Showsec airs its views at UK Festival Conference

Showsec director Mark Logan joined the ‘Weather – Or Not’ debate which explored safety standards following the stage collapse tragedies that occurred last summer.

The panel discussion was mediated by Andy Lenthall, general manager at Production Services Association, and featured fellow festival industry leaders including Live Nation UK COO John Probyn, Hedwig De Meyer from Stageco and Simon James representing The Event Safety Shop.

For his part, Logan drew on personal experience to discuss how thorough contingency plans, site-wide monitoring processes and incorporating external agencies are vital to diminish threats posed by adverse weather events.

Examples discussed included 2011’s Bestival where Showsec evacuated during the site build when high winds recorded at up to 28 m/s hit the site. The effects from the tail end of Hurricane Katia meant the site lost a load-in day and this caused widespread logistical disturbance to a number of the onsite agencies.

“Safety is about all stakeholders – festival organisers, security, police, First Aid and local authorities – working together,” assured Logan. “I’m delighted to have been part of such a lively panel which saw the audience get involved. The fact that the industry is continually striving to exceed safety standards can only be a good thing.”

Logan went on to state: “We’re proud to have supported the UK Festival Conference and Awards by being part of the panel and also sponsoring the Best Family Festival category. All of us at Showsec would like to extend huge congratulations to the Beautiful Days Festival [who won the category] and also congratulate our client Creamfields for winning Best Dance Festival and another client, Bestival, for Fans Favourite Festival.

Showsec scores festive success at Manchester Christmas Markets

Showsec successfully implemented a crowd management operation for the Manchester Christmas Markets, a key festive event held in the city from 11 November-23 December.

Showsec provided a team of SIA licensed staff 24 hours a day to the eight sites which spread across the city centre from St Ann’s Square to the Triangle, including members of staff during the daytime and eight at night.

Public safety was of ultimate importance for the multifaceted markets which included European-style stalls selling continental foods, crafts and gifts, and a broad audience demographic ranging from families to foreign visitors.

Showsec worked closely with event organiser Manchester City Council to effectively implement and manage a strategic security plan, creating the safest environment possible for the crowd while maintaining the market atmosphere.

The annual event cemented Showsec’s reputation as one of Manchester City Council’s chosen security suppliers, the company having previously worked on successful events including the 2010 Christmas markets which attracted more than 1.3 million visitors.

Liaison with Trading Standards and Greater Manchester Police

The Showsec team was led by Tom Bailey, who liaised with other local authorities including trading standards, environmental health and the Greater Manchester Police to ensure no illegal alcohol was consumed inside the site perimeter.

In addition to the security provided for the opening weekend, Showsec also provided daily security to the markets in the build-up to Christmas, with increased staff levels at weekends for the higher crowd volumes.

Bailey said: “We’ve worked with Manchester City Council for several years now and developed a great relationship through implementing crowd security procedures to a number of the city’s public events. Our knowledge and understanding of the local area is a testament to the success of both the 2010 and 2011 Christmas Markets’ opening weekends, which required planning and engagement from start to finish and communication with other local agencies to ensure every eventuality was accounted for and managed effectively.”