As the electronic music industry returns to pre-pandemic crowds, an enduring question has never been more urgent: how do we party without putting people in danger?
Last week, the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM) convened a virtual roundtable titled “From Dance Floors to Festivals: Rethinking Crowd Safety,” offering an in-depth look into the challenges and solutions being discussed by the industry at large.
Moderated by powerhouse publicist Nikki McNeill, who is also an AFEM Executive Board Member, the panel featured Claire Wright, founder of BUDDY, which claims to be “the world’s first social utility app”; Carl Loben, Editor-in-Chief of DJ Mag; Jason Euler of the Arizona-based electronic music event organizer Relentless Beats; and crowd safety pioneer Paul Wertheimer, founder of Crowd Management Strategies.
The discussion touched on the escalating complexity of event safety, the emotional toll of fear-based messaging and the persistent threats facing women on dancefloors. Though differing in backgrounds, the panelists shared a common belief: safety cannot be a secondary consideration in music. It must be embedded in the DNA of every event, no matter if it’s an underground warehouse rave or a sprawling festival.
As Wertheimer, a veteran in the field since the 1979 Cincinnati Who concert tragedy, has long argued, safety must be integrated into every aspect of event planning, from venue design and crowd flow to real-time response and public education. Euler, whose organization produces large-scale events across the United States, emphasized those logistical rigors required behind the scenes.
Emergency action planning is crucial, he explained, noting that Relentless Beats takes steps to ensure its chain of command is abreast on active shooter trainings, CPR preparation and Narcan certification. “Having more people that are multifaceted to be able to help in different types of emergencies—and having that preparation—is really everything,” Euler said.
The raves continue, but so does the risk. His comments reflect a new reality for promoters operating in a post-pandemic world, where staff are expected to be not only hosts, but also first responders. The significance of such preparation is underscored by recent tragedies at concerts around the world, including crowd crushes and drug-related deaths, incidents that have led to growing scrutiny from local governments and the public.
Elsewhere in the roundtable, Wright called for a recalibration of how safety information is delivered to attendees. There’s an abundance of material out there, she said, but it’s positioned in a way that stresses them out and instills a sense of trepidation.
“There’s so much fear-based information, like on social media and press… It’s stopping people from going out,” she explained. “That’s not what we want. We’re not here to scare people, we’re here to inform them.”
McNeill ultimately pointed to a disturbing truth: for many women in nightlife, safety is not a theoretical issue, but a lived experience due to rampant sexual assault. “It’s more the girls who tend to feel unsafe,” she said, “but obviously that’s a wider issue.”
While she acknowledged the culture of mutual care that often defines the electronic music community, she cautioned that individual vigilance has its limits.
“I think we do tend to look out for our friends when we’re out and about clubbing or at festivals, but that can only go so far,” McNeill said. “So it’s harder to tackle a wider society problem, but I always think the electronic music sector is a leader in taking on new technologies and an early adopter of things.”
You can watch AFEM’s full roundtable here.