Showsec cements “strong working relationship” with ‘The Bloodstock Family’

Crowd management and event security specialist Showsec has been praised for the customer-focused approach which has contributed to the success of Bloodstock, one of the UK’s largest dedicated heavy metal festivals which is staged each summer in the Derbyshire countryside.

Founded and organised by the Gregory family, Bloodstock Open Air attracts almost 15,000 heavy metal fans to the grounds of Catton Hall where this year’s line-up featured headline acts Twisted Sister, Mastodon and Slayer over the three days of the event.

The festival is enjoyed as much by Showsec’s team as it is by the audience, such is the atmosphere which has been generated by the biggest independent event of its kind.

“Bloodstock is like a big family gathering each year, and Showsec has certainly added to that great sense of togetherness,” said Adam Gregory, one of the festival’s directors. “Front-of-House contact can define your event because it transmits the feel and the atmosphere. Showsec works well with what we’re trying to achieve in terms of the customer experience, and that helps to enhance a real family vibe right across the whole event. We can engage with Showsec at all management levels. We’re listened to and they deliver.”

Joe Milner of Showsec (second from right) pictured at Bloodstock with festival directors Vicky Greenfield, Adam Gregory and Rachael Greenfield

Bloodstock is now well established on the heavy metal scene, and Showsec has been instrumental in developing its special atmosphere for the past seven years. Fellow Bloodstock director Rachael Greenfield added: “The relationship has grown much stronger in the time that we’ve engaged Showsec’s services for the festival. They understand our family brilliantly, and the familiar faces which we see within the team makes a big difference in terms of building trust with all parties. The fans feel like they’re coming to see their friends once a year, and I know that many would include members of the Showsec staff among them.”

That was clearly evident from the numerous messages posted on social media after Bloodstock had once again lived up to expectations. “Just nothing but praise for the Bloodstock security,” wrote Stewart Lucas on the festival’s Facebook page. “There are no power trips or egos. They just do their jobs with utter professionalism and total respect for us paying punters.”

Alex Fynney stated: “The best security ever. Good seeing familiar faces each year.” Jo Dark added: “Great work. They are so friendly.”

Many of the Showsec staff on duty at Catton Park have worked there on a number of occasions, some of them regularly travelling across from Wales. “We all look forward to Bloodstock each year,” said Joe Milner, Showsec’s area manager for the East Midlands. “It isn’t just a festival. It’s a community of people who enjoy listening to their favourite music and the other attractions of this event. We’ve all worked together for some time now, and the strength of that relationship is reflected in the festival experience we deliver for the thousands of metal fans who are so loyal to the event and look forward to their time at Catton Park each year.”

“Best-ever” Bestival ensures summer event season ends on high note for Showsec

The ‘Best-Ever’ Bestival ensured that another busy summer programme of securing and managing crowds at major festivals ended on a high note for Showsec as the company played its part in the success of the ‘Summer of Love’.

Organisers were quick to acclaim the fact that Bestival scaled new heights this year following a spectacular event which once again featured a successful bid to break a world record.

Crowd management and event security specialist Showsec helped to enhance the reputation of what has now become the traditional grand finale to the festival season on the Isle of Wight as the impact of the company’s bespoke crime reduction measures contributed to the overall success of the occasion.

This year’s event, which was themed the ‘Summer of Love’, saw Duran Duran, The Chemical Brothers and Missy Elliott headline the Main Stage on each of the festival’s three show days.

In a continuation of a long association with the Bestival team, Showsec’s summer programme drew to a close in the picturesque surroundings of Robin Hill Country Park, but it’s a link which also includes sister event Camp Bestival and a new addition this year, namely Common People.

Continually looking to raise the bar

“We’re continually exploring ways to raise the bar higher by delivering very special festival experiences for the enjoyment of all concerned,” commented Dave Grindle, the festival manager from Loudsound Productions. “To have the confidence to be that bold and ambitious with your plans, you need to have strong backing from the teams who provide essential parts of the whole operation. In that sense, we’ve developed a long-standing working relationship with Showsec and it’s very important to us to have the support of such a strong team of managers and supervisors.”

Grindle added: “That was most evident again this year and certainly helped us to fulfil our aim of making this Bestival the very best one we’ve run in its twelve-year history.”

A prominent feature of Showsec’s operation was the strong presence of senior management heading up the team throughout the event. While director Mark Logan acted as head of security, three of the company’s regional managers – namely Steve Reynolds, Scott Anderson and Richard Church – took on key responsibilities. Further support was provided by five area managers working across the whole operation.

