From navigating complex logistics to securing the necessary permits and regulations, organizing a successful music concert is challenging. An organizer must wear several hats, but it all begins with setting up a date and choosing a venue.
Some key factors that may influence venue selection include the event’s scale, audience capacity, and technical capabilities. However, the most important of all is the safety of the artists, attendees, and staff members.
Before choosing a venue for a music concert, organizers must ensure all aspects of safety have been covered. This is the only way to stay relevant in the industry, one which is growing at the rate of 8.56% till 2029.
Fret not! This article will discuss how concert organizers can walk the extra mile to ensure venue safety through five effective tips.
Implement a Crowd Management Plan
Depending on the popularity of an artist, live events can be extremely crowded, or rather, overcrowded. When a well-known musician is about to give a live performance, a huge fan base attempts to attend the event often exceeding the venue’s capacity.
When too many people cram themselves into a small space, tragedy is only waiting to happen. A famous example of this is the Astroworld music festival of rapper Travis Scott. In 2021, 10 people from the crowd lost their lives due to cramming of the audience in the front.
An area meant for only 34,500 people had been occupied by 50,000 instead. 2024 court documents revealed that the concert’s organizer had foreseen the overcrowding issue. He even remarked that things would take a negative turn when the sun goes down, and they did.
It was a failure to monitor the crowds that led to such a sad and avoidable tragedy. Since overcrowding is often an issue at concert venues, it is vital to have a crowd management plan in place. This can be done in the following ways –
- A thorough assessment of the venue, its potential bottlenecks, and entry/exit points
- A thorough understanding of the crowd size, demographics, and behavioral patterns
- Evaluation of overcrowding risks and the possibility of a stampede
- Controlled ticket sales along with reserved seating options
- Security checks at entry points
- Use of ropes and barriers to control crowd flow and movement
- Use of CCTV cameras to monitor crowds and identify potential issues on time
- Having measures to disperse crowds when an area becomes too congested
Carry Out Maintenance Work But With Caution
A safe and healthful environment for the audience, as well as the crew, is only possible through pre-concert maintenance work. Organizers will have to check with the venue to see if it’s in a safe and well-functioning condition.
This is especially important when special effects are to take place near the stage. A variety of preventive and predictive maintenance tasks must be performed for an optimal guest experience. While this is crucial, it must be done with caution.
Among other things, the organizer must check whether the chosen venue is an old building. By that, we mean whether it was constructed in the early 1970s or before. If yes, then there’s the risk of being exposed to asbestos.
Asbestos Exposure and Possible Consequences
This fibrous mineral was heavily used in construction until the late 1970s. It was later banned due to discoveries regarding how hazardous it is to human health.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this material was used primarily in roofing, siding shingles, insulation, and walls or ceilings. Now, it’s not possible to be exposed to asbestos fibers simply by touching a material having it. These fibers get released into the air only during repair work or maintenance activities.
According to TorHoerman Law, simply inhaling asbestos fibers can lead to serious health issues like mesothelioma and asbestosis. Such health conditions can have lifelong implications, including exorbitant medical bills, physical pain, and emotional trauma.
Cases of asbestosis have become common, and victims are suing building owners for exposure with the help of an asbestosis lawyer. Over 700,000 case filings have been made. You must ensure that maintenance work is carried out carefully.
If you suspect a hazard, call off the contract and choose another venue. If people inside the venue get affected, it will also impact your reputation as a concert organizer.
Ensure Safe Pyrotechnics
Music concerts are all about the display of grandeur to captivate the audience’s attention. As a result, many venues make provisions for pyrotechnics or technologies that produce thermal, visual, and audio effects.
In simple words, we are referring to the fireworks, smoke, and loud noise that occur on the stage often close to the audience. Usually, pyrotechnics are set off remotely with the help of an electrical sign.
There is no doubt that the effects pyrotechnics produce are mesmerizing and make a concert more fun and exciting to attend. However, a lot can go wrong with this technology if the organizer is not careful. There have been incidents of premature explosions, fires, uncontrolled flames, smoke inhalation, and flying debris.
Depending on the incident, people may sustain severe burn injuries, hearing issues, or respiratory distress. The chances of a mishap only increase when the event is organized in an indoor space.
Concert organizers must go out of their way to ensure safe pyrotechnics. This can be done in the following ways –
- Hiring only licensed pyrotechnicians who have a track record of safety and creativity
- Checking with the selected venue regarding any pyrotechnics rules
- Conducting risk assessments for the distance between each pyrotechnic product
- Training staff and crew to quickly detect any risk of exposure
- Strategic placement of people, both on stage and in the crowd
Have Designated Emergency Exits
We could have included this point within crowd management itself. Even so, it deserves to be discussed separately because the availability of designated exits, or lack thereof, can become a matter of life and death.
Such zones are clear and easily accessible escape routes for everyone inside a venue at the time of an emergency. Besides the exit points clearly marked and visible, there must be multiple of them. A single exit point often leads to a lot of panic and chaos.
Moreover, it fails to let the crowd disperse safely at the time of an emergency. If thousands of people are about to attend a concert, it requires at least one exit point at each corner. With clear signage, the audience will be able to move smoothly and quickly should the need arise.
Not only that but staff members must monitor these exits to ensure they’re not blocked at any time. Proper training is also required for efficient and timely evacuation.
Establish a Clear Communication Channel
Open and clear communication is key to minimizing any risks. Despite the best safety measures, things can go south. With a solid communication channel, it’s possible to take timely action so that the situation doesn’t go from bad to worse.
First, it is important to clearly communicate with the crowd the necessary safety guidelines. This can be done through the website itself. However, many attendees may not pay much attention and overlook it.
Hence, proper signage and announcements are also needed. Secondly, a good communication plan is important between staff members. Everyone should be able to keep in touch with each other to notify them in case anything happens out of the ordinary.
Furthermore, venue organizers need to contact local emergency services beforehand. They should stay in touch with them as well in case the situation calls for their help. That will ensure faster and smoother evacuation procedures, thereby keeping everyone safe.
Organizing a music concert is far from easy. It takes careful planning, especially from the viewpoint of safety. Statista shares that the live music and concert market is generating record revenues. 70 million music concert tickets were sold worldwide in 2023.
If the industrial grounds are fertile, organizers must make the most of them. For that, safety is the right place to start.
