Showsec’s London office did event security at Earls Court for the British Military Tournament.
VIP royal guests and senior military officials were among 56,000 visitors attending the return of Britain’s oldest military tattoo, on December 4 and 5, at Earls Court. Some 500 troops and 145 horses appeared in two performances each day, featuring the field gun run, massed bands and battle re-enactments.
IMG’s operations director Nick Mattingley managed the event production. He said: “Showsec were seamless from beginning to end. Their venue knowledge and experience was second to none, particularly for directing crowds and performers around Earls Court, we were reliant on them to deliver – and they did very well. There is a momentum for us to capitalise on this year’s success and come back next year, so we will open discussions with the ABF Soldiers Charity and the MoD at the first possibility.”
Showsec’s London area manager Paul Legge contributed his experience of working at Earls Court from the first meeting with the organisers IMG in March, remaining pro-active throughout the extensive contingency planning process. The security team considered multiple eventualities, carrying out in-depth risk assessments leading into the weekend, with everyone’s safety being of primary consideration. Paul was joined by the newly appointed operations executive Louise Stockden, who had graduated from the Showsec Academy and taken on her new role in London this November. Paul said: “Louise put a fantastic amount of knowledge and enthusiasm in to the project. She has managed a complex security operation with total confidence, the skills she has shown bear testament to the effectiveness of the Showsec Academy in providing her with detailed state of the art industry knowledge. Louise has already been a real asset on this and other events since joining our London office.”
“Showsec provided 168 event security professionals on each event day, working alongside 82 volunteers in customer service roles, so in numbers of personnel this event is similar to the demands of the Brit Awards at Earls Court as a security operation. Friday rehearsals followed by two shows on both the Saturday and the Sunday required detailed planning in staff schedules to ensure consistency in the quality of service. The supervisory and management team were supported by key personnel accommodated close to the venue. This allowed us to change many of the staff between the days, with the supervisors retaining the key knowledge and experience to brief the fresh incoming staff with detailed information about the unique venue format.”
Sarah Cook, Earls Court operations manager said: “Showsec staff represented the venue very well, constantly attentive to a wide range of customer service requirements with audience ages between nine and 90 to consider.”
