Event Safety: Why Every Venue Needs a Crowd Manager

A big turnout is the double-edged sword of event planning. While a packed house might be a testament to an event’s popularity, it can also present significant crowd control challenges. In this article, we'll explore the importance of crowd management and provide expert tips on how to do it effectively.

Ensuring Attendee Safety

One of the overarching principles behind crowd management is patron or crowd safety. Mass gatherings can quickly go from enjoyable and friendly to asphyxic and deadly in a heartbeat. This is where crowd management and crowd science come into play when planning for an event. Factors to consider are:

• Crowd Density - The number of people per meter in a given space

• Crowd Movement - The flow and behavior of people as they move through a space

• Emergency Movement - The rapid and urgent movement of people in response to a critical situation or threat

As crowd density increases, so does the risk of overcrowding and crowd crushing. To ensure the safety of our patrons, we must first understand the limits of crowd densities. Another fundamental aspect of crowd safety is ease of navigation throughout the venue, including during an emergency. It’s important to know capacity limits to vital emergency exits and high traffic areas. 

Preventing Property Damage

Crowd densities that exceed the maximum level are not only dangerous, but also costly to your property. When crowd densities begin to fill up all available moving and standing space, damages inevitably occur due to the constriction in the area. During this constriction we see damages to:

• Signage

• Stanchion

• Portable bars and bathrooms

• Tables, chairs, and furniture

This cause-and-effect dynamic is consistently observed in numerous mass gatherings. Damage prevention starts with successful planning and crowd modeling. Understanding and planning around the mathematical limits of your space is imperative. Without this pre-planning, event organizers jeopardize their ability to provide guests with both a safe and enjoyable environment. The damages could be significant too. To help better prepare your teams, crowd managers are able to precisely calculate crowd flow limitations to help prevent costly property damage.

Enhancing Attendee Experience

Crowd managers and event organizers can help make the patron experience a smoother process through effective venue management and crowd flow support, using methods like:

• Patron Infrastructure Metrics

• Line Queueing

• Crowd Flow Design

In terms of quantifying the data for evaluation, the mathematics used to determine how long it will take someone to get through any line are similar to those used for counting space limits. These calculations can be applied to arrival of crowds, gate times, and concession lines. The goal is to take the information and use it to our advantage, but also to be able to prepare for realistic response times in emergency situations. There are many different methods for line queue experiences, crowd flow designs and patron infrastructure. As crowd managers, we will help you find the right solution for your venue or event. 

Facilitating Emergency Response

No matter how hopeful you are that an emergency won’t happen, you should always be prepared for one. Important emergency crowd flow modeling should be adopted prior to any event, but you should always have an expert check your emergency response and crowd flow strategies. It’s key to look at:

• Emergency response wayfinding

• Emergency response team support

• Recovery plans for dire situations

Whether you have sports events or festivals, emergency response teams are a necessary resource for event organizers. How you enable getting those resources around your facility is just as important. Crowd management teams play a crucial role in enabling swift and effective emergency response by practicing tried-and-tested methodologies that have a proven track record of success. 

Compliance with Regulations

When planning an event, it’s crucial to consider factors such as location, size, and entry/exit points to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and minimize liability risks. Many areas of public assembly and their event organizers don’t follow NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, a requirement by US Fire Marshals, that states there is a need for 1 Trained Crowd Manager (or staff member) per 250 patrons in a place of public assembly. For an event of 100,000 there should be 400 Trained Crowd Managers (or staff members) who can provide expert support for an emergency event. Having crowd management professionals on board can make a substantial difference in ensuring your staff is adequately trained and equipped to meet the required standards. Safeguard your event’s success — leverage our crowd management expertise for a compliant and stress-free event experience.

Experience the Difference. Trust the Experts. CrowdSafe Group — where safety meets sophistication. 

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