When the pandemic pushed staff away from offices and back into their homes, the traditional line between ‘work’ and ‘family life’ began to blur. But for Neil Lofthouse and Steph Cooper, it was already like that.
In Autumn 2020, these two siblings decided to go into business together – launching an events brand called Square Fish that combined Neil’s hospitality sector experience with Steph’s management expertise.
It was an idea everyone could really root for: A brother and sister teaming up to help get Manchester’s events sector back on its feet after being bordered up for most of the year.
“It was a ‘now or never’ moment,” Neil remembers.
“Owning a family business had always been a dream and something we talked about for many years. When COVID hit, and with time on our hands, we decided to make the dream a reality.”
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Those early days felt like a thrilling adventure. Neil and Steph got Square Fish off the ground in October 2020, and within a matter of weeks they had bagged their first client.
Square Fish Events
But then, things took a turn. COVID cases spiralled, another national lockdown was declared, and the events sector was suddenly, somehow, in deeper peril than before. Mass gatherings were forbidden, venues had to pull their curtains shut, and hundreds of thousands of industry personnel were left without work. Square Fish appeared to have been a cruel victim of circumstance: They’d only just gotten started, and already the company was facing an impossible hurdle.
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On the surface, the obvious option was to throw in the towel. But Neil and Steph were actually in a more privileged position than most. After all, when your back is against the wall, the people you can rely on are family.
“Like any bro and sis, we can have our moments, but when it comes to business, it’s the best team you can have,” Neil clarifies.
“We support each other, have each other’s back, pick each other up when feeling low, and most of all, trust each other completely. No agenda, just love and support. That’s what makes Square Fish so special.”
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Putting their heads together, the duo acted swiftly to switch up their business model, putting all the necessary plans in place to create a new concept that would support the provision of virtual entertainment. They called their creation Boxspoke – enabling companies to provide bespoke, branded engagement boxes that ranged from branded keepsakes and delicious gourmet treats to beverages, goodies and live interactive experiences.
Neil explains: “We wanted to find a way to keep pushing forward and adapt our offering so we all could come out of the other side.
“We soon found that lots of businesses still needed to focus on engagement, especially with staff and their clients. The way we communicated day to day suddenly changed overnight – and our new business model and service was there to support that.”
The whole thing was a rousing success. So much so, that when the world finally opened up again, Square Fish had built the reputation required to strike partnerships with big brands and create the kind of live events Manchester had been missing so much.
Today, Square Fish is working with worldwide promotion Bongo’s Bingo to bring its barnstorming events into workplaces, whilst also offering a wide range of events services such as venue finding, production, concept design, lineup curation, and general support and guidance for showrunners.
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Work has been diverse – including a festival for taxi hire software provider Autocab (which Square Fish designed and created from scratch; supplying stages, sports pitches and key speakers) and an interactive chocolate workshop for employees of Infinity Finance.
Neil and Steph’s team also hosted a fun-filled and highly-memorable summer party for Lounge fashion earlier this year – arranging a champagne reception, live fire dancers, sax performances and a DJ set.
One year on from launch, Square Fish has expanded its staff roster and turned into one of the most dependable, ambitious and creative events companies across Greater Manchester.
Neil believes the supportive nature of the city has played a pivotal role in making Square Fish the firm it is today – and what it is going to become in future.
“Manchester is a city like no other, the industry and people that support it are incredible,” he states.
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“Manchester offers it all, from fresh and creative concepts, incredible music, and club scene to a thriving event sector.
“We are constantly evolving and offering something new, attracting more and more businesses and events to the city – it’s all about the people for us, and we are a resilient bunch, especially with what we have had to overcome in the last two years.”
Throughout the past couple of difficult years, it’s often felt like one step forward, two steps back. This goes doubly for events and hospitality – a sector which is always first on the chopping block in the scenario of pandemic restrictions.
But Square Fish has already shown its capability to withstand and even thrive during the most testing environments. And Neil has plenty of hope for 2022.
“The future is bright, we are resilient, creative and support each other like no other city does,” he beams.
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“With more and more events coming to Manchester and an increase in demand for live events, we will come back stronger.
“There is still a challenging road ahead, however I have no doubt we will overcome it!”
Find out more about the amazing events Square Fish is hosting via the official website.
Gigs & Nightlife
Social media unite in search for ‘crazed’ fan who stole drum from AO Arena gig last night
Thomas Melia
This past weekend, people online began pulling together to try and find a fan after they stole a drum from a major music artist’s concert at the AO Arena on Sunday night.
When you say the words, “I’ll never forget that gig”, it usually means you had a really great night and, for this fan in particular, we think it’s fair to say that they be forgetting this night anytime soon – you know, many because they took a piece of the set home with them.
