Managing Crowds at Large Events

We’ve talked on this blog before about managing crowds at locations such as theme parks and festivals, but what about events that take place indoors? Hundreds of conventions are held across the USA every year, and the majority of these conventions take place indoors. When you have thousands of individuals crowding into one building, it can be a bit hectic. Luckily many conventions have found ways around these issues.

In this post we’re going to go over a few of the main problems with large indoor event crowds, and solutions you may use to overcome them.

Number 1: Registration lines are long and slow.

Solution: There are multiple ways around this problem, though it cannot be eliminated entirely. Anime Central, the third largest anime convention in America, now offers mailed badges. Attendees pay an extra fee for their badges to be sent in the mail. This eliminates a large chunk of people from the line entirely. Those not wishing to pay extra or who don’t register in advanced can still do so the traditional way. You may also choose to have multiple registration lines, such as one for pre-registered attendees and one for those registering onsite, as onsite registration takes longer. Another excellent option is to offer registration the day before the event, so those arriving early can get signed in early to cut down on lines the day of.

Number 2: Multiple lines cause confusion.

Solution: Have signage to help guide your guests. It is traditional for signage to be at the front of the line, but if it’s a large line your guests can benefit from multiple signs along the way. A whiteboard can work very well for this to write out the name of the panel and the capacity of the room. This may lead to guests not waiting needlessly if the line is already very long for an event. It also allows you to easily update schedules that can change quickly during a convention. 

Number 3: There are too many people in too small a space.

Solution: Make use of every bit of space of your venue that you can. This is really about planning ahead. Predict how popular a particular screening or panel is to be. The more popular, the larger the room should be with plenty of space for lines. Dealers and registration need a large, open area for setup and lines, so take that into account as well. If possible, expand to multiple buildings. A lot of conventions make use of part of a convention center as well as one or even multiple nearby hotels. You may even choose to host several outdoor events. Utilizing your space correctly will make it less crowded and overwhelming.

Number 4: Panels and screenings are overcrowded.

Solution: Panels are the largest reason attendees will pay for admission to a convention, so of course they are going to be crowded. Clear signage and crowd control barriers are a great way to keep the lines themselves organized. If you are hoping to cut down on lines, a great way to do this is to have plenty of ongoing programming. This will depend on what type of event you are hosting. You may have lounge and networking areas, video game rooms, lending libraries…whatever fits the theme. It should be something available throughout the entire convention so guests can come and go, and hopefully cut down on traffic to panels a bit.

Problem 5: Lines are too long

Solution: If you are running a popular event, lines are going to be long. There’s not much you can do about that. What you can do is keep lines organized and keep guests happy. Using tape, rope, or other barriers can keep crowds organized. When there are multiple lines in one area it’s easy to become confused. You should also strive to keep attendees informed. Staff should go up and down long lines, giving instructions and guiding attendees to the correct areas. You may even choose to use apps to track how many people plan to attend specific panels and screenings.

Running a large event is a lot of work, and you’ll have to deal with a lot of crowd control issues. This is inevitable. We’ve got several small, extra tips for you to keep in mind. Make sure you keep attendees informed. When issues arise, fix them immediately, as this can cause the snowballing effect. And of course, remember this event is about making your attendees happy. Ultimately, the crowd control isn’t for you, it is to make your guest’s experience as good as possible.