How Virgin Media O2 Built Team Spirit Across the UK with FunPro's Touring Festival Games

Learn how Virgin Media O2 created consistent, engaging summer festival experiences for their Field Engineering and Operations teams across multiple UK locations by partnering with FunPro UK for three consecutive years, delivering interactive entertainment that kept staff energised and connected from Manchester to Glasgow.

A Partnership Built on Trust

When a telecommunications giant returns year after year, expanding their booking from a single evening event to multi-location touring festivals spanning several months, it speaks volumes about the service they've received. Virgin Media O2's continued partnership with FunPro UK since 2023 demonstrates the value of working with a reliable entertainment specialist who understands the unique challenges of multi-site corporate events.

Customer Profile

Virgin Media O2 is one of the UK's leading telecommunications and media companies, providing broadband, mobile, television, and home phone services to millions of customers nationwide. Formed through the merger of Virgin Media and O2 in 2021, the company employs thousands of field engineers and operations staff across the country who keep the UK connected. With bases stretching from Scotland to the Midlands, Virgin Media O2 needed an entertainment partner who could deliver consistent, high-quality experiences across their distributed workforce whilst managing the logistical complexities of touring events.

Key Results

• Three-year partnership established from 2023 through 2025

• Multiple UK locations served including Manchester, Derby, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Yorkshire

• 18+ individual event days delivered across the partnership

• Consistent festival atmosphere maintained across all venues

• Zero setup issues despite outdoor marquee installations and varying site conditions

• Repeat bookings year-on-year demonstrating client satisfaction and trust

About Virgin Media O2's FEO Fest Initiative

Virgin Media O2 understands that their field engineers and operations teams are the backbone of their service delivery. These dedicated professionals work across the country, often in challenging conditions, to ensure customers stay connected. Recognising the importance of team morale and appreciation, Virgin Media O2 developed FEO Fest (Field Engineering and Operations Fest), a summer festival-themed initiative designed to bring fun, relaxation, and team-building opportunities to their distributed workforce.

The challenge was clear: how do you create a consistent, memorable experience for teams spread across numerous UK locations? Traditional entertainment solutions often struggle with multi-site deployments. Equipment quality can vary between venues, setup requirements differ, and coordinating multiple suppliers becomes a logistical headache. Virgin Media O2 needed a partner who could deliver the same high-quality entertainment experience whether the event was taking place in a Manchester car park or a Glasgow field, all whilst managing the practical realities of outdoor events under marquees.

The company's initial exploration of interactive entertainment began in 2023 with a single evening event. This trial booking allowed them to assess FunPro UK's equipment quality, professionalism, and ability to deliver a smooth experience. The success of that first event laid the foundation for a much larger vision: a touring festival programme that would visit multiple Virgin Media O2 bases throughout the summer months, giving every team the same opportunity to enjoy interactive entertainment and celebrate their contributions.

Creating a Scalable Festival Experience

When Virgin Media O2 approached FunPro UK in 2024 about expanding their initial trial into a multi-location tour, the brief was ambitious. They wanted to create a genuine festival atmosphere at each base, with interactive games that would appeal to diverse teams and work reliably in outdoor conditions. The events would take place under marquees during the summer months, requiring equipment that could handle varying weather conditions, different power supply situations, and the wear and tear of frequent transportation.

The logistics were considerable. Between July and October 2024, games needed to travel to different venues one or two days each month. Each location had its own characteristics: different space configurations, varying power access, and unique site constraints. The events couldn't afford setup delays or equipment failures, as each day was carefully scheduled around operational requirements and staff availability.

FunPro UK approached this challenge with the systematic planning that comes from over 15 years of corporate event experience. The first consideration was equipment selection. For 2024, FunPro recommended the Batak Lite and Danger Zone games. Both offered the competitive, engaging gameplay that creates buzz at events, whilst being robust enough for outdoor use and frequent transport. The Batak Lite's lightning-fast reaction challenge proved particularly popular, creating natural queues and friendly competition between engineering teams. Danger Zone added a different dynamic, testing steady hands and nerve as players navigated the course without triggering the alarm.

The outdoor marquee setup presented specific practical considerations. Power supplies needed to be reliable and safely installed. Equipment had to be positioned to maximise visibility and flow whilst accounting for weather protection.

FunPro's team worked closely with Virgin Media O2's event coordinators at each location to understand site-specific requirements ahead of arrival, ensuring smooth setup every time. This advance planning meant the FunPro team could arrive, set up efficiently, and have games ready for staff without delays or complications.

Throughout the 2024 tour, the consistency of experience was crucial. Field engineers visiting the Manchester event needed to have the same quality of entertainment as their colleagues at the Birmingham or Glasgow venues. This consistency built anticipation and positive word-of-mouth across the organisation. Teams looked forward to their FEO Fest day, knowing exactly what to expect based on colleagues' experiences at other bases.

