Lena Boons

Master in Criminology, Master in Healthcare Management and Policy

Health & Safety coordinator Pukkelpop

Belgium

About

Lena Boons holds a Master's degree in Criminology and a Master's degree in Healthcare Management and Policy. She is in charge of the Health & Safety department at Pukkelpop (Belgium), one of Europe's biggest music festivals. Her interest in alcohol and drug abuse, sexual violence and mental health in general was sparked by her experience as head of department at the psychiatric hospital Sint-Kamillus and as a scientific researcher at the Leuven Institute of Criminology (KU Leuven).

We Care a Lot

Pukkelpop started in 1985 as a small, local event and has grown into a four-day music festival, with 66,000 visitors per day.

Festivals are about enjoying music together, singing together, dancing together, partying together. That’s why it is of great importance that every visitor, crew member, artist or any other stakeholder feels safe and can experience the festival in the best conditions.

'We Care a Lot' is a story of shared responsibility. Our visitors were encouraged to take care of themselves and others, to be the best version of themselves. And if things did go wrong, we were there to help. At any time and without prejudice.

This keynote addresses health and safety challenges at large events and highlights best practices from our 'We Care a Lot’ project.