How to Keep Guests Safe at a Theater Event

The 21st century has seen an increase in terrorist attacks, unending political unrest, and unexpected natural disasters. The event industry has been particularly affected because it attends to many people. This has made it very critical for event marketers to find ways to minimize and even eliminate the threat of insecurity at events.

Theater events have not been left behind in this new quest. Theater managers are now scrambling to implement the latest safety protocols and hire intelligence experts to protect guests. That is why we are offering some tips to help you secure your next theater event.

Document Everything

Documenting everything comes in handy when you have a security emergency. Not only does it help to keep track of how the crisis unfolded, but it will also make it easier to work with your insurance company. If something was not documented, then it did not occur. Therefore, you should keep the details of every person who attends the event. The details you can look out for include phone number, date of birth, and name.

Find a Secure Location

The first step to creating a secure theater is to build it in a neighborhood with a positive safety reputation. If you have been to the major events, you will realize that most of them are staged in a neighborhood that prioritizes safety. This reduces the cost of hiring extra security personnel and makes it easier to spot any security breaches. Most of these places also have well-manned parking lots and roads with cameras that monitor everything.

Create a Flexible But Firm Chain of Command

This might look like a cliche, but creating a clear hierarchy that defines who is in charge and responsible for specific tasks is an important part of security. A clear chain of command will also create confidence in other stakeholders.

Everybody should know who to contact if something goes wrong. But the main reason why you should do this is that a clear chain-of-command eases decision-making. This also prevents confusion when an attack or security breach occurs. That’s because decisions will be made easily and effectively.

Be Ready For Anything at Anytime

Terrorists and other criminals always attack when nobody is expecting them. For instance, the Las Vegas shooting was carried out by a person hiding in a hotel room. So, while you should keep in mind that terrorists can use past tactics, you should be prepared for any new attack type.

Create a Fool-Proof Screening Strategy

Screening strategies depend on the amount of money set aside for security. But there are basic things that must be put in place for the screening strategy to work effectively. You should test the screening strategy beforehand and identify any problems that may arise during the material day.

Many theater events are usually free. That means the organizers have no way of identifying if a guest is who they say they are. They do not have a ticket that you can use to trace the attendee’s identity and address. This is where a screening strategy becomes critical.

You must use devices that can identify any metallic and harmful items that could be sneaked into the event. It would help if you also used magnetometers to act as a backup to the handheld metal detectors. Moreover, conduct bag checks by asking people to open their purses and handbags.

The screening team should be equipped with the latest firearms. Thus, it would be best if you knew the latest AR 10 options on the market and lower choices for your AR 10.

Contract a Qualified Medical Team

Security breaches can lead to severe medical emergencies. That is why you must hire a medical team that will respond to any medical emergency. The medical team should wear uniforms and be situated at strategic locations within the theater. They should also have access to the entire theater. Moreover, every staff working at the theater event must know where the medical team is and how they can contact them.

Flow of Information

The flow of information within the security personnel infrastructure is key. Everybody must know what is happening at every minute of the event. The aggregation of this information will make decision-making easier and allow for security breaches to be identified earlier.

Conclusion

Hosting a theater event is a profitable and exciting endeavor. But you must make sure that your guests are safe. That is why these tips will come in handy when you organize your next theater event.