Spotlight on Technegol

We have been looking behind the scenes of Technegol a Ceredigion-based events management company which works throughout Wales and across the UK
We hope you all enjoy an insight into this busy company.

We are an events management company based in Ceredigion, serving all of Wales and the UK extensively since 2016. We offer a number of services including managing and organising events, providing sound, lighting, AV technical equipment, set building and exhibition stands – we can arrange or supply everything needed for any type of event.
We work on major events across Wales annually and ensure that the main focus of our work is on Welsh events.
We employ five full-time staff members and hire a number of freelance technicians, stage managers and staff during busy times.
Every staff member of the company, whether full-time or freelance, is bilingual, and we’re very proud to be the only company of our kind to be part of the Cynnig Cymraeg by the Welsh Language Commissioner.

How has the business evolved, what was the journey to reach its current form?
Llyr, one of our Directors, founded the company in 2016 after working for 20 years in the theatre and events space. He built the business gradually by investing in equipment and collaborating with other organisations and companies, before further expanding and employing additional staff to enable the company to extend and develop. Huw joined as a Manager and Cerys joined as a Project Director to expand on the event management work. We were fortunate to receive support from the Cynnal y Cardi grant and through this, Harry joined as a trainee technician. We now employ Angharad as a Project Officer to keep things organised in the office on a day-to-day basis as well.

Current and future projects.
We work on a variety of projects and events from year to year. Some are ongoing and we have been working on for years, but there are new events and projects in the pipeline all the time.
We work with organisations such as S4C, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Food Standards Agency,  the Welsh Commissioner, Swansea University, and the National Eisteddfod annually providing a range of services for the main events of the year. We also work with Crystalyx, Mentera, Farming Connect, Royal Welsh Show at agricultural events providing technical services.
We provide a number of different services for festivals such as Ffiliffest, Gŵyl Canol Dre, Tafwyl and Big Tribute annually as well. We’re going with equipment and a technician on tour over the coming months, providing equipment for the S4C Cyw Christmas Show, Mega pantomime, as well as working at the Royal Highland Show and organising the Caru Ceredigion Awards with Ceredigion County Council, so plenty of variety!

What do you find most rewarding about your work?
The diversity is very valuable to us and means that we as staff continually adapt, learn and develop our skills and experience.
No month is the same in terms of content and nature of the work. We’re also involved with every aspect of the arts, entertainment and culture.
We enter local schools, agricultural shows, major festivals, theatres and universities, eisteddfods, conferences, stages and stands, and meet people from all over. We’re also fortunate enough to travel around and see the country through our work, which is very beneficial too.

What is the best thing about establishing a business in West Wales? 
The location of our business is very important to us, as the majority of similar companies are situated in cities in the South. We make an effort to support local events and organisations and to cultivate a strong professional relationship with rural companies in West Wales and to collaborate and share resources and staff as often as possible. It is important to us that we can speak Welsh in our work and that it can be shown in the sector that you don’t have to live in Cardiff or a city in England to provide the highest quality service. There are some challenges of course to being a rural company, but the advantages are greater for us and the view from the office is worth seeing every day!

What are the advantages of being involved in the Creative West Wales network?
By being part of the network, there’s an opportunity to meet other individuals working within the industry and to hear about what is happening locally. It is a great opportunity to hear about all the amazing work taking place in the West and a good way to reinforce the positive mindset about working in your area by witnessing the successes of others.

Any advice for someone starting a career in the industry?
The best advice for anyone starting in the industry is to persevere and try to take every possible opportunity. As a company, we often provide job opportunities that would be suitable for young people, and we’ve had a number of talented and hardworking individuals come to us which has led to more opportunities for them in the future, and allows them to stay in the area rather than going further afield to gain experience. The industry is very exciting and vibrant in the West and it requires more companies and individuals to be confident enough to stay in the area to contribute to this growth, so that we can keep the work and creativity in the West in the future.