The EMEA SafeZone Annual Conference 2026, hosted at Edgbaston Park Hotel & Conference Centre in Birmingham on 20 and 21 October, was a fantastic success, bringing together safety and security leaders from across the education and healthcare sector for two days of insightful discussions, innovation and collaboration.
Under this year’s theme, Breaking Down Silos, the conference explored how organisations can strengthen safety, security and wellbeing through shared responsibility, effective communication and more connected approaches. From interactive workshops and thought-provoking seminars to exciting SafeZone innovations and a memorable SafeZone Awards evening, the conference provided valuable opportunities to share experiences, exchange ideas and celebrate outstanding achievements across the SafeZone community.
Day One: Strengthening Safety Through Collaboration
Day one kicked off with Steve Hawkins, Director of Campus Services at the University of Birmingham, warmly welcoming delegates to the Edgbaston Park Conference Centre, where he shared why the university has become a first-choice institute for students worldwide. He commented on how embedded SafeZone is at the University of Birmingham, serving as a valuable tool for maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for learning.
Steve’s plenary was followed by the Founder’s Welcome, delivered by CriticalArc Co-Founder and CEO, Glenn Farrant, who explored the changing risk landscape and how organisations around the world are using technology like SafeZone to tackle emerging and evolving safety challenges. Glenn encouraged delegates to seize every opportunity at the conference to ask questions and learn from each other, before introducing a packed programme of hands-on workshops delivered across two streams. This provided delegates with opportunities to explore both strategic and operational challenges facing their organisations.
One of the workshop highlights was “Turning Martyn’s Law Preparedness into Action with SafeZone”, with discussions revolving around coordinated emergency response and shared responsibility for protecting people in public spaces. The interactive tabletop exercise that was conducted as part of the workshop reinforced the need for organisations to look beyond individual departments and consider how security, leadership, communications and other operational teams can work together to strengthen readiness for major incidents.
Other workshops explored a range of practical challenges and SafeZone applications. For instance, “Extending Duty of Care Beyond Borders”, led by Senior Customer Success Manager, Preeya Brown, from CriticalArc, Luke Anderson from Northumbria University and Fiona Halliday from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), examined how organisations can better support students and staff travelling both nationally and internationally or operating beyond their typical environments such as during study or work placements.
Duty of care reaches far beyond any one site
Fiona shared how SafeZone proved to be beneficial at the GCU during the military escalation and conflict in the Middle East in March this year. She also explored the different ways SafeZone can provide valuable support and reassurance, not only to students travelling internationally and university security teams, but also to parents concerned about their children’s safety while abroad. This was followed by a realistic scenario-based exercise, in which delegates worked in groups to map their response in the event of an incident impacting travelling students and staff. Our first SafeZone Surgery, “The Right Configuration for the Right Response”, led by Danny Malone, Global Director of Enterprise Solutions at CriticalArc, explored how tailoring SafeZone configurations to different people, locations and risks can help ensure the right response at the right time.
Through live demonstrations and an interactive tabletop exercise, delegates worked together using scenario cards and worksheets to design their own SafeZone setups, considering user groups, permissions, responder coverage and escalation processes. The demonstration showed how even small adjustments can make a significant difference to incident response alongside the opportunity to see suggested configurations built and tested live in SafeZone, ultimately encouraging attendees to reflect on their own organisational challenges.
Concurrently, our second stream, “Improving Access to Mental Health and Wellbeing Support with SafeZonfe”, was led by Benjamin Hoffmeister, Customer Success Manager at CriticalArc, alongside Michelle Owusua Appiah-Agyekum, Health & Safety Advisor at the University of Greenwich. Ben and Michelle explored how mental health and wellbeing support via SafeZone can ensure individuals are connected with the right services when they need them most.
Michelle shared how the University of Greenwich has incorporated SafeZone’s Wellbeing Assistance feature into its support processes, including the involvement of trained Mental Health First Aiders to help provide a more accessible route to assistance. The interactive workshop then challenged delegates to map their own response and follow-up processes using scenarios involving an individual experiencing a mental health crisis or the wellbeing needs of those affected by a major incident. This began to bring more intriguing conversations about the ongoing training of staff to become Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs), how they are allocated in their teams around campus and how this is shared through SafeZone, in case of a mental health and wellbeing incident on campus.
