How Resilient Are New Zealand’s Crowded Places?

Second annual Crowded Places in New Zealand Forum to examine evolving public safety and security challenges

From stadiums and shopping centres to transport hubs, festivals and public events, the security of crowded places is becoming an increasingly important issue for New Zealand organisations and communities. Recent tragic international incidents, including the Manchester Arena bombing and the 2024 Westfield Bondi Junction attack, have reinforced the importance of preparedness, coordinated emergency response and proactive security planning for crowded public environments.

To address these challenges, the New Zealand Security Association, the professional body for the security industry in New Zealand, has announced that the second annual Security of Crowded Places Forum will take place at Eden Park on 21 and 22 July 2026. Security professionals, venue operators, emergency management leaders and government stakeholders will come together at the two-day Forum to discuss how New Zealand can strengthen preparedness, resilience and public safety in increasingly complex environments.

“Crowded places are part of everyday life for New Zealanders, whether that’s attending a concert, shopping centre, sporting event or travelling through a transport hub,” said Gary Morrison, CEO of the New Zealand Security Association.

“The reality is that the risk environment is changing. Organisations are increasingly being asked to think beyond traditional security measures and focus on preparedness.

Ultimately, this forum is about harnessing the collective expertise of the New Zealand security industry, the police, and first responders to work together to ensure that New Zealand organisations are better prepared to protect people, respond effectively to incidents and create safer public environments,” said Mr Morrison.

The Forum will cover topics including:

• The NZ threat environment
• NZ Crowded Places Strategy and Resources
• International trends and Resources
• Technology developments
• Tabletop emergency scenario simulations
• A review of recent incidents and post incident learnings.

About the NZSA:

The New Zealand Security Association (NZSA) is the largest industry representative body for the security industry in New Zealand and represents over 85% of the industry by revenue. Its voluntary members include security providers ranging from large multi-nationals to sole traders and also includes individuals and companies who are not direct providers of security services but have an interest in the industry.

As the voice of the New Zealand Security Industry, the NZSA aims to support and promote a thriving security industry in New Zealand that operates professionally and ethically, is committed to the safety of its workers and continuous improvement, meets the needs of its stakeholders and provides reward, opportunity and personal development for those who work within it.

www.security.org.nz

© Scoop Media