Planning an outdoor event is often more challenging than planning an event that will take place inside a venue. You can never be too sure about the weather, and on top of that, you have to pay some extra attention to safety and security.
Outdoor events cover a bigger area than indoor events, and they can attract all types of people. It’s your responsibility to ensure that everyone is safe and that your attendees and staff feel secure during your event.
So, in this article, we will be showing you seven effective tips to help you create a security plan for your outdoor event. Whether you are a seasoned event planner or someone just looking to organize a get-together in your premises, these tips will help you ensure a successful event where everyone is safe and enjoys the best of their time with you. Just keep reading!
Why Do You Need a Security Plan for an Outdoor Event
Perhaps you are still not even sure why you need a solid security plan when organizing an outdoor event; let’s quickly use this section to show you some reasons. When organizing an outdoor event, such as a festival, concert, or sports game, ensuring the safety and security of attendees should be a top priority.
A well-thought-out security plan is essential to address potential risks and prevent any incidents from occurring. A security plan can also help you establish crowd management strategies to prevent overcrowding, maintain order, and minimize the risk of accidents or panic situations.
Public events can be attractive targets for criminal activities, including theft, vandalism, or even more serious offenses. But when you have a security plan in place, it enables you to implement measures that deter criminals and create a secure environment for attendees.
Of course, a security plan also helps you be better prepared for emergencies. Whether it is severe weather, medical incidents, or unforeseen accidents, a security plan will help you be on top of that even if they happen. Now, let’s see some tips that can help you get this aspect of your event correctly.
Effective Tips for Creating a Security Plan for Outdoor Events
#1: Establish a perimeter for your event
First thing first! When you are planning to hold an outdoor event, the first thing to do after securing the perfect outdoor venue for the event is establish a secure. Since your event is taking place outside, it will be easy for anyone to gain access to the site.
If you don’t want to deal with people who don’t belong there, you must define a perimeter and have your security staff monitor it. Determine the size of the crowd you expect to welcome and install a fence or a barrier to establish your perimeter. Of course, you will need to draft a site plan and make it available to all your employees.
#2: Protect your perimeter with AI security measures
On top of relying on trained security staff, you could count on AI security to protect your perimeter. This technology makes invasive pat downs and bag searches no longer necessary.
When they enter your event perimeter, attendees will be scanned by the powerful AI security technology, which can detect concealed weapons and other threats. Only bad actors will be apprehended by security staff, and the rest of the crowd will be able to enjoy your event without any disruption.
#3: Assess different security risks
Even if you are well-prepared, you can expect something to go wrong during your outdoor event. This is why you need to assess possible security risks and make a plan, so your staff knows how to respond to these risks.
Consider that some children might get lost or the weather negatively impacts your event. Ensure no one will trip over a cable and you have fire extinguishers ready. Do your best to be prepared for potential issues so you don’t get caught off-guard.
#4: Create an emergency plan
To create a reliable security plan for your outdoor event, you must also be prepared to face major security issues. Imagine for a moment that the worst-case scenario comes true. Some attendees start a violent fight, a fire breaks out, and an electric storm that no one sees coming threatens everyone’s safety.
How will you react? What will you do to keep attendees safe? You need clear answers to these questions and create an emergency plan that your security staff can follow to get everyone to safety as quickly as possible.
#5: Have an on-site medical team
The more people attend an event, the more risks there are that someone will be sick or get injured. To make it easier to keep your attendees safe, you need to be able to rely on at least a few trained medical professionals.
Whenever a medical issue occurs, someone has to be present to take care of it. Consider the size of the crowd you expect to welcome at your outdoor event, and make sure you have enough first aid kits available and enough people who know how to use them properly.
#6: Communicate with your staff
Your security plan is useless if your staff doesn’t know about it. They also need to be aware of the event’s layout, so they can provide helpful guidance to attendees if necessary.
Review your plan with your staff before the event, and give them clear instructions on what they should do in different situations. Stay in touch with them during the event to ensure everything is running smoothly, and keep them updated as soon as something changes or when you notice a new potential security risk.
#7: Make sure your attendees feel welcome
Your top priority is to keep your attendees safe. But keep in mind that they also should feel welcome. If your security staff appears rude or intimidating, someone who needs help or guidance might not feel comfortable approaching them.
You want your security staff to be friendly and kind whenever they interact with attendees so they know these people are there to help and protect them. This is even more important if you are planning an event where there should be many families with young children. If a child gets lost, they will not ask your staff for help if they find them scary.
