Showstop Procedure Launches Online Course
The Pink Bows Foundation launched a new e-learning course, Introduction to Showstop Procedure, at London’s ILMC 38, marking another milestone in its mission to improve safety standards across the global live events industry.
The Showstop Procedure was launched at ILMC 37 (March 2025), created to reduce system failure and support safer live events through a global standardized competency framework for safety-critical decision making during live events. Since launch, more than 650 event professionals have completed the training, contributing to safer event delivery for audiences of over 35 million people worldwide.
Pollstar has been covering Showstop Procedure in the past, speaking with Steve Allen and Mark Hamilton, the course’s architects, about their goal to creating a worldwide standard for one of the most crucial decisions one may be forced to make during a live event: stopping a show mid-performance.
Showstop® Procedure training provides a clear and proven decision-making architecture to support proportionate responses to foreseeable life-safety incidents, including terrorism, crowd-related emergencies, fire, temporary structure failure and extreme weather alongside other undesirable occurrences.
The new e-learning Introduction to Showsto Procedure course, unveiled at ILMC on Feb. 25, serves as an Accredited Prior Learning pathway to the full Professional Showstop Procedure Certification.
The course will be launched in English followed by multi-lingual options available in Spanish, German, French, Hindi, Arabic and Portuguese from April, 2026. Further languages will be added throughout 2026.
The course is available at an early bird discounted rate of 50%, reduced from £99 to £49, until 30th April 2026.
Course co-designer Steve Allen said:
“We have invested in The Introduction to Showstop Procedure, e-learning platform, which has been designed to fulfill global demand and increase accessibility, understanding and alignment for those working in the fast-paced, ever-growing events environment, supporting continuous professional development and strengthening The Pink Bows Foundation’s ongoing commitment to establishing a global standard for Showstop Procedure.”
“The e-learning certificated course provides flexible self-paced, remote access to four learning modules, allowing participants to complete the training at their own pace whilst providing a pathway to the Professional Certificate in Showstop Procedure.”
The growing international support for the Showstop Procedure includes collaborating and endorsing organizations now including NCS4, Creative Safety inc. (USA), Event Safety Alliance, United Kingdom Crowd Management Association, Global Crowd Management Association, Dr Steve Frosdick, Professor Chris Kemp, Professor Pascal Viot, Professor Keith Still, Professor John Drury, Andrew Tatrai PhD, ESA Canada, Halo Solutions, National Outdoor Events Association, Dynamic Crowd Measurement and the European Stadium Safety Management Association.
Dr. Stacey Hall, NCS4 Executive Director and Professor, said, “The NCS4 is proud to partner with the Pink Bows Foundation as our missions strategically align to provide safer spaces for all attendees at sport and entertainment events. Through continued training, research, and outreach efforts, the NCS4, in collaboration with the Pink Bows Foundation, strives to enhance crowd management strategies and save lives.”
The Pink Bows Foundation, the driving force behind Showstop, is drawing on this pool of subject matter experts to form a new advisory board and plans to widen its event safety consultancy offering, to support organizers with a comprehensive suite of credible event safety services and resources to support safer events.
Course co-designer Dr Mark Hamilton said, “The growing range of credible individuals and organizations endorsing the Showstop Procedure reflects the common-sense need to integrate it into the safety architecture of live events worldwide.
“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from across the industry, including crowd management professionals, promoters, venues, police, local authorities, and artist management.
“Roskilde Festival, renowned for its commitment to safety, trained senior staff ahead of its 2025 edition and reported that the Showstop Procedure training reduced incident response time from minutes to seconds.
“That clearly demonstrates the legal, moral, and financial case for adoption, and the importance of ensuring everyone attending live events gets home safely.”
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