Harry Potter Premiere - Operational Elements

The new film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows premiered in

Leicester Square

at the Odeon on the 11^th of November 2010. Many operational practices of course had to be taken into account and used for an event such as this, seeing as it is one of the most successful film series ever.

There was an article on BBC news about the stars and fans being soaked by rain at the London premiere (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8139765.stm).

Shelter and contingency planning is key to event organisation; it should be a certain fact that stars of the film do not get wet whilst giving autographs and interviews.

However the fans who had been camping out before the event should expect any sort of weather conditions and it is not the responsibility of the event itself to plan for their discomfort. Measures could have been taken to avoid the problem of bad weather conditions such as a large marquee connected to the barriers; so that fans and cameras could still see and interact with the celebrities. However it is possible that bodyguards did follow the actors around with umbrellas for the entirety of their walk down the red carpet preventing the problem all together.

Security is also a massive issue for a premiere, especially because fans are allowed so close to the celebrities. Not only did the Odeon put security around the red carpet to stop anything happening to the stars, but there has to be a large amount of security at the entrance to the cinema itself to check bags for recording equipment. According to one article (http://www.beehivecity.com/film/film-review-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-one0957524/) ‘this was done with such efficiency that I barely have to break stride’, clearly showing that the organisation of this operational element was particularly thorough and very well put in place.

Another factor relating to operations has to be the waste management in and around the Odeon. It is most likely that the waste produced by the viewers during the film will be cleared up by cinema employees, however there is no mention of how rubbish left by fans who had been camping outside would be cleared. One way in which a build up of litter in Leicester Square could be reduced is by strategically placing large waste bins by the areas where fans had set up camp, however local police would probably patrol the area during the days leading up to the premiere and the actual cleaning is likely to be undertaken by the local street cleaning service.

Despite an input from other organisations, most of the operational elements used in the premiere of Harry Potter would mainly be covered and supplied by the cinema and its regulations, such as health and safety, food and drink and licensing. All of the above should be pre-existing in the Odeon, therefore it would not be necessary to add more when the cinema offers it already.

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