Marketing Event articles from April 2002

Marketing Event archives from April 2002

FROM THE EDITOR: Industry has to debate issue of creating a united voice.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... There is no greater rivalry between venue managers than that of Earls Court & Olympia's Andrew Morris and Excel's new chief executive Jamie Buchan. Hardly surprising when some indecisive organisers are still flitting their shows from one venue...

Reed switches rebranded fair to Earls Court.(Reed Exhibitions )(International Direct Marketing Fair )(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Reed Exhibitions has re-branded its Marketing Expo after just one year and moved it to Earls Court 2. The show, which had been staged at Excel for two years, will focus on its new identity, the International Direct Marketing Fair and take...

RPM wins trio of drives for food brands.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Brand experience agency RPM has won contracts for three campaigns for McVities and Unilever Bestfoods. The agency is to develop events for McVities' Cake Bar and Mini Cheddars brands, worth pounds 500,000. The Cake Bars sampling promotion...

Ross goes from EVA and Stoneleigh Park.(Bill Ross has left Stoneleigh Park and will resign as chairman of the Exhibition Venues Association)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Bill Ross has left Stoneleigh Park and will resign as chairman of the Exhibition Venues Association (EVA) at a meeting on 8 April. A new EVA chairman will be elected at the meeting. It's widely expected to be deputy chairman and Scottish...

Olympia to host Event Expo.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Exhibitors have welcomed the news that Inside Events has bowed to pressure and moved Event Expo from London Arena to Olympia. Inside Events business manager Clair Whitecross said: 'Our contract with London Arena expired and we have listened...

Clarion stages lifestyle show with Full Moon.(Clarion Events and Full Moon Communications to launch sustainable lifestyle show Living)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Clarion Events has teamed up with Full Moon Communications to launch sustainable lifestyle show Living. The consumer event will showcase products such as furniture made from wood taken from a sustainable rainforest, and clothes bought from...

Excel enjoys record visits at March fairs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 18, 2002... Excel achieved a record attendance during the first weekend of March when 21,000 visitors filled its halls on one day. The Holiday & Travel Show (London), The Evening Standard Homebuyer Show, and the London International Dive Show were...

BECA to support approval fee scheme despite misgivings.(British Exhibition Contractors Association)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The British Exhibition Contractors Association (BECA) has reached an agreement with Centre Exhibitions over its system of recommendation for ITMA 2003 (Event, March). BECA has agreed to support the scheme despite its view that introducing...

Montgomery in naming rights hitch.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Montgomery Exhibitions has taken over building exhibition Construct and is lobbying Emap to allow it to rebrand the show at King's Hall in Belfast as Interbuild. The Interbuild name is a joint venture between Montgomery and Emap, which...

Melville acts to boost shell scheme stock.(Melville Exhibition Services)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Melville Exhibition Services has bought more than 4,000 metres of new shell scheme brand Sodem. The acquisition reinforces Melville's position as the UK's largest owner of shell scheme and follows a series of investments in technology (New...

Incentive show on the move.(Incentive World )(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Promotions and incentives show Incentive World will move to Earls Court 1 next year and take place from 29 April-1 May. Organiser Reed Exhibitions estimates that more than 6,000 buyers visited this year's show at the end of February in...

ID tours Tesco stores in Dove sampling drive.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Field marketing agency ID was behind a UK sampling campaign for Dove's range of women's haircare products last month. The two-month activity took place in 200 Tesco stores as well as at the retailer's head office. 'Dove is already...

CEA forced to pull plug on March forum.(Corporate Events Association)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The Corporate Events Association (CEA) has postponed its planned forum 'Adapt to survive - the changing face of events'. The event should have taken place on 18 March, but was cancelled after key speakers pulled out citing work commitments....

Qudos builds Hitachi stand for Cebit fair.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Qudos designed the stand for global electronics firm Hitachi at international IT show Cebit last month. The Hitachi Experience featured 'inspiration zones' to show how the brand influences people's lives. The stand had three levels,...

Telecom show hunts complex contractors.(The International Telecommunication Union)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will call upon UK contractors to pitch for the construction of Telecom Village at ITU Telecom World 2003 later this year. The global telecoms event will be staged at Palexpo, Geneva from...

Two join forces to push Vario modular units.(Service Graphics, Octanorm UK)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Service Graphics has joined forces with Octanorm UK to market the latter's Vario modular display system. The graphics firm had looked at a number of display systems with a view to setting up deals with suppliers. Service graphics director...

