Attending a large-scale event is an exciting experience for people. Whether for music, sport or other entertainment, being part of a crowd creates a shared ethos that can transform a crowd. Stadiums are built to provide structure and protection as they act as a hub for these mass gatherings, but unfortunately, not all attendees are there for a good time.
People can get swept up in emotions, and social contagion may quickly escalate into a violent situation. Some act alone to cause harm to as many people as possible, and it can be difficult to control violence within a stadium. Effectively securing a stadium is vital for the safety of those hosting and attending and for the event’s success.
By improving your security structure, it reduces the risk of any violent actions from occurring. This will give your patrons a better fan experience and, at the same time, keep everyone safer during the function. When everyone can come to enjoy themselves and get home safe, your attendance will increase for all stadium events and make your entertainment hub thrive.
Here is how to secure a stadium event.
AI Security
The best stadium security operates seamlessly in the background and has minimal disruption during the event. At entry points, this is where attendees can smuggle in weapons, and while gates and baggage checks work well, they clog up entry points and create bottlenecks that people don’t appreciate. It is also not a great use of security personnel.
AI technologies can be installed to provide frictionless gateway screening where every person is scanned to detect weapons like guns, knives and other prohibited items so security can quickly respond and disarm a threat before it occurs. This is data-supported decision-making and provides the best security with minimal disruption to the overall operations.
AI security reduces the risk of human error and gives patrons a better experience where they can freely walk into the venue without disruption or confrontation.
This robust system can also effectively streamline security operations and better facilitate strategic planning for your event and for those in the future.
Create a Robust Security Presence
A stadium event has many moving parts that need to be considered including:
- Venue Access
- Parking
- Crowd control
- Public/private areas
- Attendee safety
- VIP security
In all areas inside and outside of a stadium, there needs to be a visible security presence that deters any threat to public safety. This is done through security staff at all entry points and moving through the crowd during the event, as well as additional staff ready to respond to any threats before they escalate. Outside there should be vehicle-free zones with barrier protection so attendees can safely walk to the venue and inside without the risk of a vehicle charging toward the building.
A strong security presence will help keep people in check, and layering your security throughout the venue can thwart any violent activity before it happens.
Complete Camera Coverage
As large as your security team is, they can’t always be everywhere. Keeping an eye out for any potential threat is vital to public safety, and one of the best ways to enhance it is through security cameras.
These visual aids can be positioned in key, strategic locations to give you optimal coverage inside and outside the stadium, quickly identifying an escalating threat and personally-identifying bad actors. They must be monitored by qualified staff, and when an incident occurs, security can be routed quickly to the area to take care of the situation.
Security cameras not only allow for real-time viewing, but they can also record footage to be viewed and analyzed later if necessary. Security cameras also act as a visual deterrent for would-be troublemakers.
Additional Security For VIP Guests, Entertainers, And Players
People come to an event at a stadium because of the high-profile draw. These people need extra protection because if they don’t feel secure, they won’t return, and others won’t follow after them. This includes:
- Music entertainers
- Athletes
- Speakers
- Actors
- Other VIP guests
While everyone that comes to the stadium should be protected, these people often need extra protection from adoring fans and those who wish to harm them.
Make sure there are closed access zones to allow these individuals to travel inside the building and player rooms, green rooms and lounge areas that are off-limits to the public. Provide guards at all entrances to these spots and have security travel with them into public zones for protection.
