The New Fanscape: When Festivals & Events Reopen, What Must We Do Differently?

We came across a post via Matt O’Neil of Ichi Go on LinkedIn that really resonated with us being in the event industry. Matt’s insight and expertise having been with the Dallas Cowboys for 4 years was leaned on in assessing how arenas and stadiums will need to adapt to a new norm when things reopen. As this global pandemic progresses, more and more large events have had to make tough decisions to reschedule or outright cancel. It is crippling to the industry with no end date in sight.

Whether things open back up later this summer or not until next calendar year, it is still important for event organizers to think optimistically and proactively about how things will need to change operationally on their event sites and festival/fair grounds.

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18 Tips for Festival & Event Producers

When gathering bans are lifted, operational and logistical standards will have changed. Concertgoers will have a heightened sense of awareness for all things hygiene and germ related. Here are a few ideas developed from O’Neil’s original thoughts:

Lineups: Do you have the space outside of your entrance (as well as any internal lineups at bars, restrooms, ATMs, merch, etc) to have people lineup in 6’ increments? Not only between each person in a single line, but between the lineups themselves too.
Cleanliness: Any and every surface will have to be constantly cleaned - potentially after every time it is touched (or breathed on) by anyone. Think of the best process for this, and how much your volunteer/staff base will need to grow to accommodate.
Payment: Tap-and-go/touchless payments will be a necessity for all aspects; likely being completely cashless on-site. This would also apply to a digital system for drink tickets and food tickets, when applicable.
Ordering: Staff should physically touch as few things, and people, as possible. Specific laws on serving alcoholic beverages will be a hurdle to overcome, but how can you expedite this process? Consider a majorly simplified form of American Sign Language - pointing to a large photo of a concession item on a board, for example - seeing as people could be wearing masks (more on that later). Plexiglass barriers could also be a requirement at any bars, concessions, box offices, merchandise tables, etc.
Preparation: What will food vendors have to do differently to have less contact with the food? Half-wrapping hot dogs, disposable single-use tissues that are not passed between the worker and customer to handle any food products, sliding products across a counter instead of handing it person-to-person, etc.
Process: Festival staff shouldn’t grab people’s tickets to check them, pass out programs or promotional materials hand-to-hand, artist meet & greets and autographs will look much different (or not happen)…everything from top-to-bottom will need to be looked at and changed. Wristbands with RFID could be mailed in advance to alleviate that process on-site, with touchless RFID pads and a green light/red light visual for security to see. Site maps and info will have to be delivered digitally via email or event apps; keeping in mind this will be new to a lot of demographics.
Timing: Due to changes in the entry process, extended lineups and a generally slower process for everything from beginning to end - you'll have to keep your schedule in mind when planning. Can you open doors sooner (and get that message out) to process people? Keep in mind, just because you open sooner, doesn't mean people will come earlier - you may have to have people buy tickets for staggered entrance times. You may need to increase your entry lanes not only by size but by quantity because of this. Same for lineups during intermissions or changeovers - the process of getting a drink or going to the bathroom will take longer for patrons so keep that in mind when scheduling. Egress after the event is going to be the toughest to maneuver safely.
Testing: How will you be testing everyone on site, including staff and the general public, in a safe and concise manner. You may need to have health/safety certified staff at the entrances monitoring the security process (or have qualified individuals doing this vs. what is sometimes done with volunteers to save costs.)
Masks: If masks are going to be required by everyone on site, you will have to be able to supply them. What are the basic minimum requirements for people bringing their own? What is the protocol for drinking beverages (best to bring plastic straws back?) Same goes for eating. How will this affect performers? How will it affect your staff, and communication on site - at loud concerts/events sometimes reading lips is a necessity.
Restrooms: Portable toilets will be a major concern; you will need much more space and frequent cleaning. Can external handles and internal locks be added on the bottom of the doors to use your foot? And a foot-pump for hand sanitizer instead of using your hand? This will come down heavier on the suppliers and contractors to ensure their product is evolving with the demands. You may need to double the amount of porta potties to alleviate wait times and cleaning procedures.
Security: In addition to whatever live testing you may have upon entry, standard security practices will certainly still apply. Can metal detectors completely replace pat-downs or what will still be missed with security measures becoming more distant? Policies and procedures will have to be made clear for people disobeying any of your new safety practices on site.
Criminal Acts: In what used to be considered active shooter situations, large protests, vandalism, or large fights - what will the procedure be for someone going around and purposely coughing on others or licking things? It may sound far-fetched, but it is something that will have to be thought out.
Crowd Control: Gone could be the days of mosh pits and crowds getting up close and personal to the stage/Artist. If you have chairs set up in pairs with space in between, what do you do for a family of 3 or any larger groups of people coming together? Checkerboard/Tetris/staggered seating plans could be in effect for quite some time which can easily cut your capacity in 1/8, 1/4 or 1/2.
Travel: Think about how your staff, Artists and attendees are getting to the event. Gone will be the days of cramming 15 people plus gear into a 15 passenger van, or 60 people into a school bus. Shuttle services will have to be doubled or tripled to take this all into account - especially on the egress when everyone tends to be leaving all at once vs staggered entrances. There could be travel restrictions still in place to keep in mind as well for Artists, crew and gear to consider, or levels of comfort for people traveling depending the process of things opening back up.
Space: General site guidelines could easily double or triple with the square footage you’ll require per person. The sheer size of your site and how people are getting around is going to need to be reimagined and you might have to sacrifice some esthetics for function in a lot of cases. Aisle ways will have to expand up to 5x the normal size as well to include enough space and lanes of directional foot traffic, or in cases where they are fixed (stadiums and arenas) change to one-way flow; also think about how you will properly mark and enforce these.
Training: Not only will you need to train your entire staff, volunteers, Artists, contractors, etc with the new policies - but the general public will need to be trained too. Even if you produce a festival that has been going on for many years in the same location, this will all be brand new. Every single event should be treated as though it's in a brand new venue with all first-time attendees. This will require a lot of patience at many levels...
Sponsorships/Activations: How can you get creativeand recoup some funding with what will be a new norm? Brands may come alongside to sponsor or provide gloves and masks, dedicated branded spaces (e.g., Heinz Condiment Zone? Kohler Hands-Free Restrooms?), program dispensers or other creative ideas to promote fan welfare.
Communication: With the standards changing constantly and people having varying levels of comfort, communicating your plans clearly will be paramount. People will be chomping at the bit to get out to events, but many will still be overly cautious and not feel safe no matter what you put in place.

