A new summer format for the free to attend Security TWENTY series of events by Professional Security Magazine proved a winner at ST23 Manchester yesterday, writes Mark Rowe.
As an alternative to the dozen-year-old formula of opening the doors at about 8.30am, and climaxing (from a hospitality point of view!) with the hot buffet lunch before the exhibition winds down in the afternoon, ST23 Manchester was a ‘summer sizzler’ that began at midday, and within minutes there was a buzz about the place, the Manchester Suite of Old Trafford, the famous home of Manchester United Football Club.
Many of those attending took up the offer of a free place on one of the afternoon tours of the stadium. The tour guide I went along with at 3pm kindly tailored his talk to the security audience and gave some details of the security and stewarding around the place that he was able to. That includes more rail standing seating, that United are installing before the 2023-24 season kicks off next month; and the access-controlled home dressing room, that security staff on a match day make sure is only accessed by those authorised. Tour guests were able to stand where players and managers have stood and sat; and indeed to sit on the substitutes’ seats pitchside – though as the tour guide said and signage reminds you, you’re not allowed to go on the field of play; that earns you a fine and a stadium ban!
After the exhibition of numerous manufacturers, distributors and industry bodies, the hot buffet – and beer! – was served from 5pm and networking and good conversation went on. As ever at ST, visitors were a mixture of anyone interested in keeping up to date with UK private security – managers and contractors, installers and integrators, consultants and specifiers; who came from the local region, while some travelled considerable distances, such as Dr David Rubens, the founder and chief of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM), who hooked up with ST to make it an event for the ISRM’s Manchester chapter.
If you want to make a date in your diary for ST24 Manchester, it’s on another Thursday, July 4, 2024. Click here for the rest of the ST dates and venues, as far as the end of next year. The next stop in the ST tour of the British Isles is the pair of events in Ireland, first at the Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown Hotel, Dublin, on Tuesday, September 5; and then on the Thursday, September 7, at the Europa Hotel, downtown Belfast. We’re back to the norm of doors opening at 8.30am – early arrivers can snaffle a bacon butty!? There’s tea and coffee and biscuits available in the morning, then lunch; and the exhibition closes about 3pm.
You can just turn up on the day, but we ask that you register online, to help us gauge the numbers for catering purposes; click here to sign up or email organiser Liz Lloyd at [email protected].
Visit https://professionalsecurity.co.uk/security-events-and-conferences/security-twenty-home/. More in the August print edition of Professional Security Magazine.
