Think Like Your Attendees

Summer is still going strong, which means there’s tons of outdoor events going on. Outdoor events can come with their own headaches, and outdoor events in summer come with even more.

So how do you deal with these problems? No matter what the problem may be, they key is to be prepared. Issues always surface during an event, but preparing can significantly cut down on the issues.

When planning an outdoor summer event, it is important to think about what issues you may run into months before the event even happens. Consider, for example, if lines are going to be long. This could be due to ticket sales or security. How do you prepare for this? You keep lines organized. You promote advanced ticket sales to cut back on lines. You have multiple entrance points so security doesn’t take too long to get through. This way people will get into your event quickly and not be irritated before the event has even begun.

So, once people get into your event, what issues might they run into? Most commonly this will be finding their way your event. Putting an information booth right by the entrance can direct visitors to where they want to go, provide maps, and promote event schedules. The next step is signage. It is extremely important that you have helpful signage at your event. Label different stages and buildings, list events happening in particular areas, and direct people with easy-to-spot signage.

The next problem they may run into? Long lines for shows, food booths, and services. This can happen for many reasons. Sometimes a particular booth or show is just very popular. There is not much you can do about this. What you can do, however, is arrange booths in a way that allows for easy line formation. You should also be sure to have a lot of options when it comes to food and entertainment.

The crowds are in, they are enjoying the festivities, but it’s summer. It’s hot. People are feeling sick and leaving early. How do you stop this? Make sure you have cooling stations throughout the event area. You may also choose to have a centrally located area where guests can purchase water and request first aid. If possible, an air conditioned building within the event area is perfect for providing some temporary relief from the heat.

As the event comes to an end, don’t think your job is over. A large group of people leaving at once is a logistical nightmare. Have volunteers directing the flow of traffic out of the correct areas. Be sure there are others directing actual, vehicle traffic, which is often the most frustrating part of an event. You want attendees to leave with a good impression, not with a sour taste in their mouths.

As you can see, thinking about your event as if you are attending it can be very beneficial. When considering your event specifically, you can also come up with more specific solutions that cater to your event and location. Summer and outdoor events are great, but with people’s high expectations make sure you are up to the challenge!

The festival season is upon us, which means there are even more events to be organized and even more crowds to control. While your actual strategy is likely to change based on the type of festival and the size of it, there are a few things that you should always keep in mind when planning an event.

·        Consider the audience. What is the average age of your attendees? Will there be alcohol? What type of day, and what events, are the most popular? These are huge factors in planning out a crowd control strategy.

·        Consider the venue. Do you know it? Has it held an event like this before? If you’ve held this even before, what didn’t work about the venue?

·        Consider your staff. Are most of them new, or have they done this before? This will help you select where staff members are placed and what type of training they need.

·        Train your staff to be courteous. Friendly interactions with staff members are more likely to keep crowds calm during the festivities.

·        Give your staff members uniforms. This is as simple as having everyone wear the same T-shirt. You want staff to be easily recognizable.

·        Provide a clear chain of command so information gets from your staff to the right people. This is very important.

·        Be sure to brief your staff clearly. They need to know where everything is, the procedures for a multitude of events, etc.

·        Have a clear method of communication. This may be phones or radios, but whatever it is make sure you have it and all staff has access to it in some way. If there is a situation requiring backup but your staff can’t communicate that, it’s going to escalate.

·        Do your research when hiring a security service.

·        Plan the event like you are planning for your family to attend. Think of how you want to keep them safe. That’s the same amount of work that should go into an event for strangers. They’re trusting you to keep them safe too, after all.

Each event is different, but each event should also have these strategies put in play to keep events running smoothly. Happy festival season! 

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. 

When to Brave the Crowds

On this blog we talk a lot about avoiding crowds and crowd control. No one likes to be in the middle of a large crowd with constant bustling. It can be both overwhelming and frustrating to be stuck in the middle of a crowd. Despite this, there are certain situations when being amid a crowd is worth it. This month we’re going to give you our top times to brave the crowds.

