Major Events Digest
www.majoreventsinternational.com Issue 20 - November 2017 @major_events
In this issue: Evolution Dome Northern Gas Networks use Evolution Dome Qylur Elevating the Athletes' Village Experience at Rio 2016 Ericsson ensure best user expierence at World Pride 2017 Accredit Solutions Smart Accreditation for Smart Stadiums Duralock Q&A with Duralock CEO Tenbroeke Increasing Exports of UK Railway Expertise Host City World's biggest sports and cultural events join speaker line up for Host City 2017 Security Counter Terror Expo UK Security Week Stadia & Arena Asia Pacific 2017 shines in Japan UK Security Expo Q&A with ISS Security
CONTENTS MEMBERS
MEI NEWS
3
Northern Gas Networks use Evolution Dome
15 Fan Engagement & Venue
4
Elevating the Athletes' Village Experience at Rio 2016
16 Major Events Summit 2017
5
Ericsson ensure best user experience at World Pride 2017
17 Market Visit to China & Japan '17
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Smart Accreditation for Smart Stadiums
18 Forthcoming Events
7
Q&A with Duralock, CEO
8
Increasing Exports of UK Railway Expertise
10 MEI Member's Suppliers Directory
PARTNERS World's biggest sports and 11 cultural events join the speaker line up for Host City 2017
12 UK Security Week 13 Stadia & Arena Asia Pacific 2017 shines in Japan
14 Q&A with ISS Security
Seminar hosted by IBM
MEMBER NEWS
Northern Gas Networks use Evolution Dome
> Northern Gas Networks use Evolution Dome structure for the launch of £30m IntEGReL research facility Client: Northern Gas Networks / IntEGReL Northern Gas Networks supply over 2.7 million homes and businesses with gas and power across the North East, Northern Cumbria and Yorkshire. The Brief: Northern Gas Networks announced the plans for IntEGReL (Integrated Electricity and Gas Research Laboratory) in Jan 2017. The ground breaking research facility came about from a partnership between NGN and University-led EPSRC National Centre for Energy Systems Integration (CESI). It would enable researchers to carry out never done before experiments across the grid. With the £30 million investment in the new lab, it was only right that the unveiling event be equally impressive and forward thinking. NGN approached Evolution Dome with the idea of having the event take place outdoors near the grounds of the research facility.
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The Dome itself exceeded all expectations
They required a structure to accommodate the guest attending, as well as providing room for seating, AV equipment and refreshments. The Solution: The Evolution Dome team suggested using a 14m Dome for the event, complete with flooring, carpet, LED lights, glass doors and Dacron branding. Furniture was also added to create a complete and functioning event space. The Result: The 14m Dome was installed in one morning, along with all the other elements to transform into a unique and eye catching venue. Evolution Dome’s temporary branding method using Dacron stickers enabled NGN to have the ‘Integral’ logo on the structure. Sarah Napier from Northern Gas Networks commented that the company ‘wanted a structure that would wow guests, looked a little futuristic and away from the norm - the inflatable dome definitely delivered!
As people turned the corner around our building they were greeted by this bright but imposing structure. It really was impressive and completely on brand. The Dome itself exceeded all expectations - but more than that the whole team were an absolute pleasure to deal with, both on site and the supporting office staff. Nothing was too much trouble for the team, everybody was incredibly helpful and flexible as requirements altered. It was easy to do business with Evolution Dome! A big thank you to everyone involved!’ Products: 14m Dome, LED lights, Dacron temporary branding stickers, flooring, carpet, glass doors, furniture
MEMBER NEWS
Elevating the Athletes’ Village Experience at the Rio 2016 Olympics with the Qylatron™ Background Qylur Intelligent Systems, a Silicon Valley-based advanced technology company, working through its partner ISDS Ltd, an official sponsor and supplier to the Rio 2016 Games, deployed the Qylatron™ Entry Experience solution at the Olympic Village during the games last summer. ISDS had been contracted by the Brazilian Organizing Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in order to set up a tight, multi-layer security operation to rise to the magnitude of threats anticipated at such a world class event. The Athletes’ Village, a brand new development in Rio de Janeiro’s Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, hosted not only sports delegations from many countries, but also countless volunteers high high-profile visits from local and international dignitaries. As such it was both a high-profile security target and a place to convey the celebratory Olympic spirit in the best way possible. The Qylatron entry experience solution The massive Brazilian security push included the use of many state-of-the-art technologies, of which the Qylatron is a prime example. The Qylatron Entry Experience is an intelligent solution for the trade-off between great guest experience and topnotch security at ingress points to public venues. Integrating guest greeting, access control, and automated bag screening, it radically transforms entry process functions spanning first contact branding and messaging, customer service, operational efficiency and security screening. The solution comprises the Qylatron kiosk with 5 screening pods operating
> Qylur Intelligent Systems, deployed the Qylatron™ Entry Experience solution at the Olympic Village during the Rio 2016 Olympic games last summer. concurrently, operator interfaces and a portfolio of software-based services that keep managers in control. Using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) architecture and Machine Learning technology, the Qylatron tackles the ever-changing face of security threats.
the best possible access to resources and coordination with security staff.
