North Yorkshire Council

Thirsk and Malton Area Constituency Committee

01 December 2023

NYC Safety Advisory Group

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To inform Members of the purpose and role of the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) and the proposals for the new NYC Safety Advisory Group

1.2 To provide a summary of the SAG actions and recommendations with regard to the ‘Pickering Rocks’ Event.

2.0       SUMMARY

2.1       This report explains the role of the non-statutory Safety Advisory Group (SAG) and sets out the proposals for establishing a North Yorkshire wide non-statutory SAG. The report also summarises the steps taken by the NYC SAG in respect of the Pickering Rocks Event held in September 2023 as an event of specific interest to the Thirsk and Malton ACC.

3.0       BACKGROUND

3.1       The operation of a SAG is not a statutory function of the Council.  Councils choose to operate SAGs as a good practice model to promote event safety and they operate in accordance with the ‘UK Good Practice Guide to Working in Safety Advisory Groups – Emergency Planning College’.

3.2       The SAG does not make any decisions on behalf of the Council or other agencies. Its role is advisory and as such it has no authority to either approve or prohibit events.  Where other agencies may exercise their own statutory decision-making authority this is the determination of that agency and not the SAG.

3.3       The SAG co-ordinates public bodies, agencies and event organisers to offer advice to ensure the highest possible standards of public safety at events and to encourage the wellbeing of the public, operatives and others affected by events.  In this context the ‘public’ includes those attending the event, but also those in the surrounding areas that may be affected by the impact of the event.

3.4       The overall responsibility for the safety of all persons at an event, including attendees, event staff and contractors, lies with the event organiser, venue owner/operator and the venue’s management team.

3.5       The SAG is made up of officers that have sufficient seniority, experience, competence and knowledge of their specialist area to be able to advise on operational matters and are from the following services and organisations:

· North Yorkshire Council:

o Environmental Health

o Licensing

o Corporate Facilities Management

o Community Safety

o Building Control

o Highways

o Resilience and Emergencies Team

o Public Health

o Waste and Street Scene

· North Yorkshire Police

· North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

· Yorkshire Ambulance Service

· North East Counter Terrorism Unit

· Other organisations/specialists where appropriate based on the type of event being considered.

3.6       The Chair of the group and administrative support is provided by the Local Authority.  The role of the Chair is to co-ordinate the operation of the SAG in a fair and consistent manner, ensure that the membership of the SAG reflects the need to address relevant risks associated with public safety and wellbeing issues and account is taken of the views of all members of the SAG.

3.7       The SAG must be aware of events taking place in its area and facilitate liaison with event organisers, and through its administrative processes ensure that members review event documentation, attend SAG meetings and site visits and participate in any debriefs to provide technical advice and guidance on matters pertinent to their role/area of responsibility/jurisdiction to event organisers. 

3.8       The SAG must be aware of events taking place on Council land and although any determinations of land leases and licences by the Council, which enable events to take place on Council owned or managed land, are outside the scope of the SAG and where appropriate the SAG Chair must liaise with the relevant person in the Council.  It must be noted that although the Council may have given the control of its land to an event organiser it does not relinquish the Council’s liability in particular, if the Council is aware of any deficiencies and fails to act.

3.9       Where there is a dispute between parties the SAG will attempt to resolve such matters informally through negotiated processes. 

4.0       NORTH YORKSHIRE SAG – PRE AND POST LGR

4.1       In North Yorkshire SAGs were delivered from each of the former district/borough councils from a range of service areas such as Environmental Health, Licencing and Emergency Planning.  This model is still in place; however, the SAG will be delivered by Trading Standards from January 2024 as this service already operates the Safety of Sports Ground SAG which is a statutory function of the Council.

4.2       A North Yorkshire SAG Chairs group was established in 2018 facilitated by the County Council’s Resilience and Emergencies Team to promote the consistent operation of the seven SAGs and to share information and good working practices.  The group membership also included North Yorkshire Police and Yorkshire Ambulance Service. 

4.3       From 2020 and throughout the Covid pandemic the group met more regularly (every two months) and the membership extended to include Public Health and Trading Standards (County Council), Community Safety (County and District/Borough Councils) and the North East Counter Terrorism Unit.  The operation of the group throughout Covid and as part of recovery was vital to support event organisers to comply with Covid regulations and guidance, to support their recovery and protect the public.