As well as directing its own operations, Showsec also played an important part in the co-ordination of an army of Oxfam volunteers providing stewarding support.

“The benchmark is set very high by Bestival in terms of customer experience, so it’s important we match that commitment with our level of service,” commented Steve Reynolds, who was the security operations manager within that team for this particular occasion. “It helps that we have grown up with the event due to our long association with both Bestival and Loudsound Productions. We’re familiar with the venue.”

Reynolds went on to state: “Our management team was as strong as it has ever been, with Scott Anderson being an important addition in his capacity as security co-ordinator. This level of managerial expertise and experience proves to be highly significant in terms of our effective liaison with the other agencies fulfilling key roles.”

Working in parallel with Hampshire Constabulary

Nowhere was that more effective, in fact, than when it came to working closely with officers from the Hampshire Constabulary on crime reduction measures designed to help make Bestival 2015 a safe and secure environment.

Hampshire Constabulary reported a 26% drop in the number of reported criminal incidents for this year’s event, while enhanced searches involving Showsec staff, detection dogs and police advisors ensured that substantial quantities of drugs were confiscated at the entrances.

“The reduction in crime is a satisfying reflection of the emphasis which we place on this element of our operation and, indeed, the standardised training many staff have completed to enhance their skills and knowledge in that respect,” added Reynolds. “Having so many individuals within our operation who are very familiar with this event, and indeed enjoy being a part of what is the final stage of a long festival season, ensured that many aspects of our operation ran in a similarly effective way to previous years. There were some differences, most notably the fact that we had a higher number of early arrivals this year into the camp sites ahead of the event.”

Reynolds went on to state: “We also had a camera crew on site for much of the time and this took some planning to ensure they were able to film without too much disruption.”

Among the many other attractions, the world’s largest disco ball was back after successfully achieving an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2014, while the unofficial record bid on this occasion saw 446 people become the largest number of buskers to sing a song in one place.

Bloodstock’s heavy metal fans united and protected thanks to Showsec’s event management expertise

In many respects, Bloodstock Open Air is one big family reunion. The great success of this year’s event in the picturesque Derbyshire setting of Catton Park in Walton on Trent portrayed once again why the gathering continues to enhance its reputation for being the United Kingdom’s largest dedicated heavy metal festival.    

Founded and organised by the Gregory family, Bloodstock plays host to a ‘metal family’ of 15,000 fans in tandem with a Showsec family of staff who have become familiar faces at the festival due to their enjoyment of the working experience.

As well as the heavy metal band line-up – headlined this year by Within Temptation, Trivium and Rob Zombie – one of the other big attractions was an art exhibition featuring the work of the festival’s co-founder, Paul Raymond Gregory. This included Gregory’s work-in-progress dubbed ‘Mordor Festival’ which made another appearance in the RAM Gallery by the Main Stage, along with many other fantasy artwork pieces including a unique design of the festival’s popular logo.

The ‘Mordor Festival’ is inspired by Tolkien and has a unique frame, which now features the Showsec logo along with many other partners of Bloodstock Open Air.

“Our support of the art exhibition is a good example of how we’ve worked closely with the Gregory family to help develop the very unique and special festival community at Bloodstock Open Air,” explained Showsec’s operations executive Darren Evans, himself a heavy metal fan who used to attend the festival before he began working for the business.

“We have a great relationship with all who work at Bloodstock,” continued Evans. “Everyone knows everyone and this all adds to the success of the event. It’s like a big family gathering with a real sense of togetherness and community spirit which ensures the festival is enjoyed by all attendees. A large number of our staff really look forward to working at Bloodstock. So much so, in fact, that staff from as far afield as Wales are willing to travel to Catton Park to work there.”

Interaction with the fans

In praising the contribution of Showsec, Bloodstock director Adam Gregory cited an example of interaction with the fans which highlights the important role that’s played in creating such a good-natured and friendly atmosphere.

“Showsec provides a pivotal team to help with Bloodstock each year,” enthused Gregory. “The staff are friendly and welcoming to all while at the same time ensuring that the fans’ safety is their top priority throughout the festival. Bloodstock fans have embraced the Showsec team and consider them very much a part of the family.”

