Cathy Wills

The Surry Hills Festival is a one-day, annual metropolitan community event that attracts around 90,000 visitors. About 150 volunteers are employed to help plan and stage the event. The Festival Co-Director, Cathy Wills, talks about her experience with managing volunteers for this large one-day event.

What does Cathy love about event management?

Cathy answers more questions about managing volunteers and addressing regulatory requirements. (.doc 38 kB)

Find out more about this event at the Surry Hills Festival website and here in Manage volunteers.

Wendy Were

The Sydney Writers Festival is an annual cultural event occurring across city, suburban and regional venues. The festival features a range of event activities including international and Australian authors talking about their works. Wendy Were, the Festival Director, talks about volunteers, her role and other success factors of the event.

How do volunteers contribute to the festival?

Wendy answers more questions about being an Event Manager and what makes the festival a success. (.doc 32 kB)

Find out more about this event at the Sydney Writers Festival website and here in Manage volunteers.

Pamela Simon

Without the work of 63,000 volunteers, Surf Life Saving would not exist as it does today. Volunteers occupy roles at every level (national, state and local) of the movement.

Managing the volunteer program for one of the largest volunteer movements in Australia is what attracted Pamela Simon to her position as Manager, Education, for Surf Life Saving NSW.

What does Pamela love about working with volunteers?

What do volunteers do for Surf Life Saving?

Find out more about this organisation and its events at the Surf Life Saving Australia website and here in Manage volunteers.

Warwick Hamilton

Corporate events exemplify some of the most creative and innovative uses of venues or sites, as Warwick Hamilton can testify. Warwick has a lifetime of experience as an Event Producer in Australia and overseas.

How does the venue/site set the scene for an event?

What’s the most successful site that Warwick has selected for an event?

Find out more about Warwick’s events and expertise in Select venues and sites.

Matt Harris

The role of Site Manager for many of the largest outdoor concerts held in Australia sounds challenging, requiring some time to ‘learn the ropes’ in this field of events. Matt Harris teams up with entertainment Promoters, and coordinates the transformation of large venues/sites so that the tens of thousands of people attending will be safe, comfortable and enjoy the experience.

Why did Matt get into event management?

How has Matt developed his skills as a Site Manager?

Find out more about Matt’s events and expertise in Select sites and venues.

Rachel Hurford

Rachel Hurford provides an insight to the legislative issues for large-scale public events managed by a state government, as managed from within the Office of Protocol and Special Events, NSW Government. These special events can be impacted by a range of legislation which crosses local, state and federal jurisdictions.

What are some of the large public events which Rachel’s team manages?

What are Rachel’s tips for keeping up with legislation impacting events?

Find out more about public events and how organisers manage the legal requirements in Address regulatory requirements.

Andrew Tatrai

Security and event safety go hand in hand, and these are two critical aspects for event planning. Andrew Tatrai is an expert in both fields, specialising in event security and safety management. He represents these event industry services which Event Managers can employ to ensure compliance with security and safety-related regulations.

What are the 'pay-offs' of addressing regulations and legal requirements?

What is the biggest challenge you face as a security management operator?

Find out more about security issues and requirements in Address regulatory requirements.

Rodney Cox

Rodney Cox, Director of Exhibitions and Trade Fairs, ensures his company’s events are safe. This means implementing risk management procedures from event conception to end. As Rodney says, risk management is more than just ‘ticking the boxes’. Event Managers need people and systems in place to continually monitor, and respond to, safety risks and to enforce safe practices.

In terms of events, what is ‘safety’ and whose safety are we talking about?

How has increased attention to safety impacted the event industry over recent years?

Rodney answers more questions about addressing safety risks for industrial exhibitions and trade shows. (.doc 43 kB)

Find out more about Rodney’s events and expertise in Address safety risks.