When planning an event, security may not be at the top of your mind. That’s why many organisations decide to enlist trusted professionals to handle their security needs. However, security is quite important for all events. Here are some tips for improving your event security. 


1.     Assess Security Risks


The first step to any high quality security plan must begin with an adequate assessment of risks. After all, understanding your risks is necessary in order to take steps to mitigate them. When considering potential risks, there are a number of helpful questions that can help jumpstart this process. 


Is the event or organisation controversial? Are there any speakers or attendees of high prestige? Would you expect a protest? Does the venue have specific security issues? Are there non-person related vulnerabilities (i.e. flood risk)? 


2.     Ensure that Security is Visible


Many people aspire to have plainclothes security staff in order to create an illusion. While there are good intentions to this, it tends to have the effect of creating more security concerns. An event that appears to have no security is a more lucrative target.


Having uniformed security and other visible measures serves to proactively discourage issues. It also helps make guests feel more at ease. Furthermore, having visible security measures may deter more common nuisances such as a rowdy or inebriated guests from causing problems. 


3.     Ensure Consistent Communication


Effective security requires the ability to communicate with ease. It is important for staff to be able to easily communicate with one another. This is even more important in the event that a coordinated response to an issue needs to happen such as an evacuation of a venue due to a fire. 


Radios or walkie-talkies are effective in allowing staff to stay in touch with one another. Additionally, events should have a clear protocol for staff to report suspicious or concerning activity. 


4.     Practice Crowd Control


An essential aspect of proper security is crowd control. As events get larger in size, the possibility for something going wrong increases. It is essential for crowds to not be in excess of a venue’s capacity limit. Additionally, guests should politely be asked to move if they are blocking an exit or important pathway. 


There should also be a method in place for ensuring that entrances to VIP areas or staff-only areas are monitored. Guests should be prevented from entering these areas. Surveying the venue for access issues ahead of time can help plan for successful crowd control during the event. 


5.     Designate a Plan for Emergencies


An important part of event security is having a plan to carry out in the event that different risks come to fruition. While it is not possible to plan for every situation, planning for those most likely to occur is an essential part of event security.


Events should have plans for situations such as a fire, power outage, adverse weather, a guest becoming violent or confrontational, and other situations. These plans should consider things such as evacuation routes, safe areas, who will be charged with guiding guests, and how to communicate during emergencies. 


6.     Have Emergency Medical Personnel 


One thing that people often do not consider when planning event security is the need for medical intervention. While the risk for events such as small corporate affairs may be quite small, attendees can suffer medical issues at any time. It is good practice to have emergency medical personnel available. 


At minimum, a member of the security team should be trained in emergency first aid and CPR. However, for larger events, it is often useful to have personnel on standby in order to address potential injuries or medical emergencies. Larger events make it more likely that a situation such as a heart attack, allergic reaction to food, or injury may occur. 


7.     Notify Guests in Advance


Planning events includes a great deal of communication to attendees. However, many organisations do not think to communicate security information. Doing so serves two purposes. First, it proactively discourages security concerns by making attendees aware of security measures. Secondly, it helps attendees to prepare. 


Communicating security measures in advance is particularly important for events where people must follow specific instructions such as surrendering their cell phones or only bringing specific items. Failing to adequately communicate can cause delays and frustrate patrons attempting to enter. 


8.     Work with a Professional Security Firm


The security industry is complex and ever-changing. It is difficult to stay up to date on best practices. Organisations are increasingly turning to trusted security professionals for peace of mind. 


Hiring a professional security firm can ensure that your event is best able to handle any situations that arise while ensuring the safety of your guests and staff. Professionals such as those at Spartacus Security have proper training for virtually any situation that can occur. 


Visit our Services section to learn more about the wide range of services we provide. Spartacus Security is happy to implement the security protocols necessary to make your event successful.