4.4       The North Yorkshire group set up a Master Events list, which is available on Resilience Direct, where each former district/borough SAG records the events taking place in its area including details about the nature of the of event.  The Master Event list is reviewed at each meeting of the group and provides a single source of information for member and other organisations to enable planning for any potential impact/s of events on their services.

4.5       As Local Government Re-organisation started it was vital to ensure that the SAGs operated as consistently as possible, as although in general terms the SAGs were operating to the same overall principles, it was recognised through the North Yorkshire group that there were some differences in approach.  These differences were purely based on dealing with the demand and complexities of events taking place in each of the former district/borough councils.  To ensure a consistent approach, terms of reference were agreed for the operation of the SAGs and a triage scoring matrix was introduced to ensure that events were selected for review in the same way in each SAG.  The terms of reference were approved by the LGR Regulatory Services and Emergency Planning Leadership Team.

4.6       Please see enclosed Appendix A ‘NYC SAG Terms of Reference’ and Appendix B ‘NYC SAG Triage Scoring Matrix’ documents.

5.0       SAG SUPPORT TO PICKERING ROCKS

5.1       Members have requested a discussion about the role of the SAG in respect of the event known as ‘Pickering Rocks’. This was a music event held in Pickering on the 09 September 2023 the organisation of which required lengthy discussion between the event organisers, North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Highways. These discussions were facilitated by the SAG and a chronology of the key dates is attached at Appendix C.

6.0       IMPACT ON OTHER SERVICES/ORGANISATIONS

6.1       The Trading Standards Team will manage and support the SAG process however other service areas will be providing members of staff to act as SAG Chairs.

7.0       FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

7.1 There are no financial implications arising directly from this report as it will be managed through existing staff resource.

8.0       LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

8.1       There are no legal implications arising directly from this report, but individual events will carry their own legal and / or insurance responsibilities.

9.0       EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

9.1       There are no equalities implications arising directly from this report.

10.0     CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

10.1     There are no climate change implications arising directly from this report.

11.0     REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

11.1     In view of the Member interest in the hosting of local community events Members are asked to note the role and purpose of the SAG and the proposals for the new North Yorkshire SAG arrangements from January 2024.

12.0	RECOMMENDATIONS
12.1 12.2	Members note the proposals for the establishment of the North Yorkshire Safety Advisory Group Members note the steps taken by the Safety Advisory Group in respect of the Pickering Rocks Event in September 2023.

APPENDICES:

Appendix A – Safety Advisory Group Terms of Reference

Appendix B – Safety Advisory Group Event Triage Matrix Scoring

Appendix C -   Chronology of SAG involvement in ‘Pickering Rocks’

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: None

Karl Battersby

Corporate Director of Environment

County Hall

Northallerton

22 November 2023

Report Author – Callum McKeon Assistant Director Regulatory Services

Presenter of Report – Callum McKeon / Vikki Flowers / Rob Robinson

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.

North Yorkshire Council Safety Advisory Group

Terms of Reference

1.         Introduction

This document sets out how North Yorkshire Council’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) is constituted and includes a Policy Statement and the Terms of Reference for the Group.  It details the role and responsibilities of the SAG, its membership and how it will operate to discharge its responsibilities.

The operation of the SAG is not a statutory function of the Council.  The SAG is a good practice model to promote event safety and has regard to the ‘UK Good Practice Guide to Working in Safety Advisory Groups – Emergency Planning College’.

2.         Policy Statement

It is the policy of the SAG to, so far as reasonably practicable, offer advice to ensure the highest possible standards of public safety at events and to encourage the wellbeing of the public, operatives and others affected by such events.  In this context the ‘public’ includes those attending the event, but also those in the surrounding areas that may be affected by the impact of the event.

The SAG does not make any decisions on behalf of the local authority or other agencies as its role is advisory and as such it has no authority to either approve or prohibit events.

Where other agencies may exercise their own statutory decision-making authority it is stressed that this is the determination of that authority and not the SAG.

The overall responsibility for the safety of all persons at an event, including attendees, event staff and contractors, will lie with the event organiser, venue owner/operator and the management team.

