Event Security Needs to be a Higher Priority

For meeting planners, it’s got to seem like every aspect involved with putting an event together is a high priority. They’re not wrong. But one area that needs to be among the top priorities is the security of those attending the event.

As NHS Global Events Vice President Sean Lynch points out, “It is the obligation of the meeting organizer to ensure the personal safety and security of all attending the event.” The days of simply knowing where the local hospital is located are long gone.

Which makes the following info culled from a recent article in Meetings and Conventions quite concerning.

“The Fall 2017 edition of Meeting Professionals International’s Outlook surveyed planners about their contingency plans for emergencies that could affect their meetings. When asked how prepared they are for these possibilities, 46 percent of respondents said they have specific contingency plans for natural disasters, 45 percent for active shooters, 43 percent for bomb threats, 40 percent for general illness/injury/death, and 31 percent for a cyber attack.”

At its most stringent, security measures can include pre-event background searches, tickets with attendees’ names, credentials that need to be shown at all times, wrist bands that are non-transferable, and an extended perimeter for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Sean offers these security tips to start with:

• Be in touch with security at the venue, restaurant or stadium where the event is being held.
• Know their security policies.
• Establish a relationship with local law enforcement.

For more details on making your event secure, contact NHS Global Events.