Service: Journey Management, Executive Support
Location: Saudi Arabia
Control Risks’ executive support team used early engagement, forward planning and a flexible approach to avoid unexpected event delays and security challenges in Saudi Arabia.
The Future Investment Initiative (FII) is a forum for global leaders, government officials and CEOs. Given the high-profile nature of the event and its attendees, protective services are critical.
A client engaged us to provide journey management and executive support for attendees to the FII. They needed us to not only ensure their safety, but also to enable the attendees to be in the right place at the right time so they could maximise business opportunities during their visit.
Advance preparation is key
All major events require comprehensive project management. We consistently recommend two things: engage Control Risks early in the planning process and remain as flexible as possible.
Our client engaged us early, and our journey management plan was complete well in advance of the conference. This included driving and walking the primary and secondary routes between all venues, understanding the local threat environment and considering factors that could affect communications.
Our meticulous planning paid off. Due to the high-profile status of the global leaders and high-net-worth individuals in attendance, six hours before the start of the event access points to the venue were closed to all but hotel guests. As attendees were refused entry into the venue, hundreds of vehicles backed up on the main road outside, corralling a group of the world’s most prominent political and business leaders in an area with no access or exit points.
Local knowledge saves the day
With over 20 years of experience supporting international companies in Saudi Arabia, meant that we had anticipated such potential challenges. Our team had pre-emptively secured a room at the venue hotel for logistical contingencies. We were able to enter as hotel guests and collect our incoming clients’ access passes, allowing them to bypass the commotion and arrive safely and without delay. Our client’s attendees made it to the high-profile opening ceremony while most of the other attendees remained stuck at the event entrance.
Our forward planning and flexibility in dealing with unexpected challenges helped our clients to prepare for issues they would not have otherwise considered. Our team was able to do this because they have a deep understanding of local dynamics and experience in providing support at these events in the Kingdom and globally. This meant peace of mind for our client’s attendees, allowing them to devote their full attention to the FII conference.
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