Cricket in the UK is undergoing a transformational shift, with new funding unlocking opportunities for clubs and venues to modernise operations, enhance fan experiences, and protect the future of the game.
A Defining Moment for Cricket Venues
With investment pouring into the sport driven by The Hundred’s potential sale, increased IPL influence, and strategic financial backing from the ECB, venues must act now to ensure their infrastructure is ready for a new era of cricket.
One critical yet often overlooked area in need of innovation is matchday safety and security. As fan expectations grow and compliance requirements tighten, outdated safety management approaches will no longer suffice. Clubs that fail to invest in smarter, more efficient safety solutions risk falling behind, while those that embrace innovation can set the standard for safe, seamless, and future-proof cricket events.
Now is the time for cricket venues to prioritise security investments that protect fans, players, and the game itself.
The Growing Pressures on Cricket Venue Safety
Cricket venues today face a new set of challenges that require a proactive and technology-driven approach to safety.
Bigger Crowds, Bigger Risks
With cricket’s growing popularity and an influx of investment, matchday attendance is rising. Larger crowds bring increased security risks, from overcrowding to medical emergencies and fan disturbances. Venues must be prepared to respond quickly to incidents while ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for all attendees.
Stricter Compliance & Regulatory Demands
Cricket venues operate in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, with stringent health and safety requirements in place to protect fans and staff. Failure to comply can result in fines, legal consequences, and reputational damage. Clubs must ensure efficient, automated compliance tracking to avoid unnecessary risks.
The Cost of Outdated Incident Management
Many venues still rely on outdated, paper-based incident tracking and fragmented communication systems. These inefficiencies slow down response times, increase administrative burdens, and make it harder to coordinate between security teams, stewards, and emergency responders. Without a centralised safety platform, clubs risk delayed responses that could escalate minor issues into major crises.
This is where multi-agency safety solutions, like the Halo System, offer a game-changing advantage.Unlike traditional systems that operate in silos, Halo’s powerful multi-dashboard mode allows managers to see, manage, and coordinate multiple operations across multiple teams and locations in real time – all from a single dashboard. This ensures that security teams, stewards, emergency responders, and control rooms remain fully connected but focussed, even across large venues or multi-event operations.
Cricket clubs that transform their safety infrastructure will not only meet these challenges head-on but will also position themselves as leaders in event safety and operational excellence.
How Other Sports Are Transforming Safety
While cricket is just beginning to embrace safety innovation, other major sports have already adopted technology-driven security solutions to enhance efficiency, improve compliance, and create safer environments for fans.
Top-tier football venues have implemented predictive analytics and live incident tracking to prevent security breaches before they escalate. This data-driven approach ensures that stewards and security teams are alerted in real time, allowing for swift intervention and resolution, and large-scale entertainment venues are replacing manual incident logs with automated safety platforms that allow multi-agency coordination, instant communication, and digital auditing and reporting. This shift has helped all kinds of venues save time, money and lives.
Cricket venues must follow suit, leveraging new funding to adopt modern safety technologies that can protect fans, improve efficiency, and streamline matchday operations.
Investing in Smarter Safety Solutions: The Time is Now
With fresh investment in the sport, cricket clubs have a golden opportunity to secure funding for safety transformation. By allocating resources toward technology-driven security solutions, clubs can:
Enhance incident response by implementing real-time monitoring and customised reporting.
Ensure regulatory compliance through automated time-stamped audit trails and comprehensive analytics.
Reduce operational costs by streamlining security operations and automating reports, freeing up resources for other venue improvements.
Technology solutions like Halo don’t just improve security—they create a harmonised workflow where multiple teams, events, and locations can all operate in sync.The system ensures full estate oversight, keeping all key personnel connected even in low-signal areas through its innovative offline mode.
How the Halo System is Leading the Future of Cricket Safety
The Halo System is already trusted by leading sports venues to transform matchday, test match, and daily operations safety with:
Powerful Multi-Agency Coordination – Manage multiple teams across multiple venues in real time through Halo’s multi-dashboard mode, providing a single, unified view of all incidents, tasks, and activities.
Automated Reporting & Compliance – Instantly generate time-stamped, digital audit trails and reports to ensure regulatory compliance with ease.
Seamless Offline & Remote Connectivity – Halo’s offline mode allows teams to complete forms, upload media, and track activities, even when signal is lost—ensuring no data is ever missed.
Future-Proof Technology for Scalable Operations – Whether managing a single test match or an entire tournament, Halo is designed to scale effortlessly, ensuring safety across all event types.
