Industry Linchpins

Susan Tanner, CEO of the National Outdoor Events Association, calls for event organisers to be given the appreciation they deserve.

At NOEA we think a lot about event organisers.

Everyone involved in events is technically an event organiser, they all form the magical eco system that makes events the ultimate human experience that they are. However, for the purpose of this column, let’s zone into the producer, the operational director, the front line, coalface, hi-vis-clad technicians whom all events revolve around.

This is a crucial time of the year for them. Millions of delegates, and hundreds of suppliers and support services will rely on their organisational abilities, and creatives will be let loose based on the firm foundations they have built.

So, it’s only right to use this platform to give them the credit they deserve; they really are linchpins.

The NOEA Convention & Awards this year will go one step further, we’re dedicating the whole day (and evening) to them. Taking place 22nd November in the conference’s home city of Bath, we’ll be celebrating event organisers, taking on the issues they face, listening to them, and creating ideas and thought leadership that will make them more productive and effective.

As ever with NOEA, it’s a day of education, insight, innovation, and networking and, while event organisers will be put front and central, we’ll continue to make sure that all the people and businesses around them are a part of it.

Last year the conference was a sell out and we were truly humbled by the positive feedback we received. The Awards were our largest in our history and, as will be the case this year, will celebrate the very best appropriate measures to protect their audiences. This provides a more flexible, and often more appropriate, approach than trying to force each event to comply with the rigidity of legislation that may not entirely fit the occasion.

Realistically, legislation can never completely eliminate all the risks. While it may give enforcement agencies more powers, we are fooling ourselves if we think legislation is the solution.

I believe legislation should be a last resort after all else fails and we absolutely should not allow terrorists, or our law makers, to curtail the freedoms we enjoy as a nation.

Eventsindustryforum.co.uk of the outdoor events industry – including, but not limited to, event organisers! So once again we ask you to make space in your diary for the NOEA Convention & Awards 23. To allow yourself the gift of a day learning and enjoying time with your peers, and an evening of networking and celebrating. Bring colleagues, bring contacts, bring clients and customers, as ever, everyone will receive a warm NOEA welcome.

And, like all events, there will be a team of event organisers behind it. Unsung heroes here at NOEA who make our own events happen. Unlike many events however, our guests know the work that goes on behind the scenes and are always incredibly gracious. We hope that this summer, and for the rest of the year, event organisers across the UK receive the same level of reward and respect.

Noea.org.uk