The Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) has launched. Its aim; to bring together crowd managers, national bodies, businesses, academics, and those with a shared interest in safety.
It’s headed by the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC). The GCMA board members come from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, and supporters and advocates cover 15 countries and five continents.
GCMA says that as a not-for-profit body will seek to promote responsible crowd management and crowd safety practices, aiming for a globally recognised body of knowledge for crowd managers. The Alliance is also looking to create and deliver learning for crowd management practitioners at all experience levels, in all geographic locations, and regardless of financial means, it says.
GCMA Chair is Eric Stuart, pictured, who also chairs the UK event security body UKCMA. He said: “I am delighted to have been elected by the founding committee of the Global Crowd Management Alliance to serve as its first Chair. This organisation will enable us to expand the opportunities for sharing knowledge and experience that will help keep people safe. While crowd plans are sometimes complex and need specialist knowledge, basic safety principles can be applied to many locations where crowds gather, and those principles can often be learnt and implemented at little cost. Most importantly, we should never forget that crowds are made up of people who expect to enjoy a pleasant day or evening out, then return home safely. Good crowd management can help achieve that simple, fundamental goal.”
He stressed GCMA’s commitment to diversity in leadership and membership. He added: “We welcome everyone who wishes to enhance crowd safety standards across the globe, and who supports GCMA’s goals to educate, advocate and motivate crowd management professionals.”
Steve Adelman, GCMA’s Deputy Chair is Vice President of the Event Safety Alliance in the United States. He said: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, many event professionals have, quite logically, focused on infection mitigation measures so events and venues can reopen safely. But crowds require much more than vaccine passports and face coverings. From catastrophic occurrences like armed attackers to more routine risks such as overcrowding, trip hazards, and inadequate way-finding signage, crowd management remains an essential issue for everyone involved with live events. I am thrilled that the Global Crowd Management Alliance has assembled subject matter experts from around the world who work with these issues every day, and who are prepared to lead and teach others to host safe post-pandemic events.”
To know more about membership, collaboration or sponsorship email [email protected] or visit www.thegcma.com.
View the Alliance also on Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/c/EventSafetyAlliance.
