When We Were Young Music Festival, from the Security Point of View
- November 18, 2022
- Written by: Gabriela Rodriguez , IPS Journalist
Nostalgic elder emos filed into the Las Vegas Festival grounds for one last round of the When We Were Young Festival last Saturday, October 29th.
With over 60 bands on the lineup, headlined by acclaimed groups such as Paramore, My Chemical Romance and Bring Me The Horizon there was no doubt that the event would be a hit.
The festival garnered about 60,000 attendees that spread about the designated 40 acres of space, for 12 plus hours filled with music, food and drinks.
Mosh pits, crowd surfing and hardcore dancing are the norm within this genre of music. Fans have an unspoken understanding of what’s appropriate behavior during these shows even though an outside perspective might think otherwise.
Special memories were being made within the festival, but it is important to acknowledge and thank those who enforce precautions to make sure these memories are made within a safe environment.
Enter IPS Security—one of the four hired event security teams on site during the length of the When We Were Young festival. Their all-black uniforms with the company logo printed on the front and back of their shirts and jackets are easily recognizable even in a vast crowd.
Their main focus during this event was guarding the perimeter of the grounds, some VIP areas and the cabana areas. All of which are an equally high priority for both attendees and the event organizers.
On the last day of the festival there were about 170 IPS guards on site, which doesn’t seem like a lot given the number of attendees. However, Lydia Umi, one of the IPS supervisor’s rebuttals that doubt.
She says, “At the end of the day we believe in quality over quantity. We would rather be short but have good employees who will hold their post.”
That’s why when good employees are found, IPS makes sure to do their best to keep them on board. Umi explains that they are a tight knit community, often family members, spouses and friends work on the same team.
Working as a security guard at a large-scale event is harder than most think. The hours are long (about 12-16 hours a day), the physical demands can be draining, having to be fully alert at all times and sometimes the weather does not work in their favor.
Unfortunately, the weather during the weekends of the When We Were Young Festival took a turn. The first scheduled day was cancelled due to extreme winds and the remaining nights were cold and breezy.
IPS leadership understood that their guards on post were not going to be able to work at their full capacity if not at least comfortable. Therefore, they were able to provide their team with gloves, jackets, chapstick and more.
Not only did they make these efforts to care for their staff, but they went beyond and provided meals as well.
Druscilla Tauiliili detailed her participation in cooking for the staff. “I helped cooked for the team for two days. It was for over 200 plus working people and was tiring, but when you like the people you’re around, it never feels like work.”
These favorable work conditions result in holding employees to a higher standard and providing the service the event organizer’s pay for.
Driving in a golf cart behind the scenes of the active festival is proven to be just as lively. One of the guards, Barry Misiluki waved and fist bumped those on the IPS team and the additional security forces.
Jokes were exchanged and attention to the needs of those on post were addressed. Although the median ages range from 18-25 years old in this field there is a certain professionalism that stems from these young adults.
Umi says that is the result of following the examples of leadership. Her own husband Shawn is one of the operation officials whose duty is far beyond holding post at a gate. However, leading by example is one of the ways to earn respect from peers at IPS.
Event security is an ever-expanding competitive market, and a good reputation can get you far. That’s why the continuous family dynamic within the field is of great importance to developing a reliable team.
Chloe Taoete has only been an employee of IPS for a few short months but after falling into her position as a scheduler she is a natural. Being fully confident in her abilities and comfortable among her peers just proves that there is opportunity for growth here.
As the event went on, a final dinner was loaded onto golf carts and delivered to those on post. Lydia Umi sat down and began considering what to write on the after-action report.
These reports consist of the highlights and challenges that are encountered during the length of an event. From load in to load out, Umi and others are constantly keeping an eye out for what could be reported and suggestions on how to overcome future challenges.
At the end of the day IPS has a mission to stand by their word and that is to simply protect people.
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When We Were Young Music Festival, from the Security Point of View
- November 18, 2022
- Written by: Gabriela Rodriguez , IPS Journalist
Nostalgic elder emos filed into the Las Vegas Festival grounds for one last round of the When We Were Young Festival last Saturday, October 29th.
With over 60 bands on the lineup, headlined by acclaimed groups such as Paramore, My Chemical Romance and Bring Me The Horizon there was no doubt that the event would be a hit.
The festival garnered about 60,000 attendees that spread about the designated 40 acres of space, for 12 plus hours filled with music, food and drinks.
Mosh pits, crowd surfing and hardcore dancing are the norm within this genre of music. Fans have an unspoken understanding of what’s appropriate behavior during these shows even though an outside perspective might think otherwise.
Special memories were being made within the festival, but it is important to acknowledge and thank those who enforce precautions to make sure these memories are made within a safe environment.
Enter IPS Security—one of the four hired event security teams on site during the length of the When We Were Young festival. Their all-black uniforms with the company logo printed on the front and back of their shirts and jackets are easily recognizable even in a vast crowd.
Their main focus during this event was guarding the perimeter of the grounds, some VIP areas and the cabana areas. All of which are an equally high priority for both attendees and the event organizers.
On the last day of the festival there were about 170 IPS guards on site, which doesn’t seem like a lot given the number of attendees. However, Lydia Umi, one of the IPS supervisor’s rebuttals that doubt.
She says, “At the end of the day we believe in quality over quantity. We would rather be short but have good employees who will hold their post.”
That’s why when good employees are found, IPS makes sure to do their best to keep them on board. Umi explains that they are a tight knit community, often family members, spouses and friends work on the same team.
Working as a security guard at a large-scale event is harder than most think. The hours are long (about 12-16 hours a day), the physical demands can be draining, having to be fully alert at all times and sometimes the weather does not work in their favor.
Unfortunately, the weather during the weekends of the When We Were Young Festival took a turn. The first scheduled day was cancelled due to extreme winds and the remaining nights were cold and breezy.
IPS leadership understood that their guards on post were not going to be able to work at their full capacity if not at least comfortable. Therefore, they were able to provide their team with gloves, jackets, chapstick and more.
Not only did they make these efforts to care for their staff, but they went beyond and provided meals as well.
Druscilla Tauiliili detailed her participation in cooking for the staff. “I helped cooked for the team for two days. It was for over 200 plus working people and was tiring, but when you like the people you’re around, it never feels like work.”
These favorable work conditions result in holding employees to a higher standard and providing the service the event organizer’s pay for.
Driving in a golf cart behind the scenes of the active festival is proven to be just as lively. One of the guards, Barry Misiluki waved and fist bumped those on the IPS team and the additional security forces.
Jokes were exchanged and attention to the needs of those on post were addressed. Although the median ages range from 18-25 years old in this field there is a certain professionalism that stems from these young adults.
Umi says that is the result of following the examples of leadership. Her own husband Shawn is one of the operation officials whose duty is far beyond holding post at a gate. However, leading by example is one of the ways to earn respect from peers at IPS.
Event security is an ever-expanding competitive market, and a good reputation can get you far. That’s why the continuous family dynamic within the field is of great importance to developing a reliable team.
Chloe Taoete has only been an employee of IPS for a few short months but after falling into her position as a scheduler she is a natural. Being fully confident in her abilities and comfortable among her peers just proves that there is opportunity for growth here.
As the event went on, a final dinner was loaded onto golf carts and delivered to those on post. Lydia Umi sat down and began considering what to write on the after-action report.
These reports consist of the highlights and challenges that are encountered during the length of an event. From load in to load out, Umi and others are constantly keeping an eye out for what could be reported and suggestions on how to overcome future challenges.
At the end of the day IPS has a mission to stand by their word and that is to simply protect people.