Caloundra Music Festival

Security guards are focused on counting patrons in a licenced bar instead of delivering a security service. 

Each bar requires two security guards (using a clicker in each hand) to count patrons as they enter and exit, while a third security guard calculates the total number of patrons at any one time.  

This information is relayed to the management team via UHF radio (every 30 minutes to one hour), and is used to ensure adequate security guards are deployed based on the number of patrons. 

Up to 18 security guards per day are required to count patrons across the six licenced bars at the festival, a manual and costly process which impacts the security guards’ job of maintaining safety and security. 

A combination of computer vision and WiFi counting devices were trialled in three of the six licenced bars at the festival. 

• An overhead object detection camera was installed at entry and exit points. These cameras provided real-time numbers of patrons entering and existing the area. This information was reported at one-minute intervals. No personal data was recorded or stored.  
• A WiFi (probe) sensor installed inside the bar area counted the number of smart phones within 10m to provide the number of people in a bar at any point in time. This information was reported every 10 minutes. 
• This sensor was also used to identify any gross errors in the patron counts. 

A mobile-friendly online dashboard provided easy access by security staff and festival coordinators: 

• Used on smartphone or tablet, and accessible via a QR code. 
• Real-time and a historical patron numbers provided for each of the three bars. 
• Security staff and managers could compare the dashboard numbers and their manual counts of patrons. 
• Automated alerts were sent to event staff when patron numbers exceeded 100. 

A second desktop dashboard allowed council staff to remotely monitor patron numbers across the three bars and adjust for errors (bias). 

Two existing internet of Things (IoT) gateways provided wireless connectivity between the devices and dashboards. 

• The four cameras counted approx. 89,200 people moving past the virtual entrances at the three licenced bars over three days. 
  • 46,632 people counted in/out of the Main Bar, at 98.78% accuracy 
  • 19,815 people counted in/out of Sun Bar,  with 94.6% accuracy 
  • 22,759 people counted in/out of the Surf Bar, at 99.75% accuracy 
  • 8 security guards manually counted patrons using clickers across three bars  
• The management team had real time information that allowed them to deploy security resources more responsively at the three licenced bars included in the trial. 
• A major discrepancy between patron numbers collected from the sensors and security guards in one bar was due to a broken clicker that was not recording numbers correctly. A manual re-count of patrons in the bar revealed the object detection cameras provided more accurate numbers. 
• Considerations for future use and risk mitigation of the cameras include lighting (sun glare, twilight), camera position, obstructions (signs, security staff position) and staff movements through the entrances. 
• Planning for the 2024 festival will incorporate this counting method and potentially expanded across all six licenced bars.  
• In future years, dynamically plan to optimise security guards deployed and save costs due to reduced labour costs. 
• This counting methodology is supported by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation. 

The object detection cameras and WiFi probe counters could also be used for short-term and permanent deployment at council’s: 

• Licenced venues at sports stadiums  
• Other outdoor events and festivals 
• Visitor Centres to understand visitor uses.