In this section, you and your team will think about how you will communicate with patrons and other external people at your event and how this will help to prevent problems. Internal communications are dealt with in the processes section.
Consider having a wider discussion with your team to think about the types of communication your event will have, who you will be communicating to and what your timeline will be. Here are some other things to consider:
There is also no point in talking in a corporate language to 17 and 18 year olds, you need to communicate on their level.
- Brendan Hines, General Manager of Spark Arena
Remember to include key messaging and communication pieces into the event briefings of your frontline workforce which includes volunteers right through to security staff. The use of staff briefing handouts or aide memoirs can help prioritise drug-specific information for staff to share with patrons in a friendly non confronting manner and approach.
-Ashley Quensell, EVANZ Board Member, General Manager of National Operations at P4G.
Effective communication is very important. Event organisers should consult with the medical provider early in the planning stage. Often the ‘first-aid’ provider is a last minute add-on to comply with HS&W obligations. Organisations like St John Event Health Services have years of experience supplying medical cover to major events of all descriptions. They can assist with your safety plans, medical plans and obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Another tip is to have a robust communications plan for your event which is shared between all the stakeholders, including same grid style maps for all, same radio channels, and utilising an event management platform like Blerter are great ways to run a smooth event.
- Glen Hoult, Event Risk and Specialist Team Manager, St John
These resources have been created for event organisers, by event organisers. They were commissioned by Health Promotion, Health New Zealand -Te Whatu Ora, and the NZ Drug Foundation helped the working group share their expertise. Much thanks and appreciation to those who've contributed.