Why Collaboration is the Strongest Tool You Have
There’s a moment in every outdoor event where you realise the build itself is only half the story. The other half happens long before you ever step on-site, in meetings that feel miles away from grass, rigging, ballast and delivery schedules. It happens in rooms where you’re surrounded by representatives from the council, police, fire services, environmental teams, licensing officers, transport planners, and safety professionals whose job is to ask questions you haven’t even thought of yet.
Outdoor events aren’t just constructed, they’re negotiated. Not in an adversarial sense, but in a collaborative one, because the truth is, everyone in that room wants the same thing: a safe, successful event that doesn’t put people at risk. It took us years to fully appreciate that.
In the early days, SAG meetings felt almost intimidating. A dozen people looking over the plans, asking pointed questions, pushing back on timelines, challenging assumptions. We used to think they were barriers. Now, we see them as the scaffolding that keeps everything standing.
Behind the Scenes of a SAG Meeting
If you’ve never sat in one, it might surprise you how detailed they are.
They’ll look at everything:
• your site plans
• your emergency routes
• wind management
• structural engineering sign-offs
• evacuation procedures
• crowd flow
• medical provision
• environmental impact
• even your comms structure
And they won’t just ask about what happens if everything goes well; they’ll ask what happens if everything goes wrong.
That’s where many events fall apart, not in the delivery, but in the questioning.
This is exactly where experience matters. You can always tell when a supplier or organiser has been through enough seasons to answer calmly, clearly, and without scrambling for a half-formed response.
The Turning Point
I remember one particular SAG meeting for a large outdoor build on the east coast. Wind was the biggest concern, it always is on open ground near the water. The council’s team had questions about anchoring, structural safety margins, and how we’d handle sudden gust changes.
A few years earlier, I might have felt the pressure tighten across my shoulders. But this time, we had every document ready. Engineering reports, ground assessments, ballast calculations, weather contingency triggers.
One of the officers leaned back and said, “You’ve already answered questions we haven’t asked yet.” That’s the moment trust is born. And trust changes everything.
When Authorities See You as a Partner, Not a Problem
Working with local authorities is smoother when they recognise you’re on their side. We’ve built these relationship over decades: by being honest, by being detailed, and by being realistic.
You can’t oversell. You can’t speculate. You can’t hope the weather holds.
You bring the data. You bring the experience. You bring the plan B, C, and D.
The more transparent and prepared you are, the faster decisions happen and the more supportive the authorities become. And when something does change (because something always does), they know you’ll handle it responsibly.
The Best Builds Happen When Everyone Is on the Same Page
What I’ve learned is this: SAGs and local authorities aren’t there to slow you down. They’re there to prevent you having to explain why something went wrong.
A good SAG relationship:
• speeds up approvals
• supports difficult decisions
• strengthens your safety documentation
• protects your client
• protects the audience
• and, honestly, protects your crew
We’re proud that Purvis has earned the reputation of being steady, prepared, and collaborative in these environments. Not because we’ve ever shouted about it, but because when we walk into those meetings, we walk in with experience, clarity, and the knowledge of what’s at stake.
Your Voice Matters
If you’ve ever had a SAG meeting change your event for the better, or challenge your thinking, share your story. Our industry grows safer and stronger when we talk openly about the process behind the scenes, not just the final result.
And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: the more we collaborate with the authorities who shape our events, the smoother and safer every season becomes for the people who attend them and the people who build them!
