The Hong Kong chapter of the International Special Events Society has expressed shock and sadness at an explosion during a party at a water park near Taipei which left scores of youngsters critically injured and hundreds suffering burns.
"We are deeply saddened to hear about the fatal explosion and horrific injuries at the recent Color Play event at the Formosa Fun Coast Water Park in Taiwan. The explosion was reportedly caused by poor management and compounded by lack of proper emergency planning. This highlights the need for more education for the events industry in Asia," a statement issued by the chapter said.
The chapter will hold a discussion and lecture on Monday. July 13, entitled “Safety and Security for Special Events” led by Bruce McLaren, of Signal 8 Security The venue – in Central, Hong Kong – will be announced in the coming days, but anyone interested in attending should register here as seats are limited.
A spokesman for the International Special Event Society of Hong Kong says the chapter has been providing educational opportunities to the city's events community since 2005, including training in risk management, event insurance and emergency first response for events certification. "Many of our members manage large-scale events with large numbers of people. We encourage all our members to adhere to strict standards, inspections, safety training, and carry liability insurance."
Robert Rogers, who holds a CSEP (Certified Special Event Professional) qualification added: “Generally the Hong Kong event industry is very professional. We have been very lucky so far with no major incidents. However, it doesn’t take much to get into the business, all you need is a business card. The public should be aware true event professionals have experience and proper training.”
