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Southwark council budget assembly at 160 tooley street
Client
Southwark Council (London Borough of Southwark)
Event
Council Assembly · Budget and Council Tax Setting Meeting 2024-25, Full council meeting, statutory civic assembly, publicly live-streamed
Location
160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH
Scope
Lighting, Set and stage setup, Exhibition equipment, On-site technical support.
CLIENT BRIEF
Southwark Council needed a full technical production for the Budget and Council Tax Setting Meeting of Council Assembly on the evening of Wednesday 21 February 2024, the annual statutory meeting where all 63 elected councillors formally vote on the year’s budget and council tax rates.
Because 160 Tooley Street was designed as a modern office rather than a purpose-built council chamber, EMS Events supplied the lighting, staging, exhibition equipment and on-site technical support needed to transform an internal meeting space into a fully functioning chamber for the evening, working for councillors, officers, press, the public gallery and the livestream audience on the council’s YouTube channel.
ABOUT THE SOUTHWARK COUNCIL BUDGET ASSEMBLY EVENT
The Budget and Council Tax Setting Meeting is the most consequential meeting in the local authority calendar. It’s a statutory requirement under Section 30 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 that the council must set an amount of council tax for each financial year before 11 March. For 2024-25, the meeting set a 4.99% council tax increase (2.99% local plus a 2% adult social care precept), keeping Southwark as the eighth lowest council tax rate in London.
Because standing orders require a recorded roll-call vote on key budget decisions, every councillor’s name is called and their vote formally minuted. The meeting runs three hours or more and is streamed live on the council’s YouTube channel, so the AV has to work for the room, the record and the remote audience at the same time.
Elected members supported during the Council Assembly
Southwark wards represented in the meeting
Council Tax increase formally set for 2024–25
THE CHALLENGE WAS FORMAL CIVIC PRODUCTION INSIDE AN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
A council meeting is a different production job from a corporate event. The tone is formal. The proceedings are statutory. The audience is a mix of professional politicians, senior officers, working press and members of the public exercising their right to attend. The AV has to be reliable, unobtrusive and technically sound, because any failure during a formally minuted meeting is not a small problem.
The venue added its own constraints. Modern office meeting rooms are designed for daytime use, with mixed daylight and overhead panels rather than a controlled lighting rig. Their acoustics are not built for public speaking to a large audience with roll-call voting. Their AV points are configured for teleconferencing and internal presentations, not for feeding a professional livestream out to the public. Any of those things left unaddressed would show up on camera or in the room.
On top of that, the setup had to fit inside a single working day. The team had to load in during the afternoon, have everything ready by 7:00 pm, support the meeting until it closed and de-rig the same evening. The building had to be back to normal office operations for the staff the following morning.
EMS Events delivered the lighting, set and stage setup, exhibition equipment, and on-site technical support needed to transform the meeting room into a formal council chamber.
Lighting created a professional atmosphere in the room while ensuring speakers appeared clear and consistently lit on the YouTube livestream.
The set and stage defined the front-of-room area, including positions for the Mayor, Chief Executive, senior officers, and councillors.
Screens, information panels, chairs, and tables supported the meeting layout and helped attendees follow agenda items, amendments, and procedures.
EMS Events’ technicians managed the load-in, testing, live operation, adjustments, and derig, keeping the meeting running smoothly without disruption.
WHAT EMS EVENTS PROVIDED
Lighting
A lighting setup designed for camera-quality on the livestream feed and formality inside the room, controllable enough to work for a full three-hour meeting from opening to close.
Set and stage setup
A defined front-of-room area was built for the Mayor, Chief Executive and senior council officers. The stage and seating arrangement gave the office meeting room the structure and authority of a formal council chamber.
Exhibition equipment
Screens, display panels and structural elements were installed to present agenda items, amendments and procedural information. This helped councillors and members of the public follow each stage of the statutory meeting clearly.
Technical support
On-site EMS Events technicians remained on site throughout the event to operate the audio and visual equipment. The team managed live adjustments quietly and efficiently.
Same-day load-in & derig
Everything arrived, was built, the meeting was run, and it was cleared the same evening. So, the building could return to office use the following morning.
Event furniture
Chairs, tables and supporting furniture were arranged to accommodate councillors, officers and meeting staff. Every position was planned to support clear sightlines, communication and the smooth running of proceedings.
THE SETUP WAS BUILT AROUND VISIBILITY, SOUND AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
The setup had to work for councillors, council officers, the press, the public gallery and the livestream audience at the same time.
Lighting kept speakers clear in the room and on camera. The set and stage created a formal council chamber layout, while exhibition equipment supported agenda and procedural visibility.
On-site technical support ensured the meeting ran smoothly, with any adjustments handled without interrupting proceedings.
Client Feedback
EMS Events delivered exactly what we needed for our Budget and Council Tax Setting Meeting. They literally transformed our meeting space into a functioning council chamber for the evening. - Southwark Council Team
THE FORMAL SETTING SUPPORTED THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
Unlike a celebration, this event required production that supported a formal statutory process.
The setup ensured speeches, amendments and roll-call votes could be clearly seen, heard and recorded by councillors, the public and the livestream audience.
EMS Events created a well-lit, controlled and professional environment with no distractions or improvised elements.
Moments From The Night
THE RESULT WAS A PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL CHAMBER READY FOR THE YEAR'S KEY FINANCIAL DECISION
EMS Events transformed the office meeting space into a fully functional council chamber for the evening.
The meeting ran to schedule, allowing the 2024–25 budget and council tax rate to be formally approved, recorded and viewed by the public.
After the meeting, the equipment was removed and the room was returned to normal office use by the following morning.
Planning a council meeting, civic event or public sector conference in London?
EMS Events can support your lighting, set and stage setup, exhibition equipment, PA, screens and on-site technical production for formal council chambers, civic assemblies and public sector events across London and the UK.