eps go-to company for event organizers

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Alex Shambrook has joined eps in United Kingdom – the world’s leader in event flooring – just two months back in the role of Contract Manager. But he does not come across as a person who is learning the ropes in his new stint but appears to be a seasoned employee.

He tells with a sense of pride how in the last 25 to 30 years, eps has grown to become the go-to company for venues and promoters and they bring concerts, festivals and sports events to life in the most awe-inspiring way possible.

Alex Shambrook comes with a wealth of experience in sales, onsite activities and deployments and is now into operations.

Alex Shambrook, Contracts Manager, eps, UK, tells ‘Coliseum’ how the Bavaria-based company eps has made life easier for event organizers worldwide through its temporary event flooring and crowd control solutions. He asserted that sophisticated equipment can complete a task in a more streamlined manner and the same when done manually can be very time-consuming and an expensive affair too.
 

eps

Bavaria (Germany)-headquartered eps has made a name for itself since 1996. From ground protection systems to seating, eps is regarded by event organizers and construction site managers as a solid and reliable partner in equipment rental. The company is constantly innovating to provide customers bang for the bucks.

Informed Alex Shambrook, “We are the global leader in the supply and hire of temporary event infrastructure and we have a presence all over the United Kingdom and all throughout Europe, parts of Asia, North and South America, and Australia as well.”

He informed that eps has extensive experience in the stadium and arena sectors servicing giant promoters like Live Nation and all the major promoters in the events and entertainment industry – “In terms of scale, we service approximately 3,000 live events and festivals annually which work out to eight a day.”
 

eps Products

 

Event Flooring

With its truly exceptional materials, event organizers swear by the name of eps when it comes to their products like Event Flooring – “Our flooring material is so sturdy that one can put their dancing shoes on and it is also suitable for heavy duty mobile cranes.”
 

Crowd Control

He added, “Fans feel very secure with our front-of-stage-barriers and the accessories that integrate into that system ensure things run smoothly and safely.”
 

Seating Solutions

eps provides chairs that can be arranged in various configurations and the company’s wide range of chairs provides the ultimate luxury and spectators enjoy ‘sitting’ through events which stretches into several hours.
 

eps Services

Stated Shambrook, “eps shows unflinching loyalty towards its clients and is available for them whenever the client faces any issues. We provide turnkey solutions and interfacing with internal and external stakeholders on site and behind-the-scenes to ensure the project is on schedule and it gets completed to the highest possible standards.”

On the day of the event, “eps crew are on standby to address any unforeseen situation which may occur”.
 

Research and Development

One of eps’s Research and Development Center is based in Italy, one is based in the United States and “we manufacture our own core equipment in-house and our front-of-stage barrier has become an industry standard over the decade. The company believes in continual innovation in products and designs.”
 

Challenges

Shambrook further added that the real challenges come in the form of operational issues “that we have to navigate onsite and our crew continuously push the envelope and deliver more spectacular performances.”
 

Thing of the past

He informed that the traditional pitch protection system where one would see the stage on one end of the pitch and the rest of remaining two-thirds to two-quarters would be typically finished in a pedestrian-only system is now fast becoming a thing of the past -“Significantly larger and heavier stages are now being used with much more complex production and overlay. There is more production equipment, there is more audio, there is more visual, there are more complex crowd control configurations with VIP areas, and the intimate stage styling and stage home productions are now frequently being positioned in the middle of the arena to give spectators more of a 360 degree immersive experience.”

Explained Shambrook, “To speed up the process, modular equipment are now being brought directly inside the stadium to unload and deploy rather than the traditional method which was to park the wagons outside and bring everything in piecemeal. This helps to speed up installations. To boil down, eps installs equipment in the fastest possible manner in an ever shrinking operational time window and basically, we needed to do more with less, do it quicker, do it safer, and do it better.”
 

Vacuum Meets Aluminum

Vacuum meets aluminum was achieved by eps through a significant investment in research and development, equipment training and trial and eps has revolutionized the methodology of stadium pitch protection installations.
 

Challenges of Classical Flooring Installation

To install a stadium pitch protection system manually is very time-consuming, costs involved are very high and not environmental-friendly.
 

eps Solution

Shambrook concluded by stating, “eps has revolutionized the entire exercise of installing a stadium pitch protection system with its state-of-the-art equipment and now minimum workforce is required and the productivity has doubled. We also provide safe working conditions and leave minimum carbon footprints.”

Move over Man, the machines have arrived as he signed off by averring, “The future belongs to the machines.”

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