Creamfields relocated last year from the Old Liverpool Airfield, Speke in Liverpool, to Daresbury Estate, Cheshire, and more than 40,000 music fans gathered on the green-field site this year to see headliners Chemical Brothers, Groove Armada, Kelis and LCD Soundsystem along with the extraordinary line up of top DJs that Creamfields is famous for.
Showsec has supported Creamfields event management company, Loud Sound, for a number of years, working in close partnership with them on many different events all over the country. During the run up to the show, Showsec worked closely with Loud Sound to develop an all encompassing crowd management plan that covered everything from traffic management to on site crowd control for the 15-hour long event.
The tailored crowd management plan covered the pit, ingresses and egresses, traffic flow, perimeter fences, the main tented structures, artist dressing rooms and backstage areas, using over 400 staff.
A senior management team was appointed to oversee operations. Showsec's operations director, Mark Logan, was head of security for the festival. Accompanied by four qualified area managers, Alan Wallace, Steve Reynolds, Brian Lewis and Ken Gunn, from the company's network of UK offices, he oversaw the implementation of the crowd management plan.
Logan comments: "This year the crowd management covered more areas than before, checking the authenticity of tickets using sophisticated PDA technology and introducing a 'Challenge 21' initiative. This ensured that everyone that looked below the age of 21 was asked for proof of ID and being wristbanded before entering the site, making it easier for the bars and concessions on site.
"We also worked closely with the Police and Halton Borough Council to ensure the safety of the local community, as well as visitors to the site. With residential properties surrounding the estate and a constant flow of people and traffic to the site, all parties involved in safety procedures worked in tandem to ensure the sharing of information and the smooth running of the site."
(Jim Evans)
