Access All Areas Supplements EPS Preview | Page 4

aCcEsS ALl AReAs EPS PREVIEW Right here, right now Duncan Siegle, Event Director @EventProdShow @EventProductionShow @EventProductionShow eventproductionshow.co.uk Dear reader, Well I must say that time has fl own by since I last penned my EPS preview column and so much has happened in the last 12 months. You may recall we covered independent festivals with John Giddings, discussing Isle of Wight Festival’s future plans. Shortly afterwards he sold up to Live Nation, who just happened to be on the same panel. Th at’s just one example of the kind of deal that can take place at EPS. Th is year John is back and debating whether live music can be the saviour of the music industry – I’m interested to see what the rest of his year looks like. Live Nation has been very busy in the last year, acquiring many festivals and events to add to its global portfolio – we will also have some independent production experts discussing how smaller festivals are fi ghting back and off ering a better user experience. Meanwhile, the industry has been rocked by a number of incidents of terrorism, not just in the UK at the Ariana Grande concert, but also in Las Vegas, which became America’s deadliest mass shooting by an individual after fi ring randomly into a crowd of 22,000 music lovers. With the 2018 sporting calendar packed full of events, and with new festivals launching, the mitigation of terrorism is under the spotlight, and is a further issue we will discuss at this year’s show. Th ese are just some of the key topics you can attend at EPS on 28 February and 1 March. Alongside these other key items will be discussed including GDPR (yes it is almost upon us), health & safety, mental health and wellbeing and we will continue our themes on sustainability. We’ve enjoyed putting the seminars together, but there is a lot to discuss within outdoor and live events and I’m sure the show will pick up on many of the current and new themes. Th ere are plenty of other reasons to attend the show – hundreds of new products and services from our many exhibitors, catch up with old friends or meet new ones at the bar, but leave time to be inspired as well – Event Production Show only happens once a year so plan your trip well in advance to maximise your day. Make sure you have registered to attend EPS 2018 at eventproductionshow.co.uk and tickets for the Event Production Awards are available at eventproductionawards. com/tickets. I look forward to welcoming you to the event, Duncan Siegle, Event Director Vi si t u s a t E 24 AAA_02.18_Wowgrass_Strip.indd FEBRUARY 2018 1 PS - S ta nd F6 0E 17/01/2018 12:51 ACCESSAA.CO.UK