Members of the SAG must declare any material conflict of interest in relation to any matters put before the group, prior to any discussion on that matter.  Should this interest be considered prejudicial, then that person should consider withdrawing to be replaced by an appropriate party agreed with the SAG.

The SAG will have arrangements in place to ensure that appropriate records of its activities are maintained.

The lessons learned via the operation of the SAG will be shared and applied for the benefit of all events taking place within North Yorkshire.

3.         Role and Responsibilities of the SAG

The role of the SAG is to provide specialist advice to event organisers intending to deliver public events in North Yorkshire and to support the Council to discharge its public safety and wellbeing responsibilities. 

The SAG will operate in an advisory capacity and will provide independent advice to event organisers, who retain the legal responsibility for ensuring event safety.  Where there is a dispute, the SAG will attempt to resolve such matters informally through negotiated processes. 

It is recognised that an individual organisation can determine to use its own powers in relation to an event and that this is a decision for that organisation not the SAG. 

The SAG will liaise with event organisers, meet as necessary as a SAG and with event organisers, to review event safety plans and advise on public safety.

The SAG will operate in accordance with agreed Terms of Reference (below), to keep and maintain records of its activities in order that it effectively carries out this function and ensures transparency of decision-making.

General Terms of Reference

· To advise the local authority and/or event organiser to ensure high standards of health and safety.

· To promote the principles of sensible risk management and good practice in safety and welfare planning.

· To promote a consistent and co-ordinated, multi-agency, approach to event planning and management.

· To advise the local authority and/or event organisers in respect of the formulation of appropriate contingency and emergency arrangements.

· To advise the local authority and/or event organisers in respect of relevant legislation and guidance.

· To encourage arrangements to minimise disruption to local communities and minimise the impact of an event upon local NHS services.

· To consider the implications of significant incidents and events relevant to their venue(s) and events.

· To consider the implications of significant incidents and events relevant to the surrounding areas and facilities.

· To consider and promote the introduction of any new legislation and guidance as it applies to the operation of the SAG and event organisers.

· To receive reports relevant to debriefs, visits and/or inspection of the venue or event.

· To promote clarity of roles and responsibilities relevant to the event(s) within the SAG’s remit.

Specific Terms of Reference

· To provide a forum within which the local authority and other key partners can develop a co-ordinated approach to crowd and spectator safety and wellbeing.

· To advise on planning, venue and its immediate environs required by an event.

· To advise on Health and Safety, Licensing, Counter Terrorism and other relevant legislation and guidance for public events and venues.

· To advise on enforcing actions and the duty of care of the local authority and other partners as defined in related legislation.

· To receive reports in relation to event safety found during post-event inspections by group members.

· To receive notification of any issues, prohibition notice(s) or prosecutions relating to events.

· To take on other safety and public protection functions as agreed.

· To maintain an overview of forthcoming events within the North Yorkshire Council district.

· To monitor compliance with the standards agreed

4.         Composition of the SAG

The SAG shall consist of persons with sufficient seniority, experience, competence, and knowledge of their service and to be able to advise on operational matters. 

The Chair/s of the SAG and administrative support will be provided by the Council. 

The SAG members will be constituted to include representatives from the following services and organisations:

· North Yorkshire Council

§ Environmental Health

§ Licensing

§ Corporate Health and Safety

§ Corporate Facilities Management

§ Community Safety

§ Building Control

§ Highways

§ Resilience and Emergencies Team

§ Public Health

§ Waste and Street Scene

· North Yorkshire Police

· North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

· Yorkshire Ambulance Service

· North East Counter Terrorism Unit

Invited representation

Other persons/partners/specialists will be consulted and/or invited to attend meetings of the SAG meetings as appropriate, at the discretion of the Chair to ensure that all issues arising are appropriately considered.

Subgroups

Subgroups of the SAG may be convened to deal with specific operational issues as required. These groups will only involve those representatives relevant to the issue in question and may include representatives of other organisations, including:

· Promoter/organiser

· Specialist contractor

· Security company

· Health and Safety consultant

· Medical service provider

5.         Roles and Responsibilities of the Core Members of the SAG

Role of the SAG Chair

The SAG chair will be one of the core members of the SAG from the Council.  The role of the SAG chair is to:

· Ensure that the SAG properly discharges its responsibilities.