1.      Cultural/Historical Sites – If you’re going to go on vacation, especially if you plan to leave the country, you will likely have the opportunity to view many cultural and historical sites. Locations such as Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower are always going to be packed, and for good reason. Significant landmarks like this will give you memories to last a lifetime, and it’s well worth traveling amid the crowds to get a peek at them.

2.      Festivals – Any big festival is going to be crowded. Festivals are also something that can be attended for a limited time. They’re a celebration, and the best thing you can do is embrace the crowds and join the celebration.

3.      Natural Landmarks – Locations such as the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls create a sense of magic. These completely natural landscapes feel otherworldly. They’re a great reminder of the power of nature. These awe-inspiring destinations are also often fairly crowded. Don’t worry though, because for the most part crowds will not take away from the show.

4.      Holiday events – Whether you’re going to a big party or just want to head to the beach for the 4^th of July, you are likely to encounter a lot of crowding. You may be tempted to stay home and avoid the crowds, but if that’s hindering your ability to celebrate, reconsider.

5.      Concerts – A concert by nature is crowded. There’s a lot of standing, singing, and dancing, and for

some people this may get overwhelming. For concerts though, the larger crowds are what give the show energy. It is that energy, as well as the performer, that really makes a concert great.

6.      Rallies – In the spirit of the presidential election, we’ve included this item on the list. Much like concerts, a rally gathers energy with a crowd. It is also a great way to get more politically involved and learn more about where the candidates stand on the issues.

7.      Sporting Events – A sporting event that has low attendance has much less enthusiasm. A crowd really feeds off each other, and this is the perfect thing to happen at a sporting event. It gets the crowd riled up and excited for the game.

8.      Conventions – There’s tons of conventions out there. The types that typically come to mind are conventions centered around video games and anime. That’s not the only type of convention, though! No matter what type you attend, the crowds create an energy that can make or break the event.

There are two types of situations where you should brave the crowds; situations you enjoy in spite of the crowds, and situations you enjoy because of the crowds. Don’t be too quick to dismiss something due only to the crowds. There’s nothing quite like observing something special surrounded by others appreciating the same thing. So get out there, join the crowds, and enjoy! 

Theme Parks and Crowd Strategy

There are many places across the planet that is filled with crowds. Popular cultural sites such as Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower are almost always busy. If you’re heading to a big festival you can be sure there will be many other people in attendance. It is also seasonal based; cozy cafes are more likely to fill up in winter while ice cream shops and parks tend to see increased attendance in summer. For many of these places, there is little that can be done to limit crowds. This can also hold true with other popular locations, such as theme parks. But some theme parks are taking a swing at limiting overcrowding while still maximizing profits.

For example, Disney recently announced the rollout of seasonal prices. This means that a single, day pass will change in price depending on if it is a “peak” “regular” or “value” day. Visitors are able to look at a calendar in advance of a trip to see what type of price they will have to pay to get in. The goal of this is to spread out visitors to the park more equally. This has been met with both praise and criticism. Some welcome the chance to spread out the visitors, while some call the decision price discrimination, stating that it’s just another way for Disney to raise its prices. A few months prior to this, Disneyland announced an increase in their prices and the elimination of some annual passes. This was another attempt to control crowds. By changing the seasonal passes, it allows pass holders to visit less often, or to visit as often as they want at a higher price.

When the crowds are already in the park, theme parks often have strategies to try and manage them. Universal, for example, keeps posted signs up alerting attendees of line wait times. This can encourage guests away from busy zones until the lines become more manageable. Parks may notice certain areas becoming overcrowded. If a line gets too long, costumed characters may be sent over to act as a distraction. If a restaurant is too busy, additional registers may be opened.  For some lines games are set up along the way to distract people as they wait.

Crowd management is all about keeping crowds happy. If the crowds can’t be lowered, theme parks are doing all they can to spread those crowds out and keep their customers happy.  

