The Event Services Association

The Event Services Association (TESA) was launched in May 1990 and represents organisers, promoters and suppliers involved in the event industry throughout the UK, particularly those involved with outdoor events.

The Association was established to promote good practice in the industry as well as to represent the interests of the industry and provide advice and information for those working in the sector. At the same time the Association has always recognized the importance of supporting its members by promoting their businesses and interests which it does in a number of ways.

• In each issue of Event Organiser magazine supplier members are listed and indexed according to the products and services they offer so that potential buyers can easily find the products and services they want.
• Similarly on this website you will find information about supplier member companies supplying the industry, including in most cases links to their own websites;
• The Association also runs an active tender service which regularly provides new business leads to supplier members and which is used by event organizers as a quick and easy way of issuing tender information;
• The Association also provides opportunities from time-to-time for members to meet and network both through conferences and meetings as well as its Awards programme and luncheon.

An important role of the Association is its function in representing industry views to Government and opinion formers and disseminating information to members.    The Director of TESA, Jim Winship, is Secretary of the Events Industry Forum which brings together some 24 trade bodies from across the event industry to deal with issues of common interest.   He is currently leading the work being done to update the Purple Guide (“The Event Safety Guide - A Guide to Health, Safety & Welfare at Music and Similar Events”) with the HSE and is involved in a number of initiatives to gain stronger recognition for the industry by Government, including the setting up of an All-Party Group of MPs to represent the views of the industry to Parliament.

TESA also organises and manages the British Firework Championships which take place each August in Plymouth and which is now one of the biggest annual public events in the South West.

The Association both aims to keep members informed about legislation and other developments that could affect their businesses and to represent their views and concerns on issues such as the Olympics.