Security is at the core of events planning.
Event hosts and venue owners must ensure that all guests in attendance are safe. When budgeting for an event, a good portion of the budget should be allocated to security.
Whenever a group of people comes together, the risk of a security threat heightens.
With the severe event catastrophes in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, Paris’ Bataclan, and the Bastille Day truck attack in Nice, the essence of security at events is clear.
The harm likely to ensue from an event security breach is too great to overlook.
And…
The heightened frequency of violent incidents at events has increased concern and, thus, awareness. Therefore, you must take the security of your events venue seriously.
They were ranging from active shooter incidents, terrorist threats to equipment failure, protests and general emergencies that security threats vary at events.
Whether you’re planning a conference or trade show, you need to boost the security at your venue. It’s the responsibility of event hosts and venue owners to secure their platforms from likely threats.
However, event security is sophisticated and involves extensive communication and coordination. It’s more than just dotting your event with security personnel.
Appropriate security practices guarantee the safety of your event staff and guests. Other benefits of security at events include crowd control and protection against:
- Troublesome guests
- Injury to guests
- Sudden disastrous situations
- Property damage
Here’re five ways to boost your event security to secure your venue and reduce its vulnerability to threats:
Top 5 Security Tips to Make Your Events Venue Safe
- Implement access control and security checkpoints
Events are among the most critical operations for security personnel. Your events security team must ensure that no uninvited guests enter the venue.
Check IDs for corporate executives and their guests to keep guard at entry points. However, this is dependent on your specific event venue.
Create a plan in advance for closed events venues such as a hotel or a building. You’ll have to create a security and safety plan and limit access for open venues.
The security plan must include members of the security team posted at strategic places, including the surrounding area.
Create checkpoints far from the event gathering. Each event attendee must go through the inspection, ensuring that agitators confront the security team long before causing havoc.
Checkpoints ensure that uninvited persons should stop accessing the venue and reaching the crowd.
- Tighten communication
Your event staff must stay in touch. If possible, get each team a walkie-talkie for consistent communication.
The professional security detail for the event must also communicate with your staff. However, this is usually not the case at events.
Your staff can report any suspicions to the security team to ensure they don’t engage in confrontations.
Consider diagramming your event to ensure all staff and the security team have a visual map of the venue.
- Make all your security devices and measures visible
The main aim of security is to prevent threats, not to respond to threats.
When a potential agitator or threat spots your security measures in place, he’s likely to move on. Although you can hide part of your event venue security measures, most members of the security team must remain visible.
Hiding all the security measures makes the agitators assume there’s no protection at the event, hence go ahead to cause trouble. However, visible measures make them think twice before making a move.
Visible security measures also make the guests at the event feel safer. They’re confident that people and devices have been put in place to ensure they’re safe.
What’s more, event attendees know where to turn to for help in case of an emergency.
- Prevent cyber threats
Security risks at events in the modern era aren’t all physical. Some target the identities, data, and devices of event attendees.
Make sure your Wi-Fi service is password-protected from network sniffers. It safeguards your event guests from unwanted persons who may try to gain unauthorized entry to your network.
Share your network or Wi-Fi password with guests through your custom event app or registration materials to ensure it’s only available to authorized persons.
Hire an IT professional to test the network for loopholes that malicious parties may exploit to steal data from your guests’ devices. Review cybersecurity measures in place to protect your Wi-Fi network.
Make sure devices logged on the event’s network can’t access each other.
- Invest in a fireproof gun safe for installation at the venue of the event
Find a reputable fireproof gun safe for your needs to secure your events venue. You’ll want to do this if you’re an events venue owner and also offer security services on the side.
Look out for high-quality steel construction and premium details on your ideal gun safe. It’ll come in handy for storing guns, including anything else you’d want to keep locked away.
Other features include:
- Indoor storage compartments
- Interior mirroring
- Soft bags and pockets
- Assault-proof locks
- Relocking devices and hard, drilling-proof plates
- Premium exterior hinges and body insulation
You should also develop an emergency plan and screen your staff to boost security at your events venue.
