Alpha Crew’s Year Round-Up: 2021

The year 2021 has come to an end, and I think most people in the industry would agree that it has been a year of ups and downs. As in 2020, there has been a great deal of uncertainty and unprecedented change as we have learned to adapt to a new way of life and adjustments in the events industry. Despite this, we were fortunate to work on many extraordinary projects with amazing clients and people. Here's a look back at some of our most memorable moments from the year!
Celebrating British culture
This year, we had the pleasure of participating in celebrations of British fashion and music. Last May, we took part in the 41st annual BRIT Awards, which was postponed from February due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Held at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, we were honoured to be part of the team behind the UK's most prestigious awards ceremony and proud to have been involved in the first major indoor music event in the UK in over a year.
In November, we completed one of our biggest projects, involving almost the entire Alpha Crew team with 119 team members. This was the annual British Fashion Awards 2021, presented by TikTok and held at the Royal Albert Hall, one of our favourite venues. We worked on this project with our fantastic clients Inca Productions and Gold Dust Film, who were a pleasure to work with, as always! We look forward to working with both teams again next year.
Our sporting year
2021 was a fantastic year for British football, with England reaching the final of Euro 2020! Although we didn't get the result we hoped for, the Alpha Crew team had a great time working as security for Volkswagen AG, one of the Euro sponsors, at Wembley Stadium.
At the start of the summer, we crossed the Channel to Paris for the Tour de France. We worked for Shimano in glorious sunshine. We felt very lucky to be working outdoors with a magnificent view of the majestic Arc De Triomphe.
Films to remember
After six years of preparation, Alpha Crew had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of Daniel Craig's fifth and final appearance in the 25th James Bond film, No Time To Die. In the presence of some of the biggest names in film, music and royalty, Alpha Crew was delighted to be part of this highly anticipated and iconic event, which took place in September at the Royal Albert Hall.
In November, Leicester Square hosted the opening night of another of the biggest films of the year. With Grammy Award-winning singer Lady Gaga and Academy Award-winning actor Adam Driver, we served at the London premiere of House of Gucci by Ridley Scott, which is expected to receive numerous Oscar nominations next March!
It's time to have some fun
We kicked off the summer working in various locations across Europe for Pokemon Go Fest! We worked with Brand Fuel, one of our clients, with whom we always enjoy collaborating. The festival was designed to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the popular mobile game Pokemon Go, with the Alpha Crew team working between Bristol, London, Paris and Edinburgh over the last weekend of July.
After a year without music festivals, the UK was delighted to welcome back the Reading Festival 2021 at the end of August. With Stormzy, Post Malone and Liam Gallagher, we had the pleasure of being the team behind this weekend of musical celebration.
As Christmas approaches, we helped organise SKATE with Moët & Chandon. This annual event, held at Somerset House, another of our favourite venues, is one of the capital's favourite winter experiences, where guests come for the ice rink, delicious food, drinks and special events. We have been working on this project for many years, which is why everything runs like a well-oiled machine. SKATE is open until January 2022 and we highly recommend you visit for a perfect festive day out if you get the chance.
A year to remember
It has been an eventful year, but it has also been marked by important milestones within the Alpha Crew family.
In October this year, we celebrated Alpha Crew's 9th birthday! We can't believe it's already been 9 years of wonderful memories with amazing people at Alpha Crew. Here's to our 10th year!
We also celebrated the marriage of our senior team leader Riche to his lovely wife, as well as the birth of senior team leader Stephen's son and his wife!
Unfortunately, last September, we lost one of our beloved team members, Hassan Elabbady. He was a true legend, always smiling and the most dedicated man who worked so hard to support his family. He will remain in our hearts forever.
To honour the legacy of our dear friend, we have decided to create an award in his name. This award will be given to individuals who demonstrate the same hard-working attitude and reliable dedication that Hassan possessed and managed to maintain while greeting everyone with a huge smile. Keep an eye out for more information about the Hassan Award in the new year.
We would like to thank all our team members and Alpha Crew, we are very proud of you. To our clients, thank you for staying loyal to us. We are so grateful to be able to work on truly fantastic and memorable events with like-minded teams.
This year has been full of changes and new things, but it has definitely been unforgettable.
Happy New Year to all, from our Alpha Crew family to yours. We wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022!