Global Crowd Management Alliance launched

The Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA), a not-for profit group bringing together crowd managers, organisations, businesses and academics, has officially launched.

Spearheaded by the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC), the initiative will endeavour to “promote reasonable crowd management and crowd safety practices worldwide”, with the aim of becoming a globally recognised body of knowledge for professional crowd managers.

GCMA will be chaired by Gentian Events founder Eric Stuart and has board members from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the US, with advocates spanning more than 15 countries on five continents.

This organisation will enable us to expand the opportunities for sharing knowledge and experience that will help keep people safe

“This organisation will enable us to expand the opportunities for sharing knowledge and experience that will help keep people safe,” says Stuart.

“Whilst crowd plans are sometimes complex and need specialist knowledge, basic safety principles can be applied to many locations where crowds gather, and those principles can often be learnt and implemented at little cost.

“Most importantly, we should never forget that crowds are made up of people who expect to enjoy a pleasant day or evening out, then return home safely. Good crowd management can help achieve that simple, fundamental goal.”

Stuart, who also chairs the UKCMA, emphasises GCMA’s commitment to diversity in both leadership and membership.

“We welcome everyone who wishes to enhance crowd safety standards across the globe, and who supports GCMA’s goals to Educate, Advocate and Motivate crowd management professionals,” he says.

The organisation stresses that, with the mass exodus of experienced workers from the sector during the pandemic, training and education is more important than ever.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, many event professionals have, quite logically, focused on infection mitigation measures so events and venues can reopen safely,” says Steve Adelman, GCMA’s deputy chair and VP of the ESA. “But crowds require much more than vaccine passports and face coverings. From catastrophic occurrences like armed attacks to more routine risks such as overcrowding, trip hazards, and inadequate wayfinding signage, crowd management remains an essential issue for everyone involved with live events.

“I am thrilled that the Global Crowd Management Alliance has assembled subject matter experts from around the world who work with these issues every day, and who are prepared to lead and teach others to host safe post-pandemic events.”

 

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