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GAP and BCJ Group Partner to Transform Major Event Planning and Execution
7/13/2026
DALLAS - Today, Mark Herrera, president and chief security strategist for Global Awareness Professionals, LLC (GAP) is pleased to announce a partnership between GAP and the BCJ Group, global leaders in guest services and venue leadership development.
The collaboration is designed to help major event and venue operations teams align security and guest services operations into event planning and execution from beginning to end and enhance guest safety. The BCJ Group brings together decades of experience across hospitality, entertainment, sports, tourism, and global consulting, with a team whose careers were shaped through leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company.
As global security companies meet this summer in conferences across the world to assess the current event threats and security responses, a recurring view is clear. The need for planning, communication and execution of event guest services teams in conjunction with security teams is essential, from pre-event planning to post-event evaluation, as it creates risk mitigation and effective action when it matters most.
“Security should not be treated as a separate function introduced after an event has already been planned," said Herrera. "It must be embedded into the entire guest journey, with safety, service, communication, and operational decision-making working together from the earliest stages.”
Combining guest services and security in event planning ensures that risk assessment will inform venue layout, traffic flow, registration placement, VIP access routes, exhibitor move-in/move-out procedures, and emergency vehicle access. When security is integrated early into planning for floor design, ingress/egress strategy, and communication flow, it will enhance the attendee experience and strengthen brand trust.
Integrating guest service, situational awareness and leadership decision making in large facilities creates command communications systems that allow direct lines for critical decisions. Organizers who prioritize behavioral awareness training, annual risk assessments, structured crisis communications, and disciplined credential control will not only reduce incident likelihood, but will protect long-term brand equity. This approach is designed to define the intentional overlap between guest service and security, moving away from defining where one stops and the other starts.
"Security is most effective when it becomes part of the organization's culture rather than simply a function of its operations. At The BCJ Group, we believe that culture begins with leaders who build trust through knowing, communicating with, and valuing their employees," said Bill Carl Johnson, managing partner at the BCJ Group. "Those employees, in turn, create meaningful connections with guests through proactive engagement and awareness. The result is an environment where guest service and security work together to create a safer, more welcoming experience for everyone."
The BCJ Group brings together decades of experience across hospitality, entertainment, sports, tourism, and global consulting, with a team whose careers were shaped through leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company. While workshops and seminars provide valuable learning experiences, they often serve as the starting point for broader organizational consulting engagements. The BCJ Group's primary focus is delivering customized consulting engagements that span months, and often years, to help organizations achieve sustainable performance and productivity improvements through a deliberate focus on leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, employee engagement, change management, and service excellence.
The new organizational development program offered through the GAP and BCJ Group strategic collaboration was first presented on June 17 of this year with the Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD,) that oversees a wide range of sports and entertainment venues in the City of Spokane, Washington. Their facilities include Numerica Veterans Arena, Spokane Convention Center Presented by Spokane Tribe of Indians, First Interstate Center for the Arts, The Podium Powered by STCU, and ONE Spokane Stadium.
The program included everyone in SPFD, from front line guest services staff to leadership. Attendees were presented skills development drills in judgment based decision making under pressure, leadership driving culture, and preparedness and risk mitigation in guest services. The program is designed to embed total event awareness, engagement, de-escalation, and protective action into the organization.
“What I appreciated about the training is that it matched how our venues actually operate. Our guest services and security teams are often dealing with the same moments, just from different angles," said Nic Lawrence, director of event services for SPFD. "Bringing everyone into the same room helped connect the dots and reinforced that a safe event and a welcoming event are really the same goal.”
The SPFD team also noted that to them, security and guest services have to be trained together because the guest does not see them as separate. A helpful interaction can also be a safety moment, and a safety response still needs to feel respectful, calm, and prepared.
Herrera concludes, “Our partnership with BCJ Group brings together complementary expertise in security, guest experience, and organizational leadership. By aligning these disciplines, we are helping event organizations build stronger teams, improve the guest experience, and create safer, more resilient environments.”
About Global Awareness Professionals
Global Awareness Professionals (GAP), is committed to preparing people, strengthening teams and protecting communities through risk assessment and staff training, because when organizations are prepared, lives are protected. Established in 2015, GAP is now expanding the scope of clientele from event venues to also include schools, churches, hospitals and other venues with vulnerable populations. GAP is rolling out recalibrated security training frameworks internationally in 2026, with expanded offerings that integrate emerging technology, scenario-based learning and cross-sector preparedness strategies. Visit online at www.gapglobaltraining.com.
About BCJ Group
The BCJ Group works alongside clients to diagnose complex challenges, align people and strategy, develop scalable solutions, and establish the accountability systems necessary to drive lasting organizational results. By helping leaders create environments where people can perform at their highest potential, The BCJ Group enables organizations to achieve meaningful business outcomes that endure long after the engagement concludes. Visit online at www.thebcjgroup.com.
About Spokane Public Facilities District
The Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD) operates and maintains five world-class venues located in downtown Spokane and is vital to the community as one of the city’s largest drivers of economic impact, offering safe and welcoming spaces for people to gather, make memories, and build connections. Its venues host a wide range of events from national conventions and conferences to trade shows, meetings, sporting events, and entertainment, making it an essential resource for local businesses, hotels, and organizations. The SPFD enhances the overall quality of life in the Spokane region by supporting hundreds of local jobs, energizing the downtown core, and attracting visitors to help elevate Spokane’s profile as a destination city. Visit online at www.spokanepfd.org.
