The most stressful 100 yards of your event is the Gate. Is a 10lb folding chair slowing it down?
Every minute a fan spends frustrated in a security line is a minute they aren’t engaging with your sponsors or visiting concessions.
One of the biggest hidden bottlenecks? The “BYO” chair.
When thousands of fans bring their own seating, security teams have to stop, unfold, and inspect thousands of bulky, unvetted objects. It’s a logistical nightmare that kills your “Time to Entry.”
In this latest newsletter, we explore how shifting to a Sponsorship-Led Seating model:
🚀 Accelerates security screening.
🗺️ Creates predictable site mapping (and clearer fire lanes).
💰 Increases “on-feet” time for fans to spend at merch and bars.
The “BYO” era is a liability. It’s time to move toward a streamlined, professionalized experience.
In the world of large-scale event production, the “Gate” is the most stressful 100 yards of the entire venue. Whether you are managing an air show with 50,000 attendees or a boutique music festival, the goal is always the same: get people through security as quickly and safely as possible. Every minute a fan spends standing in a hot, frustrated line at the entrance is a minute they aren’t spending money on concessions or engaging with your sponsors.
One of the biggest, yet most overlooked, bottlenecks at the gate is the “personal chair.” When you allow thousands of fans to bring their own seating, you aren’t just letting in people; you are letting in thousands of unvetted, bulky, steel-framed objects that must be unfolded, inspected, and cleared by security teams. It slows the “Time to Entry” to a crawl and creates a logistical headache for staff who have to manage the space these varied, often oversized chairs occupy.
At conCHAIRto, we’ve seen how shifting to a “Sponsorship-Led Seating” model transforms the operational flow of an event. By providing standardized, high-quality seating on-site, organizers can effectively discourage or even phase out the “Bring Your Own” (BYO) culture that clogs up entrances and creates safety hazards.
The operational upside of controlled seating includes:
- Accelerated Security Screening: Security teams can focus on people and bags rather than wrestling with clumsy folding chairs, significantly reducing wait times and staff fatigue.
- Predictable Site Mapping: When the seating is provided by the venue, you know exactly how many square feet are occupied, ensuring clear fire lanes and better crowd movement.
- Reduced Liability: Personal chairs are often flimsy and prone to breaking; providing professional-grade seating reduces the risk of injury and the subsequent insurance headaches.
Beyond the gate, “The Seat Economy” creates a better flow of revenue. A fan who didn’t have to lug a heavy chair across a parking lot arrives with more energy and a better mood. They are “lighter” on their feet, more mobile, and more likely to visit the bar or the merch tent. We are helping organizers move away from the chaos of the “BYO” era and toward a streamlined, professionalized experience where the seating is an asset, not an obstacle.
The Seat Economy is here. Make sure you have a seat at the table.
Is your gate flow being slowed down by “Chair Chaos”? Head over to conCHAIRto.com to see how our frictionless entry model works. Reach out to our team today to get a custom seating plan for your event.
