AN EVENTS ODYSSEY
s we head toward the first full-length events season since 2019 , the industry is bracing itself for what looks set to be one of the busiest and most demanding periods yet experienced .
With that in mind , Access All Areas canvassed the opinions of leading event professionals from across the industry , including promoters , venue operators , production agency owners , festival organisers , sustainability specialists and association heads . Here they provide their views on the major challenges ahead but also the many opportunities .
SUSAN TANNER NOEA CEO
What will be the biggest challenges for the industry in 2022 ?
The biggest challenge we see is resource . It ’ s something we at NOEA have been talking a lot about over the past few years ; we believed that , with the amount of people and businesses lost to the pandemic , the industry would walk into a period of high-volume events without the expertise , experience , and now , physical kit , to handle it . It ’ s frustrating and we ’ re doing all we can to bring new people in , and get old heads back into the industry , but there remains a lack of incentive for them .
Equally , event organisers need to play their part in making the industry attractive to those looking at it as a potential career . This means paying better wages , not just the minimum wages , so we can get the very best talent . This is where we need support ; to make having an events business , or a career in events , a viable proposition .
LAURA ARMSTRONG
Senior project manager LS Events
What will be the biggest challenges in 2022 ? There ’ s a widespread belief that 2021 was an isolated year in terms of its challenges but I definitely don ’ t think that ’ s the case . The supply chain is still proving to be extremely challenging , with all the kit still out there on the Covid sites causing difficulties , so it ’ s about engaging with and supporting the supply chain as early as possible . We can do that by committing to events as soon as possible so that they know that they need to hold that kit . That ’ s a key piece of work that a lot of festival companies are looking at right now .
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