Leveraging SafeZone to communicate and co-ordinate during a cyber incident
The workshop stream, “When All Systems Fail: How SafeZone Supports Cyber Incident Management”, delivered by Customer Success Team Lead, Andy Rowe, and Senior Customer Success Manager, Richard Murray, from CriticalArc, explored how organisations can maintain essential communications and coordinate responses when traditional digital systems become unavailable or compromised.This highly interactive session involved delegates voting via their smartphones on the response option they would choose during a realistic cyber-attack scenario.
Meanwhile, “Why Marketing & Communications is Key to SafeZone’s Success”, led by Regional Marketing Manager, Micah Morgan, and Marketing Executive, Tiana Montaque, from CriticalArc, highlighted the importance of building awareness, trust and long-term engagement to ensure SafeZone becomes an integral part of organisational safety culture.
This session explored why internal and external communications around SafeZone matter to the platform’s success within an institution and encouraged attendees to discuss how they would approach crafting messages to staff and students, and which communication channels they would use based on themes such as dark winter evenings, safety or wellbeing awareness events and after an incident has occurred. These themes sparked engaging discussions across the tables, giving attendees the opportunity to share their experiences and explain how similar communications had been handled in real life within their own organisations.
The interactive SafeZone Surgery sessions also gave attendees opportunities to discuss their own challenges directly with the CriticalArc team, exploring platform configurations, responder processes, integrations with third-party providers and practical ways to maximise SafeZone’s capabilities. Throughout the day, the workshops encouraged valuable conversations between delegates, reinforcing the importance of learning from one another and breaking down traditional organisational silos.
Celebrating Excellence: The SafeZone Awards Ceremony
Following a full day of insightful discussions and workshops, delegates came together for an evening of entertainment, networking and celebration at the annual SafeZone Awards. The evening featured an exciting fictional horse-racing experience, with three betting stands, plenty of SafeZone money flying around and six thrilling races!
Teams across the room quickly developed some friendly rivalries, placing their bets and cheering on their horses in the hope of claiming victory. With plenty of laughter, competitive spirits running high and a few questionable betting strategies, Birkbeck, University of London, walked away with a couple of medals, bottles of prosecco and, of course, bragging rights! Guests also enjoyed a fantastic curry buffet dinner, providing the perfect opportunity to unwind and continue the day’s conversations in a more informal setting.
We then moved on to one of the highlights of the evening, the much-anticipated SafeZone Awards ceremony, hosted by Iain Pennell, General Manager for the UK&I / Europe at CriticalArc. The 2026 SafeZone Award winners include:
🏆 Engagement Excellence Award – University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield’s Campus Support and Safety Team was recognised for its creative and proactive approach to increasing SafeZone awareness and engagement. From placing QR codes across campus, including student accommodation, to engaging directly with students during Welcome Week, the team achieved nearly 1,000 SafeZone sign-ups in just one week, demonstrating the impact of effective communication and community engagement.
🏆 Strategic Impact Award – University of Manchester
The University of Manchester received the award for demonstrating exceptional leadership and strategic commitment to SafeZone. By establishing a network of departmental SafeZone Champions, supported by senior leadership, the university has strengthened organisational engagement and is advancing initiatives including a first-aider response pilot and preparations for Martyn’s Law.
🏆 Innovation in Action Award – University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool’s Campus Support & Security Services team was celebrated for its innovative approach to protecting students undertaking patient home visits. Working collaboratively with academic colleagues, the team developed a SafeZone process incorporating check-ins, visibility for relevant response teams and discreet emergency alerts, helping provide additional reassurance and protection for students working off campus.
🏆 Outstanding Response & Co-ordination Award – University of Leicester
The University of Leicester was recognised for embedding SafeZone into its everyday safety operations, from lone working and virtual walks to incident reporting and regular mass communication testing. This proactive approach has helped strengthen preparedness and enabled effective collaboration between security teams, CCTV operators and the police during a serious incident.
