Concerts, fairs, parades, processions and exhibitions attract a huge number of people. While planning such events, event managers must focus on the ways to manage large crowds to avoid a chaotic situation. That’s why having an effective crowd management strategy and safety barricades are necessary.
Here is a detailed guide to managing a huge crowd using safety barriers.
How to Manage a Large Crowd Effectively with Safety Barricades?
To manage crowds in huge events, event managers should follow these steps:
1. Planning
Before installing safety barricades, it is important to assess the location and area to understand the footfall situation. This helps in comprehensive planning to manage crowds and avoid mayhem. To do this, it is important to divide the event management team into small groups and micro-manage their roles. These smaller groups can be:
- Integral committee
- Local law enforcement
- Venue management
- Event contractors
- Security personnel
The main role of this committee is to assess the blueprints of the event venue. When planning for outdoor festivity or events like exhibitions, one must pay special attention to major attractions. These zones will gather more crowds and are a risk zone for chaos.
2. Clear Markings and Signage
For events like road shows and parades, it is necessary to mark areas that will tend to gather more crowds. Other than setting barricades, event managers should assign volunteers to regulate traffic in and around these places.
Very often, volunteers need to set up signs to divert traffic flow to other lanes. This helps in a smooth flow of traffic and road shows. Converging them on one route can cause huge traffic congestion.
Along with barriers, road work signs are quite effective in controlling crowds and traffic access around the event venue.
3. Crowd Assessment
Analysing crowd potential helps to manage footfall in huge outdoor events. For periodic events, one can use the data of the previous celebration. If that event is inclined to witness more guests than the previous time, one can opt for a bigger space or hold the event outdoors.
By doing so, one can avoid congestion in a small space. National Safety Products offer a range of safety barricades and bollards to help you control crowds for any required zone in Australia.
4. Risk Management
To control a large crowd, volunteers must ensure that the visitors are moving smoothly while attending the event. Here are a few small measures event managers should consider to ensure smooth entry and departure of guests.
- Entrance, exits and washrooms must be marked.
- Volunteers must ensure people do not form groups that can block paths.
- In case of emergencies, all lights must be switched on and volunteers must ensure entry and exits are clear.
Besides the above points, event managers must have clear communication with volunteers managing crowds. One can also close debris and zones inaccessible to visitors with a safety barricade. This ensures all-around safety and helps an event to fulfil its purpose smoothly.
