Blog ~ Íse Murphy

Episode 5: Can events help antidote fear?

Íse November 8, 2020 November 17, 2020

“In Mexico, we say hi by kissing on the cheek. I remember saying, “Is this ever going to come back?” I used to go to a gym, and they closed the gym. But when I went back in mid-June, one of the people who used to go there came out …

Episode 4: Airborne Transmission and Crowd Safety

Íse July 28, 2020 November 6, 2020

Recently, a group of scientists published an open letter (Morawska and Milton, 2020) urging governments and organisations to consider that airborne transmission of the COVID-19/SARS-COV-2 virus may be more impactful than surface transmission. In this letter they suggested the following low cost and effective measures to reduce the risk of …

Episode 3: On biometric data and events

Íse June 6, 2020 November 6, 2020

As the collective events industry searches for guidance on how to safely restart events, in the absence of authority leadership and advice, we look to each other. Scientists, academics and health & safety consultants are faced with the challenge of providing answers to the many questions we ask. Journal articles, …

Episode 2. Restarting Events, Safely

Íse May 31, 2020 November 6, 2020

It’s easy to assume that if influenza could be transmitted within the home, at school and at work, that the risk is exponential at a sports event or festival. Evidence has shown us that if restrictions on mass gatherings are implemented early on in pandemic, alongside other social distancing measures, …

Episode 1. Can the past indicate our future? 1918 Spanish flu and theatres in the US

Íse April 23, 2020 November 6, 2020

With the news that events in Germany have been cancelled until at least October 2020 and events with capacities over 5000 are banned in Ireland until the end of August, industry professionals are looking to each other and news articles to find some indication of how our industry will be …

Risk Assessing the Nature of Crowds

Íse April 4, 2020 May 31, 2020

In March this year, I wrote this article for the third edition of The Crowd Magazine which broaches the sensitive area of risk assessments within our industry and stokes the debate with different approaches from industry experts and established academics. Are we really going about this the right way? Or …

Reflecting on a Decade of Disaster – What have we learned?

Íse November 30, 2019 November 8, 2020

As we enter into a new decade, many of us have been reflecting on our lives from 2010 to 2019. I couldn’t help but put it in the perspective of crowd disasters, to understand if there was anything we could reflect on and take the learnings with us into the …

The most common threats to your crowd event

Íse July 19, 2019 November 4, 2020

What are the most common threats to a crowd event? Looking at thirty years of crowd disasters to identify what event managers need to plan for to keep their attendees safe.

Setting expectations: How to keep your queuing crowd happy.

Íse May 22, 2019 November 4, 2020

Keeping your queuing crowd informed is crucial to them enjoying your event and keeping them safe.

Trafalgar Square turns into a giant shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day

Íse March 14, 2019 November 8, 2020

On Wednesday 13th March we did something exciting. I had this crazy idea to create a giant human shamrock in central London to celebrate London Irish relationships, inclusivity, community and to do something fun ahead of St. Patrick’s Day. We invited 200 people from all over London (and the world!) to come together, wearing green, in Trafalgar Square and form a giant human shamrock.

Aerial view of Trafalgar Square human shamrock

The weather was magically dry and when we all got in position to hold hands, the sun came out. We even had Angela Brady take part and a visit from visiting Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue who joined in for a photo.

Thanks to Tourism Ireland for sponsoring this feat and to the team at Mayor of London events for helping produce this once in a lifetime challenge which was a huge success. Trafalgar Square was bursting with joy and community spirit. Bringing people together is what this is all about.

Now to start planning for London St. Patrick’s Day 2020.

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