MAY | OPINION
Seasonal change
Tom Vrements, President
of the National Outdoor
Events Association
(NOEA)
Tom Vrements, President of
the National Outdoor Events
Association (NOEA), ponders
the challenges of extending
the festival season
“The idea of
extending the season
is great in practice,
but we have to admit
that this is a summer
industry first and
foremost”
O
ver the last few weeks,
the outdoor events
industry has endured
some of its darkest moments
since the Foot-and-mouth
crisis of 2001. At the time of
writing, many of our members’
businesses are hanging by a
thread or reliant on bailouts,
grants and relief from the
government, which are not
proving easy or quick to access.
Events of the future are
at risk, alongside the loss of
creativity and dynamism
that smaller businesses and
freelancers bring. Around the
NOEA council we’re no different,
and the last few months the
council has been trying valiantly
to both fight for the industry at
such a desperate time, and also
maintain the future of our own
businesses. However, if I had
to classify the attitude of our
council, and our members as
a whole, it would be positivity.
Which is extraordinary.
This is an industry that has
been through tough times
before, and it still exists today.
We’re trying to look beyond
the present crisis to see how
we can be there for members
when we’re finally allowed to
put on events again. The big
questions remain: can we extend
the events season, and how and
what are the risks?
It’s true that, for some
time, the industry has been
patting itself on the back for
lengthening the outdoor events
season. It now runs from April
to October, with a jump in
November and December. But
let’s not kid ourselves either - for
many businesses, especially
the smaller ones, up to 90% of
their income will come between
June and September. The idea of
extending the season is great in
practice, but we have to admit
that this is a summer industry
first and foremost.
On the NOEA Council we’ve
had discussions on how this
can be changed in the future,
and the myriad of logistical
obstacles that post-summer
events present. These range
from ground damage bonds
to increased friction with
local residents. Autumn and
winter events do exist, and we
see Christmas and Halloween
celebrations gaining in size and
confidence every year. However,
many of these are local authority
run, and circumstances are
often different when it comes to
major festivals; responsibilities
and liabilities need to be taken
on, inevitably leading to more
risk for the organiser. This could
be a place where NOEA can
support its members as we look
to the future.
As an industry we need to
be careful that our desperation
to set new dates for events
does not compromise on
the high standards the UK
has set, and that our events
continue to be professionally
produced and executed. This is
really important, and can’t be
compromised, or it could leave
us with even more long-term
issues.
Over the years working with
AAA we have talked about the
positivity, endurance and spirit
of our industry. It’s difficult right
now not to feel the pain of many
of our members, but if the way
forward is reliant on creativity,
talent and commitment, I do
genuinely believe that the skills
and temperaments are out there
in NOEA members and beyond.
As HRH The Queen said herself:
we’ll meet again.
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