Now more than ever, it will be critical for event managers to address the consumer's concerns around attending a live event and think of the entire journey from their perspective and experience. From the moment they buy a ticket, the communication they receive leading up ensuring they are prepared for, and comfortable with, the changes on-site, arriving to the grounds and getting inside, ordering food & drinks, using the washroom, and enjoying their favourite Artist on stage with their friends. Question everything.

All of this is going to come at a massive cost, be it a smaller capacity for your venue, contractors increasing their rental price due to changes they were forced to make, sponsorship dollars being slashed, and the sheer staffing requirements needed, but there really is no other option. It will be interesting to see how consumers react to it all; how much of a ticket hike will be acceptable for these safe, intimate and much needed/highly missed live experiences? Or are people going to be much tighter on their budgets after lots have lost their jobs, changed to single income households, or had major investments go awry.

It’s all speculative for now, but it will be important to stay proactive as further developments are rolled out and always remain fluid enough to adapt to plan X, Y and Z when they inevitably come to fruition. Just as safety and security measurements have changed drastically for large events in the last 20 years, the industry as a whole is going to have to be diligent on how to make these altered experiences and new way of life feel just as inclusive, comfortable, inviting, exciting, safe, experiential and, most importantly...normal.

Stay tuned on our socials (@TrixstarHQ) and the Trixstar Academy online for some more information that we will be sharing outlining how some of these new bylaws/guidelines mentioned above will affect measurements, timing and capacities.