Gregory continued: “Walking through the crowds on the Saturday, I personally heard one of the fans asking a Showsec staff member for his name and he said: ‘Great to meet you’, which I thought was a really nice gesture. It goes to show exactly how the working relationship between Bloodstock and Showsec has grown. Showsec’s staff understand how to be in control without being aggressive in any way. We look forward to a continued partnership with the business.”

This was the 15th year that Bloodstock has been staged and, for the last six of those years, Showsec have been influential in developing the event’s special atmosphere.

Although some of the sights were pretty scary, including Predator, Zombies, Judge Dredd and a clown sporting a gas mask, you cannot fail to see that the environment is a huge metal family primarily there to ‘rock out’ and have fun.

Experienced team in the pit

One metal fan wrote on the festival’s Facebook page: “I love the Showsec personnel. They’re all really nice people, a lot of whom seemed to love the music as well. Maybe that’s why the same personnel seem to sign up for working at the event every year.”

While the good nature of its followers and the community spirit generate a special atmosphere, there’s nevertheless an important role for Showsec to fulfil in terms of ensuring Bloodstock is an enjoyable experience for all in attendance.

An important element of that operation is having an experienced pit team in place to manage the enthusiasm and sheer energy within the crowd.

For the fifth year in a row, Bloodstock partnered with the Teenage Cancer Trust. Since beginning that relationship in 2011, over £21,000 has been raised for the charity, with the money going to help the UK’s teenagers and young adults who have cancer.

Showsec and Leicestershire Police work in unison to cut crime at 2015 Download Festival

Event security specialist Showsec’s crime reduction partnership with Leicestershire Police has produced another significant drop in incidents at the Download Festival. The impact of the joint operation for the 2015 event at Donington Park in the Midlands has resulted in a fall of 35% in reported criminal activity. That follows on from a reduction of almost 70% at the 2014 Festival.

What makes this further decrease particularly satisfying is that there was a considerable increase in the number of people who attended Donington Park this time around. The whole experience for the 80,000 Heavy Metal and Hard Rock music fans who attended was made all the more enjoyable by the effect of a joint crime reduction strategy aimed at enhancing Download’s reputation as the UK’s premier event of its kind.

Showsec worked closely with Leicestershire Police on the introduction of a specific Crime Reduction Strategy for the first time in 2014. This had a profound effect for a festival which could already point to relatively low crime figures for events of this type. Indeed, crime figures at Download have been on a downward curve since 2011 and are now at a five-year low following Leicestershire Police’s publication of the latest results.

At this year’s event, organiser Live Nation introduced cashless RFID technology which meant there was very little cash on site while the police trialled facial recognition technology. Results of the effectiveness of this particular trial are subject to a separate report.

Showsec worked in tandem with Leicestershire Police to reduce incidents of criminality at the 2015 Download Festival

Festival director John Probyn highlighted the importance of these measures in providing the best possible experience for Download’s loyal customers. “We’re absolutely thrilled that crime figures have fallen again at this year’s Download Festival,” enthused Probyn. “Every year, we work tirelessly with Showsec and Leicestershire Police to ensure that we provide the safest environment for our fans to enjoy nothing but fun and great music. These latest figures are not only testament to the strength and effectiveness of that partnership and the initiatives we introduce to keep the fans safe, but also to our incredible community of Download festival goers.”

Detective Inspector Matt Ditcher, who was in charge of Leicestershire Police’s Crime Reduction Strategy, commented: “Crime at Download has always been low, but this year has been really exceptional. When you consider that 80,000 people flood into North West Leicestershire over five days, almost doubling the size of the local population, it’s incredible that so few crimes have been reported to us. The figures reflect the hard work and co-operation that occurs between ourselves, Live Nation and Showsec. We work and patrol together to prevent people falling victim to crime either by encouraging them to keep their belongings safe, carrying out proactive joint patrols or by identifying and removing those people who are acting suspiciously. It’s obvious that our strategy works really well and has been a great success.”

Developing the Crime Reduction Strategy

Showsec placed great emphasis on further development of the Crime Reduction Strategy as the award-winning company looked to build upon such a positive outcome last year.

“We’re continually seeking to raise the bar with our operations, but achieving further progress in this instance presented quite a challenge for us,” explained Showsec’s director Simon Battersby, who served as director of security for this year’s Download Festival. “This was due to the reduction in crime being so high in 2014 and also due to this year’s Download attracting a considerably higher turnout, both in terms of the large numbers who attended the festival and those who populated all of the camp sites.”

