VIP security protection at a public event goes beyond dotting a venue with more security personnel. The process is complicated and requires thorough planning, coordination, and communication. Whether it is a fundraiser, award ceremony, gala or a concert, you must maintain the highest security standard for your VIP clients.
As one of the best VIP protection Services, we would like to help you understand what you should consider to ensure security protection for VIPs at public events. Here are some of the key strategies that you can consider.
5 VIP Protection Services Best Practices
Special security strategies are usually necessary for VIPs, especially at public events. Working with a seasoned security expert will help create a comprehensive plan that pinpoints possible weaknesses and offers successful solutions. Here are 5 best practices that should help you:
Get Familiar with the Venue
The first step in acquainting yourself with the venue is knowing how porous it is. Porous refers to any way into a venue without using the main entry points, including windows and doors for staff.
You should also identify all the venue’s entry points and ensure that all your security personnel know them. The best way to ensure familiarity with these entries is to create a diagram to give them an easy-to-understand visual understanding. If the event will be held outdoors, establish the perimeter and set up temporary barricades and fencing.
Predict Potential Risks
Regardless of how safe the venue of a VIP event might be, it’s always at risk of potential threats. Therefore, you must meticulously assess its potential risks and threats. Your assessment should include a thorough understanding of the VIP profile, the event’s nature, and the local political climate. You should also look into historical security data of similar events and understand the intricate dynamics of regional diversity.
Manage Access Control
Access control is crucial in a VIP event since it ensures the safety of your clients. Some of the strategies that can help you maintain effective access control include the following:
- Understand all the access zones and limit access to areas where your high-profile clients will be. You should also check its traffic flow, capacity, and potential emergency exits.
- Develop a comprehensive evacuation strategy tailored to the event’s layout and the specific needs of VIP attendees. This should include clear escape routes, designated safe areas, and procedures for a coordinated evacuation in response to various potential emergencies.
- Ensure all event staff know the locations of critical emergency services, including the nearest hospital, police station, and fire department. This knowledge allows for quick action if an incident occurs, ensuring the safety and well-being of both the VIPs and other attendees.
- Identify and choose your access methods to the area where the VIPs will be. This includes wristbands with different coloring from the rest, RFID tags, QR codes, and biometrics.
- Train your personnel on how to enforce your access control strategy. This includes providing clear protocols and guidelines, explaining the purpose and function of each access zone, scanning procedures, identification and verification, and managing escalations and emergencies.
Provide Safe Transportation
VIPs require exclusive and safe transportation that prioritizes their privacy and confidentiality. Therefore, as their security detail, you must provide transportation that matches their security needs, plan for secure routes, conduct thorough sweeps in advance, and maintain extensively trained security personnel to handle crowd disruptions.
Control the Crowd
You must maintain a delicately balanced crowd control strategy that creates an enjoyable atmosphere for your high-profile clients while guaranteeing their safety. In addition to using highly experienced security personnel to control the crowd, always watch out for anything unusual and the hands of those close to your VIP. You should be prepared to remove your client swiftly from the venue in case of a disturbance.
Other crowd management measures that can help you include:
- Asking other attendees to make way for your VIP while entering or exiting the venue
- Monitoring the registration line to ensure that it’s organized and there’s no cutting
- Keeping other guests from the VIP areas
Book Your VIP Protection Services with David Shield Security Today
VIP security easily determines the success or failure of an event. Therefore, if you’re looking for VIP protection Services, collaborate with an experienced VIP security service like David Shield Security. With over 60 years of experience in executive protection, counter-terrorism, and counter-espionage, you can rest assured that you will get the best VIP protection service for your high-profile guests. Contact us to learn more about the security services we offer.
