NOVEMBER | FEATURE
“ We feel that mass professional testing is the key to unlocking all of the financial challenges that the events industry is facing .”
Halo Solutions CEO Lloyd Major
contact tracing technology is ready to be deployed , with more than 100 million rapid Covid-19 test kits available . The test and passport process costs around £ 15 .
Lloyd Major CEO & Co-Founder of Halo Solutions says , “ We feel that mass professional testing is the key to unlocking all of the financial challenges that the events industry is facing .”
He says the cost of the test could be covered by a rise in ticket prices but he believes the government should play a part : “ The Eat Out To Help Out scheme in August cost the UK taxpayer £ 400 million . The government could support the entire festival industry for a year for a fraction of that .”
Audience under the spotlight British tech company Restrata worked with the English Cricket Board to provide a participant monitoring system at the behind-closed-door matches that made up the West Indies , Ireland and Pakistan tours . The system was also used at the Surrey vs Hampshire Twenty20 pilot fixture at the Kia Oval , which was attended by 2,500 spectators .
The Restrata Platform uses Bluetooth tags and locators as part of a data-led stewarding and operational management system that provides an overview of spectator movement and behaviour .
Restrata issued track and trace fobs to 200 of the 2,500 spectators at the Twenty20 match . The system showed how queues were forming near key areas in the concourse , entry and exit zones , so that stadium staff could intervene .
The company claims that by having an operational overview of the entire stadium , with the spaces , queues , distancing and dwell times monitored , Surrey County Cricket Club could cut stewarding and operational costs by 70 % if the system was adopted permanently . Restrata CEO Botan Osman says it was key that the 200 participants in the trial were reassured their privacy would be maintained : “ Not only have we been able to conduct the trial safely , but we have done so with the fans ’ backing and without infringing on their privacy .”
Maintaining control Specialist global risk consultancy Control Risks has worked with governments , teams , leagues and large federations . A major landmark for the company since the arrival of Covid-19 was the 5 September clash between Harlequins and Bath Rugby at The Stoop . Control Risks played an integral part in delivering the socially distanced seating plan for the audience of 3,500 – among the biggest seen at any event since the pandemic began .
Control Risks ’ offering includes Covid-19 monitoring and analysis , helping clubs and venue owners implement government guidelines , and stadium capacity modelling . For the latter it has developed software to model capacity under varying assumptions , including the layout of the stadium , the number of empty seats between bubbles and distribution of bubble sizes .
“ We exist to help organisations become more secure , more compliant and more resilient ,” says Control Risks global head of sport , entertainment & major events Daniel Heal .
He says that since the Covid-19 outbreak began sports organisations , venues and teams have been inundated with approaches from tech and kit suppliers , but the equipment alone is not enough to ensure the safe return of audiences .
Says Heal , “ Organisations are learning that technology definitely has a part to play in our response to Covid-19 and the challenge of getting spectators back . There are so many organisations trying to sell kit , but the silver bullet just doesn ’ t exist . Technology is only as good as the policy and the people that are implementing and using it .”
Adam Goodyer Botan Osman Dan Heal Lloyd Major
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