The Fyre Festival became the overnight talk of social media and the fodder of talk show hosts the first weekend of May.
Hundreds of people were left stuck in the Bahamas to attend an event that reportedly left them with sub-standard shelter, limited toilets and no organization as to how to get back home.
This debacle was one of the most embarrassing situations in recent concert festival memory. And it is a reminder of the serious challenges festival operators face planning these events. According to Billboard, over 32 million people attended events like the WE Fest, Bonnaroo and Coachella in 2015. These events, frankly, have become as much a part of the summer as cookouts and swimming pools.
In my 25 years of providing risk management services for concerts and festivals, I have attended many of these events and worked with all sorts of promoters and operators. No two events are the same. However, there are many basic practices operators can follow to ensure the festival is both safe and fun.
Festivals open the door to a multitude of worst-case scenarios which catch operators off guard. Consider certain precautions before your next event. (Photo: Shutterstock)
|Go from big to small.
At festivals, start by thinking about the absolute worst-case scenarios — be it a terrorist attack, crazed gunman or shock weather pattern. It's important to tour the grounds well before a concert begins. Make sure people with a music background are also present beforehand in order to consider the impacts of these scenarios. Once you begin to understand the risks, it becomes easier to focus on smaller issues, like the best locations for water stations, emergency shelters and first aid centers.
In case of a health emergency, paramedics do not have time to sift through a crowd. Establish medical tents near the entrance and exit to avoid a potentially fatal outcome. (Photo: Shutterstock)
|Have emergency services tent locations ready.
It makes sense on paper to place a facility to take care of any health emergencies in a visible location in the center of festival grounds. However, in the event that someone needs to be taken to a hospital, it can be very difficult for an ambulance to fight its way through the crowd. Placing a tent in the middle of festival grounds results in serious delays that can mean the difference between life and death. In addition, a central tent location places other guests at risk as they may accidentally walk in front of a moving vehicle.
Medical tents are best located near the entrance/exit of a site, which makes it easy for ambulances to get to people in need without placing others in jeopardy. It's also easy for festival attendees to remember the location of the tent in case they need medical attention. In addition, many well-run concerts have medics proactively hand out water to prevent dehydration and constantly check patrons for heat exposure when temperatures run hot. Medical personnel and security personnel should be in close contact with each other, by radio or cell phone.
Being familiar with your location mitigates huge safety risks. Festival operators need to consider both the festival and the area surrounding the location. (Photo: Shutterstock)
|Know your location.
Outdoor concerts held in more remote locations attract guests who are completely unfamiliar with the area. In many cases, these festivals are only accessed via local highways that have no stoplights. In addition, many patrons choose to party before going to the venue. All of this can add up to a traffic nightmare and a huge safety risk. Festival operators need to be aware of this and extend their security practices beyond just the perimeter of their site.
Operators need to make sure directions to festival grounds are well-marked and work closely with local officials who understand area traffic patterns. Making sure guests get to and from a site safely is just as important as keeping them secure when at a concert.
Security guards are trained and experienced to deal with a crowd size typical at a festival. Don't settle for less and open yourself to numerous risks and liabilities. (Photo: Shutterstock)
|Hire quality security guards.
You don't want bouncers. You want helpful security. This may seem like common sense, but you would be shocked to know how frequently festival operators fail to take the hiring of security guards seriously. Minimally trained and inexperienced security guards don't make festivals safe; they do the exact opposite. Untrained security guards can act aggressively and inappropriately, resulting in physical harm to patrons. They can also misread signals as to when to react. Festivals work best when the crowd feels a level of trust that security and those in charge know how to handle dangerous situations. In addition, security teams must also have the ability to judge the “mood” of a crowd.
Liability insurance covering event cancellations and weather are critical to avoiding a financial disaster. (Photo: Shutterstock)
|Protect yourself with liability insurance.
In addition to proactive festival planning and procedures, the festival planner should purchase a festival liability insurance policy. In some instances, “event cancellation insurance” or “weather insurance” should be investigated for coverage and cost. If your festival is canceled, the expenses still exist while the revenue doesn't — a recipe for financial disaster and a threat to the future of a festival. This coverage may protect you against the financial loss of a canceled event.
Sometimes injury or equipment damage is beyond your control. If someone slips and falls or damages the property where you are holding the event, this type of insurance protects your organization. Seek out an insurance agency with festival experience for the best coverage and pricing.
Festival concerts are incredibly complicated affairs, even for festivals that are smaller in nature. Proactively assessing your risk and safety priorities can help promoters pull off a successful event. However, it is also important to remember that no two concerts or festivals will ever be the same. Each event has to be looked at individually. To ensure the safety of concert-goers and workers and to avoid a lawsuit or reputational damage, it pays off to be prepared.
Jeff Masas is president of CBIZ AiA Insurance and has over 30 years expeirence in personal and commercial lines. Email him [email protected].
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