Mastering Crowd Control: Top Techniques for Event Ushers (2025) -

Last updated on March 22nd, 2025 at 04:47 am

Hey there, fellow event lovers! As an event planning company that has consistently orchestrated some of the most talked-about events in the last couple of years, we’ve seen our fair share of crowd control challenges. Today, we’ll expose you to some life-changing techniques that currently work in 2025, and would go on to change your crowd control game. So without wasting much time, let’s get straight into it.

Table of Contents

The Psychology of Crowds – Understanding What This Means

Having a lot of crowds at an event may get overwhelming, and at some points, you may need to understand that to control a crowd, you need to know how they think. Crowds are like living, breathing organisms with their quirks and behaviors. They comprise people from different races, ethnicities, societies, and social groups.

In one of the chapters of Sigmund Freud’s book, “Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego”, we could see how he (Freud) described how the group mind worked. It was something like this, if you, at a different time, had a single element (an individual) isolated, and then put in a gathering of other elements (individuals) at another point in time, you’d notice a slightly different behavior, even though we’re still experimenting with that same element(individual).

Image Source: Freepik.

Now this is what happens. Being part of a larger group tends to give the element a sense of infinite strength, freeing him to act on instincts he would have restrained as an isolated element. While this in some cases may be seen as unnecessary, these feelings of power and belonging allow the element to feel safe and seen as a part of the crowd. He goes on to lose his personality and may get infected by any emotion within the gathering.

We’ve all seen calm gatherings turn into chaotic scenes in the blink of an eye, and to be candid, it’s not pretty! That’s why it’s crucial to have a handy approach to the situation, use positive body language, and speak clearly and confidently. It may not be easy in some cases but you just have to remember it’s not just the people you are managing, you’re also trying to manage their energies!

Effective Communication – How this helps in Crowd Control

Image by Storyset on Freepik

We all know what effective communication does in our daily lives and activities, and how things may go wrong if a piece of information is not conveyed using the right tone, words, or expressions. I was at this particular event, and there was this usher(apparently the lead usher) in the distance who was mumbling some words to another usher who had walked up to welcome a guest. The other usher, not understanding what she (the lead usher) was saying, stood there confused, leaving both the usher and guest in confusion. Things could have gone wrong easily and, trust me, you do not want to imagine the stress of having to correct things that have already gone wrong. So here are short simple tips from our ushers:

Use simple, and concise language.
Speak loudly and clearly.
Use hand gestures and body language.
Repeat important information.
Always have a backup plan for communication breakdowns.

We’ve experimented with these tips over the years at Emora, and trust me, they work just like magic. Feel free to try them out and let us know when you do.

Positioning and Crowd Flow Management

Proper positioning and crowd flow management have to do with strategic planning, execution of attendee movement, and placement within an event space. This in turn helps you ensure a safe, efficient, and enjoyable experience for everyone. It’s just like playing chess with people. You want to be one step ahead, always. And here’s how we do it at Emora:

We assign several staff to assess every facility (stages, booths, settings, etc) to facilitate smooth crowd movement.
Next, another set of staff is assigned to manage and record the attendee numbers in each area, this particular measure is taken to prevent overcrowding. These staff will go on to direct attendees through the spaces when the event starts properly.
After the above have been put in place, two or more exclusive ushers (depending on the size of the event) are specifically assigned to identify and mitigate potential congestion points, ensuring clear paths for emergency access, and crowd control.
Once we have all these done, other primary ushers are positioned at key locations, welcoming guests and making sure everyone is attended to.

A lot of people do not know this. But we’ve coordinated some of the best events in town using these simple strategies. See what people are saying. These crowd control techniques and strategies work, Do not hesitate to try them out.

De-escalation Techniques: How These Help in Keeping the Peace

Let’s face it, sometimes things get heated. But this is where it gets interesting. First of all, what are de-escalation techniques? In simple terms, de-escalation techniques refer to methods used to reduce tension, conflict, or arguments in a particular setting. So what does this imply? This implies that with the right de-escalation techniques, you can turn potential disasters into a minor twitch. Here’s what works and how we do it:

Staying Calm and Professional

Okay so the guest has flared up and you think flaring up as well is the right thing to do. I know you want to do it, but please don’t do it. Trying to turn the whole thing into an argument may go on to make things worse, be calm and professional about the whole thing. If you are not sure of what to do next, then read the next step.

Listening Actively and Showing Empathy

Trust me when I tell you this, most times when people flare up or show their anger, it is as a result of the fact they can no longer hold or bottle their emotions, not necessarily because they enjoy being angry or making troubles out of everything. Allow them to express their emotions and dissatisfactions, listen to whatever they have to say, and ensure you are showing empathy when you do this. This helps them feel heard, validated, and understood. You can go on to use supportive non-verbal cues like a comforting gesture, a concerned expression, or a gentle touch if the situation permits. Let them know you are there to support them.

Offering Solutions, not Arguments

I’ve probably said it countless times, maybe not here, but I tell you for real, one of the fastest ways to lose people and make the situation worse is by trying to prove a point. Your points may be valid in some situations, but you could get misunderstood while trying to do this, and this would only go on to cause more harm and confusion. Instead, offer solutions. You would only do this by understanding their concerns, evaluating different options, and presenting a solution. This will help in addressing their concerns, and how best you could be of help to them.

Knowing When to Call for Backup

This right here is equally as important as the crowd control techniques we have above, if not more. We have an exclusive staff who attend to guests if the facilitating usher can no longer handle the situation. This helps us provide additional support, accountability, and resources to resolve the whole situation. One of our ushers once talked down an angry attendee who was upset about the seating arrangements, and by the end of their chat, he was laughing and thanking her. Funny, right? But it wasn’t funny that day, at least in the beginning.

Conclusion

And that’s it! We’ve covered a lot of ground, haven’t we? From understanding crowd psychology and some working de-escalation techniques, we’ve been able to arm you with the some useful crowd control techniques to become a pro crowd controller in no time.

It is worth noting that these crowd control techniques took us some time to master, and you’re only going to get better and more confident with time. So, are you ready to take your event management skills to the next level? Of course, you are! Get out there and show those crowds who’s the real boss. And hey, if you’ve got any crowd control stories or tips that’d worked for you, we’d appreciate it if you drop them in the comments. Let’s learn from each other and take the event management game to the next level! Until next time. Bye!