Category Archives: Uncategorized
Brad and Janine tell the story of early Blowzabella
Brad and Janine review Crowd Management. Andrew Tatrai’s two chapters
Brad and Janine review The Dark Side of Events
Bio in International Festivals & Events Magazine May 2023
2022 – what’s next?
Well 2022 is almost over. This year I have worked in Abu Dhabi (physically) and online in the USA, Australia and France. I have completed an events portfolio assessment ( or program) for a local authority (also called a local council). They had little understanding of events and it was an ‘eye opener’ for them. An example is below, where I explain the simple economy of a public event. In plain speak, if they have 20,000 people at a festival and they spend on average $50 each at the event, then the event economy is a million dollars.
Name one business in the local area that turns over a million in one day?
Where does that money go?
Well, as a surprise to the local authority (council and Councillors) , it walks out the door via the vendors and suppliers.
In financial terms, all they have done by putting on their festival is stripped money from the locals.
Whoops!
Here is a simple diagram explaining it. Also if they don’t have events ( that was their first solution) then the locals go to festivals outside the region and spend that money.
The solution is simple: have lots of events and festivals and analyse the “spend”.
Fear Maths no longer
Don’t like maths or math? I hear this all the time from students, friends and colleagues. I am enthralled by mathematics and I am now going to explain to you how it works.
First: why don’t you like it. My theory is that at school you “did” arithmetic and geometry. You did not just learn it. It was explained in terms of apples and sport and stuff of the playground. Even fractions made sense: sharing an apple equally. It was tested daily in the playground.
Then the minus numbers (negative numbers) occurred. There was really nothing that corresponds to this in real life. The teacher could never explain it and you had to just believe it. From then on, arithmetic was faith. The negative number was your first introduction to the imaginary MATHSWORLD.
Let me explain complex mathematics so you will no longer fear it.
The diagram takes you through it. There is a real problem. The problem gets translated into maths language using symbols. It is then transferred to MATHSWORLD. In MATHSWORLD the problem is solved using rules that have nothing to do with REALWORLD, where you live. It is then translated back into a solution in the real world. That is it.
You will never understand MATHSWORLD. In fact no one really does. Not even mathematicians. They understand part of it. But not all. It has become so complex and specialized. Now with the computer proofs, parts of MATHSWORLD may never be understood.
An example of this is what are called imaginary numbers. They don’t exist except – yep – in Mathworld. But engineers use them all the time. It is the reason your aeroplane keeps flying. Engineers have a problem, they translate it into imaginary numbers, solve it in the world of mathematics, come back to reality and keep the plane flying.
So you can relax.
Is an event safer than the surrounding area?
As I was writing the Safe and Healthy Crowded Places Handbook a statement came up a number of times at the meetings. “ an event has more injuries and therefore needs have more medical services than the surrounding area” “The event site should be as safe as the neighborhood”
I know that is a vague, feel good statement.
Do they mean the surround area with the same number of people? Which is the argument from equivalence. I never found anyone with figures on this. In my limited experience my events were always safer, with far less incidents over the equivalent time span. It is a bit of a puzzle. Maybe I chose the wrong neighborhoods 🙂 Has anyone seen any figures or study on this?
Ideas for Pittsburgh
This year, 2018, in Wheeling West Virginia, the second year class at the Event Management School proposed events and festivals for Pittsburgh. The students are highly experienced event organisers, managers and coordinators from around the USA and Canada. They formed teams to look at one aspect of Pittsburgh – in this case the troubled neighbourhoods. Using their vast knowledge and experience and the project/risk management taught at the School, they put together proposals for the city. Detailed concepts, marketing, project and risk plans. Including site plans, schedules, resources lists and budgets.
Where did they come form? here is a sample
Burlington, Vermont; Wilmington, Delaware; Keller, Texas; Dayton, OH; Shoreline, Washington; Washington, DC; Greenbelt, MD; Raleigh, NC; FRUITA, Colorado; Lexington, North Carolina; Missouri City, TX; Westfield, Indiana; South Riding, Virginia; Augusta, GA; Eagle, ID; Richmnond, Virginia; Centerville, Ohio; Augusta, GA; Newport, Rhode Island; Yankton, South Dakota; Herndon, VA; Detroit, Michigan; Florence, KY; Lynchburg, Virginia; Addison, TX; Richardson, Texas; Clinton, MD; Gibsonton, FL; Murphy, Tx; Gilbert, AZ;
Liberia – events and festivals
The UN will downgrade their base in Monrovia, Liberia soon and they need to prepare the local staff for life ‘after the UN’. Events and festivals are sorely needed in this country after years of civil war and Ebola. I assisted by training the locals in event management. Did it work? – see the video..