Marine body heads off on UK roadshow.(British Marine Federation)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The British Marine Federation (BMF) has launched its personal watercraft roadshow. The first leg of the tour took place in Newquay, Cornwall last month. The event, now in its fifth year, is run with the Royal Yachting Association. ...

Design firm in copyright row.(Priority Design, Profile 22)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Stand design agency Priority Design is locked in a copyright row with window frame manufacturer Profile 22. Priority was commissioned to design a stand for Profile to be used at an NEC show through a third party. The third party went out of...

Budweiser set to bring back house parties.(Cake to produce events)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Budweiser's Bud House Parties are returning to the UK. Four events will take place during April and May at venues in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Bud House's kitsch set comprises a lounge, two bedrooms, kitchen and...

Project alerts shows to problem of waste.(waste management workshop for exhibition industry)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The exhibition industry produces more than 60,000 tonnes of waste each year that includes brochures, show literature and 2.5m sq m of carpet, according to the initial findings of a report revealed last month. The survey was the focus of a...

King's Hall to host Xmas fair.(dd2a to produce The Christmas Experience)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... King's Hall is to host The Christmas Experience show. The family event will be produced by Northern Ireland event organiser dd2a. The venue in the Northern Ireland capital Belfast will be transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with...

Start-up firm Ignite looks to run events.(Ignite Event Management)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Ignite Event Management launched last month. The company will focus on corporate entertainment, team-building activities and incentive schemes. It also has its own in-house production team. 'Our aim is to offer event management with a...

RED IN THE HOUSE.(Coors Brewers promotion)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... DJ Erick Morillo helped launch the Red Tour at the end of last month. The 16-date tour to promote Coors Brewers' high-energy drink Red will visit UK music venues where DJs will entertain club-goers with a mix of house, techno and balearic dance...

NEWS IN BRIEF: The Scottish Outdoor Show attracted more visitors.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 18, 2002... The Scottish Outdoor Show, which was held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) (pictured) in February, attracted almost 37,000 visitors compared with 33,000 last year. The show also saw an increase in exhibitor numbers from...

NEWS IN BRIEF: The Craftmakers Materials Show to be held in April.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The Craftmakers Materials Show will be held at The Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate from 12-14 April. Highlights this year include workshops by landscape artist Keith Fenwick and talks by Popular Crafts editor Debbie Moss to advise...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Corporate hospitality business Keith Prowse has been sold.(management buy-out)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Wembley's corporate hospitality business Keith Prowse has been sold for pounds 5.55m in a management buy-out. The sale follows Wembley's decision to focus on its core events division. The money raised from the sale will be invested in the...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Elegant Days Enterprises has been appointed.(Colonial Club at Farnborough International Air Show )(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Elegant Days Enterprises has been appointed to coordinate and promote corporate hospitality in the exclusive Colonial Club at Farnborough International Air Show (pictured). The club offers superb views of flying and static displays and demand...

NEWS IN BRIEF: House & Garden Fair to be held at Olympia in June.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The Daily Telegraph House & Garden Fair will be held from 27-30 June at Olympia. The Clarion Events show will feature International Designer Rooms by top designers such as Neville Tricket and Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Hasla. Other new...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Waypoint sold 75% of exhibition space for Show.(National Venue Show)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Organiser Waypoint has already sold 75% of exhibition space for the National Venue Show, which takes place in September. Confirmed exhibitors include venues, hotels and suppliers. Last year's inaugural show at the NEC attracted more than 4,000...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Octagon Motorsports offering new event facility.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
April 18, 2002... Octagon Motorsports is offering a new event facility for business clients at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park. The unique structure (pictured) can be used for conferences, exhibitions or corporate parties and can hold more than 2,500 people. The...

NEWS IN BRIEF: International trade fair Arena to be held China.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... International trade fair for the planning, construction, operation and furnishing of sports venues, Arena, will be held for the first time at the Beijing Exhibition Centre from 13-15 November. The show is being organised by Messe Frankfurt Hong...

NEWS IN BRIEF: EuroShop attracted 92,000 visitors in Dusseldorf.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Global retail trade fair EuroShop attracted 92,000 visitors over the five-day event in Dusseldorf in February. The 44 British manufacturers that formed The British Group at the German show expect to receive orders worth tens of millions of...

Expomedia eyes London site as part of European roll-out.(European Expocentre venues planned)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Expomedia is targeting London as part of its roll-out of medium-sized Expocentre venues across Europe. The company has already finalised sites for six centres in Europe and Expomedia chairman Roger Shashoua believes land in the capital is...

