Effective risk management is crucial for the success of any event. Up to 67% of event professionals incorporate safety and security into their event policies. While this may seem daunting, it’s entirely manageable with the right approach.
To assist you, we’ve created this guide. You’ll find tips on identifying and addressing various risks that could turn your event from a success story into an afterthought. We break down the elements of effective risk assessments, provide strategies and resources for managing potential risks, and offer tools to communicate your risk management plan to attendees and staff.
Armed with this knowledge, you can focus on what you do best: creating unforgettable moments.
Complete an Event Risk Assessment
An event risk assessment is essential for identifying and managing potential hazards that could impact your event. It ensures participants’ safety and contributes to a smooth event. By proactively identifying potential issues, you can take steps to mitigate them, ensuring a more secure and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Key risks to assess include:
- General Considerations: These are broad risks that can affect any event, such as unexpected weather changes, technical failures, or logistical challenges. For example, even indoor events can be affected by inclement weather, causing power outages.
- Health Risks: Events gather people together, necessitating consideration of health risks such as the spread of infectious diseases. Measures like sanitation stations and health screenings can be beneficial.
- Security Risks: Protecting people and property from threats like unauthorized access, theft, or vandalism is crucial. Implementing security checks and surveillance can help mitigate these risks.
- Crowd Control Risks: Large gatherings pose the risk of overcrowding and may require emergency evacuations. Effective crowd management strategies are crucial for safety.
- Personal Safety: This includes the risk of accidents or injuries to individuals at the event. Ensuring safe environments and having medical assistance on hand are key preventive measures.
- Location Risks: Every venue has its unique risks, such as structural issues or limited access points, which require tailored solutions.
- Virtual Risks: Online events avoid many of the risks of in-person events but have their own set of potential issues. You’ll need to prevent data breaches or technical disruptions. Hybrid events require consideration of both in-person and virtual risks.
To help you manage these risks effectively, Sickening Events offers a comprehensive Event Safety Assessment Checklist. This downloadable tool guides you through identifying and mitigating risks. It’s adaptable for various event types and can be reused for future planning, ensuring a thorough assessment and a safer, more enjoyable event.
Create a Plan to Address Identified Risks
Once you’ve identified the risks, you need a plan to address them. Here are actionable measures to include in your event risk management plan:
- General Considerations: For an event with multiple entry points, secure non-public entrances or have staff monitor them. According to Sickening Events’ entry management expert Sophia Schenkel, entry points should be “adjacent to the infrastructural needs, like shelter from bad weather, power, and internet.” This ensures staff are well-equipped and comfortable for long hours.
- Public Health Risks: During flu season, follow CDC guidelines. Implement frequent handwashing protocols for employees and set up sanitation stations to reduce the spread of germs, maintaining a safe environment for attendees.
- Security Risks: For large public gatherings, train staff to recognize and report suspicious items using the HOT acronym: Hidden, Obviously suspicious, and Not Typical. Establish communication with local authorities for quick responses to security threats.
- Crowd Control Risks: At crowded events like concerts, use social media to monitor crowd conditions live and respond with appropriate crowd control measures before issues arise.
- Personal Safety: At food festivals or events with food, label all items with potential allergens and ensure vendors have the necessary food safety certifications to prevent foodborne illnesses.
- Location Risks: For outdoor events in the summer, provide ample water and shade to prevent heat-related illnesses. Ensure electric fans are shaded to prevent overheating.
- Virtual Risks: For virtual conferences, control who has access, who can show video, and who can post in the chat. Use passwords and verify email addresses to prevent unauthorized access and maintain a secure environment.
By anticipating potential issues and having a robust plan in place, you can mitigate risks and enhance the overall experience, ensuring a well-prepared and enjoyable event for all attendees.
Communicate Plans and Guidelines to Staff and Attendees
Having comprehensive backup plans is essential, but informing your team of protocols and training them is equally important. For large events, hire event staff or recruit volunteers and prepare them for the identified risks.
Communicating with Your Team
Effective pre-event meetings, clear documentation, and experienced people managers are key to successful communication. Bringing in individuals with experience at similar events can provide valuable insights and skills to refine your plans. They can share strategies and knowledge on handling potential risks based on their past experiences.
Informing Attendees
Clear communication of safety guidelines to attendees is crucial. Utilize pre-event emails, on-site signage, and announcements to convey this information. Tools like Sickening Events’s Event Safety Steps Email Template can help you communicate safety information concisely and clearly. Customize this template to include details about your event’s safety measures, health protocols, and emergency procedures.
Implement Necessary Safety Procedures During the Event
Maintaining a consistent focus on your safety playbook throughout the event is vital. Regular check-ins with your safety staff ensure that potential issues are promptly addressed, preventing human error.
Tactical Focus
- Event Start: Monitor the entrance closely to manage the influx of attendees.
- During the Event: Focus on high-traffic areas like the bar, dance floor, or other central locations where guests congregate.
- Event End: Pay special attention to the parking lot, especially if alcohol is served.
This approach ensures comprehensive oversight of safety throughout the event, allowing you to address potential risks before they escalate.
Evaluate Your Risk Management Success
Post-event evaluation is essential for understanding the effectiveness of your risk management. Revisit the Event Safety Assessment Checklist used during planning. This checklist helps you measure how well you handled identified risks.
Post-Event Surveys
Include a safety section in your post-event surveys to gather attendee feedback on the safety measures implemented. Were the measures noticeable? Did attendees feel secure? This feedback is invaluable for future events.
Incident Tracking
Keep track of any incidents or reports from the event, such as stolen items or safety concerns. Analyze these reports to understand where your plan succeeded and where it fell short. Evaluate response times to any incidents to determine the efficiency of your event security.
Communication Strategies
Reflect on the effectiveness of your communication strategies. Were safety protocols communicated to staff and attendees? Did you need additional event managers to assist with communications?
Team Debrief
Conduct a debrief with your event team to gather insights from those on the ground. Their perspectives can provide practical information on risk management, helping you improve future events.
Focus on What’s Important
The work required to succeed in event risk management may seem overwhelming, but with a solid process, it’s manageable. Utilize available tools, such as templates and checklists, and focus on creating the best event possible.
Sickening Events makes organizing your event as simple as possible. From setting up an event page to automating your event marketing, our platform helps you save time and create unique events.
Download the Event Safety Assessment Checklist
Make your events safer and more enjoyable with our comprehensive Event Safety Assessment Checklist. This tool guides you through identifying and mitigating risks, is adaptable for various event types, and is reusable for future planning.
By effectively communicating plans and guidelines, implementing necessary safety procedures, and evaluating your risk management success, you ensure a safer and more enjoyable event experience for everyone involved.
