Event Safety Alliance Canada

What Event Safety Alliance Canada does

Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC), also legally known as Alliance Canadienne pour la Prévention des Risques Événementiels (ACPRE), is a Canadian not-for-profit organization founded in 2019 and dedicated to promoting and educating health, safety, and security practices for the arts, entertainment, and live event communities. Operating bilingually in English and French, ESAC explicitly serves as a support organization for discussion of reasonable safety practices; it does not enforce legislation, codes, or standards. The organization was influenced by the 2012 Downsview Park stage collapse that killed Radiohead drum technician Scott Johnson, and the Scott Johnson Working Group — established in 2021 with the Ontario Ministry of Labour — remains a centerpiece initiative.

ESAC's product portfolio consists of educational services rather than technology products: in-person training workshops (Crowd Safety, Severe Weather, Incident Management, Front of Stage Barrier Safety, Display Fireworks, Pyrotechnics, Electrical Safety), the Beyond the Curtain virtual webinar series, an annual rotating-city conference, an awards program (Scott Johnson Memorial Award, Builder Award, Safety Excellence Award), a membership program with exclusive benefits and discounts, an email newsletter, and the Scott Johnson Working Group. Underlying technology is limited to a Wild Apricot membership management platform and a Mailchimp newsletter subscription.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring membership fees, one-time event registration fees (conferences, workshops, webinars), and corporate partnership/sponsorship contributions from live event industry organizations. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of senior professionals from across Canada's live event sector, including representatives from Calgary Stampede, MLSE, Live Nation Canada, Exhibition Place, Palmer Audio, Odyssey Medical, and BRANDLIVE Management Group. ESAC operates with 1-10 employees and has no parent company, institutional investors, or disclosed financial statements.

Name

Event Safety Alliance Canada

Legal name

Event Safety Alliance Canada (ACPRE)

Website

https://esacanada.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC) is a bilingual not-for-profit organization founded in 2019 that provides health and safety education, training workshops, webinars, and an annual conference for Canada's arts, entertainment, and live event industries. It generates revenue through membership fees, event registrations, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Safety Education and Training

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Security, Safety & Crowd Management (MPAGAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Security, Safety & Compliance Services (MPAIAFAH), Event Security Management (BPABAMAC)

Keywords

• Event safety education
• Live event training
• Crowd safety workshops
• Occupational health safety
• Arts entertainment safety

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ESAC generates revenue through membership fees. Members receive exclusive benefits and discounts that exceed the cost of membership, according to the organization's messaging.
2. Event Registrations: Revenue is generated through registration fees for annual conferences, workshops, and webinar series. Events include the Annual Conference, regional forums, and specialized training workshops.
3. Partnerships and Sponsorships: ESAC receives support from partner organizations throughout the live event industry. Organizations become partners to demonstrate corporate commitment to safety.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Event Safety Alliance Canada operates as a not-for-profit membership organization that delivers health and safety education to the arts, entertainment, and live event industries in Canada. Its core offerings include in-person training workshops, the Beyond the Curtain webinar series, an annual conference, an awards program, a membership program, the Scott Johnson Working Group, and a resource/newsletter library. The organization does not enforce legislation but serves as a support body for sharing reasonable safety practices based on Canadian regulatory documents.

Product overview

Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC) / Alliance Canadienne pour la Prévention des Risques Événementiels (ACPRE) is a not-for-profit membership-based organization dedicated to promoting and educating health and safety for the arts, entertainment, and live event communities. Rather than a single unified technology product, ESAC offers a portfolio of educational services including training workshops (such as Crowd Safety, Severe Weather, Incident Management, and Barrier Safety workshops), the Beyond the Curtain Webinar Series, Annual Conferences, an Awards Program recognizing contributions to event safety, Membership Program with exclusive benefits, and newsletter subscription. ESAC also hosts the Scott Johnson Working Group focused on developing industry standards and training for the live performance sector. The organization serves as a support organization for discussion of reasonable safety practices rather than enforcing legislation or codes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Training Workshops Educational workshops covering event safety topics including Crowd Safety, Severe Weather, Incident Management, Front of Stage Barrier Safety, Display Fireworks, Special Effects Pyrotechnics, Electrical Safety, and Scaffold Competent Person training, delivered to live event professionals across Canada.
• Beyond the Curtain Webinar Series Virtual webinar series providing ongoing education on event safety topics including OHS on Multi-Employer Worksites, Hostile Vehicle Mitigation, and Show Pause and Stop procedures, available to live event professionals nationwide.
• Annual Conference Annual conference bringing together industry professionals for keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, and networking focused on event safety best practices and advancements, held in a different Canadian city each year.
• ESAC Awards Program Annual recognition program featuring the Scott Johnson Memorial Award, ACPRE Builder Award, and ACPRE Safety Excellence Award to honor individuals and organizations contributing to event safety in Canada.
• Membership Program Annual membership program offering exclusive benefits, discounts, and access to learning opportunities designed to improve safety throughout the arts, entertainment, and live event industry.
• Scott Johnson Working Group Working group established to develop and maintain integrated approaches to processes in the live performance industry, focusing on risk assessment, guidance, standards, and training.
• Email Newsletter Subscription Email newsletter providing updates on upcoming events, news, and articles about event safety in Canada, distributed via Mailchimp.

