FTF Worldwide helps the Cunard ships of the line to
celebrate the Queens’ Diamond Jubilee
The spectacularly splendid dawn of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Bank
Holiday Tuesday came up to reveal an historic sight at Southampton as the
special convoy of the three ‘Queens’ of the Cunard fleet hove into sight. These
hugely impressive liners, the Queen Victoria, the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen
Elizabeth, made their stately way in line up the Solent to the Docks, all
together for the very first time as part of the largest Jubilee celebrations
anywhere in the UK outside of London over the special extended weekend to
celebrate 60 years of Her Majesty’s reign over us all.
Her Majesty the Queen has long been associated with Cunard, being the
only person to have attended the naming of all three Cunard Elizabeths, from
the original Queen Elizabeth in 1938, then Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1967, and
finally in 2010, the new Queen Elizabeth.
For the 50-strong crew of the FTF Worldwide Event Management team the
arrival of the three Queens on Tuesday, June 5th, was the start of
an exciting but exhausting day in Southampton devised to celebrate the Queen’s
Diamond Jubilee and to be executed by the company. This was the culmination of
months of research, meetings, discussions and meticulous planning with the Cunard
executive, Southampton Docks, G4S security and the Association of British Ports
in order to conceive, oversee and execute the whole event from start to finish.
This special day of celebrations, run throughout by the FTF Worldwide
team, were due to include another ‘first’ when the famous Red Arrows aerial
display team should have performed their astonishingly daring and also meticulously
planned ‘aerobatics’ over the three Queens, Southampton and the Solent, never
before having flown over the area solely for the delight of the ships’
passengers as well as the wider locality. However, the glittering dawn had, by
then, given way to rain and very low cloud which prevented the display from
taking place – a circumstance wholly outside the control of the FTF team, to
their immense regret.
But then later, when the low cloud had lifted somewhat, in an extra
highlight to this glorious and joyous day of Jubilee celebrations, all this
careful planning was in evidence once again with a spectacular musical firework
display from FTF Worldwide above the re-positioned ships, now moored around
City Terminal and all fully boarded with their passengers for their own special
Jubilee celebration cruises.
This stunning firework display, especially designed to use 2012
individual fireworks to mark the Jubilee and which included only aerial effects
that burst over 300 feet in the sky above the ships, was fired from opposite
City Cruise Terminal over the three Queens, sitting closely together in the
docks in Southampton.
The firework display, produced by Fully Fused Fireworks, was the largest
in the UK in 2012 with the exception of the Olympic Games and London New Year’s
Eve displays. The display took 20 man-days to prepare in FTF’s factories
in the UK and Europe and then required ten qualified technicians two days to
organise the eight tonnes of equipment and load the fireworks for the show.
The fireworks lit up the night above the three ships as the climax to a
very special day, a fitting tribute to our Queen and her 60-year reign that was
literally sparkling, at once both ethereal yet substantial, instant but
sustained, regal but with the common touch; a splendid and majestic celebration
of colour and effects that was specially created for this auspicious occasion.
The display was accompanied throughout, not only by the usual ‘whistles
and bangs’ of regular fireworks, although these sounds were indeed huge,
exciting and dramatic, but also by a creatively devised and orchestrated
musical soundtrack that was simultaneously broadcast on 87.7 FM, Cunard’s own
radio station specially set up and managed by the FTF Worldwide team for this
occasion only.
With the departure of the Three Queens at 11pm that night, this special
day of Jubilee splendour came to an end as they sailed away, lights ablaze,
leaving behind them a lingering echo of the day’s celebrations that resonated
throughout the area – thanks to the combined efforts of the FTF Worldwide team
as they headed off for a well-earned rest in the wake of all their combined
efforts in executing a splendid celebration for Cunard of the Queen’s 60th
Jubilee in Southampton.
(729 words)
Note to Editors:
1. FTF Worldwide Event
Management supplied the following services to Cunard for the Three Queens
Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Southampton:
i) The provision of press
helicopters to monitor the arrival of the three Queens at Southampton and for
photography and videography
ii) The engagement of The
Red Arrows for the occasion as the only aerial display outside of London that
day
iii) The setting up and
management of Cunard FM radio station throughout the day for simultaneous
broadcasting of pyro-musical effect, celebrity radio interviews and music
iv) The design and
execution of a professional firework display especially created for the occasion
v) Live social media
streaming throughout the day
vi) The installation of PA
system on Blue Funnel Ferries with feed to Cunard FM
vi) The sponsorship of SS
Shieldhall - www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk
- to enhance the ship’s opening to
the public for the day
Vii) Provision of lighting
of the ships bows during the hours of darkness
3. The FTF Worldwide Event Management
company is led by experienced event managers from every field that excel in the
production and management of all types of events, from parties and weddings to
corporate days and both indoor and outdoor concerts. Our clients are always
Number 1 with us, no matter their budget, and that’s why it works – we plan it,
execute it and see it through to the end, no matter how many or how few the
elements. It’s always the same, experienced team at the helm, seeing the whole
event through to the very end.
Quality Events in the UK and Worldwide,
delivered on time and on budget
Contact: Tel: 01462 817640; info@ftfworldwide.com
