Queenstown, Otago
Event security in Queenstown
COA class: Crowd Controller
Licensed crowd controllers for New Year’s, the Winter Festival, concerts, weddings, corporate incentives and sporting events across Queenstown, Frankton, Arrowtown and the Whakatipu basin. Book one guard for a wedding or a full team for a multi-day event, choosing each person from their profile.
- Crowd Controller class verified on every guard
- Weddings, festivals and peak season surges
- Site safety briefing before every shift
- Check in, check out and a shift report
Queenstown events we cover
New Year’s Eve on the Queenstown waterfront is one of the biggest nights anywhere in the country, and the calendar does not slow down from there: the Winter Festival, LUMA in the Queenstown Gardens, summer concerts in the Gibbston Valley, the Queenstown Marathon and a steady run of weddings, corporate incentives and conferences.
Surge crowds on a small permanent population mean fixed agency rosters run out of people fast. Guard Select lets you choose from every verified guard available for your date, including guards from other regions who are willing to travel for the big weekends.
- New Year’s and summer waterfront events
- Winter Festival, LUMA and ski season events
- Weddings, corporate incentives and conferences
- Marathon, cycling and outdoor sporting events
What event security guards do
Entry control, bag checks, wristband and ID checks for licensed areas, patron welfare and intoxication management under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, calm de-escalation, evacuation support and post-event reporting.
Guard Select guards train in the tactical options framework through the Guard Select Academy: making the right call under pressure and being able to explain it afterwards.
- Entry, ticket and wristband control
- Bag checks and prohibited items
- Patron welfare and intoxication management
- De-escalation, incidents and evacuation support
How booking works
- 1
Create a free client account and post the event: date, hours, location, number of guards and the risk level.
- 2
Tell us the hazards, PPE and emergency procedure for the venue. This becomes the site safety briefing.
- 3
Choose your guards from verified profiles. Each guard must acknowledge the site safety briefing before they can accept.
- 4
Guards check in and out through the app on the night, and you receive a shift report when they sign off.
- 5
Your payment is held until the shift is completed and confirmed, then Guard Select pays the guard.
PSPLA company licence 26-141664
Who you are booking with
You book with Guard Select Limited, which holds Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority company licence 26-141664 in all nine classes, current to 2 September 2031. Every guard holds a current Certificate of Approval, verified before they can accept work, in the class this job requires: Crowd Controller.
Verify licence 26-141664 on the PSPLA public register or see our credentials.
Event security in Queenstown: common questions
Do event security guards in Queenstown need a special licence?
Yes. Crowd control at events and licensed premises needs the Crowd Controller class on the guard’s Certificate of Approval. Guard Select checks every guard’s classes before their profile goes live, and Guard Select Limited holds PSPLA company licence 26-141664 in all nine classes.
Can I book security for a wedding?
Yes. One-off bookings for weddings and private functions are normal on Guard Select and there is no ongoing contract. Bookings have a three hour minimum.
How far ahead should I book for New Year’s?
As early as you can. New Year’s, the Winter Festival and peak ski season weekends are when crowd controllers are hardest to find in Queenstown. If something comes up at short notice, use the emergency booking, which goes straight to available guards.
Can I get the same guards for every event?
Yes. Save the guards you trust, set up a preferred roster for regular events and nominate a backup guard so there is always someone ready if a guard is unavailable.
Who is responsible for health and safety at my event?
Everyone has a part. As the business running the event you tell us the known hazards, PPE and emergency procedures, and they go into the site safety briefing each guard must acknowledge. Guard Select Limited keeps its own health and safety duties to the guards it engages, and each guard takes reasonable care on site.
What does event security and crowd control cost in Queenstown?
Guard rates on Guard Select start at $34 an hour and rise with each guard’s operator level, and you see a guard’s rate before you book. A 3 percent booking fee and GST are added to the total, and bookings have a 3 hour minimum. You book with Guard Select Limited, the licensed provider, and Guard Select pays the guard once the shift is confirmed.
Book event security in Queenstown
Browse verified profiles, choose the guards whose experience fits the job and confirm in the app.