The world is a dangerous place. As event planners are forced to manage and monitor risk, it's important to remember there are best practices for protecting your attendees.
Agencies and venues have stepped up to the plate to meet rising safety and security concerns among meetings organizers. The challenge is to fulfill duty of care obligations without impacting the delegate experience.
It should come as no surprise that the government isn't following its own rules when it comes to securing the traveler data it seizes from personal devices. Another reminder to take precautions, even if your chance of getting searched is rather low.
Women who travel for business need more resources and support from the companies that dispatch them around the world. Raising awareness of the issues they face can only do so much.
It looks like things are starting to turn around for Merlin in its key London market. We'll have to wait until its annual results later this year for the full picture.
Tourism boards are usually behind the scenes of events, but Las Vegas and Nashville's organizations are often front and center in the form of security personnel hired by tourism officials through local police departments. Even if travelers don't realize this, parts of both cities' tourism budgets are very much on the front lines.
Not every company can afford a dedicated security director. There are services out there, though, that are evolving to offer more automated security solutions that aren't just for multinational corporations and global operations.
Travel managers know they need to focus on safety as more women travel for business, but seem to be unwilling so far to make specific changes to their policies. Hopefully, this trend won't continue.