We had a chat with Geoff Crow, Company Director of the brand new and exciting outdoor sound, lighting and effects extravaganza event - Wondrous Woods. Read on to find out what you can expect to see while you wind your way through the beautifully lit woodlands of Hopetoun House from October...
This is the first event of its kind happening at Hopetoun house, what can people expect when they come to Wondrous Woods?
Visitors can expect an exciting outdoor sound, lighting and effects extravaganza taking place over a 2km route of beautiful woodland trails winding through the Hopetoun House Estate.
What made you decide to host this event in Hopetoun House's grounds?
We’ve worked with the Hopetoun team for many years – we deliver a full range of events from the highly successful Hopetoun Fireworks and Bonfire night, to large scale corporate events both within the House and the grounds. When we initially starting exploring the concept for Wondrous Woods, we discovered the woodland grounds at the rear of Hopetoun are utterly breathtaking and when we carried out the first site visit, we couldn’t believe what we were seeing! That was the decider on location; the Hopetoun trails offer us a spectacular environment to bring to life. Added to that, the sheer ground space at Hopetoun allows us to bring this trail to life with all the social distancing requirements. So, the space, and the uniqueness of the woodland together mean this really is a lighting trail like no other.
How did the idea for Wondrous Woods come about?
When we first came up with concept for Wondrous Woods, we wanted to create an engaging, family-friendly lighting trail that, most importantly, provided a safe environment. 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone and we really felt that there was an appetite for things to do that allowed people to remain socially distant, whilst providing an opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Wondrous Woods will allow people to experience an iconic visitor attraction like Hopetoun House in a way that they have never experienced it before.
Visitors will be able to discover the secret trails of the 300-year-old woods, can you let us in on what other surprises are in store?
Visitors can expect incredible lighting, breath-taking effects and amazing art installations that encapsulate the mystical nature of the site. This truly is going to be an experience like no other! We have had so much fun and enjoyment pulling the concepts and designs together; keeping the visitor experience at the forefront of our minds at all times.
Personally, what part of the event are you looking forward to the most?
That is a difficult questions to answer – I am looking forward to it all! When an event goes live, and your first guest arrives; that is a really special moment. For me personally, on the site, I would say our Tree of Souls is going to be a very special aspect of this trail. I don’t want to give too much away!
Tell us about Woody…
Woody has lived all alone in the Wondrous Woods for over 300 years and has finally decided to open his wings and invite people in. Woody might have a few surprises of his own throughout the evening for everyone… He has become something of an icon within our team!
How long does an event of this kind take to organise behind the scenes, and what is involved in the process?
Wondrous Woods is a concept that has been in the works for a few years but with everything going on at the moment we felt now was the perfect time to deliver an experience that appeals to all, whilst offering a safe environment for the public. We’ve been in planning since early summer, and are now moving towards the final operation planning stages before we start to move onto site. It takes a full team to put together something like this, and it has been a great team effort across the creative aspects too.
We are fortunate enough to have many strands to our business including our Event Management team who look at the day-to-day operations and logistics, and our Technical Production Team, who focus on the lighting and installations. This really has been a mass team effort to bring this trail to life. We are so looking forward to opening the gates and seeing everyone's faces are they wander through this most amazing Estate and lighting trail for the very first time.
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