The Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) officially launched today, bringing together crowd managers, organizations, businesses, academics and individuals with a shared interest in safety from across the globe. The initiative, spearheaded by the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC) has board members from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S., and a list of supporters and advocates spanning over 15 countries on five continents.
More information from the Global Crowd Management Alliance (www.thegcma.com):
GCMA is a not-for-profit organization which will promote responsible crowd management and crowd safety practices worldwide, leading to a globally recognized body of knowledge for professional crowd managers. The Alliance will also create and deliver learning opportunities for crowd management practitioners at all experience levels, in all geographic locations, and regardless of financial means.
“I am delighted to have been elected by the founding committee of the Global Crowd Management Alliance to serve as its first Chair,” states GCMA Chair Eric Stuart. “This organization 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.”
Stuart, who also chairs the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), emphasized GCMA’s commitment to diversity in both leadership and membership. 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.
Now, as we emerge from the global pandemic that brought the events industry to a standstill, and which has seen a mass exodus of experienced workers, training and education is more important than ever. Steve Adelman, GCMA’s deputy chair and vice president of the Event Safety Alliance (U.S.), noted the significance of this moment in time. “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 wayfinding 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.”