Customer Feedback Mr. Henrique Borri, Security Operation Manager for the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, called the Qylatron a “superior screening solution” that “helped the Olympic Village provide a Deployment at the Rio 2016 Summer great experience and achieve a highly Games secure and safe zone for athletes, The Qylatron was deployed at the volunteers, guests and VIP visitors”. main entry to the Athletes’ Village, Mr. Borri also mentioned Qylur’s where visitors, VIPs, athletes and training services for new staff and media routinely came through. It reporting services for managers served the village from before the throughout the games. The striking, opening of the Olympic Games futuristic look of the Qylatron drew through to the Paralympic Games. constant astonishment from visitors Screening thousands of bags a day at even before using it, which helped the peak, it was set up to work raise the general sense of celebratory collaboratively with a human screener: fun not typically felt around security The system’s machine learning-based checkpoints. Fascinated visitors took automatic detection looked for major many photos and selfies with the security threats, while the screener attractive system. The solution also took care of various prohibited items drew intense interest from and was per village policy. The system was on visited by authorities in Brazil, other continuously so that its colorful light South American countries and the panels illuminated the entry even after Tokyo 2020 organizers. hours. All in all, the Qylatron delivered on multiple levels: protecting a Qylur’s Perspective sensitive venue from many types of “High-profile mega events such as threats, supported high flows, and the Olympics face a tough problem maintained a festive and enjoyable of providing guests with an enjoyable, atmosphere. once-in-a-lifetime experience together with advanced security to protect from Installation Aspects increasingly serious threats”, said Lisa Collaboration was the name of the Dolev, Qylur CEO and founder. “We game when it came to installation. were delighted to see people’s reacLocal engineers worked with Qylur to tions to the Qylatron, a solution that ensure optimal placement for support provides the best available screening of the system’s weight. Physical capability. After the Qylatron’s wellinstallation was carried out in parallel received deployment in Brazil for the to the main entry pavilion, ensuring the FIFA World Cup, few mega events solution were operational and ready could top that. So we are especially well ahead of official village opening. happy to see the Olympic and ParaTight relations with Olympic lympic Games use this unique technolCommittee and ISDS contacts ensured ogy to protect and entertain people.”
MEMBER NEWS
ERICSSON ENSURE BEST USER EXPERIENCE World Pride 2017 World Pride Madrid is the global LGBTIQ Pride festival. In 2017,the event attracted 2 million people from all over the world over 23rd June - 12th July and was held in the main streets and plazas of the city. Ericsson provided Key Event Experience (KEE) services and small cells solution, to ensure that the network was prepared and performing with high quality throughout every single day of the event. The Challenge: This was to be their first high-capacity event since VoLTE was launched which faced unpredicted roaming traffic, last minute installation and integration of small cells. VoLTE is Ericsson’s Voice over LTE. It allows operators to offer high quality communication services using all-IP technology experience to users including services like HD Voice, IP messaging, content sharing within calls and new service innovations.
Operators are competing for the best mobile broadband offering the highest speeds and best coverage, and Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the means for most operators to achieve this. On the other hand communication services are considered a key part of the operator’s business. In order to continue supporting operator services such as voice and SMS using packet only access such as LTE, Voice over LTE (VoLTE) was developed. With the introduction of VoLTE operators can leverage the all-IP based network architecture to ensure and improve voice quality, while also opening up for broader range of communication capabilities such as video calling, multi-device and multi-SIM support.
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I want to thank Ericsson for the key event support we have had on your part to establish the best World Pride possible. - Jorge Villalon Panzano at Orange España
The Solution: • Ericsson provided a dedicated team with KEE experience to work inside the customer premises to quickly and correctly define the strategy for roamers and VoLTE. •
In order to ensure right first-time delivery of small cells the team remained flexible and agile.
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Real-time monitoring and Active traffic management of 3G/4G radio networks
The Result: The network was improved and performance was actively managed. Ericsson successfully handled increased data and speech traffic. Small cells succeeded to offload macro layer. There was excellent end user experience for VoLTE and data with very good network KPIs.
MEMBER NEWS
Smart Accreditation for Smart Stadiums The growing popularity of sports and events globally is expected to fuel the demand for smart stadiums, sports venues, and arenas who all want to provide the best live experience for fans whilst at the same time, ensuring the smartest security. From smartphones to AR, venues are using data, apps, beacons and digital innovation to enhance the fan experience.
A smart stadium needs to be a secure stadium Smart stadiums need to be more than improving experiences for fans. A smart stadium needs to be a secure stadium. Sporting venues and public venues in Manchester, Paris and Madrid are a clear indication that terrorists are focusing on places where they can inflict as much damage as possible to as many people as possible.
well documented with businesses suffering significant financial and reputational losses. A robust and efficient accreditation system can help deliver best practice, time and cost savings but not at the cost of reducing quality standards.
