3 Simple Tricks To Improve Event Security
As the holiday season progresses, you may notice you are attending more large gatherings than any other time of the year.
Perhaps you live close to New York City and make it a tradition to attend the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting along with the sea of people that gather beneath its lights.
Or perhaps your town or city has seasonal plays, shows or gatherings in public common areas that garner a large audience.
Consider this before you go- these days, events with masses of people call for extra and tighter security than ever before.
If your event management career includes managing large events at stadiums, event centers or even at your local university, you know that a big crowd can draw a hefty price tag when it comes to security.
Lately, spending that kind of money to keep event goers safe seems to be worth it. With tragedies like the recent Las Vegas massacre, safety and security are of the utmost importance to ensure your event is a success.
There are a plethora of ways you might be able to improve your current stadium and large event security strategy.
One common mistake event planners make is thinking that the more money you spend, the safer your attendees will be. But that’s not totally true!
Spending your budget on smart security options is wise, but the best event planners in the business know that implementing ideas and event security solutions should be entirely based on the previous event experience.
Here are three things to keep in mind that will improve your event security plan!
#1: Security Doesn’t Stop When the Event is Over
Usually, folks are tired and ready to go home on the last day of an event. This is true on both sides of the house, as the folks working your event are likely just as tired (if not more so) than your attendees.
Without the proper planning and training in place, this lack of attention to event security could be potentially dangerous to your attendees.
It becomes visibly obvious when an event is ending. People are starting to go home, and all the food trucks and tents are beginning to break down. At this point in time, it becomes straightforward for someone to breach your security, commit crimes, and harm your guests.
One way to completely avoid the last-day slack from your security staff is to plan for it.
During security training for your event, you’ll want to designate an “end” time for your staff that is after all of your guests are supposed to leave.
Be sure to create a barrier and avoid any security issues. If you have hired security guards, giving them jobs or duties while folks are leaving can help keep everyone engaged in staying safe.
You may also want to be sure that all security cameras which you have on the premises are recording after everyone leaves so you can remotely monitor the end of the event just in case you’re not on site.
#2: Think like a criminal
As an event planner, the money you spend on event security, as well as your security plan, may change with every event. This is especially true if you are in charge of all events at your company.
It could be that you are continually planning for both small and large events, inside and outside your place of work. In this case, one of the toughest parts of your job may be to anticipate how a security breach can happen.
You have to think about how a criminal might still try to attempt to commit a crime at your event location. However, to keep your event safe and secure, you’ll need to take your security plan one step further and think like a criminal.
No matter if this is your first or tenth time hosting an event at your chosen venue, you have to consider what may go wrong so you can plan for and anticipate every issue that may arise.
This is extremely important when it comes to your event security plan.
For example, you may have decided to employ a mix of remote and on-site security for a large-scale stadium event.
You should ask yourself: if you wanted to get in the venue, or commit an act that breaches your security, how would you do it? Would it be easy?
And, as the event planner, have you planned for that?
What would happen if it did occur?
All of these questions are necessary and important to cover all of your bases when it comes to event security!
#3: Get your attendees to help
From your past experiences, you may have noticed that when your event goers are plugged into essential event details like the schedule and meal plan, the event tends to go a lot smoother.
This is because when you circulate information and share details about the event, it becomes clear if there are any problems or unsolved issues that need to be resolved.
Not only can this enhance the event for your attendees, but it can also help ensure that your event is as safe and secure as possible.
The same way you want your security staff properly trained to keep your event secure, you’ll also want to train your event attendees on what they can do to stay safe.
One option is to have security training at your workplace and to instill the foundations of safety for your workforce. You can also use the upcoming event as an excuse to get folks thinking about safety.
Clearly aligning what to expect from the safety you are providing can be very helpful. Let your attendees know how transportation and other en-masse activities will work.
Be sure to give pointers on how to get medical help in an emergency, and enlist your event goers to stay alert and vigilant to any possible event security threats.
Security at Events
Security at any event is important.
The size of the event should not dictate how ‘safe’ your guests should be. However, big events held at stadiums or event centers require more detailed planning than a picnic at your office.
There are many facets to security at large-scale events. Not only is it important to have the right security setup in terms of on-site help and monitoring, but it’s also essential to make event security a vital part of your planning.
Make sure your security staff stays on-point during the entire event, considering any holes in your security plan, and enable your event attendees to stay safe.
We hope you enjoyed these strategies tip and that you find them useful in improving the safety of your next big event.
Do you have an upcoming large-scale event? Click here to receive a free quote for your event security needs!
