Lessons that need to be learned

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: Lessons that need to be learned

Hey all,
Obviously we're all gutted, but I feel there should be some lessons learned for the next event to ensure it's the success that we all know it can be.

I'd say this: Decisions need to be taken quickly. I know that we all wanted the festival to go ahead, but when the gates were closed from 9am-1pm on Thursday, they should have just shut the festival down there and then and not let any members of the public on. A long trudge of the site with our tent/stuff as soon as we got on site on Thurs revealed that it couldn't go ahead (way before any announcement was made) and that was before Thursday's terrible thunder storm.

Communication needs to be better, both to members of the site team and then on to the public. The stewards/staff were mostly really, really cool (save for one exception) but they didn't seem to be told what was going on.

There needs to be more than one single-track road in and out! This was perfectly illustrated by the fact that an ambulance was trying to get past a queue of traffic and it took ages - could have been very dangerous.

Something needs to be done about the theiving - I feel for everyone who was affected by these low-lifes. Stealing is bad enough, but in those conditions, after everything else that everyone is going through? Disgusting.

Park cars down the hill, not facing up it!!!!

Any other suggestions?! Getting the time off work's going to be nearly impossible, but even so, I still can't wait for the reorganised Sunrise!

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 3:46 pm Post subject: Lessons that need to be learned

Cross-posted from another thread:

jonny2mad wrote (View Post): › I think light is important to deter thieves and watch towers manned all night with teams of stewards and security showing a visible presence on the ground , I work at lots of festivals and thieves seem to like dark conditions.

The level of reported thefts indicates that organised gangs were operating - a sad but inevitable feature of successful festivals. In 2006 Glade Festival introduced mini-watch towers dotted around the camping areas to help combat this - a couple of my friends were posted to them as stewards and the system seemed to work quite well. Advertised low-cost secure public lock-ups would also help, as would your suggestion of a phone number for punters to report suspicious activity.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject: Lessons that need to be learned

First thankies to all who were there to produce the positive experience that I had. Next regarding communication, I was wondering if it would be possible for festies like Sunrise to apply for a Short-term Restricted Service Licences. It basically means that you have "Sunrise FM" being able to broadcast information to the punters in a 3-4 mile radius. It would have been useful to let folks know on site what is going on.

In addition, on a working festival it can be used to mate lost parents with thier children, issue warnings about reported thefts, let folks know who is on when etc.

So everyone has a radio and does not have to bring a stealable item, the unit cost of the little ones with ear pieces must be around £1, so these can be included, as would the radio station cost, in the ticket price.

Just a thought.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject: Lessons that need to be learned

re the decision making, I think there was a lot more to it than was apparrent. From what I was able to gather (having got there on Wednesday) problems started on Sunday with a massive storm causing wind damage to a few of the stages / marquees etc. There was incredible pressure on all the crew to get everything ready to be signed off (a licensing condition I was told) by the appropriate authority. The weather turned really bad and wet on Wednesday slowing progress still further. Wednesday night saw the stream, which was by then a river, burst it's banks and flood the whole site. However the site was draining and the forecast was reasonable. Everybody was concentrating on getting the site ready and able to be used.
I understand that during te early afternoon on Thursday, the Police started aplying a lot of pressure on the organisers regarding traffic on the A303. I was also led to believe that they were telling people the event had been canceled knowing this to be untrue.
Then came the thunderstorm and a deluge of rain. This was not forecast and was the final straw.
The organisers were (amongst all the other things they had to do) having to persuade the health and safety council people that the site would be safe and placate the police.
Bascally I can see why it appeared decisions were not being made, it was because they were trying their hardest to keep the festival on.
Obviously some blame has to lie with the organisers, but I feel that people must remember that they were doing everything they could. I am sure that they would appreciate constructive comments.

Yeah, fair enough Wet Wipe, I agree they had to do everything they could to put it on and that everyone worked hard and they deserve respect for that.
The crazy Thursday thunderstorm was not predicted, it's true, but in my opinion they should've called it off (horrible a decision as that is to make) on Weds to stop people travelling. Given its location on the Somerset Levels and the fact that the camping fields were under at least an inch of water before Thursday's rain - and they were the driest part of the site - it should have been called off sooner.

Still, let's hope these things are used to create a positive and sucessful festival for years to come.

Photographicon wrote (View Post): › Cross-posted from another thread:

jonny2mad wrote (View Post): › I think light is important to deter thieves and watch towers manned all night with teams of stewards and security showing a visible presence on the ground , I work at lots of festivals and thieves seem to like dark conditions.

The level of reported thefts indicates that organised gangs were operating - a sad but inevitable feature of successful festivals. In 2006 Glade Festival introduced mini-watch towers dotted around the camping areas to help combat this - a couple of my friends were posted to them as stewards and the system seemed to work quite well. Advertised low-cost secure public lock-ups would also help, as would your suggestion of a phone number for punters to report suspicious activity.

there were due to be towers dotted around - as a Green Steward I would have been up them at some point looking out; but they never got off the ground, as it were... and the theiving b*stards took full advantage of that.

also, last year there was secure lock-up at the Info point, but again, it never got off the ground this year...

There was one tower in the public parking field but from what I heard over the radio, this was not able to be used as it had not been 'signed off' by the health and safety people

i think the only lesson to be learned here is dont try and hold a festival on a floodplain in england.......

wet wipe wrote (View Post): ›
There was one tower in the public parking field but from what I heard over the radio, this was not able to be used as it had not been 'signed off' by the health and safety people

'yet' it was just left there partially broken & slightly
leaning as a rather dangerous attraction for the kids covered in slippery mud!?!

>I think light is important to deter thieves and watch towers manned <

Dont we end up with a glastonbury situation then ? where we imprisoned and watched and security takes over as does fear.I dont do this festivals to be imprisoned behind fences and security and watched over ? i want to be free,,,,,,,,,,,,,,why i refuse to go to glastonbury.Were all being imprisoned . . .this is the game.........

jim wrote (View Post): › i think the only lesson to be learned here is dont try and hold a festival on a floodplain in england.......

i second that........great idea sunrise and the best energy i felt aty a festival for many years ( Due to no poilice ..........no watchtowers .....no fear............relatiove calm stewards..........and just peiople being free to live and enjoy life ) but location on a bad day is very bad.........such a shame........

imho it has to be a compromise though - sure, you could be 'free' and not have any security or fences but then the site would be overrun by opportunist thieves and chavvy troublemakers who heard about 'the free for all at that festival down the road...'

I understand what you mean - people go to a festival to chill, have fun and be able to express themselves - but unfortunately it's a sign of our times that security is needed in one form or another. If they're sound and allow people to enjoy themselves and don't act like power tripping meatheads, but still look out for people, I don't have a problem.

course there's plenty of tosser security guards about too, lol.