Andrew Cooke – Director Security Operations
Over the last few years, the increase in costs to host major sport events has been astonishing. As a result, in the midst of a global economic downturn, many countries have shied away from bidding and hosting major sport events due to the huge investment and infrastructure needed to host a safe and successful event.
Andrew Cooke – Director Security Operations
Creating a compelling active supporter fan experience is vital to producing a world-class sporting event. Designing a safe, enjoyable and high quality active supporter-orientated event ensures the success of the match, team, club and governing body.
Andrew Cooke – Director Security Operations
Major event security is an ever-more critical and complex practice. As more new nations take up the challenge of hosting the world’s biggest sporting events, there has never been a greater need to share knowledge and experience in the field.
President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass used his keynote address at Securing Sport to reinforce the benefits of sport and emphasize how organisations such as the ICSS need to help protect it.
Speaking at the opening of the event held in New York, Haass called on all attendees to not only share their ideas throughout the two day conference but follow through on them.
“For those of us who are students of what is going on in the world, sports can be revealing,” said Haaas.
“Sports need to be safe for all those participating and all those attending events.”
Haass also talked about the important role sport plays in society and the influence of athletes.
“Sports can be a critical refuge for divided and war-torn societies,” added Haass.
“Athletes have an obligation and opportunity to be a role model for the virtues of exercise and health.”
FIFA Presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale told a packed room at Securing Sport that sport helped keep him alive while in prison.
South African Sexwale was jailed alongside Nelson Mandela and told the conference in New York that “one of the things that kept us alive on Robben Island was the power of sport.”
During his impassioned speech he spoke of how racism threat to sport and society.
“I want to talk about something that has crossed my heart. The biggest threat to sport is racism,” said Sexwale.
“Racism is a societal ill that also needs to be combated beyond the field of play.”
During his keynote speech Sexwale also spoke about the current issues of FIFA and claimed “We in FIFA brought ourselves to this position by failing to adhere to certain basic standards.”
Andrew Cooke – Director Security Operations
More than 135 major sporting events have been held over the past 100 years, equating to an approximate total of 400 years’ of security planning, yet there is no known standard security planning model available to base such security planning on.
This year looks set to be the year of wearable technology – and the signs are that sports events will be among the early adopters, particularly in order to support safety and security.
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Andrew Cooke – Director Security Operations
The ‘risk is real’ for major sporting events…and therefore safety and security must be integrated and considered at the earliest stages of stadia design. A typical risk assessment considers threats, vulnerabilities and the impact of the incidents on the event itself. However, games-time threats are difficult, if not impossible, to predict at the beginning of the design phase, which could be many years before the actual event, takes places.
