Purpose

Knowledge exchange, education & training

The EAA offers a platform for members to connect, enabling them to exchange best practices, share ideas and learn collectively. As a result, members can acquire fresh insights, knowledge, and innovations to apply within their respective organisations.

Additionally, this approach strengthens the EAA’s position as a leading voice and a beacon of best practice and knowledge sharing in all areas of the live event business.

“We all face similar problems but often have different ways of dealing with them” EAA Member, 2023

To provide member arenas’ employees with expertise and knowledge specific to multifunctional venues and their operation To create learning programmes and modules that enable our members to stay ahead of industry challenge. To lead the industry with established, tested practices that determine the health, safety and well-being of all our members’ employees and visitors

Advocacy and lobbying

Over the last 30 years, the number of Arenas built throughout the EU member states has increased exponentially and we have found ourselves at the heart of the cultural fabric of Europe, bringing societal and economic benefits for the EU.

Since 2018 we have been working to strengthen relationships with EU institutions to ensure the inclusion of arenas as part of policy-making decisions. The EAA is actively involved in several activities and projects in three key areas: live music, sports and education, training & research and is considered to be a key advisory partner for the European governing bodies.

The EAA works daily to be the leading reference on Arenas in Europe and to be an effective voice not only for our members but also for the wider industry. Our activities include building networks, industry alliances and engaging proactively with regional, national and EU-level policymakers and ensuring we have a seat at all the relevant tables of influence.

We aim:

• to provide a strong and unified voice from a position of experience and integrity and to help the EU governing bodies disseminate their messages to EU citizens across our networks,
• to secure a seat at the table allowing us to engage with policymakers and provide vital industry input to ensure effective decision-making,
• to form partnerships with other associations and federations in our ecosystem to not only bolster our standing but also enhance the overall strength of the wider industry.

Networking

Over the last 30 years, the members of the EAA have mutually benefitted from the connection with other arenas in the organisation. The networking opportunities have created a platform for executives of member arenas to discuss common challenges, learn from one another, and build long-lasting friendships. This informal exchange of information has been a key foundation upon which the EAA has developed.

We aim:

• to create connectivity by building links and trust between members of the EAA through information sharing and generating ‘outside the box thinking,
• to create strategic alignment through a shared value proposition incorporating values and statements around mutual commitment and context,
• to create collective action, such as advocacy, a communications campaign, research initiatives or fundraising.

Content

As a network, we share a joint ambition to have fully booked calendars, filled seats and healthy businesses. The EAA facilitates cooperation, knowledge-sharing and best practices to help develop content in different forms. In today’s highly connected world, stakeholder expectations are constantly evolving and judgement is immediate and damaging where these expectations are not met. There are different needs and desires to balance as well as keeping up with a rapid digital evolution and the pressure to adopt more sustainable business practices. The way visitors consume an experience has changed dramatically and will continue to evolve even faster in the future.

We aim:

• to enable members to develop existing content by sharing best practices and mutual interests and to develop new content by creating partnerships and identifying new business opportunities,
• to create a global hub for benchmark and business exchange and to develop business in new markets beyond Europe,
• to develop space and time between events enabling arenas to become part of a city’s daily life and to work more closely with local destinations and cities to find new revenue streams.