Light Fantastic nominated for Special Events Award
Light Fantastic, a unique event for a unique city, premiered in the heart of the City of Milton Keynes (UK) in October 2007. Created by Mark Harrison and produced by, The Full Effect, this experiential event not only attracted over 160,000 people and achieved all its clients ROI objectives, it has also been nominated for Most Outstanding Spectacle in the Special Events Magazine 2009 Gala Awards.
Supported by Milton Keynes Partnership, the city’s main shopping centre thecentre:mk, Midsummer Place and local newspaper The Citizen amongst others, Light Fantastic was a free public event that featured a lantern parade, French aerialists Transe Express performing a stunning display suspended from a 150ft crane, acrobats suspended from giant balloons, gas jets flaring into the night sky, stunning images projected onto landmark buildings and a futuristic Exploratorium, all set to a bespoke soundtrack.
“We were approached as event producers and asked to come up with a number of different ideas,” explains Mark Harrison. “Milton Keynes is set out on a grid system and the city wanted something unique that, when the centre of the city was closed off, would work with the road system, naturally leading people from place to place, with the building projections used not only as a spectacle in themselves, but to let people know what was going on.”
The event ran from 5pm until 11pm, with shows repeating throughout the evening, so no matter what time people arrived, they wouldn’t miss out on any of the action. It was a full three years in the making, with The Full Effect in charge of raising the funds to bring the concept to life. This included donations from English Partnerships, the UK’s national regeneration agency, Sales MK and the various participating companies.
“Each of the companies involved wanted something different out of the event,” continues Harrison. “Some wanted product placement, some wanted general exposure and some wanted their building lit so that people could see it as they went by. We also had high quality food from Milton Keyne’s top of the range caterers that wasn’t your standard funfair fare.”
Harrison and his team fully realised their brief. By creating an evening of first class entertainment and special effects, Light Fantastic transformed the look and atmosphere of the city centre, engaging with the community, both local and from further afield, and local businesses.
With over 160,000 people attending and Shopping Centre Magazine confirming that the event drove a significant increase in footfall at thecentre:mk, the event ensured it was the busiest Friday and Saturday of 2007 in the City centre. In addition, people were staying later and taking their time to stroll about, have something to eat and enjoy in all aspects of the spectacle.
Light Fantastic was unanimously deemed a success, with many unsolicited positive comments being left by members of the public on the Light Fantastic web site. A year on, its success is even clearer to see from the influx of emails to thecentre:mk’s web site, asking when it is going to happen again.
“We were delighted to be so closely related with an event that was so professionally organised and had acts of an international standard coming to Milton Keynes. It really put the city on the map.” says Jackie Tracey, of thecentre:mk.
“It engendered a great deal of civic pride and it drew enormous crowds who visited thecentre:mk, which was particularly good for our catering outlets. The Full Effect team was very professional, well organised and easy to work with.“
Having achieved such success with the debut event, The Full Effect’s creativity is set to dazzle Milton Keynes again in 2009.
“2007 was the only the first Light Fantastic,” says Harrison. “We had dedicated team members to ensure that all sponsor requirements were fulfilled, so that event can be repeated. We’re working hard on Light Fantastic 2009, when we will light the ‘spine’ of Milton Keynes – people will go to work in the morning in an ordinary office building and when they go home it could have been transformed into the Taj Mahal!”
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