4 Working Group Summaries

AEV Security Working group meeting 25/09/19 - Business Design Centre

The Business Design Centre hosted our final security group meeting of 2019, welcoming members from all over the UK from Aberdeen to London. Paul Field, security & traffic logistics manager from Olympia London stood in as chair while Steve was carrying out his jury service duties. Further exploration into the AEV/NAA best practice document took place concentrating on content and allocation of tasks.

The group's first meeting of 2020 will combine with NAA to finalise content and next steps. Venue updates allowed members to share any security challenges they faced and an update from SIA allowed the group to widen their knowledge of ACT products. We welcomed Lisa O'Flynn from ABLOY UK who helped us explore digital transformation in physical security and highlighted the challenges faced when securing assists and people, sharing the disadvantages of having purely electronic or mechanical solutions in place and the benefit of utilizing electromechanical systems. The meeting closed after a brief AOB.

Our next meeting takes place 4th March at SEC Glasgow.

Cross Association Electrics Technical Committee and Technology Working Group 06/11/19 – P&JLive

An objective for both these working groups this year have been to monitor the advancements in rechargeable battery technology and whilst this has cross pollinated to the H&S working groups who ran a talking shop on the subject back in August it was agreed that these two cross association working groups should share further thoughts, establish a collective stance and explore how we can manage industry expectations and stabilise any knee-jerk reactions to this emerging technology given its application to battery packs for exhibits, special events and other markets.

26 technology and electric experts from across AEV and ESSA membership travelled to P&JLive in Aberdeen to collaborate in conversation, discuss as individual groups and to gain access all areas to the amazing new space and adjacent energy center. The combined group delved into similar thoughts concerning battery technologies and will be forming a sub group to explore the way forward in research and industry comment. After a short break the groups split into their individual working groups to follow an agenda focusing on certain matters at hand covering recruitment challenges, 2020 objectives, a CRM presentation from SEC's Sammia Shakoor, the live connectivity crib sheets, European venues, complex rigging, a brief nod to surge protection and ESSA's contractor accreditation.

Thank you to both chairs (Amir Vered and Chris Morrison from Olympia London), our hosts P&JLive for their hospitality, all those who attended. The group dispersed after a venue tour when some flew home while others enjoyed an evening out in the city. The first meeting of 2020 for the Technology working group will take place on 16th March at Silverstone Electrics Technical working group to take place on 10th July at QEII Centre

AEV Event Managers Working Group 20/11/19 – Sandown Park Racecourse

An impressive collection of Event Managers from across our membership travelled to Sandown Park for their final meeting of the year. Chaired by NEC's Michelle Baldwin the group welcomed familiar and new faces (e.g. Silverstone, Brighton Centre, Kempton Park) to the Royal Box at this prestigious race course.

As this meeting closed the working group calendar of 2019 Alden updated the group on some of the key outputs from the various working groups. The group re-opened their project with Manchester Metropolitan University and explored various subjects such as reverse vending, digital cloakrooms, venue usage for filming, event technologies, concert entourages/BOH security, duty manager handovers and in-house mark outs.

Future agenda items were explored before an amazing lunch courtesy of the Jockey Club caterers Compass and a great venue tour from Tracy Rusbridge. First meeting of 2020 will be on 12th February - venue tbc.