Take1 Insurance Talks Event Safety in Troubling Times
We attend events of all kinds for leisure and for pleasure. We attend them for the love of music, culture, art, community and more. For many, it’s an odd break from reality or corporate life. We travel far and wide. We base our vacations around annual events such as music and art festivals or sporting events. Thousands of people in one place sharing the same passion and fondness for something we enjoy gives us a feeling of community, acceptance and freedom.
Although these experiences give us moments of euphoria and lasting memories, they are also giving us reasons for concern. Over the past years, there have been looming threats to the industry leaving attendees feeling less confident and less safe in areas that draw large crowds, as they may be targeted by terrorism or other menacing hazards.
I had the opportunity to speak with Scott Carroll, executive Vice President & Program Director of Take1 Insurance, a live-event insurance underwriter that works in the entertainment and sports industry.
Photo provided by Take1 Insurance
Who is Take1 Insurance?
We are an entertainment-only wholesale insurance broker and program administrator. We work only on entertainment and sports business. We have the underwriting pen with a certain carrier, with whom we act as their underwriter on entertainment risks in the areas of Event Rental and Event Service; DICE and Touring. We are a division of Dallas-based US Risk, LLC., the fifth-largest privately held wholesale insurance agency in the United States.
What known clients or events do you typically partner with?
It would be in bad form to mention clients by name! But we can say that we write for some of the world’s largest and most prominent touring entertainers, and we write for some of the music industry’s most notable festivals.
What does Take1 offer?
We offer access to all entertainment insurance carriers, with years of underwriting and broking experience specific to the entertainment industry. We also bring thought leadership in terms of live event safety issues and insurance issues that are increasingly affecting the world of entertainment. And importantly, we bring dedication to our customers and an excellence in service standards that rival the industry.
How long have you been in the industry?
U.S. Risk, of which Take1 is a division, has been in the entertainment industry since the late ’90s. Take1 started in 2011. I have been in the industry for 32 years, having started with a major insurance carrier for the first seventeen years of my career, then moved to the brokerage side for the last fifteen years.
What are some of this year’s largest threats to the live event industry?
Malicious acts. Some might refer to this as terrorism or, more accurately, domestic terrorism. As a result, we are seeing a tightening of certain underwriting standards for live events like music festivals.
These are in direct response to some of the most visible issues experienced at various live events around the world, like the suicide bomb at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, and the gunman at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas, among others.
What type of training processes do event producers and security enforcers go through to prepare for the unexpected in today’s environment?
Event producers and security enforcers are now training to manage crowd control, perimeter security, active-shooter responses, rings of defense, alternative threats (off-site exposures), on-site medical support, ingress/egress in case of emergency, severe-weather planning, and much more. The live-event industry has certainly changed, and event producers are adapting to those changes with proper security measures and training procedures.
Specifically, for your company and its clients, how has this changed in recent years? What were the focuses then and now?
In the past, there was less consideration that something like a live event (be it a sporting event or a music event) would attract a nefarious element. Now, everyone understands that the entertainment industry is targeted due to its high profile. When mayhem ensues, it’s broadcast on the news. Now, we expect insureds (like live-event producers) to have safety plans and procedures in place for all kinds of situations that are worked out in advance.
Now, we expect our insureds to demand a higher level of care taken by whom they work for regarding life safety. In the past, we wouldn’t necessarily ask about an insured’s attention to things like weather and crowd control. Today, we turn folks down if they do not have good answers to these questions.
What are some of the new precautions and technologies being utilized for this year’s large events?
Live-event professionals are working overtime to incorporate a host of new safety features into their event safety plans. One recent development you’re likely to see the next time you go to a live event are safety command centers, which include security personnel, EMT, event promoters and even local government officials who monitor the live event in real time and implement any plans they had in place before the event began.
Another new safety precaution is social media monitoring. History has shown that people with bad intentions often take to social media platforms long before an event takes place. As a result, live-event professionals now monitor all social media platforms looking for any references to their events and any sign of danger from a post. Other precautions include severe-weather planning, active shooter, unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring, and even facial recognition.
Everyone in the chain carries their own insurance. This could include drone monitoring and defense against uninvited drones from entering the show site area, loss mitigation considerations, and risk management of carriers being invited to show site for best practice safety considerations.
What is your best advice for attendees on how to stay safe at live events or in large crowds?
Be aware of your environment. Know where the exits are. Think in advance, if something were to happen: “Where would I go; what would I do?” Buddy up. You are most responsible for you.
Take heed to any warnings or advice provided by the venue. Pay attention to the venue’s advice for safely exiting in case of an emergency. Keep your cell phone with you and charged.