What are the crowd fundamentals for a great event?

To organize distinctive events, one must be familiar with all the crowd fundamentals. As a temporary gathering of a large group of people in the same place (usually in public places) and time for a specific purpose and to perform the same behavior or action. The group can turn into a crowd by taking a specific event, action or reason to bring people together.

Hajj season

The Hajj season is the most accurate example of the definition of crowds as this definition applies to the Hajj seasons that include more than 2.5 million Muslims who gather to perform unified rituals in specific places at specific times. Hajj crowds are characterized by great diversity in all criteria: social, economic, psychological, educational, cultural background, and others.

What is crowd science?

A science that combines many theories and sciences, the most important of which are management, engineering and psychology. Crowds gather as a natural phenomenon during major events such as Hajj, Umrah, visitation and other various occasions.

What is crowd management?

Crowd management can be defined as a set of policies, procedures and techniques used in managing public gatherings, through coordination between the parties concerned with the event and responsible for its will and organization, monitoring and managing crowd numbers, and benefiting from previous experiences in developing their plans and procedures.

Fields related to crowd management:

There are many fields that are directly and indirectly related to crowd science, the most important of which are:

Engineering fields

They are related to the use of engineering and electronic technologies, from design to operation, to facilitate the movement of crowds and prevent interference and congestion from the beginning.

Administrative fields

They are related to plans and human and non-human resources related to crowd management before, during, and after a crowd gathering. The most important of these fields are communications management, organization, coordination, and operations management.

Behavioral fields

They are related to understanding the psychological, social, health, and cultural nature of individuals and groups that make up crowds and providing solutions that contribute to crowd management and control.

Spaces of movement and comfort

Each person has several spaces, a private space, a personal space, a social space, and a public space, these spaces differ from one culture to another and from one situation to another.

Crowd Density

Crowds are not measured by size but by density.

Density = number of people/m2

Types of Crowd Density

• Static when the crowd is standing (4 c/m2)
• Dynamic when the crowd is moving less than (4 c/m2)
• Settlements with high density are more vulnerable to human-caused disasters.

Critical Crowd Density

It is the density at which the danger phases of crowds begin. Traffic flow decreases when the density is greater than the critical density.

Traffic density varies depending on the activity and location. It is estimated at normal rates of 3 people/m2.

General Concepts of Crowds

• A stampede is a type of uncontrolled behavior resulting from the rush of a mass crowd.
• A stampede rarely occurs except in cases of mass fear or escape from a specific danger.
• Crowd Forces Resulting from Stampede in Panic
• Most human accidents are the result of human ripples, pressure waves, or crushing.

Causes of Crowd Incidents

• Behavioral Disorder
• Excessive Enthusiasm
• Management Mistakes
• Failure to Manage and Control Crowds
• Planning Mistakes
• Design Defects
• Facility Risks from Overcapacity

Learn the secrets of crowd control and event management by following some basic strategies that can make or break your event. Whether you have had a bad experience at an event and are unable to control the crowds or are thinking about how to make your next event a success, ALWOFOD Establishment is your partner for a memorable event free of problems and chaotic situations. Do not hesitate to contact us and ask for help with your next event.