Climbing: 2300m

Special Stage Two
Nant-y-Arian
Total distance: 8km

This was a very messy race stage with quite a few serious crashes. I secured a fourth place on this race stage and my battle for third place with Maggie Mc Phillips began.

Linking stage Four – Wednesday 19th
Cwymystwyth to Cilycm
Total distance: 76km
Climbing: 2100m

Special Stage Three
Cwm Rhaiadr
Total distance: 7km

My lights died 10 minutes before my lap began and a fellow rider saved me just in time. This was the first time I had ridden this course and it was a thrill seeking affair! I secured another 3rd place and yet another Buff.

Linking stage Five – Thursday 20th
Cilycm to Llansewel
Total distance: 70km
Climbing: 2700m

Special Stage Four
Brechfa
Total distance: 10km

Brechfa is an amazing place to ride and I absolutely loved this race stage and rode it clean for a refreshing change. The ride home, however, was tough due to race crashes holding up the linking stages. Tears ensued but the cut off time was reached. Just!

Linking stage Six – Friday 21st
Llansawel to Llanwrtyd Wells
Total distance: 71km
Climbing: 2400m

Just when you thought the race was going to get easier and the organizers couldn’t possibly faze you, they throw some of the biggest hills and the most exhausting mind destroying downhill at us yet. Incredible scenery and great camaraderie got me through.

Linking stage Seven – Saturday 22nd
Llanwrtyd Wells to Builth Wells
Total distance: 62km
Climbing: 2000m

The bike just about held out until the final day. After carrying me through bog snorkeling country, down black runs and camping out every night, it only finished with two buckled wheels (with two broken spokes) an entirely bent rear mech, one pair of totaled brake pads and some bottomed out forks. And, a third overall!

The TransWales 2009 was an incredible adventure and without doubt the toughest, most exhilarating thing I have ever done. I felt utterly spoilt by the quality of riders I was able to ride with, and the trails and routes which we were guided around throughout the week. My technical abilities improved greatly during the week, and under duress proved the best way to work out strengths and weaknesses. Many lessons were learnt such as; paying extra for a massage; taking careful advantage of the free caffeinated drinks; always clean your bike BEFORE dinner!

I'd like to give huge thanks to Mark Hatchard for funding this adventure. I hope I’ve done the company proud and look forward to putting Hotbox Events on the back of my new GORE BIKE WEAR jacket!

Please go to the TransUK website for more information on this year's race and future events: www.MTBTransUK.co.uk

Photographs by Steve & Jon Brooke (www.RightPlaceRightTime.co.uk)

2009 UK Festival Awards!

HottBox Events — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you haven’t yet voted in this year's UK Festival Awards and have a mo - please pop over to www.FestivalAwards.com - everyone who votes has the chance of winning 2 VIP tickets to every winning festival!

Festival Republic’s Reading Festival, Leeds Festival, Latitude Festival, Hove Festival and Electric Picnic have been nominated in the categories below in this year’s UK Festival Awards!

Voting takes place in two stages. The current is the long list round, this runs until 14th October. The shortlists from the first stage are then revealed so voting can take place for the winners. Voting concludes on 4th November with the winners announced at a gala ceremony on Thursday 16th November at IndigO2.

Best Major Festival: Reading, Leeds
Best Medium Sized Festival: Latitude
Family Festival Award: Latitude
Best Overseas Festival: Electric Picnic, Hove
Best Toilets: Latitude, Leeds, Reading
Best Headline Performance: Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon, Radiohead, Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
Virtual Festivals Critics choice award: Friendly Fires, Mariache el Bronx, Streetlight Manifesto, The Bronx, The Horrors, The Hot Rats, Thom Yorke.

Happy voting!

Photos from 2009 Festivals!

HottBox Events — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We'll be adding all those which have been sent through to the Hotbox Events website soon!