Showsec the crowd management and event security contractors have had a long association with the rock and heavy metal festival Download.
For Download 2016, Showsec were working with Festival Republic for the first time. Some 80,000 fans at Donington Park saw headline acts including Rammstein, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.
A big operation was mounted to deliver the best possible festival experience to an audience which has become renowned for its good nature and resilience whatever the weather. Showsec’s Regional Manager Richard Church was Head of Security at Download.
He said afterwards: “There was a new structure behind the management of Download this year, so there was added significance to us demonstrating the ways in which we contribute to enhancing the event’s long- established reputation in the rock and heavy metal world.
“Through having a team which has worked on this event for many years now, we not only have the operational experience and expertise, we also have a workforce who have a good understanding of the audience and look forward to working at Donington.
“From our point of view, they were certainly influential factors in us contributing to what the organisers have declared a massive success, especially considering the terrible conditions in which everyone had to operate across the three show days.”
Within two hours of the festival getting under way on the Friday afternoon, Donington Park was deluged by downpours and the remainder of the event was hit by further heavy rain; that failed to dampen spirits.
Church said:: “I think we’ve all become accustomed to a battle with the elements over the years, Download fans and workers alike. Somehow, it seems to affect us every year, but this year the bad weather hit us particularly hard on the opening day. It speaks volumes for the professionalism and dedication of our staff that, despite all they had to contend with, they remained positive right to the end.”
While Showsec deployed more than 750 staff over the three show days at Download, Church was supported by a management team which included fellow Regional Manager Simon Miller, Area Managers Joe Milner and Ieuan Fury and Operations Executive Adam Lofthouse, who acted as the Project Manager at Donington.
