Mul-T-Lock hits a six for stadium security
The global hospitality sector , including sports venues has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis . As venues stood empty , the UK Government moved quickly to mitigate the impact on their business , until there was a clear green light to reopen . Now that time has come .
Whilst this is great news , as Claire Blakemore of security specialist , Mul-T-Lock explains , the world in which the sporting industry now finds itself has changed , with the pandemic dramatically affecting consumer behaviour . Some behavioural changes in motion before the outbreak have accelerated ; others have slowed or stopped . New habits and expectations have arisen .
One critical feature that must not be overlooked is the essence of fans feeling safe and secure as they return to their venues and support their beloved sports and teams . For this to occur , venues need to improve their operational ability and focus to navigate the move to the new normality . To respond , recover and thrive .
Setting the scene
For sports leagues , like many industries , the COVID-19 crisis upended our daily lives at dizzying speed . In many ways , when live professional sports were put on hold , a major aspect of life changed so quickly and comprehensively that it shocked many into seeing the scope of the pandemic problem .
But for sports venues , just because fans were staying away doesn ’ t mean that these spaces were , or could be , entirely empty .
Many employees — particularly security personnel , identified early on in the crisis as key workers — were still showing up to work on a daily basis . Through the pandemic , as the legislation changed to hold sporting events , initially without anyone in the stands , to completely reopening , securing the facilities has required managing occupancy with great care .
How will they direct the flow of fans into , out of , and through the stadium ? How will they maintain safe space between fans , staff , and potentially even players ? How will concessions staffing and service need to change ?
This is for the safety of future visitors and fans , but also for the safety and security of venue teams , players and staff .
Welcoming back visitors
With a clear , ‘ pent-up ’ demand for sporting events , a core element of the immediate strategy , has been to engage with fans to attract them back to venues .
Existing operations and commercial models for sports venues are founded on the spectator experience drawing crowds to venues consistently .
Again , many questions have arisen from the situation . How do you simultaneously manage fan expectations , minimise operational disruption , and plan for a future that , in both the short and long term , may not look anything like the past ?
“ The world in which the sporting industry now finds itself has changed , with the pandemic dramatically affecting consumer behaviour . Some behavioural changes in motion before the outbreak have accelerated ; others have slowed or stopped . New habits and expectations have arisen .”
Claire Blakemore Managing Director , Mul-T-Lock
T : 01902 364200 E : internalsales @ mul-t-lock . co . uk W : www . mul-t-lock . co . uk