" />We initially got involved with what is now known as Poole Harbour Festival when it was a small dance event of around 50-70 people named Soundwave. We came on board to support the bar operation which on arrival was revealed to be a painters table, a selection of drinks and a cashbox. It’s safe to say it’s come a long way since, and IH Solutions has been there to support at every step of the way!
Scaling rapidly together
Soundwave added more DJs and began to grow quickly, then blossomed into Poole Harbour Festival, moving to the town’s Baiter Park and gearing up for in an ever-increasing number of visitors a day over the years. By this stage our support had also grown and included working alongside the H&S and security providers to ensure licensing and safety compliance, overseeing a much bigger bar team, implementing card payments and troubleshooting the many challenges that come with running an outdoor festival of that scale. In these early years our MD Matt was a one man Swiss-army knife acting as designated premises supervisor, bar manager and technical manager as well as handling all the money and stock in and out of the festival.
30,000 visitors over a 3-day weekend
Flash-forward to 2024, and our remit as well as our team at the festival has grown significantly with 3 new team members now individually in charge of managing the bars and all 140 barstaff, technical management and cash management. Matt remains the DPS and responsible for keeping the whole environment safe and compliant to safeguard the 30,000 visitors over the 3-day weekend. Our creative solutions to infrastructure have secured a bullet proof internet network to keep the bars running smoothly and an innovative approach to chilling beers that saves the third of every single pint that most festival bars lose to frothy lager. With over 60,000 pints of beer sold across the weekend, that’s a huge saving! This year’s acts included Razorlight, The Coral and Reef, as well as DJs Lisa Lashes and Brandon Block plus children’s entertainment, rides, walkabout performers, a circus and stalls.
Looking forward to the next stage
Our MD Matt shares his thoughts on the collaboration “It’s been a joy to watch the festival grow and we’re really proud of our part in making that happen. Our team on site go above and beyond every year, bringing their extensive experience to tackle any challenge big or small that might pop up over the course of the weekend.”
We’re excited about what the future holds for the partnership with a view to taking the next step up to 15,000 visitors a day and helping the team tackle all the unique challenges of a festival that size with ease!
