A view from the stage of a massive concert audience illuminated by numerous tiny lights, creating a starry effect against the dark night.

YOUROPE Event Safety Group

Working as a think tank in the field of Event Safety, Security and Crowded Spaces management, the YES Group (YOUROPE Event Safety Group) influences and promotes best practices in this field across Europe. The Group has organised numerous meetings and seminars between Event Safety managers and experts for the past 20 years, to enhance learning and encourage the exchange of experiences in the field. 

The next YES Group seminar takes place at ESNS in Groningen in January 2025. Registration will be opened towards the end of 2024.

Having expertise in both academic theory and practice in the field, YES Group members and associates are regularly invited as speakers to public conferences, panel sessions and professional conventions at national and international levels to share their knowledge.

Every year at the European Festival Awards ceremony, the YES Group gives out the Event Safety Award (formerly Health & Safety Innovation Award) to a European festival. Decided by a jury of YES Group members, the award goes to a festival who played a substantial role during the previous year in moving towards safer festivals and events.

Health & Safety – Introduction

Originally founded by Prof. Chris Kemp (Mind over Matter – UK) and Henrik Bondo Nielsen (Roskilde Festival – DK), the YES Group has been created following an accident at Roskilde Festival in 2000 that lead to the death of several people. The initial goal was to improve safety for festivals across Europe, and this is still YES Group’s goal many years later. Today, the YES Group is a strong network, led and managed by a team of high profile experts in event safety and crowd management, representing venues and festivals among the most respected in Europe.

Coordination:
Pascal Viot (Paleo Festival – CH) & Henrik Bondo Nielsen (Roskilde Festival – DK)

Administration:
Amandine Massy (Paleo Festival – CH)

Programming and advisory team:
Coralie Berael (Forest National Bruxelles – BE)
Alexandra von Samson (Superbloom Festival & Lollapalooza Berlin – DE)
Morten Therkildsen (Roskilde Festival – DK)
Gerard van Duykeren (The Security Company – NL)
Ralf Zimme (IBIT Institute – DE)
Sabine Funk (IBIT Institute – DE)
Andy Mestka (OpenAir St.Gallen – CH)
Markus Wiersch (Das Fest – DE)

Become a member

Every member organization of YOUROPE is highly encouraged to send representatives as participants to YES Group activities. Further, YES Group is currently looking for the new generation of YES Group leadership. If you are interested in becoming part of the coordinating team, don’t hesitate to contact them!

In addition, considering the field of knowledge covered by the YES Group is not only relevant for YOUROPE members, the YES Group will also admit associate members who are not a part of YOUROPE to its seminars.

  • Would you like to become an associate member of the YES Group?
  • Would you like to receive information about our future activities?
  • Would you like to share your knowledge and experiences with our YES Group?

Please feel free to contact us!

Contact YES Group

Pascal Viot
Paléo Festival Nyon (Switzerland)
+41 (0)22 365 11 37

Henrik Bondo Nielsen
Roskilde Festival (Denmark)

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