When organizing a big event, such as a sports match, a music festival, or an international conference, you need to have a crowd control plan. It’s because there will be hundreds and thousands of people attending the event and you will have to ensure nothing bad happens. In other words, having a crowd control plan, as the name says itself, means you will have the crowd under control.
But why is this important? Simply told because you are dealing with lots of different people with different characters and you don’t know what may happen during the event. For example, they could be a sudden fight between two or a group of attendees because they are fans of the opposite teams playing on the football match. Or there might be people who get lost in the hallways of the venue where the event is held looking for a toilet.
Regardless of the situation, it’s something you wouldn’t like to happen because it will negatively affect the event organization. In order to minimize the risk of unpredicted events, you need to learn more about the crowd that will be on the event. Once you know what kind of people will be there, you will be able to prepare the place by placing signs around the venue, line dividers, and securing the place.
Namely, if you are organizing a rock concert, you assume that most of the attendees will be teenagers and young adults who might get drunk and start a fight. On the other hand, if you are organizing a business meeting, you assume that there will serious businessmen who will most probably not cause any unpleasant situation. If this is your first event or you are not sure how to analyze the crowd, here are several things you should do.
Once you have information about the crowd, you can create a crowd profile. A crow profile is similar to a buyer persona profile because it helps you gather all the information you have. In that way, it will help you create an example of the typical crowd that attends events like yours. For example, you will be able to see the age range of the crowd, which will help you predict their behaviour during the event. If you are dealing with teenagers, you can assume all the things that might happen, such as a fight, a robbery, pushing in the queue, rushing around the hallway, and so on.
Once you know your audience, you can take further steps to ensure their safety which is of crucial importance for crowd control. In order to do that, you should take into consideration the possible security risks, which are actually a part of the risk assessment.
The hazards as a result of venue or event activities, such as failure of equipment, a temporary structure collapse, bad ground conditions, inadequate venue/site design, source of fire, and so on.
But why is this important? Simply told because you are dealing with lots of different people with different characters and you don’t know what may happen during the event. For example, they could be a sudden fight between two or a group of attendees because they are fans of the opposite teams playing on the football match. Or there might be people who get lost in the hallways of the venue where the event is held looking for a toilet.
Regardless of the situation, it’s something you wouldn’t like to happen because it will negatively affect the event organization. In order to minimize the risk of unpredicted events, you need to learn more about the crowd that will be on the event. Once you know what kind of people will be there, you will be able to prepare the place by placing signs around the venue, line dividers, and securing the place.
Why Knowing The Crowd Is Important?
Many might ask why you need to know the crowd when preparing your crowd control plan. The simplest answer is because you will have to control the CROWD. And, how will you be able to control it if you don’t know who your crowd is?Namely, if you are organizing a rock concert, you assume that most of the attendees will be teenagers and young adults who might get drunk and start a fight. On the other hand, if you are organizing a business meeting, you assume that there will serious businessmen who will most probably not cause any unpleasant situation. If this is your first event or you are not sure how to analyze the crowd, here are several things you should do.
Look At The Competitors
If you are new to crowd control management, you can look at similar events that your competitors have organized before. In this way, you will see who has attended those events. This will help you learn what kind of people will come to your event.Look At Your Previous Events
If you have organized similar events before and have some experience in crowd control, you can simply have a look at your past events. This will refresh your memory regarding who has attended those events. Moreover, it will show you whether or not there was an unpleasant situation and how you have dealt with that.Ask Event Experts
If you know someone who works in the event industry and has experience in organizing events, you can ask them about their audience. You can also ask them how their past events, which are similar to yours, have passed and if something unexpected has happened. Moreover, you can ask them for advice on what you can expect from the attendees at your event. And, if you don’t know anyone who works in the event industry, you can simply check some LinkedIn groups. You will find plenty of useful information regarding events and crowds.
Create A Crowd Profile
Once you have information about the crowd, you can create a crowd profile. A crow profile is similar to a buyer persona profile because it helps you gather all the information you have. In that way, it will help you create an example of the typical crowd that attends events like yours. For example, you will be able to see the age range of the crowd, which will help you predict their behaviour during the event. If you are dealing with teenagers, you can assume all the things that might happen, such as a fight, a robbery, pushing in the queue, rushing around the hallway, and so on.Once you know your audience, you can take further steps to ensure their safety which is of crucial importance for crowd control. In order to do that, you should take into consideration the possible security risks, which are actually a part of the risk assessment.
Hence, you should consider:
The hazards as a result of the crowds’ dynamics, such as sawing and rushing which may cause people to fall against structures and get harmed, falling down and being stamped by the crowd, or dangerous behaviour such as throwing objects or climbing on structures.The hazards as a result of venue or event activities, such as failure of equipment, a temporary structure collapse, bad ground conditions, inadequate venue/site design, source of fire, and so on.
