… Some people just don’t get it.
I am a fan of the band RUSH. Today, Singer/Keyboard/Bass Player, Geddy Lee issued a formal apology to those in attendance at their concert last night. Approaching storms forced the decision to end the concert early. As I read through the comments posted to the apology, I cringed at a couple of the responses. Comments ranged from thanking the band for thinking of the crowd’s safety to the other extreme of being upset that they didn’t get the whole ticket value that they paid for.
As someone who has worked many outdoor events, I understand the dilema that comes about when a storm threatens. I have worked as Head of Security for a local dirt race track, done various outdoor events with sound and lighting equipment, and volunteered for many events as general help. I have seen the effects first hand of dealing with storms during an event.
I have been the one who made the final call to clear the stands and stop the show. It is not an easy decision to make. Several things have to be taken into account when making those decisions. Obviously, the safety of your customers/audience has to be first and foremost. The safety of your crew sometimes must take a backseat to that of your audience. You have to make sure the audience is able to get to a safe location before you let your employees go. This is especially true of Security and Safety personnel.
The location itself plays a major part in making the determination whether to cancel or postpone the show. A covered location that provides protection to your crew and the audience may allow you to continue with the show or stop the event to allow the danger to pass. Metal grandstands or muddy grounds must also be taken into account. It may be more dangerous to move a mass of people than to keep them in a semi sheltered area. Many other factors are weighed at the time.
On top of deciding when to stop the show, you have to work the decision of what to do with the remainder of the show. How long will it take to get people out of harms when? How long will it take to get the facility and equipment back in operation after the delay? How long will it take to get people back in? Will the storms pass quickly? Will they dump a lot of rain? How much rain can the grounds and parking area tolerate before they become an issue? If you resume the event, how late will it run? Will running late violate any contracts or curfews? If you decide to cancel the remaing event, do you have a date to reschedule. What is the cost of rescheduling for another date? What is the cost of issuing rainchecks? All this and a whole lot more gets run through before the management chain before a call is made.
Sometimes the best call ‘for safety’s sake’ is just shut the event down and evacuate the venue. People were griping at RUSH because the thunderstorms never materialized. You can’t always predict the weather. I don’t know how many times we cancelled racing and then the sun came out. All signs at the time pointed to the fact that it was going to rain/storm all night.
If you’re ever at an event that gets called by an inpending storm, heed the announcements. Try not to take it out on the employees and crew of the event. Alot of thought went into the decision before a word was ever said to the audience.
Just my thoughts.
~Cappy