AV industry techs industry raise £23,500 via Backup’s Kart-Fest

On a hot and sweaty day at the beginning of July the industry rose to the occasion for Backup, the technical entertainment charity, with the charity’s fourth annual karting challenge. Kart-Fest 2018 achieved £23,500, the biggest total for any Backup fund raising event yet. 

It was the beginning of Wimbledon fortnight and, in true style, the racers rose to the challenge, donning big hair, sweatbands, tennis skirts and dubious prosthetics – and that was just the men…The racing was hot, hard and tiring; the evening bar was cooling, refreshing and very much needed and the winners were all rewarded for their endeavours.

In first place were The Really Useful Group and their team Phantom Racers 2, in second place were 2017 winners Production Parkand in third place, were team DiGiCo. Winners of the Pit Stop Challenge were team Imagination; Media Lease’s ‘Fastest Lap’ went to ‘Flareton Senna’s’ Graham Combes; the dubious honour of winning headline sponsor Chauvet’s Slowest Lap went to the Royal Albert Hall’s Ollie Jeffrey; and the winner of the Chauvet Surf’s Up Challenge for who could stay on a mechanical surfboard the longest was Jed Bason of Unusual Rigging. 

“It can be hard getting everyone together in this industry as we’re all so constantly busy,” said Backup trustee and event organiser Lee Dennison. “But on the day it felt effortless and we were so pleased that with 33 teams representing all areas participated. Rivalries stayed on the track and a common shared ‘want’ to support our charity and help our family out became the focus of the day.

“A massive thank you to everyone that came to Kart-Fest and to our sponsors Chauvet Professional, Unusual, Creative Technology/NEP Live Events, Autograph, IPS, JPP and the technical department. The feedback from the day has been so very positive and Kart-Fest will be back next year.” 

Visit www.backuptech.uk for information on future events or to sign up as a regular donor.