Contact:
[email protected]
DALLAS - Today, Mark Herrera, president and chief security strategist for Global Awareness Professionals, LLC (GAP) is pleased to announce a partnership between GAP and the BCJ Group, global leaders in guest services and venue leadership development.
The collaboration is designed to help major event and venue operations teams align security and guest services operations into event planning and execution from beginning to end and enhance guest safety. The BCJ Group brings together decades of experience across hospitality, entertainment, sports, tourism, and global consulting, with a team whose careers were shaped through leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company.
As global security companies meet this summer in conferences across the world to assess the current event threats and security responses, a recurring view is clear. The need for planning, communication and execution of event guest services teams in conjunction with security teams is essential, from pre-event planning to post-event evaluation, as it creates risk mitigation and effective action when it matters most.
“Security should not be treated as a separate function introduced after an event has already been planned," said Herrera. "It must be embedded into the entire guest journey, with safety, service, communication, and operational decision-making working together from the earliest stages.”
Combining guest services and security in event planning ensures that risk assessment will inform venue layout, traffic flow, registration placement, VIP access routes, exhibitor move-in/move-out procedures, and emergency vehicle access. When security is integrated early into planning for floor design, ingress/egress strategy, and communication flow, it will enhance the attendee experience and strengthen brand trust.
Integrating guest service, situational awareness and leadership decision making in large facilities creates command communications systems that allow direct lines for critical decisions. Organizers who prioritize behavioral awareness training, annual risk assessments, structured crisis communications, and disciplined credential control will not only reduce incident likelihood, but will protect long-term brand equity. This approach is designed to define the intentional overlap between guest service and security, moving away from defining where one stops and the other starts.
"Security is most effective when it becomes part of the organization's culture rather than simply a function of its operations. At The BCJ Group, we believe that culture begins with leaders who build trust through knowing, communicating with, and valuing their employees," said Bill Carl Johnson, managing partner at the BCJ Group. "Those employees, in turn, create meaningful connections with guests through proactive engagement and awareness. The result is an environment where guest service and security work together to create a safer, more welcoming experience for everyone."
The BCJ Group brings together decades of experience across hospitality, entertainment, sports, tourism, and global consulting, with a team whose careers were shaped through leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company. While workshops and seminars provide valuable learning experiences, they often serve as the starting point for broader organizational consulting engagements. The BCJ Group's primary focus is delivering customized consulting engagements that span months, and often years, to help organizations achieve sustainable performance and productivity improvements through a deliberate focus on leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, employee engagement, change management, and service excellence.
The new organizational development program offered through the GAP and BCJ Group strategic collaboration was first presented on June 17 of this year with the Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD,) that oversees a wide range of sports and entertainment venues in the City of Spokane, Washington. Their facilities include Numerica Veterans Arena, Spokane Convention Center Presented by Spokane Tribe of Indians, First Interstate Center for the Arts, The Podium Powered by STCU, and ONE Spokane Stadium.
The program included everyone in SPFD, from front line guest services staff to leadership. Attendees were presented skills development drills in judgment based decision making under pressure, leadership driving culture, and preparedness and risk mitigation in guest services. The program is designed to embed total event awareness, engagement, de-escalation, and protective action into the organization.
“What I appreciated about the training is that it matched how our venues actually operate. Our guest services and security teams are often dealing with the same moments, just from different angles," said Nic Lawrence, director of event services for SPFD. "Bringing everyone into the same room helped connect the dots and reinforced that a safe event and a welcoming event are really the same goal.”
The SPFD team also noted that to them, security and guest services have to be trained together because the guest does not see them as separate. A helpful interaction can also be a safety moment, and a safety response still needs to feel respectful, calm, and prepared.
Herrera concludes, “Our partnership with BCJ Group brings together complementary expertise in security, guest experience, and organizational leadership. By aligning these disciplines, we are helping event organizations build stronger teams, improve the guest experience, and create safer, more resilient environments.”
About Global Awareness Professionals
Global Awareness Professionals (GAP), is committed to preparing people, strengthening teams and protecting communities through risk assessment and staff training, because when organizations are prepared, lives are protected. Established in 2015, GAP is now expanding the scope of clientele from event venues to also include schools, churches, hospitals and other venues with vulnerable populations. GAP is rolling out recalibrated security training frameworks internationally in 2026, with expanded offerings that integrate emerging technology, scenario-based learning and cross-sector preparedness strategies. Visit online at www.gapglobaltraining.com.
About BCJ Group
The BCJ Group works alongside clients to diagnose complex challenges, align people and strategy, develop scalable solutions, and establish the accountability systems necessary to drive lasting organizational results. By helping leaders create environments where people can perform at their highest potential, The BCJ Group enables organizations to achieve meaningful business outcomes that endure long after the engagement concludes. Visit online at www.thebcjgroup.com.
About Spokane Public Facilities District
The Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD) operates and maintains five world-class venues located in downtown Spokane and is vital to the community as one of the city’s largest drivers of economic impact, offering safe and welcoming spaces for people to gather, make memories, and build connections. Its venues host a wide range of events from national conventions and conferences to trade shows, meetings, sporting events, and entertainment, making it an essential resource for local businesses, hotels, and organizations. The SPFD enhances the overall quality of life in the Spokane region by supporting hundreds of local jobs, energizing the downtown core, and attracting visitors to help elevate Spokane’s profile as a destination city. Visit online at www.spokanepfd.org.
Contact:
[email protected]
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