By Kirstin Albert, Communications Coordinator - Tampa Convention Center
Tampa Convention Center and Visit Tampa Bay invited the hospitality industry in Tampa to a security training focused on keeping venues and large events safe. The goal was to give venues the tools to be as secure as possible.
The community-wide security training focused on situational awareness, de-escalation strategies for front-line teams, active threat/active shooter preparedness, and more. Participants received Crowd Control Certification.
International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) offered the training. IAVM’s Director of Safety and Security, Mark Herrera, led the training, alongside Mark Mettes, President and CEO of Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
“Absolutely another amazing team, Tampa Convention Center is taking lead to positively secure all events with a focus on building an engaged resilient security culture,” Herrera said.
More than 100 people attended the training, including representatives from the city of Tampa, ZooTampa, The Florida Aquarium, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, Tampa Sports Authority, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and multiple local hotels.
Visit Tampa Bay, a non-profit destination marketing organization, sponsored the security training. Tampa Convention Center donated the space for the training. The center’s partners donated services to make this training possible, including utility provider Edlen, audiovisual provider Encore, Internet provider SmartCity, and catering provider Aramark.