Battersby continued: “It’s a measure of the close liaison which we have developed with Leicestershire Police that, together, we were able to achieve another significant reduction in crime. “Simon Cole, the Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police and the Gold Commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Haward, were both praiseworthy of the partnership. The introduction of our own specific Crime Reduction Strategy was piloted at Download last year and then subsequently adopted at other festivals. We believe this partnership in the case of Download and those orchestrated with police forces for festivals in other parts of the country can develop safer and more secure environments in which customers can realise even more enjoyment out of their festival experience.”

The Download Festival is traditionally one of the largest event operations taken on by Showsec each year. It was the commitment and professionalism of the team at all levels which ensured the company rose to the challenges in this instance – and one in particular.

“The wet weather was obviously one of the biggest challenges,” said Battersby. “It is, of course, all part of working at festivals in an English summer, but even though we’ve experienced it before and know what to expect, it doesn’t make it any easier. What does help, though, is having good-natured Download fans on site who accept the weather as being part of the whole experience. They may be soaked to the skin and covered in mud, but they don’t let that spoil their enjoyment of the whole occasion.”

The strength of Showsec’s management infrastructure meant that Battersby was supported by regional managers Richard Church (as arena security manager) and Alan Wallace (security manager for the camp sites) in addition to a number of area managers. These included Joe Milner (project manager) and Louise Stockden (Control Room manager). Operations executive Jennifer Edwards took on the role of crime liaison manager.

Showsec praised for ‘superb crowd management operation’ at Parklife 2015 Festival

Showsec has been acclaimed for new crowd management measures which helped to make the Parklife 2015 Festival even bigger and better for attending fans. Thousands flocked to Manchester’s Heaton Park for the music extravaganza which opened with a concert from The Courteeners followed by a spectacular line-up of performers across the weekend.

The crowd management and event security specialist worked with the event organisers and other agencies to provide the best-possible experience for fans who wanted to see the likes of Rudimental, Disclosure, Fatboy Slim and Mark Ronson. Much of that planning was focused on ingress and egress arrangements for the 70,000 revellers who came and went on each of the days of this increasingly popular event.

Jon Drape, event director for Parklife, said: “Mark Logan and the whole Showsec team are an integral part of the Parklife team. They deserve full credit for the success of this year’s festival. The attention to detail and extensive experience shown in the planning phase resulted in a superb operation on the ground.”

Drape added: “We’re very pleased with how everything developed, particularly given the scale of the festival. I think it shows the benefit of all agencies working together.”

Showsec’s security operation proved a great success at this year’s Parklife Festival

Planning to minimise disruption

The sheer scale of the attendance and the fact that there’s no camping for the visiting public makes Parklife one of the biggest festivals of its kind in Europe. On that basis, there’s necessarily a considerable amount of emphasis placed on ingress and egress to minimise disruption when so many people arrive and then leave in a short space of time.

In his capacity as security director for the event, Showsec’s Mark Logan headed up the planning and then the implementation of the crowd management strategy. One feature was an innovative new queueing system.

“We pride ourselves on being innovative with our delivery systems,” said Logan. “Parklife is a good example of how our planning and preparation can deliver an even higher standard of service for clients and the public. There was a strong focus on the ingress and egress operations in the planning phase for Parklife, and we’re pleased with the impact of the new systems in making passage in and out of the site considerably easier for customers.”

Logan continued: “With the movement of such a high volume of people, particularly at the end of each day, we introduced an additional exit gate and assigned more resources to our crowd management support teams to help with this process. We also designed a holding pen system which cuts down on the length of queues and enables us to control the release of people in stages.”

He added: “Having that measure of control meant we could manage people movement more effectively at a critical time, thus reducing both the amount of congestion in certain areas and the likelihood of a rush developing.”

Showsec deployed more than 2,000 staff across the three days of the event. Alan Wallace (regional manager, North), Mark Wilcock (area manager, Greater Manchester) and Axel Fernandes (operations executive) were key members of the project management team.

‘Royal’ appointment for Showsec in Nottingham 

In addition, Showsec has secured a new agreement to extend a long-standing association with Nottingham’s Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall at what is undoubtedly a time of huge historical significance.

Showsec will continue to provide its services for two of the United Kingdom’s most successful touring venues for three more years. That means the company will play an important role later on this year in the 150th Anniversary celebrations of the Theatre Royal which first opened its doors back in Queen Victoria’s reign.