· Ensure that the membership of the SAG reflects the need to address relevant risks associated with public safety and wellbeing issues.

· Ensure that due account is taken of the views of all members of the SAG.

· Keep an overview of all events and event plans.

· Facilitate a consistent and coordinated approach.

· Act as a conduit promoting information sharing between the SAG and event organisers/management.

· Audit and facilitate the audit of an event to ensure compliance with the plans submitted, drawing attention to any deficiencies which may require urgent action or improvement.

· Where appropriate review and facilitate the review of events through a formal debrief process, including any significant incidents or ‘near misses’ and ensure recommendations are made where appropriate.

· To ensure and monitor compliance with the standards agreed.

Role of Members

Each service/organisation will be represented by an officer who will review event documentation, attend SAG meetings, and site visits where appropriate to provide technical advice and guidance on matters pertinent to their role/area of responsibility/jurisdiction.  Members will refer to current legislation and guidance within their particular role/responsibility and will participate in any debriefs where appropriate. 

SAG members will be aware of their role and responsibility in relation to the operation of the SAG and will also have regard to the effect an event may have on the ability of their organisation to perform its functions including responding to an incident at the event.

Where members of the SAG become aware of events taking place within North Yorkshire, they must notify the SAG chair.

6.         Operation of the SAG

The Council will facilitate the operation of the SAG by providing administrative support, which will include:

· Maintenance of a master list of events known to be taking place within North Yorkshire.

· Have arrangements in place for intelligence/information gathering regarding events taking place in North Yorkshire

· Engagement with event organisers to facilitate the provision of event safety plans and the exchange of information between event organisers and the SAG members.

· Ensure members of the SAG are informed and aware of events taking place in North Yorkshire to facilitate discussion and consideration of risk related to each event.

· Select events that will be considered by the SAG (in accordance with the SAG’s triage criteria).

· Arrange meetings of the SAG with event organisers where appropriate (in accordance with the SAG’s triage criteria).  This will include the production of meeting agendas and minutes of the meetings which will be circulated to and agreed by the members of the SAG.  Minutes of the meetings will be provided to the relevant event organiser.

· Where deemed appropriate arrange site visits before and/or during events with relevant members of the SAG and ensure appropriate records are made of the visits and relevant information provided in writing to the event organisers.

· Facilitate review and debrief procedures which include feedback to the event organiser and members of the SAG.

· Maintain records of all activities to ensure accountability and transparency in all processes and decision making.

7.         Status of SAG and conflicts of interest

The SAG cannot take any decisions on behalf of the Council, its role is advisory.  The ultimate responsibility for any event safety lies with the event organiser and their management team.

Core members of the SAG must declare any conflict of interest in relation to any item put before the SAG, prior to any discussion on that matter.

If the interest could be considered prejudicial, then that person should withdraw and be replaced by an appropriate party agreed with the SAG.

8.         Liaison with other Departments in the Council

Safety at Sports Ground SAG

The Safety at Sports Grounds SAG, which is a statutory function of the Council, is operated within Trading Standards and chaired by a Trading Standards Officer.  Safety at sports ground matters will be referred to the Safety at Sports Grounds SAG.  There will be times when collaboration is required to facilitate event safety and it is the responsibility of both SAG chairs to ensure that appropriate consultation takes place.  In such circumstances in may be necessary for joint SAG meetings to take place, which would be chaired by the chair of the Safety at Sports Ground SAG.

Licencing of Council Land

The determinations of land leases and licences by North Yorkshire Council, which enable events to take place on Council owned or managed land, are outside the scope of the SAG.  The Council has specific governance arrangements in respect of such determinations which are in place based on the former district boundaries as follows:

Craven

Property Assets and Commercial Services

Asset Manager, Katie Entwistle

Katie.Entwistle@northyorks.gov.uk

Hambleton

Asset Management Working Group - multi-disciplinary group

Corporate Facilities Manager, Clive Thornton

Clive.Thornton@northyorks.gov.uk

Harrogate

Parks and Environmental Services via a specialist events manager

Head of Parks and Environmental Services, Alison Wilson

Alison.Wilson@northyorks.gov.uk

Richmondshire

Grounds Maintenance Team undertakes this role with the support of the Legal Team when required.

