Sifted Summit 2024, the ever-evolving event.
We have been part of this event for the last 3 years and has evolved each year.
As a premier event for tech startups, Sifted offers a platform for innovators to connect with investors seeking to expand their portfolios and diversify their networks.
The venue Magazine London, and brilliant venue right on the Thames overlooking Canary Wharf, provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s summit. Magazine London has versatile indoor space, which has been specifically designed to host any event and be adaptable to suit the needs no matter the requirements. It also has a lot of outdoor space, which is quite a rare thing in London.
Our involvement has evolved over the years from our offering, from simple stretch tents to more elaborate structures with, festoon and floral décor to truss structures to this year a stretch tent with floor and window walls.
The two-day build required seamless coordination with other suppliers and catering units to ensure a smooth event on day three.
Day one saw us arrive alongside other vendors. Our early access allowed us to begin the build process efficiently. The security team, familiar from previous years, facilitated a smooth entry for all participants.
Once we were in, we were left to get on with the build especially as the first one was something we had done before.
This year we had been asked for a couple of catering covers, pagodas for crew food so that was first jobs installing our 3m pagodas for cover for the duration of the event.
Whilst this was being done, we had a lorry to unload with no forklift as it had not turned up on time. This meant we had to unload the lorry at a different location using the venues forklift as the area we worked in theirs did not work on that terrain. So, we unloaded had to later transload it is using the trailer.
The second delivery of concrete weights arrived with its own Moffit, aiding in the offloading process. Once the forklift arrived, we could begin placing the weights.
The first stretch tent required careful planning to anchor it securely to the ground. We laid out the tent and placed the weights in strategic locations before proceeding with the installation.
With the tent in place, we added decorative elements like festoon lights and flowers. Creating a cohesive festoon design around the tent and within its interior, while working with limited power connections, is a complex task that we’ve mastered over time.
The next job was the flowers, secretly believing this is the team’s favourite part to it, and they all do it with such care and design.
Day one was quote wet but we managed to keep ourselves relatively dry with day two set to be a very wet one.
Before the day was done, we laid out the location of the 15x21m we were building the following morning, which included a cassette floor, stretch tent and wooden window walls. We ensured that the chosen location was suitable for staking the structure in preparation for the 8am start the next day.
Day two dawned with a brief respite from the rain, allowing the team to focus on the cassette flooring system. Which involves the use of the theodolite to get the levels correct. We had to hold off for some of the catering trailers to get access before we could complete the floor.
Once the floor was down, we got out the large ground sheets to cover the floor and protect the stretch tent from direct, and the rain started to pour! Off came the shoes to protect the sheet form mud that surrounded the area…we all ended up with very soggy feet…next time shoe covers!!
The tent was then set up and the walling then installed. The walling is timber framed with clear PVC, which we class as PVC window walls. The walling flew up, lucky as the rain poured. The doors a little trickier to install and with the rain pushing in we were trying to push it out! We only had the day to install this structure, it was also being kitted out with carpet, furniture and production so everyone wanted to get in as soon as possible. Carpet down first and with a neutral carpet and muddy outside it was time to work in socks again, luckily, they had dried out by this point!
Once we had sealed in and signed off it was down to the others to kit it out ready for the next day’s event start.
The two-day event was a resounding success, despite the occasional rain. The de-rig process began after the second event day, with crews and vehicles lining up to assist with the takedown from 5pm.
We had two lorry pickups within 3 hours of starting, so we split the team to work on both tents, we needed the weights from one tent and we needed to get the floor out the way and loaded on the other lorry. Take down is always much quicker however, when you lose the light its always a bit trickier. We were however incredibly lucky with the weather the clear skies and warmer evening helped. With a stunning view of the Canary Wharf skyline across the Thames, the experience was truly unforgettable.
We were done and ready to go by about 9.30/10pm teamwork makes the dream work!
We have a great client on this event always so grateful and the venue were also a joy to work with, looking forward to 2025 already!
Thanks to photographer @weareherandnow for providing us with these amazing images.