De Boer replaces head of UK division.(De Boer Structures appoints Jan Jaap Majoewsky)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... De Boer Structures has appointed a managing director to head its UK operation following the sudden departure of Jan Willem Croon. Jan Jaap Majoewsky joined De Boer last month from IT company Exe Technology Benelux where he was managing...

Logistics body plans forum in Las Vegas.
April 18, 2002... The International Exhibition Logistics Association (IELA) will discuss how to protect members from client companies going into receivership at its annual congress and General Assembly. The meeting is due to take place at the Four Seasons...

SBPC runs Caterpillar show.(Show Business Production Company)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The Show Business Production Company (SBPC) completed a series of product launch events last month that it had produced for construction firm Caterpillar. Every Sunday for three months, 12 machines were revealed to groups of up to 200...

Barbican acts to strengthen business offer.(hospitality consultancy Langston Scott to advise)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The Barbican has teamed up with corporate hospitality consultancy Langston Scott as part of the London venue's efforts to expand its offering to the corporate event market. Barbican head of corporate sales Gary England said: 'The range of...

UBM show arms turn in good performance.(United Business Media PLC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 18, 2002... United Business Media's (UBM) exhibition divisions have performed well despite the group overall diving pounds 568m into the red. According to the company's preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2001, CMP Asia had a strong...

Centre Exhibitions wins food fair deal.(Bakery Exhibitors Ltd.'s Food & Bake in 2004 and 2006 contracts)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Centre Exhibitions has been awarded the contract to manage biennial bakery and fast food exhibition Food & Bake in 2004 and 2006. The show is owned by Bakery Exhibitors Limited (BEL) and held at the NEC. It attracts about 300 exhibitors and...

Morris makes call for single industry body.(Andrew Morris, chief executive at Earls Court & Olympia Group)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Earls Court & Olympia (ECO) Group chief executive Andrew Morris has called on the exhibition industry to unite behind one trade association. Morris wants to see the Association of Exhibition Organisers absorb the Exhibition Venues...

Appointment at Paradigm.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Paul Wood has joined design agency Paradigm as general manager. As well as running the company's operations Wood will also manage the investment programme in Paradigm's manufacturing business.

Appointment at Alexandra Palace.(Jeremy Hopkins appointed catering manager)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Jeremy Hopkins has become catering manager at Alexandra Palace. He has experience in corporate hospitality having previously been conference & banqueting manager at the Grosvenor House.

Appointment at Jack Morton Worldwide.(Rebecca Gillett appointed marketing manager)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Rebecca Gillett has been appointed marketing manager at Jack Morton Worldwide. She was formerly marketing manager at Corporate Edge and took up her new position last month.

Pair team up for adrenalin events outfit.(Extreme Sports Channel and Sports Vision create new sports marketing company)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Event marketing and sports sponsorship outfit Sports Vision has teamed up with the Extreme Sports Channel (ESC) to create sports marketing firm EX Events. The new company offers event programming, brand consultancy and exposure on the...

Jack Morton creates VW dealer experience.(Volkswagen Europe marketing campaign for the Phaeton)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Jack Morton Worldwide is to create a brand experience for Volkswagen's (VW) European dealers to introduce them to the car manufacturer's Phaeton model. The two-day experience will take place in Dresden during April and May. Each of...

Haymarket in talks with IPC over licensing.(Haymarket Exhibitions, IPC Media)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... IPC Media is in talks with Haymarket Exhibitions over the possibility of licensing its brands to the organiser for future events. IPC is also continuing talks with Clarion Events about further event collaborations following its decision to...

IN MY VIEW: Think laterally about a new landscape for live events.(marketing techniques)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
April 18, 2002... You may have read in one of this magazine's sister publications, a short article by Nigel Bogle recommending what action a certain well-respected advertising agency should take during difficult times. His recipe for success could be distilled...

Belgian organiser in venue takeover deal.(Artexis Group acquires Bouwcentrum trade show business)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Belgian organiser Artexis Group has bought Antwerp venue Bouwcentrum. Artexis will now run the events previously organised by the venue's former owner Bouwen & Wonen. These include construction show Bouw & Prefab and decoration exhibition...

Share issue at Expomedia.(Expomedia Group issues shares to fund acquisition of remaining shares in Warsaw International Exhibition Centre)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 18, 2002... Expomedia Group has launched a share issue to fund its purchase of the remaining one-third stake in Warsaw International Exhibition Centre (WIEC) that it does not already own (Event, February). Just over three million new ordinary shares...

ALL MOD CONS.
April 18, 2002... This typically English medieval village, complete with a 16-metre high tower and four show homes, was the main feature at The Daily Mail Ideal Home Show at Earls Court from 7 March-1 April. The tower's traditional exterior belied the fact that...

