International promoters get first class protection
The global professionals responsible for the safety of concert audiences worldwide were themselves looked after by crowd management company Showsec this March. The International Live Music Conference (ILMC) welcomed 950 live music promoters, agents and managers to London’s Royal Garden Hotel to discuss the issues affecting live music and events, including secondary ticketing, audience safety and emerging markets.
“Live music promoters understand the responsibilities and challenges of providing top class crowd management, stewarding and security,” said Showsec’s managing director, Mark Harding. “So we were delighted to be able to provide the friendly, professional and effective service they demand. Showsec is increasingly being asked to work in a management capacity on international events including Bestival Romania, Desert Storm in Dubai and MTV Europe. We found ILMC 2008 an invaluable showcase for extending our world-wide presence.”
The four-day event saw Showsec’s trained, uniformed teams ensuring participants’ safety and comfort by verifying passes, directing delegates and understanding the venue’s emergency procedures.
“One of the toughest jobs in the business must be covering the security at an event where the audience consists of the people who usually hire the security companies,” said ILMC organiser Martin Hopewell of Primary Talent. “Not only do Showsec manage to do that successfully every year at the ILMC, but they pull it off with a style and level of diplomacy that I personally find amazing.”