10 Sep How Safer Business Network and Academy Music Group (AMG) are raising the bar for live venue safety
As part of our Summer Event Safety campaign, we’re spotlighting Academy Music Group (AMG) – a leading operator of live music and club venues across the UK, including the iconic O2 Academy Brixton and O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London. AMG is known for delivering world-class, venue-based live music experiences.
Over the past two years, AMG has trained more than 700 team members across 17 venues so far, as part of a wider rollout across its 21-venue estate. This work is being delivered in partnership with Safer Business Network (SBN), whose support has enabled AMG to embed a consistent, scalable approach to welfare and safety training.
The collaboration began with SBN’s Train-the-Trainer version of the WAVE (Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement) programme, laying the groundwork for a nationally recognised training model that continues to grow, with further sessions scheduled throughout the summer.
We spoke with Kevin Haney, Customer Experience Manager at AMG, about how the group is embedding welfare awareness, staff confidence and a proactive safety culture as part of its partnership with its trusted delivery partner, SBN.
How would you describe your partnership with SBN?
Our partnership with SBN is built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to high standards. We collaborate closely to ensure our training content remains current and tailored to the evolving needs of our venues.
Whether adapting materials or addressing emerging welfare challenges, SBN brings deep sector expertise and practical insight that strengthens each session. Their involvement has elevated the quality of our training, making it both impactful and widely respected across the industry.
What has staff feedback been like?
Staff feedback has been consistently positive. We’ve adopted the Attensi app – a gamified learning platform – to support ongoing training. It has proven highly effective with strong completion rates and sustained engagement across the estate.
Modules like the WAVE refresher and Ask For Angela also keep welfare front of mind through interactive, gamified learning. Developed in collaboration with SBN, these tools are accessible, practical and designed to ensure our teams are confident in recognising and responding to real-world welfare concerns.
How has the training offer evolved since you first started working with SBN?
SBN’s training offer has developed significantly since our partnership began. With their support, we’ve moved from in-person sessions to a blended approach that combines remote delivery and e-learning – ensuring consistency across all venues.
This evolution has made training more flexible and far-reaching, enabling us to engage more staff while maintaining high standards of quality and relevance.
How has the support from SBN put AMG in a stronger position?
SBN’s support has reinforced our operations at every level, from management to front-of-house and back-of-house teams. Their scenario-based training and venue-specific guidance have equipped our staff to respond confidently to real-world challenges.
This tailored approach has helped embed welfare into our customer experience and ensured we’re well-prepared during the quieter summer period to build momentum for the busier months ahead.
What message would you like other venues or organisers to take from the AMG & SBN approach?
Make welfare a constant conversation. Revisit procedures regularly, invest in proactive training and empower your teams to be visible, responsive and welfare-aware.
Our partnership with SBN has shown that consistent engagement and expert-led support can embed lasting change. We’d encourage other venues to take a similar approach to strengthening their safety culture.
Captions: O2 Academy Brixton, London – part of the Academy Music Group (AMG) venue estate. Copyright: Luke Dyson. Credit: Academy Music Group (AMG).