Michael Watton, Venue Director at Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, on how to calm nerves in turbulent times
After the terrorist attacks that dominated the headlines last year, the safety and security of the general public has definitely been put to the top of the agenda.
The very arbitrary nature of the attacks means that the exhibition industry needs to be extra vigilant.
Organisers and venues need to collaborate to build on their initial responses to ensure the confidence of the visiting public.
Exhibition organisers need to work more closely with venues to expand their knowledge and awareness of increased security measures and expectations of attendees for their events.
Equally, venues need to start working even closer with organisers to maintain a safe, welcoming and enjoyable environment for delegates.
To achieve this, venues will need to better understand the challenges faced by event organisers and help to provide effective solutions that will support the delivery of successful shows.
Farnborough International is fortunate in that, as the organiser of the Farnborough International Airshow - which sees high-level government during the trade days and up to 80,000 visitors during the public weekend - security has always been high on the agenda.
At the venue, we are able to tap into our years of knowledge gained in organising the event to ensure our security policies are as robust as possible for any event held here.
Three steps to help venues address security matters and reassure organisers:
Step One: Communicate security policies
Be as transparent as possible when it comes to security policies. Too often, aspects such as security are breezed over, with greater focus placed on aesthetics instead, leaving organisers unsure of what policies or measures venues have in place. Your security policies are an asset and should be promoted as such.
Step Two: Different levels of measures
It is important to understand the level of security needed for each individual event during the initial pitching conversations.
Prospective clients could look at the level of security during their initial venue visit. Venues must communicate the different levels of security they can then put in place.
For example, ADS Group, has organised the Security and Policing event at Farnborough on behalf of the Home Office for several years. It is a strictly closed event with high-profile visitors, which are all vetted in advance.
Being located at TAG Farnborough Airport, the site is inherently secure. However, we work with the organiser to provide extra security to protect the exhibitors and visitors on site.
This includes checking all visitors before they get to the exhibition hall with checkpoints at car parks and ID checks on buses. Additionally, bag checks take place outside the building, extra security patrol entrances, and we work with the police to keep up to date with the potential threat level.
Step Three: Test, test and re-test
No matter what security procedures are in place we can’t emphasise the importance of testing them regularly and the regular training of all staff.
From evacuation procedures to the location of muster points, it’s important that everyone is fully trained to give confidence to any event organiser using the venue.
In preparation for the Farnborough International Airshow, the event team run emergency exercises based on various scenarios - from an incident in the air to a terrorist threat.
Every level is tested from the emergency services on the site to communications protocols and crisis management procedure. These are tested and re-tested to make sure everyone understands their role, in the event of an incident.