The Board of Directors of the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) has hired Rob Bergeron, CAE, as the organisation’s second Executive Director. Bergeron brings decades of diverse association management experience and became ESA’s first full-time employee in the chief staff executive role on April 28, 2025.
“With deep pride and tremendous optimism, I’m thrilled to welcome Rob Bergeron to ESA,” said President and Founding Director Jim Digby. “His leadership marks a pivotal inflection point for this organisation, one that transitions us from a founder-led board to a professional organisation with the structure and capacity to meet the expanding needs of our industry.”
ESA is an organisation that serves the best interests of the live event industry and, ultimately, those who are uplifted by its artistry—the audience. Since its founding, the heart of its mission has been powered by a remarkable community of impassioned volunteers in pursuit of safety across the global live event landscape.
“We are deeply grateful to Don Cooper for more than a decade of groundbreaking leadership as ESA’s founding Executive Director,” Digby added. “His legacy is woven into the fabric of this organisation from working tirelessly to help build this passion-driven organisation. We’re overjoyed that he will remain an active part of our community in new ways.”
Bergeron’s non-profit background includes leading the Oracle Developer & Technology User Group (ODTUG) and the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP). He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential—the marker of a committed association professional who has demonstrated the wide range of knowledge essential to manage an association in today’s challenging climate.
“I am deeply honored to learn from Don and to collaborate with this visionary board of directors toward ESA’s next era of engagement, impact, and growth,” said Bergeron. “I bring a steadfast commitment to its ‘Life Safety First’ mission and am energised to champion a culture of safe and extraordinary live event experiences.”
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
