UK web firm gives dynamic boost to world’s largest illuminated carnival

A dynamic new website has been created by a Somerset, UK, firm to help bring the world’s oldest and largest illuminated carnival into the 21st century. Somerset Web Services has produced the flagship site for the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival, which dates to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and which annually attracts more than 150,000 people from all over Europe.

The website will shortly be officially launched at a special reception and is expected to bring a rush of new business to Somerset Web Services from carnivalites all over the county once they see what can be done. The site provides visitors with a real flavour of the carnival event by using leading edge technology to display information, graphics, photographs, and streaming video.

It also launches the carnival committee into the world of e-commerce as people will now be able to buy tickets and other items such as DVDs over the internet. Somerset Web Services is based in Taunton, Somerset, UK.

Managing director Nigel Finch said: “I am extremely proud of what we have been able to do to help one of the most historic events in the county. “We are the fastest-growing web design company in Taunton and have gone from nowhere since starting in July, 2006, to now employing 10 people. “There are many carnival clubs across Somerset and when this website is officially unveiled they are going to suddenly appreciate there is a whole lot more they could be doing to raise funds and promote themselves, and we look forward to being able to help them also.”

Somerset Web Services undertook the Bridgwater project on a pro bono basis because it gave the firm an opportunity to explore the latest and most exciting technologies to demonstrate the scope of what could be achieved. The company has built the first 100 pages of the carnival site and has trained committee members to use the new system who are currently adding further pages themselves.

Among the features is dynamic road closure information using interactive Google maps, and streaming video of the carnival’s squibbing - a unique event which would otherwise be challenging to describe only in words. Although it was a huge project, Somerset Web Services completed the work in about three months, living up to its reputation for being extremely responsive.

Somerset Web Services grew out of a long-established company called q-delta Ltd, which develops software and built intranets for large banks and corporations. q-delta began to receive inquiries from smaller businesses asking for more modest websites and quickly realised there was an alternative market for web design and web-based application development.

Somerset Web Services was set up to address the new market and has rapidly grown through word of mouth recommendation.

Mr Finch said: “We have the skills to help people understand what they can do. We build each site individually and we do not use templates.”

More information about Somerset Web Services is available by telephoning 01823 353760 or emailing info@somersetwebservices.co.uk or visiting the website www.somersetwebservices.co.uk