While most things security and safety related have already been taken care of during the planning stages of an event, there are still steps you can take to ensure your own safety and peace of mind.
Leading up to your arrival
Inform yourself about the area surrounding the venue – is it safe? Is there anything you should keep in mind while visiting? Also find out where local police stations, hospitals and other emergency personnel are in the area to the event venue and your accommodation if it is separate.
If you have any food allergies or other health concerns it is vital that you mention these in a timely fashion to those responsible for catering or any other necessary areas of event planning. If you don’t let them know, there is no way they can be prepared!
During the event
The most basic thing you can do to protect yourself and your belongings is to always lock doors – even if you are just leaving the room for a few minutes. Also keep an eye on personal belongings in public spaces. It happens too often that someone makes a mistake and takes the wrong laptop since a lot of devices look the same – this could pose a huge risk to your personal data especially if it lands in the wrong hands.
Don’t use public wifi – this is another way to protect your own personal data as well as information shared within the event.
If the event is about a particularly heated topic or some famous/controversial people will be there, keep your eye on social media and the news. Are there any threats to the event in general or to attending individuals? If there are, let the appropriate staff know immediately so they can take action against it. Also make sure to watch for any suspicious activity at the event itself, if you feel unsafe let security know!
Lastly and most importantly, follow the direction of security and event personnel. Their rules may seem silly and senseless to you, but they were enacted for a reason!
After the event
Was there anything you thought the event planners or event in general could improve upon security wise? Make sure to mention these suggestions, not only will the planners appreciate it immensely but it will also improve your experience should you chose to attend the event again at a later time!
