When planning a private event, safety should be your main priority. It is mandated to ensure the complete security of your guests throughout the entire event.
If you’re looking to organize an event, hiring private event security from a reliable agency is a crucial step. However, there are plenty of important factors you should be aware of before starting your hiring process.
Private events are pretty common nowadays, which leads to a significant increase in demand for security guards. So, whether the event is large or small, following the complete safety procedure is necessary for enjoying your events without fear.
In this article, we will explore the importance of special event security, and find answers to queries such as – how to hire security for an event and how much event security costs to ensure both you and your guests get the most out of your events without worrying about the safety of everyone involved.
What is Event Security?
It is a service provided by private security companies to ensure the safety of staff and attendees at various venues and properties. Event security agencies offer a list of security services from risk assessment and stewarding to high-level strategy and anti-terrorism.
Event security is often in conjunction with national or local government operatives equipped to deal with various incidents, including injuries, attacks, property damage, crowd control, and other unexpected occurrences.
Why is Security Important at Events?
Event planning is always a complicated job that involves a huge number of tasks, from creating the guest list, choosing the venue, picking the menu, or hiring a reliable security service – ignoring any of these tasks can easily hinder the overall experience of the event.
Event security is one of the most crucial factors in hosting a private event. Here are a couple of reasons why event security should always be prioritized –
- Keeps unwanted people from entering your event
- Medium to large-scale events require crowd control by professionals
- Help your guests feel at ease by ensuring maximum safety
- An emergency security team is necessary in case any unfortunate situations occur.
A proper security service can be incredibly beneficial to your private events, whether big or small. It should be mandatory for anyone looking to host a successful event of their own.
10 Tips on Hiring Security Services for Your Private Event
With the popularity of private events, the demand for security guards has also increased drastically.
Finding a reliable security team to entrust the safety of your guests and staff can be quite difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking for. This is why we’ve compiled ten things you should know about before you hire security services for your event –
1. Choose an Event Type-Specific Security Team
Hiring a security team with previous experience with your event type can be incredibly beneficial in the long run.
It’s best not to hire agencies that only staff high school events or concerts, as they might not be equipped to handle unique challenges about your particular event, whether a wedding or a professional gathering.
2. Find the Venue that’s Right for You
Choosing the right venue can greatly influence your security hiring process. A proper understanding of the area’s layout can allow the security team to ensure the safety of all guests and staff effectively.
Most venues tend to have certain security requirements, which is why it’s best to allow your security team to assess the area to find out –
- Where each guard should be stationed
- Which access points may be vulnerable
- If any unique circumstances require special planning
3. Hire Qualified Event Security Officers
Professional security guards must be licensed and properly equipped to handle challenging and often dangerous situations.
You need to find out if your security guards have a positive track record and years of experience. Guards with ties with military enforcement are highly trained in identifying potential threats and handling them calmly.
4. Proper Research on Event Security Providers Is Necessary
If you’re hiring guards from a security agency, you should look them up on Google for their business profile and check reviews from previous clients.
You can also ask people or venue managers that hosted similar events about the company they hired and how security breaches were handled by the team.
5. Hire a Full-Service Security Team
For most events, whether medium or large, you will require a team of security providers. For the most part, dealing with multiple event security services can seem like a burden, especially when you’re already handling several tasks at once.
So, before you choose a company, make sure they provide the following –
- Both armed and unarmed guards
- Personal bodyguards
- Video surveillance
- Other safety solutions
6. Have a Security Assessment for the Event
Every event is unique, and acknowledging your primary safety concerns can help the security team do their job more efficiently. Each event tends to have different needs, and managing those needs and concerns depends on the security officers on hand.
It’s always best to assess the event’s security needs and remove any room for uncertain threats to keep your peace of mind.
7. Make Sure Your Expectations are Communicated
Before you start your hiring process, you need to ask yourself – “What’s my biggest security concern?” and “Do I need armed or unarmed guards?” Once you know what you expect from your event security, you should communicate them to the security team.
Remember, all your security concerns are valid, especially to the security team that ensures you feel safe at all costs.
8. Service of the Highest Level Is Expected
A highly-trained security service agency will always offer an open line of communication to manage the safety concerns of its clients.
The security team is expected to answer all your concerns and update you on security matters as the event progresses. Security and safety should be the top priority at any event, and the team that provides it also should be at the highest level.
9. Consider the Size of the Event
The list of guests arriving at your event should be properly communicated to the security team. Once guests enter the venue, keep a proper tally and deliver it to the guards.
This helps keep track of any potential high-risk attendees and also make sure no uninvited people are looking to crash your party.
10. Contact a Licensed Security Company
When you’re looking for a security company to ensure the safety of your guests and staff, you need to check all the background information. Check to see if the company is licensed and certified to handle events like yours.
Also, be sure to check if security is the company’s main focus and if they are willing to meet all your concerns.
Average Cost of Private Security Hiring
The service price usually depends on the experience level and the amount of time spent securing the events. We recommend not hiring a company that submits to your lowest bid; here are some questions you need to ask the agency before hiring them –
- Will you have to cover costs for uniforms, supplies, and equipment?
- Are there hourly rates for different services and employees?
- How does the pricing differ from nighttime to daytime?
- How will crowd demographics change the pricing?
- Are there any added agency costs?
Once you know the answers to these queries, you can judge the service-to-price ratio and whether it’s profitable in terms of your budget and resources.
Final Thoughts
Although there is no quick solution to all event security risks, uncertain situations can reveal themselves at any moment. Awareness of common threats and communicating them properly to your security team is the best course of action for all types of events.
