Community Fair Coordination

ART OF MANAGING MASSIVE CROWDS. Crowd control management is a complex field focused on managing large human gatherings safely and efficiently. One of the most common strategies is the use of barriers and fencing to guide crowd movement, creating controlled entry and exit points while minimizing potential bottlenecks or stampedes. The psychology of crowd behavior plays a significant role in planning. Engineers study how people tend to follow each other, move toward open spaces, and avoid obstructions, which influences the placement of paths and exits. Zoned areas or sections are designed to limit overcrowding in specific areas. This technique helps manage the density of people in different locations, such as splitting festival grounds into separate zones to prevent too many people gathering in one place. Surveillance technology, including drones and high-tech cameras, is increasingly used to monitor large crowds. This allows real-time analysis and can quickly alert authorities to emerging issues like congestion or aggressive behavior. Temporary structures like modular grandstands or elevated platforms provide organizers with flexible seating or viewing options while maintaining crowd safety and flow. Sound-based crowd control techniques, like using loudspeakers to provide clear instructions or warnings, can help prevent panic or direct people in case of emergencies. Crowd modeling and simulation software is often used to predict how people will move in different environments, allowing planners to design venues that minimize risks and improve evacuation routes. The concept of "herding" is often applied. By subtly influencing the movement of individuals, crowd managers can steer large groups toward safer areas without them realizing they are being guided. Visual signals, such as colored lights or flags, are commonly used at events to indicate designated areas or to guide crowds away from certain locations. The use of buffer zones or empty spaces between different crowd segments prevents the merging of groups, reducing pressure in critical areas. Tactile pathways or textured flooring are sometimes used to subtly guide crowds, as changes in texture can influence how people move or stand. Police and security personnel often employ non-invasive methods like horseback patrols or mounted units, which can have a calming effect on large crowds while also providing a commanding presence.

Interesting to see that the Utilita Arena Birmingham evacuated due to a bomb hoax. To be clear, I don’t have all the facts but I think it is something we can still discuss and it’s ok, without judgement, to share some thoughts on the general problem of hoaxers. Bomb hoaxes were the bane of our lives in the 70’s and 80’s and evolved from the IRA bombing campaigns of that era. So bad was hoaxing that even the paramilitaries used to send recognised codewords to validate their placing of real bombs. The irony of terrorists having to be heard above the cacophony of hoaxers shouldn’t be lost on anyone! At about this time (and driven in part by the placing of incendiaries in retail stores), we realised that if we understood how to manage our environment better through pre-search, regular sweeps, and screening/monitoring of people coming into our premises we could be confident that our premises were safe. Almost overnight, we put a stop to the near daily bomb evacuations and cordons interfering with our high streets. We also started to design-out voids in our environments, places where real (or imaginary) bombs could be hidden. The hoaxes kept coming but the response became different. We had the confidence that our environments were ‘clean’ and we stopped evacuating. Here are a few things that should help prevent evacuations: 1. Leadership properly trained in the National Decision Making Model. 2. A strong threat assessment that quantifies the nature of terrorism and how it’s delivered 3. Pre-event search and seal 4. Effective screening on entry with ‘find-criteria’ established according to risk appetite 5. During-event sweeps 6. A response plan A couple of years ago I was called in to support an event at an iconic London venue that was being blighted by such threats. By simply applying the above, especially the decision making model, not once did we get close to cancelling or evacuating the event. Having effective security teams, equipment, and processes that you have confidence in are essential. https://lnkd.in/dHA_zaDW

