Why your Safety Advisory Group should be your greatest ally.
Let's be honest, if you've never worked with an Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) before, the thought of sitting in a room with representatives from the council, police, fire service and other agencies can feel a little daunting.
It's easy to assume they're there to point out everything that's wrong with your event.
But after years of delivering events with local authorities, we've found the opposite is true.
A well-run ESAG is there to offer advice, share expertise and help organisers think through the practical aspects of delivering a safe and successful event. They won't be involved in every event, but where they are, they can be a valuable sounding board throughout the planning process.
It’s about working together
Every member of an Event Safety Advisory Group brings something different to the table.
We’re initiating plans for crowd movement, road closures and environmental impact and working with those regulatory representatives on the ESAG, it means we have insight into the bigger picture of what is going on outside of our event.
As event organisers, we're focused on bringing all those elements together into one well managed event.
When everyone shares the same goal, it becomes much less about ticking boxes and much more about finding solutions.
Get them involved early
One of the best bits of advice we can give any organiser is don't leave engaging with ESAG until the last minute. The earlier conversations happen, the easier they are.
Need to tweak your traffic management timings? Thinking about changing your site layout? Wondering whether your emergency access is suitable? Those discussions are far easier six months before an event than six days before it!
We've seen time and again how early collaboration saves time, reduces stress and ultimately delivers a better event. We see SAGs as part of our team.
We've worked alongside local authorities for many years, and our relationship with the Rotherham Event Safety Advisory Group is a great example of how valuable these partnerships can be.
They're involved throughout our planning process, they provide another set of experienced eyes during the build-up to an event, and the conversation doesn't stop at the end of the event, the post-event debrief is just as important.
Looking at what worked well, what could be improved and what lessons can be taken into the next event helps everyone keep raising the bar. That's why we don't see the SAG as an external panel; we see them as part of the wider event team.
“It's encouraging to see an Event Organiser viewing Safety Advisory Groups for what they are intended to be: a source of support, expertise and constructive challenge that helps event organisers deliver safe, successful and enjoyable events.
As Chair of Rotherham's ESAG, I firmly believe that the most effective events are delivered through early engagement, open dialogue and strong partnership working. Our role is not to create barriers, but to bring together the knowledge and experience of key agencies to help organisers identify solutions, manage risks proportionately and enhance the overall event experience for attendees and local communities alike.
We value the positive relationships we have with organisers across the borough and welcome the recognition that safety planning works best when it is approached collaboratively. By working together from the earliest stages of planning through to post-event learning, we can continue to support a vibrant programme of events that are safe, well-managed and successful for everyone involved.”
Chris Siddall
Chair, Rotherham Event Safety Advisory Group (RESAG)
Better planning means better events
Good event management isn't about producing the biggest risk assessment or the thickest event management plan. It's about understanding your event, knowing your audience and working with the right people to make informed decisions. Sometimes that means changing the plan slightly. Sometimes it means finding a completely different solution that works even better than the original!
Having experienced people to discuss those decisions with can be incredibly valuable.
The end goal is the same
At the end of the day, everyone wants the same thing:
A safe event
Happy guests
A positive experience for the local community
And an organiser who can go home knowing everything ran smoothly
So next time you've got a SAG meeting in the diary, don't think of it as an interrogation. Think of it as having a room full of experienced people helping you put on the best event possible.
From our experience, that's exactly what they're there for.
