Recent investigations by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Audio Engineering Society (AES) highlight a significant lack of unbiased scientific research in key areas related to the live event sector, such as engineering, acoustics, audience experience, environmental impact, and the health and wellbeing of audiences, staff, and neighbouring communities.
As event attendance grows—especially among young people—risks to hearing health, staff safety, and neighbouring communities are increasing, while evidence‑based solutions remain limited. Industry pressures, fragmented academic efforts, and product‑focused manufacturer research have left fundamental questions unanswered.
To address this, the AES Technical Committee on Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement outlined 25 critical knowledge gaps and recommended creating the HELA Initiative to unite researchers and industry professionals, drive essential scientific research, and support safer, more sustainable sound practices.
The AES technical document states that "in addition to the primary goal of standardizing practice at live events, the initiative would support and lead on key research required to answer the many questions listed earlier in this section (and others that will inevitably come up). Bringing together all professionals committed to achieving the goals set out in this report would mean that the expertise would be present within this initiative to drive research to make on-site and off-site experiences of live events as safe and enjoyable as possible."
Spearheaded by industry, academic and hearing health experts, HELA builds on WHO’s Make Listening Safe initiative and aims to bridge the long‑standing divide between research, regulation, and real‑world practice.
The HELA Initiative officially launched on World Hearing Day in March 2025. HELA Certification launched at the same time and the HELA Research Co-operative followed in September 2025.
