Brief
We were approached the team behind OshPaz – a company famous for its award-winning traditional Uzbekistan recipes – who asked us to produce the first Uzbek Culture and Food Festival in London, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Uzbekistan, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in England and Uzbek Diaspora UK.
The festival, which took place on both Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18, was organised to celebrate the diverse cultural heritage of Uzbekistan – showcasing the country’s traditional cuisine, craftmanship, music and dance performances for up to 6,000 guests.
The Oshpaz team wanted to use the backdrop of Tower Bridge at the well-known venue of Potters Fields Park, bringing Uzbek culture to this iconic tourist spot in London. A highlight included the Oshpaz team cooking a whole tonne of Plov – the national dish of Uzbek – making a fantastic addition to this London placemaking event.
What we did
We had discussions with OshPaz about their vision for the festival and how it could work within the space, bringing all the separate elements together. We worked together with the team on staging options, food and beverage placement and – most importantly – the international logistics of bringing the two-metre-in diameter iron pot safely into the heart of London. As always, we utilized longstanding relationships with our trusty suppliers to ensure that the venue would adhere to the client’s placemaking needs.
As the festival came together, we offered assistance to international artists, traders and chef teams – managing structures throughout the event to ensure a safe festival for all attending.
Given the size of this event, which was not ticketed and free for anybody to enter, ensuring guests could enjoy the event safely was vital. We therefore ensured crewing, security and medical services were provided, as well as health and safety via our sister agency, We Are OPS.
We liaised with organisers over 3,700 miles away in Uzbekistan, overcoming language barriers to ensure 6,000 guests could enjoy a wide variety of Uzbek food, music, art and culture.
“It was an absolute pleasure collaborating with We Are Placemaking to bring the Uzbek Culture & Food Festival to life in June. Their dedication and expertise were instrumental in making the festival a resounding success. We Are Placemaking’s support played a crucial role in creating a vibrant and immersive cultural experience for our attendees. Their attention to detail and commitment to enhancing the festival’s impact truly stood out. We look forward to future opportunities to work together, as their professionalism and passion for placemaking are truly commendable.” – Muzzafar Sadykov, OshPaz.
Deliverables
Event and production management: creating an event management plan, developing a budget and producing a detailed production schedule of the event.
Stakeholder management: liaising with the client and the public ream stakeholders.
Logistics management: creating a sound logistical plan for the installation and de-rig of the event, and working with multiple suppliers.
Sourcing and management of all suppliers: daily consultation, management and ownership of the supply chain.