Accredit Solutions offers a selfmanaged platform which provides all Wembley is a worldwide sports icon the tools required to easily and and hosts many major football events, A smart stadium needs to know who is effectively ‘accredit’ everyone who music concerts and other major sports in the venue at all times and whether needs access to a venue or stadium events. To make the stadium even they have the right to be there. This every day of the year and not just on better they have partnered with EE, isn’t limited to fans but includes match days. Born out of our and aim to make Wembley the most everyone who needs access – venue experience of providing registration connected stadium with mobile staff, contractors, catering vendors, se- and event accreditation services for ticketing solutions, free WiFi and an curity stewards, press, guests and VIPs. high-security events, Accredit has app which includes a feed of the latest However smart your stadium, people evolved rapidly to confront and stay news, images, video and audio clips. generally are the weakest link. ahead of the latest security threats and is now the preferred choice for major Twickenham, the home of English Using accreditation to make you premier league clubs, national and rugby have signed a partnership with smart international rugby and cricket Sports Revolution to make Protecting venues is complex. Security organisations, and major events who Twickenham stadium one of the most standards are not always what they are using their platform to turn their digitally advanced stadiums in Europe. should be and in some cases are in venues into real smart stadiums and A LED fan engagement and some cases are in serious danger of event spaces. advertising system stretches around being breached. For venue operations the stadium at pitch side and middle managers, safety and security Accredit gives stadium management, tier levels. The stadium has an app managers, it can just be yet another security, IT, and accreditation teams which allows fans to pre-order food, issue that needs to be addressed, the tools they need to ensure the drinks and merchandise through their perceived as difficult to manage and legality, security, and safety of their smart phones. Fans can than pick up fraught with additional complications events against insider threats, food at special express lines located in of the unique needs of each stadium reputational risk, corporate espionage six bars around the stadium and West or event. and undocumented employment as Fan Village. well as providing operational efficiency. For event and stadia, there is no way Accredit supports multiple users and With the accolade of the most of avoiding employing contractors and provides an end-to-end solution to high-tech stadium in the world, Levi’s temporary staff. Venues and stadia identify and register all persons Stadium, located in Santa Clara, need background check options on all requiring access to stadiums in an California, is the new home of the San staff including caterers and efficient and practical manner. Francisco 49ers and has truly cleaners. Photos and right to work embraced the concept of smart permits need to be standard across A stadium that integrates smart technology. Sony, Intel, SAP and the board. Systems need to be in place accreditation as part of its offering will Yahoo! have partnered with the so venues know if a staff member had be a winning stadium. stadium to help deliver free high lost their right to work or been speed WiFi as well as the best stadium convicted of serious offense. The www.accredit-solutions.com smart phone app available now. potential damage to an organisation is
MEMBER NEWS
Q&A
with Fencing CEO CEO, Jonathon McGovern
YOUR GRANDFATHER STARTED DURALOCK 25 YEARS AGO, HOW RELEVANT IS IT TO THE MODERN WORLD? Incredibly relevant - we remain one of the world’s leading manufacturers of PVCu fencing solutions. Our vastly experienced workforce enables us to innovate our product range to remain relevant with the times, thus allowing us to proudly continue to promote ourselves as a global leader in our industry. WHAT IS THE PRODUCTS USP? Quality and safety. We ensure that everything that leaves our Chipping Norton Factory is put through a stringent run of quality control tests to ensure the product is perfect and meets the client’s requirements. Working closely with the leading sporting governing bodies has meant we have designed products to meet the safety needs of each individual sport. For example, our horse racing specific product range has always been designed after consultation with the relevant stakeholders. HOW IMPORTANT IS RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT TO DURALOCK? Research & Development is crucial in
our markets. Over the last 18 months, we have allocated a substantial amount of capital to improving our R&D capabilities. We now have 3 new revolutionary products in the final stages of development which will be introduced to the international market in early 2018. YOUR BACKGROUND IS IN CITY FINANCE, WHAT TRANSFERABLE SKILLS HAVE YOU BROUGHT TO DURALOCK? Having worked in the city for 3 years I feel I have brought an analytical approach to operating the business - understanding our customers in greater depth has been key to improving our operation.
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We remain one of the world’s leading manufacturers of PVCu fencing solutions
WHAT ARE DURALOCK’S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? We are confident that our product range can and should be adapted for use in a number of alternative applications. The residential market excites us greatly and we are currently looking closely at some interesting options to disrupt this market in the next 12/18 months.
MEMBER NEWS
Increasing exports of UK railway expertise – a global opportunity Railways have an extraordinary capability to transform geographical regions and even entire countries. The social, economic and political impact of a new railway should not be under-estimated. They transported the Industrial Revolution worldwide, spread economic development everywhere and were a ‘democratising force’ that has relieved many of tedious and hard labour, whilst diversifying across a broader range of products and services. The opening of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway (1830) was driven by the need to carry raw cotton from Liverpool’s port to Manchester’s mills, but its primary innovation was that it carried passengers. In India, the motivating force was the need to get raw cotton to port in what is now Mumbai. The failure of the American cotton crop in 1846 pushed cloth manufacturers in Manchester and Glasgow to seek new sources, India being one. But to guarantee a steady supply, transport to the port at Bombay needed to be improved and so the cotton magnates pressured the British government to build a railway. The same pattern can be seen globally – the need to move workers to where they were needed for the extraction of raw material which then needed to be transported out of the country for sale or value-adding processing. This process shaped the history of railways in many countries through encouraging trade by making it easier to import and export goods and raw materials because they could be moved from inland to the port and vice-versa.
