After an initial 5 day in country site survey and numerous meetings, we were given 21 days notice to provide a crowd management solution, event safety management advice, emergency management plans, fire safety arrangements bespoke solution for 300 untrained event security staff, supervisors and management and queue management strategies. In addition to this we were asked to provide ticketing strategies, event security accreditation and evacuation plans for the King, the countries senior VIPs’, attending public and staff.
Generally, the above would be a test for any event in the restricted time, add the fact that the venue was brand new, with NO management, NO event security provider, a venue which had never been used prior to this event and had significant restraints for parking/access, had never been tested and you start to get the picture.
The team were thrown all the elements inclusive of a dust storm, sand storm, lightning storm and rain, up to 2 hours prior to the Kings arrival.
The dedication and desire to deliver an event of significant importance fit for a King, proved to be the overriding factor with all agencies involved going the extra 100,000 miles needed to deliver an event which was deemed to be: “An event which made us all very proud”.. by the ultimate clients…
Multi agency liaison, was key to the success of this event, with the need to re-enforce the best practises whilst assessing cultural, fire and crowd management and safety considerations.
This event, was without doubt the hardest and most challenging event I have ever been involved with but am grateful for the experience and to see that that those experiences I have gained from working in stadiums and other major events, across the world, have stood us in a great position to simplify the complex systems we were facing…