Mastering the intricacies of ingress and egress operations is paramount to the overall success of any event, and it constitutes a significant aspect of our work at METHOD. Particularly for large-scale metropolitan festivals, the efficient and safe movement of attendees in and out of the venue hinges on a multitude of factors. This includes - but is not limited to - event capacity and available space, dynamic management, thorough security measures and policy enforcement, carefully scheduled programming, and robust transport infrastructure. It's the seamless coordination of all these elements that ensures a smooth ingress and egress of attendees.

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A crucial element in achieving success lies in understanding the event audience. This involves delving into various aspects such as the demographic, preferred modes of transport to and from the event, and the anticipated arrival times (informed by artist programming and pre-event survey data, where available). Each event audience is unique, necessitating tailored approaches to entry procedures. While prohibited item lists may align with national guidelines, event-specific conditions must be considered to suit the venue and audience. It's imperative that these conditions are clearly communicated through social media channels, and direct communications to ticket holders to prevent any discrepancies that could lead to delays at the gates; impeding overall operational efficiency.

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As part of our preparation, we design dedicated and digestible site plans for each entry gate, as well as the Zone Ex that surrounds the side, to aid all stakeholders in comprehending the resources and the attention to detail needed for a secure and efficient operation. Each plan is clearly labelled with annotations denoting movements and deployments for the different phases of an event (ingress/live/egress). Additionally, we forecast arrival patterns, drawing from past data and experience in producing a broad array of events at different venues, to anticipate peak times more accurately. Nonetheless, we remain poised for unforeseen challenges, recognising the unpredictability of live events and the potential for transport delays, adverse weather or unexpected audience behaviours.

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We have to be diligent when strategising over the layout of the gates to ensure we maximise resources, crowdflow, and safety. Flow rates during the busiest periods are calculated and noted down to ensure resources remain sufficient (and can be adjusted in the future). Generally, we build queue lanes at ~1m wide for general access (~1.5m for accessible lanes), also earmarking lanes for exit, staff entry, and sometimes VIP access. For some larger shows with minimal gate width, we utilise loading zones to control flow and prevent individual sections from becoming overcrowded. We utilise Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) for counter-terrorism measures to ensure attendees are not vulnerable while queuing outside the event footprint. The gate team, consisting of managers, coordinators, security, and ticket scanning staff, are all integral and will contribute to the overall success and efficiency of the operation.

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At metropolitan events, transportation to and from the event is typically more sustainable due to extensive public transport links, reducing the need for attendees to drive. However, the event's proximity to busy roads and surrounding traffic necessitates deploying extra resources and personnel to safely guide attendees away from the site post-show.

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The layout of the gates will vary significantly based on the type and capacity of the event. For festivals, the majority of the operation is temporary and is often specifically designed and constructed to meet unique requirements. The width and number of queue lanes can be adjusted to ensure adequate capacity through the gates, facilitating smooth movement at each checkpoint - including bag searches, ID checks, ticket scanning, and wristbanding - without compromising the flow rate. This operation relies heavily on seamless collaboration among multiple agencies and effective communication to ensure everyone can efficiently perform their duties. Furthermore, in emergency scenarios there must be means of communicating with the attendees ready to activate at a moment's notice. Examples of this could be through messaging on the main stage, VMS, or stewards' directions (for which they must have been sufficiently briefed).

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After guests safely enter the event and the gates are closed, the focus of the operations team switches to egress, closely collaborating with stakeholders and statutory agencies to ensure adequate plans and resources are in place. Within Zone Ex (which is pre-agreed with relevant stakeholders), we share responsibility with the council for the welfare of both local residents and attendees. This often involves a  significant staff redeployment and, at times, relocation of gate infrastructure to create space for attendees to exit en masse after the programming ends. Key personnel in the event operations team monitor critical locations and provide updates to Event Control on egress flow rates and the availability and usage of surrounding infrastructure such as access to public transport and amenities. This process can be very disruptive to local residents and neighbouring businesses, so managing it swiftly and tactfully is crucial to maintain stakeholder relationships.

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The coordination of ingress and egress is an extensive and complex process which requires close collaboration between multiple teams on site. At METHOD, we recognise the value in the detail - especially where such collective team effort is required - underscored throughout our comprehensive document suite which aims to outline plans in a manner that is easy to digest by all.