NCS⁴ NEWS eNewsletter | December 15, 2022

The NCS⁴ Team Wishes You a Safe and Happy Holiday Season and a Wonderful New Year!

Ninth Marathon and Endurance Events Forum a Success!

Thanks to everyone who attended the forum last week. The keynote speakers and expert panels provided insight on topics such as severe weather, crowd management, hostile vehicle mitigation, measuring the return on security investment, and available DHS resources. In addition to general programming sessions, attendees participated in moderated discussions to review the NCS⁴ Best Practices for marathon and endurance events.

Thank you to the Marathon and Endurance Events Advisory Committee for your guidance and support.

Thanks to our Solution Partners who helped make the forum possible.

Register Now and Book Your Room While There’s Still Time.

HURRY – THE ROOM BLOCK ENDS DECEMBER 17!

AN EVENT FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING CRITICAL SAFETY AND SECURITY CHALLENGES FACING INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS

Join your peers for the 2023 National Intercollegiate Athletics Safety and Security Forum on Jan. 17-18 in College Station, TX, with Title Partner, Landmark Event Staffing Services, Inc. The focus of the forum is to address the key safety and security challenges facing intercollegiate athletic programs and to share best practices for continuous improvement.

Leaders representing colleges and universities, athletic conferences, and associations will attend to share best practices, ideas, and practical solutions to enhance safety and security plans and operations.

The full agenda is now available. In addition to general programming sessions, attendees will be involved in moderated discussions in the following areas:

• Severe Weather Planning
• Crowd Dynamics/Management
• Communications
• Staff Training
• Traffic Management
• Facility Use

Only a few spots remain for the forum. The hotel room block ends Saturday, December 17. Visit the event website to view the agenda, register now, and book your hotel.

THANKS TO OUR SOLUTION PARTNERS!

Companies that provide products or services to the sports safety and security industry may only attend the Forum as Solution Partners. For information about becoming a Solution Partner for this event, please contact Sara Priebe, NCS⁴ Event and Membership Manager, at sara.priebe@usm.edu or 601-266-6858. The deadline to be included in print materials has passed.

Register Now and Join NCS⁴ for the National Conference in June

The 14th Annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition will take place June 27-29 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. 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.

Register now and make plans to join us!

Target Audience

Security directors and operators, facility and stadium managers, event planners/operators, law enforcement personnel, emergency managers, fire/HAZMAT, emergency medical/health services, athletic administrators, and governmental representatives.

These are individuals representing or supporting: professional sports leagues, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, marathon and endurance events, and sport and entertainment facilities (concerts, festivals, e-sports, convention centers, etc.).

Attendee Fees

Early-Bird Registration Through April 14:

(Member and Non-Member Attendee prices go up $50 after April 14.)

• Member Rate - $575 per person
• Non-Member Rate - $625 per person
• Private Sector Attendee - $850 per person (This category is for individuals representing companies that provide products or services to the industry and are not sponsoring or exhibiting.)

Registering a Group? If you are registering three or more people from the same organization, save $75 off each attendee registration. Discount will be automatically applied when applicable. *Cannot be combined with the member discount. *Does not apply to Private Sector Attendee registration or Exhibitors/Sponsors.

NCS⁴ Connect Members receive a discounted rate. If you are already a member and would like to request the discount code, please contact Sara Priebe at sara.priebe@usm.edu. To become a member of NCS⁴ Connect, click here.

Announcing a New Scholarship Program for Young Professionals!

Young Professional Scholarship Program

The NCS⁴ is committed to educating the next generation of sport security professionals. The Young Professional Scholarship Program is designed for professionals 40 years of age or younger working in the sports and entertainment security industry. The scholarship program supports young professionals’ educational goals by covering the NCS⁴ Annual Conference and Exhibition registration fee. Recipients are exposed to general educational programming, innovative technology solutions, security expert insights, and networking opportunities.

The NCS⁴ will award five scholarships covering the cost of registration to the National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition, June 27-29, 2023, in San Antonio, TX.

