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British Independent Film Awards

What a night!

Full of glitz and glamour, a white carpet and the best names in British film. Last night, Old Billingsgate transformed into the 22nd British Independent Film Awards.

It's an event we are very proud to be part of and our 10th year as a technical partner.

The Scope of Tropes

I write this on the day that Joseph Plateau was born, way back in 1801. At the same time 218 years later, Apple have just launched their latest iPhone offering with no less than four cameras as its unique selling point.

As always, the arrival of Apple’s new device was heralded with trumpeted words and phrases like “magical” and “best ever” and “innovative”. Words that seem to accompany every new product the company launches.

So, what do Apple’s platitudes have to do with Joseph Plateau?

The Scale Model

Nostalgia. It’s a powerful thing. The word derives from the Greek “nóstos” meaning homecoming and “álgos” meaning pain or ache and is used to describe that physical sense of yearning for times or places that evoke fond memories.

I’ve found as I march on through life that this sense of nostalgia seems to take me more often, as with my current obsession of re-making the model kits that I made when I was also a scaled-down version of my current self. The feel of the plastic, the smell of the paints – they take you off to a place where the world was much, much bigger – slightly scary, but full of excitement and wonder.

Global Events Services

We spoke to Senior Production Manager Liam to find out his take on events around the globe, how they are different to delivering events in the UK, his favourite Broadsword international event, the challenges he has faced while being abroad and the 5 items he wouldn't be without.  

What do you like about delivering international events?

I love the occasional opportunity to explore a new city.  Working in events has taken me to four continents, and countless cities I would never have had chance to visit.  If I get the chance I love to wander around absorbing the sights, sounds and smells.  A particular highlight was a 48 break between landing and starting work in Bangkok last year, which meant I could see a cousin who lives there, explore the city, and go to a gig. 

Public Speaking in Madrid – Some Useful Tips

It’s never too late to try something new.

When asked to attend the second C&IT International Forum as a speaker, I was a little apprehensive. These were unchartered waters for me; I love conversation of course, but the responsibility to add value and contribute meaningful content, was rather daunting. Let’s face it: most of us experience public speaking butterflies, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A little nervousness raises our level of performance but it’s important that the balance doesn’t tip from nerves to anxiety.

Meet the Producers

There are many unique skills and talents under the Event House roof. Broadsword are very proud of their people and the #OneTeam approach.

In a bid to shift things into more of an ‘open plan’ format, team members John Telfer and Simon Baines are taking on new Producer roles within our Event Team, and trailblazing a different approach to Broadsword’s project management. They will be responsible for taking events from initial brief through to delivery, sitting at the heart of a project and pulling together all the necessary resources to produce a brilliant show.

Here’s their take on their next step.

Vivid Venues & The Victorians

Prince Albert was the driving force behind a great display of the Victorian belief in progress, the Great Exhibition of 1851. The idea of international exhibitions was then quite new, and Albert had to overcome quite a lot of opposition, some of it extremely silly. The exhibition building was an enormous glass hall – the Crystal Palace – in Hyde Park. Inside were machinery and manufacturers from Britain, the Empire and other countries.

Knights at the Museum

Ever wondered what it's like to set up an event in a museum?

There are times every month when some might mistake the Broadsword team for night watchmen, keys jangling at the waist and a Maglite in hand, purposefully plotting our way through plans and paperwork amidst the eerie dark of a London museum at night.

What is Dataton Watchout?

There are many ways to skin a cat they say. Quite who ‘they’ are, we don’t know nor perhaps want to, but the phrase certainly applies to the events industry and in particular when it comes to complex video and presentation systems.