While the Theatre Royal has long been established as an iconic venue in the entertainment world, the Royal Concert Hall also attracts many high-profile events and artists.

“We have been working with the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall for many years now, so we’re delighted to be presented with this fantastic opportunity to extend that association,” commented Joe Milner, Showsec’s area manager in the East Midlands.

“What makes it particularly special is that we will now be playing a part in celebrations of this landmark year for the Theatre Royal which are planned for September. We pride ourselves in offering a high level of customer service to enhance the experience for audiences visiting each of the venues, and this has helped them both to progress to a point where they are very busy in terms of events taking place throughout the year.”

Milner added: “Attracting more than half a million visitors each year, the diverse programme of events for both venues means they are as popular now as they have ever been. That puts them right up there among the leading entertainment venues of their kind in the East Midlands region, if not the whole of the UK.”

Members of the Showsec team at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall

Smarter image for stewarding and event staff

Last year, the refurbished Royal Concert Hall re-opened on the same night that Showsec staff wore their new three-piece suits for the first time. The smarter, more professional image has certainly been well-received and that has been a contributory factor in the cementing of this long-term association.

Kate Collins, operations director at the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall, said: “We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Showsec and we look forward to that continuing. A major influence upon the success which we have achieved in recent years has been the strong focus on providing the best possible customer experience and undoubtedly a key element of that is having the right quality of Front of House staff to deliver that service.”

Collins concluded: “It’s important to have the same familiar faces working with us on a regular basis and that makes them feel a part of our team. Showsec understands our requirements. The staff are always helpful and responsive to feedback and they go the extra mile where and when required.”

Momentous League and Cup ‘double’ in London for event security specialist Showsec

Showsec has completed its own equivalent of football’s coveted ‘double’ by playing a key role in the celebrations for each of the 2014-2015 Barclays Premier League and FA Cup winners. The crowd management and event security specialist mounted a major operation for the victory parade to mark Arsenal’s record-breaking FA Cup triumph at Wembley Stadium just six days after the company had featured prominently in supporting and safeguarding Chelsea’s Premier League victory party ten miles away in West London.

Thousands of jubilant fans lined the streets of the capital to hail their heroes following a season in which the London rivals shared all of the domestic honours – the Premier League and Capital One Cup going to Chelsea, with Arsenal victorious in the FA Cup and Community Shield.

The victory parades gave Showsec another opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to be right at the forefront of delivering safe and secure large-scale public events in the capital, while also affording the Leicester-based business the chance to work closely with both clubs’ management teams as well as other key stakeholders.

In the case of Chelsea’s celebration, Showsec was engaged once again by Innovision, the production company with whom it has worked to deliver safety and security for a number of high-profile occasions, the most recent of which was the third stage of the Tour de France’s Grand Depart last summer.

For Arsenal’s second successive FA Cup triumph, Showsec worked with the north London club to activate an extensive crowd management and security operation within hours of the famous trophy having been presented at Wembley Stadium.

Showsec provided security for Arsenal’s FA Cup victory parade in London

Stepping up to the challenge

The strength of the stewarding team fielded on both occasions proved to be a crucial factor in successful project delivery, leaving regional manager Steve Reynolds (who served as head of security for both victory parades) to highlight the way in which key members of the Showsec brigade stepped up to the challenge.

“This was the second successive year that we’ve had the privilege of being involved in these celebrations for the two major winners of domestic honours in English football,” said Reynolds. .”The fact that both events took place within six days of eachother and also coincided with a busy start to our festival season meant that we really had to rely on the strength of the management infrastructure we’ve been developing through our training programmes.”

On that note, Reynolds added: “It was really satisfying to see members of the team step up to the challenge and provide strong leadership for delivery of these events, even when significant challenges were presented to them. In many ways this really demonstrates the calibre of people we have working for us.”

Team effort on both parades

While Dayo Adelugba (Showsec’s area manager for West London) operated in key roles alongside Reynolds on both occasions, operations executives Michael Asimonye (dedicated to the Chelsea event) and Harry Thorn (who worked on the Arsenal victory parade) were given the responsibility of acting as project managers. There was also influential support on hand from many other members of the Showsec operation.

“It required an outstanding team effort for both parades, from all the prior planning and preparation right through to end delivery by every company member on the ground,” explained Adelugba. “The Chelsea parade gave us the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Innovision, whom we have worked with on a number of major projects in London, while we once again operated in partnership with Arsenal and their stewarding team for their celebrations.”