Halo is more than just a safety solution—it’s the key to running multi-team, multi-venue safety & security operations in perfect harmony.
Discover how Halo helped protect over 1.5 million fans during 2019s ICC cricket world cup.
Protect Your Venue, Protect The Game.
The next phase of cricket’s evolution is here. Investing in safety now means protecting the game for future generations.
See how the Halo System can transform your venue’s safety operations.
#ProtectTheGame | Book a Demo
London venue hosts multi-agency, ultra-realistic security scenarios involving more than 250 personnel to further aid preparedness and resilience
Excel London has undertaken its largest ever series of training exercises as part of its continued commitment to safety, security and preparedness within the events industry.
Held at the Royal Docks venue, the training sessions saw more than 250 personnel attend from multiple agencies, all of whom work on the 400 events hosted annually at Excel.
The training – which was run by multi-award-winning incident and risk management provider Halo Solutions – was aimed to enhance their preparedness and resilience in an emergency and featured a mix of training presentations from leading security figures followed by a series of ultra-realistic emergency simulations.
The day saw speakers and training delivered by Danni Grant (CT Protect), Nick Aldworth (Carlisle Support Services), Bill Thornton (Inkerman Group), John Sheppard (MediTechs), David Hay (Ikon) and many more.
Attracting more than four million visitors a year, Excel endeavours to lead the way in venue safety and security, regularly hosting comprehensive training exercises, as well as collaboration with the Metropolitan Police and specialist counter terrorism policing units.
Excel also boasts a highly trained canine detection unit led by ICTS UK & Ireland, one of a handful of organisations accredited to NCTAS-P standards. It was also the first UK venue to introduce Individual First Aid Belts (IFAB™) – containing vital medical components including a defibrillator – allowing officers to give life-saving medical assistance in an instant.
The training day saw participation from many of our security suppliers and partners including Carlisle Support Services, ICTS, Stambridge Group, G4S, Secure Ops, EEP and Ministry Protective.
Henry Havis, Excel’s Head of Security Strategy and Resilience and lead on the AEV security working group, commented: “The safety, security and wellbeing of everyone who visits Excel London is, and always will be, our utmost priority. Being prepared for every eventuality can make all the difference, so we regularly work with all our agencies to give them in depth knowledge and training, but also so they know the venue inside and out.”
He added: “Working with Halo Solutions allows us to create bespoke training packages to ensure we can equip all our staff, contractors and suppliers with crucial knowledge and skills. All the partners that make up the Excel Security Family believe in making Excel a safe place to operate and we put #ProtectingLives at the centre of everything we do.”
See what’s it all about…
In an era where public safety is a growing concern, the UK Government has taken a decisive step forward with the introduction of the Protect Duty Legislation, which is expected to receive royal assent within weeks. From entertainment venues to transport hubs, organisations will now be legally required to implement security measures that protect visitors and staff. This article explores the key aspects of the legislation, who it applies to, and how businesses and public institutions can prepare for compliance.
Why Protect Duty Matters: A New Era for Public Safety
The UK Government is in the final stages of introducing new legislation aimed at improving public safety and reducing the risks associated with terrorism in publicly accessible spaces. Known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, or more commonly Martyn’s Law, this legislation seeks to ensure that those responsible for public spaces take proportionate steps to enhance security and emergency preparedness.
This law is named after Martyn Hett, one of the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. In the aftermath of this tragic attack, his mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for better security measures at venues, leading to the development of this legislation. The Protect Duty represents a significant shift in counterterrorism policy, aiming to enforce stronger preventive measures across various public and private sector organisations.
Unpacking Protect Duty: What It Means for Businesses and Public Spaces
The Protect Duty Legislation is designed to mandate publicly accessible venues to have clear security and emergency response procedures in place to mitigate the risks posed by potential terrorist attacks. It categorises premises based on their capacity and expected footfall, imposing different levels of security obligations depending on their size and function.
Is Your Venue Affected? Key Locations Under the Law
The law applies to publicly accessible premises where 200 or more people can be present at the same time. Some of the key locations covered under this legislation include:
- Food and drink establishments (restaurants, bars, clubs)
- Entertainment venues (concert halls, cinemas, theatres)
- Sports stadiums and recreational centres
- Museums, galleries, and exhibition halls
- Hotels and visitor attractions
- Places of worship
- Hospitals and healthcare facilities
- Transport hubs (bus and railway stations, airports)
- Educational institutions (schools, universities, childcare facilities)
However, public parks, gardens, and open sports grounds that do not require payment for entry or conduct security checks are exempt from this law.
