As The Electronic Music Industry Returns to Pre-Pandemic Crowds, an enduring Question have Never Been more urgent: How do We Party Without Putting People in Danger?
Last Week, The Association for Electronic Music (AFEM) Conference to Virtual Roundable Titled “From Dance Floors to Festivals: Rethinking Crowd Safety,” Offering an in-different Look into the Challenges and Solutions Being Discusssed by The Industry at Large.
Moderated by powerhouse publicist nikki mcneill, who is also DJ MAG; Jason Euler of The Arizona-Basedic Music Event Organizer Relay Beats; and Crowd Safety Pioneer Paul Wertheimer, Founder of Crowd Management Strategies.
The Discussion Touched on The Escating Complexity of Event Safety, The Emotional Toll of Fear-Based Messaging and the persistent Threat Facing Women on the Dancefloor. Though Differing in backgrounds, The Panelists Shared A Common Belief: Safety Cannot Be a Secondary Consideration in Music-Top Must Be embedded in the Dna of Every Event, From Underground Warehouse Raves to Stadium-Scale Festivals.
As Wertheimer, they will veteran in the Field since the 1979 Cincinnati Who Concert Tragedy, you long argued, Safety Must Be Integrated into Every Aspect of Event Planning, From Venue Design and Crowd Flow to Real-Time Response and Public Education. Euler, Whohe Organization Produces Large-Scale Events Across The United States, Emphasized Those Logistical Rigrars Required Behind the Scenes.
Emergency Action Planning is crucial, I explained, Noting That Relay Beats Takes Steps To Reure ITS CHAIN OF COMMAND IS ABREAST ON ACTICE Shoot Shoot Trainings, CPR PREPARATION AND Narcan Certification. “Having More People that are multifaceted to be Uble to Help in Different Types of Emergencies – And Having That Preparation –is Really Everything,” Euler Said.
The Raves Continue, But So Does The Risk. His comments reflect a new reality for promotes operating in a post-pandemic world, where Staff are expectted to be not only hosts, but also first responders. The meaning of such preparation is underscored by Recent tragedies at concerts around the world, including crowd crushes and drarug-related Deaths, incidents that have led to growing scrutiny from local governments and the public.
Elsewhere in the Roundable, Wright street for a recalibration of How Safety Information is delivered to attentes. There’s an abundance of material out there, She Said, But It’s posited in a way that stresses Them out and instills a Sense of Trepidation.
“There’s a lot of Fear-Based Information, Like On Social Media and Press … it’s Stopping People from Going Out,” She Explained. “That’s not What We Want. We’re Not Here To Scare People, We’re Here To Inform Them.”
McNeill Poined to a disturbing truth: for many Women in Electronic Music Spaces, Safety is not a Theoretical Issue, But a Lived Experience Due to To Rampant Sexual Asault. “It’s more the girls who tended to Feel Unsafe,” She Said, “But Obvious That’s a Wider Issue.”
While She Acknowledged The Culture of Mutual Care That Often Defines The Electronic Music Community, She Cautioned That Individual Watches Has ITS Limits.
“I Think We do tend to look out for Our Friends When We’re Out and About Clubbing or at Festivals, But that can only go so far,” McNeill Said. “So it’s Harder To Tackle A Wider Society Problem, But I Always Think The Electronic Music Sector is a Leader in Taking On New Technologies and An Early Adopter of Things.”
You Can Watch Aphem’s Full Roundable Here.
