Operations in today’s modern venues never truly stop. Stadiums, arenas, and large public facilities need to be prepared for anything when the lights are turned off.
A recent webinar that 24/7 Software hosted, “24/7 Operations in a 9-to-5 World: Lessons from the Venues That Never Sleep,” brought together industry leaders to discuss the persistent challenges and practical strategies required to maintain peak performance and venue safety 24 hours a day.
The discussion featured insights from:
- David Born, Senior Director, Prevent Advisors
- Greg Overstreet, Senior Director of Security, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, AMB Sports + Entertainment
- Alec Silverman, Global Sales Solutions, 24/7 Software
Addressing the Persistent Challenges in Operations
Right off the bat, the panelists identified a few core roadblocks that universally impact venue operations, regardless of a facility’s size or event schedule.
The Human Factor and Staffing
High staff turnover, combined with the need to deal with difficult or alcohol-impaired guests, makes human engagement the most important foundational piece of a successful operation. Venues must create a culture where staff members feel supported and trained to handle complex interactions.
The Pace of Work
The diversity and high volume of events, especially smaller, nonrepetitive events, create complexity and stress for teams. As Greg noted, "Those events worry me more because they're the ones that we don't do over and over and over and have a good ... repetition of performance at.”
Underutilized Technology
Venues frequently invest in advanced software, such as video management systems or operations management platforms, but utilize only a fraction of their capabilities (as little as 5-20 percent). The path to operational excellence requires leveraging technology to its fullest extent. David shared, "I've seen some venues that are using one or five percent of the ability of the software.”
The solution to underutilization is simple yet often overlooked: Reach out to your provider's customer success managers. Most vendors offer free training or support that can unlock the additional 95 percent of the capabilities of the platform, ultimately making your team more efficient.
Succeeding at After-Hours Operations and Coordination
Incidents don't adhere to a 9-to-5 schedule. The discussion highlighted the specific challenges of maintaining continuous operations and crucial communication protocols when leadership is off-site.
For incidents occurring late at night or during off-hours, the immediate need is real-time information to leadership. Greg emphasized that this is about empowering staff, not micromanaging them. Front-line security teams must know they have the full support of management and feel comfortable waking up a supervisor for a serious incident. In an era of increasingly hostile behavior directed at staff, ensuring their safety and security is a top management priority.
Dedicating to Documentation and Continuous Improvement
The Buffalo Bills needed a solution to track incidents, improve real-time communication, and enhance reporting for better decision-making.
How 24/7 Software Made a Difference
The foundation of a resilient operation is consistent documentation and a commitment to perpetual improvement. David emphasized the necessity of documenting every action: "If you didn't document it first, it never happened.”
The full process is a continuous loop of risk management: risk assessment → mitigation → planning → training → implementation → exercising → after action.
- Documentation is nonnegotiable: Everything, including training, security procedures, after-action reports, and incident logs, must be documented.
- Audits and red teaming are valuable: Exercises such as red teaming or facility audits are designed to find gaps, reinforce positive performance, and allow for immediate correction, coaching, and mentorship of staff in real time. The documented data from these checks provides indisputable evidence for future training.
- Resources should be justified: Documented after-action data is essential for venue operations leaders to justify requests for additional resources, such as increased staffing or technology, to upper management.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium uses 24/7 Software’s incident reporting, which Greg stated has "saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs" because of the documented incidents.
Advancing Operational Excellence and Safety
The next level of operational excellence is centered on four areas:
- Stay updated and network: Actively staying informed on current trends and networking with peers, attending industry conferences, and seeking out free training programs (such as those the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security offers) is necessary for growth.
- Benchmark with peers: Visiting and shadowing other venues, regardless of size, allows teams to adopt best practices and benchmark their procedures against similar facilities.
- Invest in proactive screening: An industry trend is the increasing and improving of security screening protocols, including new NFL venue security requirements and a heightened focus on active shooter response training.
- Emphasize staff security: Safety programs must prioritize the comfort and security of their team members by addressing the rise in hostile behavior. Utilizing guest-facing tools, such as text-to-assist lines, can turn guests into an extra layer of eyes and ears for the staff.
Ultimately, achieving world-class venue operations and exceptional experiences requires an integrated approach: leveraging technology to streamline communication and documentation, empowering staff to act as 24/7 sentinels, and consistently auditing procedures to ensure a state of readiness.
Watch the Full Webinar for a Blueprint for Proactive Readiness
The path to continuous operations and excellence is a journey of collaboration, consistent training, and relentless documentation. By embracing risk assessment and after-action correction, you can transform challenges into opportunities for growth.
To hear the full discussion, including more detailed insights into venue security auditing and staffing strategies, check out the complete webinar.
