Security and crowd management

Managing crowds safely is a core responsibility for event organisers, regardless of the size or style of your event. You must identify crowd-related risks early and put in place appropriate controls to prevent injury, overcrowding, confusion or disorder.

Security planning

Some events may require licensed security personnel to be present, especially where alcohol is served, crowd numbers are large or access needs to be controlled.

To determine if security is required, consider:

• event size and type
• age and demographics of attendees
• sale and service of alcohol
• overnight infrastructure on site
• proximity to residential or commercial areas
• history of similar events.

Security provider due diligence

The first thing you should check is whether the security company is qualified to do the job you need. 

Security guards must have the proper training and accreditation to perform their roles safely and legally. As the event organiser, you are responsible for ensuring that the security provider you engage is licensed, reputable and experienced in event environments.

Security briefing and role clarity

Security must be licensed and appropriately briefed on:

• entry and exit locations
• site hazards and emergency procedures
• communication protocols (for example, radio channels)
• incident escalation and reporting.

Security guards should be easily identifiable and must never exceed their legal powers under the Private Security Act 2004.

The security contractor must provide a Security Management Plan as part of the event documentation. This plan should outline:

• staffing levels and shift schedules
• patrol areas and responsibilities
• escalation procedures
• communication systems
• how the security team will respond to incidents.

Event organisers must also define the scope of the security team’s role within their operation. For example, are they expected to assist with lost children, crowd management or emergency evacuation? If so, this must be communicated in advance and be documented in the plan and reinforced through briefings and training.

Crowd management

Crowd Management Plan

A Crowd Management Plan may be required for events with high attendance or elevated risk. This plan should include:

• maximum capacity limits for different site areas
• entry and exit flow (including emergency exits)
• queue management
• monitoring of crowd density (especially around stages or food areas)
• communication strategies (for example, signage, PA announcements, roaming staff).

Visible signage 

You must provide clear, visible signage to assist with wayfinding and crowd movement. This includes:

• directional signs (for example, toilets, exits, information points)
• entry and exit points
• restricted or staff-only zones.

Training and identification

Staff and volunteers responsible for crowd management must be properly trained and clearly identifiable.

Evacuation and emergency situations

If an evacuation is needed, crowd movement must be calm, controlled, and safe. Your Emergency Management Plan should:

• detail evacuation routes and clearly identify assembly points for staff, contractors and (where appropriate) the public
• assign roles and responsibilities (for example, crowd marshals, wardens, first aiders)
• include a method for communicating with the public (for example, PA system, megaphone, loudhailer)
• consider people with disability or additional needs, ensuring accessible routes and support.

Event organisers are responsible for planning how an evacuation would be managed for their specific site. This may involve using one of our templates, engaging a consultant with emergency planning expertise or developing a plan in-house that reflects the scale and complexity of the event.