From fireproof doors to security personnel

From small events with a few participants in one room to events with up to 2000 participants and stage and show acts with pyrotechnic effects as well as exhibitions with sensitive and highly insured art objects, the Congress House Zurich all be covered by an efficient and flexible security organization. In addition to the security requirements, the rigorous legal requirements in the area of personal protection must also be complied with. Aware of the complex operational requirements of congress operations, the Kongresshaus Foundation decided back in 2018 - two and a half years before the then planned opening - to have organizational security drawn up by an external specialist company.

Specific challenges of the congress business

There are practically no limits to the variety of events that can be held as part of the congress operation:

• General meetings of international corporations
• Concert events with pyrotechnics, associated with large numbers of people
• Art exhibitions with high insurance values
• Small events with discretion and personal protection

Limits of construction and technology

It was clear to all those involved from the outset that such a wide range of demands could not be met with structural and technical measures alone. On the contrary, the organizational structures and measures represent the central part of ensuring safe and legally compliant congress operations.

It quickly became apparent at the beginning of the cooperation that people counting systems, video surveillance systems or announcement systems can provide technical support at events. However, the real impact clearly comes from the personal presence of trained and specifically deployed personnel.

Security organization

It was already clear from an economic point of view that the various organizational requirements could not be solved with the company's own personnel alone. The concept for the security organization chosen together with Kongresshaus Zürich AG is therefore based on three pillars with internal and external elements that can be combined and deployed depending on the event, security requirements or legal stipulations:

• Own internal security resources: The Kongresshaus Zürich AG provides a small staff core of competent and experienced security specialists who are responsible for security matters.
• External security resources: A central element of organizational security is the involvement of professional external security personnel. Various private security service providers with whom a long and well-established cooperation exists are used for this purpose.
• Customer's security resources: In addition to the elements of organizational security described above, the customer often provides its own security personnel for its events, who are familiar with the specific requirements of the Group as well as the Group management and no longer need to be specially trained and instructed.

In addition to the above-mentioned resources, depending on the type and risk assessment of an event, forces of the blue-light organizations police, fire department and ambulance are called up.

Consistent organization

In addition to the requirements of event security, the host is responsible for ensuring that, in the event of a fire incident, a medical emergency or a failure of the building services, the organizational means and resources are available to intervene quickly and effectively and to guarantee the legal requirements relating to personal safety at all times. These tasks are to be solved centrally and belong to the area of responsibility of the core security team. It is up to the building owner to decide whether he wants to solve everything with his own resources or with the support of external forces.

Practical example concert with pyrotechnic effects

For concertgoers, concerts and stage shows with well-known artists in combination with pyrotechnic effects are often a unique highlight. For the host and the organizer, the event begins months in advance with the clarification and determination of the event. In the organizational run-up to such an event, systematic steps and clarifications have to be taken:

• What kind of event is it?
• Are there specific risks?
• What clarifications need to be made?
• Are official clarifications and permits to be obtained?
• Can the event be managed with your own security resources?
• Which external forces have to be called in?
• What is possible and which wishes have to be renounced for safety reasons?

Conclusion

Structural and technical measures alone are often not enough to ensure event security. A flexible and lean security organization was implemented that can be specifically adapted to the varying demands of different events. Internal and external security personnel complement each other according to the situation. Events are examined in good time between the Kongresshaus Zürich AG and the organizer for possible risks and official approvals on the basis of checklists. Planning security is ensured in each case by coordinating organizational measures with the responsible authorities at an early stage.