Top Three Safety Resolutions for 2022:

Mastering Perimeter Security & Venue Crowd Control

After two years of COVID measures, retail closures and concert shutdowns, event staff are prepping for a more hopeful 2022. Though variants, pandemic guidelines and travel restrictions are still in flux, the gradual bounce-back of shopping, family gatherings and modest-sized events are good signs Americans are ready for a post-COVID life.

With any luck, spring sports, warm-weather concerts and major festivals will return in 2022 — with contingency plans in place, of course. As you sit down with operations managers and security staff to prep for increasing crowds, bystanders and performances, remember to put these safety measures at the top of your facility’s New Year resolution checklist.

SAFETY RESOLUTION #1: Inventory & Update Safety Equipment

It’s never too early to prep for spring, summer or even fall events, and the beginning of the year is an ideal time to inventory crowd control equipment and assess its operational condition. Steel or plastic barriers, queue management tools and traffic safety supplies are the foundation of a successful logistics plan, and asset tracking is essential for preparedness.

Assign security or other facility teams to establish and maintain an updated equipment inventory — complete with photos, purchase dates and condition of assets. Begin by counting all equipment and placing it into categories. The following checklist is a straightforward way to categorize your inventory:

• Perimeter security: Your venue or municipality may use perimeter products like crowd control barricades, anti-scale security fencing, Jersey water barriers, stanchions, belts and custom signage to control event entry and exit.
• Traffic safety: From delineators and channelizer drums to construction fences, traffic safety assets are used to minimize injuries, cordon off hazards and direct people to parking and entry points.
• Crowd management: Crowd-related venue security solutions include temporary fencing panels, portable fence gates, plastic or steel barricades, stage barriers, fence screens, signage, barricade lights and other accessories.
• Health & wellness: In group gathering spaces, many event venues continue to use disinfecting stations, stanchion-mounted sanitizing dispensers and floor cues for social distancing.

After cataloging equipment by category and assessing each item’s condition, make immediate plans to replace aging or broken pieces with new, high-performance products. Avoid skimping on critical crowd management equipment since it is vital to staff and attendee safety. SONCO has everything you need to secure your 2022 events, from custom signs to steel barricades and temporary fencing systems known for their strength, durability and unbeatable bulk pricing. SONCO fencing and barriers also interlock with other brands so that you can integrate new equipment with existing fence panels and accessories.

SAFETY RESOLUTION #2: Don’t Skimp on Signage

Signs are among your organization’s most valuable assets, and all signage should be stated clearly, easy to read from a distance and visible in low-light conditions. SONCO’s in-house design team creates high-resolution barricade covers, banners, flags, inflatables and other products using your company’s supplied logo and art files.

Choose from customized fence screens, barricade covers and countless signage options to achieve these goals and more:

• Marketing upcoming events or festivals
• Monetizing worksites & advertising for sponsors
• Guiding attendees with wayfinding & directional signs
• Increasing brand & logo recognition
• Communicating health & safety guidelines
• Enhancing the look of plain barriers & fences
• Showcasing artists or communities with custom murals

A comprehensive signage strategy guides attendees through queues, directs them to seating areas, and calls out highly sought destinations like food courts and restrooms. SONCO’s high-resolution signage attracts patron attention, withstands unruly crowds and comes in full-color mesh and poly blends with custom ventilation and dust control levels.

SAFETY RESOLUTION #3: Mind Your Queues

Today’s consumer spends about five years of their life waiting in lines. Streamlined queue systems enhance the customer experience and reduce frustration for waiting patrons. Along with directional and wayfinding signage, you need well-planned queue strategies to keep lines flowing and crowds moving. Nothing spells frustration like poorly run lines, which can also lead to overcrowding, reduced productivity, loss of sales and patron safety problems.

Remember the following practical strategies as you set up queues for school registration, sporting events, mega-concerts or festival venues.

• Use a tracking system. Sensors and wi-fi tracking equipment are helpful tools for tracking queue numbers. Receive data reports indicating client traffic, average wait times and line abandonment rates, which help you plan for future queue solutions while increasing line retention.
• Create a single, low-stress line. Instead of a multi-line setup, choose one line leading to multiple cashiers or customer service agents. SONCO retractable belt barriers are a compact way to delineate and organize waiting areas, and a single-line approach reduces anxiety about line selection while discouraging line hoppers.
• Make lines easy to navigate. Design queue corrals with clearly marked entrances. When possible, provide digital signage indicating wait times. Informed customers are more likely to stick around, especially when lines remain tidy and efficient. When feasible, keep line structures straight and simple. Avoid long, snaking queues that “trap” patrons between line sections.

Keep Your Safety Resolutions With SONCO Crowd Control Equipment

Since 1976, SONCO Perimeter Security has provided municipalities, organizations, event venues and construction companies with tools that elevate safety. With the help of crowd control barricades, temporary fencing, or stanchions and belt systems, you’ll achieve your ambitious safety initiatives and make 2022 a security success.

For more information about event safety, check out SONCO’s tips on building better events. And connect with a SONCO product representative to discuss venue security, create equipment checklists or ask about proven signage and branding strategies!