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Company History

2010

  • We start the year with the announcement of our major new Seating division and the appointment of Steve Shaw to our Board of directors.

2009

  • We celebrate the end of the year by confirming (on the last day of the year) our biggest ever one day event contract. Watch this space for details during 2010.
  • Our Rigging division installs a huge mother grid and computerised control (another ART of RiggingTM installation) in the new Wukesong Arena in Beijing. The first Western managed Arena in China, "proudly managed by AEG". The system can lift and hold over 50 tons of production at any height and without additional safeties.
  • Our staging contract for the V Festivals is renewed for 4 years by SJM Concerts and Metropolis Music.
  • Our VerTech stages are selected by Live Nation for their concerts at Donnington and Hyde Park and in conjunction with DF Concerts, for T-in-the-Park.
  • We celebrate the start of our new venue rigging contract at the Arena & Convention Centre Liverpool (ACCL)

2008

  • We provide all the stages for Radiohead's sell out UK tour
  • Star Events Group introduces the second generation 'Morbit' mobile stage (Mobile/Orbit hybrid) with enlarged floor area, trim height and rigging capacity.
  • Our Rigging division designs and installs the class leading house rigging system for the brand new Echo Arena at the Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre (ACCL). Featuring "Active Roof Technology" (The ART of RiggingTM), every connection to the roof is monitored by computer controlled networks that link load cells, position encoders and hoist power at every node point. No more guess-work or calculations.
  • We provide extensive structures and stages for several of the major events in Liverpool to celebrate the European City of Culture. This includes the opening ceremony, the Sir Paul McCartney concert at Anfield, the re-established Mathew Street Music Festival and the closing 'Transition' event.

2007

  • Star Events Group expands into China, offering our Star Orbit and Star Mobile stage ranges. First stage construction is a 15m Orbit for the Shanghai input to the Global Live Earth series.
  • Star Events Group installs the facilities to run all its trucks and vans on bio-diesel
  • Star Events Group expands into Spain and Portugal, offering our Star Orbit and Star Mobile stage ranges
  • By partnering with SRC, Star Events Group extends further our broad range of versatile Star Mobile stages

2006

  • Star Events Group celebrates 30 years in the business!
  • We take the Live8 message home and sponsor the development of "The Star Events Group School of English" in Guinea Bissau
  • For the 9th year running Star Events Group provides VerTech stages to Hyde Park for the summer music events
  • Star Events Group helps to Stop Climate Change by providing the stage for the Stop Climate Chaos event in Trafalgar Square

2005

  • Star VerTech is the stage of choice for Live8 in Hyde Park
  • Star Orbit stages are granted patents recognising their innovation

2004

  • Star Events Group acquires the Orbit Flexidome(r) product and launches the Star Orbit division
  • Star Events Group expands into Italy to provide our new product, Star Orbit
  • We build our biggest stage to date (that's bigger than Live8!) for the Red Hot Chili Peppers event in Hyde Park. (92m wide, 23m high, holding 47 tons of video screens and resisting more than 60 tons of horizontal wind pressure)

2003

  • Star Hire and Star Rigging merge to form Star Events Group

2002

  • Against fierce competition, Star Hire wins the prestigious contract to supply mobile stages with scenic and audio elements for the Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay, ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
  • BBC Radio One choose Star Hire stages for their One Big Weekend and One Big Sunday events

2001

  • We Celebrate South Africa by providing a stage on Trafalgar Square fit for Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair and REM
  • We start our house rigging contracts at Wembley Arena & Convention Centre and Manchester Evening News Arena.

2000

  • We close our sound rental department to focus on stages and rigging
  • Roger Barrett invited by Institution of Structural Engineers to chair the "Advisory Group On Temporary Structures" (AGOTS)

1999

  • Construction of the Stageline SAM 550 mobile stage, still the biggest single trailer mobile stage available anywhere (Canadian superstructure with UK weather walling and running gear)
  • Brought in a short notice to install two of the zones in 'The Dome' (Timekeepers' and 'Rest')

1998

  • First "Party in the Park" in Hyde Park
  • Star Rigging is formed

1997

1996

  • We celebrate our 20th anniversary.

1994

  • Roger Barrett gives the first event safety lecture at the Emergency Planning College, now part of the Cabinet Office, following the launch of 'The Pop Code'

1993

  • We design and supply the biggest ever touring ground support for the Italian artist Eros Ramazzotti, featuring the ground breaking technique of building most of the lights into the stage floor, aimed at dozens of moving mirrors above the band. Only a touring ground support could do this consistently and accurately enough

1992

  • We invent the SteelShield fencing product, now ubiquitous in the industry

1990

  • Launch of the VerTech system at the legendary Stone Roses concert on Spike Island in the River Mersey

1989

1988

  • First Star Mobile stage designed
  • Star Hire makes its first effort at raising safety standards in the industry by writing a technical safety guide for the National Outdoor Events Association
  • We move to our present Bedford, UK headquarters
  • Star Hire provides the sound system for the unique 'Children on the Frontline' concert in Harare, Zimbabwe.

1987

  • The first touring "picnic in the park" format arrives with the launch of the Bailey's Summer Music series. Star Hire moves the speakers off stage to allow ambient mic'ing in an industry first, enabling us to lead the outdoor classical concert market for the next decade

1984

  • Stage supplier to Capital Radio for their roadshows, now our longest single client relationship

1983

  • First Star Hire stage used at Notting Hill Carnival

1981

  • Star Hire manages sound on the main stage for the Grande Parade du Jazz in Nice, France (at the start of a 12 year association with the event) following a friendly referral from the Miles Davis tour

1980

  • Star Hire is the sound company for Miles Davis' European tour

1979

  • Star Hire is the main equipment and trucking supplier to the Rock Against Racism tour, visiting towns across the UK to counter the attempts of the National Front to fight the forthcoming general election
  • Star Hire starts a long association with the Notting Hill Carnival, providing PA for the first ever static stage, under the canopy at the Westway/Portobello Road junction.

1978

  • Star Hire is the touring sound company for acts that include Dennis Brown, Adam and the Ants, Jimmy Cliff, Paul Weller, Rico, Sham 69 and Aswad.

1977

  • First of 5 tours for the legendary New Zealand band Split Enz, requiring the building of our first proper amp rack, fitted with Studiomaster amps (Serial numbers 0001 and 0002) and the purchase of our first 7.5ton truck

1976

  • Formation of Studio and Theatre Audio Rigs as a touring sound company, immediately known as STAR Hire (Partners Maddy Sheals and Roger Barrett). Star Hire's first client Carol Grimes was closely followed by Hi Tension which led to a long association with several Island Records artistes