Your Guide to Planning for Personal Space to Create Better Queues
A well planned queue can be the difference between happy customers or frustrated visitors who might not return. When it comes to managing your crowds and queues, personal space is an important part not just for creating a comfortable environment, but also a safe one. In this guide, we will provide instructions on how to plan for personal space to create better queues in different venues and settings.
Understanding the Importance of Personal Space in Queue Management
Personal space is a crucial element in ensuring comfort, security, and overall satisfaction in crowded settings. This consideration not only enhances the physical comfort of those in line but can also play a role in alleviating stress, preventing potential conflicts, and reducing the likelihood of accidents that can happen in an overcrowded area.
In bustling environments, the lack of sufficient personal space can lead to increased anxiety among visitors. And it can also foster an environment where dissatisfaction and agitation are more likely to occur, more specifically in situations where people are required to wait for longer periods. The stress of queuing can be compounded by the physical discomfort of standing too close to others, especially strangers. So, implementing strategic queue management practices that factor in personal space can improve the overall atmosphere and flow of crowded areas.
When planning for personal space within your queues, first understand the factors that influence your spatial requirements, like the nature of the event or venue, the expected volume of people, and the average time your visitors spend in line. By considering these, you can tailor your crowd control strategy.
Planning for Compact Personal Space
Let’s start with compact space between individuals in your queue. We consider compact to be 24 to 26 inches per person with 6 to 8 inches of open space between each individual. For example, in the busy environment of a stadium, where excitement and anticipation fill the air, compact personal space is typically used.
Compact personal space will maximize your queue capacity for the crowded setting of stadiums, concerts, bars, nightclubs, sporting events, and other similar settings. Compact is a good choice because your patrons are anticipating and will expect a tight proximity with the others around them. For instance, those attending a major league baseball game are ready to stand in line for a good portion of their time.
Now that you have determined the amount of personal space to give your visitors, take a careful look at your layout. Identify key areas where crowds form, such as entrances, exits, concession stands, and restrooms. Then you can start the strategic placement of your stanchions, barriers, panel systems, signage and other tools to guide attendees in an orderly flow.
Strategies for Standard Personal Space
For standard personal space, we think of banks, movie theaters, amusement parks, and some retail spaces. In these places, your objective is to create an environment that balances efficiency with the comfort of your visitors or customers. We suggest the standard amount of personal space, 30 to 32 inches per person with 12 to 14 inches of space between each individual.
With this measurement in mind, now factor in your typical amount of people in your space or venue and the average time your visitors spend in line. Use these guidelines to continue the planning and set up of your queue’s layout and footprint.
When people think of waiting in line, most anticipate this type of personal space. Or in other words, this is the general norm, the typical queue people are in everyday. To balance the demands of service efficiency with the need for personal space, plan on standard personal space for a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere for your customers.
Implementing Relaxed Personal Space
For airports, hotels, cruise terminals, and other places where travelers might find themselves during layovers or waiting for check-ins, where additional space is needed for luggage and other belongings, use a relaxed personal space measurement. The approach here leans towards creating an environment that minimizes stress and maximizes comfort.
For a relaxed personal space, plan on 36 to 42 inches of queue space per person. This allows approximately 18 to 24 inches of space between each person in the queue. Use this measurement to then guide your setup in stanchions, barriers, panel systems, or other crowd control tools.
Another tip we suggest for transportation hubs is effective signage to guide guests smoothly through check-in processes or to their departure gates. Clear, concise directions help streamline movement and maintain a relaxed environment.
In airports, you may see designated areas offered to satisfy some patrons’ need for even more personal space. We created a custom solution like this for Delta’s elite clientele at their LAX terminal. Equipped with comfortable seating and access to refreshments, and using our Q-PANEL® Custom Post and Panel Barrier System, we created a private lounge. As a result, Delta is able to offer an unparalleled experience.
Queue Management Tools from Visiontron
Visiontron’s queue management solutions offer versatile equipment to meet the needs of small retail stores to the world’s busiest airports. Visiontron’s products, like our retractable belt stanchions, are designed to guide crowds and create an orderly flow that respects individual personal space. These barriers can be quickly adjusted for flexibility in response to changing crowd sizes or venue layouts.
Visiontron’s products also extend to custom signage solutions, which are essential in directing foot traffic and preventing bottleneck situations. By clearly marking queue entry and exit points, as well as providing directional guidance, these wayfinding tools will help your visitors navigate your venue.
Connect with us for your queue management and crowd control solutions. We have all the products you need to create a more organized, safe, and comfortable environment for all.
