managing travel for planned special events - FHWA Operations ...

Table 5-3Summary of Event-Oriented Risk ScenariosEVENT-ORIENTED RISKEXAMPLE SCENARIODemonstration or protest • Any event that is political in nature or invokes social concern.• Political conventions and paradesTicketless event patrons • Sold-out sports championship gamescausing overcrowding • Sold-out concerts involving select performersFan celebration • Response to city or school sports team winning a championship.Event patron violence • Motorcycle rally violence between patrons and/or participants.describes these scenarios and highlights examplecase studies that illustrate resultingimpacts on advance planning and/or day-ofeventoperations. Chapter 6 provides detailedguidance on contingency planning inaddition to the development of specificstrategies (e.g., alternate route plans) neededto effectively respond to certain unplannedscenarios.Demonstration or ProtestCertain political or socially controversialplanned special events may provoke a demonstrationor protest. Those attending thedemonstration represent non-attendees, andthe event planning team often has little or noadvance information regarding the demonstration’sspecific location and time of occurrence.The event planning team shouldobtain access to relevant law enforcementintelligence reports regarding potential demonstrationsto develop an effective travelmanagement contingency plan. The threatof an unplanned road closure should promptthe event planning team to consider developingan alternate route contingency plan detailingthe personnel and equipment resourcesnecessary to effect an immediatediversion of traffic.Appendix B contains a contingency diversionrouting plan prepared in response to thepotential for demonstrations during the 2000Republican National Convention in Philadelphia,PA.OvercrowdingThe occurrence of sports championshipgames or major concerts at venues having adefined sell-out capacity may attract ticketlessevent patrons not accounted for in eventtravel forecasts and impact mitigationstrategies. Events such as the Super Bowl orNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) Final Four cause an increase inarea visitors beyond the actual event participantsand patrons. Sold-out music festivalsmay attract persons wanting to tailgate invenue parking areas despite not having aticket.For instance, event planners originally anticipated200,000 people to attend a two-dayGrateful Dead reunion concert at a 35,000seat amphitheater in rural East Troy, WI,located approximately 30 miles southeast ofMilwaukee. The Walworth County HighwayCommittee initially denied the eventorganizer a permit to hold the two concerts.After the event organizer unveiled a comprehensivesecurity and traffic managementplan that included using advance checkpointsto turn away any vehicle that containeda ticketless occupant, county executivesoverturned their decision and issued apermit. (1) Appendix B contains a list of restrictionsimposed by the event organizerand event planning team to prevent ticketlessevent patrons from gaining access to thevenue parking areas.5-6