Organising a fest such as Oasis requires intricate planning and management by multiple organisations. The Audi Force is one of them. The Oasis English Press (OEP) spoke with the coordinator of the department, Achintya Shankar, about their involvement in the fest. 

Audi force is responsible for crowd control and order at various major events as well as the supervision of auditorium security. The department will be monitoring the entry and exit points at professional shows, scanning tickets to check the inflow of freeloaders and ensuring the safety of distinguished guests. It will also be handling auditorium reservations and designating slots for different events to prevent overlaps. ‘We estimate a footfall of around 3500-4000 people for the events at South Park and far more for Oasis as a whole, considerably greater than for the previous year’s APOGEE.’ said Achintya. He added that another challenge was to prevent indiscipline, as there had previously been frequent attempts made by the attendees to jump over fences and enter the open shows without a ticket. With these limitations in mind, the department has already conducted recruitments, increasing the number of members from 40 at APOGEE last year to 50 at present. 

It has started training its new members to check overcrowding and avoid any mishaps. He mentioned that a larger workforce relieves some pressure and allows members to stand sentinel at more checkpoints. He elaborated that the Audi Force would also be working with other departments such as the Department of Live Events (DLE) to enforce better barricading and supervision according to specific requirements. Being an integral part of the behind-the-scenes of the fest, the members do miss out on some aspects of Oasis as spectators. But efforts are being made by the team to ‘build a healthy dynamic and make new members welcome so that they enjoy the work and don’t feel left out.’ 

Achintya felt that his role as coordinator had taught him several things about management, leadership and synchronisation in planning. He added that the Audi Force was well prepared to perform its duties, and requests the audience to be understanding of any unprecedented issues.