By Gil Fried
A new YouTube channel has been launched as a crowd management training tool. The free videos are designed to help train front line staff. Through utilizing 15 minute or less videos, venue management and crowd management companies can help train their staff on a continual basis. Crowd management training is often undertaken once a year, but to really turn crowd management best practices into muscle memory for employees there needs to be constant training and refresher training on a broad array of topics front line staff might face.
That is what motivated Professor Gil Fried from the University of West Florida to launch the YouTube channel called the Crowd Management Doctor. The channel can be found at this location.
Prof. Fried stated “[T]he channel’s goal is to provide current events and cases studies in a fun and informative manner which can be watched by an employee on their phone and on a break to keep their skills as current as possible.”
The channel has been adding new videos, including a regular update of current events. Other videos have included case studies, responding to various hazards, and then interviews with industry professionals such as fan psychologists and venue professionals. The plan is to release 10-12 videos every year and then at a certain point create a library where front line staff can watch a certain number of videos, take an exam, and receive independent third-party certification of crowd management knowledge from the University of West Florida.
This training is not designed to replace any current training undertaken by venues and crowd management companies, but to serve as a supplement where staffers can hear from others and learn in a different environment.
For more information visit the YouTube page or contact Gil at gfried@uwf.edu.