7 Benefits to Having Security at Your Event
Event organizers have quite a lot to handle and often not enough time to do so. You need to find a suitable venue, get the relevant permits, manage tickets, publicize the event, negotiate with the performers, and the list goes on and on. In the midst of all this, it’s understandable that security may be the least of your concerns.
Do you need security at your event?
Is it worth the cost, especially considering that you’ve already spent a fortune on other logistics?
The simple answer is yes! — you need security at your event. Here are seven reasons why:
1. They have professional training and experience
Event guards are well-trained to attend to the security needs of different types of events. Unlike your in-house employees or volunteers, they know what to look for and how to handle various scenarios.
Contractual event security providers train their staff on emergency preparedness, drug awareness, first aid, threat identification and immobilization, and crowd control, among many other things. Therefore, the guards know how to spot dangers and use the correct dispute resolution approaches. They will monitor your surroundings at all times, giving you the peace of mind you need to host a successful event.
What’s more—these guards have considerable experience working with organizers of events like yours. They, therefore, understand the security dynamics of your event, potential loopholes, and how to handle them.
2. They can help manage crowd control
Large events can quickly culminate into chaos without proper crowd control.
Event guards stand at entrances and exits to ensure order and that attendees enter and exit the venue peacefully. They help maintain proper queues so that nobody feels disadvantaged. You can also list their services to scan tickets and check guest lists for any gate crashers. Audiences are more likely to listen to instructions from uniformed event guards than your regular staff.
Security personnel also help with crown control in emergencies. They ensure attendees leave the venue fast enough while limiting chaos. They are trained to limit casualties while handling scenarios like fire accidents, suspected terrorism, the collapse of structures, and overcharged crowds.
3. They make events look more professional and important
The events business is showbiz.
Potential customers will buy tickets to your event based on their visual perception of how it will be. That’s why you’d rather spend a fortune getting one famous musician to highlight the event rather than paying a few bucks for local artists.
Visual perception also extends to how well you are organized. And there’s no better way to show professionalism than having well-organized event guards.
Security officers at the gate are your attendee’s first point of physical contact with your event, hence have a significant impact on how they will judge your professionalism. If the guards are organized, they give an impression of a well-planned, safe event. Similarly, security officers at the exit are your event’s last point of contact with the attendees.
4. They make people feel safe
People go to events to sample good food, drink, network, make merry, and dance their worries away. Nobody would want to attend an event where they must occasionally check the parking lot to ensure that their car is intact wherever it’s parked.
That’s where event security officers come in; they give a semblance of safety.
The presence of guards at the venue means organizers prioritize their client’s safety. It assures attendees they are safe and professionals are monitoring their property at all times.
The very presence of guards at your event is enough to deter criminals from stealing from your attendees or breaking into their cars. And as we highlighted, experienced security professionals know how to identify malicious characters who may be safety hazards. They also have contacts with law enforcement officers who can help mitigate threats before they become serious issues.
Depending on your event’s size or your attendees’ profiles, you might also contact local police departments to dispatch a few officers to help your security team.
5. They act as a point of authority
Who do your guests turn to when they need help or feel unsafe?
Well, you probably have a few employees stationed at strategic points for that. However, the bigger your event gets, the more insufficient your in-house personnel become.
Let’s say you’re expecting 5,000 guests at your event, and you have only fifteen employees to guide them. The high chances are that your staff will be overwhelmed and attendees left confused, a perfect recipe for chaos.
Security officers can compliment the few staff you have on-site in guiding your guests.
What’s more—uniformed guards are more trustworthy and conspicuous. Guests can easily spot them for clarification and trust the information they give.
6. They free you to focus on other aspects of an event
Planning and managing a successful event is rigorous and involves a lot of running back and forth. If you decide to handle security yourself, you’ll most likely get overwhelmed and overlook some essential roles.
You cannot be at the parking lot monitoring cars and managing the performance lineup and ensuring that the program doesn’t drag.
However, when you have an able team managing the event’s security, you have one task off your worry list.
7. They might be required by the venue
Sometimes, you may be required to list the services of professional event security guards as a prerequisite to securing a venue. If you’re holding an event on private property, such as a winery, you may need to hire security staff to show to the property’s owner that you prioritize safeguarding their facility.
Depending on the size of the crowd you’re expecting, local police departments may require you to hire guards. If you have several high-profile attendees, such as prominent politicians and famous artists, you may need to complement the guards with police officers.
Popular platforms for outsourcing event security:
