Many people who previously wouldn’t have thought twice about spending a decent proportion of their income on travel and tourism, sporting events, concerts, or going to the theatre or gym, have opted to rein in spending on leisure.
Back in 2011, statistics suggested that the value of the UK leisure market was something in the region of £66bn, down £4bn on 2007. In the years since 2007, the effects of the economic downturn and the government’s austerity measures have began to bite, affecting leisure spending.
The leisure sector employs just shy of two million people in the UK – 10 per cent of the total employed population. In a fiscally difficult climate, there’s increasing pressure on leisure sector managers to deliver if that figure is to be maintained and any company profits grown.
Those same managers must demonstrate an attention to quality, innovation and value for money.
Brand and reputation are now arguably more important than at any time in the past and, if effective and fast returns are to be made on often substantial cash investments from owners, rapid and seamless delivery is very much the name of the leisure game.
Security, health and safety and fire prevention
In equal measure, leisure environments must be seen to be inviting, safe, secure, clean and eco-friendly. These are the qualities that engage and attract a positive attitude from individuals and groups of potential corporate business clients.
Leisure sector managers play a major role in these deliverables, tasked as they often are with procuring security, monitoring health and safety issues and making sure that everything’s in place when it comes to fire prevention and protection.
Security provision for venues will inevitably focus on CCTV, access control and intruder alarms. In the surveillance space, we’ve seen a move from analogue to digital cameras and, of late, the introduction of a new Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.
Access control solutions have also proceeded apace, with the advent of multi-function cards and the continual development of biometric systems.
Given the rather litigious nature of today’s society, venue managers must always be abreast of health and safety. Slip and fall injury claims have burgeoned, for example, but the right CCTV in the right places will capture any bogus episodes (and save the host business money).
In terms of fire safety, what action ought to be taken on discovery of a fire outbreak? Are there regularly practised evacuation procedures in place? Is there an appointed assembly area for staff away from the building? Have members of the team been taught how to interpret information displayed on the fire alarm panels? How should fire-fighting equipment be selected and, ultimately, deployed?
There’s also an ongoing need to keep false security and fire alarm scenarios to a minimum, but what are the best ways of doing so?
System solutions, education, networking
The good news for leisure sector managers seeking best practice advice and information on the latest system solutions is that, in just a few months’ time, they can find everything they need under one roof.
Protection and Management 2014 runs at London’s ExCeL Exhibition and Conference Centre between 17 and 19 June 2014. Collectively, Protection and Management 2014 attracts 45,000 visitors and more than 1,600 exhibitors.
Featuring numerous co-located exhibitions – among them IFSEC International, FIREX International, Safety and Health Expo, Facilities Show, Energy and Environment Expo and Service Management Expo – there are also dedicated Education Academies offering an unrivalled conference and forum programme.
Supported by – among others – the BSIA, ADS, ASIS and The Security Institute, IFSEC International focuses on all aspects of security, encompassing video surveillance, intruder detection, access control, integrated solutions, the key-critical subject of IT and cyber security, perimeter protection and physical security.
At FIREX International, more than 170 providers will showcase the latest technology in fire detection and prevention. UBM works closely with key stakeholders in the fire safety arena, including the Fire Industry Association, the Association of Specialist Fire Protection, the Fire Protection Association and the Loss Prevention Certification Board.
In addition, the Facilities Show is the only Facilities Management exhibition in the UK that’s supported by the British Institute of Facilities Management Series. It offers networking and education opportunities.
