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Showsec Ensure Safe Run of Events in Hyde Park
Event security specialists Showsec played an integral safety role in the series of concerts and festivals staged at Hyde Park, this June and July, now such a welcome part of London's summer culture. Audiences and working teams enjoyed 46664, Hard Rock Calling and 02 Wireless Festival in a highly safety-aware events environment thanks to the extensive planning and professionalism of promoters Live Nation, working alongside Showsec.
Three high profile events took place on two consecutive weekends, starting with the star-studded 46664 charity concert celebrating Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday on the final Friday of June. Hard Rock Calling took place on the Saturday and Sunday immediately following, with a bill headlined by the Police and Eric Clapton, while, on the second weekend, O2 Wireless hosted Fat Boy Slim, Morrissey, Jay Z and Counting Crows. The same site and infrastructure was also used for an additional mid-week concert by Jack Johnson.
Showsec were at the heart of event planning, with the company's operations director Simon Battersby appointed head of security for all three events. The Mandela concert boasted the largest capacity of 46,664, while Hard Rock Calling and O2 Wireless had capacities of 35,000.
The company provided the full complement of festival services including pit teams, backstage security for production areas, VIPs, VVIPs and artists, front of house and entrance management.
Simon liaised with emergency services, licensing authorities, Live Nation and sponsors to ensure that the event exceeded all its security and crowd management requirements.
For the Mandela concert on the first weekend, with its larger crowd and a VVIP "golden circle" at the front of stage, Showsec deployed a team of 400 people across the site.
At the other two events some of the infrastructure was removed and Showsec fielded teams of 350 staff each day. Key Showsec personnel included Steve Reynolds (deputy crowd manager), Paul Legge (project manager) and Dayo Adelugba (backstage manager), whose broad experience at Hyde Park in previous years ensured a smooth-running and trouble-free operation.
"The Showsec team has built up a wealth of expertise at many events such as the Hyde Park concerts over the last few years," says Simon. "It has allowed us to adapt our operation to meet the needs of the differing event styles, meaning that the series of festivals in the park this year were among the best run ever."
29th July 2008
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