Manager post is vacant and being covered by Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, Dave Lodge

David.Lodge@northyorks.gov.uk>

Ryedale

Economic Development Team with input from Street Scene and Facilities

Economic Development Service Manager, Amy Thomas

Amy.Thomas@Ryedale.gov.uk

Scarborough

Estates

Head of Estates, Brian Walker

Bryan.walker@northyorks.gov.uk

Selby

Property Services

Lead for property Services, Phil Hiscott

phiscott@selby.gov.uk

Where appropriate the SAG Chair will liaise with the relevant person as detailed in the list above regarding events taking place on Council owned or managed land as although the Council may have given the control of its land to an event organiser it does not relinquish the Council’s liability entirely (or at all), in particular, if the Council is aware of any deficiencies and fails to act.

9.         Review

The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually or following just cause by any member of the SAG to ensure they remain appropriate, fit for purpose and in accordance with current guidance and best practice.

North Yorkshire Council Safety Advisory Group Event Triage
Event:		Scoring Bands	Outcome
Venue:		Low = Below 30	Self help direct to website
Organiser:		Med = 31 to 69	Circulate event plans digitally and feedback comments
Total Attendess:		High = 70  to 99	SAG meeting
Date:		Very High = 100 to 146	SAG meeting and recommend site visit
Total Score:	0
Outcome:
A	Predominant Nature of Event	Possible Score	Actual Score	max	min
1	Air Display / Motor Racing	20		20	2
2	Live Music - Dance / DJ / Rave Event	10
3	Live Music - Pop / Rock Concert	10
4	New Year Celebrations	8
5	Bonfire / Fireworks Display	8
6	Sporting Event (Run, Cycling, Ice Skating, Water sports)	4
7	VIP / State Visit	4
8	Agricultural / Country Show	4
9	Community / Charity - Festival / Parade / Funday / Funfair / Circus / Market	2
10	Public Exhibition	2
11	Classical concert / Theatrical / Variety show	2
12	Other (please state):
B	Venue
1	CDM Extensive build not sterile	10		10	2
2	Public Open Space	10
3	Poor access & egress for pedestrians	8
4	Poor access & egress for vehicles	8
5	Remote location	6
6	Private water distribution system	3
7	Private land	3
8	Council Land	2
9	CDM Minimal build not sterile	2
10	Private water supply	2
C	Audience Profile
1	Full mix (rival factions)	10		10	2
2	Predominately Adult only (18+)	8
3	Predominantly children / young adults	8
4	Predominantly elderly	6
5	Full mix (non family)	6
6	Full mix in family groups	2
7	Specialist/enthusiast competitor	2
D	Expected Numbers (per day at any one time)
1	20,000 +	20		20	1
2	<20,000	16
3	<10,000	12
4	<5,000	8
5	<3,000	4
6	<1,000	2
7	<500	1
E	Past History
1	First event, new venue, no data	10		10	0
2	Existing event with previous serious issues / issues not rectified	10
3	Existing event with previous serious issues / issues rectified	8
4	Existing event with previous  minor issues / issues not rectified	6
5	Existing event with previous minor issues / issues rectified	4
6	Existing event, no previous issues	0
F	Activities
1	Alcohol (temporary event notice)	6		6	4
2	High risk food concessions	6
3	Amplified music >1 day	6
4	Alcohol (licensed site)	4
5	Low risk food concessions	4
6	Stage	4
7	LPG/BBQs	4
8	Animal displays	4
9	Camping	4
10	Lasers/fireworks/pyrotechnics	4
11	Amplified music <1 day	4
12	Noisy activities e.g. generators operating overnight	4
13	Inflatable play equipment	4
14	Temporary electrical installation	4
G	Temporary Demountable Structures
1	Multiple (5+) structures (staging, towers, marquees, grandstands)	10		10	2
2	1 or more large structure (main stage, marquee, platform, grandstand, ride, attraction)	8
3	Multiple (5+) small structures (trailer stage, marquees, pop-ups, stall, rides)	6
4	Less than 5 small structures (trailer stage, marquees, pop-ups, stalls, rides)	4
5	Small gazebo type structures	2
H	Traffic Management
1	High impact on the wider road network (extensive road closures, TM works and diversionary routes)	20		20	0
2	High impact on the local road network and / or impact on wider road network (multiple road closures & diversionary routes)	10
3	Low impact on the local road network (single road or rolling closure, minor diversion)	6
4	No closures	0
I	Additional Considerations
1	Event held on / close to river, lake, sea, any body of water	10		10	8
2	Multi discipline / location event	10
3	Multiple day event / overnight camping	10
4	Mass participation / widespread public location in streets	10
5	Fireworks Display / Event Pyrotechnics / Lasers (additional to predominant nature)	10
6	Event held at night	6
7	Likelihood of extreme weather conditions	6
8	Key date clash (for example August Bank Holiday)	8
9	Political / Religious gathering	8
J	Confidence in Management
1	Inadequate documentation, no evidence of event planning and risk assessment.  No proven track record	10		10	2
2	Incomplete documentation, some evidence of event planning and risk assessment. Some experience of event organising.	5
3	Complete documentation, detailed event plan and risk assessment. Experienced event organiser.	2
K	Public Health / Health Protection Considerations
1	National Outbreak / Pandemic Situation	20		20	2
2	Local outbreak situation attendees  predominantly in high risk groups inadequate controls	10
3	Local outbreak situation attendees predominantly in high risk groups adequate controls	6
4	Local outbreak situation attendees predominantly not in high risk groups inadequate controls	4
5	Local outbreak situation attendees predominantly not in high risk groups adequate controls	2
6	Attendees in high risk groups inadequate controls	4
7	Attendees in high risk groups adequate controls	2
	Total Score	Max Score 146 -  Low Score 25	0	146	25

