Event Risk Management | Top Tips

Creating and planning a memorable event involves many moving parts and significant logistical coordination.  Increasing globalisation, evolving security, political and environmental threats are motivating event planners to re-think security strategy when planning events. Gaining an early understanding of event risk management, security issues and venue vulnerabilities is crucial.

Top five security tips when organising your next event: 

1. Venue Selection: Ensure due diligence and vetting is carried out on venues and suppliers. Conduct risk assessments and review the effectiveness of current security measures to identify potential vulnerabilities. Make sure the venue itself is willing to communicate their evacuation procedures with you. Ensure guests are aware of safe point locations should they be required due to a fire or security incident.
2. Emergency Planning: Review your emergency plans and procedures for security, fire, medical, travel and environmental emergencies. Establish a strong chain of command, should a crisis happen.  Each member of your events team should be clear about what their role entails.
3. Crisis Management: Have you got evacuation, contingency and communication plans in place. Have you reviewed your plans for the current climate? Each event experience is unique and it is important to establish priorities for taking action in a variety of emergency scenarios.  In the event of a crisis, bad news travels fast, it is important to be clear about who has authority to develop crisis communications.
4. Medical Risk Management: Always research country-specific healthcare infrastructure and facilities. In the event of a medical emergency it is essential to document everything, ensures that staff are informed and communication lines strongly adopted. Should insurance companies become involved you have an audit trail of exactly what security procedures were put into place.
5. Intelligence Gathering: Research specific destination reports which highlight relevant safety information and security advice for all event destinations. Comprehensive reports will analyse Political, Operational, Security, Travel and Terrorism risks as well as Environmental concerns, logistical limitations and cultural considerations. Connect with the local police and embassies if you are holding an event where a controversial or high profile speaker or delegate has been invited.  In medium to high risk locations engage with a security provider who will monitor significant changes within your event destination and pass on emerging incidents relevant to your delegates and travellers.

A good security provider will anticipate threats, assist with crisis management and mitigate risk through pro-active measures to safeguard your event and travellers. Our message remains consistent – continue to do business globally but adapt your approach and adopt the appropriate safety measures.   Implementing the use of a Traveller tracking platform, such as Priavo’s Locate Global, onto a smart device can help track, monitor and inform travellers and event delegates as they travel, as well as provide invaluable up-to-date in country information and security advice.

Contact us for further information on establishing a robust Event Risk Management plan to keep your travellers safe