In June 2019, Aston Martin Cambridge (part of Jardine Motors Group) hosted an ambitious five-day handover event for 24 new Aston Martin DBS59 owners.
The event took place at Le Mans and was set to be a “once-in-a-lifetime trip for those taking part”. Richard Eniffer, Dealer Principal at Aston Martin Cambridge commented on how it was “a triumph.”
Vita Safety played a large role in ensuring the event went ahead smoothly. This was achieved through specialist support that ensured the safety of everyone involved.
Let’s take a closer look at our experience as event safety experts and how we helped Aston Martin Cambridge go full-throttle to delight its customers.
Event safety specialists
From start-ups to big corporations, we have helped a range of companies hold highly-successful events through bespoke health and safety support. A huge part of our client base is within the automotive sector. Recently, we have provided risk management consultancy for the following industry events:
- Aston Martin DBS59 custom-built car handover in 2019
- Aston Martin Red10 Vanquish car handover event at RAF Scampton with the Red Arrows in October 2017
- The Welsh RAC Rally
- Ferrari 100th birthday anniversary parade in Essex.
We also have experience in television, media production, theatres and bespoke public and client events. To illustrate, we have recently worked on:
- Feature private dining rooftop area installation for global chef events at a prestigious London department store
- TV events such as Comic Relief
- Experiential leisure event operations, such as indoor golf courses and shooting simulations (find out more: Experiential Entertainment: Case Study)
- Large beach and promenade public events hosted by the council
- In-house customer company events including colleague days, group hill walking and outward bounds events
As you can see, we have a wealth of experience providing health and safety support for events of all shapes and sizes.
Each event has had a unique environment that comes with its own associated risks. Bespoke risk management consultancy has been essential to ensure hazards are effectively managed. Aston Martin Cambridge’s Le Mans DBS59 celebratory event was no exception.
Taking health and safety up a gear
The five-day handover event for 24 new Aston Martin DBS59 owners was packed with exhilarating experiences. For example, customers were invited to drive their new Super Grand-Tourers around the track for a parade lap ahead of this year’s Le Mans race.
To ensure such experiences could be executed safely, we completed a location reconnaissance in France months ahead of the event.
Our aim was to scope out the environment to outline a bespoke event safety management plan. We took into account the layout of the venue, internal and external conditions, obstacles and any dangerous objects. This plan included:
- Staff H&S responsibilities
- Risk assessment for each unique hazard
- Emergency planning (evacuation procedures, first aid, crowd management etc.)
We left no stone unturned in terms of risk identification and management. The plan also served as a briefing document for the event team. As part of our service, we took responsibility for briefing the team prior to the event.
Everyone knew the risks they needed to manage and what to do if there was an emergency. This gave them the confidence and knowledge required to keep attendees and their colleagues safe.
We also liaised with the event’s delivery leads from Blades, Aston Martin Cambridge and Quintessentially Travel. As well as the risk management plan, they received regular updates from a health and safety perspective. We were also readily available to answer any of their questions or concerns.
Additionally, Aston Martin Cambridge’s event included VIP flights via helicopter, luxury 5-star accommodation and dinner at Hotel de France in La Chartre-sur-le-Loir.
We conducted a thorough review of each supplier, including:
- chateau accommodation for guests
- helicopter and ground transport suppliers
- travel and accommodation for event personnel
This ensured all the event’s suppliers lived up to the highest health and safety standards.
Moreover, during the week of events prior to and during the car handover, we conducted a dynamic risk assessment on-site through continual monitoring. This gave Aston Martin Cambridge and its guests an added layer of protection and support for the big event.
What did our clients say?
Don’t just take our word for it – here’s what Richard Eniffer, Dealer Principal at Aston Martin Cambridge, said about working with Vita Safety during the event:
“The impact Vita Safety had meant that, as a team, we were able to trust someone to look out for the safety risks. This allowed us to focus on the job in hand and deliver a great project.
“For example, the event included a lot of high-end risks, such as helicopter and motorsport activities. If we didn’t have a second pair of eyes, we may have overlooked certain details that could have jeopardised our guests’ and staff’s safety.
Overall, the Vita Safety team is very professional with a sensible approach to safety, and I would definitely recommend them, especially for large, high-risk projects.”
Meanwhile, Kirtsy Murphy, Events Consultant and Pilot with The Blades Aerobatic Team, highlighted how:
“Vita Safety is extremely easy to work with and integrate into the event team seamlessly. They are also a positive example of how health and safety assessments can be completed. During the staff briefing day, they delivered a relevant and interesting brief which included some hand-outs regarding personal safety and actions in the case of an emergency situation whilst at a large public event – I thought this brief was pitched particularly well for the audience.
“I would absolutely consider working with Vita Safety in the future, and I would recommend Vita Safety as a specialist in event risk management in any future projects that I am involved in.”
Entertain your customers without risk
With all the responsibilities that come with organising events, managing the associated risks without specialist support is a real challenge. We can lift this burden through comprehensive event safety advice and planning.
Our event safety isn’t centred on eliminating all elements of risks. We’re focused on helping you manage these risks accordingly, so your guests can enjoy extraordinary experiences they’ll remember for a lifetime.
To speak to a consultant today about your event’s specific health and safety needs, call us on 0161 486 5020 (Manchester) or 0203 126 4997 (London). You can also email us at [email protected].
