By Carl Hagemann, General Manager at ADIPS
With MSP Christina McKelvie, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development
Event strategy focus on safety and health welcomed
ADIPS is a passionate supporter of the events industry so we were delighted recently to support the E Awards in Edinburgh. Well done once again to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival for scooping the top prize in the category we sponsored, Best Large Festival.
Scotland was an appropriate place to be showcasing all that is good in events currently. It is a nation with a rich history of staging first-rate events, indoor and outdoor, large and small, and recently the Scottish Government launched a survey as part of a review of its national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage (2015-2025).
The sector, Government and VisitScotland, in collaboration with trade unions and local authorities, want to set a clear direction to the end of 2035, and they are seeking people’s responses to a range of questions in this survey.
Among those invited to take part are people who attend events, residents living in communities where events are held and those working in the Scottish events industry.
And comments are sought on a range of issues, including the accessibility of events, what it’s like to work in the sector and how events in Scotland can continue to collaborate and innovate.
ADIPS presents E Award to Belladrum
As a standards setter in the use of amusement devices – a key part of events, particularly large outdoor ones such as the Tartan Heart Festival – ADIPS has an especially keen interest in how the survey aims to get people’s views on the safety, health and wellbeing impact of events. Indeed, we have been involved in discussions at the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood, recently, including a Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain cross-party group meeting on enabling funfairs to continue to prosper in Scotland.
And two key areas of the survey stand out for me.
1 Safe working environments – the survey asks for people’s views on the implementation of fair work practices in the events industry, and this includes providing safe and secure workplaces and promoting positive work cultures
2 Individual and community wellbeing – it is hugely encouraging to see a focus in the survey on the positive impact events can have on communities and individuals. After a period of disruption caused by the pandemic, we are now seeing how much we have all missed the benefits of attending a well-run event in our community
ADIPS welcomes the survey and, in particular, the attention given to safety, health and wellbeing. In response to the questionnaire, we support the ambition of the new Scottish events strategy and we encourage a continued, central focus on the impact events have on people’s safety, health and wellbeing.
ADIPS will continue to do everything we can to support the continued success of a safe, sustainable and prosperous events industry in Scotland and throughout the UK.
Take part in the Scotland national events strategy survey here.
