Susan Tanner, CEO of National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA), reflects on Tom Clements’ presidency.
When Tom Clements took on the role of President of NOEA in November 2019, none of us anticipated that the outdoor events sector was about to face the greatest disruption in its history. Within months, the pandemic had brought our industry to a standstill. The question quickly became not only how we would survive, but how we would rebuild in a way that was resilient, credible, and sustainable.
Six years later, as Tom steps down from the presidency, the decisions taken during that period have fundamentally reshaped both NOEA and its role within the industry. One of the defining decisions was a focus on skills, people, and workforce development. At a time when it would’ve been easy to concentrate solely on short-term commercial recovery, Tom acknowledged that the long-term health of the sector would depend on talent retention, professional development, and diversity.
That thinking became the foundation of NOEA’s Build Back Better campaign which shaped practical programmes, influenced how members approached recruitment and training, and helped position NOEA as a credible voice in national conversations about workforce recovery across live events.
Alongside this strategic focus on people, Tom’s presidency also saw a significant expansion of NOEA’s profile, partnerships, and advocacy activity. During a period when government engagement was critical, NOEA strengthened its position as the representative body for outdoor events, ensuring the sector’s challenges and priorities were consistently heard at national level.
Today, our membership engagement is higher, partnerships are broader, and the association is regularly involved in shaping conversations that affect the future of outdoor events nationally. We now move into our next chapter with solid foundations in place. Bev Osborne, founder of Training 4 Resilience, takes on the presidency at a time when skills, wellbeing, and professional development remain central to the future of our sector.