Want better project managers? Start hiring people who've run events. I've watched it happen more than once. A senior event producer walks into an infrastructure project, tight deadlines, layers of contractors, political chaos from six directions. And they don't blink. Because event people don't get extensions. The crowd is coming whether you're ready or not. Here are 13 reasons event managers make great project managers: #1. Deadline obsession. The date is the date. You can't postpone 50,000 people. #2. Contingency by default. Plan B exists before Plan A is signed off. So does Plan C. #3. Logistics under pressure. If the truck is late, there's no show. They sequence deliveries down to the minute. #4. Risk thinking. They've already run the worst case scenario in their head while you're still reading the brief. #5. Managing competing agendas. Council, client, crew, talent, security, catering, public. All at the same time. All with different priorities. #6. Problem solving on the clock. The generator dies at 6pm with 10,000 people inside the fence. There's no escalation path. You fix it. That's just the operational side. Here's where it gets interesting. #7. Leading temporary teams. People who've never worked together, building something complex, under pressure, with no time for bonding exercises. #8. Detail that saves the day. One missed cable run. One wrong gate number on the site plan. One access road that doesn't exist. They catch it before it costs you. #9. Comms discipline. Ten words on a radio. No ambiguity. That's the standard. #10. Real time flexibility. The headline act cancels at 3pm. The weather turns. The council changes conditions on site. They adapt without losing the outcome. #11. Time sequencing in minutes. A project manager schedules in weeks. An event manager knows that the 12 minutes between headline changeover and pyro cue is where the show lives or dies. #12. Budget control with no margin. They've delivered a 20,000 person event on a budget that wouldn't cover a corporate away day. And the client still asked for more. #13. Zero error delivery. One chance. Live audience. No redo. Every one of these transfers directly into infrastructure, construction, and major project delivery. If you're hiring for complex projects and you haven't looked at event talent, you're overlooking some of the best operators in the workforce. Who's the strongest event professional you've worked alongside? Tag them. A project team somewhere needs to know they exist. 📋 Master Event Scheduling in a Weekend: https://lnkd.in/gM2Qwzej 🔔 Follow Iain Morrison for event leadership and operations content from 35 years on site. ♻️ Repost to help a hiring manager see what event professionals actually bring.

One spark. One second. One celebration turned into a catastrophe. We keep witnessing the same pattern—again and again. 🔥 Indoor fireworks & pyrotechnics Combustible décor and construction materials 🚫 Minimal or no fire safety controls Homes. Clubs. Pubs. Bars. Event halls. Party venues. And then—massive fire incidents, loss of lives, destruction of assets, and complete business shutdowns. Let me repeat this clearly (and urgently): ⚠️ Pyrotechnics must be COMPLETELY avoided inside enclosed spaces. No matter how “controlled” it looks. No matter how “short” the act is. No matter how “experienced” the vendor claims to be. When fireworks meet: • Artificial décor • Foam panels • Fabric drapes • Wooden interiors • Low ceiling heights 👉 You are sitting on a time bomb. The tragedy is not the fire. The tragedy is that most of these incidents are 100% preventable. If you are: • An event organizer • A venue owner • A club / pub operator • A corporate hosting celebrations • A regulator or safety professional This is not optional awareness. This is a responsibility. Celebrations should create memories—not headlines. Entertainment should never come at the cost of human lives. Let’s stop normalizing unsafe celebrations. Let’s start prioritizing fire safety before aesthetics. Because once fire breaks out— There are no retakes, no apologies, and no second chances. 💬 If you agree, share this post. One share can save many lives. #FireSafety #EventSafety #PublicSafety #RiskManagement #FirePrevention #SafetyFirst #BusinessContinuity #InsuranceAwareness #DisasterPrevention #Leadership #CorporateResponsibility #EventIndustry #ClubsAndEvents #FireHazard #SafetyCulture

