Cranfield University course focuses on protecting crowded spaces

Posted to News on Friday, September 24, 2021 Share:

ON THURSDAY 30 September, Cranfield University is running a six-hour online course on the subject of ‘Physical and Psychosocial Aspects of Protecting Crowded Spaces’. The core focus is on the changing dynamics of managing and securing events and venues in uncertain times.

The speakers (more of whom anon) are set focus on how both theoretical and practical aspects are being re-examined and re-imagined as industry professionals continue to work outside of what they perceive to be the norm. The Protect Duty and COVID-safe aspects of today’s society feature throughout, with this initial introductory course designed to lay the foundations for four individual courses focusing on key areas of interest: crowd management and dynamics, counter-terrorism, risk and safety.

The course is running from 2.30 pm until 8.00 pm with plenty of opportunities for in-depth discussion and interaction involving the presenters.

The first part of the course features three international event managers, namely Thomas Rydahl (head of safety, security and service and COVID-19 project leader for the European Football Championships in Denmark), Danielle Kennedy-Clark (deputy general manager of the O2 in London) and Sam Oldham (venue director at The Roundhouse in Camden). They will be discussing how COVID-19 has impacted events and how they’re coping now as the nation moves towards full capacity in most venues.

Following this, there will then be four one-hour interactive live presentations involving key players in this field with a Q&A session at the end of each. The sessions will cover crowd management (delivered by Professor Chris Kemp, CEO at the Mind Over Matter Consultancy Ltd), counter-terrorism (delivered by international protective security consultant Peter Dalton), crowd science (presented by crowd management specialist Dr Pascal Viot) and also risk (with the lead being taken by Morten Therkildsen, an expert in crowd safety management in Scandinavia).

After the four sessions, the team will be joined by Peter Ashwin from the US who’ll chair a panel session with the speakers and provide some context on the Prevent Strategy and the levels of risk being experienced at the present time.

This course is being delivered in partnership with the Mind Over Matter Consultancy Ltd and Cranfield Defence and Security Services Ltd.

*The online course is free to attend. Register your place by visiting the website