AV outfit wins contractor job at home show.(Creative Technology wins BBC Good Homes Show audiovisual equipment supply contract)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Audiovisual equipment supplier Creative Technology (CT) has been appointed the official contractor for the BBC Good Homes Show, which runs from 2-6 May at the NEC. The show comprises more than 300 stands. CT organisers account manager Beth...

Melville sets up online pre-show aid manual.(Melville Exhibition Services)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Melville Exhibition Services has launched an online manual for organisers looking to help exhibitors with their pre-show arrangements. The addition to the company website at www.melville.co.uk, works alongside Melville's online ordering and...

Fair quartet join Expo24-7.(Expo24-7.com signs more shows to Expo Online Express)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Expo24-7.com has signed up four more shows to its Expo Online Express product (Marketing Event, June). Organisers of The Property Business Show, Meeting Premiera, Venuemasters Show and The e-Safety Show will be able to offer exhibitors a...

Two team up on computer games event.(Future Publishing and Haymarket Exhibitions)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Haymarket Exhibitions has teamed up with Future Publishing to launch a consumer gaming event. The Games Matrix exhibition will be integrated into Stuff Live 2002, which is due to take place at Earls Court from 3-6 October. It will be...

VENUEDIRECTORY.COM.(online service information)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The online venue search system has adopted a unique fair price structure for hotels based upon the number of rooms, together with their total meeting capacity. Different rates have been set for non-residential venues. Photographs, location maps...

NEWS IN BRIEF: The NEC Group website voted the best.(Dynamic Data survey result)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The NEC Group website, www.necgroup.co.uk has been voted the best venue website in an independent survey. The Dynamic Data services report looked at UK theatres and entertainment venue websites outside London. They were judged on criteria...

NEWS IN BRIEF: The BIC website has been revamped.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The Bournemouth International Centre website at www.bic.co.uk has been revamped. A virtual tour facility has been added and the BIC's event team are able to email clients with a virtual tour of the relevant areas of either the venue or the...

NEWS IN BRIEF: The Barbican Centre upgrades its facilities.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The Barbican Centre has upgraded its events and conferences facilities. State-of-the-art remote-controlled digital cameras, linked to an in-house broadcast recording studio have been installed throughout the building in central London. The...

NEWS IN BRIEF: A German translation of events website has been launched.(www.exhibitions.com )(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... A German translation of www.exhibitions.com has been launched. The events directory now contains listings of 17,000 exhibitions in three languages - English, French and German. The site lists exhibitions supported by related services including...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Fujitsu Siemens Computers has chosen Acclaim.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Fujitsu Siemens Computers has chosen agency Acclaim to manage its live event programme. A member of the agency's staff is on permanent secondment to the computer company and has responsibility for budgetary control and three events a year in...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Rea-TMA Marketing Group has developed an online tool.(that can product up to 40 seconds of email commercials)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Rea-TMA Marketing Group has developed an online tool that can produce up to 40 seconds of email commercials for client marketing strategies. The e-marketing system available at www.salesgenerator.co.uk can use existing design graphics and an...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Venuemasters has launched a website.(www.venuemasters.co.uk/exhibition)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Academic venue association Venuemasters has launched a website for its 2002 Venuemasters exhibition at The Business Design Centre on 8 May. The site, www.venuemasters.co.uk/exhibition, contains details of all 66 university and college venues...

ANALYSIS: Industry divided over approval fees - Should contractors have to pay commission to organisers if they get work from a recommendation? Emma Reynolds reports.(Centre Exhibitions charges contractors commission from ITMA 2003)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The news that Centre Exhibitions is charging contractors commission for work gained at ITMA 2003 as a result of its recommendation (Event, March) has raised a few eyebrows. British Exhibition Contractors Association (BECA) director Lynn...

Every issue we answer a problem from the show floor. This month - last-minute hiccups.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Q: 'Organising our stand is a reasonably complex business and there can be last-minute changes when we're on site. In almost every case, there's little or no provision for those needs or help on offer to meet them - or there's so much red tape...

LIVE ISSUE: TRAINING - Being trained by the AEO. The AEO is running 50 training courses this year. Mike Fletcher gives a fly-on-the-wall account of the first, on telesales.
April 18, 2002... Think of a number between one and ten. You can stick with that number or change it to another as long as it's between one and ten. Now multiply the number by nine and add the two digits of the result together. Take away five from that number....

