Introducing a new safety initiative
Everyone deserves to feel safe at work, but for too many people working in the events industry, that isn't the reality.
Following the findings of The Big Survey 2026, NOWIE is developing Safe to Work, a new industry-wide initiative that turns research into meaningful action. Our ambition is simple: to bring organisations together to create safer, more inclusive working environments across the events industry.
The latest Big Survey report revealed some difficult truths
80% of women surveyed experienced harassment while working onsite at events.
61% didn't report their most significant incident.
19% have left a role or turned down work because of safety or harassment concerns.
These findings highlight the urgent need for clearer responsibilities, better prevention and reporting processes, and greater accountability across our industry.
Safe to Work is a collaborative programme designed to help organisations prevent harassment, respond effectively when incidents occur and create safer working cultures. We're working with partners across the industry to bring together existing expertise, identify gaps and develop accessible tools and guidance that organisations of all sizes can put into practice.
Our ambition is to establish a shared foundation for safeguarding across the events industry, supported by sector-specific guidance that recognises the different challenges faced by venues, festivals, live events, exhibitions, agencies, suppliers and freelancers.
what is safe to work?
