Imaginative possibilities
Car parks can be used for a huge variety of special events. Product launches, craft markets, car boot sales and theatrical performances just some of the possibilities, with the choice depending on the image the car park wants to portray and the facilities it offers. For attendees, being able to park right at the venue is an important plus point.
Q-Park’s Criterion Place car park in Leeds, for example, was booked by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for its annual ball in 2004, and has been booked again for this year. Two floors were used, with one completely enclosed by ‘star’ cloth lit by romantic uplighters. A dance floor was laid, outside caterers set up a mobile kitchen and served a sit down, four-course meal for 250 guests, and an 8-piece band played after dinner. The event was an enormous success, with the RICS’ organiser commenting: “I came up with the idea of a car park as a venue because I wanted somewhere a bit different and unusual. I chose Q-Park because it is the cleanest and best looked-after car park I know. The event was an amazing success, and one of the best we’ve ever had. No-one could believe that they were in a car park. The Q-Park team was absolutely fantastic. They were incredibly accommodating and very supportive, and they could not have been more helpful. I have had such positive feedback from people that came to the event that we’re already thinking of holding it here again - probably making it an even bigger event over three floors”.
Q-Park has also taken advantage of its St Enoch car park in Glasgow as a venue to promote its opening. Sited adjacent to a shopping precinct, Q-Park launched the car park with a spectacular fashion show featuring models and clothing supplied by local retailers.
Dos and don’ts
Although the possibilities are all but endless, certain factors need to be considered.
• Height restrictions: Headroom in most car parks doesn’t exceed 3 metres so events where height is key — such as a product launch for a tall vehicle — are obviously not appropriate.
• Safety and security: There needs to be sensible limits on the numbers of guests to meet health, safety and fire regulations. In the event of an emergency a car park is unlikely to be able to cope with the rapid exit of, say, large numbers of people occupying three floors.
• Noise restrictions: Live or loud music being played should normally not be a problem in terms of noise pollution as most car parks do not sit right in the centre of a residential area. However the neighbours need to be taken into account.
To be safe, sure and within the law, all events should be discussed with the local authority and preferable with the local fire and police services.
Spreading the word
Marketing the idea of a car park as an events venue can be done in a whole host of ways, with much of it depending on an operator’s approach and their human and financial resources. Q-park, for example, spreads the word verbally at relevant meetings and through promoting the idea as part of its business-to-business literature.
Publicity and revenue opportunities
Using a car park as a venue for special events can have significant benefits for operators. The obvious one is the immediate revenue generated, but equally important is the fact that visitors to the event could very well become parking customers. Many attending may never have been to the car park before, and if the event goes smoothly and the operator makes a favourable impression, they are more than likely to return to park there.