Other benefits included: • New technology led to lower costs for business • Improved living standards through reduced unemployment • Greater choice of goods and services • Open new markets like tourism • Increased economic growth through investment and spending • Leverage geographical comparative advantage • Sped up communication, e.g. delivery of mail
Our history gives us unique credibility. So, in a sense we have a duty to export our knowledge. After all, the UK’s unique mix of ageing and ultra-modern infrastructure means that engineers from the sector are in demand all over the world. Today the rail industry contributes around £9.3b to the UK economy each year with nearly one in five European passenger journeys taking place in the UK – we have the fastest growing rail network in Europe and highly regarded projects such as Crossrail prove, yet Railways make a major difference to again, our high levels of experience economies and people’s lives and expertise. At a country level, railways help A further example of our economies to prosper and diversify knowledge being in demand comes and build democratic institutions. The from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) movement of people, goods and which has overseen programmes of services helps industry and trade to sharing expertise on rail safety with grow which raises the demand for many countries, in particular, Dubai skilled labour and, in turn, the middle and Singapore. In a recent article, the classes who tend to focus on ORR stated that sharing knowledge Government and support greater and experience is beneficial to both democracy. parties. However, it then transpires Many big rail projects in third that despite acknowledging that this world / developing countries are vital programme provides a showcase for due to an inability to trade because UK rail expertise on the world market, they cannot move people, goods and exporting its skills is a low priority for services easily. In addition, they are the ORR at present. Looks like another often focused on a single commodmissed opportunity. ity, for example, garments account for Worldwide we are seeing signs 80% of all Bangladesh exports. Makthat other countries believe that ing trade easier increases the flow of infrastructure, in particular rail, is a money that can then be used to diver- foundation to long term prosperity. sify into other industries which, in turn, Richard Vuylsteke, outgoing president aids greater economic stability, i.e. the of the American Chamber of country does not fall into decline if one Commerce, Hong Kong, recently said industry is in recession. that the region should establish more The commercial diversification physical infrastructure connecting it being driven in the Middle East comes with Pearl River Delta cities to enhance from the same concern – a its role as a link between international single commodity, oil, is a investors and southern China. short-term strength and In addition, with the right long term (as it declines) transport links in place, Hong Kong is weakness. These countries poised to benefit from growth in the need more infrastructure Pearl River Delta area and China’s One than just pipes to maintain Belt, One Road initiative, which aims their prosperity. In troubled to establish road, railway and other areas (famine, drought, war infrastructure projects linking and and so on) investment in improving trade between China and railways brings hope more than 60 countries in Asia, Africa through real jobs that and Europe. reduce unemployment and “The key for Hong Kong to create greater social continue to attract international cohesion. investors is to build more roads,
railways and subways to link up Hong Kong with Macau, Qianhai, Shenzhen and many of the Pearl River Delta cities,” said Mr Vuylsteke in an interview with the South China Morning Post. But we let others take advantage of our skills and resources. There are a number of factors that undermine our expert efforts and yet we don’t seem ready to acknowledge let alone address them. First, foreign ownership. We seem very relaxed about the fact that 61% of UK manufacturing firms are foreign owned. In a recent interview, business minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe claimed that 320 UK manufacturing businesses (nearly two thirds of this sector) employing over 500 people are now owned by foreign companies, i.e. with over 50% of their shares in foreign hands. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in 2014 foreign investors owned £1.7 trillionworth of British companies - up nearly 10 percentage points from 43.4% in 2010 to 53.8pc by 2014. This means that foreign ownership has jumped £167.7bn over this five-year period from £760.9bn to £928.6bn. Looking at a geographical breakdown, North America was by far the biggest owner, with 46% of all foreign ownership, European investors owned 26%, while those living in Asia held 16% of quoted UK shares. This means that decisions about the focus and priorities of UK companies are being decided in overseas HQ’s, automatically putting us at a disadvantage. Without doubt foreign investment is positive, but we should also recognise that many of these companies have a greater loyalty to the ‘home base’. Possibly a more centrally controlled sourcing and procurement process might ensure that these companies ‘feed’ their UK subsidiaries more actively. Second, we let others get ahead. February 7, 2017, a train left Djibouti for the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. This was major news for the region as it is the first transnational railway in Africa and will cut the 4-day road journey to just 12 hours by train. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, said, “This line will change the social and economic landscapes of our two countries.” Of great interest, continue to attract international investors is to build more roads, from our perspective, was the
role of China, which designed the system, supplied the trains and imported hundreds of engineers for the six years it took to plan and build the 466-mile line. Plus, nearly all the $4 billion cost was financed by China. Source: Andrew Jacobs, The New York Times. So where, we have to ask, was the UK? Furthermore, China is designing its next generation of trains that can carry passengers at a top speed of 500 kilometers (310 miles) an hour and cargo at 250km/h, with wheels that can adjust to fit different track gauges used around the world. Jia Limin, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University has reportedly said that under an ambitious government plan starting this year, the country is developing trains that can run on a hybridpropulsion system that allows higher speeds. Using the enhanced technology and expanded network; “China will have the experience to operate high-speed rail networks in the world’s most diverse geographic and climatic conditions, from deserts to alpine plateaus to rainforests”, said Jia during an interview in Hong Kong. “That gives Chinese technology the unique ability to adapt to any condition anywhere in the world.” Third, we don’t all play to the same rules. When it comes to winning overseas contracts, we are not on a level playing field. The reality is that many countries give funding assistance to companies chasing major projects which gain cheaper funding with fewer restrictive terms (they are more open to risks) and over a longer term – not 14 years, but the 25/30 years needed to depreciate the costs of the services. Reading the Government websites, the impression is that things are moving ahead well in terms of exports. The reality we encounter when discussing the above points is very differentwith every possible objection or reason for not doing
something being placed in our path. The attitude seems to be one of preserving the barriers to business rather than looking for solutions. In addition, there is considerable confusion over interpretations of the Bribery Act 2010, in particular as to what constitutes ‘Facilitation’. Perhaps this is naivety on our part, but many UK companies have been burnt overseas and consequently are now hesitant about expanding their international scope. A five-point plan to grow UK rail exports. In this global rail market 2017-19 forecast total market size: £128bn pa - it’s obvious that the rail industry should be capitalising upon the many opportunities it has to win new business. 1. The rail industry needs Government to have a clearer understanding of just what it takes to win contracts in overseas markets – with potential for greater ‘centralised’ sourcing of contracts 2. Stronger, more flexible and market realistic Government backed financing combined with a realistic view of risk 3. Better collaboration across the rail supply chain and pro-active support of building cross-industry consortiums 4. Link development aid to trading arrangements that can bring hope and help lift countries out of poverty 5. Greater development in human capital to enable larger numbers of qualified personnel to manage and implement capital / operational projects overseas. This would also allow more young people to develop a broader skill set and gain international experience. At the same time, this approach can provide consistent work streams through a mix of projects from different geographies and so help companies to retain expertise by levelling out peaks and troughs.
