Posted On: July 1, 2016 By :
Dear Event Doctor: Everyone is concerned about security, but how much is too much? As organizers of small- and mid-sized events, where do we draw the line between protecting our participants and spectators and providing so much security that it looks like a military presence? —Safe and Sound
Dear Safe: There is no argument that the safety of our guests, athletes, staff and stakeholders has always been every organizer’s primary concern. The world condition has catapulted this question with ever more urgency to the forefront and every event organizer, venue and community must maintain a state of vigilance against threats to security. Your question suggests that there might be some correlation between an event’s size or public profile and the need to guard against danger. I’m afraid it’s not that easy. Any event can be a target of an organized or lone-wolf attack. It is up to you as an organizer to determine the right level of security. It is a weighty responsibility, to be sure.
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The Event Doctor is sports-event veteran Frank Supovitz, president and chief experience officer of Fast Traffic Events & Entertainment, an event management and consulting firm. From 1992 to 2014, Supovitz served as the senior event executive for the National Football League and National Hockey League. He is also the author of “The Sports Event Management and Marketing Playbook.” Questions for The Event Doctor can be emailed to Frank Supovitz at eventdoctor@schneiderpublishing.com.
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