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 "𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬": 𝐀 𝐂𝐒𝐎'𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 Wedding between High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) is a complex and sensitive endeavour. When the guest list includes government officials, top businessmen, industrialists, spiritual leaders, sports legends, political heavyweights, glamourous influencers, international delegates, and celebrities from across the globe, ensuring the #security and #privacy of such an event becomes paramount. The convergence of such HNIs at a single venue presents a lucrative #target for perpetrators. Here are essential actions for CSOs to consider in making such an event a grand success: 🚦 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 🔹 Contingency plans for entire route 🔹 Intelligence reports to stay updated on the security situation in the areas 🏨 𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 🔹 Credential and verification of each staff member 🔹 Room/lobby access control and emergency evacuation plans 🏟️𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 (𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬) 🔹 Smart surveillance and biometric access 🔹 ASB checks/technical sweeps of the venue 🎟️𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 🔹 Robust accreditation system to control access to all venues 🔹 Unique, tamper-proof identification cards to visitors, staff, and vendors 🚛 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 🔹 Background checks, secure transportation routes 🔹 Prevent unauthorized access or tampering enroute 🍽️𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝 🔹 Stringent food tasting and testing protocols to prevent health hazards 🔹 Food preparation areas are secure, adhere to strict hygiene standards 📡 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 🔹 All teams must have the same radio sets, including LEA 🔹 Encrypted communication devices to prevent eavesdropping 👮♂️𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐄𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 (𝐋𝐄𝐀) 🔹 Maintain close coordination with local law enforcement agencies 🔹 Share intelligence, threat assessments, 3D mapping of sites 🚓 𝐕𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 🔹 Use armoured vehicles and trained drivers for high-risk individuals 🔹 Implement GPS tracking, route planning, real-time monitoring 🛡️𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🔹 Provide personalized security through EP teams 🔹 Blend seamlessly while maintaining a high level of vigilance 🚑 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 🔹 Combination of medical teams, service and repair teams, etc. 🔹 Mock drills for all evacuations/emergencies It’s a mammoth task requiring meticulous #planning, #coordination, and execution to achieve incident free event. However, the cumulative efforts of a specially trained, well-knit security team utilizing #IntegartedSecurityOpeartionsCentre can ensure the success of a high-profile “Big Fat Indian Weddings”. View solicited! 🙏 #leadership #riskmanagement #corporatesecurity #eventsecurity Pic Credit: Google - magzter.com website

What’s the first step in event security planning? Prevention. But when prevention fails, your emergency response plan becomes the difference between chaos and control. A well-rehearsed Emergency Action Plan (EAP) doesn’t need to predict every possible scenario. In fact, it’s not possible to. Especially within the usual time constraints that security managers work within. But It does need to prepare your team to respond to the most likely scenarios calmly, efficiently, and with absolute clarity. Here are a few key principles I use when building EAPs for large gatherings: 1️⃣ Start with Structure: Every effective plan begins with a process. I use a version of the Marine Corps’ BAMCIS framework: Begin planning, Arrange reconnaissance, Make reconnaissance, Complete the plan, Issue the order, Supervise. It’s like an event safety checklist, and it’s a proven system for organizing information, assigning roles, and maintaining composure under pressure. 2️⃣ Plan for Movement: When it comes to evacuation, confusion costs time, and time costs safety. Follow the PACE method: establish Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency routes. Define rally points and destinations for each. The goal is that no one ever has to ask, “Where do I go?” 3️⃣ Define Roles and Rehearse: The most overlooked part of any plan is tasking. A great EAP clearly answers, “Who does what?” Once responsibilities are assigned, brief your team, test the plan, make adjustments, and run it again. If an emergency happened at your next event, would your team know exactly what to do, or just hope they’d figure it out in real time? #EventPlanning #ExecutiveSecurity #SecurityManagement #EventSafety #EventManagement

Working the Super Bowl: Practical Planning Considerations Large-scale events like the Super Bowl demand a lot of preparation - and that is what keeps small issues from becoming major problems. Key considerations for anyone supporting principals at major stadium events: •Pre-plan early and lock in resources. Transportation, credentials, equipment, and staffing options tighten quickly. Early planning allows flexibility when conditions change. •Establish a point of contact at the venue. Identify a stadium or event security liaison in advance. Conduct a walk-through when possible and confirm access routes, holding areas, and contingency options. •Research publicly available information. Arrival routes, drop-off points, gates, and schedules are often easy to find online. Assume the same information is available to adversaries and plan accordingly. •Build a clear communications plan. Define primary and alternate communication methods, link-up points, and lost-contact procedures—especially if you are not seated with your principal. •Develop a realistic evacuation plan. The public egress plan may not be the best option for your team. Identify alternate routes and timing that reduce exposure and congestion. •Know what can and cannot enter the stadium. Items that are common in protective work—high-output flashlights, strobes, or certain tools—may be prohibited. Verify policies in advance to avoid surprises at screening. Major events reward disciplined preparation. The work done weeks in advance is often what determines whether the day itself runs smoothly. Good luck! See you there!

