Zipbar

SPONSORED FEATURE: Zhev Liberson, the founder of the flat pack bar system Zipbar, explains his product and business.

What is Zipbar?
Zipbar is a portable beverage service system or bar that packs into flight cases, can be set up with no tools and can be built into any shape required.

Who are the people behind Zipbar?
I am responsible for design and manufacturing and Kathy runs the admin and accounts.

When did you start the company and why?
We launched the first model back in 2009. I owned and ran an audio visual installation company and had also been working as a freelance production engineer. While setting up events attracting from 100 to 4,000 people, I became aware of the need for a bar system that looked stylish, was small and light to transport, was stable and strong and would standardise the working area for bar tenders to enable them to work more efficiently.

What product options do you offer?
We offer a full range of bars and back bars. The starter section, front or back, gives you a complete 1.2 metre bar section that is ready to use. The add on sections are straight, short straight, arc 90° corner, arc 90° internal corner, arc 45° short segment, arc 45° round, arc 30° round, connector bar and connector bar hatch. The back bars come with a range of accessories such as optic rails, LED acrylic shelves, glass shelf hangers and an overhead LCD screen mount.

Describe your target market
Our target market includes hotels, marquee hire companies, event equipment hire companies, portable bar hire companies, small and large venues, stadiums, pubs, restaurants, trade show design companies and private homes.

What do customers say?
Gary Wright, Severn Valley Event Bars, says: “Purchasing Zipbar was the best thing I did for my company! It’s a great bar to work with, the staff love to work it, our customers absolutely love it and everybody comments on how stunning the bar looks.”

How many units have you sold in the UK?
We’re selling into the thousands now. Customers buy the system and within half a season they at least double the original order.

What are you working on now?
We have some fantastic little table top bars that are used for small conferences. They enable a hotel or conference centre to display chilled food and drink products. We are constantly working on new ideas to supplement this unique bar system and make the experience of using Zipbar a great one.

What are your future plans for the business?
The market place is changing rapidly. Only a few years ago, people spent a large proportion of their income in the retail sector. This has changed and continues to evolve. People are now spending money on experiences. It’s not as important for them to have the latest new car, they are happy with a model that is a few years old. People are increasingly looking for family events and entertainment experiences that they can enjoy together. The festival market has exploded among people from all backgrounds.

With Zipbar we see how important the beverage service system is. Serving drinks off dressed up MDF boxes is not ideal. The bar itself is the primary visual platform providing the point of contact between your company and the customer. In addition, with staff working efficiently, we have seen sales of £10,000 for a 20 metre bar serving 3,500 people in one evening. It’s a massive statistic. As I always say, “If the customers can’t get served at an event, they don’t come back later and the revenue is gone.” We are fast becoming the market leader in portable bar systems and we intend to be the industry standard. All over the UK there are event companies that own the Zipbar product. They cross hire Zipbar to each other, which enables them to have a reasonable amount of Zipbar stock, and if they want to tender for a much larger event bar, then they simply hire more and add it to their stock.

This flexibility in using hire equipment is the future for event organisers and their clients. Our commitment to the constant development of products and accessories that remain compatible across the product range will ensure our customers enjoy years of satisfaction.

DETAILS
Zipbar
01752 787422
www.zipbar.co.uk