NOVEMBER | NOEA COLUMN
Decisions, Decisions,
Decisions
NOEA’s Susan Tanner is decisive about decisions
for the association’s convention
E
vents are about decision making; a continuous
process of implementation, constant correction,
re-imagining, and agile thinking to create
something memorable and fantastic. The film director
Terry Gilliam was once quoted as saying that the best
his films would ever look were within his imagination
and at best, during the final script phrase; after that
the production elements were a series of negotiations,
acquiescence’s and compromises, each attempting to be
as close as possible to what was originally intended in the
script.
Event organising is much the same, even at the
creation end of the process, compromises have to be
made, decisions are constantly being implemented, to try
and create an organisers perfect vision. So, how about at
the other end of the scale, when something goes horribly
wrong? When the decision-making process is not only
harder, but under increased time pressures; how about
encountering such an instance without preparation or
experience?
This is what the NOEA Convention 2018 is all about.
The theme, ‘It Could Never Happen to Me’ brings the
content back to NOEA heartland; s series of talks,
discussions and workshops with experienced event
producers, opinion formers, and those with something
new to bring to this discussion. NOEA will create a safe
environment for people to share their own concerns
around coping with incidents.
One of our sessions will be a workshop, bought
together by our Futures Supporter, ACT (National) Ltd,
and run by the very able Bev Osborne from Training 4
Resilience, who is already looking at decision making;
“When a crisis or emergency event occurs, a number
of decisions will need to be made – often very quickly,
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without the benefit of having all of the information that
you would like to know,” she comments.
The first part of the workshop will take a light-
hearted look at a crisis event, and consider different
options at each stage of the scenario. Having explored
the importance of evaluating options, and considering
the consequences of decisions, the second part of the
workshop will bring people together in groups to
determine a range of different courses of action
The idea is for guests at the convention to share their
own real world experiences, but also to apply them to
a fake scenario, and to look at ways this experience
can be applied. NOEA has always been about sharing
experience, and this is a great session that means we can
do this in a live scenario.
Also at the convention we have other great speakers
from Dick Tee, Enteetainment, to Simon Hughes,
industry consultant, and our own Becky Stevens,
Hybred Events, all speaking about their own stories,
and lending their experience to the group. We also have
representatives from Operation Gothic and the wider
police force, who will be presenting to the delegation and
contributing to the many sessions we have.
While the theme will be ‘It Could Never Happen to Me’,
the event is all about decision making; the best decision,
as far as we’re concerned, for any event organiser is
to sign up and come along! The NOEA Convention &
Awards will take place in Bath, 21st November, with the
day convention taking place at The Guildhall, and the
evening Awards in the Pump Rooms.
Tickets to the event are still available from www.eventbrite.
co.uk/e/noea-annual-convention-and-awards-dinner-2018-
tickets-40791348020 .
“Even at the
creation end
of the process,
compromises
have to be
made”