The Association of Brass Band Adjudicators recently hosted an inaugural Contest Controllers' Forum.

The new initiative was led by AoBBA Vice Chairperson, Martin Heartfield with the aim of engaging in open dialogue with contest organisers and relevant organisations regarding all aspects of adjudication and contest organisation.

Key objectives

Martin outlined the keys objectives as:

1. To ensure consistency of approaches and information for bands across all contests.

2. To encourage more participation and retention at contests from bands

3. To further develop the quality of band experience at contests

4. To further develop transparency for the banding movement

5. To provide contest organisers a vehicle to share best practice

New additions

AoBBA's trainee programme was also highlighted as a mechanism from which a range of new additions have been incorporated into current practice.

These included better reporting skills and comprehensive remarks, interactive workshops, improvements on addressing an audience regarding contest remarks, a comprehensive conflict of interest policy, introduction of a mobile phone policy, and where adjudicators are requested to hand in mobile devices (and associated devices) at the draw.

Other areas of discussion included open versus closed adjudication, refined marking schemes, continuity within schemes with simpler paperwork, and diversity.

I was delighted with the response to this new forum with the meeting providing a great opportunity to share models of good practice and positive feedback about working more closely together moving forwardAoBBA.

Delighted

Speaking about the forum, AoBBA Vice Chair, Martin Heartfield, commented: "I was delighted with the response to this new forum with the meeting providing a great opportunity to share models of good practice and positive feedback about working more closely together moving forward.

We all hope that this new partnership will ultimately be to banding's future benefit."

It was confirmed that the next meeting will take place in early 2025 with a biannual meeting structure moving forwards.