🏆 SafeZone Champion of the Year – Nicholas Outten, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Recognising outstanding individual achievement, SafeZone Champion of the Year Award was presented to Nicholas Outten for his exceptional dedication to championing SafeZone and driving innovation across the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL). From introducing the SafeZone Spotlight series to developing tailored workflows for staff conducting home visits and extending safety support beyond hospital sites, Nick has played a pivotal role in increasing engagement, inspiring others and demonstrating the wider value and impact of SafeZone.
🎖️ Recognising Our Highly Commended Organisations
We were also delighted to recognise two Highly Commended entries for their exceptional contributions to the sector:
🎖️ UHL Security Service received Highly Commended in the Engagement Excellence category for its continued commitment to SafeZone adoption, building a community of over 1,900 registered users through ongoing awareness campaigns, staff engagement and education.
🎖️ University of Leicester was Highly Commended in the Strategic Impact category for embedding SafeZone into organisational governance and strengthening partnerships with local hospitals to support staff and students across different environments.
The awards evening was a fantastic celebration of the innovation, dedication and collaborative spirit that make the SafeZone community so special. A huge congratulations to all our SafeZone Award winners and Highly Commended organisations, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted an entry. Your outstanding achievements continue to inspire the wider SafeZone community, showcasing the incredible impact of putting safety, collaboration and innovation at the heart of everything we do.
Day Two: Resilience, Communication and Shared Responsibility
Day two of the conference began with a powerful keynote from Travis D. Frain, Co-Founder of Resilience in Unity, titled “Lived Experience, Shared Responsibility: Building Resilience Before, During and After an Incident”.
As a survivor of the 2017 Westminster Bridge terrorist attack, Travis shared his personal experience and the lessons that have shaped his work in counterterrorism, resilience and victim support. His thought-provoking presentation explored the importance of preparedness before a major incident, the challenges faced during an emergency and, crucially, the need for continued care and support in the aftermath.A key focus of Travis’ session was the importance of a holistic, wraparound approach to support, recognising that the impact of an incident extends far beyond the immediate response and that those affected may require ongoing support throughout their recovery. He also reflected on what could have been done differently and how organisations can learn from past incidents to strengthen future preparedness and response.
This reinforced the important role SafeZone can play before, during and after an incident, from supporting preparedness and delivering timely emergency communications to coordinating responses and helping organisations connect individuals with the appropriate post-incident support services. Ultimately, the session highlighted that effective incident management is not just about responding to an emergency, but ensuring people feel informed, supported and cared for.
Following the keynote, Danny Malone, Global Director of Enterprise Solutions at CriticalArc, delivered “Mass Communications in Action”, a live SafeZone demonstration highlighting how organisations can communicate effectively as part of streamlined incident response. The session demonstrated how targeted messaging, timely updates and coordinated communications can help organisations reach the right people, reduce confusion and maintain situational awareness during fast-moving situations, whether this be a storm interrupting a conference or a terrorist incident unfolding in a public space. Together, the sessions highlighted the importance of combining human experience, organisational preparedness and technology to support more effective emergency response.
Martyn’s Law: The Need for a Collaborative Approach
One of the key discussions of Day Two was The Need for a Collaborative Approach to Martyn’s Law, bringing together representatives from leading industry associations to explore the importance of collective preparedness. Moderated by Andy Rowe, the panel featured:
- Geoff Brown, Chair of AUCSO and Head of Security at the University of Leeds
- Liz Rogers, Chair of HEBCoN and Head of Risk & Resilience at the University of Strathclyde
- Nick Outten, Executive Officer at NAHS and Protective Security Lead at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
The next panel discussion, “Supporting Your Most Vulnerable Community Members with SafeZone”, was moderated by Preeya Brown, and brought together:
- Sally Ingram, Director of University Health and Wellbeing at Newcastle University
- Ant Dales, Head of Security Services at Loughborough University
- Nick Outten, Protective Security Lead at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Richard Oliver, Head of Security at the University of Leicester
The session explored how SafeZone can support individuals who may face additional risks or barriers when seeking assistance, including those with medical conditions, accessibility needs or unfamiliarity with local emergency procedures.
