Organise an event

Organising an event

You may be organising an event for the first time. There's a lot of government legislation that applies to events. As a result, getting all the information you need to run a safe event can be daunting.

This information is relevant whether you're organising a small-scale fete or a large-scale music festival.

Some of the information on these pages is mandatory. And some will help you run your event as smoothly as possible.

In Medway, the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) evaluates events. The group is made up of many council departments and external agencies such as the Police, Fire Authority, NHS and ambulance services.

SAG will assess your event using the following criteria:

• reputation of the applicant and history of previous events
• benefit and safety to everyone: attendees, contractors, performers and local residents
• suitability of the event site
• impact of the event on local residents and stakeholders, such as the emergency services

To help you meet these requirements, we've provided information to ensure you comply with current legislation and best practice in the events industry. 

The Purple Guide

Medway Council and SAG support the principles of the Purple Guide. This is a good source of information when organising events. It was written by The Events Industry Forum in consultation with the events industry.

The aim is to help event organisers who are duty holders to manage health and safety, particularly at large-scale music and similar events.

There's a subscription of £25 for 12 months access to the Purple Guide website. This includes all updates and additional guidance that may be added during that period.