We made the programme for the Overlord Show. Around 300 military vehicles, 30 re-enactment groups and 100 trade stands, every one of them listed properly, on the gate before it opened.
So we know what happens when the arena running order changes twice in the final fortnight. We know why societies need listing by period and regiment. Get that wrong and the people who care most about your event are the first to notice.
What you get
- Full design from your copy, photographs and timetable, or we work from last year's edition
- Society, trader and vehicle listings checked against your entry lists
- Advertising sold on your behalf if you want it (see below)
- Print on commercial offset presses, saddle stitched or perfect bound
- Delivered to your site or your home address, at least five working days before the event
How many pages do you need?
| Pages | Suits | Typically holds |
|---|---|---|
| 16pp | Single day events, one arena | Welcome, map, timetable, 15 to 20 society listings, 8 adverts |
| 24pp | Two day events | The above plus trader listings and a feature article |
| 32pp | Large multi period shows | Multiple arenas, 40 or more societies, vehicle listings, 20 adverts |
| 48pp and over | Flagship national shows | Full editorial, sponsor features, historical articles |
Programmes that pay for themselves
Most organisers treat the programme as a cost. It does not have to be.
Under our publishing partnership we design it, sell the advertising, print it and deliver it. You pay nothing, or a reduced fixed contribution. Your committee gets a better programme than the budget would normally allow.
We can do this because we publish Dispatches Magazine. We have the ad sales side of things, and more usefully we already have the advertisers. Militaria traders, vehicle restorers, kit suppliers and event insurers buy space from us every issue. A local printer cannot offer you that.
Add-on
Add an on-site media team to your campaign
The programme tells people what is happening. A media team tells everyone who is not there what they are missing.
We can send an editorial team from Dispatches Magazine to your event to photograph, film, interview, edit and publish while it runs. Agreed content plan, agreed approvals, nothing published without your say so.
Timings
Work back from your event date. For a 32 page programme, allow about six weeks: two for design and proofing, one for corrections, two for print and delivery, plus a five working day buffer at the end.
Tell us your date and we will send you a written schedule with every deadline on it.
A note on VAT
Event programmes are normally zero rated, which matters a great deal if your organisation cannot reclaim VAT. Certain specifications lose that relief, and a laminated cover intended to be kept is the usual culprit. We will tell you before you commit, rather than after you have been invoiced.