Application Deadline: March 1, 2023, @ 11:59 pm CDT

Recipients Notified: March 15, 2023

Application Criteria

• Applicants must be 40 years of age or younger.
• Applicants must be current practitioners in the sports and entertainment industry.
• Applications must be completed online and submitted before the deadline.
• Recipients must be able to attend the National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition, June 27-29, 2023, in San Antonio, TX.

Exhibitors and Sponsors

Registration for exhibitors and sponsors are being accepted. Exhibitors may register online using the link below. For those interested in sponsoring, please contact Sara Priebe at sara.priebe@usm.edu to request a sponsorship packet or for additional information.

We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio!

Golden Eagle Award

Excellence in Design and Innovation in Sport Venue Security Integration

Only registered NCS⁴ Conference exhibitors and sponsors may apply

Applicants from leading systems integration, architecture, design, engineering and consulting firms are invited to submit case studies from successful projects, which had safety and security at the forefront of planning and execution.

The 2023 Golden Eagle Award recognizes excellence in system integration, architecture, engineering and/or construction (A/E/C) specifically related to the safety and security of spectators, property, and infrastructure of spectator event facilities. The Golden Eagle Award considers critical design and functionality elements that enable and promote the safety and security of all stakeholders in an efficient and effective manner.

A panel of judges reviews all applications to determine the most compelling projects. The winning submission will be selected as the 2023 Golden Eagle Award recipient, with the opportunity to present their case study to attendees at the National Conference. The winner will be recognized at the Awards Luncheon during the National Conference.

Applicants are asked to provide the following project information for judges’ consideration:

• Describe what risk or security issue your company was hired to address
• Provide an overview of how your team strategically approached the project/security issue
• Share details on the solution you provided, including technologies used to mitigate the security issue
• Explain how the solution balanced safety/security with the fan experience
• Submit a 600-word case study about the project

Judges will also consider:

• Relevance to the sports industry
• Effectiveness and efficiency of the solution in solving the identified problems/issues
• The use of creativity, innovation, and technology in a way that leads the industry forward

To participate, interested applicants should complete an online application and submit it by March 14, 2023.

New Research Seminar Series Available

A new Research Seminar Series webinar is now available on demand. The seminar “Understanding the Interface Between Security and Customer Service at NCAA Division I FCS Institutions” is presented by Dr. Kiernan Gordon, Assistant Professor of Sport & Recreation Management at the University of New England. As sport venues become increasingly hardened, security personnel take on an increasingly important role in customer service. This presentation explores what effective customer service ought to look like for security personnel, as well as how we should view the customer journey at sport venues. Click the link below to watch the webinar.

Welcome New Web Developer, Aayush Gautam

Aayush Gautam is the Web Developer for the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security. He is an international student from Nepal currently working on his undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Physics at USM. He likes building things, be it apps or engineering projects, and always looks forward to learning new things. Welcome to the team, Aayush!

How Venue and Event Operators Are Preparing for Weather Incidents

READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THE FALL 2022 ISSUE OF GAMEDAY SECURITY

Industry experts provide insight and advice on predicting and detecting weather challenges to prepare for athletic events and other outdoor activities. Click the link below to view the magazine and navigate to page 7 to read the article.

NCS⁴ eLearning Options

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

• 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.

Check Out the NCS⁴ Best Practices Online

You asked for it, and we answered…The NCS⁴ industry safety and security best practices are available in an online format. Search for and find best practices at your fingertips – on gameday, in a meeting, or wherever you need them.

The NCS⁴ recognizes the need to help protect people, infrastructure, and information by sharing safety and security best practices. General best practices applicable to all types of venues and events are presented with the capability to navigate to industry-specific best practices, including professional sports and entertainment events, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, and marathon and endurance events.

ICYMI: Venue Security Director Industry Report Published

The sporting world faces unique challenges when returning to play following a global pandemic, and many leagues, teams, and venues are exploring ways to maintain or improve their security operations. The purpose of this survey is to explore professional sports venue security issues, emerging threats, and technology solutions. Information gleaned from this study will assist venue directors in policy development, increase awareness of technology solutions, identify resource needs, and address training gaps to help protect human, physical, and cyber assets. Click the link below to view the report.

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.