Providing traffic management for an event is about much more than putting cones on the road.
It is about understanding how people, vehicles, production teams, organisers and suppliers all need to move around the same space safely and efficiently, often within very tight timeframes.
That is exactly what our team helped deliver for the 2026 PFA Awards at Manchester Opera House.
The 53rd annual PFA Awards took place in Manchester on 25 August 2026, bringing together some of the biggest names in professional football. The evening recognised leading players across the Premier League, WSL, WSL2 and EFL, with Bruno Fernandes named Men’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Bunny Shaw receiving the women’s award.
For our team, it was a brilliant opportunity to demonstrate what dedicated event traffic management looks like when planning, communication and onsite delivery all come together.
Event traffic management for the PFA Awards
Ahead of the event, our operatives worked alongside the various production teams preparing the entrance and surrounding area at Manchester Opera House.
With a high-profile event like the PFA Awards, there are plenty of moving parts.
Production crews need access. Vehicles need to arrive and leave. Guests need safe routes into the venue. Chauffeur vehicles need managing. Pedestrians still need consideration and the surrounding area needs to continue functioning safely.
The PFA had previously confirmed Manchester Opera House as the venue for the 2026 ceremony.
Our role was to help bring those requirements together through carefully coordinated traffic management and an experienced team on the ground.
A dedicated team for event traffic management
Events require a different approach to many traditional traffic management projects.
That is why we have a department dedicated specifically to event traffic management, led by Adam Spires.
For the PFA Awards, Adam worked alongside Ian Wells from Business Development and Josh Devan from Operations to coordinate the project and make sure everyone involved had the information and support they needed.
Adam described the project as:
“A brilliant example of collaboration across the business, with everyone working together to deliver the standard we expect.”
That collaboration extended to our operatives Cameron, Steve and Victor, who worked onsite throughout the event preparations and delivery.
Adam added:
“Our operatives brought a fantastic can-do attitude, energy and initiative to the PFA Awards. Something we’re genuinely proud of.”
For us, that attitude matters just as much as the equipment or the traffic management plan.
Events rarely stand still. Timings move, requirements develop and unexpected situations can arise. Having experienced people onsite who can communicate, think clearly and work alongside other teams makes a huge difference.
Taking the stress out of event traffic management
Event organisers already have enough to manage.
Traffic management should not become another complicated chain of suppliers, unanswered questions and separate responsibilities.
Our approach is to make the process as straightforward as possible.
We can manage the traffic management journey in-house, including:
- traffic management planning and design
- permits and licences where required
- site coordination
- operational planning
- equipment and vehicles
- experienced traffic management operatives
- onsite delivery and supervision
- communication throughout the project
Keeping these elements connected means fewer handovers and clearer communication.
For the client, it means having a team that understands the project from the planning stages through to the event itself.
Transparent communication from planning to delivery
Good event traffic management depends heavily on communication.
We believe clients should know what is happening, who is responsible and what comes next.
Our project teams work closely with clients throughout the process, while our operational teams remain connected to what is happening onsite.
For larger or more complex events, having experienced people present also gives organisers another layer of reassurance.
Adam attended the PFA Awards operation personally, liaising with the client onsite and helping ensure the traffic management continued to work alongside the wider event production.
That level of involvement reflects the client experience we want to provide.
Straightforward communication, clear responsibility and people who remain available when they are needed.
Event traffic management for events of every size
The PFA Awards may be a nationally recognised event attended by some of professional football’s biggest names, but the principles behind good event traffic management remain the same whatever the size of the event.
We support traffic management requirements for events including:
- sporting events
- festivals
- concerts and live entertainment
- community events
- corporate events
- exhibitions
- public celebrations
- large-scale organised events
Every event has its own challenges.
A small community event may require careful management around residential roads and pedestrians. A major event may involve multiple contractors, large visitor numbers, restricted access points and complex vehicle movements.
Our job is to understand those challenges and build the traffic management around them.
One team from the first conversation to the final cone
Our aim is simple.
We want event organisers to feel that their traffic management is in safe hands.
That means providing the expertise needed to plan the job properly, the people needed to deliver it and the communication needed to keep everyone informed.
From local events through to occasions such as the 2026 PFA Awards, we have the team, experience and in-house capability to support projects at every level.
The scale of the event may change.
Our standards do not.
Safety By Choice, Not By Chance.
Need event traffic management?
Our dedicated events team can support everything from initial planning through to onsite delivery, helping remove unnecessary hassle from the process.
Whether you are organising a small local event or coordinating a major public occasion, we can help build a traffic management solution around the needs of your event.
🌐 www.paragontm.co.uk
📞 0800 698 0267
📧 contact@paragontm.co.uk