I led teams responsible for launching the 2020 and 2022 Olympic games across Europe. For Paris 2024, here are 3 specific ways to prepare for a no mistakes event. ⬇️ Before every significant event, these are three of the ways I prepare: 🔹 Consider everything that has changed since the last major event. 🔹 Ensure all teams, stakeholders, and partners are aware of and ready for the event. 🔹 Identify how issues during the event will be handled. When I consider everything that has changed, I am not just looking at my team. I want to know about every system that has been altered, every system that has been replaced, and any change in partners or stakeholders that are participating in the event. The reason that this is so important is that events like this are not solo tasks. There are many moving pieces, and the best option is to have everyone involved thinking about what has changed. If you have a truly useful program manager, they are always looking for these changes. But your product people and engineers should be thinking about it as well. ✅ We hear “See something, Say something” all the times regarding public safety, but you could use a similar phrase to keep your event safe. If anyone working on the event sees something that is not being considered, they must be encouraged to say something so the organization can sort it out. Ensuring everyone is aware seems obvious, but it is not to be overlooked. It could be one team that is unaware that brings the whole process down. Perhaps the systems that team owns are considered rock solid and fully tested, so nobody bothers to loop them in. Here are some example considerations: 🔸 Are you sure the billing system, that has never failed before, can handle the traffic from your event? 🔸 Does it work in all applicable territories and with all applicable payment methods? Assumptions of “yes” on questions like these can definitely bite you when you least expect it. Your goal should be to be so diligent that nothing could possibly go wrong, and then acknowledge that it will. Part of your diligence is to determine how it will be identified and handled when it does. During any big events, the entire organization must be prepared for a period of “hypercare,” Where active eyes are on all systems and metrics during the event. There should be one assigned leader (per shift, if it is 24 hours or more) who ensures that issues are triaged and dealt with correctly. If you cover these 3 areas well, your major events will not have mistakes. There may be issues, but the mistake would be not being prepared to discover and deal with them swiftly. What else do you do to avoid mistakes? 💡 Olympic Countdown - Day 5: How can you be sure you are ready? Follow along for my countdown posts leading up to the launch of the Paris Olympics! I will share insights on launching large-scale events from my 30+ year career. Disclaimer: These insights represent my perspective, not that of any current or former employer.

Emergencies happen no matter the size of your event. Your plan will be the difference between an organized response, a chance to mitigate risk, and how you will be questioned during litigation. Too many events still operate without a real Emergency Operations Plan. What they have instead is usually a 40-page handbook with a "safety" section buried somewhere in the middle — dense, generic, and impossible for a department lead to reference in the 10 seconds they have during an actual emergency. In the case of Astroworld 2021, a 51-page, unfinished document. For LIVE Management Consulting, we built something different: an EOP where every department — Security, Medical, Production, Site Ops, Guest Services/ADA, Parade Ops, Vendors, PR, Credentialing — has direct, phase-based instructions. Not theory. Not general guidance. Exact actions for exact moments: → What to do before gates open → What to do the second an emergency is declared → What to do for their specific hazard (crowd surge, fire, severe weather, active assailant, medical emergency, evacuation of guests with disabilities) If you're Security and a crowd surge happens, you don't need to read ten pages to find your role. You need three bullet points you already know by heart, because the plan was built to be that clear. That's the real test of an emergency plan: not how comprehensive it looks on paper, but whether a team member under pressure can execute it without hesitation. A plan nobody can use fast enough isn't a plan. It's paperwork. Let's collaborate on your EOP. #EventSafety #EmergencyManagement #LiveEvents #RiskManagement #EventProduction