Conference News Supplements Binder1 | Page 12

12 Sporting Venues A matter of security Tony Shotton, business development manager at event management contractor F3, writes about security measures event bookers should take into account when booking an event at sports venues he heightened awareness of security at stadiums in recent times should provide you with additional reassurance for the safety of your event. While the extra layers of security will slightly increase your pre-event workload, you will see the benefits throughout the experience. At both our Etihad and Vicarage Road stadiums, we have highly experienced professional event planners that direct clients and provide very clear guidelines on what processes need to be followed to ensure deliveries and delegates gain easy access to the stadium. Suppliers, for example must follow the guidance they are given and be more precise with their deliveries, particularly in comparison to using hotel venues. Ensuring that all suppliers, exhibitors and delivery companies that you work with understand the stadium access procedures and follow them exactly as required is key. This is especially important with deliveries where, understandably, items will not be accepted if the correct measures are not followed by your courier. Our best advice is, as always, to follow the guidance of your event planner and ensure they are aware of all the logistics of your event, from the pre-event set up, to delegate arrival and final wrap up and departure. Your event planner can then support you by using their experience of the stadium to www.conference-news.co.uk anticipate and provide solutions to any potential obstacles. The safety of your delegates is the most important concern that you have when considering a venue to host your event. With many modern sporting venues like the Etihad Stadium already offering the very best in unique, high quality event spaces, this additional layer of security can offer you that extra bit of reassurance you may need for peace of mind during your event.