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Event planners in Nashville are addressing potential security problems for future events following the deadly Astroworld Festival in Houston over the weekend. Authorities in Houston confirmed that eight people died and more than 300 were injured during Travis Scott's Astroworld music festival on Friday (November 5).
Butch Spyridon, of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (CVC), said the tragedy in Houston was heartbreaking but avoidable, per News Channel 5. To prevent anything like that happening at Nashville city events, the Nashville CVC are coming up with possible solutions for security and communication problems that may arise at future events, including the upcoming New Year's Eve celebration.
"You automatically start thinking about, are we doing everything we can to keep people safe," Spyridon said.
Eric Holt, a concert promotor who also teaches music business at Belmont University, said that security measures are always an important part of any event as well as communication between even officials.
"I know there are videos of people saying stop the show and all that, but he probably couldn't hear that himself," said Holt. "There's probably a communication breakdown because the production staff and or the security staff should have gotten to his manager which probably should have gotten him to stop the show at minimum."
Spyridon said that going foward, the Nashville CVC will designate a specific person to stop a concert if any issues arise, a higher precaution than the staff that's usually on stage.
"The one thing we've never said is who would go to the stage to stop a show. That would be in the plan for New Year's Eve," said Spyridon. "We've always discussed using our emcees to announce weather notices to everybody. We need to make sure we have the script."