Showsec was the official security partner at this November’s international Sports Event Management Conference and Sports Security Summit two day event. Six Showsec staff from the London office secured the conference area within the Novotel St Pancras (London) throughout the two day conference.
Managing Director, Mark Harding, spoke to the audience on the second day of the event, focusing on the critical issues around training in the UK. Speaking alongside the BSIA’s Olympic 2012 project director David Evans, Mark focused on the potential benefits and pitfalls for the UK security industry presented by the 2012 Olympics.
Mark made a case that: “The security industry contains a lot of experienced, qualified professionals and it should be those people driving the agenda towards the Games. The training programs and qualifications infrastructure for the Games security and crowd management should be geared around the wider industry. Rather than the three week event potentially focusing our industry on a non-transferable security legacy, we need to create a positive legacy for the events security industry based on effective training programmes and security professionals that stay within the industry long after the Games.”
David Evans’ presentation showcased the proposed infrastructure to deliver a secure 2012 London Olympics, then the pair engaged in a discussion centred around education and qualifications for one-off sporting events with an audience of international sports security specialists.
Nigel Rushman, chairman of organisers Rushmans Ltd said: “Producing a conference attended by international sporting bodies, government ministers and security professionals ensuring the safety of the highest profile events from around the world, means that we (Rushmans) have to consider every finest detail of the conference. Accommodating such a diverse VIP audience means not only presenting a very relevant conference programme, but delivering a well managed event. This is the third year we have worked with Showsec and each year their staff present a professional face for the event, taking care of any security issues very discretely, whilst leaving our staff to run the event. Exactly what we require.”
