Workshop Reflection

What?

As part of my coursework in event management, I delivered a solo workshop on the topic of Crowd Disaster. The workshop aimed to help participants: Identify the organisational and structural causes of crowd crush disasters, recognise risk indicators and implement early intervention strategies and design and apply preventive crowd management strategies in event planning

During the preparation process, I changed the topic two to three times, which created some stress and delayed my research. Eventually, I settled on the topic of crowd disasters because I found it highly relevant to event safety and risk management, two areas that are increasingly important in today's complex event landscape.

As the only organiser and presenter, I managed all aspects of the workshop: content creation, visual aids, video selection, and delivery. One notable feature was my use of a dramatic opening video that engaged the audience effectively. I also presented several case studie, such as Itaewon disaster (2022), and offered practical strategies to reduce risks through better crowd management.

Despite these strengths, I struggled with English fluency. My pronunciation and sentence structure were not as clear as I wanted, and I found it difficult to express complex ideas smoothly. Additionally, the flow of my content was not as coherent as I had planned. However, my lecturer gave me positive feedback on my attire and presentation clarity.

So What?

This workshop taught me valuable lessons about both event planning and personal development. From a professional perspective, I learned a lot about the risks associated with large crowds and the responsibility of event organisers to manage them effectively. According to Still (2014), crowd-related disasters are often not caused by panic but by poor planning, communication failure, and overcrowding in limited spaces. Understanding these structural factors changed my perspective significantly.

Before this experience, I used to think that organising events was mostly about creativity and logistics. However, I now understand that risk management, contingency planning, and public safety are essential components. Research by Drury et al. (2013) highlights the importance of crowd psychology in shaping safe crowd behaviour, further reinforcing the idea that crowd safety is a science that needs both technical and human-centred approaches.

On a personal level, I recognised that my strength lies in research and content development. I enjoy reading, understanding, and analysing complex issues. However, my weakness remains in oral communication, particularly in English. This limitation affected my confidence during the workshop and prevented me from delivering some points as clearly as I intended. Still, I was able to convey the core message and received positive engagement from the audience.

I also gained a better appreciation of experiential learning. As Kolb (1984) suggests, learning is most effective when individuals can actively engage, reflect, and apply knowledge. Creating and delivering this workshop gave me that full cycle of learning, making the experience far more impactful than just reading a textbook.

Now What?

Looking forward, I plan to work on improving the clarity and structure of my presentations. If I could redo this workshop, I would spend more time rehearsing and organising my content into a more logical and digestible format. I would also consider incorporating more interactive activities to better engage participants and help them internalise the strategies I presented.

Another area I intend to develop is my English-speaking ability. I recognise that language is a key tool for professional success, especially in international event contexts. Therefore, I aim to take part in more public speaking opportunities, join English-speaking clubs, and continue reading academic materials to build vocabulary and fluency.

In addition, I realise the value of building a solid foundation in event safety and risk management. This experience has motivated me to explore further academic literature on crowd dynamics, emergency planning, and risk assessment tools. For example, I plan to learn more about event management to gain more knowledge for your future career.

Ultimately, this workshop has influenced my career aspirations. I used to focus mainly on creative aspects of event design, but I now feel drawn toward safety planning and operations. I see the importance of protecting lives through well-thought-out design, crowd control, and responsible event management. As future event professionals, we must not only entertain, but also ensure that every attendee is safe, respected, and informed.
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