Keeping Personal Belongings Secure on a Music Festival Site.

Music festivals attract large crowds and an unfortunate consequence of this is that the festival site presents numerous opportunities for criminal thieves intent on stealing festival-goer's belongings. What steps can organisers and festival-goers take to minimise the chances of becoming a victim of these crimes?

A typical large multi-day music festival with tens of thousands of visitors could experience several hundred incidents of theft over the duration of the event. Any theft can cause distress and dampen the overall experience for festival-goers. Organisers are now proactive in offering advice to festival-goers before and for the duration of their events to help minimise potential theft. In addition, organisers will have a criminal activity reporting process to assist festival-goers coordinate with local police. They also set up lost and found facilities which are often active for several weeks after the event. 

Vigilance and Common Sense. 
A music festival site contains numerous distractions which can make vigilance more challenging. As a general rule festival-goers should use common sense when taking care of their belongings and be mindful of their surroundings and potential pickpockets. This includes taking basic precautions like locking and securing tents and not leaving mobile devices or other valuables lying around unsupervised. Festival-goers are encouraged to always report any suspicious behaviour to festival staff, volunteers or security personnel so they can take the appropriate action. 

Safety Lockers and Anti-theft Devices. 
Many festival organisers provide safety locker facilities on-site usually available for rent at a reasonable cost and often bookable in advance of the event dates. These secure lockers are usually available to access at all times and there will be attendants available if anyone needs assistance. If a high-end mobile device is essential, it should be access protected with a secure key code or fingerprint guard as a minimum. In addition, many mobile devices can now be linked to location services using apps widely available on both android and apple devices. These services can even locate a device that has been turned off by using the network trace left according to when it was last active. Festival-goers can consider using backpacks and bags specifically designed with anti-theft considerations like locking zips, hidden compartments and slash proof materials. Theft from parked cars does happen so it is sensible not to leave any valuables in plain sight because all cars are still easy to break into. 

Technology and Cashless Solutions. 
Using the festival's cashless RFID wristband ensures that in the majority of cases no cash or bank cards are needed. There a variety of small GPS tracker devices that can be attached to bags and other valuables like cameras which help locate them if stolen. Where possible avoid carrying valuable documents (ID, passport, driving licence and ticket) in a physical form and limit them to digital formats. It may be worth checking RFID blocking wallets where possible as they can protect against digital theft of card information. 

Insurance. 
Festival-goers should check their existing insurance policies to see if they are already covered (common household insurance) which would save them taking out additional policies. If they are uncertain many festival organisers offer event specific insurance which covers everything from theft to event cancellation and can usually be obtained for a low premium. Alternatively, there are a number of low-cost options available direct from some insurance providers which may be event specific or more generic travel insurance. 

The ultimate protection exercised by more experienced festival-goers will be to attend events with minimum possessions. They may not bring any electronic devices and simply carry a bank card or rely solely on their RFID cashless wristband. If they do a bring a phone it may be of a cheap burner variety with a low value. Indeed, their belongings may consist of a tent, a change of clothes and some toiletries. 

For festival organisers planning their next events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by Jessica Lewis thepaintedsquare via Pexels

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