NCS⁴ NEWS

Join NCS⁴ at the 17th Annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition in Palm Desert, CA!

Agenda Now Available

The NCS⁴ is pleased to welcome Brian Dubiski, Co-Founder/Treasurer of the Pink Bows Foundation, as the keynote speaker for the opening general session. His presentation, Turning Tragedy into Action: Redefining Crowd Safety After Astroworld, will reflect on the foundation’s mission to improve event safety following the loss of Madison Dubiski, one of 10 individuals who died at the 2021 Astroworld concert. The Pink Bows Foundation was established in March 2025 in her memory. The keynote will be followed by a session on the Risk Landscape of NIL, led by Forrest Dodd, NCS⁴ instructor. Conference programming will include general sessions with panel discussions on topics relevant to today’s ever-changing security landscape, while breakout sessions allow participants to engage with panelists and attendees on key issues. Below are a few sessions scheduled for the conference.

During this session, attendees will gain insight into the exercise design process, command and control structure, interagency coordination, communications, and resource management, and will also hear executive leadership perspectives on decision-making and organizational readiness.

This session will focus on the Showstop Procedure, a proven emergency intervention measure designed specifically for the Sports and Entertainment industry, and how it can be applied to rapidly reduce risk when conditions escalate.

The session will explore practical, cost-effective strategies to enhance safety and security for schools, colleges, and athletic programs hosting smaller-scale events with limited resources.

This panel will highlight real-world practices developed in esports that can strengthen security operations across traditional sports and live events.

Information on additional topics will be announced soon! Attendees will explore emerging technologies and network with peers during the conference. A social reception planned for the event’s first evening allows practitioners, industry partners, and exhibitors to gather and network with friends and colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere.

Top 10 Reasons to Attend the Conference

1. Connect with peers at the Exhibit Hall opening
2. Celebrate NCS⁴’s 20th Anniversary at the opening Reception
3. Hear from leading industry experts
4. Participate in interactive panel discussions
5. Attend the Awards Luncheon
6. Expand your professional network
7. Engage in dynamic breakout sessions
8. Explore cutting-edge technologies
9. Discover new products and services
10. Gain practical solutions to real-world challenges

Bring Your Team and Save $$$ with the group rate

The most cost-effective way to join us is by bringing your team. We offer discounted registration for groups of three or more, making it easier than ever to invest in professional development, collaboration, and industry-leading insights together.   This is your opportunity to ensure your entire team is aligned on the latest safety strategies, security technologies, risk mitigation practices, and leadership insights shaping our industry. Don’t send just one representative. Multiply your impact. Strengthen your operation. Maximize your budget.   Register your group today and take advantage of the special rate of $675 per person. Exclusions apply.

See complete details and exclusions on the website.

• Member Rate: $775 per person
• Non-Member Rate: $825 per person
• Group Rate: $675 per person (Three or more people from the same organization. Not stackable.)
• Private Sector Attendee: $950 per person (Individuals representing companies that provide products or services to the industry and are not sponsoring or exhibiting.)

Young Professional Scholarship Recipients Announced

The NCS⁴ is excited to announce the recipients of the 2026 Young Professional Scholarship Program, sponsored by Axis Communications. The Young Professional Scholarship Program supports young professionals’ educational goals by covering the registration fee for selected individuals to the National Conference. Recipients are exposed to general educational programming, innovative technology solutions, security expert insights, and networking opportunities. Congratulations to the 2026 recipients!

SkySafe Announced as 2026 Golden Eagle Award Winner!

Join us as SkySafe presents its winning case study on day two of the National Conference.

 

Sit for the CSSP Exam at the National Conference with No Testing Fee

The NCS⁴ is the only organization that offers a certification recognizing expertise in sport security management. Earning the Certified Sport Security Professional (CSSP) designation sets you apart from other professionals and highlights your dedication to remaining current with industry trends. In addition to the distinction, you will be able to connect with other CSSPs on the private CSSP LinkedIn group and interact with industry experts through a complimentary subscription to NCS⁴ CONNECT. If you are in a mid- or upper-level position and create sport-security-related policies, procedures, training, and plans, the CSSP might be right for you. Professionals in the sports security industry need to have a firm grasp of public safety measures and understand how to apply those measures in the unique environments created by sports venues and events. The CSSP certification validates expertise in the following domains:

• Business and Facility Management
• Emergency Planning
• Emergency Management
• Legal and Regulatory
• Crowd Management
• Security Principles and Practice

Getting Certified

The CSSP certification is awarded to individuals who meet experience, education, and professional reference criteria and pass an exam relevant to sports safety and security management. It is maintained through ongoing continuing education and industry contribution requirements every three years. If you are interested in getting certified, please visit the conference website for additional information on taking the exam at the conference, preparing for the exam, and a link to the CSSP application. Please note: Your CSSP application and all supporting materials MUST be submitted before April 29, 2026, and you MUST be notified by the NCS⁴ Certification Department that you are eligible to take the examination at the National Conference.

Thank you to our SOLUTION PARTNERS!

Their participation helps make this event possible.

The NCS⁴ has a few spaces remaining for exhibitors and sponsors. To request information on exhibiting and sponsoring, please visit the website or contact Sara Priebe, NCS⁴ Event and Membership Manager, at sara.priebe@usm.edu or 601-266-6858.