That’s right, following Twenty One Pilots’ massive Manc gig at AO Arena as part of their ongoing world tour, some fans were practically frothing at the mouth as the alternative duo did what they do best.
In fact, one individual clearly loved the concert so much that they just had to claim a keepsake, to such an extent that they want as far as steal band member Josh Dun’s drum directly from the stage.
As far as merch and memorabilia go, that might just be the biggest souvenir we’ve ever seen someone swipe from a rock show.
In terms of the night itself, the highly anticipated return to Manchester was a huge success, with the band playing out to flurries of red, orange, yellow and black, thanks to fans sporting the same colours as Twenty One Pilots‘ latest album cover, Clancy.
In the video, the drum – which features the band’s logo on a red-splattered drumhead in the Clancy aesthetic – can be seen being carried out of the venue by a fan from the general standing floor area.
As a result, not only did people on social media quickly begin sleuthing and trying to find the drum thief, but they’re also questioning why fans near the culprit weren’t doing more to get it back to the band.
One user wrote, “Ok but like I would have stopped her?” while another commented, “So I was scared to even take too much confetti with me and she casually STOLE THE DRUM??”
The fan who originally uploaded the video online aid in a subsequent post, “Guys, please, don’t put us to blame for not stopping her, we did all we could but literally no one around us cared about it.” They went on to add: “You’re not putting the blame of her stealing the drum on us, I’m sorry but I’m not having it.”
As you can see, the instrument was eventually located, with Twenty One Pilots’ videographer Sax uploaded a picture to his Instagram profile along with the caption, “We have the drum”, thanking fans for all their efforts in helping track down its whereabouts.
Featured Image –Ashley Osborn (publicity picture /@tillitaint (via X)
Gigs & Nightlife
Olly Murs at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more
Thomas Melia
The ‘Troublemaker’ himself, Olly Murs, is ready to cause some more chaos and this time he’s returning for his second night in Manchester with boyband Blue.
X Factor and British star Olly Murs is embarking on his latest UK arena tour, which does feel a little bit ‘likely lads’ on tour-esque with a helping hand from UK boyband, Blue.
Back in the late noughties, it was hard to escape the blazer-wearing, top-hatted, popstar as he was dropping back-to-back bangers like ‘Heart Skips a Beat’ and doo-wop inspired ‘Dance With Me Tonight’.
Now, this cheeky-chappy is embarking on the ‘15 Years Of Hits – Live 2025‘ tour, where he’ll be belting out all those classics as well as some more recent tunes too. Here’s how he sounded last week:
There are just a few tickets left for Olly Murs at AO Arena, so make sure you bag yours before your ‘Heart Skips a Beat’ HERE.
Olly Murs 15 Years Of Hits setlist
Olly Murs is coming to AO Arena in Manchester this week.Credit: Marcos Moreno via Wikimedia Commons
This Essex chap might have a solid setlist which he follows night in and night out, but he’s no stranger to being a bit ‘Unpredictable’. I mean, he is bringing a flamethrower on stage with him…
After being on our screens and airwaves for almost two decades, it’s no surprise that this setlist is lengthy, totalling at just over 20 songs – give or take the 80s medley weaved into the mix.
Who doesn’t love a bit of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ paired alongside Murs’ stacked setlist?
Troublemaker
Right Place Right Time
Please Don’t Let Me Go
Thinking of Me
Oh My Goodness
Heart Skips a Beat
Kiss Me
Army of Two
Hand on Heart
Up
Die of a Broken Heart / I Found Her / Dancing on Cars / I Hate You When You’re Drunk (Marry Me Medley)
Seasons
You Don’t Know Love
I’m Your Man / Never Gonna Give You Up / Livin’ On a Prayer / Beat It / Careless Whisper / I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) / I’m So Excited (80s Medley)
What are the stage times for Olly Murs in Manchester?
AO Arena has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can be ‘Wrapped Up’ in the Essex popstar’s hits without having to worry about getting home too late. It’s a school night after all!
Doors for Olly Murs’ 15 Years Of Hits – Live 2025 are scheduled for 6:30pm with a start time of 7:30pm and support from 2000s UK boyband, Blue.
The BRIT-winning, Eurovision-performing, chart-toppers are back together once again and about to take us back to pop school as we quickly re-learn the words to boyband textbook classics ‘All Rise’, Best in Me’ and more.
How to get to AO Arena
Olly Murs sporting his usual blazer and top-hat style back in 2013.Credit: InfoGibraltar (via Flickr)
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena and Victoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
The Manc -
6th December 2021 
