Where and how fans
move as well as their behavior has the potential to create incidents at every event.
The better event managers understand the way their guests’ mobility patterns,
the more effective planning can be. Teams plans should consider the flow
patterns in and around the venue to identify manageable methods to prevent
overcrowding at any location. A few approaches worth considering to better
under your crowd may be to:
Record and examine
spectator arrival times, how they arrive, what they bring, etc.
Conduct surveys of
with those arriving fans, ask where they parked, how they arrived (shuttle,
mass transit), how long they stood in line, etc.
Make use of
existing CCTV to follow a guest upon arrival and monitor how long it takes
until they arrive at screening
By using resources
that already are in place, managers will be able to better understand when and
how crowds move around their venue. One key to understanding crowd movement is
to first understand the space required for each person. Crowd density becomes
unsafe at two individuals per square meter while in motion. By using this
measurement accompanied with venue footprints it is possible to calculate the number
of people that can move safely across all areas of a facility. Venues will be
able to anticipate the types of crowds based on the type of event. Various
areas and questions to ask in the planning stages are:
What is the type
event and why is the crowd coming to this venue?
What is the
attendee demographic?
How will they
arrive, get there?
Does the
team/performer have a large following?
Does the
team/performer/celebrity use social media to inform fans?
Some of the
information the crowd management plan should address is:
Ensure exits are
marked, exit doors are operational, and all egress paths are optimized for
maximum efficiency.
Ensure fire lanes
are unobstructed.
Put in place an
emergency notification plan, including how people will be notified and who will
deliver the message.
Ensure aisles and
other exit routes remain clear throughout the event.
Develop a simple
training program and a checklist to be used by crowd managers.
By addressing these
needs, venue managers will be able to reduce legal liability while preventing
and protecting guests as well as staff from potential incidents.
For more information on the Best Practices, download the 2018 editions of the NCS4 Safety andSecurity Best Practices Guides here