Pink Bows Foundation to Host ShowStop Procedure Courses in Phoenix, AZ, and Arlington, TX

The Pink Bows Foundation will host ShowStop Procedure Courses in Phoenix, AZ, at Chase Field on Friday, April 17, 2026, and in Arlington, TX, at Globe Life Field on Monday, April 20, 2026.

NCS⁴ Members Receive 50% Off Course Registration Email Anthony Palazzolo at anthony.palazzolo@usm.edu to receive your 50% off code.

For more information on the upcoming courses, click one of the buttons below.

SIA Hosts Symposium in Partnership with NCS⁴

As stadiums prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, American 250, and the 2028 Summer Olympics, security leaders are tackling new challenges in access control, physical security, resourcing, and implementing protections for real-time threat intelligence. Thank you to everyone who attended the webinar symposium last week.

Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) to Host DTN Webinar: Summer Weather Risk & The Events Industry

GCMA will host a webinar focused on the summer weather outlook and its implications for the events industry, delivered by global weather intelligence provider DTN on  Tuesday, April 21 at 19:00 BST / 20:00 CEST / 14:00 EDT / 11:00 PDT Wednesday, April 22 at 04:00 AEST This session will provide a forward-looking view of expected weather patterns for the upcoming summer season, helping event professionals understand emerging risks and how they may affect planning, operations, and contingency strategies.

During the webinar, DTN’s meteorologists will explore:

• Key weather trends expected for the summer season ahead
• How heat, storms, lightning, and severe weather patterns may affect outdoor events
• The growing role of weather intelligence in event safety planning
• Practical considerations for organizers, venues, and safety teams

The Crowd Magazine Relaunch

Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) partners with The Crowd Magazine on its relaunch: a biannual publication that brings together the voices of crowd safety professionals from around the world. Check out the contributions from professionals worldwide, including Dr. Stacey Hall, discussing the work of NCS⁴.

Center for Internet Security (CIS) Publishes Whitepaper

Transportation Infrastructure Sabotage as a World Cup 2026 Risk Multiplier

Recent sabotage incidents targeting transportation infrastructure during major international sporting events highlight a credible threat pattern relevant to the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Rail disruptions associated with the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics demonstrate how transportation systems supporting large-scale international events can serve as attractive targets for threat actors seeking to generate disruption, media attention, or symbolic impact.

NCS⁴ Represented at the 2026 SEC Police Chiefs and Emergency Managers Conference

John Pepper, FIFA World Cup 2026 and NCS⁴ Instructor, represented NCS⁴ at this year's SEC Police Chiefs and Emergency Managers Conference, hosted by Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, TN.

A new technical whitepaper by the NCS⁴ Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance on “Optimizing Venue Operations with Data-Driven Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Executive Level Reporting” is now available. The whitepaper introduces a practical framework for defining, tracking, and applying KPIs that enhance safety, efficiency, and guest satisfaction, and integrates insights from leaders at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the Kansas City Chiefs, Boise State University, the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, and 24/7 Software.

You can view the technical whitepaper by clicking the button below.

NCS⁴ eLearning Options

The NCS⁴ eLearning platform, NCS⁴ LEARN, provides opportunities for individuals and organizations to access asynchronous professional development opportunities. Current offerings include the following:

• Frontline Staff Foundational Skills
• Crowd Manager Fundamentals
• Venue Staff Training: Security Awareness
• Senior Leader Course: Sports and Entertainment Security

Please visit the website or contact us at NCS4Learn@usm.edu if you have any questions or would like to inquire about bulk registration.

Click one of the links above or the button below for details on registering.

Routledge Handbook of Sport Security

Dr. Stacey Hall, NCS⁴ Executive Director, serves as the editor of the first-ever published Handbook of Sport Security (available in hardback and eBook format). The book provides an in-depth analysis of security issues and concerns in contemporary sport. Featuring the work of 60 leading researchers and practitioners from around the world, it offers practical, evidence-based commentary and guidance covering over 40 chapters. The book examines the multiple stakeholders, agencies, and organizations involved in providing a safe space for spectators, participants, staff, organizations, communities, and sponsors. It considers the coordination of private and public entities in the sports security ecosystem, including facility management, event management, law enforcement, emergency management, emergency medical services, and state/federal government partners, as well as the private sector organizations providing support services. The book also offers a comprehensive analysis of key issues and debates in contemporary sport security, including terrorism, cybersecurity, spectator violence, planning and assessment guidance for sport venues and events of all sizes, management and policy considerations for leaders and decision-makers, and the lessons learned from critical incidents. It introduces the core principles of research methods in sport security and looks ahead at future developments in this rapidly changing field. This is essential reading for any advanced student, researcher, practitioner, or policymaker with an interest in sport studies, security studies, event studies, criminal justice, management, or public policy.

Fundamentals of Crowd Safety Course

NCS⁴ and GKStill International have partnered to jointly offer the Fundamentals of Crowd Safety online eLearning course to address capability gaps in crowd behavior and sciences. Professor Dr. G. Keith Still, Visiting Professor of Crowd Science at the University of Suffolk, developed this certified, accredited course. The course offers an 8-hour online interactive experience designed to teach the essential elements of crowd safety and crowd risk analysis. The course is especially valuable to event organizers, as it ensures that those who complete it are compliant with the NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code — specifically, the areas of section 12 of the code that require a venue to provide a crowd manager trained in crowd management techniques for occupancies exceeding 1,000.