NCS⁴ NEWS eNewsletter | June 15, 2023

Countdown to Conference: 3,2,1…It's Almost Go Time!

The 14th Annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition kicks off June 27 with a keynote from Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service. David Atkins, keynote motivational speaker, will follow Director Cheatle's address. The 2023 conference theme is Level-Up, challenging our industry friends and partners to strive for continuous improvement. The conference will offer dynamic programming, solution provider engagement, and opportunities to network with fellow professionals. This highly regarded gathering of sports safety and security professionals is an opportune time to share ideas, tools, and proven strategies to help advance the industry.

In addition to keynote speakers, an awards luncheon, interactive panel discussions, and breakout sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to explore emerging technologies and network with peers during the conference. A social reception planned for the event’s first evening allows practitioners, industry partners, and exhibitors to gather and network with friends and colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere.

Congratulations to Those Recognized at the Awards Luncheon

The NCS⁴ values the contribution of professionals in the field and is proud to recognize those individuals and organizations having a positive impact on advancing the industry.

Awards Luncheon sponsored by

Thank You to Our Solution Partners!

New Research Seminar Series Now Available

A new Research Seminar Series is now available on demand. The seminar “Lightning Safety for Outdoor Venues” is presented by Charlie Woodrum, Warning Coordination Meteorologist. This presentation highlights lightning incident statistics, myths, safe and unsafe structures, and sample public address announcements. In addition, Mr. Woodrum will take venue managers through the process of creating a lightning safety plan with the National Weather Service. The modernized Lightning Safety Toolkit for Outdoor Venues is now available for venue managers to address the risk of a fatal lightning strike in high-capacity outdoor stadiums and venues. Click the link below to watch the seminar.

ICYMI: NCS⁴ Staff Publishes Article in the Journal of Applied Sport Management

Dr. Stacey Hall, Dr. Joslyn Zale, and Ryan Kavanaugh publishes article on Spectator Awareness and Support of Safety and Security Practices and Technologies during COVID-19.

Abstract

Since 2020, a global pandemic has challenged the sports industry in unprecedented ways; the industry came to a standstill at one point, eventually returning with limited capacities and public health safety and security precautions. This exploratory study examined spectators' awareness and level of support for general safety and security measures and their willingness to embrace COVID-19-specific policies as they returned to live events in the U.S. in 2021. A total of 609 participants who attended a professional or collegiate sporting event within the previous three years completed the survey. Results indicated that spectators considered security measures when deciding to attend events and preferred visible measures (e.g., law enforcement presence, screening technologies, and security cameras). Spectators were willing to encounter COVID-related measures (e.g., temperature checks, digital health passes, and touchless screening) to return to live events. The most important decision-making factor in future event attendance was enhanced venue/event cleaning/hygiene protocols.

ICYMI: CSSP Special Edition Newsletter

The NCS⁴ recently published a special edition newsletter recognizing those who received CSSP certification over the past year. In the newsletter, the NCS⁴ congratulates the latest CSSP recipients and recognizes current certificants and commission members. Click the link to view the newsletter.

ICYMI: Dr. Stacey Hall Publishes Textbook

Dr. Stacey A. Hall, NCS⁴ Executive Director, recently announced the release of a new textbook in collaboration with longtime colleagues Dr. Walter Cooper and Dr. Jim McGee, Ph.D. “Security and Risk Assessment for Facility and Event Managers” is a new resource for practitioners in facility and event security, as well as for students taking courses in sport management, risk management, and security management. Dr. Hall thanks the Human Kinetics team for all their support and guidance (and patience).

Congratulations to Dr. Hall and her colleagues on publishing this valuable resource!

NCS⁴ eLearning Options

The NCS⁴ eLearning platform, NCS⁴ LEARN, provides opportunities for individuals and organizations to access asynchronous professional development opportunities. Current offerings include the following:

• Venue Staff Training
• Crowd Manager Fundamentals
• Senior Leader Course: Sports and Entertainment Security

Please visit the website or contact us at NCS4Learn@usm.edu if you have any questions or would like to inquire about bulk registration.

Click one of the links above or the button below for details or to register.

Fundamentals of Crowd Safety Course Offered Online

NCS⁴ and GKStill International have partnered to jointly offer the Fundamentals of Crowd Safety online E-Learning course to address capability gaps in crowd behavior and sciences. Professor Dr. G. Keith Still, Visiting Professor of Crowd Science at the University of Suffolk, developed this certified, accredited course. The course offers an 8-hour online interactive experience designed to teach the essential elements of crowd safety and crowd risk analysis. The course is especially valuable to event organizers, as it ensures that those who complete it are compliant with the NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code — specifically, the areas of section 12 of the code that require a venue to provide a crowd manager trained in crowd management techniques for occupancies exceeding 1000.