Ops Foundation 2027 is set to return to ExCeL London with two courses designed to give event professionals practical experience and a deeper understanding of event operations. The programme, delivered by The Ops Nest, will enter its fifth year with a continued focus on combining classroom learning with hands-on experience inside a live event venue.
The 2027 programme will provide opportunities for event operations assistants, executives and managers to develop their operational knowledge across a four-day learning experience. Participants will spend two days in the classroom before moving into the venue for two days of practical learning.
The return of Ops Foundation 2027 highlights the growing importance of practical operational knowledge within the exhibitions and events industry, where organisers, venues, suppliers and contractors must work closely together to deliver successful events.
Four-Day Practical Event Operations Course
The Ops Foundation 2027 programme has been structured around both theoretical understanding and practical exposure. The first two days will take place in a classroom environment, allowing participants to develop a strong understanding of the principles behind event operations.
The following two days will take place at ExCeL London, where participants will gain hands-on experience with the realities of delivering exhibitions and events.
This approach is designed to help professionals understand not only what happens during an event, but also why particular operational decisions are made and how those decisions affect different stakeholders.
The course will cover a broad range of operational areas, including technical and build requirements, event logistics, scheduling, security, customer experience and accessibility.
Focus on Real-World Event Operations
One of the central features of Ops Foundation 2027 will be direct interaction with venues, suppliers and experienced event operations professionals.
For professionals working in event operations, understanding the relationship between different stakeholders is essential. An organiser’s decision can influence venue requirements, supplier schedules, contractor activity, customer experience and the overall delivery of an event.
By bringing these elements together, the programme aims to provide participants with a broader perspective of the event delivery process.
The hands-on component at ExCeL London is particularly designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and the practical challenges professionals encounter when working on exhibitions, conferences and other live events.
The Ops Nest Marks Fifth Year of Ops Foundation
Lou Kiwanuka, founder of The Ops Nest, said the programme’s fifth year represents an important milestone.
According to Kiwanuka, the course was created to provide event operations professionals with concentrated access to knowledge and practical experience that can be difficult to acquire while managing the demands of a full-time role.
She also highlighted the longer-term impact of the programme, including increased confidence, career progression and professional relationships developed among participants.
Kiwanuka noted that some of the programme’s earliest candidates are now putting their own teams through Ops Foundation 2027, creating what she described as a significant milestone as the course enters its fifth year.
Course Designed for Event Operations Professionals
Ops Foundation 2027 is aimed at professionals across different stages of an event operations career. This includes operations assistants, executives and managers seeking to strengthen their understanding of how live events are planned and delivered.
The course is particularly relevant to professionals who want to develop their operational knowledge beyond their immediate responsibilities.
Event operations can involve a complex combination of budgets, floorplans, suppliers, logistics, technical requirements, schedules, security and customer-facing considerations. Understanding how these individual components connect can help professionals gain a broader view of event delivery.
The programme therefore focuses on the operational decisions behind an event rather than simply the activities visible to attendees.
Industry Professionals Share Their Ops Foundation Experience
The value of the programme has also been highlighted by previous participants.
Paloma Simmonds of Wonderly Agency for Haymarket Media Group, who attended the course in 2022, said the programme provided more than technical skills and helped develop a different approach to handling challenges and operating within a live event environment.
Simmonds said the experience helped her understand how to approach challenges, think commercially and operate effectively during live events. She also described the course as highly applicable to her career.
Her experience reflects the programme’s emphasis on applying operational knowledge directly to professional situations rather than relying solely on classroom-based learning.
Understanding the Organiser’s Role
Luke Beisiegel, Conference & Logistics Manager at CloserStill Media, also highlighted the importance of understanding what happens behind the scenes.
As an organiser, Beisiegel said professionals are responsible for bringing together elements ranging from budgets and floorplans to suppliers, logistics and event delivery. However, he noted that organisers may not always have complete visibility of how every part of an event works behind the scenes.
He said Ops Foundation helped him understand how different operational components work together and how decisions can affect other stakeholders involved in event delivery.
This cross-functional understanding is an important aspect of the programme, particularly in an industry where organisers depend on close collaboration with venues, contractors, suppliers and other event professionals.
More Than 120 Professionals Have Benefited
The Ops Foundation programme has already supported more than 120 professionals during its first four years.
With two course opportunities planned for 2027, another 42 event professionals will have the opportunity to participate in the programme.
The planned expansion maintains the programme’s focus on relatively concentrated, practical learning while allowing more professionals to gain exposure to operational practices across the events industry.
The participation figures also demonstrate the programme’s development since its launch and its continued focus on supporting professional development in event operations.
Why Practical Training Matters in the Events Industry
The events industry continues to evolve, with professionals required to respond to changing expectations around technology, sustainability, accessibility, safety, customer experience and operational efficiency.
For event operations teams, these changes can create increasingly complex requirements. Professionals must understand how different operational decisions influence event delivery and the wider network of stakeholders.
Ops Foundation 2027 addresses this need by combining structured education with practical venue-based experience.
Rather than focusing solely on individual operational tasks, the course aims to give participants a clearer understanding of the complete event delivery environment.
ExCeL London Provides a Live Venue Learning Environment
The decision to hold the practical element of Ops Foundation 2027 at ExCeL London provides participants with an opportunity to learn within a major exhibition and events venue.
The venue-based element allows attendees to connect classroom concepts with the physical and operational realities of event delivery.
Participants will work with venues, suppliers and experienced operations professionals as they explore the different elements involved in creating and delivering exhibitions and events.
This practical experience is a core part of the course structure and is intended to help participants develop knowledge that can be applied to their own professional roles.
Focus on Career Development
Career development remains another important element of Ops Foundation 2027.
Event operations professionals often develop their skills through direct experience, learning from colleagues and managing increasingly complex events. However, the opportunity to step away from day-to-day responsibilities and examine the complete operational process can provide a different form of professional development.
The Ops Nest has positioned the programme as an opportunity for participants to strengthen their operational knowledge, build confidence and establish relationships with other professionals working across the events industry.
The involvement of experienced industry practitioners also provides participants with exposure to different perspectives on event delivery.
Ops Foundation Continues to Evolve
As the programme enters its fifth year, Kiwanuka said the events industry has continued to change, requiring the course itself to evolve.
While the content may adapt to reflect developments across the industry, the practical learning model remains central to the programme.
Kiwanuka emphasised that open knowledge sharing among professionals from different parts of the events industry continues to be at the heart of Ops Foundation 2027.
The combination of classroom education, venue-based learning and industry engagement is expected to remain a defining feature of the 2027 programme.
Ops Foundation 2027 Builds on Four Years of Learning
The upcoming programme represents the continuation of a training initiative that has already reached more than 120 event professionals.
With 42 additional places planned across two 2027 courses, Ops Foundation 2027 will provide another opportunity for event operations professionals to develop practical knowledge and gain a wider understanding of the industry.
