EVENT SECURITY
Supported by
Counter Terror Business (CTB) talks to Paul Williams (PW), head of Security at AEG Europe, about the difficulties in protecting event spaces like The O2, and how to achieve better event security
CTB INTERVIEW: THE O2 AND EVENT SECURITY CTB: WHAT ARE THE CURRENT DIFFICULTIES WITH BALANCING PROTECTION AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO HIGH FOOTFALL SCREENING AT DIFFERENT SORTS OF SITES AND VENUES? Good security will give confidence for fans to visit the venue and for businesses to invest and grow. Keeping our fans, staff, partners and performers safe is our priority. It’s important to us that our visitors enjoy a memorable experience, we have to consider the visitor experience when designing security operations, our measures will need to be proportionate and appropriate – security should facilitate business and not hinder unnecessarily. The design of security should be firstly riskbased; we will regularly assess the likelihood and impact of security threats and implement protective security measures to mitigate those risks. There are many ways of delivering security, with many solutions and technologies to choose from, during this risk-management process, I will consider how the security feature may affect the visitor experience and how the visitor may react to our measures. A challenge for venues is the screening process; a security practitioner will want to lessen the chance of threat items entering their premises, and there are many areas to consider when designing search areas, where to queue, how to search and what to look for, can often be challenging. Security practitioners will need to keep up with event industry trends; visitors now favour a more immersive, creative and convenient experience, security designs will need to consider how crowds move and gather within an event space. Sponsored
brand activations and commercial offerings are central to the fans experience. We want our guests to be enjoying themselves in our loungers and on our concourses, not standing in a cold and wet queue waiting to pass through the security checkpoint, whilst also ensuring we maintain our security regime to prevent any prohibited items from entering the building or performance areas. Technology solutions also recognise these challenges and are accelerating technology developments to meet the needs of the industry. Some promising technology solutions are emerging on the market; programmes such as the Home Office High Footfall Screening Trials are vital to ensuring these technologies are well-developed and fit for use in the private sector. CTB: THE O2 IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CAPACITY VENUES IN LONDON, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNISABLE. AS HEAD OF SECURITY AT THE O2, WHAT MEASURES ARE IN PLACE TO ENSURE THE SMOOTH RUNNING OF EVENTS? The O2 employs a variety of personnel to keep everyone safe and secure, our Guest Relations teams, stewards and security staff is visible, trained and excited to look after our guests. We have a team of search dogs who work full-time at the venue; they’re always busy and have an important role in protecting the venue. The monitoring of our staff and visitors is a key security feature; we have a comprehensive smart-CCTV system with a variety of analytic programs, our recently upgraded access control and vehicle management system ensures validated persons can freely move around the building zones designated to their profile and needs. E
ISSUE 42 | COUNTER TERROR BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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