Ensuring safe festivities

July 2017 Editor's Choice, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring, Entertainment and Hospitality (Industry)

Paaspop is a three-day music festival that takes place in Schijndel, in the Netherlands, during the Easter weekend. Young and old gather to enjoy the first days of spring. The event has been running for more than 40 years and is the big opener of the festival season. Paaspop boasts seven stages and 25 000 daily visitors. To prevent any incidents at the festival, the security team keeps a close eye on proceedings using Hikvision cameras.

“It’s a festival that has a lot to offer for everyone,” says Geert Goijaarts, organiser and former member of the Paaspop management team. “We offer theatre, hard-style, dance, rock, metal...just name it. But the main attraction is obviously the public itself. The unbridled enthusiasm of the festival visitors is fantastic.”

Crowd control

Organising the festival is a major operation. Every year a tent village emerges, being built and then dismantled within a few days. A large number of companies and individuals are closely involved with Paaspop in the weeks and months leading up to Easter and the event’s security is one of the major areas of concern. “For me, a festival is a success when people return to their homes safely. Tired, yet satisfied,” says Goijaarts.

In order to have a festival without any incidents, Paaspop uses Hikvision video cameras. “With regards to security, you have several important tasks,” says Goijaarts. “You’ll want to know what kind of people are entering the place, and keep a good eye on their mood. If something unacceptable happens, you can act quickly. In addition, we use cameras for crowd control. At peak hours, the festival site accommodates almost 25 000 visitors and you want to prevent all of them going to the same location at the same time. The use of cameras enables us to take timely measures.”

Sharp view

Paaspop purchased the Hikvision cameras after consulting with Werner van der Heijden of WH Safety. Van der Heijden advises Paaspop on the event’s best safety measures, and installs the security systems. “They are very high-quality cameras that allow you to guard areas extremely well. The zooming function in particular is outstanding. Our PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) camera’s image is so sharp that we can even count the blades of grass from a distance of a few hundred metres,” he explains.

A sharp image like that is essential, because it’s important to see people’s facial expressions in large crowds, and recognise faces. Do they look happy, scared, or angry? Based on this, security can decide to intervene or not. Having good night vision is equally important as Paaspop is a festival that lasts till the early hours. So, they also want good eyes on what is happening in situations with minimal light. Hikvision’s infrared cameras offer excellent features for this. Even in pitch darkness, they still provide a clear view of the visitors.

Paaspop uses over 40 cameras to monitor the entire festival area. The devices send their images to a control room, where two communication officers monitor everything closely. In the event of calamities, they can immediately inform people on the ground to act. Whenever a tent gets too crowded, the entrance is closed, with people only being allowed to enter after someone leaves.

“The cameras are an extra pair of eyes for the festival security,” says Van der Heijden. “Standing in a corner of the tent, it is difficult to establish what’s going on. However, from the control room, using the Hikvision cameras, it’s no problem at all.”

Paaspop has several cameras in use. For example, the 16MP PanoVu camera gives a 360° view. This model hangs in a mast above the main stage, providing a 360-degree image of the crowd. The camera also contains an additional zoom lens. This allows you to see everyone at the entrance from the main stage.

For more information contact Evan Liu, Hikvision South Africa, +27 (0)10 035 1172, support.africa@hikvision.com, www.hikvision.com



Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Robots: a security opportunity or a threat?
Editor's Choice News Conferences & Events
Professor Martin Gill, Director of Perpetuity Research & Consultancy International and the School of Criminal Justice at the University of South Africa (UNISA), will be holding a Global Thought Leadership Security webinar on 22 June 2023 to discuss the contentious issue of robots operating in the security industry.

Read more...
UNISA sponsors Securex seminars
Editor's Choice News Conferences & Events
As part of UNISA’s 150-year birthday celebrations, UNISA has sponsored the Securex Theatre Seminar Programme, which will include a number of prominent industry specialists, academics and security practitioners focusing on a number of themes.

Read more...
AI technology to empower vertical markets
Dahua Technology South Africa Mining (Industry) CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring Products
Dahua WizMind is a full portfolio of solutions comprising project-oriented products that use deep learning algorithms to provide more business value to its global customers and deliver reliable and comprehensive AI solutions for vertical markets.

Read more...
Elvey partners with HALO
Elvey Security Technologies News CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring
Elvey Group has partnered with HALO Europe to provide Africa’s first body-worn solution with zero upfront costs. This includes an IP68-certified body camera and a 4G-connected device.

Read more...
Accenture Technology Vision 2023
Editor's Choice News
New report states that generative AI is expected to usher in a ‘bold new future’ for business, merging physical and digital worlds, transforming the way people work and live.

Read more...
Economists divided on global economic recovery
Editor's Choice News
Growth outlook has strengthened in all regions, but chief economists are divided on the likelihood of a global recession in 2023; experts are concerned about trade-off between managing inflation and maintaining financial stability, with 76% anticipating central banks to struggle to bring down inflation.

Read more...
Success in business process best practices
Technews Publishing Kleyn Change Management Editor's Choice Integrated Solutions Security Services & Risk Management
This month we commandeer time with the woman who is spearheading our national conversation on Women in Security, Lesley-Anne Kleyn, to get to know the lady herself a little better.

Read more...
Invisible connection and tangible protection via cloud
Dahua Technology South Africa Perimeter Security, Alarms & Intruder Detection CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring Products
Dahua Technology has launched its AirShield security solution that uses advanced, stable and reliable RF communication technology and cloud services, integrating alarm hubs, various detectors and accessories, with several software apps.

Read more...
SAFPS to launch a platform to combat fraud
Editor's Choice News Security Services & Risk Management
In response to the growing need for a proactive approach to fraud prevention, the SAFPS is developing a product called Yima, which will be a one-stop-shop for South Africans to report scams, secure their identity, and scan any website for vulnerabilities.

Read more...
Relaxed home cybersecurity could render consumers accidental ‘inside actors’
Editor's Choice Cyber Security Smart Home Automation
Cisco security experts warn of snowball impact of relaxed approach to cybersecurity on personal devices, noting 60% of users primarily use their personal phone for work tasks and 76% have used unsecured public networks for work tasks.

Read more...