PROFILE: Jamie Buchan is the new chief executive at Excel and comes from a background in marketing. He tells Mike Fletcher why improving the visitor experience lies at the heart of his plans to turn the Docklands venue into one of Europe's leading facilities.(Brief Article)(Interview)
April 18, 2002... Excel's new chief executive Jamie Buchan is in a good mood. It's a Monday morning and on the previous weekend about 40,000 people had flocked to the venue in London's Docklands to attend one of three shows. On Sunday, a record 21,000 people...

SHOWCASE: BBC Showcase 2002 - A record crowd gathered in Brighton for the 21st annual event to sell BBC shows to overseas buyers Anna Clarke reports.(Wild Lemon produces event)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... The BBC is the only UK broadcaster to stage an annual sales forum for overseas programme buyers, which it does through its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide. This year's BBC Showcase, which ran from 24-27 February, was the biggest in the event's...

SECTOR GUIDE: ASIA PACIFIC VENUES - Treasures of the East. Venues in the Asia Pacific region have had a rough ride in recent times but they are bouncing back, says Stephanie Roberts.
April 18, 2002... These are tough times for the Asia Pacific exhibition industry. Just as the region was recovering from the financial crisis of 1997 it had to endure an economic backlash following 11 September. The industry is, however, proving resilient....

UK VENUES: When venues exhibit - Venues are increasingly taking space at exhibitions in the battle to win business. Emma Reynolds looks at their strategies.
April 18, 2002... As the UK event industry grows, venues are pitted against one another in the battle for business. As a result, venue managers are using exhibitions to promote their facilities direct to the industry that helps keep them in business. The...

CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT: Dos and don'ts of entertaining - Staging the perfect corporate party is no pipe dream. Follow these simple rules and you won't go wrong.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... 1. Do find out who the audience is going to be at an event 'Any memorable event has to have the right combination of venue, format, environment, aim and appropriate entertainment,' says Events a la carte managing director Shirley Ruetimann....

MODULAR STANDS: Modular on trial - Do modular units come a poor second to their custom-built cousins? Sharon Greaves asks industry experts to defend the charges most often levelled at modular.
April 18, 2002... World events and economic trends have prompted a general tightening of belts in the second half of 2001, but this could be one reason why the modular market has remained strong. Suppliers say that clients with increasingly tight budgets are...

MOBILE UNITS: Total trailers - Mobile unit suppliers are broadening their services as the battle for business hots up. Emma Reynolds reports.(roadshow units)
April 18, 2002... As the British weather heats up, so too does competition in the mobile unit market. As a result suppliers are broadening their offer so they can provide more than just a trailer. In addition to storage, maintenance and delivery, mobile unit...

STAFFING: Building teams of knowledge - When it comes to stand staff, clients want more than just a pretty face, they want people who know about their brands. Philip Chadwick reports.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2002... Stand staff can be an important asset for a brand. Rather than simply perch by a product and look good, they can explain services and answer queries from visitors. Exhibitors should train stand staff on the rigours of a show, but product...

DIARY: Postcard pin-ups ..
April 18, 2002... Diary was one of the first recipients of Propshop's cards, which are being sent out to clients each month with a different member of staff on each. The company provides design and production services, among others, for exhibitions and live...

DIARY: TRADE SECRETS.
April 18, 2002... The juiciest gossip from around the events and exhibitions industry that some people would rather you didn't know... 1. Which press officer from a major exhibition organiser drove her car into a river and made the front page of the local...

DIARY: Fanfare for the common spam ..
April 18, 2002... Not a week goes by without an awareness campaign for something or other going on and last month was the turn of that culinary favourite in the North, spam. National Spam Week featured themed 'Spam Glam Nights', which took place at...

DIARY: A healthy business ..
April 18, 2002... Our industry has some hardy souls. Take Irvin Leisure managing director George Irvin. He hobbled around Event Expo, RSVP and Confex this year with a broken leg he sustained while on a skiing holiday. His firm supplies lighting and entertainment...

DIARY: Brake for the Italian border ..
April 18, 2002... This October sees car enthusiasts travelling to Italy's Emilia Romagna region to take part in a driving event for charity. The Italian Job will raise money for the National Children's Hospice and has already attracted more than 80 teams....

DIARY: Entering the political arena ..
April 18, 2002... Last year's general election saw a resounding victory for the apathy party and with rows over spin doctors, a crumbling health service and most of the nation still wondering what the point of Iain Duncan Smith is, you'd think no-one would touch...

DIARY: HITTING THE G SPOT.
April 18, 2002... The Ali G joke may be wearing a little thin for some, but he still enjoyed strong support at this year's Brit Awards at Earls Court in February. He made a dramatic entrance on to the stage by flying in on a huge gold bed and went on to perform...