Event Security & Risk Management
In the wake of recent acts of violence in Las Vegas and beyond, it is becoming evident that event risk management and security are not to be taken lightly by meeting planners.
The Macro Production team received a deep dive education on the topic of event risk management this week at the MPI Tennessee chapter's October lunch. Detective Kevin Coffey provided a dearth of actionable information to motivate the audience of meeting planners and service providers in the room. Kevin is an internationally recognized speaker and training consultant in the area of crime avoidance, as well as risk reduction and safety awareness in the travel, meeting, and event industries. His background in this subject is unique, as he was employed by the Los Angeles Police Department for 35-years where he recently retired as a Detective /Sergeant. During his long career, he became an internationally recognized expert and training consultant in crime avoidance tactics and has been sharing his seminars for organizations and associations both domestically and internationally for over 20-years.
Hearing Kevin's presentation provided an opportunity for the Macro team to rethink our security policies and how we can better partner with our clients in the area of event security. While we are not experts in every facet of event security, we have the audiovisual/production aspect nailed. You may not have heard Kevin speak (and we recommend you do), so we have some thought-provoking questions to get your security wheels turning:
- What does your AV team or Production team do to help you with Risk Management and Event Security?
- What’s their plan of action if the fire alarm goes off in the middle of a show? Does their sound system shut off so attendees can hear announcements?
- What happens if the power shuts off and attendees are left in the dark? Venues should have emergency lighting, but is there a way to make announcements other than yelling?
- Are cables properly covered, taped or marked, including backstage areas?
- Are exits blocked by drape?
- What about your information? What steps are being taken by your production partner to ensure your data is protected?
- Are computers locked down or removed overnight?
- Does your audiovisual partner have the ability to track laptops or remotely wipe them?
- Do they take measures to securely remove confidential information from show computers before leaving the site?
As you can likely surmise, these questions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to event security. For more information about event security and risk management feel free to contact our team (hello@macroproductions.net) and/or peruse the following articles: