Security is one part of event safety, not a substitute for the organiser’s wider responsibilities. A workable plan connects the organiser, venue, security provider, stewards, contractors, medical provision, fire arrangements and relevant public authorities around clearly assigned decisions.
The plan should be proportionate to the event and capable of changing when attendance, layout, weather, timings or other conditions change. This guide supports an initial brief; it does not replace a competent event risk assessment or advice from the relevant authorities.
Step 1
Define responsibility before discussing personnel numbers
The event organiser retains principal responsibilities for overall event safety. Hiring a venue, stewarding team or security contractor does not automatically transfer those duties. Where control is shared, responsibilities, information-sharing and decision routes should be written down and understood.
Record the event owner, venue representative, safety lead and operational decision-maker for each phase: build, opening, live event, close and breakdown. Identify who can delay opening, stop an activity, restrict admission or begin an emergency procedure, and who will contact the emergency services.
Step 2
Build the brief from the event and its changing risks
People and purpose
Consider the event type, expected and maximum attendance, audience needs, age profile, accessibility, invited guests, staff, performers, contractors and any relevant safeguarding arrangements.
Place and movement
Review venue capacity, entrances and exits, queues, transport interfaces, surrounding activity, temporary structures, restricted work areas and how people arrive, circulate and leave.
Timing and change
Plan for build and breakdown as well as public opening. Identify review points for weather, attendance, delayed schedules, changed layouts, new intelligence, equipment faults or contractor changes.
Step 3
Separate security, stewarding and safety roles clearly
A job title alone does not establish competence or legal authority. Define each role by its actual tasks, supervision, training, information and limits. Some activities may be licensable under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 and require the appropriate individual SIA licence; other stewarding or safety tasks may not be licensable.
Check the proposed activity rather than assuming every event worker needs the same badge. Confirm who manages admission, accreditation, queues, restricted areas, incidents, lost persons, vulnerable attendees and contractor access. Ensure teams receive a relevant briefing and have a clear route to supervisors.
The organiser should also confirm competent medical, fire, technical and welfare arrangements where required. A security provider should not be presented as replacing those specialist functions.
Step 4
Coordinate access, crowds and communications
Agree the ticketing or invitation basis, accreditation method, permitted entrances, queue arrangements and any published conditions of entry. Accessibility and reasonable adjustments should be considered at the design stage rather than dealt with only when someone arrives.
Use a communication plan that identifies channels, call signs or role names, escalation routes and fallbacks if normal systems fail. Sensitive operational information should be limited to those who need it; public information should remain clear enough to help attendees follow instructions safely.
Monitor conditions during the event. The risk assessment should identify who checks agreed controls, how frequently, what is recorded and what happens when a control is not working. Debrief afterwards and record improvements for future events.
Step 5
Prepare and exercise emergency arrangements
Document proportionate procedures for foreseeable emergencies and ensure the relevant people understand their roles. Plans may need to address fire, medical incidents, severe weather, crowd pressure, loss of utilities or communications, suspicious activity and other event-specific risks.
Coordinate with the venue, emergency services and local authority where appropriate. A Safety Advisory Group can offer advice for events presenting significant public-safety risks, but it does not take over the organiser’s legal duties or approve the event.
Current legal position
Prepare for Martyn’s Law without misstating commencement
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly called Martyn’s Law, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The Home Office has published statutory guidance, and the SIA is preparing for its regulatory role. However, the statutory guidance states that the Act’s substantive requirements have not yet commenced and that further commencement details will be provided.
Organisations can use the implementation period to understand whether their premises or events may be in scope, identify the responsible person, review reasonably practicable public-protection procedures and follow official updates. Do not describe the future duties as already enforceable, and do not rely on a security contractor to determine the organiser’s legal position.
Choosing support
Brief providers against tasks and evidence
Give potential providers the same accurate brief and ask how they would resource, supervise, communicate, report and respond to change. Verify insurance, relevant experience and the individual licences required for proposed licensable activities. Record interfaces with the organiser, venue and other contractors.
The SIA licences individuals for licensable activities. Its Approved Contractor Scheme is a separate voluntary company approval. Cobra Protection does not currently hold ACS approval and does not claim otherwise.
Read about our event security service and use the UK private-security buyer’s checklist when comparing providers.
Event security planning checklist
- Event owner, venue control and decision authority documented
- Risk assessment reflects the event, audience, site, timings and changes
- Security, stewarding, safety and specialist roles separated clearly
- Competence, supervision and applicable individual SIA licences checked
- Access, accreditation, queues and crowd movement planned accessibly
- Communication, escalation and system fallbacks agreed
- Emergency procedures coordinated and tested proportionately
- Live monitoring, incident records and post-event debrief assigned
- Official Martyn’s Law updates monitored without claiming premature compliance
General UK information only. It is not legal advice and does not replace a competent event risk assessment, venue rules, licence conditions, insurer requirements or instructions from the emergency services and relevant authorities.