The Security of Your Physical Event: The Standards to Follow

The security of an event is a factor not to be neglected when planning a seminar, a gala or any other events that bring together a large number of guests. Recently, safety measures have evolved and regulations impose strict conditions. What’s more, the growth of new technologies has also changed the situation. As an event planner, event security must be one of your priorities. But how do you survive with so many rules? Eventdrive tries to help you and presents the main points to be respected.

Legal obligations for the venue of the event

As an event planner, you are responsible for your guests and, above all, for their safety. You must therefore, as a first step, ensure that you comply with all legal obligations regarding the location of your event.

In terms of security, you must respect the capacity of the venue where the event will be held. It may seem logical to you, but it’s the basis of all thinking. This will be followed by many other measures, such as whether or not to allow alcohol to be consumed or sold during your event. Please note that, according to the Construction and Housing Code (CCH), Establishments Receiving the Public (ERP) are divided into 5 categories. The first concerns places that can accommodate more than 1500 people, the 5th includes establishments containing fewer than 50 people. These 5 categories apply to all types of places, from conference rooms to tents and outdoor structures. Ideal for your events with a circus theme!

If your event is indoor, the security of the venue must refer to the Building and Housing Code and the Safety Regulations (the last document must be provided by the owner). The rules set out must be respected by the owner of the property, but it is always interesting to know them in order to ensure that there is no fraud.

On the other hand, if your event is held outdoors, the regulations are much more flexible. The event is simply delimited by a perimeter, so we don’t really talk about ERP. No mandatory constraints are imposed. However, we strongly advise you to ensure that basic safety standards are met. It would be a shame if an accident happened because you didn’t want to hide the cables that were lying around.

An online ticketing service to ease access to the site

The implementation of this kind of service has a double advantage. First of all, you will be able to facilitate access to the event venue and thus, avoid crowd movements, but also be in compliance with the regulations. From a legal point of view, a certain amount of information must be in evidence on the ticket you sell to your participants. By making sure they are clearly indicated, you secure the transaction.

Among other things, the name of the organizer, the ticket number, the name of the event or the cost of the ticket must appear. The ticket may also contain a removable part that must be kept by the organizer for at least 6 years (yes, you read it right!) — the kind of paperwork that piles up. That is why you can also choose the electronic ticket. When using this option, you must always keep the same information, but only in electronic format. Technology is beautiful, isn’t it?

However, the storage of electronic data involves new risks. If you choose this solution, you should consider working with a secure server that will limit the risk of hacking. Nowadays, hackers are looking for all kinds of information and a contact list is part of it (don’t ask us why)!

Consider purchasing an insurance

This may seem unnecessary, but it is fundamental! Taking out insurance is one of the basics of event security and helps to protect you in case of problems on D-day (or even before). If you are an agency with a high volume of traffic, you have probably chosen an annual insurance policy. Remember to check all the conditions and read the small lines at the bottom of the contract. You may need to take out additional insurance depending on the category of your event.

To make your choice as good as possible, it is advisable to list all the characteristics of the project (number of participants expected, location, planned activities…) and to ensure that your criteria meet all those of the chosen insurance.

The detail to which we advise you to pay particular attention at Eventdrive is the coverage provided by the insurance. Make sure that all guests are protected, but also the organization team or the security services. Also remember to protect the equipment that will be used, in addition to the event location. The risks of fire are real and as the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”

Don’t forget the security service!

Another very important point: make sure there are bodyguards present. Their role can be multiple and you may be comfortable having them at your side. It is true that their muscles can impress 😉

In particular, the security service must ensure that entries and exits from the event site are cleared. They may also be responsible for inspecting the bags, or even body searches in case of trouble. Finally, they must be ready to act at any time in the event of a problem. A participant who had a little too much to drink, or 2 speakers whose discussion is getting worse may be the reason for the intervention of the security service. In the most extreme cases, their position as security guards may also lead them to manage an evacuation. Event security is no joke!

After reading this article, do you consider yourself ready? If not, it’s time to make a difference! Event security is particularly important. It must remain in a corner of your head at every stage of the organization of your event. As you have understood from our article, it affects different aspects. Physical security is a priority, but the evolution of new technologies must also make you aware that you, now, have to think about securing all transactions that take place online. The 4.0 era will not make your life any easier, that’s for sure. 😉