KSPO return to UK for training with StadiumTM
Members of a South Korean sporting body travelled all the way to Coventry to learn how to effectively run large events safely from a world-leading firm based in the city.
Event management specialists StadiumTM welcomed the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO) at its head office Coventry to teach them how to effectively manage large events and make fans’ experiences as good as they can be.
StadiumTM is a specialist supplier of traffic management, stewarding, security and training services to the events industry, both nationally and internationally. It also supplies award winning temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) barriers helping protect visitors at events against potential vehicle-ramming attacks.
Its clients include Premier League football clubs, local authorities and universities and it has also worked for high profile events including the London Marathon, the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen’s Club and BBC Radio’s Biggest Weekend.
This was the second time KSPO has received training from the firm. The federation first came over to Coventry four years ago to learn best practice, and wished to continue its relationship with StadiumTM by returning.
StadiumTM’s week-long training course consisted of intensive lessons at its head offices, before delegates from KSPO were taken to Anfield to gain knowledge in a high-class football stadium.
Lorraine Baillie, and Mr Sung Su Ha, KSPO
David McAtamney, managing director of StadiumTM, said: “We’re so pleased KSPO chose to come all this way to learn from us for a second time. It’s a real honour.
“But it’s also testament to our expertise. We are one of the leading companies in the world when it comes to event management.
“Sport brings people of all nationalities together and is truly global. So anything we can do to help other countries raise their standards is massively important to us.”
While many countries simply let the police handle pre and post-event crowds and traffic, David said the UK was unique in that private companies are left to do this.
This means there is a much greater focus on providing a good experience for the fans when they arrive and leave a large event, as there is competition for business.
Improving the fan’s experience was also part of what StadiumTM taught KSPO, alongside their training around safety.
David added: “When police control the fan experience, all they want to do is keep you safe. The experience for the fans is not a consideration.
“But we make sure getting to and leaving an event is as seamless as possible. The idea is that the fans don’t notice the systems we have in place because they are so smooth.
“If bad crowd and traffic management means it takes you too long to get you into a stadium for a football match and you miss kick-off, you’re going to be upset. We make sure this rarely happens.
“We have passed this knowledge once again to KSPO so they can run their own events in South Korea much more efficiently. Our aim is to keep people safe.”
Lorraine Baillie, HR Director at StadiumTM (centre) and all KSPO delegates
Featured image: Jemma Baillie, Head of Recruitment & Training, Greg Browning, Recruitment & Training Co-ordinator, Lorraine Baillie, and Richard Butlin, Training & Development Manager with KSPO delegates