Security: From cost centre to strategic enabler
During their customer-led seminar, Dr Denise Cornish, Senior VP, Institutional Shared Services and COO, alongside Dr Jack Moorman, Interim AVP for Public Safety, from Western University of Health Sciences, explored how SafeZone can help transform security functions into more connected, strategically valuable organisational partners through improved visibility, collaboration and operational processes. Dr Cornish and Dr Moorman provided valuable real-world perspectives on how SafeZone is helping organisations strengthen safety and demonstrate the wider value of connected security operations.
This was followed by the session, “SafeZone Innovation in Focus & Shape What’s Next”, led by Glenn Farrant, Co-Founder of CriticalArc, and Danny Malone, Global Director of Enterprise Solutions. It provided attendees with an exciting look at SafeZone’s latest developments, recently introduced capabilities and the innovations being explored for the future.
Danny highlighted significant developments delivered over the past year, including enhanced two-way communication through SafeZone Tips, improved live mapping and responder visibility, easier onboarding, accessibility improvements and more flexible mass communications. Attendees were also introduced to new features such as ArriveSafe, designed to support safer journeys and more personalised SafeZone app experiences that can be tailored to different user groups and operational environments.
A particularly exciting focus of the session was the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced mapping technologies. Glenn explored how AI could support faster access to critical information, clearer multilingual communications, improved operational workflows and more effective incident management, while keeping people in control of important decisions.
Advances in indoor positioning were also highlighted by Glenn, alongside the potential for 3D building views to improve visibility across complex, multi-level environments such as universities, hospitals and major event venues. Glenn emphasised the excitement among US-based SafeZone customers currently testing the platform’s 3D indoor positioning capabilities for large-scale events. Through a real-world stadium scenario, attendees saw how improved mapping and indoor positioning capabilities can support situational awareness and coordinated responses across busy, complex locations.
Importantly, the session was not simply a showcase of technology. It provided an opportunity for customers to actively contribute to SafeZone’s future direction. Delegates were encouraged to share feedback, discuss emerging operational challenges and identify the developments they would most like to see prioritised. The conversations generated valuable ideas and reinforced CriticalArc’s commitment to developing SafeZone around the evolving needs of its customers. The innovation conversation continues in December, with an upcoming SafeZone Download product webinar providing another opportunity to explore developments and what’s next for the platform. Stay tuned for further details!
Bringing the SafeZone Community Together
Beyond the seminars, Q&As and workshops, the conference provided an invaluable opportunity for attendees to connect, exchange experiences and build stronger professional relationships.
We were delighted to welcome our sponsors Carlisle Support Services, Commend UK and Roc Technologies, alongside exhibitors Genetec, Axis Communications, Nu Xform and Consultive Solutions. Their involvement contributed to an engaging conference atmosphere, creating additional opportunities for networking, product discussions and exploring new approaches to organisational safety and security.
We would also like to extend a special thank you to our valued industry association partners – HEBCoN, AUCSO, USHA and NAHS – for their continued support and involvement in this year’s conference. Their contributions helped bring together professionals from across the higher education and healthcare sectors, encouraging meaningful discussions, knowledge sharing and collaboration.
We particularly appreciated their involvement in the Martyn’s Law panel discussion, which highlighted the importance of working together across organisations and sectors to address shared safety and security challenges. Their ongoing partnership plays an important role in strengthening connections across the SafeZone community and supporting our shared commitment to creating safer environments.
We were also extremely pleased to receive positive feedback from customers, with many sharing how much they enjoyed the conference content, insightful presentations and overall experience. These conversations and connections are an important part of what makes the annual SafeZone conference so valuable, bringing together people with a shared commitment to improving safety outcomes.
A huge thank you to all our customers, prospective customers, delegates, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and the wider CriticalArc team for making the EMEA SafeZone Annual Conference 2026 such a memorable and successful event.
We truly appreciate everyone who joined us, contributed to the discussions and shared their experiences and ideas. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces alongside new connections, and we look forward to continuing these conversations and welcoming you all again at our next SafeZone event!
Posted 29th Oct 2026
