IAVM’s Mark Herrera discusses how risk assessment is evolving.

When it comes to identifying and reducing event security risks, planners must navigate a constantly shifting landscape. Health concerns around Covid-19 continue to dominate most event professionals’ concerns, but over the last month worries about disruptions from civil unrest have taken on growing importance. In Northstar’s recent PULSE Survey, a number of respondents mentioned, unsolicited, that civil unrest is an issue that’s impacting their events.

To address these issues, we spoke with Mark Herrera, director of education for the International Association of Venue Managers. Herrera brings more than two decades of law enforcement experience to this role, and he draws on that to train managers who host large gatherings. In this episode of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, he discusses what the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol could mean for venue security more broadly, as well as the strategies he teaches to help his members ensure that events are held safely.

Herrera also will be a presenter at Northstar Meetings Group’s upcoming Back to Booking digital event, taking place on Feb. 23. Learn more at www.northstarmeetingsgroup.com/BacktoBooking