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Stir! Events Ltd. is an Events Management company led by Managing Director, Mandy Polkey.
The business operates as a collaborative initiative, combining Mandy’s extensive history in economic development and live events - with the capabilities of credible partners from across the UK’s South Coast. From the incredible traders, performers and vintage communities that make our events so special… to our network of designers, marketers, equipment providers, sound specialists, council members, BIDs, Trade Groups and so on.
Mandy, who was President of Bournemouth’s Chamber of Trade and Commerce (2014/15) has operated as a Council Economic Development Officer for Poole, Bournemouth, Ferndown, Christchurch and other locations. She is also behind the popular vintage event ‘Shake & Stir Festival’, which has been revving up fans of vintage and retro music, vehicles, dancing, fashion and lifestyle living for over a decade!
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In 2022, Stir! Events won the gold award for Best Event of the Year at the Dorset Tourism Awards, building on our previous successes in the same awards, where we won Bronze in 2016 and Silver in 2017.
Additionally, we were finalists for the Great Day Out Awards in 2018 as part of the Bournemouth and Poole (BAPTAS) Tourism Awards, where we were recognized as the largest local community event by Bournemouth Tourism, having received over 34,000 visitors. These awards and recognitions highlight our company's commitment to delivering exceptional events that cater to the local community and attract visitors from far and wide.
While the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic halted our festivals in 2019/20, Stir! Events adapted to the challenges by taking events including Shake & Stir online, running our first ‘At Home Edition’ of the festival… which was live across social media platforms and digital outlets.
This innovative approach enabled our company to stay connected with our audiences and maintain a position as a leader in the events industry. Stir! Events' resilience and adaptability is a testament to our team's passion and dedication, as well as our ability to leverage technology to create engaging and memorable experiences for clients and stakeholders.
For our clients, we deliver a variety of services aimed at creating opportunities for trade. One example is ‘The Arcade’ - Bournemouth’s historic shopping location.
We curated a showcase market through the central aisle of the Arcade; with traders ranging from illustrators and artists to fine-food outlets and patisseries, jewellers, interior designers and even florists. The market became a popular generator of footfall for the area, enjoyed by thousands of shoppers who visit the deluxe Victorian covered row of extravagant shops throughout the year.
