1. Introduction
The purpose of this report is to critically analyse and evaluate the risk management of the venue, the Giants Stadium. This paper will also suggest recommendations to enhance the venues risk management.
1.1 Overview
The Giants Stadium is a venue located within the Sydney Olympic Park Precinct (Austadiums 2019). The site was opened in 1998, originally used as Australia’s premier baseball venue and the main baseball arena during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (Austadium 2019). Today, the venue is now a multi-purpose facility, catering to iconic Australian events such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show, X Games, Nitro Circus, Football and RnB Fridays (Australiasian Special Events 2019).
1.2 Governance
Mahoney, Esckilsen, Jeralds and Camp (2015) contend that governmental entities that finance and construct public assembly venues are publicly owned. Similarly, the Giants Stadium is publicly owned by the NSW Government as part of the Olympic precinct. In terms of management, the venue is governed by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, which is a not-for-profit organisation.
1.3 Risk Management
Public assembly venues exist to host a multitude of different events, thus each event has different elements of risk and liabilities (Mahoney et al. 2015). Venue managers and staff fall under the definition of a ‘Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking’ (PCBU) (SafeWork NSW 2019), therefore have a duty of care and legal obligation under the Work Health and Safety Act (WHS) 2011 in ensuring the safety and security of all stakeholders. Rigorous preparation and communication are fundamental to the anticipation of potential problems, as well as mitigating the effect of those that cannot be avoided (Allen, O’Toole, Harris & McDonnell 2011). Therefore, it is crucial that the venue management comply with the WHS Act (2011) as well as an application of the industry’s best practice, AS/NZS ISO 3100:2009 Risk Management Principle and Guidelines (Standards Australia 2009). Ultimately, in order to prepare for the possibility of any risk, an effective risk management plan is fundamental, requiring; the forecasting, identifying, analysing, managing and evaluation of risk, coupled with the implementation of procedures to avoid or mitigate losses (Allen et al. 2011).