MEI Members 2018
PARTNER NEWS
> Host City 2017 on 28th - 29th November in Glasgow, Scotland
World’s biggest sports and cultural events join speaker line up for Host City 2017 The world’s most innovative event owners, organisers and hosts continue to join the speaker line-up for Host City 2017 in Glasgow on 28 and 29 November. New speakers at Host City include leaders of IOC; Tokyo 2020; Pyeongchang 2018; new Olympic sports; Cirque du Soleil; Glasgow 2018, a major festival organiser and leading experts in event infrastructure and technology. They will be discussing who benefits from investments in major events and the big issues influencing hosting decisions, alongside an assembly of global cities preparing to bid and host for events, including VisitScotland, Glasgow Life, New Zealand Major Events, Bern Welcome, London & Partners, Sport Event Denmark, City of Berlin, Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Chinese Olympic Committee.
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With senior representation from the owners, organisers and hosts of the world’s greatest events, Host City 2017 is set to be the best Host City ever
Ben Avison, Host City Conference Director said: "Every year we are immensely honoured by the level of speakers who choose to participate in Host City and 2017 has already surpassed all expectations. With senior representation from the owners, organisers and hosts of the world’s greatest events, Host City 2017 is set to be the best Host City ever”. Host City conference and exhibition is now firmly established as the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, renowned for the highest level of speakers, content and networking. For more information and to register visit www.hostcity.com
PARTNER NEWS
those intent on inflicting harm via the screen.
The threat from international terrorism remains severe for many nations. Physical attacks, carried out by terror cells and radicalised individuals, in Barcelona, London, Manchester, Stockholm, Paris and Brussels have been coupled with an increasing number of cyberattacks. With the issue of national security and counter terrorism at the top of government agendas, Clarion Defence and Security Ltd. announced the launch of UK Security Week starting on the 6th March 2018. UK Security Week is designed to help international security professionals debate the range of threats and help shape future policy. It will include Security & Counter Terror Expo (SCTX), World Counter Terror Congress (WCTC), Forensics Europe Expo (FEE), Ambition, and the new People Movement and Management Show (PMMS). The ultimate objective is to help those tasked with preserving national security, protecting assets and individuals against terrorism. Identifying new solutions and critical issues The flagship event of UK Security Week is SCTX, attracting 9,851 security professionals from over 114 countries earlier this year. It is returning to London Olympia to showcase some of the most innovative security technologies. Over 350 exhibitors will be present, making it the largest showcase of national security solutions in the UK. SCTX will deliver an expansive educational programme giving insight into current issues and how to combat new challenges. 10 free-toattend conference streams will cover border security, the cyberthreat, protecting national infrastructure, policing, major events security and security design. One of the most important conferences will be Cyber Threat Intelligence, which is run in partnership with tech UK. The conference stream focuses on threat posed by cybercrime and provides a platform for discussion on how to stay ahead of
Forensics professionals play a vital role in apprehending those responsible for crimes, as well as helping law New counter terror strategies enforcement officers prevent future A key feature of UK Security Week offences. FEE is the only international will be the WCTC. Last year over 1,000 exhibition and conference that senior security professionals were in showcases the latest equipment, attendance, keen to learn more about services and presents new the latest strategies being used to techniques. tackle radicalisation, prevent lone wolf The event provides a source of attacks and counter international education, , training and terrorism. In 2018, Europol’s Rob networking. Over 80 exhibitors will Wainwright and Metropolitan Police showcase 3,000-plus products, with deputy assistant commissioner Lucy around 50 free-to-attend seminars D’Orsi are due to speak. exploring thelatest tools in forensic Speaking at 2017’s events, the head science, from crime scene to of security at The O2 Arena said: courtroom. “Security in crowded places is vital and the WCTC has been an ideal way Exploring people analytics to gain exclusive access to the latest PMMS is the key pan-European trade measures other high profile attractions show for the people analytics industry. are taking. It’s been great to network Visitors will be able to discover a and learn about so many innovative plethora of technological innovation security solutions.” which will provide insights into the future of operations from mass transit, retail, and universities to sports stadium and shopping centres. The solutions on display will aid with the modelling and design of urban spaces from a people movement perspective. The technologies on show will range from real time data acquisition to maximise space utilisation, to wayfinding, circulation efficiency, retail revenues, operational effectiveness, the securing of crowded places and ultimately The emergency preparedness, visitor experience. Visitors will have the resilience & response community opportunity to meet world-leading event experts though presentations Supported and chaired by the delivered across the two days. Cabinet Office, the Ambition event will Richard Walton, UK Security Week also run from 