Exhibition News reports on Black Tech Fest 2024, one of the first exhibitions held at North London venue, Drumsheds, operated by charity, 9.8.
Venue Correspondent Kristyna O’Connell speaks with Ari Dayan, brand and marketing manager at Drumsheds, Daisy Mae Robb, head of sales and events at Drumsheds; and Ashley Ainsley, co-founder of Colour in Tech, to explore the unique partnership between the venue and the event and its impact on the exhibition landscape.
Drumsheds as an exhibition space
Housed in a converted industrial warehouse, Drumsheds is a hybrid, multi-level venue designed to host diverse events, including live music, brand launches, fashion shows, and now exhibitions. Working with some forward-thinking exhibition organisers, it has opened its doors to the exhibition community.
The venue’s history as a converted warehouse offers exhibition organisers a blank canvas to create bespoke setups, fostering immersive and unconventional experiences. Unlike standard venues with rigid rules, Drumsheds provides complete flexibility, enabling organisers and brands to create bespoke productions and create immersive, impactful experiences.
Black Tech Fest: Innovation meets culture
Black Tech Fest is Europe’s largest technology and culture festival celebrating innovation and inclusion in the UK tech industry and beyond. Connecting their principles to business success, consumer impact, and societal progress, the event brings together exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees for an engaging and vibrant experience. Reflecting the vision of Colour in Tech, Drumsheds’ own focus on innovation and inclusion, makes this partnership between venue and organiser unique.
Ashley Ainsley, the co-founder of Colour in Tech, established the not-profit organisation in 2018. Ainsley says, “Our mission is to help people from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds succeed in the tech industry, working through various programmes supported by major tech companies like Google and ServiceNow. We produce content including newsletters and social media updates, highlighting industry events, news, opportunities, and jobs. Additionally, we host events ranging from small gatherings of 50–100 people to large-scale events, like our flagship BTF event, which recently welcomed over 7,000 attendees at Drumsheds.”
The first edition of BTF was virtual due to the pandemic, but Ainsley says he and the team always envisioned creating a groundbreaking in-person experience. For the first two years, BTF was hosted at Magazine London in Greenwich, partnering with the team there to deliver a multi-day event. He explains, “We offered tailored experiences for early-career attendees, experienced professionals, and a virtual audience. The event featured a mix of career opportunities, keynote speakers, and tech activations, such as Tesla vehicles, driving rigs, and robot demonstrations.”
Naturally, as the event grew BTF outgrew Magazine London and moved to Drumsheds in North London. This venue, 10 times larger, provided the flexibility and scale that was needed to host 7,000 attendees in a single day. It also allowed BTF to introduce new elements like apprenticeships, a diverse supply chain, and a highly requested after-party, which wasn’t possible before.
Opportunities for success
The transition to a new much larger venue brought opportunities to enhance logistical and production aspects of the event. Elements such as wayfinding, stewarding and optimising public transport access needed thought and preparation to ensure the spaces were used effectively. Ainsley acknowledges, “The venue’s scale allowed us to expand offerings, attract new exhibitors, and accommodate significantly more attendees.”
He explains, “This year’s event saw our highest attendance yet. Our ambition is to grow to 10,000 attendees, increase exhibitors from 40 to 50, and elevate the overall experience with bold visuals and groundbreaking activations. Like any event moving to a new venue, there were learnings. For us we need to work on our entry system which we will refine for next year.”
The after-party, supported by Uber, was another major success. As London’s largest open-to-the-public Black History Month celebration, it brought together small businesses, major corporations, and individuals in a vibrant, inclusive atmosphere. Plans are already underway to enhance this feature for future events.
Building relationships between venue and organiser
On the mirroring persona of the venue and event, brand and marketing manager at Broadwick, Ari Dayan reflects on the synergy between Black Tech Fest and Drumsheds: “Their ethos of breaking barriers and fostering innovation perfectly mirrors ours. Drumsheds is about creating a space for everyone, whether for exhibitions, conferences, or ticketed shows. As organisers developing and innovating their event, Colour in Tech were great partners to work alongside to utilise the space and it will be great to see how it grows next year.”
On the relationship between venue and organiser, head of sales and events at Drumsheds, Daisymae Robb emphasises the importance of collaboration: “We’re not a traditional venue. Our focus is on building trust and helping clients bring their vision to life, especially when other venues might say, ‘no.’ At Drumsheds, we find ways to make it happen.”
While Ainsley concludes: “Drumsheds aligns perfectly with our ethos—it’s innovative, disruptive, and situated in the heart of our community.”
The future of exhibitions at Drumsheds
With Black Tech Fest paving the way for exhibitions at Drumsheds, the venue is positioning itself as a leading destination for forward-thinking events. Robb notes, “This event demonstrated our capability to support rapidly growing, pioneering brands. We aim to attract clients seeking an untapped venue in North London, offering accessibility, exclusivity, and the freedom to create immersive experiences.”
As Drumsheds continues to redefine the boundaries of what an exhibition space can be, it solidifies its reputation as a hub for creativity, innovation, and inclusion.
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
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