On the 28th November 2012 Me and my colleagues attended the BBC Good Food Show Winter in Birmingham. The event was held at the NEC (The National Exhibition Centre) which is a venue based on hosting exhibitions. The 650-acre site has staged various events such as Grand Designs Live in 2010 to Cage Warriors:Right to Fight also in 2010.
As part of the Events Management course we have to attend the BBC Good Food Show Winter in aid to gain 20% of our overall mark for the Event Marketing Management and Research Methods unit.
Hall et all. (2008:4) state that “Food events, sometimes referred to as hallmark or special events are fairs, festivals, expositions, cultural, consumer and industry events which are held on either a regular or a one-off basis.” In this case this event is a festival which is repeated on a yearly basis in Birmingham.
The NEC Birmingham (2012) explains that The BBC Good Food Show Winter is known to be the biggest foodie event of the year! The event includes: specialty producers, live demos from top celebrity chefs including James Martin, Paul Hollywood and Gino D’Acampo, fantastic shopping opportunities and entertainment, plus much more.
The ticket prices vary from Adult Standard from £21.50 / Adult Gold £23.50 and over 65s standard £19.50 /over 65s Gold £21.50. Although if you are attending in a group ( which we were) the price was lowered and free tickets where given as you are buying in bulk. The price charter for group ticket prices are as follows:
| Group Rates | 10-19 people | 20-44 people | 45+ people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed-Fri & Sun Standard Adult Gold Adult Standard Over 65s Gold Over 65s |
£19.35 £21.15 £17.55 £19.35 |
£18.28 £19.98 £16.58 £18.28 |
£17.20 £18.80 £15.60 £17.20 |
| Saturday (Only) Standard Adult Gold Adult Standard Over 65s Gold Over 65s |
£20.25 £22.05 £18.45 £20.25 |
£19.13 £20.83 £17.43 £19.13 |
£18.00 £19.60 £16.40 £18.00 |
| Organisers’ FREE ticket allowance | 2 FREE tickets | 4 FREE tickets | 6 FREE tickets |
Our tickets stated that they cost £17.20 per ticket. Meaning that the group earned a minimum of 6 free tickets as there was at least 100 students on the trip. These tickets also allowed us entry to the Super Theatre. TheSuper Theatre allowed me and my class to sit in a large arena with at least another 1000 spectators. We sat and watched Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood demonstrate a range of cooking skills, who of which are part of the Great British Bake Off team. The Great British Bake off is a series which aires on the BBC showcasing twelve home bakers taking part of a “bake off” in competition to be crowned the Great British Bake Off’s Best Amateur Baker.
The event also allowed the guests to taste samples of produce which was on sale.The ‘freebies’ included were almost nibbles compared to full portioned food for example Crisps, Yogurts, Popcorn, and Cake. Alcoholic drinks were also on offer such as Chocolate wine, Caramel Vodka, and Cocktails. When trying wine students seem to be given a smaller taster glasses compared to other guests. This was probably because they thought we was not going to buy the produce. (Which was most likely true). This was some what discriminatory towards us, as they seem to stereotype us before they new our financial background. Apart from this slight irritating element we came away from the event full and satisfied.
Personally I would not have attended the event off my own back but i’m glad I did as it was a new experience for me which allowed me to become interested in the art of cooking.
Events Operations in Context 
Leave a comment