Managing visitor flows remains one of the biggest challenges for large-scale public events – especially those of the scale of the Munich Oktoberfest. This year, the Bavarian Beer Festival experienced disruptions due to crowd congestion, even leading to a temporary closure of the festival grounds. In this interview, Julian Aengenvoort, CEO of hystreet.com, explains how laser technology can help prevent such situations and enhance both safety and the guest experience.
For public events, safety always comes first. In this interview, Julian Aengenvoort, CEO of hystreet.com, explains how modern laser technology can be used for effective crowd management at large-scale events.
Editorial Question: Why do visitor flow issues occur at large-scale public events, such as the recent incidents at the Munich Oktoberfest?
Julian Aengenvoort:
The Oktoberfest 2025 in Munich is a prime example of how challenging it can be to manage visitor flows in confined spaces. At times, certain areas on the Theresienwiese became overloaded — particularly the main entrances and the busy Wirtsbuden Street. One of the biggest issues arose during the reservation changeovers in the festival tents. Entire tent crowds suddenly poured out into an already crowded festival area, especially during weekends. Up to now, security teams and police have primarily relied on estimated visitor numbers based on mobile data. Decisions are often made based on experience and visual assessments. But with crowds of this scale, this method clearly reaches its limits.
Editorial Question: What technology can be used to reliably monitor large crowds? What do you recommend? And where is this technology already in use?
Julian Aengenvoort:
The most precise method for tracking visitor flows is modern laser technology. It measures foot traffic in real-time with high accuracy – regardless of time of day, weather, or mobile phone usage. This makes it possible to identify bottlenecks or safety risks early and respond proactively. Our clear recommendation: laser sensors as basic tools, combined with intelligent data analytics to actively manage crowd dynamics. Our hystreet sensors are already permanently installed in over 120 cities across Europe, delivering reliable data for event management, city marketing, and economic development.
This allows event organizers to demonstrate measurable success – for example, by showing how much busier the city center was during a local festival, wine fair, or Sunday shopping event. The knowledge is directly transferable to major events like the Munich Oktoberfest. Think back to the COVID years and the traffic-light systems used at supermarkets. When it’s crowded, no one else is let in.
Editorial Question: What learnings can be taken from Munich Oktoberfest 2025 for similar large-scale public events, such as Christmas markets?
Julian Aengenvoort:
The key takeaway must be this: only those who have precise visitor data can ensure safety and a high-quality experience – and incorporate those insights during the planning phase. Especially for open-access events without controlled entry – like XXL Christmas markets or major city festivals — it’s crucial to measure crowds objectively instead of relying solely on gut feeling or visual estimations.
With real-time data, security teams can relieve pressure in specific areas, reroute visitor flows, and even adapt marketing strategies – such as directing people to less crowded areas. This not only increases safety but also improves the overall experience for attendees.
Editorial Question: Which types of events benefit most from active visitor flow management? Where have there been challenges beyond the Bavarian Beer Festival?
Julian Aengenvoort:
Crowd management is not a new challenge for event organizers. Think of New Year’s Eve celebrations in major cities, where bottlenecks regularly occur, or the Cologne Carnival, where certain streets frequently become overcrowded. Popular Christmas markets, such as in Nuremberg, also face intense visitor numbers year after year.
All these examples demonstrate that traditional methods – like police patrols or CCTV – are no longer sufficient. What’s needed is a neutral, highly precise data foundation – and that’s exactly where modern laser technology comes into play.
Editorial Note (mm*): Thank you for the insightful interview.
*This interview was conducted by Monika Monzel, Editor-in-Chief of EventMasterBook.com, International Event Magazine for the Event and MICE Industry in Germany, Europe and worldwide.
About Julian Aengenvoort
Julian Aengenvoort is the CEO of hystreet.com GmbH, a leading provider of real-time pedestrian frequency measurement. As a big data expert, he is passionate about the development of smart cities and sustainable event planning.
Further information about hystreet’s laser technology is available at: https://hystreet.com
Cover image: Julian Aengenvoort, CEO of hystreet.com GmbH (Image source: hystreet.com)
Summary: Large-scale public events come with significant safety risks – especially crowd congestion poses a major event risk. As "Crowd Management" becomes increasingly important for public events, not only for safety but also to improve guest experience and measure long-term success, laser technology is proving to be a reliable tool in tackling these challenges. In this interview with EventMasterBook, the event magazine, Julian Aengenvoort, CEO of hystreet.com GmbH, explains how laser-based systems can be used to monitor and manage visitor flows.
Related Topics: hystreet.com, crowd management, visitor flows, large-scale events, public events, public space, laser technology, pedestrian frequency, event safety, security, safety management, crowd measurement, real-time data analytics, laser sensors, visitor tracking, event tech, smart cities, city festivals, economic development, Christmas markets, funfairs, Oktoberfest, Bavarian Beer Festival, Munich, security concepts for events
Please note: This text was translated from the German EventMasterBook.de Event Magazine (see article: Julian Aengenvoort von hystreet.com über Crowd Management durch Laser-Technik). Please excuse any translation errors.
