A Sound Radio Communication Strategy Lets Entertainment Organizers Plan for the Best

Staying in constant radio communication during an event, be it sports, entertainment, or tradeshow, is integral to flawless performance. And, if things start becoming unhitched, communication at the ready will get things back on track in a hurry.

Nearly three-quarters of event organizers leverage event-specific radio communication technology, such as mobile communication devices, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and QR codes, to enrich attendee experiences. These technologies expedite entry, reduce fraud, improve communication, and provide valuable insights into foot traffic patterns.

Radio communication systems are the backbone of safety and operational efficiency, especially when managing large crowds at concerts, theme parks, and other large-scale events. The integration of these critical communication systems is not an afterthought, and there are plenty of reliable options available to ensure the right device is available to satisfy the event’s needs.

Ben Thomas from Pro AV Today believes integrating a cohesive communication plan into the overall event strategy is critical.

Ben’s Thoughts

“As somebody who’s been in the events and entertainment world for quite some time, both on the installation and execution side, I always love to go back to the old adage, prepare for the worst, plan for the best. Because I think it uniquely impacts our industry specifically, especially because we deal so frequently with massive groups of people, whether at a concert, event, theme park, or things like that.

Having that top of mind on the front end and the design process, where you look at so many new places being built, experiences, theme parks, things like that, that are in that design and build process, it’s so critical to include critical communication early into that process. Because it’ll save you a lot of time not only down the road but it’ll save you potential loss of life in a potential disaster because when you look at installing a meaningful system, not only can you communicate with the folks that are internal on your team, but you can communicate with folks that are part of emergency response. Then you start looking at weather-resilient devices, jam-resistant frequencies, and gear.

It’s such an important part of the design process now that we must bring that much earlier, whether in the architectural or AV installation space; those conversations must happen much earlier. The earlier you can have those conversations, typically, the better. Then you’d start looking at gear, and you look at installations, some of the needs of the installation, things like that. But critical communication, especially when you talk about radios and things like that, is one of the most paramount pieces of a lot of these new installations, especially in the entertainment events world.”

Article by James Kent