What's New > Global Crowd Management Leaders Unite for a Safer World
The Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) officially launched yesterday, bringing together crowd managers, organisations, businesses, academics, and individuals with a shared interest in safety from across the globe.
The initiative, spearheaded by the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC) has Board members from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, and a list of supporters and advocates spanning over 15 countries on five continents.
GCMA is a not-for-profit organisation which will promote responsible crowd management and crowd safety practices worldwide, leading to a globally recognised body of knowledge for professional crowd managers. The Alliance will also create and deliver learning opportunities for crowd management practitioners at all experience levels, in all geographic locations, and regardless of financial means.
The Canadian founding board representative is Chris Kerr – a seasoned events and safety professional. He said “I am thrilled to represent Canadians in this exciting new effort that will unite crowd managers globally to share knowledge that will make gatherings safer for all. Today, we have a new opportunity to collaborate, learn, and listen. I look forward to working with this passionate group to welcome all who share a passion for crowd safety to the discussion.”
This view was echoed by GCMA Chair Eric Stuart said, I am delighted to have been elected by the founding committee of the Global Crowd Management Alliance to serve as its first Chair. This organisation will enable us to expand the opportunities for sharing knowledge and experience that will help keep people safe. While crowd plans are sometimes complex and need specialist knowledge, basic safety principles can be applied to many locations where crowds gather, and those principles can often be learnt and implemented at little cost. Most importantly, we should never forget that crowds are made up of people who expect to enjoy a pleasant day or evening out, then return home safely. Good crowd management can help achieve that simple, fundamental goal.
Now, as we emerge from the global pandemic that brought the events industry to a standstill, and which has seen a mass exodus of experienced workers, training and education is more important than ever.
Eric, who also Chairs the UK Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), emphasised GCMA’s commitment to diversity in both leadership and membership. We welcome everyone who wishes to enhance crowd safety standards across the globe, and who supports GCMA’s goals to Educate, Advocate, and Motivate crowd management professionals.
If you would like to know more about membership, collaboration, or sponsorship opportunities please contact them at hello@thegcma.com or visit www.thegcma.com.