AEV's eGuide is flying!
The Association of Event Venues’ eGuide, designed to create standards across the event & exhibition industry, has been adopted by FIVE (Farnborough International Venue & Events), the permanent event venue site run by Farnborough International Ltd.
For many years, exhibitors have had to deal with different sets of guidelines and standards at different venues, sometimes requiring them to create entire new sections of stand builds to meet specific site regulations, such as heights of stair risers, or widths of gangways between seated areas. As well as having a cost impact for the exhibitors, this has meant that structures that could have been reused have ended up going to landfill.
By setting down standards that are being used over an increasing number of venues, AEV’s eGuide will save time, money and stress for exhibitors, contractors and organisers. The eGuide will also help support new exhibitors by acting as a how-to guide.
FIVE is a member of AEV, and in December 2010 announced that all new contractors wishing to work at the venue would need to be members of ESSA from that date forward. FIVE’s adoption of the guidelines provides further validation of the AEV and its standards.
"We’ve seen the eGuide in use. Because of the positive commitment made by venues such as the NEC, ECO, Excel and others, and the fact that many of our contractors work at these venues, we felt that it was time to commit to the guidelines as well," says Jonathan Smith, Head of FIVE Operations, Farnborough International Limited. "We believe that, given time and engagement by further venues, the eGuide will become the only document used across the industry. This will make life simpler for both venues and contractors, and improve the standards across the industry."
"We designed the eGuide as a landmark online resource for all AEO, AEV and ESSA members to provide guidance for achieving required standards whilst working on-site at AEV member venues and to make customers lives easier in the process," says Chris Skeith, joint director of ESSA (Event Supplier and Services Association) and AEV.
The eGuide is updated regularly and is free to download from the AEV website (www.aev.org.uk).