Safety first for The Business of Events Sydney

Michelle Price, CEO of AustCyber, will address the key issue of security in the events industry at the 2019 edition of The Business of Events, in Sydney, Australia. The event takes place 7-8 February at the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park and conference sessions will offer practical takeaways around the day-to-day elements that address all aspects of event safety. Other speakers at the event’s conference include, Danny Baade, the Director of CorpSec International who was the head of security for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games; Tiny Good, Director of equipment and staff supplier Showtech Australia; Simon Auston, Chief Executive of crowd-safety and crowd-management consultancy Reddawn Australia; and Wayne Middleton, Principal of risk-management consultancy Reliance Risk. Organisers Exhibitions & Trade Fairs (EFT) say event safety and security is the top trend to emerge in the Australian events industry this year. EFT Managing Director Gary Daly says: “Event safety is more than a trend, it’s a necessity in this modern world, so it’s no surprise that it has become a top focus in the events industry. This is not just what goes on at the event physically. An uptick in digital exploits has also made cybersecurity measures a mandatory inclusion for our industry.” Event safety is one of three afternoon breakout sessions on day one; the other two are sales growth and event architecture. A counter-terrorism expert, Baade will deliver a session on ‘Security and Safety in Public Spaces’, sharing insights at the Australian government’s strategy for protecting crowded places. Daly adds: “The security you can’t see – cyber security – is equally as vital. This is an area that has grown so quickly, it can be hard for the industry to keep up. The Business of Events will cover both these areas in depth, so attendees will walk away with knowledge to instantly enhance the all-round safety of their events. This will really allow them to add value to their organisation, rather than just ‘tick the box’ with something so crucial as safety.”