Going where people are is a great driver for engagement, but it’s important to make sure “your” people, staff, consultants or volunteers are safe and prepared when engaging with the public.
For large-scale events that may involve multiple vendors, complex venues, and high attendance, safety and preparedness become even more critical. From ensuring staff know the venue layout to establishing a clear emergency plan of action, proactive planning reduces risks and builds confidence among both organisers and participants. The following key considerations highlight important steps for organisations to keep in mind when approaching event security.
Organisational Planning Competencies.
- What security controls are in place already for the event? Evaluate and discuss with organisational leadership and if required, with risk professionals.
- Go / No-go criteria. – Do the event organisers have an effective plan in place for vendor safety?
- Adequate planning and briefing time for own organisational personnel prior to the event.
Awareness.
- Knowledge of the venue layout should be briefed and known by all staff participating. Maps should be issued and physical orientation should be provided prior to the event starting.
- Locations of emergency responders / other key personnel should be briefed and known by all members of staff participating.
- Contact details of key event personnel / first responders should be known by all members of participating staff and easily accessible.
Emergency Plan of Action (EPA).
- Communications plan. Need primary and alternate dedicated communication should internet connectivity be compromised (WhatsApp, Signal, 2-way radios). Brevity codes/codewords should be considered – if required. Contact lists should be set up in advance and easily accessible by all staff and management.
- What to do in the event of …. various scenarios should be discussed and practiced by all members of participating staff. Brevity / colour-coded ‘threat states’ should be considered – green, yellow, red. If ‘green’ = normal state activity; if ‘yellow’ = be prepared to move; if ‘red’ = evacuate booth.
- Evacuation routes should be clearly mapped out and known by all staff members. What to do, where to go, how to get there.
- Should map out primary and secondary meeting locations away from the main event location, where personnel can meet for collective safety and head-counting in the event of an emergency. If the primary location is compromised or inaccessible, use secondary.
- Accounting for staff. Consider scheduled/organised breaks to assist management.
Chain of command.
- Who is in charge of what? Who decides your alert state (green, yellow, red)? If they are compromised, who is second-in-command? Who is medically trained? Does anyone have any special needs, etc.?
- Dynamic Risk. Ability to assess and adapt to a changing environment / changing threats and risks and brief personnel when required.
Collective Security Mindset.
- Everyone should be aware that a collective security mindset is one of the most effective tools.
- Is something not right? – See it, Say it, Sort it!
Public events bring people together, but larger gatherings with multiple vendors and diverse participants introduce added risks that need to be managed thoughtfully. By focusing on clear organisational planning, raising awareness among staff, preparing robust emergency plans, and fostering a collective security mindset, organisations can ensure events run smoothly and safely. Ultimately, good security planning doesn’t just protect people, it helps create the trust and confidence that make events successful.
Thank you to GHT Global for their contributions to this list and to the Engage Delaney course: Public Safety in Community Engagement.