The vast majority of events held at the STCC have been running smoothly since April 2014, but sometimes unexpected incidents could spoil the party. What aspects should an organizer focus on while preparing an event?
Several points need to be examined in advance to determine which security measures should be considered:
Which kind of event are you organizing?
Is it a business meeting, a product demonstration, a knowledge sharing presentation, a general meeting, or a festive event?
What is the size of your event?
Are there fewer than 100 guests, 500 guests, or more than 1500 guests? Naturally, the larger the crowd, the higher the risks.
Who is the target audience?
For this point, we usually focus on the age range of the participants. A meeting of retirees will not represent the same risks as a meeting of young adults.
What is the schedule of your event?
Alcohol consumption can become problematic especially when it comes to a festive event. There is the possibility of people drinking too much when it comes to an end-of-year party with a DJ and dancefloor, therefore measures need to be planned and implemented.
Some of the activities are likely to produce more unexpected incidents than others: for example, the meeting of a nuclear power producer can captivate the attention of ecologic defenders.
The security aspects must be considered in four different angles:
- Paramedics
- Monitoring & Surveillance
- Bystanders
- Fire safety
The security service must discourage any attempt to disturb the smooth running of an event. Working always in pairs, the service staff should always be visible as their presence will reassure the guests. Security is vital particularly when the theme of the conference is secret or highly confidential.
Surveillance staff generally position themselves near the reception desk. They will check IDs, register the guests, and give them access badges if needed. They can sometimes validate the entries in the convention center by taking a picture of each guest and printing customized access cards.
Paramedics are available just in case someone is feeling sick. They provide first aid and take necessary action immediately. It is essential to minimize the time between when a problem is identified and when first aid is provided. Having paramedics during an event permits minimizes these risks. In general, we are obliged to have Paramedics on site when an event has 500 persons or more.
It may happen that we recommend the presence of a fire man during your event, for example if we need to turn off the fire alarms in the building as part of your event. In case of emergency a fire man is obligatory to ensure the security of your event.
The STCC staff and the EPFL security department (DSPS: Safety, Prevention and Health Domain) are at the organizers’ disposal to assess the potential risks associated with organizing an event and to propose appropriate solutions.
In collaboration with EPFL, the STCC can offer these security services, but the organizer is free to choose any external specialized company, as long as it is officially approved in its sector of activity.
If your need more information about the security rules needed for your event at the SwissTech Convention Center, please contact us by e-mail.