Among the best-known holiday destinations in the UK, Butlin’s offers action packed family breaks and adult only Big Weekenders, as well as hosting conferences and other events. To bring the necessary technical support required, Butlin’s has partnered with technical production and A/V hire company, Sound of Music, to deploy Sennheiser Digital 6000 wireless microphone systems across all three of its resorts.
In addition to offering high audio quality, the rider-friendly Digital 6000 offers the flexibility and versatility for events of various sizes – from a large conference or an intimate gathering.
Butlin’s Technical Entertainments Manager Andrew Sugg was introduced to the Digital 6000 just before the Covid-19 pandemic when the Butlin’s team were experiencing interference issues. Sennheiser UK Business Development Manager Kevin Gwyther-Brown visited the Butlin’s resort in Minehead, Somerset, to give a demonstration of the system’s flexibility in terms of RF, and received positive feedback from the internal teams operating the equipment in the Centre Stage venue. With Studio 36, a new entertainment venue, opening at all three resorts this convinced Sugg to go with Sennheiser.
‘Each resort has four entertainment venues, so our aim was to standardise the audio equipment across our three sites,’ he explains. ‘We wanted a system that gives us scope to grow and is versatile, and Digital 6000 does exactly that. With Digital 6000, we have consistency in all the entertainment venues across our resorts. With the high calibre of performances we put on during our family and Big Weekender breaks, we’ve invested in the future by using a professional grade system that is well known in the industry.’
The Digital 6000 systems also resolved the issue of wireless interference: ‘We’ve received positive feedback from the team, and the systems have been highly reliable,’ Sugg reports.
The Butlin’s resorts in Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness have also been equipped with an extensive range of Sennheiser products. These include EM 6000 Dante Receivers, SKM 6000 Handheld Transmitters featuring MMD 935 and 965 capsules, SK 6000 and SK 6213 Bodypack Transmitters, along with HSP 4/3 Headworn Microphones, L 6000 Chargers and Charging Modules, and AD 3700 Antennas. Additionally, the Sound of Music team has supplied SR 2050 IEM Transmitters, EK 2000 IEM Receivers, AC 3200-II Antenna Combiners, and A 5000-CP Antennas to all three resorts.
Sugg notes that the investment has the additional benefit of alleviating concerns about accommodating visiting artists and bands. To ensure they can meet everyone’s needs during family breaks and Butlin’s Big Weekends, the team wanted to be as rider friendly as possible.
Ed Gamble of Sound of Music shares Sugg’s perspective: ‘Digital 6000 ensures a smooth transition for visiting artists and bands, reducing changeover times and eliminating the need for the artists’ technical teams to bring unnecessary audio equipment with them. The industry standard quality of Digital 6000 is widely recognised, which makes it easier for everyone involved,’ he says.
Gwyther-Brown worked with Gamble on the project: ‘I’ve spoken to people in the industry that have worked with Butlin’s, and the feedback I’m getting is that after seeing the quality of A/V equipment at the resorts, it has completely changed rental companies’ mindsets and their professional approach to Butlin’s.’
‘For those that don’t know the Butlin’s of today, there’s still a historic perception,’ Sugg agrees. ‘By working with some of the best names in the business we’re shifting that perception. From an industry perspective, we’re investing to ensure we put on the best shows for our guests, no matter what break they’re on. We’re market leading when it comes to the level of production and audio, video and lighting equipment we use in our venues. It’s something we’re very proud of.’
Praising the team at Butlin’s for their commitment, Gwyther-Brown adds that it provides great comfort both to the internal team and externally to partners, as they know that the equipment is of the highest quality and there is no compromise on any aspect.
With an impressive line-up of acts on the adults only Big Weekender breaks, including Peter Andre and Wet Wet Wet, this year’s roster of artists and events looks as impressive as ever. New for 2023 is the DJ Spoony Presents A House Full of Garage break and, following a successful launch last year, the multi-era Replay Weekender and Oktoberfest weekenders are back alongside popular ’90s Reloaded, Back To The 2000s, Absolute ’80s Weekender, We love Ibiza, and others taking place across the three resorts. ‘It doesn’t matter which act is in which resort, they can just turn up and play,’ says Gamble.
‘We can switch from family-friendly shows and adults only Big Weekenders with multiple live performances or a conference,’ Sugg adds. ‘Acts performing vary from leading family entertainment and the biggest names in the music industry, to large organisations hosting conferences or events at our resorts. With multiple shows throughout the day, we can run for up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, the duty cycle of the Digital 6000 was crucial for us.’
With Digital 6000 running smoothly and performing well, Sugg emphasises that, apart from the ongoing support they have been receiving from Sound of Music, it is also highly beneficial for the end-user to have a close relationship with the manufacturer. ‘It allows us to communicate our needs and concerns directly. I also believe it’s beneficial for the manufacturer to understand the end-user’s requirements. It’s very useful for both parties.’
‘The better we understand end-users, the better it is for us as a brand,’ says Gwyther-Brown. ‘We also have a strong loyalty to our dealer network at Sennheiser. By working with them, we can provide ongoing support to both them and the end-user. Whether that involves spending the day with a venue’s technical team discussing capsule options - which I did at the Minehead resort – or meeting for coffee to talk about future projects, issues, or support needed, it’s all about adding value to everyone involved in the project.’
Looking to the near future, Sugg is enthusiastic about recruiting new team members to maintain the equipment and support Butlin’s extensive events programme. ‘As a credible performance venue, we are keen to bring some fresh faces to our team who are interested in working with some of the industry’s best audiovisual solutions.’
One of Sugg’s key objectives includes continuing developing close relationship with Sennheiser by offering in-house training with the audio manufacturer’s team.
‘This will be incredibly valuable for our expanding team,’ he says. ‘Many of the team members we hire are starting their careers with Butlin’s, and it’s fantastic that we can provide them with top-of-the-line equipment. Understanding the equipment and the manufacturers behind them is crucial and by working at Butlin’s you’re exposed to the best the industry has to offer.’
Having won a dealer award with Sennheiser for their work on the on-going project at Butlin’s, Gwyther-Brown says that it is the efforts of Sound of Music’s team, as well as the close collaboration between all parties involved that has made this project a success.
‘When the end-user, the dealer, the installer and the manufacturer all work together, it leads to a much more efficient and productive workforce where everyone benefits. As a company, we feel privileged to have such great relationships with Sound of Music and Butlin’s, and hope this collaboration will continue for many years to come.’
