Futureama events company in Limerick

bigpink

Anyone know the story why/how this company seems to run all the city's events?

L.T.P.

As far as I know they organise:

Riverfest
Patrick's Day Parade

They also run "Limerick on Ice".

I wonder who awards them these contracts? Is it the council or maybe Limerick Communications Office? I wonder if there is a tendering process?

In fairness they do seem to do a good job...

totally read this as futurama coming to limerick lol

steveon

Deleted User wrote: »

totally read this as futurama coming to limerick lol

They also put up signs for the council.

zulutango

I don't think they do a particularly good job with Riverfest, to be honest.

The 'national power-boating championships' which is part of the festival seems to be a completely contrived event to justify the river theme. The Shannon River is used by many people in the city for many different types of leisure activities (rowing, fishing, kayaking etc) but power-boating certainly isn't one of them. To have these guys zipping around in circles for a few hours in front of Howley's Quay is a very questionable use of resources.

How much did they pay for a flotilla of yachts to sail upriver from Kilrush in recent years? It's been observed by no more than a handful of people every time, because the yachts have to turn around before Shannon Bridge and sail away again. But, even if they could sail right up into the city, is this the best way the budget could be spent??? Yachting has got pretty much nothing to do with Limerick City, and again, this 'event' is only there to justify the 'river' theme.

The food market that is held on Michael Street is very poorly run, and pretty tacky, in my opinion.

The weekend gets marketed extensively in late April every year and generally there's a lot of local enthusiasm for it, but that's not to say that it could be a whole lot better for the money that's paid to Futurama.

In recent years it's been piggy-backing on the Great Limerick Run too.

The new local authority should really look into whether they're getting a good festival from Futurama for the money that's being spent. I really don't think they are.

apc

http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Futureama-Productions-Limerick-Limited-393403

bazkennedy

Isn't this the same company that said Limerick needed a festival in september/october (ignorning existing festivals such as Elemental, Limerick Pride and Outbreak because they don't run them)

I'm rarely around for Riverfest so I can't comment but i think its a shame that the St Patrick's festival/springfest concept never really got off the ground

The Snipe

I dunno, I personally think Fran and the lads do a pretty good job. Considering, its not that easy to run an event of that scale (And trust me, I've been part of a group of volunteers that have tried, organising the first 4th of July bash) so credit where credit is due.

As for why he does em, I think hes one of very few companies in the area that do it, especially to this scale, plus they create loads of jobs around chirstmas and whatnot with the ice rink. Not to mention at least its teh city council supporting local and there is also probably a tender in there too for the contract. But if you think you can do better, make a company to do so. And give it a try, its not that easy.

And for those who don't know, he usually runs a few popup shops too, including the Halloween one that was near the Still House on Thomas St. where xtravision was.

Need to think of the positives guys

irishproduce

bazkennedy wrote: »

Isn't this the same company that said Limerick needed a festival in september/october (ignorning existing festivals such as Elemental, Limerick Pride and Outbreak because they don't run them)

I'm rarely around for Riverfest so I can't comment but i think its a shame that the St Patrick's festival/springfest concept never really got off the ground

I have to admiot that I never heard of any of those three festivals ( I read about outbreak a few years ago here but I thought it was some friends having a gathering)

I have however heard of the Limerick run and riverfest so I suppose utureama are doing an ok job.
Maybe if they were running the three you mentioned, that they would be more successful?

godfrey

Futureama's input to the cultural life of Limerick is pathetic. They pick the low-hanging fruit for sure, like rugby events, and as for Riverfest; wasn't that started by another entity, who had their funding dropped, only for it to be then reinvented by whoever? I have it from official sources that their provision of family-orientated events is a bone of contention with the council too, which I think is clearly lacking. And yes, I'm being cagey here, as I'm occasionally involved in certain aspects of production in the area (not related to street events).

Speaking of production, the majority of events employ a completely disfunctional and inadequate 'production company' who would be better suited to a Fr Ted type garden fete than city funded events, using bettered and faulty equipment, amateur crews and making zero effort for, no doubt, a handsome fee. No surprise then that Futureama and this company are cosy bed fellows for years. 2013 is, as far as I'm aware, the only time that any alternative company was used for a very small number of the Futureama stages, bring with it quite a substantial increase in standards. And no, I am not involved in either of those companies.

It's high time someone went after this work, but it's such a political appointment, that I doubt any regular hard-working businesses would have the stomach for the croneyism or messing that would be involved. Not me anyway!

g

zulutango

I certainly think their relationship with the council should be looked into. How much are they being paid, is their work being professionally assessed and audited, etc?

sioda

Have to agree with Snipe here I think that Fran and the lads do a great job with what they are given.

There are no events managements companys in Limerick with the background and the successes that Futureama have had.

@Zulutango to operate any event management you have to be professionally assessed and audited and fully insured. Again do you have another company who could do these events??

johnmolloy554

sioda wrote: »

There are no events managements companys in Limerick with the background and the successes that Futureama have had.

Define the successes that Futureama have had in Limerick? All I can see is that they organise BBQs for Riverfest and crowd control barriers for Paddys day.

It's the Communications Office that organises both of the above festivals. And before anyone points its out, Riverfest itself is just the BBQ. It piggybacks everything else around it like a concert in UL, the Great Limerick Run etc.

bigpink

They only seem to have gotten a proper website the last year or so,the one before it was awful
They seem too in with the Limerick council alright
The Santa Cabin and Limerick on Ice who profits from it?Because there was full page advertising in the local papers from the council for these events

sioda

Successes are the Ice Rink personally I dont care who is getting the cash once the council only get a facilitiy fee

The big screen in O Connell Street for the Heineken Cup final was done by them.

They were involved in the corporate games and a number of other events run in conjunction with Shannon Development.

Im not getting the hatred good god a company in Limerick making a go of what business they can and provide facilities to the people of the city.

I dont mean to be condacending to anyone but unless you have organised a major event you have no idea the amount of background work that has to go on even for something as simple as the placing of the crowd barriers.

Buckeye

Futureama do a good job with the events they run, but they don't do enough to represent Limerick well in a modern way. Their name is "Futureama", but their web presence, communications, and business practices are stuck in the past. When people from around Ireland and the UK search online for a Limerick event, the presentation should be spotless, and the tools should be cutting edge. With all of the IT and business resources in Limerick, there is no excuse for anything less.

Just as an example, they have one email address, and it is @eircom, instead of @futureama, and their Futureama Productions website has not only not been updated since Limerick On Ice 2012, but some sections of the website still have the template filler verbiage displayed ("I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me...").

Here in Limerick, we all know Fran & team do a very good job with the events they run, but anyone from outside, who is considering Limerick for an event, would take one look at that website and choose Cork instead.

bigpink

Were they involved in the NYE stuff?Saw Cuckoo Events tweeting alot about it and on Facebook

ronanc15

They do a great job on their events and pop-up shops. That's what a strong reputation gets you - more business.

Not to mention Fran, the owner is a particularly charitable chap - has donated a number of very costly defibrilators to various organisations and charities in the city.

iguana

So they don't actually organise the Paddy's day parade, just put the barriers up? Because the Limerick Paddy's day parade is an absolute turd of an event.

The Snipe

They do the running orders etc. Really? Why?

sioda

Paddies day being crap lies solely at the feet of the council who dictated years ago that the parade needed to be decommercialised so went for single sponsors rather than multiple float entries from businesses.