Chronology of SAG Involvement
2022	Pickering Rocks
March	Submission of Pickering Rocks Event Management Plan (EMP).  Proposal to hold a rock music festival 14:00hrs – 23:00hrs in Pickering Market Place.  Pickering Market Place is a Public Open Space where numbers of attendees cannot be controlled and where only uniformed police officers can carry out effective public safety control measures.
April - June	Numerous discussions, email exchanges between event organisers and SAG members where main thrust from SAG was for the event to be moved onto private land where effective public safety controls could be carried out by event staff and for the prevention of public nuisance (Reduce the noise impact on Pickering residents)
August	1st August - Full SAG Meeting, Ryedale House, Malton to consider Pickering Rocks which was proposed to be held 10^th September. 4th August - SAG inform event organisers that they are unable to support the proposed event in Pickering Market Place due public safety concerns.  Letter sent informing of this decision
2023	Pickering Music Festival
February	Event organisers meet with North Yorkshire Police (NYP) to discuss proposals for 2023 event.  Proposal still to hold the event in Pickering Market Place. NYP re-affirm concerns about holding the event in a public open space and suggest alternative venue, Community Park, Pickering.
March	Submission of Pickering Music Festival Event Management Plan (EMP). Significant change to type of event to be held now proposing a family orientated music event, 12:00hrs – 18:00hrs, face painting, funfair rides, fancy dress competition, brass band, school choir, Pickering’s Got Talent, no rock music proposed.
April - May	Email exchanges between SAG members and event organisers to tease out further information and to address concerns raised by SAG members.
June	20th June - Full SAG Meeting, Ryedale House, Malton to consider Pickering Music Festival. North Yorkshire Police request further details and confirmation on arrangements relating to: · Road closures/ Sterile Zone · Evacuation routes · Rendezvous points · Security staff · Consultation with residents/business owners Event Organisers informed that if the above are satisfactorily addressed SAG would be in a position to support the event. Event organisers agreed to submit additional information within two weeks.
August	2nd August – North Yorkshire Police and SAG chair meet to discuss re-assessment of Pickering Music Festival following additional information being received.  NYP still required some minor alterations/additions to the EMP and inform event organisers via email. 10th August – SAG inform event organisers that they are now in a position to support the event following receipt of all outstanding information.
September	9th September – Pickering Music Festival held. 28th September – Pickering Music Festival de-brief.  Event organisers inform of their intentions to hold the same type of event next year.