1. The Right Kind of Insurance
Despite all the preparations that you make to protect the people at your event, something might still happen. When this occurs, you must have the proper insurance in place. That’ll make sure that you’re covered for any such occurrences for which you couldn’t have planned. Liability insurance is the most important, but there are others from which to choose. These include:
- Alcohol liability insurance
- Professional liability insurance
- Cancellation insurance
- Worker’s compensation insurance
- Terrorism insurance
2. Deciding What Kind of Event to Run
Will this be a fundraiser? Maybe, it’s a wedding? What about a concert or performance? There would be many different people to contact to help with preparing the event: an event planner, caterers, entertainment, security, technical experts, etc. Also, where will you hold the event?
3. Risk Management
The first thing you have to do once you’ve chosen your venue and hired your staff is that you have to identify any potential hazards in and around the venue. Then, you and your staff have to neutralize the dangers regarding each hazard. What’s the maximum occupancy of the venue? How many guests are invited? What about weather if it’s an outdoor event?
4. Risk Solutions
It’s all about having a plan. It’s, “What do we do if ‘X’ happens?” You can’t eliminate all risks, but you can control risky situations and have contingency plans in place in case something goes awry. Well-planned evacuation procedures should be in place before the event begins. The same applies to plans regarding fires in the venue.
5. The Right Staff
Everyone involved in your event should be a professional. Your security personnel should be well-trained and be part of an insured security company. They should also have experience in dealing with just such an event as yours. Be sure to make them visible so that your guests will know that you’re conscientious regarding their needs and safety. Additionally, if your event is large enough, then you should also have an emergency medical team available to handle any mishaps.
6. The Right Lighting
All walkways must be brightly lit. Exit signs must be prominent and unobstructed. There also has to be emergency lighting in case of a power failure for whatever reason.
7. Making Sure Everyone Else is on the Same Safety Page
If your event is something like a trade fair, job fair, or something else that has vendors and/or groups of participants, then they should all be on the same safety page as you. Consistency is important so that your guests will know what to do and where to go in the case of an emergency. Usually, in this case, some would call for a practice run, just to give everyone an idea of what to do in the situation.
8. Appropriate Use of Technology
Some apps can enable you to keep track of the crowd at your event. These will show areas of overcrowding in real-time, so your security personnel will be able to react, dispersing the overcrowded areas safely. Such technology is also useful when it comes to keeping people safe during a situation requiring evacuation of the event.