Adelugba added: “Both operations also involved close liaison with a number of other agencies in developing a strategy for crowd management, road closures and the creation of an environment which made these events an enjoyable experience for the fans while also being sensitive to members of the local community.”

Showsec on fast track to more success in wake of Silverstone contract win

Event security and crowd management specialist Showsec has won a new contract with one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues. The company is now providing its services at Silverstone, the world-renowned home of the Formula One British Grand Prix as well as many other high profile motor racing events in the sporting calendar.

The contract win represents a highly-significant development for Showsec as the company endeavours to develop an even stronger presence within the world of sport.

The greatest events in British motor racing take place at the Northamptonshire circuit during the course of a packed programme which runs from the end of March right through to the beginning of November.

Showsec has won a prestigious security and safety contract at Silverstone

“This is a prestigious opportunity for the company to work with a venue which rightfully enjoys iconic status in the world of sport and, indeed, beyond that arena,” explained Richard Church, Showsec’s regional manager for the Midlands. “We feel privileged to be given this chance of playing a key role in upholding that proud reputation over the busy programme of events which lies ahead, and look forward to this being the start of a long-term relationship with the client.”

Church added: “We believe there’s real synergy between Silverstone and ourselves in terms of the commitment to customer experience. Our own experience of successfully delivering crowd management and security plans for large-scale sporting events, such as the Tour de France last year, will certainly be of value to us in undertaking this exciting new challenge.”

Showsec is now drawing on its strong management infrastructure to lead operations at Silverstone over the coming months. The contract delivery will be headed up by Church and East Midlands area manager Joe Milner. Further support for account manager Chris Senior will be provided by area managers Ieuan Fury and Louise Stockden.

“The size and scale of this opportunity is highlighted by the fact that there are motor racing events virtually every weekend across a seven-month period,” stated Church. “The circuit does have its own in-house security team, though. In some cases, such as for smaller events, we will be providing support to that team, but at the other end of the scale there are massive occasions such as the British Grand Prix.”

Showsec receives praise of the highest order for VE Day security and safety operations in London

Prime Minister David Cameron was among those who saluted the contribution of Showsec to the special London-based celebrations which marked the 70th Anniversary of VE Day.

The crowd management and event security specialist has received acclaim from several quarters for its part in the staging of events over a three-day period in the capital that remembered the occasions when the Second World War came to an end, and it was while members of the Showsec team were drawing a week of duties to a conclusion that they had an impromptu meeting with the Prime Minister at the iconic Horse Guards Parade.

“The Prime Minister was out jogging on the Tuesday evening,” explained operations executive Andrew Agnew. “We acknowledged him as he went past and he made a point of stopping to thank us and to tell us that we had all done a fantastic job on such a great occasion.”

Indeed, this is a view which has been echoed by other organisations with whom Showsec was proud to operate alongside for a celebration of such huge national significance.

Showsec helped to make the special VE Day Anniversary celebrations in central London a great success

The VE Day celebrations presented an opportunity to work again with the BBC’s Special Events team who broadcast live many of the special moments across the three days, and most notably A Party To Remember – the concert staged at Horse Guards Parade which featured performances by veteran rockers Status Quo and Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins.

Guy Freeman, editor of special events at BBC Events, said: “Thank you so much to Showsec for helping to create a very special show at incredibly short notice. I do mean it when I say that it’s a show of which we can all be incredibly proud in every respect. Every department excelled itself to turn what were just ideas on paper into an extraordinarily powerful, evocative and poignant tribute marking an extremely special generation.”

Chief Inspector Mark Chatfield from the Metropolitan Police Service has also stated that it had been a “pleasure” working with the Showsec team on the celebrations.

Main focus of the security operation

While a workforce of almost 700 Showsec staff was deployed throughout the week, the main focus of the whole operation was on events that took place in St James’s Park, including a vehicular display and the concert in Horse Guard’s Parade as well as a Veterans Parade.

Following a Service of Thanksgiving on the Sunday morning, that parade took both veterans and current servicemen from Westminster Abbey to St James’s Park where they were welcomed at a reception hosted by The Royal British Legion.

“Though this was essentially a big celebration, the high profile of those individuals in attendance combined with the circumstances in general at the time meant there was a heightened level of security throughout,” explained Dayo Adelugba, Showsec’s area manager for West London.

