When you organize an event with a large group of people, effective crowd control is essential to ensure everyone remains safe. Inadequate control could lead to crowd crushes, disorganization, and confusion.
Crowd control supplies don’t need to be overly extensive or complicated. Simple procedures and products, like the ones we will discuss in this article, can help your event go smoothly and keep lines moving in an orderly fashion.
Why Does Crowd Control Matter?
When we talk about crowd control, many people picture a massive group pushing and shoving together without any direction. However, crowd control rarely involves riots or fighting.
Crowd control can be as simple as creating an organized line to the ticket booth for a concert or helping attendees leave a sporting event in an organized manner. Event organizers and venue managers have the responsibility to provide direction and control the crowd flow.
Effective crowd control can lead to:
- Increased safety for all present, including performers, fans, and security personnel
- Positive event reviews and a better overall experience for all attendees
- Decreased waiting times at ticket booths and concessions
Different Types of Crowd Control Supplies
The key to effective crowd control is finding high-quality equipment and implementing it into an organized plan. We’ll get to the planning process in a moment, but first, here are some essential crowd control supplies you may need from Interwest Safety Supply:
Crowd Control Barricades
Barricades are a great way to direct traffic and keep people from entering closed areas. Interwest Safety Supply carries several crowd control barricades to fit your needs.
- Type I Barricade. The Type I Barricade is a small reflective barrier. It’s ideal for blocking populated streets without impeding pedestrian access. If your event is on a public road, use a Type I Barricade to direct cars away from the area. You could also set a barricade in front of a crosswalk so attendees can cross without waiting for traffic.
- Type III Barricade. The Type III Barricade is a wide reflective barrier ideal for blocking attendee access to closed areas.
- Billboard Barricade. The Billboard Barricade is a heavy-duty indoor barricade with a customizable space in the center for sponsor advertisements or directions. This barricade is ideal for crowd control fencing and creating organized lines for ticket booths and concessions. Using a barricade for lines can help you keep waiting attendees out of walking areas and avoid confused crowds looking for a definitive line.
Crowd Control Signs
Substantial signage is essential for proper crowd control. Without direction, attendees may get lost or become frustrated about parking.
- Directional signs. You can use arrow signs to give walking or driving directions and ensure everyone keeps moving in the same direction when arriving at the event.
- Parking signs. Ensure that no-parking areas, like fire lanes, are clearly marked with the correct signage. Disabled parking signs, reserved parking signs, and warnings for illegally parked vehicles are also necessary so attendees are aware of where they can and cannot park.
- Cone Signs. Plastic cone signs are an easy and relatively inexpensive way to conduct attendees through your event. You could also view our portable sign stands for quick crowd control setup and takedown.
Safety Equipment
While we hope to avoid any accidents or emergencies, it’s better to be prepared than to be caught by surprise.
- Fire Extinguishers. Always ensure your venue meets local fire safety requirements. You may wish to have a few additional emergency fire extinguishers, especially for an outdoor event.
- First Aid Kits. It’s never enough to only purchase a first aid kit without having someone who knows how to use it. Staff your event with emergency personnel who are prepared and trained to tend to minor and severe injuries.
- Flashlight Wands. If the event takes place at night, prepare the parking and traffic officials with reflective vests and flashlight wands so they can safely and effectively direct the attendees.
How to Create a Crowd Control Plan
Few things are worse than being caught unprepared in a potentially dangerous situation. Well before your event, take the time to create a detailed plan for how you will manage the crowd in each possible scenario.
Your emergency plan should include the following steps:
Make a List of All the Exits and Entrances
Planning and monitoring your exit and entrance points is essential to keep visitors happy. Nobody wants to be caught in a bottleneck, pushing to get to the front of an unorganized crowd.
To keep the crowd flow as smooth as possible, create a list of all the venue’s entry and exit points, including emergency exits. Determine the expected business of each entrance and appropriate line queues. Ensure you have an exit plan in case of an emergency to help attendees exit safely and steadily.
Anticipate Your Crowd
The crowd size and composition will depend on several factors. Is your event a musical? Or a sports game? Is it an unanticipated regular season matchup or Game 7 of a professional league championship? Are you expecting families? Couples? Adults only?
Understanding your crowd can help you know how to set up your crowd control barriers and anticipate how early attendees will arrive.
Purchase Your Crowd Control Supplies
Once you find the crowd control fencing you need, determine how many fences you will need based on the size of your venue and the anticipated crowd. We generally advise having extra supplies on hand to accommodate unexpected changes or needs.
Create an Emergency Plan
No two emergency plans are the same. Event organizers should consider the venue, parking lot access, expected crowd demographics, and many other factors. As a general rule, your emergency plan should include:
- A mass communication strategy for alerting attendees
- Emergency personnel who can direct the crowd and maintain an organized flow
- Appropriate emergency crowd control supplies
- An exit map (such as a fire escape plan) to prevent crowds from forming at bottlenecks
Shop Crowd Control Supplies at Interwest Safety Supply
As we mentioned before, the equipment you use at an event can be essential for safety and a positive guest experience. When you shop at Interwest Safety Supply, you get more than just high-quality safety products.
We have provided dependable safety equipment to the government and highway construction industry for over 40 years. Our staff is committed to providing fast, dependable service, so you can count on us for a stress-free order and delivery process. Get a quote for your crowd control supplies today!
