Questions Event Planners Should Ask When Evaluating Corporate Event Security
With concerns about everything from minor incidents to major breaches in security at events, event planners must be diligent about picking the right corporate event security company for large-scale events. Approaching event security with a proactive mindset can ensure that crucial questions don’t go unanswered.
In a survey by Successful Meetings, 55 percent of responding event planners said that managing safety and security risks will become more vital throughout 2018. In fact, the one area where event planners are consistently seeing event budgets increase is in the category of safety and security, according to Jessie States, manager of professional development for Meeting Professionals International (MPI).
Building a security plan into the design of the corporate event is vital, which means that finding the most well-suited event security company should be at the top of your event planning checklist. From event security training to whether or not the event security staff integrates tech to improve safety and communication with the event planner, there are many questions to consider.
“Recent events in North America and Europe have raised the profile of some threat types—active shooters, vehicular violence, stampedes, protests—and meeting professionals, if they have not already done so, will be adding these to the list of threats they prepare for,” States said.
To reduce confusion and unforeseeable challenges, these are five important questions event planners should ask when evaluating corporate event security:
1. Is your security partner familiar with your venue?
Although many event venues provide on-site, in-house security, sometimes you need to pursue a third party for event security coverage. Make sure to ask potential event security if they’ve worked with the venue and whether or not they feel comfortable at the site. Additionally, regular threat and vulnerability assessments are important for venues big and small, so make sure your security team is completely up-to-date on venue policies and procedures. Make sure event security understands evacuation plans, and, just like when you board an airplane, make sure all of the exits are clearly labeled and easily accessible.
2. What kind of training do they have?
Knowing the training standards of an event security company can provide a good idea of the company’s commitment to quality and trustworthiness. These are some questions you can ask when vetting an event security company:
- How recently were your security staff trained?
- What type of training is given to your security staff?
- How often are your security staff members re-trained or drilled?
- Is your company licensed and insured?
- Does your security staff have experience working with our type of event and crowd?
- Does your company do any kind of social media monitoring prior to the event to assess any potential risks?
- Do you do on-site bag checks?
Understanding the training and quality standards of a potential corporate event security company will allow you to answer a vital question: Do they have training in the skills that will make your event run smoothly without incident? If the answer is yes, then you can mark one more item off of your event planning checklist.
3. Are they comfortable with your company?
Does the security team get your brand? Do they understand the type of event you’re hosting? Make sure the company is comfortable with the event before booking them. There is nothing worse than a security team that doesn’t blend well with your event vibe and attendees.
Make sure the security staff are comfortable blending in with your corporate crew when necessary. Some security crews will only work in regulation security gear, while others will happily dress according to your event needs in order to blend in and make attendees feel more comfortable.
Also, make sure the security staff have a good handle on interpersonal skills so they’re prepared to engage with your attendees. For example, some event security teams can come off as threatening or brash, which might not be the best for your fun, corporate event.
4. What kind of reviews do they have?
Word of mouth is still the largest influencer on how individuals and businesses make decisions. Talk to other event planners and colleagues for recommendations and see what others think of the security company you’re considering. Additionally, check out the company on Yelp, Google, and Facebook to see what others are saying. Look for reviews that talk about the company’s professionalism, attention to detail, willingness to create a customized security plan for the event, and ability to blend in with the crowd. It also would be beneficial to connect with the company’s previous customers to get a feel for how their security partnership went so you can ask more specific, pointed questions.
5. Are they comfortable with ongoing communication?
For any event to be a success, everyone involved from logistics to catering to security must be actively communicating. These are a few questions to ask a potential security company:
- How do you organize security-related communication during the event?
- Do you use high-tech tools or surveillance systems?
- Are two-way radios available for communication between the event planner, staff, and security?
- What kind of feedback do you provide after the event to ensure future event security success?
Open lines of communication before and during the event are vital for ensuring the safety of your event attendees and peace of mind for you, too.
As an event planner, you want to feel confident that your corporate event attendees are busy enjoying themselves—not worrying about feeling safe and secure. Much like AV and theming, security should be built thoughtfully into the event and feel like a seamless component of the overall festivities. Asking the right questions will ensure that you’ve chosen the right corporate event security company for your event.
