AIPC
AIPC
Security a collaborative approach
In a time when security-related issues and incidents are making the headlines on a regular basis , convention centres have been revisiting both their own emergency preparedness and protocols in an effort to ensure events are as secure as possible , writes Aloysius Arlando , AIPC president .
A recent survey of AIPC member centres throughout the world has shown increased security concerns amongst well over half of centre managers , with even higher levels of concern identified on the part of clients . In view of this , more than 80 per cent of centres indicated they had reviewed existing procedures and response teams , with over half taking further specific actions including new staff training , enhancement of security-related technology , re-engagement with governmental agencies and implementation of new procedures and protocols .
But there ’ s more to it than that . First , while virtually all centres maintain detailed emergency procedures that address security as a key component , these procedures necessarily involve an active interface with local agencies responsible for overall emergency response actions in order to ensure a well-integrated reaction to any incident that might occur . This means that it ’ s never just a matter for internal policies and procedures but one that must link closely with the rest of the host community . The result is a requirement for an even higher level of coordination than has often been carried out in the past and , in some cases , the development or enhancement of entirely new relationships .
But centre clients have a key role to play as well . New centre protocols often require that a risk assessment be carried out on an individual event basis , for the simple reason that each event has different characteristics and audiences that may dramatically affect the form that risk may take . For example , certain events may attract attention or even active protest simply because of the nature of their subject matter or of the people who will be attending . These are factors that only the organiser can identify with any precision , but they must be communicated early and in detail if the centre and host community are to shape an appropriate security management plan .
There are also lots of variations in terms of the tolerance of organisations and their delegates for the visibility of security measures . While some may welcome such visibility as a clear sign that good security is in place , others may feel that too much profile actually spoils the experience and detracts from the kind of atmosphere most conducive to achieving the goals and outcomes attendees are looking for .
Finally , there is a whole new area of reputational management and business recovery that needs to be considered in destinations that either have or are seen as having potential for security-related incidents . In a time of growing sensitivity toward such incidents , many clients will take the path of least resistance and simply avoid anywhere that they or their clients may see as being risky in this respect . Responding to this is again a process that requires lots of communication and cooperation not just with potential clients but with other agencies and interests in the destination that have a stake in the outcome .
With the pressures of global competition already requiring a lot of time and energy from centre managers , security issues present yet another demand to be addressed . But as long as such incidents continue to dominate the news , failing to give this area the attention it requires is simply not an option – and a cooperative and communicative approach is really the only way to ensure a successful outcome .
28 Convention & Incentive Marketing , Issue 6 , 2017 www . cimmagazine . com