Qdos and NoNonsense to Support NOEA Awards 2026

The National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) has confirmed that Qdos Event Hire will continue its long-standing support for the organisation’s annual awards, with NoNonsense Group joining as a new partner for the 2026 edition. The NOEA Awards, which recognise excellence across the outdoor events sector, are scheduled to take place in Bath this November.

The announcement builds further momentum around the awards programme, which places a spotlight on the people, organisations and projects contributing to the development and professionalisation of outdoor events in the UK.

Background and industry context

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The NOEA Awards have become a fixture in the outdoor events calendar, attracting entries from festivals, sporting events, cultural programmes, local authorities, agencies and suppliers. The awards typically highlight best practice in areas such as operations, health and safety, sustainability, innovation, and community impact.

In recent years, outdoor events have become increasingly important to both the wider live events economy and local destinations, particularly as cities and regions use festivals and public programmes to drive tourism, placemaking and year-round visitor engagement. This shift has elevated the role of specialist suppliers and delivery partners, whose infrastructure and services underpin safe and compliant outdoor event delivery.

Industry awards and recognition schemes have served as a barometer for how event production standards are evolving, with a growing focus on resilience, inclusivity and environmental responsibility. Supplier-backed initiatives, where infrastructure and services companies directly support recognition programmes, can also signal how different parts of the value chain are aligning around shared priorities.

Key developments and announcement

Within this context, NOEA has confirmed two key supporter relationships around its 2026 awards:

Qdos Event Hire – The company, a long-term supporter of NOEA, has renewed its backing for the awards. Qdos supplies temporary accommodation and welfare facilities to events, including structures such as cabins, offices, dressing rooms and other on-site units used by organisers, crew and stakeholders.
NoNonsense Group – The group joins as a new partner for the awards. It operates within the events and production space, providing services that support live event delivery. Its partnership marks an expansion of the supplier base engaged with the NOEA Awards.

Both organisations are expected to play roles in underpinning the awards event itself, while also supporting NOEA’s broader objective of recognising quality across the outdoor events ecosystem. The 2026 edition will again be hosted in Bath, continuing a long-standing association between the city and the awards ceremony.

NOEA intends the awards to showcase a broad spectrum of contributors to outdoor events, from local authorities and event owners to production companies and niche suppliers. Over recent years, categories and judging criteria have typically reflected evolving sector challenges, including operational resilience and changing audience expectations.

Industry impact

The ongoing support from established suppliers such as Qdos, combined with new entrants like NoNonsense Group, underscores the central role that infrastructure and production companies play in the outdoor events sector. Their involvement in industry recognition programmes can have several effects:

Visibility for operational excellence – Supplier-backed awards help elevate disciplines that are often behind the scenes, such as site infrastructure, welfare, and operational planning, giving them greater recognition among organisers and stakeholders.
Reinforcement of professional standards – By aligning with awards that promote best practice, suppliers indirectly endorse higher benchmarks for safety, compliance and customer experience across the industry.
Support for sector resilience – Regular celebration of strong delivery, innovation and collaboration can encourage knowledge sharing among event professionals and suppliers, helping the sector adapt to changing operational, regulatory and environmental pressures.

For host destinations such as Bath, the continued presence of the NOEA Awards also reinforces the city’s profile as a meeting point for senior outdoor event professionals, local authorities and service providers. This can contribute to regional event strategies and support local supply chains working within the festival and live events space.

Why this matters for event professionals and technology providers

While the NOEA Awards are not solely technology-focused, the partnerships announced are relevant to event technology providers and digitally enabled suppliers in several ways:

Integration of infrastructure and tech – As outdoor events become more complex, the interplay between physical infrastructure (such as cabins, welfare units and production compounds) and onsite technology (including connectivity, control systems, ticketing and access solutions) grows more important. Recognition schemes that involve infrastructure suppliers indirectly highlight the need for integrated site and tech planning.
Operational data and compliance – Categories that reward safety, planning and delivery often favour organisers and suppliers who can demonstrate clear processes, documentation and reporting. This can drive demand for digital tools that help manage risk assessments, workforce deployment, incident logging and supplier coordination.
Sustainability and resource efficiency – As awards place greater emphasis on sustainability, technology-enabled approaches to power management, asset tracking, transport optimisation and emissions reporting become more valuable. Partnerships from operational suppliers can catalyse collaborative projects that use tech to reduce environmental impact.
Market signalling – For technology companies targeting the outdoor events segment, participation in or alignment with recognised industry awards can provide market visibility and a reference point for product positioning, particularly around safety, audience experience and site operations.

Event organisers evaluating partners for outdoor projects may also look to award shortlists and winners as indicators of supplier capability, particularly in areas involving complex site builds, multi-day festivals or major public gatherings. Technology vendors whose solutions integrate smoothly with infrastructure providers could find new opportunities as organisers seek joined-up delivery teams.

Conclusion

The confirmation that Qdos Event Hire will continue its support of the NOEA Awards, together with the addition of NoNonsense Group as a new partner, reinforces the awards’ role as a focal point for the outdoor events sector. With the 2026 ceremony set for Bath this November, the programme is positioned to again highlight the organisations and individuals shaping delivery standards across festivals, public celebrations and large-scale outdoor gatherings.

For event professionals, suppliers and technology providers, the evolving structure and backing of such awards offer both recognition opportunities and insight into where the sector is placing its priorities. As outdoor events continue to adapt to changing operational, regulatory and audience demands, initiatives that spotlight best practice and cross-supplier collaboration are likely to play an ongoing part in how the market develops.