6-7th. The exhibition and Special Advisor and former Head of conference is aligned with the National Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) at Resilience Capabilities Programme New Scotland Yard, commented: “The and the National Respond and Rescue threat we are facing today is differStrategy. ent from that of even a few years ago. Ambition will provide professionals Cyberattacks are a major concern for from government departments, the governments and businesses, while NHS, councils, local resilience forums, physical attacks being carried out by ambulance trusts, fire and police radicalised ‘lone wolves’ are hard to organisations with the unique prevent. UK Security Week will deliver opportunity to meet, network and a series of invaluable opportunities to debate the latest challenges facing learn about strategies that can help the EPRR community today. Visitors society safe. will hear from leading experts on topics such as the future of UK Security Week will run from 6th emergency services, response to March 2018. For more information and terrorist attacks and resilience for to register for access to all the week’s businesses. events, visit www.sctx.co.uk/registration Shaping the future of forensic and use guest code UKSW18. science
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Security in crowded places is vital and the WCTC has been an ideal way to gain exclusive access
PARTNER NEWS
Stadia & Arena Asia Pacific 2017 shines in Japan The Stadia & Arena Asia Pacific 2017 conference and exhibition, brought sports venue professionals together to discuss the latest trends in stadia and arena design, build and operations. Almost 2,000 delegates gathered at the Makuhari Messe conference centre for presentations and roundtables on subjects ranging from security and fan engagement to legacy, pitch preparation and maintenance. Japan is set to host the Rugby World Cup in 2019, the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 and the Asian Games in 2026. The country therefore plans to build 20 new stadia and arenas by 2025. 55 exhibitors displayed the latest technology, seating, roofing and turf products and welcomed visitors to their stands. As Japan builds up to the RWC, Rhino Turf set up a TechZone, where visitors could test out their rugby skills on a specially laid artificial surface.
OPENING SALVO Daichi Suzuki, Olympic gold medallist swimmer and Commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, stated: “We came to realise that sport is an industry that can generate revenue in Japan and we want to achieve 15 trillion yen ($1.3 billion) by 2025. We want to create 20 additional stadia and arenas by 2025. The size and scope of each is different, so we can’t look at them as one category. Stadia are large and expensive, while multipurpose arenas can be used for things other than sport.” He described how they could also take on the role of shelters following natural disasters and national emergencies. The growing popularity of sports such as football, baseball and basketball means better stadia and arenas are needed in Japan for both players and fans. Representatives from Jakabaring Sports City in Indonesia were also on hand to highlight their facilities ahead of next year’s Asian Games. The governor of South Sumatra, Alex Noerdin, described how the sports city
has been designed with a main 35,000 seat stadium that includes rowing and shooting facilities. The venue also boasts a retractable roof arena which can host top level tennis and basketball as well as a prestigious Moto GP circuit to be built at the facility. Mrs Esti Adnan, President Director, Jakabaring Sport City, stated “We were very excited to obtain a lot of invaluable industry knowledge from attending the event and to start developing key business relationships with people in the sector from around the world.”
Delegates enjoy a site visit to Zozo Marine Baseball Stadium
“The park is now one of the most significant visitor attractions in London. We quickly put ourselves on the map. The Aquatic Centre has had 2.5 million visitors in three years, The VeloPark has had 2 million visitors and if you want to cycle on the Olympic cycling track at weekends, booking is essential. These venues are not necessarily turning a significant profit and in some cases they are turning significant losses, but this is about LONDON LEGACY investment. Having these venues busy Ben Fletcher, director of means people overcome the stigma communication, marketing and that Olympic Parks die straight after strategy for the London Legacy the Games. The Olympic Park that has Development Corporation, described become a real centre point for East how important it is to build legacy into London; attracting enormous interest Games venues from the outset. He and investment will be paid back 10 stated: “We want to build legacy in, not times over in time.” Fletcher described build it on afterwards. The important how the Stadium as been transformed thing is to build the legacy first and to host football in the winter and then create the venues needed. We athletics and concerts in the summer. brought the 2012 Games to a part of London that really needed Summing up the event, Darren Burdevelopment. den, CEO of Vbase, which manages venues in Christchurch, New Zealand, said: “Stadia and Arena has delivered another successful conference this year for the venue industry. It has been a great opportunity to connect with other venue professionals and those connected with the industry from around the globe. It has been great to share knowledge as well as learn new things, discuss issues, trends and opportunities. I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference”
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We want to build legacy in, not build it on afterwards. The important thing is to build the legacy first and then create the venues needed.
