In just one week, Nigeria has experienced several occurrences of stampedes for ignoring crowd management measures at different locations in the country. Consequently, there have been losses of lives, properties, and livelihoods. Interestingly, most of the cases happened during charity food or palliative distribution, an event in which the organisers did not have any intentions to cause harm, but unfortunately chaos struck because of poor event management practices and planning, overcrowding, and inadequate security and safety measures.
Our hearts go out to the numerous families that have lost their loved ones in the various ugly incidents. May God grant the departed souls eternal rest.
This post will provide event planners in Nigeria with straightforward yet crucial crowd control advice from eventpaadi. Additionally, it is crucial to remember that safety, knowing the characteristics of the audiences you are expecting, and crisis management are three top priorities that need to be taken into account from the beginning of the planning process to the event’s execution.
So, let’s get started.
1. Understand the dynamics of the crowd managemnet
Understanding the dynamics of the crowd you are expecting at your event simply means understanding their nature, the estimated size of the crowd you are expecting, their behaviours, their age, and what they are capable of doing during crisis time or when provoked.
The information you get from answering these critical questions is very crucial at helping you to provide measures that will help to control them. For instance, it is typical for Nigerian event organisers to invite 100 persons but plan for 200 because of obvious factors. Except in cases of strictly gated events.
Similarly, understanding the size of the audience or crowd you are expecting will go along with determining the size of the space you will use and the number of checkpoints or stop points towards the entrance, exit, or service points. It will also determine the number of personnel that will be needed to help control such a number of people.
Furthermore, in crowd managemnet, you must understand that if you are expecting a mixed crowd of, say, children, youths, young adults, and the elderly that were not previously registered, they must be separated at the point of entry. Otherwise, strict advice must be given before entry. Adults with special cases, such as pregnant women and physically challenged people, must be prioritised and given specialised attention at entry and exit points.
2. Plan ahead by doing thorough risk management and assessment
Organisations or individuals who want to organise events that will attract a crowd of 100 persons and above must take risk management seriously and not leave anything to chance or the hand of God. As much as we believe in supreme and divine help, it is totally naive to believe that He will run our roles for us. Why then did He endow us with wills and common sense?
In crowd management, risk assessment and management simply involve asking the most pertinent questions about the level of safety, potential risks, and hazards that could happen to humans, equipment, the venue, and the general atmosphere of the event. This exercise also determines how these potential risks could be dealt with if they eventually happen.
For instance, poor infrastructure, among many other factors, is one major cause of stampedes at events. It is during risk assessment that the team gets to determine whether to go ahead with the use of the venue or not, depending on several risk assessment factors, such as the size of the event venue compared to the expected crowd, the number of entrance and exit points, the nature of the topography, and the availability of facilities for physically disadvantaged persons, firefighting, and crowd control.
The stampede that occurred at the different event venues across the country clearly showed that there was no previous planning; no risk assessments were made, and no considerations were given to the venue and the crowd they were expecting.
To properly understand the risk involved in the event, the team must carry out a demo event activity as laid out on a drawn layout plan. This is to help ascertain the estimated levels of interactions of every item and factor involved in the event, such as the people, both guests and staff, and equipment. It will also help to not only estimate what consequences are expected as a result of those interactions but also to find answers to the real question that may arise.
3. Effective communication for crowd management
Chaos or confusion is inevitable in the absence of clear and effective communication. Imagine what happened in the Tower of Babel as described in the Bible. They could not forge ahead anymore because their major source of communication was distorted.
Effective communication involves the transfer of information between the sender and the receiver such that the receiver understands clearly what the message is about. This is confirmed by the feedback that is generated back to the sender. This process is facilitated by the use of a common language that is well understood by the sender and the receiver, a proper channel or medium that helps to send the message in the shortest possible time without adding limitations to the process.
For instance, in one of the venues where the stampede had happened, it was gathered that after a certain number of people had gained entrance and were uncontrollable, there was an instruction for them to return outside the gate. Meanwhile, many other attendees were also trying to gain access to the facility at the same time. It was at this point that the stampede occurred. Maybe it would not have been a case of stampede if there had been an effective line of communication.
Through effective communication, instructions and guidance are provided to the staff and crowd at all points. It enables the crowd to understand the access point, seating, and safety arrangements. It must be noted that at every contact point, guests must be guided and monitored for a safer and more seamless flow.
However, it is important to note that you need gatekeepers at each point of contact for communication to ensure that the communication flow is intact and is well understood as well as adhered to. Let’s discuss this elaborately next.
4. Gatekeepers collaborating with trained security personnel
In crowd management, gatekeepers are those trained personnel that are mandated to ensure that communication in the form of instructions is adhered to at each point that has been laid out in the plan. These people are surely not going to work on their own but in collaboration with trained security personnel.
The experience of trained security personnel at this time cannot be overemphasised. They are trained to spot threats, calm down difficult situations, and keep lines of communication open with both event planners and guests. Their presence at the event not only helps to send deterrent signals to unscrupulous elements whose influence can trigger massive unruly behaviours, but it also helps to implement a security protocol ensuring strict compliance with laid-down instructions and guidance.
More importantly, organisers must be able to ensure an adequate security-to-crowd ratio for effective crowd control. In other words, the number of gatekeepers as well as security personnel must be commensurate to the number of crowds that are expected. Please ensure you approach your local and security authority for the security-to-crowd ratio for your location.
5. Use the strategy of staggered entry and exit for crowd management
One critical strategy that must be used for crowd control is what is known as staggered entry and exit. As the name implies, staggered entry and exit refer to a crowd management strategy where attendees are allowed to enter or leave an event at different times rather than all at once. It prevents congestion and overcrowding. At no point should the number of people be more than what has been predetermined at each point of contact from entry to exit.
For instance, after watching the video clips of the incident that happened in one of the venues as shown by a leading news channel, it was very sad to see that the gate was just thrown open and an uncontrolled number of people were allwoed in. At this point, it was very clear that they had missed it.
For effective crowd management, multiple access or contact points must be adequately and evenly distributed over the circumference of the event venue. It is always advisable to also seek help from security authorities on this factor. This measure will help to reduce stress on the staff and make service seamless and controllable.
And lastly,
6. Get professional assistance always
The role of an event management professional in crowd management cannot be overemphasised at this point. No matter how small that event may be, seeking advice from a reputable event manager can go a long way to preventing unnecessary struggles and chaos that may be lying in wait. Experience is always a good teacher. You may have the best idea, but you will need experience to drive it to its destination.
In addition, when you are organising an event that will attract a crowd of over 500 people, ensure you extend your collaborations to local organisations, such as the local branch of the Red Cross, emergency and ambulance services, road marshals, and local vigilance groups, as well as security personnel. They can bring on board technical, medical, and other professional advice and energy that can enhance maximum safety and crowd control measures for your event.
Conclusion
Among other things, this article has shown that crowd management measures like those highlighted in this post are considered seriously from the very beginning of the planning process and are not left until the day of the event. All tiers of government must start passing legislation that establishes and encourages safety protocols that must be rigorously followed, just like in other countries. To put it another way, an event should not be permitted to take place if the organisers fail to follow the safety protocols.
