ISC runs tight security operations for The Economist's conference series
The Economist's recent high profile financial and sports conferences, The Emerging Markets Summit and The Global Sport Summit required the greatest levels of security vigilance
With leading figures from politics and sport gathering for these events, The Economist enlisted Integrated Security Consultants (ISC) to ensure the safety and security of the venues, attendees and organisers.
The Economist contracted ISC having met representatives whilst the ISC team were carrying out pre-event assessments on behalf of the NFL, for whom they were already providing security services. The Economist subsequently retained the ISC to provide security for their forthcoming Emerging Markets Summit 2009 at London's Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel.
The prestigious event hosted past and present heads of state, international prime ministers and other dignitaries including Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Mohamed Ghannouchi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tunisia and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director of The World Bank.
ISC exceeded The Economist's expectations, subsequently leading to the company being asked to provide close protection security personnel for another dual aspect event the following month, The Global Sport Summit.
Held in association with the National Football League (NFL), The Global Sport Summit is an event exclusively reserved for 150 of the most influential figures in global sport, bringing together a range of the industry's most senior business leaders. Colin Morgan, ISC's Close Protection Coordinator took responsibility for overseeing the event held at the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel.
ISC dealt with all security aspects from the operational consultancy, operational planning visits and close protection coordination, to corporate guarding, mobile and search teams. ISC worked closely with hotel management, private close protection teams, Metropolitan Police and industry consultants to ensure the event ran without interference. Morgan explains: "We ensured the correct balance of professional, high level security and high level customer service for the client and visiting dignitaries."
ISC strived to maintain a minimum level of disturbance to the rest of the hotel, allowing it to continue to function as normal. ISC's close protection personnel successfully secured the hotel's lobby, restaurant, and ballroom areas whilst ensuring that press were securely controlled and monitored as VIPs were escorted from one area to another.
The events ended successfully without any major incidents or security breaches despite local anti-war demos in the area at the time, amongst other threats calling for a higher state of alert.
Morgan explains: "The presence of the Princess Royal added a higher security risk to the event however we integrated well with Metropolitan Police to meet her needs and we worked hard to ensure that her time at the summit went well."
Pat Carr, ISC's managing director asserts: "This event enabled us to demonstrate the different range of skill sets that ISC can provide whilst meeting all client requirements, no matter how challenging."