PARTNER NEWS
Q&A
with ISS Security Deputy Account Director Phil Parker
Is there one thing you wish you could enter the stadium for specific criminal do to improve stadia security across activity to support the stadium staff. the board? The liaison and teamwork between the private sector stadium security and the One issue I think all stadia have to public sector Police has improved and consider is that of drones. To date achieved a very professional standard there is no effective measure to now resulting in an excellent working counter this threat. The Police have responded to the issue and have been relationship. As threat levels for specific events fluctuate and the pro-active and robust in dealing with police resource increases, the the misuse of drones. interactive exchange of intelligence and mutual operational support can The current threat is mainly that of nuisance and potential injury to players only enhance the overall security and crowd should a drone crash. I am presence. What are the particular issues confident an acceptable solution is on What future technologies do you you find in dealing with security in the horizon. think will help with stadia security? crowed places and in specifically in a stadia environment? What lessons can you bring to public/private security relationships The advancement in facial recognition, The issue I considered the greatgiven the integral role the police play video analytics and screening technology will impact on future est challenge was to implement and in stadia security at major events? security features of Stadia throughout update security measures for the the world. The ability to identify stadium within the existing infrastruc- As with most stadia events within the individuals, raise awareness of ture and balancing these measures UK, the Police have a reduced to ensure the customer experience presence within the ground and focus unattended items and screen individuals for prohibited items without wasn’t effected detrimentally. their resources on the external areas. impacting on the customer This has led to stadia staff, stewards experience will be a significant Twickenham was very effective at this and security for the venue having to and we incorporated many additional improve their skill sets over the years. advantage. These are all possible now, but as the technology advances, costs security measures without impacting on the fan experience. Many of these There now exists a very high standard reduce and accessibility to the technology therefore improves, they would not have been apparent to the of safety and security within the are likely to become resources that are public. stadium facilities supported by the Police on the external areas. Police will achievable within any security budget. Is security being designed into new stadia being built for major sporting events around the world? The vulnerability for the security of any sporting venue has been highlighted with recent global incidents. Most new stadia now incorporate security measures into the planning stage of their design. The biggest problem has been for existing stadia to adapt their venue to improve the security as many were designed and constructed prior to the threat developing to its current level.
MEI NEWS
Fan Engagement & Venue Seminar hosted by IBM Major Events International hosted a seminar in conjunction with IBM at their offices on the Southbank. The event consisted of a panel of experts from various global companies in sectors such Fan Engagement, Venue Technology and Architecture. John Hamilton, Business and Executive Lead for IBM, explained how innovating methods of production and operations are important for not only major events but also throughout the whole year. With intelligent and innovative designs, venues can utilise the space for revenue throughout the whole year. For example, a location for leisure, work and accommodation; making them multi-functional to increase employment opportunities and activity level. He described IBMs’ role within the sports technology industry and how they are building a scalable and flexible platform to build upon the technological and wireless environments. IBM focus on three key sectors; driving fan experience and engagement, venue optimization and team performance. John highlighted that IBM cannot achieve this alone and how aligning with key stakeholders can successfully help enhance the experience of fans, athletes and companies within the major sports and entertainment sector. Chris Dite, Associate Director from ARUP, the worldwide architect company discussed the effect of master planning, which creates
projects that are sustainable and economically viable. He described how important it is to embrace the permanent connection within a host city, but also stressed the importance of an event connection that a master plan must enable. ARUP’s work in Singapore and their creation of physical and digital master plan enabled their success. He highlight that the retail mall, one of their most successful areas in driving foot fall, was an area that was discussed the least. John Roberts, Director of AFL Architects, covered how venues must accommodate for the continuous technological advancements. Sports venues are now more flexible and capable than ever, and venues are continuously exploring how they can grow into their space. He emphasised how the current focus is within the broadcasting and TV coverage of these major event and highlighted the challenges faced when having to accommodate within the boundaries of a stadium or arena. Damian Marsh, the General Manager of Anixter; a leading global distributor of communication and security products, that provides a customised supply chain service which aims to modernise entertainment venues and experiences. Damian emphasised the importance of the planning needed within the networking infrastructureindustry. By finding exactly what the customer wants, the strength of IP connectivity at each venue and harmonising everything to single point of source, this can ensure that Anixter can continue to build, connect and protect in the cur
rent growing digital age. In doing so, this reduces time and cost, increases efficiency and mitigates risk. Andrew Butler, Product Line Manager from Nokia; a leading communications company, described the benefits of their Passive Optical LAN (POL) solution network. The new fibre-based solution addresses the issue of the large quantity of cabling needed at the major venues, as the POL solution uses a single fibre optic solution. This is turn can have a positive impact upon architects and venues as the space can be utilised in other sectors such merchandising and catering therefore creating opportunities to maximise sales. It also offers a more costeffective strategy to deploy local area networks (LAN) with a strong network performance. Craig Doyle, Director of Key Account Sales for CommScope; a worldwide networking infrastructure company expanded upon the process of master planning and how organisations build upon the expansion of influencing stadiums; supporting its capacity utilisation and their evolving legacy. Technology is at the forefront of venue generation and sustainability. From implementing an idea, to following it to an operational stage and then expansion of further directions and ideas. With many thanks to our members IBM for hosting this highly informative evening at their offices and all the panel who shared their knowledge and expertise.
