David Born Opens Inaugural Secure Venues Summit in Seattle

Brief remarks from security and event management veteran David Born Monday morning kicked off the first-ever Secure Venues Summit, hosted by Oak View Group and Prevent Advisors, at the Grand Sheraton Seattle, where venue operators gathered to hear discussions and panels on the latest trends and strategies for keeping their buildings safe.

He opened the inaugural event, tied to the VenuesNow Conference taking place in the same location Sept. 29 and 30, saying the best security isn’t the highlight of a venue and often goes unnoticed by most guests.

“Success for us is often going unnoticed,” said Born, senior director of business services at Prevent Advisors. “People come. They spend money. … They sit in their seat and enjoy a great concert, and then they leave. Security is not a highlight. Security is not a highlight. Security is not something they’re thinking of when they get home. That is success for us.”

Born touched on some of the topics to be discussed across various panels, including the evolution of technology and how operators have to adapt to the ever-changing security landscape.

Some advice from the security expert: you can’t do it all alone.

“Some of you may have a big title. That doesn’t mean you have all the answers,” said Born, who then encouraged people to speak to each other so that they can learn from each other and expand their contact list should they host an event similar to one that someone else from the conference had.

“Getting those relationships and maintaining them is something we all look forward to in our field,” Born said. “That’s going to help us in the long run.”

Jim Dermody, Climate Pledge Arena’s director of security, joined Born onstage to emphasize the importance of hosting the Secure Venues Summit.

“We’re all responsible for much more than security,” Dermody said. “We’re responsible for creating an environment where thousands and sometimes tens of thousands … even hundreds of thousands like our World Cup cities experienced this past summer come together and enjoy an event, conduct business, active partnerships and then return home safely. That responsibility has never been more complex. Today’s venue security leaders are navigating evolving threats. … That’s why this conference matters. The most valuable ideas in our industry often come from the people doing the work every day.”

To register for the VenuesNow Conference 2026, visit venuesnowconference.com .

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/28/secure-venues-summit-kicks-off-in-seattle-with-opening-remarks-from-prevent-advisors-david-born/)._