Taupō's Warwick Hall has been elected to the World Board of Directors of the International Festivals and Events Association. Photo / Supplied
Taupō's Warwick Hall has been elected to the World Board of Directors of the International Festivals and Events Association. Photo / Supplied
When asked why he is so passionate about the events industry, Warwick Hall thinks back to one of the first concerts he ran at the Tongariro North Domain in Taupō.
"It was a free New Year's Eve concert. The whole domain was filled with people, the music was pumping andeveryone was having a good time. I remember climbing up on the speaker stack and sitting for a couple of songs, just watching the crowd and thinking 'it's because of what we've done that so many people are here having a good, happy time'.
"I just remember thinking 'this is such a great industry to be in'. With events, you're only limited by your ability to imagine and create."
Warwick has seen and done a lot since that first concert, and has now been elected to the World Board of Directors of the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA).
"I was on the New Zealand events board and then ended up being involved with IFEA who are involved with about 40 countries across five continents. I was on a global think-tank and you basically help solve issues for different events all over the world.
"I started doing some work in the United States and I'd go to the world conference where they'd dust me off and I'd present on one topic or another.
"[Being elected onto the board of directors] is a privilege and I'm looking forward to making a contribution at that level. I don't think any other Kiwis have been down this road."
Warwick Hall (left) has a background in police, military and event management. Photo / Supplied
He hopes the role will allow him to forge closer ties between IFEA and the New Zealand Events Association.
"That will help with education and networking, none of us are ever too old to learn new things. I'm really keen to see how we can all work more closely.
"We really need some goodness, especially after the last two years. I think everyone has a bit of Covid fatigue whether we realise it or not. It's nice to get the good stuff, like events and festivals, happening. It gives people something to look forward to."
Warwick has more than 20 years of hands-on experience with events, from community to international level, and for 10 years he was the event marketing manager at Taupō District Council.
Seeing a gap in the event risk space, he created an event-specific operational safety audit, Event Safe Audit, endorsed by IFEA, that can be applied anywhere around the world to assess and assist in making events safer.
"When I left the council, I saw a gap in the risk side of events. Events are a really unique environment to operate in and depending on the genre, where it is in the world, there are a whole lot of other factors you need to take into account when determining risk.
"A lot of people writing health and safety plans have no idea what they're doing, you can't know what you don't know. I'd done my apprenticeship and saw the gap so created this event audit system. I've been running that as well as writing plans for and running events."
Warwick Hall working in a safety role at a Tough Mudder event. Photo / Supplied
Like many volunteer roles, those on the IFEA board are there because they are passionate about what they do, Warwick says.
"I am passionate about raising the bar with safety, especially in terms of festivals and events.
He also has a background working for the New Zealand military and police, and runs a second business doing counter-threat work.
"That has to factor into event risk now, depending on where you are. I didn't ever really think I'd be bringing that sort of work back here in New Zealand but sadly, after the Christchurch mosque attacks, I ended up down there on a government contract. I've done a few other government contracts since because I fit a certain space with the combination of events, risk management and military/police in my background."
Warwick Hall's philosophy is you have to do events in order to fully understand them when raising that bar on safety. Photo / Supplied
While Warwick would like to attend IFEA meetings in person, the situation with the Covid-19 pandemic means they are limited to Zoom meetings, the next one being held in February 3.
