Creative England, PMA And GLM Team-up For BVE Event

Creative England, the Production Managers’ Association (PMA) and the Guild of Location Managers (GLM) are set to bring ‘The Event’ to the BVE expo in Manchester next month.
The Event will be hosted by accountancy firm, Brooksons, on Tuesday, 13 November and is an opportunity for the industry professionals attending BVE North to find out about all four organisations, how they work and the services they offer.
Creative England’s Location and Production Services team has held a series of similar crew and facilities networking sessions up and down the country as part of the organisation’s remit to help develop the film, television and digital media industries in the English regions.
The Event in November will be the second time Creative England has come to Manchester for a networking event, but will be a first for the organisation in terms of the collaboration with partners PMA and GLM. It is hoped The Event will offer members of all three organisations much needed opportunities for collaboration and networking at all levels.
BVE North, the annual exhibition for production, post and content delivery professionals, is expected to be attended by 90 exhibitors and 3,000 industry professionals.
Creative England is rolling out a series of networking events as part of its remit to ensure the continuity of a vibrant film and moving image culture outside London. The organisation, which celebrated its first anniversary earlier this month, is responsible for supporting the regional film and television industries outside London and their convergence with the digital media sector. It recently launched two new databases for all English crew and locations outside London to help bolster the one-stop-shop service it offers to production companies, thus helping to boost inward investment in the English regions.
Both the PMA and the GLM also hold networking events throughout the year in various locations for their members. The PMA is in its 21st year and counts some of the most experienced Production Managers, Line Producers and Heads of Production amongst its members. Collectively the membership has over 4,200 years of Production Management experience.
Location Managers provide a crucial and unique link between productions and their crews, and with members of the public, location owners and the licensing authorities. It is the Location Manager who sources and organises location filming and deals with the local land owners, the Councils and the Police. The Guild of Location Managers lists members from all areas of production from micro-budget films through major television drama, stills and commercials to major blockbuster feature films.
The Event at BVE North will be hosted by Brookson, who offer specialist accountancy services for media and creative freelancers.
Kaye Elliott, Creative England’s Head of Location and Production Services, said: "The popularity of these events lies in all the different ways they can help people get on and develop their careers. Not only do they offer cross-sector opportunities, they’re also useful for anyone who wants to get noticed and get work.
"Everyone from a production company that’s crewing up to a freelancer who’s looking to find out what’s going on in the industry can come along and network. And of course, they’re also a chance for people to come and find out more. about Creative England and the opportunities we’ve got available."
Caroline Fleming from the Production Managers’ Association, said: "In the long run, short cuts cost money, so employing experienced Production Managers to crew up and handle the budget, makes sense. The PMA enables its members to tap into the wealth of experience of the other members and to be at the cutting edge of industry changes be they technical, legal or editorial. The association additionally offers training, professional development/ employment opportunities as well as social and networking events."
Richard Godfrey, Vice Chair of the Guild of Location Managers, said: "Location Managers need to have access to a wide range of contacts and personnel in order that they can do their job. With filming on location increasing and budgets and prep time under pressure, it is the fast access to the right person in the Local Authority, Organisation, private property or estate which can make the difference between a successful and a difficult shoot. Creative England’s new Crew and Location databases are immensely useful in tracking down up-to-date contacts and available crew."
The Event, hosted by Creative England, PMA and GLM takes place at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on Tuesday, November 13 from 6pm-9pm.
To sign up go to: http://theeventmanchester.eventbrite.co.uk
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