The power of positivity and supporting shared goals

After months of planning and two days of jumping out of one conversation, straight into the next, the International Security Expo is over for another year. And what an event it was! We were expecting it to be busy, but, for Crowdguard at least, it was off-the-scale busy and we were overwhelmed by the positive response to our stand and the services we provide.

In business and outside of it, I have always believed that a kind word costs nothing – but the value of positivity can be immeasurable. In our sector, where Crowdguard is helping people plan for the worst, the exhibition was a fantastic showcase of just how much the security and counter terrorism community is pulling together to protect people and deliver the best safety and security outcomes. From the delegates who came to our stand to thank us for the support we’ve given them, to the innovation all around us, and the inspirational speakers, the show has made us more committed than ever to doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Protecting in Partnership

We exhibited on the same stand as one of our partners, Highway Care Security, and were at ISE alongside many other partners, including ATG Access, Unafor, CLD Fencing, Husson International, ARX Security, Safety Flex, Heald, Marshalls, Frontier Pitts, SafeCrowds and our industry body the PSSA. The strapline for our stand was ‘protecting in partnership’ and the exhibition has reinforced the importance of that principle. Partnerships enable us to offer an independent and unbiased service, ensuring we provide the most appropriate and proportionate solutions for every project. Protecting in partnership is also a fundamental principle of our industry – we learn from each other, we support each other and we champion the principle of facilitating people’s freedom to enjoy doing the things they love in a safe and secure environment.

If that sounds like a rallying cry to stand up and join forces as part of a community committed to people’s safety, then good. It’s supposed to. Positivity only happens when people are positive. And positive change only comes about when we speak up and take action.

It is really encouraging to see that there are lots of event organisers, venues, football clubs and local authorities already doing the right thing by assessing their risk, training their staff, and putting proportionate measures in place to protect people. But more can be done, and we must continue to educate the market that protecting in partnership with proportionate solutions does not need to be cost prohibitive, regardless of the size of event or venue.

I am really proud of our sector. What we do has the potential to make a difference and save lives. At Crowdguard, we hope the efficacy of the HVM we deploy never needs to be proved in a live installation, but we know that we’re specifying systems that are tested, certified, appropriate and proportionate, and we’re also deploying RAPAID emergency bandages, which can reduce the consequences of an attack should the worst happen.

Thank you to our partners, the event organisers, and all the speakers at the event, and thank you to everyone who came to our stand and shared knowledge, asked questions or simply gave us feedback. There is some great work going on in our sector, but there is more to do, and it’s clear that we will achieve more if we work together.

by Deborah Ainscough, Founder and Director at Crowdguard