Safe Events Global has been named winner of the Health & Safety Excellence Award in the Tourism & Entertainment category at the Health & Safety Excellence Awards 2026, held last 30th April at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry. The recognition celebrates the company's nine consecutive years delivering health and safety leadership for Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo, one of the capital's most popular seasonal tourism attractions.

What distinguishes this achievement is the sheer complexity of the environment in which Safe Events Global operates. A live zoological setting presents a layered set of risks rarely found together in a single event: large volumes of visitors moving through after-dark, low-light conditions, intricate lighting and event infrastructure, and the ever-present responsibility of safeguarding animal welfare alongside human safety. Managing these risks simultaneously, season after season, requires a level of planning discipline and operational experience that few safety teams are equipped to sustain.

Central to the team's success has been its long-standing partnership with Dublin Zoo itself. Nine years of continuous collaboration reflect a relationship built on mutual trust, shared understanding of the venue's unique operational demands, and a safety programme that has matured and adapted across nearly a decade of delivery. Rather than approaching each season as a standalone project, Safe Events Global has developed an institutional understanding of the zoo's environment that allows it to anticipate risk rather than simply respond to it.

The judging panel's recognition speaks to this consistency. Sustaining rigorous safety standards across nine consecutive years, within a setting that combines public crowd management with live animal welfare considerations, represents a benchmark for what safety leadership in tourism and entertainment environments can look like at its most demanding.

This win reflects not only a single season of excellence, but a sustained, evolving partnership that has helped make Wild Lights one of Dublin's most cherished seasonal experiences, while keeping visitors, staff, and animals protected throughout.

View the full winners list and explore this year's award categories at www.hsawards.ie/shortlist and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed on future award cycles and industry news.