Managing risks
Events come in many different sizes and cover a wide range of activities. Whether your event is small or large, there are commonalities in the planning process. As the event organiser, you are responsible for planning the event and ensuring it complies with relevant laws and procedures.
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Each event is different and can vary significantly in scale and risk profile. More significant events like mega or major events may have higher risks from certain threats or hazards because of the high number of attendees. However, smaller events (regional, local and community) can also attract certain risks that should be considered. These risks can include the potential for infectious disease outbreak or biosecurity incidents.
In New Zealand, the government takes a holistic approach to risk management, taking everything into account from natural disasters and health hazards to human-made threats, such as terrorism and cyber-attacks. For more information on how government manages risk, read the Counter-terrorism page on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website(external link).
The New Zealand Police provide a suite of resources to help organisers plan for the risks that crowded places can pose - both inside event locations and in the surrounding areas on their website(external link).
Within the central government, there are specific lead agencies designated to manage particular types of risk. A full list of the different hazards and lead agencies can be found on the Lead and support agencies section of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website(external link).
You can find more information about the responsibility on the Key roles and responsibilities page.