{"id":236,"date":"2006-03-08T17:19:13","date_gmt":"2006-03-08T23:19:13","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-03-27T11:39:21","modified_gmt":"2015-03-27T16:39:21","slug":"crowd-management-past-and-contemporary-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/crowd-management-past-and-contemporary-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Crowd Management: Past and Contemporary Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"
Submitted by: Spiro G. Doukas<\/div>\n

Introduction<\/p>\n

Before the 2004 summer Olympic Games began, organizers contracted to
\nContemporary Services Corporation (CSC), an American company, for crowd
\nmanagement services. During the opening and closing ceremonies, personnel
\nhelped spectators find their seats, gave general information on the stadium
\nand its features and helped exit the crowds when the ceremonies and events
\nended.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why do crowds need to be managed? The best reasons are the following:
\nFirstly, big gatherings of people raise the odds of a dangerous occurrence
\nhappening. Secondly, individuals within a crowd always take for granted
\nthat others have the responsibility. Thirdly, big crowds or gatherings
\nof people make changes in action slower and more complicated. Fourthly,
\nbig crowds or gatherings of people make communications slower and more
\ncomplicated. And most importantly, big crowds of people raise the possible
\nnumber of victims (Marsden, A. W, 1998).<\/p>\n

The definition of crowd management is every component of the game or
\nevent from the design of the stadium or arena to the game itself and the
\nprotection of the patrons from unforeseeable risk of harm from other individuals
\nor the actual facility itself. The main criteria for deciding if crowd
\ncontrol procedures are sufficient and proper depend on the type of event,
\nthreats of aggression, existence and sufficiency of the emergency plan,
\nexpectation of crowd size and seating arrangement, known rivalries among
\nteams and schools, and the use of a security workforce and ushers (Facilities
\nand Event Management, n.d.). A competent crowd management plan has appropriate
\nsignage, an effectual communication structure, services for various disabled
\nindividuals, a properly trained and capable staff, and procedures and
\npolicies for all possible instances (Facilities and Event Management,
\nn.d.).<\/p>\n

This paper investigates crowd management issues in sports settings and
\ninstances of failures. Crowd management has been an area of concern in
\nthe sports domain ever since the Olympic Games began in Ancient Olympia
\naround 776 B.C., up until today with the NBA, Soccer games, Football,
\ngames, etc. Facility management has the obligation to protect their patrons
\nand these managers must also have an effective crowd management plan in
\norder to protect the character and image of the team and facility. Historically,
\nmanaging and assisting crowds has been much more effective than trying
\nto control them. While this area of sport is often overlooked, it is a
\ntop priority for facility managers and for the sport itself.<\/p>\n

The author’s interest in the topic of crowd management grew from witnessing
\nthe aggressive fans of an NBA game during the 2004 season when fans at
\nAuburn Hills, Michigan fought with several players of the Indiana Pacers.
\nEvery year throughout the world in stadiums, arenas, and other sports
\nrelated areas, crowd rushes, fires, bombs, crowd crushes, heat exhaustion,
\nstage collapsing, overcrowding, and rioting result in thousands of deaths.
\nFacility managers face many difficulties when managing crowds of 10,000
\nor 100,000 people.<\/p>\n

Some research points out how the individual regresses socially, behaviorally,
\nand psychologically when he or she is in a large crowd. A civilized person
\nmay emerge into behavior bordering barbarous when in a crowd and some
\ntheories propose that aggressiveness in individuals is an innate characteristic,
\nwhich we are born with and this makes aggressive behavior inevitable at
\ncertain times. This is where proper crowd management techniques are involved.
\nBy having a properly trained staff, sufficient signage, an effective and
\nefficient communication system, an effective ejection policy and a proper
\nalcohol management policy in place, the risk of aggression, injuries and
\ndeath can be reduced. Information on crowd management can be gathered
\nthrough various journals, Internet sites, and the EBSCO database.<\/p>\n

Review of Literature<\/p>\n

Historical Examples of Crowd Management Issues<\/p>\n

Crowd management issues can be seen from the days of ancient Greece.
\nIn Ancient Olympia, where the Olympic Games began, women were forbidden
\nto watch the Games or be in the general vicinity.<\/p>\n

Pausanias recounts there is a mountain with high precipitous cliffs,
\nTypeum, from which any woman caught at the Olympic Games or even on
\nthe other side of the Alpheius would have been cast down. No woman was
\ncaught, except Callipateira, a widow disguised as a trainer. She brought
\nher son to compete at Olympia (Powell, John. T, 1994, p. 11).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Her son was victorious and Callipateira \u201cjumped over the enclosure
\nin which trainers had to stay, revealing herself as a woman\u201d (Powell,
\nJohn. T, 1994, p. 11). Olympic organizers realized that she was a woman,
\nhowever; they let her go without any fines because of the respect everyone
\nhad for her son, her brothers, and her father, all of whom had won before
\nat the Olympics. \u201cA law was then passed that for future celebrations
\nall trainers must strip before entering the arena\u201d (Powell, John.
\nT, 1994, p. 11).<\/p>\n

Sports facilities of the ancient world did not have the same problems
\nof modern days. Callipateira presented a problem for facility managers
\nof Ancient Olympia. Although keeping women out of Olympic sites may seem
\nabsurd today, in Ancient Greece these Olympic sites were highly sacred
\nand only men were allowed in these holy areas. Having seen a woman in
\nan Olympic arena would have upset the large crowds in the ancient stadia
\nand arenas, from spectators to athletes. One problem for Ancient Olympic
\nfacility managers was how to keep women out of Olympic sites. The solution
\nwas to have a law passed that future Games must have all trainers strip
\nprior to entering the arena to verify their gender.<\/p>\n

The Olympic Games lasted from 776 B.C. till the 4th century A.D. They
\ndid not begin again until 1896 A.D. as organized sport was not as important
\nduring the middle ages in Europe. Today\u2019s facility managers must
\nalso provide proactive solutions for different contemporary problems such
\nas refusing entry to drunk patrons, checking patrons for weapons and other
\nmodern day problems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Submitted by: Spiro G. Doukas<\/div>\n

Introduction<\/p>\n

Before the 2004 summer Olympic Games began, organizers contracted to
\n Contemporary Services Corporation (CSC), an American company, for crowd
\n management services. During the opening and closing ceremonies, personnel
\n helped spectators find their seats, gave general information on the stadium
\n and its features and helped exit the crowds when the ceremonies and events
\n ended. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[290,293,291,296],"tags":[8,70,72,31],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4btio-3O","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":263,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/book-review-2006-sports-market-place-directory\/","url_meta":{"origin":236,"position":0},"title":"Book Review: 2006 Sports Market Place Directory","date":"March 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Glaucio Scremin The sports industry is a multifaceted, multibillion dollar industry. 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