The aftermath of HARD Summer 2015 has lead to increased paranoia from the Los Angeles City Council. In response to the deaths of Tracy Nguyen, 18, and Katie Dix, 19, HARD Events has been cornered into implementing significant changes that could drastically change the direction of future events to come.
Tracy Nguyen (left) and Katie Dix. Both passed on Aug 1st, 2015 @ The Fairplex in Pamona
HARD recently released this statement on the matter: “Festival organizers and promoters are pleased to have worked quickly with the County Supervisors in order to complete the County’s inquiry and bring about the agreed upon modifications to our operations for HARD Day of the Dead at Fairplex, which will further our fans to have a safe and fun time.”
These modifications, which will be implemented only for the upcoming Halloween event Day Of The Dead as HARD's A Night At The Fairplex is now officially cancelled, include a new 21+ age requirement and almost a 40% decrease in event capacity, going from 65,000 guests to 40,000. As expected there will also be a noticeable increase in security, medical support, and free water.
The decrease in attendance could result in a potential 2 million dollar loss for HARD and being that the company is on thin ice, an additional death could potentially result in the banning of all electronic events in LA county. While the pressure is on, the outlook doesn't necessarily need to be bleak. Last years HARD Summer which took place at the Whittier Narrows Recreational Park hosted 40,000 guests per day and still received a fantastic response. It was effective enough to propel the festival to the next level to say the least, and having the 21 and over age requirements shouldn't keep the event from selling out.
Alot has been said as far as the shared responsibility between the promoters and the attendees as far as safety is concerned. Insomniac Events guru, Pasquale Rotella, recently gave his thoughts on the matter, emphasizing the importance of education regarding the use of illicit substances. Thankfully, anybody can agree that the maturity increase of a 21 and over crowd should yield a significant effect. It's also worth mentioning that San Francisco's Outside Lands festival, which took place just a week after HARD Summer and hosted 70,000 guests per day for 3 whole days, ended with zero reported deaths.
It's unfortunate that successful events hardly receive any recognition while the ones that aren't are blown out of proportion, but the fact remains that event coordinators must place safety as their top priority. As rave culture continues to grow, so does fan expectations for event production. Now is the time for changes to made, and guests need to take it upon themselves to do their part as well.
