Earlier this year, we announced that Present Communications would be supporting The Lady Mayor’s Ride Out as media partner, providing filming, video production and content support for the event.

Now that the bikes have been parked and the film is finished, we’re very pleased to share the highlights.

The inaugural Lady Mayor’s Ride Out, sponsored by Triumph Motorcycles, brought together around 120 motorcyclists from London and beyond in support of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal. The event reimagined the traditional mayoral horseback ride, replacing horses with motorcycles as part of Lady Mayor Dame Susan Langley’s theme of “Unsquaring the Square Mile.”

From St Paul’s to the Essex countryside

The day began beneath the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, with riders gathering in the heart of the City before setting off under escort from the City of London Police.

From there, the convoy travelled through the City, along Cannon Street and out towards the Essex countryside, eventually finishing at Cherry Orchard Farm for a celebratory reception.

It made for quite a sight.

More importantly, it brought together people from across the City and the motorcycling community around a common purpose: raising awareness and support for The Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

The Appeal works with businesses, charities, schools and City organisations to break down barriers, unlock potential and create opportunities for Londoners who need them most.

Present behind the cameras

As media partner, our role was to capture the atmosphere and tell the story of the day.

That meant following the event from the City onto the road, filming the riders, the people behind the event and the moments that made the Ride Out feel different.

There’s always a balance with this kind of production.

You need to capture enough to tell the story properly without getting in the way of the event itself.

That is very much how we like to work at Present.

The technology, cameras and production team should sit quietly behind the scenes.

The story should be what people notice.

The finished highlights film brings together the spectacle of more than a hundred motorcycles travelling through London with the personalities, community and purpose behind the event.

More than simply recording what happened

For us, event filming isn’t just about creating a record of the day.

A well-produced event film allows an experience to reach people who were never there.

It gives organisers content to share afterwards.

It helps sponsors and partners demonstrate their involvement.

And importantly for charitable events like this, it allows the story and purpose of the event to continue long after everybody has gone home.

That was particularly relevant for The Lady Mayor’s Ride Out.

The motorcycles provide the spectacle.

But the important story is what brought everybody together in the first place.

A partnership we were proud to support

We were delighted to work alongside The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, Triumph Motorcycles and the many organisations and volunteers involved in making the inaugural Ride Out happen.

Triumph served as headline sponsor, with Present Communications also listed among the event’s supporters.

For Present, it was also exactly the sort of project we enjoy.

Live events.

Interesting people.

A good story.

A worthwhile cause.

And, admittedly, quite a lot of motorbikes.

That last part may have made it particularly easy to persuade our Managing Director to get involved.

Most importantly, though, it was a privilege to use what we do — filming, production and storytelling — to help extend the reach of an event supporting The Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

We’re very proud of the finished film.