2026 Conventions + Exhibitions Report SECURE BY DESIGN As safety expectations rise, convention centres are helping planners build smarter, more flexible security plans that protect delegates without slowing down the event experience Hosted at Ottawa’s Cohere Centre, the annual Metro Toronto Convention Centre Security used to be one line in the operations plan. Today, it is part of event strategy. According to FCM Meetings & Events’ 2026 Trends Report, 79% of meetings and events professionals now rank safety and security as their primary planning priority. BCD Meetings & Events’ 2026 Global Client Survey found that 17.1% of senior stakeholders are concerned about non-health-related safety and security, up from 7.5% in 2025. That 9.6-point jump was the highest of any category surveyed. For convention and exhibition planners, the shift is showing up in earlier venue conversations, more complex credentialing plans and a sharper focus on everything from protest activity to cybersecurity. The challenge is that “security” can mean very different things depending on the event. For one conference, it may mean basic access control and overnight exhibit-floor coverage. For another, it may involve police, VIP protection, no on-site registration, perimeter screening, emergency medical planning and cyber-incident response. Smart venues are bringing experts into planning conversations early, helping clients understand what the venue does and does not cover, where third-party support may be required and how safety planning affects the delegate experience. SECURITY STARTS BEFORE ARRIVAL CANSEC, Canada’s largest defence, security and emerging technology event, offers one of the clearest examples of a closed B2B event site. event attracts 21,000 registrants and requires advance registration, pre-printed badges, government-issued photo ID and proof of employment to gain access. “We have a full-time director of security to help us plan and execute the event, and we often have 30 to 50 people meeting regularly throughout the year solely on the topic of security and safety to ensure all players are on the same page,” says Lesley Musker, vice-president, operations at the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, which produces the CANSEC trade show. When hosting high-level government officials, Musker says client decision makers and the event operations team need to be involved early. “If you know the Prime Minister is speaking, the automatic next step should be determining the security plan, developing an operational plan and partnering up resources from the venue, the city and the official government departments.” CANSEC’s security plan assumes protest activity will happen. “Demonstrations are an annual, repeated facet of the event, just like food and beverage, registration and parking,” Musker explains. “Demonstrations have only grown over the last four years given the conflicts happening around the world. So for us, it’s not if, it’s when.” That mindset is useful for any planner dealing with controversial topics, VIPs, sensitive industries or large crowds. Musker adds that security planning should include not only access control but also medical response, weather, fire, crowd management and communications. Musker’s best advice: keep the plan flexible. “Fast communication, at all levels, is the number one solution. Understanding your roles and responsibilities, jurisdictional boundaries and your decision-making authorities at each level is also very key.” → 64 | Ignitemag.ca | Fall 2026 Photo: Metro Toronto Convention Centre