What’s Changing? Key Expectations for Compliance
The legislation outlines two key tiers of responsibility for qualifying premises:
1. Standard Duty Premises (200 – 799 people capacity)
Organisations falling under this category must develop and maintain security procedures that address various terrorism risks. This includes:
- Conducting risk assessments for potential terrorist threats
- Implementing lockdown, invacuation, and evacuation procedures
- Establishing clear communication plans in case of an emergency
2. Enhanced Duty Premises (800+ people capacity)
Larger venues, with a higher threat exposure, are required to implement more advanced security measures in addition to the Standard Duty requirements. These include:
- Monitoring premises and the surrounding area for threats
- Controlling movement in and out of the premises
- Enhancing physical security measures
- Securing sensitive information that could aid terrorist activities
Get Ready Now: A Practical Guide to Compliance
Organisations should begin preparing now to ensure compliance with the Protect Duty. Steps to take include:
Assessing Risk: Identify vulnerabilities specific to your venue and develop a risk mitigation strategy.
Training Staff: Ensure employees are aware of security protocols and conduct regular emergency drills.
Reviewing Security Measures: Invest in appropriate security infrastructure, such as surveillance systems and controlled access points.
Developing a Communication Plan: Establish a clear line of communication for emergencies, including coordination with law enforcement and first responders.
Documenting Compliance: Maintain records of security measures and policies to demonstrate adherence to the law.
The Road Ahead: Embracing Change for a Safer Future
The Protect Duty Legislation is not just a legal obligation but a collective commitment to safeguarding our communities, and whilst it may not be perfect just yet, and we can expect a healthy amount of ‘teething time’ as the legislation takes hold, the introduction of this dedicated legislation represents a significant advancement in doctrine attitudes to public safety and a national recognition of the need to do better.
Businesses, venue operators, and public sector institutions must act proactively to ensure compliance before the legislation takes full effect. If you manage a publicly accessible space, now is the time to review, adapt, and strengthen your security framework.
The SSE Arena, Belfast’s Operations Team choose Halo Solutions for Safety and Security Digital Transformation
06th February 2025, Newark, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom – Halo Solutions the UK’s foremost Safety and Security Technology Company announces a key 3-year contract to provide its award-winning incident management software to The SSE Arena.
The SSE Arena is Northern Ireland’s premier entertainment destination, welcoming upwards of 800,000 guests annually. Home of the Stena Line Belfast Giants, The SSE Arena has an audience capacity of 11,200 and has attracted countless international performers, sporting events, exhibits and conferences, establishing itself as a key location on major European and World tours.
The Arena team selected the Halo System to help them better connect their teams, integrating the software across departments in stages, with the aim to utilise it throughout the site’s operations. Over the coming months the arena plans to implement Halo within day-to-day security, venue operations, car park operations, lost property, estates and facilities management, and cleaning operations.
The Halo System was used recently during the 25-season celebration of the Belfast Giants with double-header ice hockey action against the Nottingham Panthers.
“The initial roll out of Halo at The SSE Arena has been very successful with management and staff, with users seeing the benefit of a comprehensive and real-time management system replacing pen and paper logs. Transitioning to a digital incident management system was a giant leap forward, enabling more accurate and faster response times, improved accuracy, and real-time collaboration, giving management a full overview of all incidents in the palm of their hands.” – David Lamont, Senior Operations Manager at The Odyssey Trust
The Halo System helps venues and events streamline their safety and security operations by delivering real-time shared situational awareness replacing WhatsApp groups and endless radio chat with an efficient mobile app, connected to a virtual command centre dashboard for the most efficient incident management and pro-active task management operations. Transforming the way incidents, issues and tasks are managed across every business, with better reporting, comprehensive audit trails and intelligent insights.
Halo’s partnerships approach will see it work with The SSE Arena to enhance system capabilities
Over the next three years, Halo has committed to an ambitious technical roadmap which will see them revolutionise the Incident Management Software (IMS) industry even further, delivering on a comprehensive and ambitious universal safety software programme with more advanced capabilities, partner integrations and new modules than ever before, such as the highly anticipated Patrols Module.
The SSE Arena’s team have expressed excitement at working with Halo to roll-out new features, underpinning Halo’s partnership approach and excellent customer support as one of their reasons for choosing the Halo System.