Vote "No" for Poor Crowd Control

With the presidential election coming up this year, primaries and caucuses are in full swing. Voter turnout can be challenging to predict. Some states see small numbers at the polls while other states are overwhelmed. Take the Democratic caucus in Colorado for example. Buildings were at max capacity, forcing hundreds of voters to wait outside to be let in one-by-one. Some didn’t feel safe in the large overwhelming crowds and left. Some were even turned away.

When it comes to elections, crowd control needs to be a priority. Every eligible citizen should have the opportunity to voice their opinion in the elections, but that becomes difficult when crowd control is lacking and citizens are unable to cast their vote.

Predicting crowd size is the largest flaw in terms of crowd control. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done about it. There are other steps that polling locations can take to decrease wait times for citizens, though.

The first step is to set up as many machines as a site can hold. This allows the entire process to move much more quickly, even if voter turnout is lower than expected. Another step that can be taken is to bring in more workers and volunteers to voting sites to help citizens. Individuals often will arrive to vote who are not registered, or arrive at the wrong polling location. More staff allows these people to be helped more efficiently. Of course, keeping crowd control barriers up and visible is incredibly important. Having the proper signage also lessens confusion and makes the process smoother.

To avoid extra work on election night, counties should do their part in educating voters far in 

advanced. Information can be made available in print formats, online, and through media such as radio or the news. Encouraging residents to register in advanced and find their correct voting station will make the process much smoother.

Voters themselves can attempt to take steps to beat the crowds on election days. Voting during an off-peak time can go a long way; however some polls have a very limited timeframe that voters can work with.

Voting is an American right. Don’t impede on citizen’s ability to vote. Have a crowd control plan in place to allow everyone’s voices to be heard.

Hosting Outdoor Events in Winter

Hosting an outdoor event during the winter months can be very complicated. Outdoor winter events are often fun, memorable, and exciting. Of course, with the temperatures falling and the chance for snow imminent in much of the country, outdoor events must be approached the correct way. We’ve got some tips for how to handle the crowds and the festivities.

1.      Bonfires are a great focal point for any outdoor winter event. They’re cheery and above all, warm. If you plan to have bonfires at an event, make sure you take the proper precautions. The fire must be kept at a safe level, and you should have a barrier between the flames and the attendees. If you choose not to do this, make sure someone is monitoring the fire at all times, especially with children around.

2.      Serve warm food for crowds. No one wants ice cream when it’s below freezing outside. Plus, many warm foods that are common in winter are easy to store and keep warm with the right equipment. Soups, stews, and chili are all popular in the colder months and can be made in large quantities before the event even begins.

3.      Don’t stop at hot foods. Hot drinks are a great way to warm a guest to their core. Hot chocolate, apple cider, and hot tea are all great hot drinks you can make for an event.

4.      To keep your guests even warmer, invest in a tent along with tent heaters. A tent will provide some extra shelter from the cold and wind (and sometimes snow). Tent heaters allow you to have a warm area that guests can take refuge in.

5.      Be sure you have enough warm areas to accommodate the crowds at your events. Having one bonfire when you expect hundreds of guests is not sufficient. Pay attention to the projected attendance and plan accordingly.

6.      Make sure to make the venue safe before the event begins. In winter it is common for there to be snow and ice on the ground. This should be cleared as much as possible before the event so your guests will be safe.

7.      Keep a close eye on the weather reports. Winter weather is very unpredictable. Snow, ice, sleet, and freezing temperatures can make your event unsafe. Keep the lines of communication open with your guests.

8.      Make sure your event is well lit. This seems fairly basic, but you must keep in mind that in winter it gets dark sooner than you might expect. There’s many creative ways you can light an event. Try candles, fairy lights, and more!

9.      Have an accessory stand for guests that did not come prepared for cold temperatures. It’s easy to forget a scarf or gloves when you are in a rush. Having a small stock of emergency supplies for your guests goes a long way. Great selections include gloves, scarves, hats, and hand/toe warmers. Anything not used can be saved or donated to a homeless shelter after the event.

10.   Embrace it! Chances are if you’re having an event outdoors in winter, it’s for a reason. Have fun with the theme and the planning!

It’s important to keep the crowds happy at your event. Follow these tips and you’ll be closer to doing so!