ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the critical role of relationships in effective multi-agency working, using ESC23 in Liverpool as a case study. Drawing upon the experiences of key partners involved in the planning and delivery of the events, this chapter explores how long-standing interpersonal and organisational relationships contributed to the success of ESC23. It highlights the value of trust, shared experience and mutual respect in fostering collaboration, facilitating information sharing and enabling rapid, co-ordinated responses to challenges. It explores how established relationships, often developed over years through delivering major city events, underpin teamworking at strategic, tactical and operational levels. The integration of new partners, the impact of informal interactions and the challenges inherent in role boundaries and command structures are analysed. The chapter concludes by considering how Liverpool’s relational approach might offer a transferable model for managing large-scale events in other contexts.
