Geoff Revill on KrowdSafe winning funding to improve event security after 2017 terror attacks

06/12/19 • 38 min

For this week’s podcast, our host, James Dickson, invited Geoff Revill, co-founder and managing director at Krowdthink Ltd, to discuss his new app, KrowdSafe.

Based in Devon, Krowdthink Ltd is a safety firm that aims to alter the way in which social media platforms deliver value in a mobile age.

In response to the terror attacks that took place in 2017, the Home Office launched the Improving Crowd Resilience competition in order to find solutions to improving security across the private sector.

The idea for KrowdSafe won the team at Krowdthink almost £250,000 of government funding to develop it to improve security at large events.

Transforming the crowd into a “participatory threat sensor”, Geoff explained that the app allows members of the public to draw security’s attention to possible threats, e.g., an abandoned backpack, a dropped knife, pick-pocketing, etc.

Creating a direct line of communication between the crowd and security, the app allows users to upload images and specific locations of anything they believe may pose a threat.

Stressing that the app is not a replacement for 999 calls, Geoff advised that users engage with the app if they have suspicions about people, activities or objects. This allows officials to intercede before anything dangerous happens, therefore preventing emergencies.

“What we are effectively doing is creating an environment that is much more hostile to the mischievous and the malicious,” Geoff said.

For this week’s podcast, our host, James Dickson, invited Geoff Revill, co-founder and managing director at Krowdthink Ltd, to discuss his new app, KrowdSafe.

Based in Devon, Krowdthink Ltd is a safety firm that aims to alter the way in which social media platforms deliver value in a mobile age.

The idea for KrowdSafe won the team at Krowdthink almost £250,000 of government funding to develop it to improve security at large events.

Creating a direct line of communication between the crowd and security, the app allows users to upload images and specific locations of anything they believe may pose a threat.

“What we are effectively doing is creating an environment that is much more hostile to the mischievous and the malicious,” Geoff said.

Previous Episode

Podcast: Crucial FX’s Mark Rivkin discusses the Origin experience

For the latest edition of the Event Industry News podcast, we welcomed Mark Rivkin, managing director at Crucial FX, to discuss his latest venture: Origin

Crucial FX is an experience company that utilises technology such as projection mapping, lasers and sound to create stunning live events. Product launches, dinner shows, and seasonal celebrations are just a few examples of where Crucial FX are commissioned with creating memorable experiences that later become a talking point.

Mark explained that describing to customers what Crucial FX can do proved difficult at times because of the range of services they can offer. Origin was therefore created as a means of demonstrating just what the company can achieve. It is described on the Crucial FX website as an “interactive playground”.

Describing Origin as a “bombardment” of the senses, Mark explained that Origin uses vibrations, smells, sounds and visuals to really showcase what Crucial FX deliver. Origin was also a reason to attain a London base and, therefore, become closer to key clients.

Because of social media and the Internet, people can experience projection mapping and experiential events without even leaving their homes. This creates challenges for companies such as Crucial FX and their clients to create original and fresh events that will leave a mark on the audience.

In terms of creating Origin itself, Mark stated that they came up with the idea first and then battled the implications. He explained: “We wanted to create a technical experience like no other, to showcase the creative capabilities and to start conversations with new potential partners.”

“We push innovation,” Mark commented, explaining that is what keeps their products exciting. Creativity also plays a major role in keeping the company (and therefore the brands with which it works) “fresh, challenging and engaging.”

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Podcast: GL events UK & EIGHT PR discuss ‘The Good Event Guide’

To record this week’s podcast, the Event Industry News team was invited down to the home of Origin, by Crucial FX, in London to talk to the founder of EIGHT PR, Alistair Turner, and the commercial director at GL events UK, David Tunnicliffe. Here, they chatted to us about their brainchild – The Good Event Guide.

Giving us a little overview of what this guide is, David described it as a document put together to offer advice and knowledge to others in the events industry on making sustainable decisions. He advised us that being sustainable goes further than making green choices in terms of waste and power, but also means creating a safe and healthy environment for employers.

The word ‘sustainable’ is an ever-growing umbrella to cover lots of topics from carbon footprints to mental health. David and Alistair created the guide to inform organisers and suppliers on how to become more sustainable and mentally healthier.

Using examples such as festivals becoming vegan and events scrapping plastic cups, David claimed that the events industry is a leader in ‘being green’, therefore giving us the opportunity to lead consumers down similar routes.

Talking more about the guide itself, Alistair explained that it is the product of a lot of time, energy and research. Realising the publicity advantages of ‘being green’, our host, James, enquired whether audiences may just perceive these changes as a PR stunt.

To answer this, Alistair said: “Don’t tell them you’re funny, tell them a joke!” He advised us that sustainability needs to be in the culture and DNA of an event. Due to the freedom of information and journalists, audiences will be able to know who is taking it seriously and who is not.