How to secure a business event
Any business event requires strong security to protect everyone in attendance but without being so invasive that it diminishes the atmosphere. There are many ways to secure an event, whether it’s a corporate conference, sports game, concert, community celebration, wedding, or business gathering.
Safety and security begin at the planning stage and are essential regardless of the expected attendance. Here is how to secure a business event.
Hire an event security company
Hire an expert event security company even if your insurance does not require it. They will know what they’re doing and can assess an event to determine how best to distribute personnel throughout.
Before hiring them, ensure you talk with your event security company about what they can offer. You should also ask how they intend to help secure your business event.
Carry out a risk assessment to start
Identify security risks for your business event with a risk assessment that considers the venue, type of event, and audience. Venue design often carries risks that a security team can deal with.
Steep staircases, unmonitored rooms, poor lighting, and the like are all safety risks that can be managed. Seal off dangerous parts of the venue or mitigate risks as best you can, all things considered.
Use weapon detection technology
No one should carry a gun, knife, or similar weapon to your business event. A weapon detection system can maintain a low profile. They’re a passive sensor that scans anyone who walks by for concealed weapons. They’re fast and unobtrusive, and they are more effective and less invasive than metal detectors.
Have a list of attendees for screening
While you don’t want to go overboard and slow down your event or do invasive searches on anyone who enters, you will want a list of attendees and their guests, staff, and vendors. This ensures event security knows who is allowed on the premises and who isn’t. It can also catch individuals not authorized to be there trying to enter before a security incident is caused.
Manage crowds and avoid overcrowding
Ensure attendees are spread out across the venue space for your business event and aren’t overly crowded in one area. This is easy to do by creating different zones, assigning seats, implementing social distance, and more. Especially for an outdoor event without a venue already designed to avoid overcrowding, one wants to be cautious about planning their day or evening.
Establish where personnel will reside
Business events cannot be secure without personnel ready to act and stationed at defined checkpoints. These are usually away from the main entrance and spread across the venue.
Personnel must consider any place where there’s a high chance of danger or the risk of a threat getting away with a crime. That said, security cameras dotted around the venue can also facilitate this oversight.
Know where your entry & exit points are
Weapon detection and access control do not work well without an established entry/exit point. Lock all other doors and block off access to the venue, ensuring all guests and personnel enter the exact entry point.
Checkpoints and personnel can be set up here to ensure authorized parties are allowed in. They can also be used to flag down suspicious behaviour or individuals flagged by weapon detection technology.
Monitor attendees by video security
It can be challenging to verify that all attendees are not security risks or threats. Video surveillance can be used to track movement during a business event. This is often done through AI and movement detection that automatically highlights movement in the suspicious room. However, it requires human intervention to determine how to proceed with a flagged attendee.
Have a zero tolerance policy for troublemakers
Every guest deserves protection at your business event. If there is inappropriate contact, sexual harassment, discrimination, a physical fight, threats, or anything similar, it is often best to maintain a zero-tolerance policy and carefully eject anyone involved.
If possible, post an event code of conduct at the entrance. This will advise guests of the expectations and outline unacceptable behaviours at the event.
Have emergency plans for your security
Even with all precautions taken, emergencies still may arise. Emergency plans are required to ensure security breaches are efficient, calm, and effective.
Have a plan for a fire, an event such as an active shooter, and other potential security issues. This plan should include an evacuation strategy, staff rendezvous points, and pathways to direct traffic off-site.
Advise local police of event dynamics
If a large event could cause a protest or adverse reaction in the community, contact the local police beforehand. They may assist in handling any planned protest or be better prepared to respond quickly during the event. If you have concerns that the police may be involved, contact them beforehand.
