What’s on your mind if you’ve got a corporate event on the horizon? We’re all human – and the natural reaction is most likely to focus on those aspects that are going to earn you the most plaudits: i.e. securing a flagship venue, getting the right speakers and ensuring the day is a sell-out.
Think carefully about where you place security in this list of priorities. If your approach is to assume all event security solutions are ‘basically the same’, you could be selling yourself short – and may risk tarnishing your good work elsewhere in your preparations. Choosing the right solution ensures your brand image remains intact. What’s more, looking at security at an early stage can make the whole planning process run more smoothly. Here’s what businesses need to consider when looking at what they need for their events.
What’s the purpose of your event?
Who’s going to be turning up? What’s the profile of your typical guest? An open invitation to ‘Generation Y’ opens up a whole different set of possible security concerns compared to an invite-only event for a group of accountants. Being as clear as possible from the outset on the objective of your event and who you are aiming it at will help you make the right decisions when it comes to security. This is also useful when it comes to budgeting and getting accurate quotes.
Take a professional approach to your risk assessment
The Security Industry Authority is responsible for regulation of the private security industry in Britain. This body was set up under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Anyone responsible for organising an event should consider the implications of the Act for their particular event. With this in mind, the SIA strongly advises event organisers carry out a cyber security risk assessment at an early stage. This will help identify whether there will be a requirement for security guards to carry out what are referred to as ‘designated activities’ under the terms of the Act (i.e. those activities such as door supervision, close protection and CCTV surveillance, for which specific licences are required). More generally, a risk assessment will help identify whether any specific licences are required from the local authority (e.g. a Temporary Event Notice).
Contacting the licensing authority at the earliest possible stage enables you to flag up and deal with any likely requirements in a timely manner – saving any unnecessary hassle later on.
Taking care of risk assessment in house is one option – but do you know exactly what to look for? Putting the assessment in the hands of an expert helps ensure key areas aren’t overlooked. Is the venue suitable from a security perspective? Can you provide safe and controlled means of entry and exit? If your original event plan is going to have to be tweaked, it’s better to be aware of this sooner rather than later.
Regulatory compliance is only part of the picture
Most security providers will advertise their compliance credentials. At the very least, you would expect personnel to have the relevant licences for the specific tasks they carry out. This is not all you should be looking for, however. For one thing, an operative’s licence is no measure of his or her customer care skills. Looking for an SIA logo on the provider’s website is no substitute for ensuring the provider is the right match for your particular event.
Security personnel are your brand ambassadors
You’re careful to ensure all promotional staff involved in the event are on-message so far as your brand and the aims of the event are concerned. Make sure you take the same approach to selecting a security provider. What’s the company’s track record in handling events of this nature? What’s your impression when dealing with the company’s representatives? Would you be comfortable with the company’s representatives engaging with your guests?
Get the right people involved – and get them involved at an early stage to ensure your event runs smoothly.
If you’re organizing a live event, get in touch with TORO Crew, a specialist event crew and logistics service supplying stage crew, and sound and lighting engineers to expertly cover all your crewing needs.