“As well as VE Day itself, we had recently had the arrival of a Royal baby and right on the eve of this event there had, of course, been the General Election as well. These were all important considerations in planning the security protocol with a high level of attention to detail necessary at every stage in the process.”

Adelugba added: “Given those circumstances there were many challenges in front of us but, due to a fantastic team effort, everything went very well and everyone seemed happy. The event gave us the opportunity to build a closer working relationship with some important key stakeholders in the capital.”

Showsec appoints new area managers for Leeds and Sheffield as Yorkshire operation restructures

Showsec is gearing itself up for further expansion in the North of England with the appointment of two new area managers. The crowd management and event security specialist has now divided its Yorkshire operation into two distinct areas following the recent restructure of the Manchester office as the business seeks to maximise the potential for further growth.

Sam Hodkin has been confirmed as the new area manager in Leeds while Craig Bennett will take up a similar role in Sheffield next week. The two appointments represent another major endorsement for the company’s highly-acclaimed Management Development Programme, meaning that six graduates of the ground-breaking initiative have now progressed to become area managers.

Alan Wallace, Showsec’s regional manager in the North of England, commented: “This is another significant step in the company’s development throughout the region and puts us in a very strong position to achieve further growth in the future. We’re looking to expand our footprint all over the United Kingdom and Yorkshire is clearly an area where there is enormous potential. A considerable amount of growth has already been achieved there and recent developments presented us with the chance to undertake this restructure in dividing such a large county into two distinct areas centred on Leeds and Sheffield.”

Left to Right: Sam Hodkin, Alan Wallace and Craig Bennett

Wallace added: “This is an exciting new challenge for Sam and Craig. They’ve been given an excellent springboard through the Management Development Programme which has created a strong infrastructure for us to promote from within. The value of the company’s commitment to helping individuals fulfil their potential is further underlined by operations executive Christopher Hudson, another recent graduate of the Management Development Programme, who has now moved across from Manchester to Leeds so that he can join Sam’s team.”

Speaking about his new appointment, Sam Hodkin said: “This opportunity is a dream come true. I look forward to continuing on a successful journey with Showsec and embracing this fantastic opportunity.”

Hodkin’s views were echoed by Craig Bennett, who told Risk UK: “I’m thrilled to have been given this opportunity and fully appreciative of the level of time, effort and support I’ve received at every step throughout my career with Showsec. Having been based in Sheffield for the past six years, I’m excited to be able to take on this role and further develop the service we provide in the Sheffield area.”

World Class Service audits commend Showsec personnel’s customer service skills

Event security specialist Showsec has received acclaim after achieving exceptionally high scores for customer service at three major arenas. The company is commended for its high levels of service at the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester, the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield and the First Direct Arena in Leeds following audits conducted by World Class Service.

Showsec staff at the Phones 4U Arena led the way with an audit score of 94%, closely followed by the team at the Motorpoint Arena (93%) and employees seconded to the First Direct Arena (92%).

The World Class Service on site audits, which were commissioned by Showsec, highlighted a significant improvement in performance at all three arenas. “This is a fantastic set of results and great credit to all those involved in delivering our service,” said Alan Wallace, Showsec’s regional manager. “We’re constantly looking at ways in which we can raise standards and these audits provide a crucial benchmark in helping to measure progress.”

Wallace added: “The 2013 audits identified a need to make improvements to certain aspects of our service and I’m delighted with the progress that has been achieved since then.”

World Class Service works with venues and organisations to help drive standards of service and enhance the customer experience. The company conducts a ‘secret shopper’ assessment of arenas focusing primarily on three key areas: behaviours, processes and environment.

The Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield where Showsec provides security and stewarding solutions

Recruiting staff with the right attitude

“The Showsec staff in all three venues were wonderful,” said Tracy Waddacor, managing director of World Class Service. “The company has obviously put a lot of hard work into getting the right mix. Recruiting staff with the right attitude is vital and, on the whole, everyone we encountered was helpful, considerate and professional when dealing with customers.”

Wallace praised the operations executives who’ve been at the forefront of the improvements which have been made at all three arenas, namely Tom Bailey at the Phones 4U Arena, Craig Bennett at the Motorpoint Arena and Sam Hodkin at the First Direct Arena.

“Their dedication to service has been the driving force behind this uplift in performance,” commented Wallace. “It’s very clear they’ve had a strong influence on how all members of the teams perform at ground level which in itself is highly commendable.”