Youth organisation, Zeal, has designed and built their very own ‘Event Box’ – an all-in-one mobile, customizable stage system which impressively unfolds from a 10 tonne truck. Taking as little as 45 minutes to set up, the Event Box promises to be a quicker and cheaper option to traditional stage set-ups, whilst also generating funds for a charity helping New Zealand’s youth.

The idea behind the Event Box started back in February 2015. Originally looking at converting containers, the team moved on to the idea of a truck due to constraints on mobility and stage height. Zeal has completed the project with the intent to create a social enterprise which is fully self-sustainable.

The benefits for those renting the Event Box are great, according to Nate Telford, who has headed up the project: “The Zeal Event Box takes the stress and hassle of dealing with multiple suppliers out of the equation. It is an all-inclusive solution for your event’s needs.”

As well as being much quicker to set up, the cost of renting the Event Box compared to a traditional set up is substantially lower. The basic set up mode costs as little as $2500, at least 25% cheaper than similar options on the market, according to Telford.

Although the project will provide a revenue stream for Zeal’s charitable work, the purpose of the Event Box is bigger for Zeal. “The Zeal Event Box is part of Zeal's social enterprise department that seeks to offer young people creative avenues for employment. The goal is to launch young people into the events industry, giving them hands on experience at an industry level from day one”, explains Telford.

The Zeal Event Box has been used for Wellington’s Homegrown Music Festival, Cuba Dupa and Kapiti Youth Festival as well as Zeal’s own youth events – and the team are planning for a busy summer following considerable interest both locally and nationally.

This project also ties in with Zeal’s plans for the future, with the organisation looking to build more versatile and moveable infrastructure so they can move and flex with the changes in youth culture and the wider events scene.

For more information check out www.zeal.nz/eventbox