Max SteventonBolton-based security and crowd management company KSS NW LTD won the Best Crowd Management & Security award at the Festival Supplier Awards last week.
The award was presented on 29 January at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London and recognises performance across the UK and Ireland’s outdoor events and festival industry.
Festival Supplier Awards judges highlighted KSS’s work in large-scale events, noting the company’s “outstanding scale, consistency and safeguarding impact across complex live events” and that it has “set benchmarks for best practice in crowd management and security.”
In 2025, KSS delivered security and crowd management operations at 57 festivals and major outdoor events, including Glastonbury Festival, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Reading & Leeds, Electric Picnic, and other greenfield concerts across the UK and Ireland, supporting millions of attendees.
The company places safeguarding at the centre of its operations and has been involved in the Ask for Angela initiative since 2021, supporting welfare interventions through discreet engagement.
KSS has also invested in professional development and operational tools, including Level 5 crowd and spectator safety qualifications and its myKSS digital platform for training, briefings and real-time operational support.
The Festival Supplier Awards are judged by a panel of senior industry experts, including promoters, producers and event organisers.
“This award is a huge moment for our business and, more importantly, for our people,” said KSS NW LTD head of operations Floyd Allen. “It recognises the professionalism, care and consistency our teams deliver in some of the most challenging live environments in the country. Safeguarding isn’t an add-on for us — it’s fundamental to how we operate.”
KSS NW LTD chairman Gary Longthorne said, “This award reflects years of hard work, investment in training, and a culture that puts people first. Setting the benchmark for best practice is something we take seriously, and this recognition reinforces our commitment to raising standards across the industry.”