Whether you’re hosting an intimate concert, a business conference, or a large festival, security should play a key role in the planning and delivery process for every event. Keep everything running smoothly and ensure your guests have a great experience by identifying common risks and putting strategies in place to mitigate or eliminate them.
Here, the expert team at Frontline Security highlight some of the most common security incidents in event management and some proven ways to keep your valued patrons safe.
Crowd Behaviour
Without a doubt, crowd management is one of the most important parts of any event security strategy, especially if you’re welcoming thousands of people. Some crowd security concerns to look out for include overcrowding and crushes, alcohol-related incidents, violence, injuries, and trespassing into hazardous areas. Make your next event unforgettable in all the right ways with these four steps to keep your crowd happy and safe.
1. Understand and Plan for Your Unique Crowd Risks
Crowd management starts long before your doors even open. Conduct a thorough risk assessment in the planning stage of your event, and ensure that your whole team has a good understanding of any event-specific crowd risks you’re likely to encounter. Know your crowd size and demographic, and plan accordingly. After all, a highly-contested sporting event with thousands of fans in a stadium environment will have very different crowd control needs than an acoustic afternoon concert for families in the local park.
2. Use Appropriate Signage and Physical Barriers
To keep your crowd moving smoothly, have established entry and exit points and footpath routes that are clearly marked with highly visible signage. This will help you guide people through the venue and avoid potentially dangerous crowding. Stanchion off no-access and VIP areas, and use crowd barriers as needed in any high-traffic areas to prevent crushes.
3. Prioritise Health & Safety
A trip hazard or an obstruction in a fire exit can very quickly turn into a serious and deadly crowd management issue. Complete a detailed health and safety audit before event day, minimise identified or preventable risks, write and distribute a comprehensive Health & Safety plan, and delegate Health & Safety responsibilities to competent and well-trained staff. This will help to reduce the risk of injuries and keep your venue, equipment, staff, and patrons safe on event day.
4. Monitor and Respond
No matter how well you plan and what resources you put in place before event day, there is no substitute for an experienced and proactive event management team on the ground. Skilled security professionals can help you monitor your guests and quickly respond to any emerging risks around overcrowding, trespassing, alcohol-related incidents, injuries, and violence. The experienced Frontline Security team understands the complexities of event security; we can spot and prevent incidents before they start.
Traffic Issues
A detailed and carefully considered traffic management plan is critical in order for your guests to get to and from your event safely. Avoid traffic issues by getting input and expertise from all relevant personnel – event organisers, local authorities, and your event security professionals – and use it to craft a clear and well-communicated traffic plan for all relevant staff. You can keep the flow of vehicles running smoothly by mapping and sign-posting vehicle routes, putting barriers around pedestrian-only areas, and establishing clear access pathways for staff and emergency vehicles. An experienced security team is invaluable for your traffic management, as we can direct vehicles, monitor parking areas, and help keep both motorists and pedestrians safe.
Site Access
Many security incidents arise from a failure to effectively control access to your event site. Clearly communicate who’s allowed where and when. Where relevant, conduct background checks for event personnel – this is especially important when working on events with young people – and grant them access to site areas accordingly. Plan for your expected crowd size, ensure that you are maintaining relevant capacity limits, and monitor and scan your attendees through a fit-for-purpose ticketing system. Give your staff, VIPs, artists, and presenters easily identifiable badges or electronic access systems such as wristbands and key cards, and ensure they are checked before access is granted to any dangerous or non-public areas. Give authorised personnel and ticket-holders clear instructions of where to enter the venue, and hire the right security personnel to guard all entrances and security pinch points.
Emergencies
Emergencies can and do happen at events, and it’s important to plan for every eventuality. Don’t let a medical situation, a fire (or even a false alarm), a security breach, a natural disaster, or a weather event compromise the safety and security of your event. If the worst occurs, a detailed emergency response plan will save you precious seconds and could make all the difference. Plan for all scenarios and clearly communicate emergency responsibilities and procedures to every member of your team. Ensure that you have trained first-aiders and crowd management professionals on site to support you and, where necessary, work with your local authorities to put extra provisions in place for high-risk events.
Communication Failures
Every security incident on this list could be caused or worsened by failures in communication. In the pre-event period, establish robust risk assessment and mitigation practices and develop and disseminate detailed security, traffic, and emergency plans. On the day, have established reporting lines and clearly communicate staff expectations and responsibilities. Implement communication protocols – remember that mobile phone service can be challenging in heavily populated areas! A professional security team can provide two-way radios to stay in contact anywhere, anytime, as issues arise.
Leave it to the Experts
Security is not the place to take chances or cut corners when it comes to planning a successful event. An experienced security company can help you put robust plans in place to deal with any eventuality and keep your team, your venue, and your attendees safe to enjoy event day.
Avoid these common security incidents by letting Frontline Security put our expertise to work for you with trained guards and resources tailored to your specific event needs. Contact us today to learn how we can help with crowd control, ticket inspection, traffic control, access, and more.