Quantifiable outcome

• Learning opportunities designed to improve safety throughout the arts, entertainment and live event industry
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Event Safety Alliance (US)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESAC maintains close ties with the US-based Event Safety Alliance, the organization that pioneered many of the workshops and training programs that ESAC delivers in Canada. The US organization developed foundational materials including the Severe Weather Workshop and Event Safety Guide.
• Scott Johnson Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in June 2021 following a Coroner's Jury recommendation, the Scott Johnson Working Group develops and maintains an integrated approach to processes involved in the live performance industry. The group includes industry professionals and representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.
• Actsafe Safety AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActsafe is a safety association serving British Columbia's arts and entertainment industry. ESAC collaborates with Actsafe on sessions and shares best practices for health and safety in the live events sector.
• Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ontario Ministry of Labour is represented on the Scott Johnson Working Group and participates in efforts to improve safety standards in the live performance industry, including development of guidelines for temporary structures.
• Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization focused on crowd safety standards. ESAC board member Paul Runnals serves as Treasurer of GCMA, and GCMA board member Cathy Knowsley participates in ESAC activities.
• Event Industry Partner OrganizationscoreOthersESAC is supported by numerous dedicated, safety-focused organizations from across the live event industry. These partner organizations demonstrate corporate commitment to safety and support the industry's focus on preventing injuries and incidents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA): International crowd-safety organization with cross-membership on ESAC's board (Paul Runnals as GCMA Treasurer). Directly comparable in mission and crowd-safety training scope, but operating internationally rather than Canadian-domestic.
• Actsafe Safety Association: British Columbia's safety association dedicated to the arts and entertainment industry, listed as a Core Strategic Partner of ESAC. Closest Canadian geographic peer serving an overlapping professional community with very similar education and advisory services.
• Event Safety Alliance (US): US-based 501(c)(3) that is the recognized pioneer of the event-safety training category and the originator of much of ESAC's workshop curriculum, including the Severe Weather Workshop and Event Safety Guide. Operates as a direct counterpart and content parent in the same mission.

Broad incumbents

• International Live Events Association (ILEA): International trade association for live-event professionals. Comparable as a membership organization serving the same buyer community, but with much broader scope (production, design, technology) rather than a safety-only focus.
• Event Industry Council (EIC): US-based umbrella body for the events industry that publishes accepted industry practices and hosts the annual Connect conference. Comparable as a standards-setter serving a similar audience but operating at broader industry level rather than safety-specific.

Regional players

• Event Safety Alliance Australia: Australian peer organization carrying the same Event Safety Alliance branding and mission in a different geography. Closest international counterpart to ESAC outside the US, indicating the franchise has been replicated in other English-speaking live-event markets.
• PLASA (Production Services Association / PLASA UK): UK-based trade association for the entertainment technology industry with a strong health-and-safety remit, including standards work and training for live-event technicians. Closest UK analogue to ESAC's education and safety-advocacy mission.

Others

• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - UK Events Team: UK government regulator that publishes the definitive Event Safety Guide and is widely used as a reference by Canadian event-safety practitioners. Comparable authority on event-safety standards but as a regulator rather than an association.

Emerging players

• The Event Safety Professionals Company (ESP): Consulting firm founded by ESAC board Treasurer Jason Gordon providing occupational and event-safety services. Directly comparable customer base (Canadian event producers, venues, and festivals) but delivers paid consulting rather than membership-based education.
• International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM): Global association for venue managers, with safety-relevant training and credentialing (including the Academy for Venue Safety & Security). Comparable audience of venue operators and safety decision-makers but focused on the venue-management profession rather than event safety as a discipline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esa-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Event Safety Alliance Canada