5 Vital Security Pointers for Your Next Trade Show
At Trade Shows, you can discover chances to network, promote a brand-new or current profession, as well as find the newest leanings within a trade. Perhaps more importantly, Trade Shows can potentially bring together renowned industry professionals, not to mention the likelihood of celebrities and influential politicians, thereby ensuring a vast network for seeking out new partnerships and expanding horizons. This enormous exposure, however, comes at a price, when attendees are numbered in the thousands, security becomes a vital concern.
Cases of violence against innocent bystanders have been on the increase in recent years, which poses several security issues to event managers. It has become necessary for organizers to prove that attendees need not worry about their safety to ensure a generous turn-out. Doing so eases not only people’s minds but also speaks volumes about the event’s professionalism.
Nonetheless, it remains a sad fact that few trade show producers give security the importance it deserves. While failing to prioritize safety is almost unthinkable, given the present-age of ongoing violence, many are concerned with other details at the expense of keeping people safe.
Don’t be one of those people. Instead, be the kind that gives trade show security the seriousness it deserves. You won’t have many people showing up for your exhibitions if they can’t be sure of their safety.
That said, here are five essential tips to see to it that your trade show security is flawless:
1) Bring in the pros
It’s often the case that event producers also take on the mantle of event safety when they have little to no experience in the area. That should not be the case for your event; instead, turn to an adept security company with a proven track record in line with your crowd size and security needs. Preferably, choose one well in advance of the event so that they can advise accordingly with regards to the appropriate nature of the occasion, and the recommended population and staffing.
Be sure not to make the mistake of factoring in security as the last detail for your event, once you’ve planned for everything else, as that means the security experts may be limited with what they can do. They’ll have to work with the logistics and arrangements already in place and consequently won’t initiate the best possible security measures.
Give the security company a seat the table during initial planning. They can nip vulnerabilities in the bud or alleviate hefty alterations that might arise if you go it alone.
2) Don’t tighten your security budget
Event and public place violence has popped up on the Internet every other week, and coupled with the ever-present threats of terrorism; it’s vital to ensure you have security that’s up to the task. Bare-bone provisions will mean serious trouble if something goes wrong. It’s always best to ensure you have the most qualified personnel and equipment that money can buy. You may potentially save your attendees from threats, and also paint your company in a good light while at it.
3) Screen everyone
Not everyone attending a trade show has good intentions, and it’s not easy to keep an eye out for criminals in a population well into the thousands. A comprehensive screening process is therefore essential to ensure no one sneaks in weapons capable of catastrophic damage. No one should be exempt from screening, not staff, vendors, guests, or the exhibitors themselves.
Other screening measures to beef up security include:
- Security sweeps encompassing K-9 units.
- Restricting the number of entrances to ensure everyone gets screened.
- Putting in place walk-through metal detectors
- Carrying out thorough visual checks on items and bags to compliment metal-detecting wand inspections.
4) Incorporate technology
No matter how extensive, human-reliant security measures can’t always guarantee a 100% effectiveness rate. Therefore pairing security guards with security technologies such as cameras among others is a wise combination. The mere presence of cameras can ward off potential vandals and criminals by simply being there because of the fear of identification.
5) Plan for medical emergencies too
Trade show producers should think beyond criminal activity to the possibility of unrelated medical emergencies which can arise in crowded settings. It’s prudent to have a couple of ambulances- and a medical team- at the ready in case of allergies, heart attacks, falls, etc.
It also helps to train staff on various first aid techniques and to ensure that they have emergency contacts at the ready. These include telephone numbers to the fire and police departments and the closest hospital.
Proper planning is the key to success
You can’t say for sure whether a trade show will be free of security or medical emergencies, but the best producers always prepare for the worst. It’s always better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Ensure security features right up there on your priorities, and you- and your guests- will have nothing to worry about.
