Protect Duty, often referred to as Martyn’s Law, is set to change how events and venues think about safety and security. While the legislation has been introduced, it is not yet fully live. The statutory instruments that will define how it operates are still being developed, with the Security Industry Authority appointed as the regulator and the details around timing and enforcement expected within the next two years.

Even so, the direction of travel is clear. Protect Duty formalises expectations that were already building across the sector. Safety and security are no longer assumed to sit quietly in the background. They are moving earlier into planning conversations and carrying more weight with local authorities, partners and stakeholders.

What Protect Duty will emphasise is preparedness and judgement. It shifts the focus away from simply having measures in place, and towards being able to explain why decisions are appropriate for a particular site, audience and risk profile. That shift is already influencing how events are planned, even before the legislation comes fully into force.

For organisers, this brings both clarity and pressure. Scrutiny has increased, and there is a growing expectation that plans will stand up under real conditions, not just on paper. Questions around ownership, escalation and response are becoming more common. Protect Duty does not prescribe a single solution, but it does expect organisers to show they understand the risks they are managing.

One of the most common misunderstandings is that Protect Duty is mainly about physical security. Infrastructure and visible measures have their place, but they are only part of a much wider picture. In practice, Protect Duty touches everything from site design and crowd movement through to staffing, communications and contingency planning. Knowing what is proportionate is often the hardest part. A city centre event, a rural festival and a stadium show all present very different challenges. Protect Duty requires organisers to apply judgement, not just process, and that can feel uncomfortable in a sector used to moving quickly.

Having the right people will be central to making this work. Frontline staff remain the first and most important line of defence. This is not about turning teams into security specialists, but about awareness and confidence. If something does not look or feel right, it probably isn’t. Many disrupted terrorist plots have resulted from someone trusting that instinct and reporting it. What matters is that staff feel able to raise concerns, and that supervisors understand how to act on that information calmly and appropriately. When teams understand why measures are in place and how their role fits into the wider operation, plans are more likely to hold up under pressure.

Technology can support this, but only when it is used thoughtfully. Real time information and shared visibility can improve decision making, but systems that add complexity or sit outside normal workflows quickly become a distraction. The most effective tools are the ones that quietly support experienced teams.

Until the statutory instruments are finalised, no organisation can claim full Protect Duty compliance. What organisers can do now is prepare. Existing guidance from Protect UK, alongside updates to the Purple and Green Guides, already points clearly towards better practice. Many organisations are already aligned with this intent, while others still have work to do.

If you’re thinking about Protect Duty and want practical support, EP can help. We work with organisers, venues and public sector partners to prepare confidently, offering experienced consultancy, trained teams and on site support that works in live environments.

A practical checklist for event organisers

• Bring safety and security into planning early, not as a final check
• Treat Protect Duty as an operational mindset, not just a document
• Be clear on risk ownership and decision making responsibilities
• Sense check plans against real site conditions, not ideal scenarios
• Design sites with crowd movement and access in mind from the start
• Invest in staff training that builds judgement and confidence
• Make sure frontline teams understand the why, not just the what
• Use technology that supports people, not systems that add complexity
• Review plans with experienced partners who understand live delivery