Building Protocols for the Ejection of Individuals from a Music Festival Site.

Music festival organisers prefer to avoid the ejection of anyone from their festival site, but there are sometimes grounds which justify the removal of an individual from an event. Ejection can be a contentious issue, so it is essential that organisers build robust protocols that document reasons for ejection and the processes for handling them.

A sizeable music festival could have a dedicated Ejection Processing Centre but they are not common, most organisers will need to build their own documented processes and procedures to cover ejection. Although most individuals that get ejected from a festival site will be festival-goers it can also cover unacceptable behaviour by volunteers, sponsor’s guests and artist’s crew for example.

Why Ejection Protocols are Required.
The decision to eject an individual can be seen as subjective, and this is a key reason why documented protocols are required. The ejection process can be a high risk and legally sensitive action where the priority is the safety of festival-goers and staff plus the event’s reputation. This needs to be balanced by minimising any potential legal liability regarding the ejected individual and others on a festival site.

Defining Reasons for Ejection.
A clear and transparent policy for ejection should be defined by all organisers and often forms part of any terms and conditions of entry to an event. These policies can be found on tickets and site signage so that all attendees have been given the opportunity to see them multiple times. The key reasons for ejection usually include safety as a priority and may include fighting, throwing objects or aggressive behaviour like verbal abuse, harassment, or discrimination, for example. Any participation in illegal activities like possession or distribution of illegal substances, solicitation, theft or vandalism may also result in referral to the police in addition to site ejection. Other activities like manipulation of RFID wristbands, financial scams, and attempted access to restricted zones can also be a reason for ejection.

Ejection Process Documentation.
Documenting any ejection policies is essential to ensure that action taken on a festival site is fair and considered. There are certain legal requirements that need to be met when organising and running an event, and a robust ejection policy is usually required to meet these. This can include local authority licensing conditions, security regulations and compliance with equality, discrimination and health and safety rules. The documentation should clearly define the ejection process so that each case can be recorded for future reference. This can include the reason for ejection, the individual's identity, the time and location of incidents, and details of witnesses. It is also essential that provision be made for checks to be made on any individual facing ejection and can include a medical examination and an assessment of their mental health, for example. Any individual that has been ejected will be subject to future monitoring by security staff at entrance gates to ensure they are not readmitted.

Training and Briefing.
All staff, volunteers and contracted security personnel, should make themselves fully aware of the organisers published ejection processes. Aside from providing copies of documentation, most will benefit from face-to-face training sessions where specific examples and role play can be used to enhance understanding. The final decision for the ejection of an individual is often made by a senior member of the festival operations team and is based on the evidence presented. Staff and volunteers should have a clear escalation process in place so that the correct procedures are followed. In some instances, staff are recommended to employ deescalation practices to diffuse situations or refer individuals to medical facilities. This may be a preferred outcome for many and can prevent unacceptable behaviour from escalating and threatening the safety of others. A formal warning system is used at many events where individuals are given 1 or 2 verbal warnings before implementing the ejection process.

Ejection in Practice.
With staff and volunteers fully trained in the organiser’s ejection policies and procedures they should feel comfortable putting these into practice. The first point of contact should always start with staff clearly identifying who they are along with the action that violates their policies. Deescalation and verbal warnings should diffuse most situations, but they need to be prepared to escalate if actions continue. If an individual's behaviour is deemed serious or they ignore warnings, then a trained ejection team should enforce removal of the individual using discreet and minimal force. Once processed according to the documented ejection processes the individual will be removed from a site.

For festival organisers planning their next event using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by Erik Mclean via Pexels

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