--- title: "Steps to Safety" id: "61302" type: "post" slug: "steps-to-safety" published_at: "2023-10-30T18:18:35+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:07:10+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/30/steps-to-safety/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/30/steps-to-safety.md" excerpt: "Threats to conferences have escalated in recent years. Effective planning involves close communication with meeting venues, and a range of ways to reach out to attendees." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Steps to Safety Part of the Deep Dive[Meetings Transformed](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/meetings-transformed/) Linda M. Lindamood, president and CEO of First Watch Strategies and Events, has decades of experience preparing organizations for security risks at large-scale events, including the Special Olympics. But even her clients will push back sometimes. “The thing that keeps me up at night is the client who says, ‘We’ve been doing this for 25 years and nothing has ever happened,’” she said. “Just because it’s never happened doesn’t mean that it’s not going to.” Conferences—and the threats to them—are more complicated than ever, thanks to extreme weather, concerns about active shooters, and controversial speakers in a divisive time politically. Associations needn’t panic, or put their attendees on edge. But Lindamood says the need to create, share, and prepare to implement an emergency response plan is more pronounced than ever. As a first step, Lindamood consults directly with an organization’s leaders. “We want to understand the audience, and also if there’s a threat to that audience,” she said. “We also want to understand what the client feels the risks are. We’ll just ask them to throw out one word that comes to the top of their mind for their audience about what exactly could go wrong.” Conference venues have also developed their own safety plans around events. Mary Klida, senior marketing and communications manager at Detroit’s Huntington Place convention center, says that its staff conducts active shooter training annually, and conducts tabletop exercises around scenarios with area law-enforcement agencies. “We realize that if [an active shooter incident] happens, it would be unexpected, so training is key,” Klida said. “In our pre-planning meetings with a show client, we now distribute some basic safety protocols so they can forward information to their attendees.” Once that plan is developed, an association may wish to bring in law enforcement to develop their own tabletop exercises that address elements unique to their event. Those can involve a variety of issues, Lindamood says. Will lots of attendees be outside in warm weather for an extended period? Are there other events happening simultaneously that will create traffic issues? Are you in an area that’s at an elevated risk of an earthquake? [Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [An Invitation for Everybody](https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/30/an-invitation-for-everybody/) - [Develop a Winning Sponsorship Strategy](https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/30/develop-a-winning-sponsorship-strategy/) - [Help Attendees Make Lasting Connections](https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/30/help-attendees-make-lasting-connections/) - [Irresistible Allure: How Glitzy Locales Energize In-Person Events](https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/30/irresistible-allure-how-glitzy-locales-energize-in-person-events/) - [What Meeting Pros Need to Know About Generative AI](https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/30/what-meeting-pros-need-to-know-about-generative-ai/) - [New Metrics for New Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/30/new-metrics-for-new-meetings/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/meetings-transformed/) ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Final Day at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/24/asae-tv-daily-recap-final-day-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2023%2F10%2F30%2Fsteps-to-safety%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !