The Importance of Event Security
Event Security is essential to preventing incidents that can affect the happiness and safety of your guests and your venue. We can help you create an event security plan that minimizes risk and allows your event to run smoothly.

Event security guards are a visible presence and act as a deterrent to potential threats. They also serve as front-line customer service, assisting guests with any questions or concerns.

Entry and Exit Points
Regardless of their size or nature, every event needs an adequate security plan. It helps to prevent a host of threats including terrorism, violence, property damage and others. Tight security measures ensure safety of the attendees and staff and also protects the event venue from any unwanted intruders.

The first step in the process of event security is to establish entry and exit points. This will include creating checkpoints where security personnel can inspect guests and their bags for concealed weapons or other prohibited items. In addition to this, you can use metal detectors and even wand your guests for added safety and security.

These services can be provided by an experienced professional security agency, who is well trained in dealing with various threats and situations. They also have a deep understanding of the different security needs and requirements of any type of event and can design a plan to cater to the specificities of your event.

It is essential that the security services you hire have strong communication channels between their teams to stay on top of things. This includes using walkie-talkies between the team members. It is not uncommon for the security team to be working with other ancillary staff during an event and it is important that all the teams are in sync.

If you are organizing a large event, it is recommended that the security services pre-inspect the venue ahead of time. This is because vast venues have multiple entry and exit points, rooms and corridors that can hide threats. This also enables the security team to understand and get familiar with the easy points of entry and hotspots at the venue.

You should also ensure that your security staff is screened to see whether they have any ulterior motives for their work. The best way to do this is by conducting a background check of the company that you will be hiring to provide your event security services. If you have any doubts, you can always ask to speak with their former clients for further reassurance. In addition to this, make sure that the security services have a solid evacuation plan and can handle any situation that may arise during your event.

Perimeter Protection
In the event security realm, perimeter protection means securing a facility’s boundaries with physical or software technology systems. These systems may include fence sensors, buried or above ground sensors and access control, but the overall strategy depends on the type of asset and threat profile. The best security is always based on a thorough risk assessment and a clearly defined security perimeter with well-trained staff monitoring, controlling and overseeing all activities within it.

A good perimeter security solution should also be able to detect an intrusion from any angle, day or night and in all weather conditions. A dependable system with solar-powered cameras can be a useful part of the solution, as it works on a continuous basis and doesn’t require power from a mains source, which could be a prone point for hacking or tampering.

Unified systems that connect all security equipment and technologies on one platform can give the situational awareness necessary to detect any potential issues. A connected perimeter security system can connect with physical identity management systems, which can link with HR so that when employees quit or change roles, their access privileges are automatically changed as well.

Other technologies that help with perimeter protection include laser detectors that work on top of or inside a fencing structure to create a virtual perimeter and alert staff when something enters the zone. Other devices are currently being developed, such as drones and autonomous vehicles that can patrol perimeters, scan for objects or intruders, and respond to alarms.

When it comes to cybersecurity, the best perimeter security starts with a solid and secure network design, including firewalls at external connectivity points, strict firewall settings, VPN for remote access, encryption-in-transit and at rest and authentication of all users. These are all common features in most modern infrastructure as a service (IaaS) providers, and often come with default functionality. The next layer of network defence is to have good practice tools that generate alerts for investigation, such as suspicious activity or failed login attempts. These are generally offered as an upgrade or a part of a package from most modern IaaS providers, eg AWS GuardDuty.

Surveillance
An event that attracts a significant crowd requires more eyes than just those of the security team. This is especially true if the event takes place in an expanded venue and includes areas where people are not typically present. Adding a tethered drone to the mix can help bolster the capabilities of teams on the ground. The drone can provide information that helps adjust the response to risk based on the specific circumstances of the event, such as observing possible crowd movements or detecting unusual activity in and around buildings or outside.

Regardless of the type or scale of an event, it is important for the security team to have clear lines of communication with each other as well as with other safety and emergency teams at the venue. Radio communications equipment and surveillance systems should be tested and checked prior to the event. Security personnel also need to be trained on how to use these tools, and clear communication procedures should be established.

A high-profile event, such as a sporting competition or a concert, can draw hostile individuals and groups who might want to disrupt the events or vandalize the site. Security guards with professional training can spot trouble signs and quickly respond to prevent or defuse an incident before it escalates.

The presence of trained security professionals can make an event much more enjoyable for attendees, who are not distracted by the fear of being hurt or trampled in the crowd. The team can also work with performers to ensure they are comfortable and safe, avoiding any unnecessary tension or tense moments. Silverseal’s event security services include physical and risk assessment surveys of a venue, including its public spaces, to determine the assets that require protection. We develop a security strategy that protects the people, equipment, facilities, and information at your event in ways that are immediate, effective, and professional. We can even assist with crisis response security to help mitigate risks and respond to unexpected incidents. To learn more about our services, contact us today!

Access Control
Event security is not just about putting security guards on the door to every entrance or setting up CCTV around the venue. It goes much deeper than that and takes into consideration how the attendees are moved throughout the venue, the nature of each attendee and what they might be looking for. Having an access control system in place is one of the most crucial steps to take if you want your event to be safe for everyone involved.

In the past, physical access control tended to involve locks and keys but that method is utterly unfeasible for any large-scale in-person event. The cost would be astronomical and it is simply impossible to cut individual key for every attendant attending an event of this scale. By installing a booth to act as a control point, each attendant can enter through the same point with no need for a physical key and this is a far more secure way to manage access to an event.

Using an access control solution that allows your attendees to use their badge or wristband as a form of identity is the most advanced way to manage this type of event. Using NFC (near-field communication) technology, the attendees will simply be able to tap their wristbands or badges on a corresponding screen and this will turn green or red indicating whether the attendee is allowed or not to enter a particular area of the venue.

This will not only speed up the process but it also makes your attendees feel that they are attending a professional event that has their best interest in mind and this can boost their engagement levels and overall experience. It also prevents any health or safety issues caused by outsiders entering areas of the venue where event set up or breakdown is happening, reducing any potential liabilities for your event business.

Finally, the ability to track in real-time who is coming and going from an event is a great feature of any modern access control system, especially if it is cloud-based and enables the event organizers to keep a close eye on what is occurring across all entry points of the venue at all times. This is a vital aspect of the whole security process and a headcount will usually be carried out on the exit of the event by a team of trained security personnel who are able to report on what they have seen and heard to their ops room.