Access All Areas Supplements Festival & Outdoor Events Show Preview 2018 | Page 12

SEPTEMBER 2018 | COLUMN
It Could Never
Happen to Me
NOEA counts down
to Festout
T
he National Outdoor
Events Association
(NOEA) will again
be contributing to a packed
educational programme
at Festout this year, with
a preview session ahead of
the association’s convention
in November. The session,
which will take place on the
main stage at Festout, will
feature Phil Atkins, managing
director, ACT; Ian Taylor,
NOEA; Andrew McQuillan,
Flight Safe Drones; and Becky
Stevens from Hybred Events.
The discussion will see
the panelists re-tell real life
experiences of moments that
they thought could ‘never
happen to them’ and how they
overcame the challenges and
what they learnt from them.
Phil Atkins from ACT will
also discuss ways in which
event organisers can look to
avoid major crisis at events
in 2018. The session, like the
convention to come, will aim
to create a ‘safe’ environment
for event producers to discuss
their risks and insecurities
ahead of ‘event day’ so that
they can move to prevent
unnecessary issues at their
event.
The session once again
sees NOEA members
supporting FestOut. Last
year the association was
heavily involved in the show’s
educational programme and
NOEA will be exhibiting
again at the event with a
members networking area
open to event professionals
looking to know more about
the association, what it does
and how it supports the
industry and those working
within it.
NOEA will also be
promoting its annual awards
and convention taking
place 21st November at
The Guildhall, Bath. The
convention theme will be ‘It
Could Never Happen to Me’
and will feature other speakers
from across the industry,
with the aim of encouraging
more event professionals to
tackle some of the tougher
areas of event production.
The keynote speaker for the
convention will be Dick Tee
from Enteetainment, who
will also share some of his
own horror stories from his
own exceptional career in the
events industry.
The NOEA Awards will
also look to recognise the very
best event professionals, and
businesses, excelling in their
own sectors of the industry.
The event, taking place in
the stunning Pump House in
Bath, has become one of the
industry’s most sought after
awards ceremonies. Previous
winners have included The
City of Manchester and its
One Love concert in response
to the Manchester bombings
of 2017, and Michael Eavis,
who was given the prestigious
‘I’ award by NOEA. The
awards will also recognise
events, large and small;
event teams, and support
companies, crucial in making
events happen.