How do you ensure that a huge event runs safely and without major problems? At the Tilburg Fair they can talk about this. Every year, the biggest fair in the Benelux attracts more than a million visitors! We were invited to take a look at the command centre. Tilburg Fair, here we come!
Event city of the year
That it is a big challenge to ensure safety at this event, we see immediately on arrival in Tilburg. The whole city is dedicated to the fair. Of course, this is extremely pleasant, but it also puts enormous pressure on the shoulders of emergency services and security guards. Think of traffic safety, barriers and passages for emergency services, but also crowd management. Fortunately, in Tilburg they know very well how to deal with this. They were not elected event city of 2024 for nothing!
Tilburg is a vibrant event city, hosting a huge variety of events. The city facilitates creativity and entrepreneurial power, daring to take risks. This results in the most fantastic events, large and small. Tells Maarten van Asten, alderman for events proudly.
He captures us together with safety coordinator Bas Lach de Bère and project manager & fair boss Jet van Baast in this lively city. They tell us everything involved in organising the Tilburg Fair.
Organisation of the Tilburg Fair
With more than 230 attractions and a 4.5km strip, the Tilburg Fair is one of the biggest in the world. Organising this event can therefore be called quite an operation. Jet van Baast has been the project manager of the Tilburg Fair for 28 years and has the nickname fairground boss! In her job, she actually manages everything to do with the fair, from facility matters to evaluations and leasing.
Creativity and innovation are still an important pillar at the Tilburg Fair as well. New ideas on location, interpretation and sustainability regularly pass in review. For instance, 30,000-35,000 litres of urine are collected during this 10-day event and converted into gas, phosphate and nitrogen. With this, the Tilbugse Kermis contributes to the green gas supply for the residents of Tilburg.
The command centre
Because of the massive flow of visitors, they have set up a full command centre in Tilburg to keep an eye on everything. The police, fire brigade, GHOR and partners work together here to monitor safety. About 50 men and women including safety coordinator Bas, continuously monitor visitor flows with the smart technology of Festivak participants Flash Connectivity Group and CrowdScan.
Across the fairgrounds, sensors and cameras pick up data that is transmitted to the command centre. Security experts can then watch live on large screens. This includes live crowds, incident reports, weather information and information on traffic and car parks. On the days of the Tilburg Fair, crime in the city is actually a lot lower than on a regular Saturday thanks to this way of working preventively.
This is not only nice for the staff in the command centre, it is also a back-up for the staff in the field. They have an extra set of eyes. There is therefore also a short line of communication with, for example, the boas patrolling the fairgrounds. It is a unique collaboration where incidents can be prevented.
Festivak lecture
During Festivak, Bas will join Jet in our lecture programme. Together, they will talk about the organisation of the Tilburg Fair here. Of course, safety assurance from the command centre is an important topic, but sustainability, creativity and inclusiveness are also discussed. You won’t want to miss this! Free tickets are available from 1 September here.