Download this FREE 'The New Fanscape' White Paper from the Trixstar Academy here!

Original Article via Kirk Wakefield

The New Fanscape: When Stadiums and Arenas Reopen, What Must We Do Differently?

Perhaps no greater challenge has ever faced the sports world than how to manage as the coronavirus pandemic plays out and live sports re-emerge. Will fans feel comfortable sitting with thousands of strangers? What must be done differently once play resumes to deal with the new fanscape? This is where crisis meets ingenuity.

Matt O’Neil, CEO of Ichi Go, a content, branding and marketing agency based in New York, and I met years ago when he was vice president of brand and media for the Dallas Cowboys. One thing we both love is the concept of flow, where the challenge of the tasks at hand match the skills we possess, propelling us to create innovative solutions. We move into the zone of solving problems, losing track of time; we are in the flow.

10 Tips for Event Management

When arenas and stadiums reopen, fan standards will have changed. Fans will have a heightened sense of awareness for all things hygiene and germ related. People will want to eat less with their hands. O’Neil has a few ideas.

Preparation: Can you half-wrap hot dogs so fans hold them without touching? Can you put a spout on a popcorn bucket to dump directly into mouths? What else can be done to different foods to help?
Condiments: Condiment areas are like Petri dishes for germs. Should all condiments be individually packaged?
Gloves: Will you offer gloves with meals? Or distribute them at the gate?
Payment: People won’t want to sign for anything with a public pen. A credit card should be enough. Set up a tap-and-go payment solution.
Ordering: Staff should physically touch as few things, and people, as possible. Facilitate online-ordering for concessions. Fans can come by to pick it up. Same for merchandise.
Process: Ushers shouldn’t grab people’s tickets to check them. What about passing out programs or giveaways? Autographs?
Staff Apparel: Are staff wearing masks and gloves? Downside: Wearing a mask in a loud arena will be brutal on hearing and understanding.
Staff Testing: Will all staff be tested and certified? How can you best publicize that (viz., HIPAA)?
Restrooms: All automatic faucets and flushing are a must. What about hand-drying methods? Some blowers are germ spreaders. What else should be done for public restrooms?
Delivery: Exchanging or passing cash down rows is definitely out. What do hawkers do now? Where do they go? How do they sell? Is that eliminated?

As O’Neil concludes: “Make a customer journey map. Ask yourself as a fan, after all of this, how would you want every aspect of an in-stadium experience to go? Question everything. Make your changes now so you’re ready.” Many of these may add costs, but the alternative is lost business.

Partners may be willing to help for the good of the community. Brands may come alongside to sponsor or provide gloves and masks, dedicated branded spaces (e.g., Heinz Condiment Zone? Kohler Hands-Free Restrooms?), program dispensers or other creative ideas to promote fan welfare.

Smart(er) Venues

Preston Phillips, chief commercial officer at Blink Technologies, shares that the company is working on solutions using eye-tracking technology to enable no touch interaction for the in-stadium experience.

The NBA, the NFL, WWE and the World Cup, among others, introduced virtual reality passes in the last two years, providing court side seats to enjoy from home. VR and augmented reality may change the way some fans enjoy sporting events, but let’s face it: Being there in the crowd is at least half the fun for passionate fans.

Look for more venues to follow the lead of Amsterdam ArenA and others seeking to use self-driving cars that park themselves (avoiding congestion issues), facial recognition at the gate, and other artificial intelligence (IoT) to optimize stadium management. If we weren’t already past the day of physical tickets, the pandemic may force even the laggards to go all digital.

Many of the technologies necessary to deal with the new fanscape are available, such as robotic concessions and cashless experiences. With the threat of coronavirus becoming a seasonal threat, will Populous and other builders begin to design seating areas focused on reducing fan density and crowding, thereby reducing capacity?

Expect to see increased demand for controlled spaces (viz., suites and premium spaces) and service that minimize external contact and maximize security and safety. It’s not exactly “take me out to the ballgame,” but it might be the wave of the future in the way fans consume live sports.