Building Safer Stages: How UC San Diego’s Event Safety Certificate is Transforming an Industry

On August 13, 2011, thousands of concertgoers gathered at the Indiana State Fair to see country duo Sugarland perform. But just before the music began, tragedy struck. A sudden gust of wind toppled the stage roof, killing seven people and injuring dozens more. 

ThKee disaster sent shockwaves through the live events industry and revealed what many insiders already feared: event safety had been a neglected issue in America for far too long. 

“It really was the turning point,” recalled Jacob Worek; a longtime event professional, National Director of Safety with Rhino Staging, and member of the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Event Safety Certificate Advisory Committee. “Prior to that, there were conversations happening about safety, but the Indiana State Fair collapse made it clear: if we didn’t self-regulate, the government would do it for us.”

In the months that followed, a coalition of practitioners began discussing how to codify and teach safety for live events. These conversations led to the formation of the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and the eventual codification of event safety guidelines and standards that are the core of the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Event Safety Certificate Program.

The Event Safety Certificate Program is the first such program to exist at an accredited university in the United States. It’s the collective work of six professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise from across the event industry. They came together to create something that could transform not just live event safety, but the entire field of safety standards in the US.

Why Safety, Why Now

The need for formalized event safety training had been hiding in plain sight for far too long. Music festivals were getting larger and more frequent, crowds were becoming more dynamic, weather events were becoming more unpredictable, and the industry itself had changed. What was once a badge of honor—showing scars from accidents, working without personal protective equipment (PPE), general disregard for safety—had given way to a new ethos.

“It used to be ‘cool’ to lose half a finger,” said Angie Chamberland, general manager of Washington D.C.’s 9:30 Club and member of the Event Safety Certificate Advisory Committee. “Now the conversation is: how can we do this safely and go home toni
ght?”

Events were also becoming larger and more complex, operating at scales that rivaled city infrastructure. The number of variables and safety contingencies that could emerge was defying promoters' ability to plan for them.

“Every event and every site is different,” said Bryan Huneycutt, an event safety executive with Halo Solutions and another member of the Event Safety Certificate Advisory Committee. “There will never be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ way to think about event safety. The only way forward is teaching people not just what to think, but how to think about safety.”

To validate his point, he referenced the famous Mike Tyson quote. “‘A plan is great until you get punched in the face.’ The version of that for events is, ‘a plan is great… until people get involved.’ But if we can teach adaptability, we can prepare people to handle the unexpected.”

Case in point, another unpredictable aspect of event safety is weather. “You can’t argue with rain, lightning, or wind,” said meteorologist and event safety expert Kevin Kloesel. “You need thresholds, plans, and the courage to stop a show before it’s too late. The weather doesn’t care if the headliner only has three songs left. You either shut down or risk people’s lives.”

Lastly, in the U.S., there was no true pathway to becoming an event safety professional. Safety had always been ad hoc or learned through experience. That needed to change. There are “a lot of people with a lot of event safety knowledge, but it hasn’t always been standardized or comprehensive,” explained Worek, who helped launch the Event Safety Alliance. “We realized we had to create a structured, credible way to say, ‘this person understands event safety.’”

The Birth of a Certificate

Ken Keberle, a longtime event safety professional and founder of the Event Safety Certificate program, had the vision for a structured certificate program. He had advocated for greater event safety throughout his career.

“I’ve been trying to get more event safety taught in a formal academic curriculum for over a decade,” he explained. “So much of our training is anecdotal. You learn from people, you learn from doing it—but there was no true pathway. I knew we could do better. By partnering with a university, we give weight to the idea that safety isn’t ad-hoc. It’s professional, teachable, and essential.”

The program was developed to combine the academic rigor of a university with the on-the-ground realities of the event industry. The curriculum, designed by working professionals, covers everything from structural safety to crowd management, severe weather, and emergency collaboration.The courses are asynchronous but interactive, with instructor feedback and discussion built into each module. They’re designed to accommodate the unpredictable schedules and workflows of those working in the event industry. 

Turning Experience into Education

To make his vision a reality, Keberle brought together a team of industry professionals to advise on the creation of the certificate program. He recruited a stuntman, a nightclub boss, a meteorologist, a fire marshal, and a DIY show promoter. It almost reads like the scrappy band of unlikely heroes from a comedic crime thriller, but in truth, this is an all-star team of event safety experts who cover everything from crowds to weather, codes to culture, and construction to compliance:

• Bryan Huneycutt, the former Disney stunt performer now teaching how to avoid risks instead of taking them.
• Angie Chamberland, the D.C. nightclub manager who turned the world of concerts and drunken revelry into a masterclass in professional safety.
• Kevin Kloesel, the “weather wizard” of Oklahoma, who has a reputation for reading the skies long before a storm hits.
• Don Cooper, the former State Fire Marshal of Ohio, public safety veteran, and founding director of the Event Safety Alliance (ESA), who has written more codes than most people have read and seen up close the consequences of what unsafe conditions can create.
• Jacob Worek, the venue manager turned event safety professional who spent a decade helping to build North America's leading voice for safety at live events. 

