Event Management

Two-Way Radio Enabling Events to Run Smoothly and Safely

Outdoor Events Market Sector

Festivals, Rallies, Arts and Cultural events are very much part of everyday life, often held at locations that were never designed for the purpose, from urban streets to large open spaces.

From the management of contractors, crew, staging, equipment, and general deliveries at build-up, to security, public safety and co-ordination during the event, through to the breakdown, ‘out’ and clean up – organisers and their teams know they should expect the unexpected when large events take place outdoors.

The use of two-way radios in outdoor events is widespread and for good reason; whatever happens in and around an event, someone needs to know – and two-way radios provide the instant, reliable communications that underpin the delivery of every successful event.

Many of the leading suppliers of two-way radio equipment to the events industry rely on KENWOOD as the preferred choice of equipment – rugged, simple to operate and reliable, they are perfectly suited to the rough and tumble of use in outdoor events in all conditions.

Benefits of Two-Way Radios Over Mobile Phones

In an age of smart, connected devices, what are the advantages that two-way radios bring? It’s an often-asked question. Robust, low purchase cost and with no dialling, waiting for a connection, dropped calls, service contracts, call, or data charges are just some of the benefits of two-way radio, providing communications instantly at the push of a button indoors and out and without unnecessary distractions.

Hand-portable two-way radios (walkie-talkies) can provide one-to-one, group and all users communication options, giving you the flexibility to build a radio system that will underpin your event, whether it’s calls between management, production, security, medical or stewards or alerting all team members anywhere on site in the event of an incident requiring assistance.

Put simply, think of a two-way radio as the communication tool of first and last resort in outdoor events; connecting individuals and groups instantly at the push of a button and continuing to work even when mobile networks get overloaded or fail.

Outdoor Events Market Sector KENWOOD Communications

Typical applications include:

Protection of staff
Safety of visitors
Incident reporting
Management of stewards

Coordinating resources and event activities
Management of technicians and crew
Security, health, and safety management
Implementing site lockdown and evacuation procedures

Proven Performance

KENWOOD has been involved in supplying its proven two-way radio equipment for use at major events for many years, from low-cost license-free PMR446 walkie-talkies to the complete trunked communications systems at large events which allow Contractors, Stewards, Safety and Medical teams, Artist Management, VIP Concierge Services, Caterers, Site and Stage Management, Transport, Sanitation, Waste Management and of course Security staff to communicate within their own groups and cross-communicate with event management teams as required.

South East Crew Cast Study

Providing support to some of the most prestigious events in the South of England. Formed in 1995, South East Crew (SEC) is a Brighton based company, providing smart, experienced crew for conference, theatre, exhibitions and events in the South East area and beyond. Find out more about how KENWOOD PMR446 equipment is used by the South East Crew.

► Find out more

ProTalk License-Free PMR446 – Simple and Effective

The simplicity and convenience of analogue and digital license-free PMR446 technology has made it a popular, no-frills choice in the outdoor events sector with its reliability, ruggedness and ease of use.

Digital dPMR446 is by far the most popular format with professional users. It offers better reception to the full extent of the coverage area, and with 32 digital channels and 16 analogue channels, it’s particularly suited to events in congested city areas and larger open spaces or where channels are allocated to specific teams. Durability, a long battery life between charges and ease of use in all conditions are some of the key attributes of the current generation of KENWOOD ProTalk dPMR446 radios, along with many more advanced features only previously found in licensed radios.

KENWOOD Licensed Digital Radio – the Flexibility to Meet the Demands of Large Events

For large events or those taking place across multiple locations or stages, for example music festivals, carnivals, city marathons etc., a licensed KENWOOD digital radiocommunication system brings even greater benefits, including:

Individual, group and all radio calls
Advanced built-in and programmable user safety functions, including ‘man-down’ and emergency call
Over-the-air programming
Emergency / Evacuation / Security alert functions
Voice and data messages
Optional and built-in GPS
Native analogue/digital mixed operation
Longer range/improved coverage

Programmable automated alerts
Encryption against interception and eavesdropping
Flexibility to link multiple locations
A suite of application solutions to tailor a system to meet specific operational requirements
Simple to use and durable equipment
Long battery life between charges

KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN digital protocols both offer the capability to build flexible and scalable systems suitable for covering single or multiple sites, while the native analogue/digital Mixed operation capability (enabling radios to communicate automatically with existing licensed analogue radios), provides a predictable, economical migration path to digital two-way radio operation at an affordable cost and to build a scalable, future-proof radio system.

A KENWOOD DMR or NEXEDGE NXDN system equipped with GPS devices can not only provide multiple communications channels and talk groups but also, with the addition of the optional KAS-20E location services, allow you to monitor and track every radio so you always know where staff are located and can pinpoint and allocate resources or alert those closest to an incident to reduce response times.

Advanced Lone Worker protection

Lone workers including stewards, technicians and security staff can have their radios programmed and monitored so that they will be called automatically at predetermined times to check on their status and should there be no response, an alarm will be raised. Similarly, a programmable function key on the radio can be assigned to trigger an emergency alert which is transmitted immediately to all other radio users.

Health & Safety (Including Site Lockdown and Evacuation)

In addition to the efficiency that radio communication brings to coordinating events, it also serves to help you comply with health and safety and security requirements/regulations, for example, alerting staff to the presence of threats, calling for medical assistance, reporting accidents and anti-social behaviour.

However, where radio communication really excels is in the event of a major incident. Whether that be a medical emergency, staff at risk or a more serious event that requires key staff everywhere on site to be alerted instantly to initiate emergency, evacuation or lockdown procedures.

Built Tough to Withstand Rain, Dust and the Rough and Tumble of Use Every Day

As you would expect, all KENWOOD professional hand portable walkie-talkies and mobile radios conform to MIL-STD-810 C/D/E/F/G for ruggedness and durability and are IP54/55/67 Water & Dust Intrusion rated, making them suited for use in any environment.
In addition, KENWOOD can offer ATEX IECEx devices for use in hazardous, explosive atmospheres.

Explore KENWOOD Solutions for Your Outdoor Events

To discover more about the millions of KENWOOD devices in use by countless customers in hundreds of applications around the world, including the innovative, multi-protocol NX-5000 Series (NXDN, DMR, P25 and FM Analogue), NX-3000 Series (NXDN, DMR and FM Analogue) and exceptional value offered by the entry-level NX-1000 Series hand portable walkie-talkies and mobiles, please click on the banners below.

For more information on KENWOOD digital system solutions including, DMR Tier 3 trunking and Simulcast, NXDN Type-C, Type-D and Gen2 trunking, click here.

License-Free PMR446

License-free Digital & Analogue PMR446 is ideal for applications where instant one-to-one or group communications are required over short distances, indoors & out.

► PMR446

NX-1000 Series

Feature-rich, entry-level hand-portable and mobile radios available in Digital DMR, NEXEDGE Digital NXDN and Analogue versions.

► NX-1000

NX-3000 Series

Mid-tier hand-portable and mobile radios with GPS and keypad options, in switchable DMR plus FM Analogue or, NEXEDGE NXDN plus FM Analogue configurations.

► NX-3000