LSD back at the helm for Stratford BID’s October food festival after disastrous cancellation of next weekend’s event.
Stratford BID has just announced that it is “delighted” be putting on a food festival on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th October.
The news comes after the plug was suddenly pulled on the Stratford Food Festival, which had been due to take place next weekend, 16th and 17th September.
Event planners Cocker Hoop Creative dropped the bombshell news that they were pulling out on Tuesday amid claims of inadequate communications and unachieveable timescales.
The BID, who charge a levy to town centre businesses to put on events, came under a lot of flak for the late cancellation, in particular as it had already scrapped the motor and river festivals.
Suspicions were that they would have to call in regular Stratford market organisers LSD to help them put on a replacement food festival, and that has proven to be the case.
Announcing the new dates for the food festival today, BID said:
“This week Cocker Hoop Creative informed the BID company that they would be cancelling the event, which led to widespread disappointment amongst residents, businesses and local traders. With just 11 days to go until the event, Stratford BID were left with the choice of either postponing and working with a new company to deliver the festival or cancelling the event altogether. We did not consider cancelling to be option as we had made a commitment to local businesses to deliver a two-day Food Festival in town this year.
“Although the revised dates are six weeks later than originally planned, we have been exploring alternative options to ensure the festival still goes ahead, as it is a popular and well supported event in Stratford.
“To save the event at the eleventh hour, we needed a dependable food festival specialist who are familiar with the town and able to step in and deliver with a very short turn around window.
“Following a BID Board meeting on Thursday, 7th September, local company LSD Promotions have been appointed to deliver a two-day artisan food festival in the town this autumn. Their local knowledge, experience in delivering events and festivals in Stratford and their willingness and ability to step in at such short notice has been welcomed by the BID Board.”
“LSD Promotions will focus on the artisan food and drink offer over the two-day event and Stratford Upon Avon BID will organise the festivities and entertainment.”
Despite the late save, BID are bound to come under further criticism for reverting to using LSD, with some business owners saying there are too many markets and they do not bring commercial benefit to them.
BID did go on to say that “levy payers selling food and drink could still benefit from a free pitch including gazebo, subject to application and conditions”.
Stallholders interested in booking will find the application form now live by visiting www.lsdpromotions.com/stratford-upon-avon-1
See next week’s Herald for more on Stratford BID.
This week’s cover story is here: Another crisis for Stratford BID as event planner pulls out of Stratford Food Festival which was meant to go ahead on 16th and 17th September (stratford-herald.com)