MEI NEWS
MAJOR EVENTS SUMMIT 2017 Over 12th – 13th July 2017, MEI brought together over 100 commercial companies from all sectors gathered bringing together experts from current and future organising committees, sports bodies, venues and key commercial suppliers involved in major sport events to knowledge share collaborate at Plexal, London.
The sector workshops that were held allowed delegates to capture best practice and identify key learning to inform their sector business development strategy. Areas discussed included how recent events have changed how we must secure venues and where technology is taking us to entice fan engagement.
The award ceremony awardees received a specially designed baton from Touch of Ginger which was made to IAAF competition standards and provided the perfect symbol for the teamwork and trust necessary in this market. Congratulations to our winners; Touch of Ginger, Quadratic, Sports Ground Safety Authority, Advanced Laser Imaging and C3IA Solutions.
The networking sessions held, with many thanks to our sponsors Quadratica, allowed delegates to learn about news, industry trends, innovations and challenges in the Major Sports Events sector.
During the Major Events Summit 2017, Technology, Overlay and Event Services, Venue Operations & Safety, Security & Resilience were the main topics of discussion. Attendees exchanged valuable information regarding the future of markets and industry through Panel Session and Roundtable. Discussions relevant to their sectors. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet the buyers as this highly interactive ‘nonconference’ summit allowed suppliers to interact informally with committees, clubs, agencies and federations.
Following the programme, members and prospective members were invited to an evening dinner with MEI to recognize achievement of leaders in the industry. Awards given to those who demonstrated outstanding achievement throughout the year. This year the Awards Dinner, sponsored by WDSi, celebrated the contributions of suppliers, experts and event organisers in the major event sphere.
Major Events International would like to thank all supporters of the event including; Rapiscan systems, Plexal, WDSi, Accredit Solutions, IndiComm, Host City.
26 – 28th June 2018 Next year’s Major Events Summit will be taking place on. It will be held in Liverpool as part of the International Festival of Business. For information on attending or sponsoring please email: summit@majoreventsint.com
MEI NEWS
Market Visit to Japan - September 2017 The aim of the market visit to China & Japan was to provide exposure to these key markets hosting 3 major events in forthcoming years. China 6th September The US law firm DLA Piper hosted the MEI delegation and briefed them on their practice, doing business in China, and their growing sports division. Additionally, the delegates provided a brief overview of their respected companies, spoke of their aims and objectives for entering China and this was followed by a wide-ranging discussion of how a China campaign could be taken forward. 7th September The World Winter Sports Expo (WWSE) invited the delegation to attend the event that was supported by the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and organised by the Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA). In addition to the programme the delegates were taken on a tour of the Beijing National Stadium (Birds Nest) to view it in Legacy model and view the area which includes the Beijing National Aquatics Centre known as the Water Cube. Later that evening we were also invited to attend the WWSE Gala Dinner where delegates met with exhibitors and other key officials.
8th September Our key contact from China Interactive Sports arranged a visit to Tianjin which was at the final day of the National Games. This day certainly demonstrated the range of transport and challenges all visitors will face in future market visits. We had the opportunity to meet representatives from the Asian Games 2022 organising committee, who spoke about the organisation and the upcoming Games plans. In addition the delegation took a tour of the newlyopened Tianjin Sports Museum where visitors can see some of China's greatest athletes, and the history of China's sporting events. Japan 11th September The first part of the programme involved the Japan Research Institute giving an overview of the usage of the Olympic Village after the 2020 Olympic Games, venue management plan for permanent venues and the city operation during the games. Dentsu are a key company in Japan, as one of the most influential companies for Marketing. They have acquired a variety of rights for the Olympics, in which they are now appointed as the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games marketing agency.
The delegates were given the opportunity to brief the Dentsu team on their previous games experience, lessons learned, and what the Tokyo Olympics should look out for, who will feedback to Ryo upon his return. The delegation met with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), who spoke of the Tokyo Olympics plans on building 6 new venues, and the plans for temporary venues which includes an emphasis on legacy, and how the venues need to be sustained post the games. The delegation met with part of the Procurement team for TOCOG who spoke about the next steps for the Tokyo Olympics. MEI and DLA Piper Japan collectively invited 40 guests to a drinks reception at the DLA offices. MEI announced their new Partnership with Reed Exhibitions for the Business of Sport Conference and Expo in Tokyo in February.
15th - 23rd Feb 2018 MEI will be taking a delegation to Japan to partner with 1st Sport Business Expo Tokyo
MAJOR EVENTS SUMMIT 27th - 28th June 2018 Liverpool REGISTER YOUR INTEREST +44 (0)207 709 2350 summit@majoreventsint.com www.majoreventsint.com
2017/2018 Editorial Print & Event Calendar November
December
PARTNER 28th - 29th
January 18th
MEI
Feburary MEI
15th - 23rd
International Federations Engagement Programme
Market Visit to South Korea & Japan
May
June
PARTNER 29th - 30th
March PARTNER 6th - 8th
April MEI
4th - 13th
PARTNER 19th - 21st
Gold Coast 2018 Tourism Visit
PARTNER 6th - 7th
CONF
15th - 20th
MEI
27th - 28th
Major Events Summit
MEI
tbc
Market Visit to China
PARTNER 12th - 28th