We got involved with this one late in the day as the management company for Powerscourt were insisting on an involvement from a professional event management company even though the lads had done similar gigs in there before.
We met with John and Ryan from Abstract Agency and the powers that be in Powerscourt initially to see where the common ground was and what the concerns were.
It was clear straight away that the lads had a great working relationship with Mary & George who run the Centre. Everyone really wanted to make this gig happen and the requirement for an involvement from a company like ourselves was coming from the insurance company for the Centre.
This kind of thing happens a lot. Insurance companies are really starting to cover their asses by insisting on full EMPs and staffing for events like these, where they wouldn't have been insisting on the same previously.
That's what happened in this case and we were very happy to be able to help the lads out and get the gig past the post.
The gig itself was great. The lads put a serious amount of production in to the venue.
That along with headline acts Benoit & Sergio as well as Leftfield and a crowd who were seriously up for having a good night led to a fantastic atmosphere and a great night.
The pictures above barely do the gig justice, to be honest.
It was a special one for us and for all who were there!
As silly as this may sound we actually really enjoyed being able to held the lads out and make sure the gig went ahead and went well.
It was late in the day when we got involved and that first meeting really was the key to it all. We base a lot on the first meetings.
Had the meeting not gone as well as it did and had all parties involved not been so genuine in wanting to make the gig happen we wouldn't have taken it on.
There was a good team working on this one and we were happy to join it.
The big challenge on this one was the uncertainty around the insurance side of things iat the very start of this.
In our experience once insurance companies start talking they invariably work it out. One side will want this wording changed and the other will want this limit increased and that indemnity in writing etc.
We tend to leave them to it and get on with planning and organising the actual event.
The insurance element of this led to some uncertain times over the Christmas break (we didn't really get one of those) where, technically, we still hadn't been given the go ahead by the insurance companies.
Sure enough they worked it all out and we went ahead with the gig.
That period of uncertainty can be unsettling for event organisers though in fairness.
"It was late in the day when we found out we'd have to involve an event management company on this one. We didn't know what to expect. In fairness, as it turned out, we were delighted to have Cuckoo on board. They were great to deal with and Martin and Marian were invaluable on the night of the gig."