Securing major events like the Olympics, national elections and global tournaments, such as the FIFA World Cup, is no small task. These events bring together vast numbers of participants, spectators and stakeholders, all while posing complex security challenges. This is where Dataminr and Esri’s cutting-edge technologies converge, forming a powerful partnership that enhances preparedness, operational coordination, and analytical insight.
By combining Dataminr’s AI-powered real-time risk alerts with Esri’s advanced geospatial mapping and location intelligence platform, event organizers can elevate their security strategies at every stage of an event—before, during, and after. Here’s how this partnership transforms the way organizations handle major event security.
Learn More: Dataminr and Esri Expand Partnership to Transform Location Intelligence with Real-Time Event Detection
Pre-Event Planning: Laying the Groundwork for Success
Preparation is critical for major event security, and Dataminr and Esri excel in this initial phase.
Identifying threats early
Dataminr’s AI platform processes millions of public data sources to detect emerging risks and notify organizations before the threats escalate. In addition, by leveraging Dataminr’s historical data, organizations have an understanding of the types and impact of past incidents in their selected areas to study previous trends, thus getting a full view of threats—emerging, ongoing and past—to ensure effective resource allocation.
Whether it’s uncovering potential security threats, identifying traffic disruptions, or assessing weather hazards, this proactive approach gives organizers the lead time needed to prepare.
Leveraging location intelligence
Esri’s ArcGIS platform brings together historic and real-time data to uncover patterns, such as crime hot spots, high-traffic patterns, or potential weather related concerns such as the risk of heat or severe weather. By layering this information on maps, stakeholders can clearly visualize potential vulnerabilities and plan around them.
For example, before an event like the Olympics, ArcGIS can dynamically map key areas such as athlete housing, stadiums, and high-profile public locations. This data is then paired with Dataminr’s real-time alerts to give organizers a comprehensive understanding of potential risks, allowing for better geographic context and data-driven planning of resources.
Optimizing resource deployment
By combining historical information with geospatial data, organizers can study past trends, thus efficiently anticipate resource needs. This allows them to allocate security personnel and resources in the right locations to mitigate risk. GIS systems can model traffic flows, simulate crowd movements, and map digital replicas (also known as digital twins) of event venues. For instance, during an election, polling stations with previously high foot traffic can be prioritized for security officer placement.
Enhancing collaboration
Large-scale events often span multiple jurisdictions and require coordination across agencies. Dataminr’s historical and real-time alerts—which organizers can leverage to assess past and current security incidents—and Esri’s collaborative mapping tools facilitate data sharing between field teams, law enforcement, and other security organizations, ensuring unified preparation. This approach was instrumental in securing the Olympics, where multiple venues were spread across vast geographic regions involving stakeholders from government and the private sector.
Read More: Public Safety Challenges and Tips for Paris 2024 Olympics
During the Event: Maintaining Situational Awareness in Real Time
Consider this: Once the event begins, the focus shifts to live monitoring, rapid response, and real-time interpretation of threat severity. Dataminr and Esri enable organizers to assess the credibility and potential impact of unfolding incidents, helping them stay a step ahead of potential disruptions.
Real-time threat detection
Dataminr excels at spotting anomalies and threats in real time, offering alerts on situations such as public disorder, safety risks, or rapidly evolving weather conditions. These alerts are seamlessly integrated into Esri’s ArcGIS environment, placing critical insights directly within the organizer’s operational workflow.
Enhanced situational awareness
Esri’s location intelligence enables event teams to visualize threats in the context of geography. For example, to prepare for the FIFA World Cup, security teams can leverage Esri’s geofence capabilities to filter and focus on prioritized areas identified during the pre-planning stage. Potential public safety activities near stadiums and adjacent areas can be closely monitored using GIS during events. Combine this with Dataminr’s hyperlocal data, and decision makers are able to gain a complete picture of unfolding events.
Rapid decision making
Armed with Dataminr’s real-time alerts, organizers can quickly prioritize actions and redeploy resources to high-risk zones. For instance, if transportation routes near a venue become congested, mapping systems can suggest alternative paths for attendees, while notifying traffic control teams to manage the situation.
Coordination across departments
Major events like elections often involve overlapping jurisdictions and differing levels of authority. The ability to integrate real-time information and mapping solutions ensures seamless communication across all stakeholders, minimizing delays and confusion during emergencies.
Examples in action
During a previous Olympics, the Dataminr-Esri partnership helped organizers address isolated security threats and ensured safe crowd dispersal. Similarly, during the U.S. 2024 elections, Dataminr and Esri provided election security teams at federal, state, and city organizations with insights to address disruptions and ensure voter safety.
Learn More: How to Tackle Today’s Election Security Challenges
Post-Event Analysis: Learning and Adapting for the Future
Once the events wrap up, the work isn’t done. Post-event analysis is an essential phase where the combination of Dataminr and Esri proves highly valuable in helping organizers evaluate performance and refine future strategies.
Conducting after-action reviews
Every major event generates vast amounts of data. Dataminr’s AI platform and Esri’s location intelligence capabilities allow this data to be archived, visualized and analyzed. Teams can assess how risks were managed, where gaps existed, what worked well, and—most importantly—how they can do better next time.
For example, after an election, incident data collected near polling stations can help security teams improve officer deployment and physical security strategies for future elections.
Learning from anomalies
Post-event insights aren’t just about resolving past issues—they’re about preparing smarter for the future. Organizers can analyze patterns in traffic disruptions and risk management to refine their operational plans. For example, if a FIFA World Cup venue experienced evacuation challenges, digital twins could be used to simulate and test alternative evacuation scenarios, improving response strategies for future events.
Reusing and refining security plans
The ability to save, adapt, and reuse security plans for future events offers immense value. These plans, enhanced by Dataminr’s real-time information and Esri’s mapping tools, create a living system of record that reduces preparation time and improves outcomes—event after event. Organizations can also leverage Esri’s Special Event Operations Solution for enhanced event management needs.
The complexity of modern events presents organizers with a range of challenges, from jurisdictional overlaps to ensuring seamless cross-departmental collaboration. Dataminr and Esri address these challenges head-on by fostering a “systems of systems” approach, integrating multiple tools and teams into a single, cohesive operational environment.
Their combined innovations include:
- Esri’s geospatial digital twins: simulating venues to test scenarios and refine strategies.
- Dataminr’s AI-driven insights: leveraging Dataminr’s information to contextualize threats specific to venues or configurations.
- Scalability: meeting the needs of small events or global tournaments with equal effectiveness.
Best Practices for Securing Major Events
Drawing from their experience, Dataminr and Esri offer several best practices for organizations:
- Prioritize collaboration. Establish partnerships across agencies early and maintain a unified operating picture.
- Leverage real-time insights. Use AI-driven alerts and geospatial mapping to maintain situational awareness and stay agile during live events.
- Plan for the long term. Develop plans with future reuse in mind, incorporating lessons learned from past events.
- Invest in innovation. Harness the latest tools like digital twins and predictive analytics to stay ahead of emerging challenges.
From the global spectacle of the Olympics to the excitement of elections and the FIFA World Cup, major events will always require robust and multi-layered security. The combined expertise of Dataminr and Esri offers a world-class solution for organizers to meet these security challenges and demands. By integrating real-time information with cutting-edge mapping technology, organizations are empowered to plan smarter, act faster, and adapt better to potential risks.
For event organizers, governments and private entities alike, this partnership represents a leap forward in ensuring event safety and success. Reach out today to learn how you can leverage Dataminr and Esri’s solutions to secure your next major event.
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