A North East catering and events company is counting its partnership with Newcastle Pride for the next five years.
1879 Events Management, part of the Sunderland-based Stadium of Light brand, has extended its contract to provide catering services for the event until at least 2020.
The company will be supplying all bars and equipment for this year’s event as well as providing 200 staff members for the event, ranging from bartenders to security.
Gary Hutchinson, commercial director for 1879 Events Management, said: “2016 has already been an exciting year for 1879 Events Management, especially following the announcement of a headline performance by Beyoncé at the Stadium of Light, alongside the England football team’s important clash against Australia ahead of the Euros in France.
“This, coupled with our ongoing activities at National Glass Centre and various venues across the North East means we have a very exciting few months ahead of us and I’m thrilled that Newcastle Pride will be part of that for the fourth successive year.”
Newcastle Pride 2013 was one of the first major contracts to be secured by 1979 Events Management.
The popular LGBT festival is one of the largest free events of its kind in the UK and attracted a record 71,000 visitors in 2015.
Even more visitors are expected to return in July 2016 for three days of live music and entertainment at Newcastle’s Town Moor.
Mark Nichols, chair of Northern Pride, which organises the Newcastle Pride festival, said: “We have worked with 1879 Events Management ever since the company launched in 2012 and have always been more than satisfied with the services it was able to provide.
“This year, with more visitors than ever expected to attend, we knew catering for Newcastle Pride would be in a safe pair of hands if we were able to extend our existing contract and we now look forward to working with 1879 for at least the next five years.”