I discovered Crowd & Safety with Armin

Dutch version in this link.

OK Sten, you are super young and a Crowd & Safety Manager at festivals welcoming 70,000 visitors!? How does that feel?
“Yes, I am 26!” (grinning) “It is certainly a responsible job and I feel that too. I sometimes set the bar very high for myself.”

The path towards it? That was not very long because you graduated in 2020?
“In 2021. I took a gap year. I did my work placement at ALDA in my third year, and I managed to stay there for a while, and because I also wanted to travel, I took a year off.”

So directly into dance events? How defining was ALDA for you?
“I learnt a great deal there, and also discovered what I really like. I started with marketing, but that is not quite my cup of tea. Although I like editing pictures and videos, I cannot write. I am dyslectic. The funny thing is, I now write complete safety plans consisting of 100 pages.” 

How did you find out what you did like?
“I already knew that I like production; I spent quite a lot of hours doing volunteer work in that area. When I was briefly involved in Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance at ALDA, I discovered Crowd & Safety. I still remember that I was standing in that Control Room, in front of all those screens, and that I thought: this is cool, this is what I want too!”

And that’s why you opted for the BUas-wide Crowd Safety in Hubs & Events minor in your graduation year?
“That was a good addition to what I had already learnt in Leisure & Events, which mostly concerned concept development and marketing. The minor focuses far more on logistics aspects; how many toilets are required, how many people can pass through a certain place at the same time without safety being compromised. It is safety first at all times; that’s what makes my work so relevant.”

And after you graduated?
“I did my graduation project at ALDA, and I managed to stay there. We all took a plane to Romania  because festivals did go ahead there. We were faced with all kinds of coronavirus restrictions in the Netherlands. I did all sorts of odd jobs in that first year, ranging from editing videos to ordering admission bands. That diversity helped me enormously, I saw many disciplines. I understand why certain choices are being made and that put me ahead, I believe.”

And then there was a change of plot; from ‘jack of all trades’ (as you yourself put it) to Crowd & Safety Manager.
“My predecessor at ALDA, who had given me a crash course in Crowd & Safety (C&S), had taken pregnancy leave in the meantime, and I got the job immediately. My first event was Armin van Buuren at Ziggo Dome for five days. A lot had been arranged in terms of C&S, there was a blueprint, so that went smoothly. The next one was a hip-hop festival in Rotterdam. In De Kuip and a large area around the stadium. A lot had to be arranged for it, and a lot of it was new to me. The audience and location profile was more risky, we had a shortage of staff, so I had a lot of sleepless nights. You do just have to fix it, don’t you? At the same time, I was engaged in preparations for a festival at Zuiderpark. So then I was running a festival for a few days, going to bed on a Sunday night at 5 a.m., and having a call with NS at 9 a.m.” 

Fast learner, fast developer, because you worked at Q-Dance after two years?
“I had to give it a good thought though. I had the feeling I was not ready to make the switch. I went through the whole cycle twice at ALDA and thought: now I can start making improvements.”

But things went differently. Was it the genre that won you over? Do you like Hardstyle? Does it suit you? Would that be necessary, actually?
“Musically, I am more partial to Hardstyle than to rap and hip-hop or a festival like Pal Mundo, though I very much like the vibe at the last one. It is not per se necessary that the genre suits you but it does help when you know the artists and audience profile a bit. But you could read the literature about it. Each genre attracts a distinct audience, which brings along other issues.”

OK, and what it’s like at an event, in that Control Room (where it all started)?
“Well before the opening I sit at my desk and I constantly communicate with people on the shopfloor, security guards, first-aid workers, ticket scanners, traffic controllers. I check whether everything we had thought out in advance has been performed properly, and if necessary, I make adjustments. When everything is ready, I give the signal that we can open. During the show I need not do that much – if all is running smoothly. Unless a judgement is required somewhere by the organisers or an issue (crowd issue)  threatens to arise. You must act soon in that case, and for that purpose we have also drafted possible scenarios in advance.”

You are not alone in that Control Room, I hope?
“No, during preparations we work in a team consisting of four, and during an event there are some 35 staff, of whom some 20 are in the Control Room. At an event with 70,000 visitors we have some 1,500 security staff, first-aid workers and traffic controllers walking around. During the event, we also consult, among others, the municipality, the fire brigade, the police and GGD to discuss progress. In this way, we can take action soon if we must; we are constantly directing. During Power Hour you know that some 60,000 visitors come to the main stage in a short period of time. We monitor this with people counting and density cameras; we monitor visitor flows and direct people with the aid of LED signage. We are constantly involved in directing people, without them being aware of it.”

And all this is what you told students in the guest lecture you delivered at BUas before the summer?
“Yes, what I told second-year students of Leisure & Events. Justin van de Pas of the Crowd Safety in Hubs & Events minor had asked me for this. I took the students along in the entire story ranging from applying for permits, all kinds of calculations and protocols to the event itself; how it is going, and at what time you make what decisions. Super cool to deliver such a lecture. I do not rule out that I will cooperate with BUas more often in the future.”

You are talking about it very enthusiastically, so that is going to work out just fine. Is it your dream job?
“As I said before, I did not know the C&S part, until the first time I had been in a Control Room. Then I thought: here is where I want to end up!” 

But you are already there!? How to proceed from here?
“I do not carry final responsibility yet. I did so at ALDA. I can learn so much more at Q-Dance. I want to know it all. I must know everything. But not all in one go. You should feel comfortable at it. I also tell my supervisor when I do not feel comfortable with certain things. It is a tough job, I cannot make mistakes.”

You already said in the beginning that you set the bar high for yourself, and it’s not a nine-to-five job. How do you carry on? Do you still have a private life?
“Summer is festival season of course. Then you work from event to event, and often go from hotel to hotel. Your colleagues become your friends because you spend so much time with them. In the winter months, you have more leisure time and I can also work from home. You also need time to recharge, and I am given that time. Then I go for a walk on the beach with my girlfriend. I do pay attention to the balance, but I never do things by halves. I can’t afford that in this profession either!”

Interview: Maaike Dukker-'t Hart