“It was important to get practitioners who are working in the field today to be the instructors,” said Keberle. “That way, students learn lessons that prepare them to work a festival and take on leadership roles that scale from a small town parade to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.”

Safety as Culture, Not Compliance

One of the strongest themes emerging from the advisors’ work is that safety isn’t a checklist—it’s a culture.

“Compliance is the bare minimum. We’re aiming for culture,” said Huneycutt. “Culture is when an organization designs with safety in mind. And the next step is compassion: asking ‘how we take care of the humans working 13-hour days so they can go home in one piece.’ That’s when safety becomes leadership.”

Angie Chamberland echoed this, describing how she reframes safety language for her crews. “We want people to understand this is for them. That wearing gloves or harnesses isn’t about rules, it’s about their bodies and their long-term health. It’s not ‘cool’ to get injured anymore.”

For Cooper, a retired Director of Public Safety for Tallmadge, Ohio, the shift is about not waiting for another tragedy to drive change. “Programs like this help us learn proactively instead of reactively,” he said. “The unfortunate truth is that we write codes after people die. This program says: ‘let’s not wait for another tragedy to learn.’”

Kloesel sees culture as a key dynamic in weather safety, as it will often require tough decisions that need institutional backup. “Safety culture means acting before the storm hits,” Kloesel explained. “Anyone can cancel a show after the rain starts. Leadership is having the courage to shut down when the radar tells you trouble is on the way.”

“If we get this right, weather safety won’t be something people scramble for at the last minute,” he added. “It will be standard and baked into standard safety protocol, like securing a harness or checking the exits.”


Kevin Kloesel, the “weather wizard” of Oklahoma, sees culture as a key dynamic in weather safety, as it will often require tough decisions that need institutional backup.

Beyond the Event World

Though the certificate program is designed for event professionals, it has relevance far beyond concerts and festivals. 

“Any safety professional will find value here,” said Chamberland. “Events are dynamic, unpredictable, and human-driven. If you can keep people safe here, you can apply that thinking anywhere.”

Worek agreed. “We’d love to see safety professionals cross over. Maybe you’re certified in another industry, but you want to understand events. This program gives you a pathway into our world, without trial-and-error mistakes that could hurt someone.”

Insurers see the value, too. "Safety pays off in real dollars,” Worek said. “If you have a trained safety professional on staff, insurers will know you’re doing your due diligence. That can lead to more favorable terms.”

There's also a weather component that has relevance for other industries. “Weather doesn’t care if you’re at a music festival, a construction site, or an oil field,” Kloesel said. “The same thresholds and decision-making skills apply anywhere people gather. That’s why this program isn’t just for concert folks. It's for anyone in safety.”

Looking Five Years Ahead

When asked about the long-term vision of the certificate program and event safety in general, each of the advisors had their own ambitious ideas. For Worek, the goal is scale. “In five years, I hope we’ve created an army of trained event safety professionals,” he said. “Right now, many companies are reliant on professionals from outside the United States. We should be growing them here.” 

Cooper welcomes tighter but reasonable new safety standards and regulations, ideally imposed by the industry upon itself. “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a minimum set of skills and certifications one had to possess to work at a live event? Every event worker should have fundamental knowledge of PPE, ladder safety, crowd management, and other safety concerns. This certificate program brings us closer to that.”

Huneycutt frames the future as a leadership shift. "I want to see a world where safety is leadership, not a checklist. The more people who think compassionately and proactively about safety, the fewer disasters we’ll see.” 

For Chamberland, the goal is cultural, transforming how crews view safety. “I want people to get excited about safety. Not to see it as punishment, but as empowerment,” she said. “We want to make sure workers get to go home in the same condition they came to work in.”

Kloesel, meanwhile, insists that weather awareness must move from optional to standard. “I want weather planning to be second nature. Not an afterthought, but built into every plan.” 

And Keberle, who spearheaded the creation of the certificate, has perhaps the most straightforward hope. “I want this certificate to be recognized as the gold standard. It will be the way people know someone is prepared to keep others safe.”

Writing the Next Chapter

The Indiana State Fair collapse was a tragedy, but it was also a wake-up call. It was the impetus for bringing together the coalition of practitioners who believed events could be both spectacular and safe. With the development of the Event Safety Certificate program, their vision is becoming closer to a reality.

“Every safety regulation is written in the blood of those who paid the ultimate price for us to learn,” said Cooper. “It was a reaction that stemmed from a tragedy. With this program, maybe we can write the next chapter in ink instead.”

“It was never about saying ‘no’ to bold ideas at events,” Huneycutt added. “It’s about saying ‘yes.’ Yes, we can do it. And here’s how we think ahead to create a budget and a timeline to do it safely.”

Visit the website to learn more about the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Event Safety Certificate Program.