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Bucks New University Unveils Mojo Barriers Education & Training Centre
Friday 14 December 2007, saw the official opening of the Mojo Barriers Education & Training Centre, part of the Centre for Crowd Management & Security Studies at Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe.
The Centre was opened by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Ruth Farwell, and Patrick Jordan, managing director of Mojo Barriers, in the company of guests from the security, crowd management and close protection industries.
The Mojo Barriers Education & Training Centre is the world’s only centre for training staff indoors on using pressure sensing equipment with the revolutionary Barrier Load Measuring System (BLMS), the most technically advanced piece of crowd management safety equipment in use at major music and sporting events today.
The BLMS is the only commercially available crowd barrier that can measure load at specific points in an audience where there are people pressing against it, and with the help of specifically developed software can collate information to help improve site design for subsequent events or can be used for ‘real time’ assessment of audience behaviour.
The launch featured a full demonstration of the BLMS, lead by Patrick Jordan and Warren Tucker, who provides technological support for the Centre, enabling guests to witness the benefits of the system at first hand. Mojo Barriers, a worldwide market leader in the manufacture and provision of crowd control barriers and sponsor of the Centre, has donated the BLMS to Buckinghamshire New University for the purposes of educating others in its use. As well as providing BLMS instruction to Buckinghamshire New University crowd management, music and events students, the Centre will also offer training to event organisers and Student Union representatives from other universities, as well as corporate training where required.
Buckinghamshire New University is considered to have outstanding credentials in the area of crowd / event management and research. The Centre for Crowd Management & Security Studies is dedicated to making events across the world safer places to be, and its purpose is to help promote the creation of a safer concert and security environment. In addition to providing a research/study centre, it offers work-based Foundation Degrees and Short Courses in areas such as Music, Entertainment and Live Events Management, as well as programmes of study in crowd management, and events and festival management.
The Centre for Crowd Management & Security Studies works with and is supported by institutions and businesses all over the world, and is involved with many major events including VE day in London, Knebworth, Glastonbury and the V2 Festival.
University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Ruth Farwell, welcomed the opening of the Centre: “The Centre demonstrates Buckinghamshire New University’s commitment to making technological advances at an international level and within the wider context of public safety at major events. It’s a really exiting project and I am very interested to see it in operation! “
Patrick Jordan commented: “It is a privilege to work with Professor Kemp and the team at Buckinghamshire New University. The understanding of crowd dynamics at events has developed a lot in recent years and it is exciting to be part of a team that is continually pushing that development, with a view to making concerts and events safer for audiences. The BLMS has already offered us some fascinating insights as to what audiences actually experience at a range of events and I hope that this new Centre will help in the area of audience safety.”
The launch event also marked the official retirement of Mick Upton, who, as a founder of the Centre for Crowd Management, was an instrumental and long-standing member of Buckinghamshire New University’s Faculty of Enterprise & Innovation. Mick has now handed over the headship of the Centre to Mark Hamilton, chairman of the Rock Steady Group, one of the world’s leading event security companies.
In picture: Mark Hamilton (Head of Centre), Professor Chris Kemp (Head of Education and Commerce), Dr Ruth Farwell (University Vice-Chancellor), and Patrick Jordan (Managing Director of Mojo Barriers).
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