Special Event Security Tips: 5 Best Practices to Minimize Risk

As a special or event host, it is your job to perform a security risk assessment and ensure safety for your attendees or guests. But special event security is often the last factor most event organizers consider, which means private event security gets a smaller portion of the entire event budget than needed.

The reality is that there is a security threat every time you bring a group of people together. The unforgettable event catastrophes at Bastille Day truck attack in Nice, Bataclan in Paris, and Pulse nightclub in Orlando made painfully clear that event security must be a priority for any private or special event preparation list.

It is recommended to work with a trusted special event security company in Toronto to ensure great experience and safety of your guests if you are organizing events such as;

  • Corporate events
  • Fundraisers
  • Meetings
  • Weddings
  • Anniversary parties
  • Concerts
  • Corporate conferences
  • Private concerts
  • Festivals such as music festival, film festival, and other outdoor festivals. 

Most event avenues or spaces require event organizers to hire a special event security team for safety and protection from various risks associated with events. Even small private events like weddings and anniversary parties could end up having issues that can be addressed by a trained security provider.

Special event security tips

A group of people sitting at a table, under the watchful eyes of event security.

Here are special event security tips if you plan to host a private event.

1. Perform event risk or assessment or threat analysis: Identify who is hosting your event and the people who will be attending the event. Do they attract any form of controversy? What’s the context of your event? Will your event involve topics that invite security issues? Do you expect protests? Work with a company that provides event security services to evaluate your security requirements.

2. Keep security coverage measure visible: The primary goal of security guards is more than just emergency response, constant communication, and crowd control. The main objective of security strategy is to prevent threats from happening. This is you should keep your security team and security devices visible to make your guests feel safer. In case of any security issue, they know where to get help.

3. Create security checkpoints: An effective to protect your event attendees from various security threats is to have security checkpoints away from the gathering. This will force any agitators to confront the security guards present long before they pose any risk to your event. Note that effective access control, event tickets, and having uniformed security personnel could help ensure security during your event. 

4. Keep any private event private: It is common to find private events announced publicly, even when they are not open to the public. Sure, you are proud of your event, but publishing it on websites, press releases, newsletters, and social media could pose a risk. For example, a dinner party for your startup’s top management is not open to everyone. So, you don’t have to tell everyone.

5. Consider cyber threats: Not all special event security threats or risks are physical. It’s essential to take security measures to protect your guests’ personal intensification information, including identities, payment information, devices, and more. Work with a security company that offers comprehensive security services such as professional crowd control, control traffic, and complete security solutions.

Summary

You cannot eliminate all special event security threats or risks, but you can minimize the chances of security issues happening. The key to good security is effective planning and working with a reputable special event security service provider.

Ultimate Security Services is one of the top security companies in Toronto, providing security analysis, guest security checks, security equipment setup, performance art security, and fundraiser event security. You can count on our senior security guard for effective security planning, security for special events, and expert crowd control. 

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