Evolving the Entertainment Mix

By 2025, Virgin Media O2 was ready to expand the programme again, booking FunPro for May through August with continued multi-location delivery. This time, however, they wanted to evolve the entertainment offering. Having established the festival format successfully in 2024, they sought to add more variety and excitement whilst retaining the reliable favourites.

FunPro worked with Virgin Media O2 to refine the equipment selection. The Danger Zone remained in the lineup, as its popularity the previous year had made it a must-have for returning locations. However, the addition of two racing car simulators transformed the entertainment mix. The simulators brought a new level of excitement, allowing field engineers to channel their competitive spirit through immersive racing experiences. The twin-simulator setup enabled head-to-head racing, creating dramatic moments and friendly rivalries that became talking points long after the events.

This evolution demonstrated FunPro's consultative approach. Rather than simply repeating the previous year's formula, the team considered how to build on success whilst keeping the experience fresh. The racing simulators required different setup considerations compared to the 2024 games, including more substantial power requirements and careful positioning for optimal viewing by spectators. FunPro's technical expertise ensured these new additions integrated seamlessly into the festival format.

The touring schedule for 2025 maintained the successful one-to-two-day-per-month rhythm that had worked well previously. This pacing gave Virgin Media O2 flexibility to coordinate with operational requirements whilst ensuring the festival atmosphere reached all their key bases during the prime summer months. Each venue continued to present its own characteristics, but FunPro's experience from 2024 meant the team could anticipate challenges and arrive prepared with solutions.

The Value of Long-Term Partnership

What made this three-year relationship particularly successful was the understanding that developed between FunPro UK and Virgin Media O2. By 2025, FunPro's team knew the client's expectations, understood the festival atmosphere they wanted to create, and could anticipate the practical requirements of setting up at various Virgin Media O2 bases. This familiarity eliminated the communication overhead and uncertainty that often comes with one-off event bookings.

The repeat business also speaks to FunPro's reliability. In an industry where equipment failures or setup delays can derail carefully planned events, Virgin Media O2 experienced consistent, professional delivery. Games arrived when promised, worked reliably throughout each event, and were collected efficiently without disrupting site operations. This dependability is particularly valuable for a company like Virgin Media O2, where operational efficiency is paramount and event planning is just one of many responsibilities for busy coordinators.

The geographical spread of locations, from Glasgow in Scotland to various English cities, highlighted another crucial advantage of working with FunPro UK. Based in Coventry with nationwide coverage, FunPro could serve all Virgin Media O2's locations without the complexity and cost of coordinating regional suppliers. The same high-quality equipment and professional service reached every venue, regardless of location. This simplified logistics considerably for Virgin Media O2's event organisers, who could work with a single trusted contact rather than managing multiple supplier relationships across the country.

Results and Continued Success

Virgin Media O2's FEO Fest initiative achieved its core objectives of bringing teams together, creating memorable experiences, and showing appreciation for field engineers and operations staff. The consistency of entertainment across locations meant every team member, regardless of which base they worked from, had the opportunity to participate in the same quality of festival experience.

The progression from a single trial event in 2023 to multi-month touring programmes in both 2024 and 2025 demonstrates the value Virgin Media O2 found in the partnership. Rather than exploring alternative suppliers or reducing their entertainment investment, they expanded their commitment, adding more event days and enhancing the equipment mix. This growth trajectory reflects genuine satisfaction with both the entertainment quality and the service delivery.

The outdoor marquee format proved successful across all locations, with FunPro's equipment performing reliably despite varying weather conditions and site characteristics. The games created the intended festival atmosphere, generating energy and engagement amongst staff who could step away from their daily responsibilities to enjoy some competitive fun with colleagues.

Looking ahead, the relationship between Virgin Media O2 and FunPro UK is well-positioned for continued collaboration. The established understanding, proven reliability, and successful track record provide a strong foundation for future FEO Fest events and potentially other corporate entertainment needs across Virgin Media O2's national operations.

The FunPro UK Team Behind the Success

Delivering a multi-year, multi-location touring programme requires more than just quality equipment. It demands meticulous planning, reliable logistics, and a team that understands corporate event requirements inside out. FunPro UK's experienced crew managed every aspect of the Virgin Media O2 partnership, from initial consultation and equipment selection through to final collection after each event.

The FunPro team's ability to work effectively in outdoor environments, adapt to different venue configurations, and maintain consistent service standards across numerous locations was crucial to the programme's success. Their technical expertise ensured games operated flawlessly despite the challenges of frequent transport and varying setup conditions. Perhaps most importantly, their proactive communication meant Virgin Media O2's event coordinators could trust that each location would receive the same professional service, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their FEO Fest events.

Ready to Create Consistent Experiences Across Your Organisation?

If you're planning multi-location corporate events and need an entertainment partner who can deliver consistent quality nationwide, FunPro UK brings the expertise and reliability that comes from over 15 years as corporate event specialists. Our team understands the unique challenges of touring programmes and multi-site deployments.

Get in touch with our friendly team to discuss how we can help create memorable experiences for your distributed workforce, wherever they're based across the UK.