Lloyd Major, CEO of Halo Solutions says
“Globally, it’s a highly competitive market in this space and it brought me and the whole team some real joy to be vetted against the best and then being chosen as the ones to deliver on this project. As software in this space continues to mature, we’re starting to see a real difference in the offering and expect the gap to keep widening over the next three years as we each head in our own direction. We believe the feedback we have from such a broad client base, and such fantastic sports and music venues in our portfolio worldwide, gives us the best roadmap alongside the best people and processes to keep delivering inspiring results.”
James Spencer, Partnership Success Executive working with The SSE Arena, at Halo says
“It’s been a pleasure working alongside David and the team at The SSE Arena to bring this exciting new partnership to life. The team picked up the system within minutes, which was fantastic to see. Being there for the 25th season anniversary game was a special moment – especially as an ice hockey fan myself! I look forward to continuing this exciting project and expanding further across The SSE Arena and The Odyssey Trust.”
An award-winning solution
Halo collaborates with leading companies across sectors where public safety is a number one priority. The Halo System helps protect people and keep them safe across university campuses, major transport hubs, renowned sports and conference arenas and iconic music and sports events worldwide, helping to protect on average, three million people per day.
The Halo System has been recognised with over 14 prestigious industry awards including UK App of The Year, Best Tech Innovation, Most Innovative Tech, Event Tech of the Year, Best B2B App of the Year, Best Smart Cities Technology, Most Disruptive Tech USA and, most recently, The King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.
Discover the Halo System here
The Pink Bows Foundation was established in honour of Brian and Michelle’s daughter Madison Dubiski, one of the concert attendees who died in the Astroworld Festival crowd crush in 2021 in Houston.
One of the key conclusions within the Houston Police Department investigation report on Astroworld was that the Emergency Operations Plan did not clearly indicate communications between entities and direction for show stoppage. The Pink Bows Foundation‘s mission promotes stronger safety protocols to be consistently implemented at entertainment venues, while providing safe spaces and protecting attendees to prevent avoidable injuries or death.
Working Together To Improve Safety At Events
Halo Solutions stands united with the UKCMA, GCMA, ESA and ESA Canada in supporting both the Pink Bows Foundation and Crowd Safety in providing expert solutions for improving safety at events. Steve Allen FIIRSM is the Founder and CEO of UK consultancy firm Crowd Safety, which is currently promoting a groundbreaking training course – the IIRSM and CPD-approved Professional Certificate in the Showstop™ Procedure – and anticipates worldwide interest in the course from those at the forefront of safety in the events and entertainment sectors.
The Pink Bows Foundation firmly believes that event organisers of all types and sizes will benefit from being trained in and implementing the Crowd Safety Showstop Procedure as part of their overall event safety management strategy, enhancing the safety of audiences. Lloyd Major, CEO of Halo Solutions adds “Put simply, the steps to proactively train people to identify, implement and safely resolve these procedures saves lives. They are a must for any person who believes themselves competent at delivering public safety at events and a minimum for any crowd or security manager to consider when undertaking their roles. I would encourage anyone in public safety and security, from all industries, to consider this course.”
Read more about The Pink Bows Foundation, and Crowd Safety’s Showstop Course here.
TPI Magazine: Halo Solutions honoured with King’s Award
Halo Solutions has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.
Halo Solutions is one of a number of organisations nationally to be recognised with a King’s Award for Enterprise. Announced Monday, 6th May 2024, Halo Solutions has been acknowledged by His Majesty for excellence in Innovation.
Halo Solutions was founded in 2019 by CEO Lloyd Major, a former national counter-terrorism police officer, crowd safety and event security adviser with more than 20 years of policing experience, including police training and public order command at major sporting events. He was also the first operational police planner in the UK to obtain a Master’s degree in Emergency Planning and Management, developing a totally new process for threat assessment at public events, which became national policing policy.
Keep reading here
Security Journal UK: Halo Scores a Hattrick In English Football
Halo Solutions has secured deals with Premier League clubs Chelsea FC and Nottingham Forest FC, along with Championship club Birmingham City FC to integrate its incident and task management software, The Halo System, making it the Incident Management Software used at more clubs across more leagues than any other (UK).
Chelsea FC will use Halo for the 24/7 security contract at Stamford Bridge as well as Chelsea’s Cobham Training Ground.
The clubs will use Halo’s safety and security technology to help protect and keep fans safe managing all incidents observed at matches or day-to-day on their premises. It also helps create and monitor digitised security, match day safety and pre-match checks.
Another feature is its ability to enhance and bolster existing crowd safety and security measures.
Keep reading here