Tom Pickup

Responsible for the security of both Utilita Arena Sheffield, and Sheffield City Hall, directly managing a team of seven full time security operatives. My primary responsibilities in this role are (but not limited to):

• Oversight of event security contractor
• Access Control, Fire Detection, and CCTV system management
• Emergency response planning
• Local authority and emergency services liaison

Since becoming a freelancer, I have been lucky enough to be involved in many notable roles/projects, with a variety of different roles and responsibilities, including:

• Hideout Festival , Croatia - Head Of Security
• Soundstorm Festival 24 , Riyadh KSA - Dispatch Manager
• Westlife , China - Venue Security Advance
• Zayn , UK - Venue Security Advance
• Taylor Swift Tour , UK - FOS Barrier Manager
• World Defence Show , Riyadh KSA - Crowd Management Consultant
• Tramlines Festival , Sheffield UK - Festival Security Auditor
• Soundstorm Festival 22/23 , Riyadh KSA - Production Security Manager
• Formula 1 ARC 23/24 , Jeddah KSA - VIP Security Manager
• Bloodstock Festival , Derby - Head of Security (Nights)
• Azimuth Festival, Al'Ula KSA - Security Manager

Due to the uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic, I took employment in the public sector whilst work in the events industry was scarce. Despite the role not being in line with my intended career path, I did find that many of the skills developed in my career up until that point assisted me in the role.

My primary responsibilities, amongst many others, included:

• Maintaining accurate custody logs for detainees
• Taking biometric samples
• Detainee safety and welfare
• CCTV monitoring
• Drug testing
• Managing detainee behaviour and de-escalation of conflict

Starting as an event steward at Manchester Arena in 2008, I was promoted through to becoming an Operations Executive in the Sheffield area by the start of 2014, where I began planning and managing security operations with up to 200 staff. I took on many responsibilities in this role, including:

• Sheffield Arena - Head of Security, and client handler. During this time I was responsible for many high profile events, including several Matchroom Boxing and Professional Darts Championship events, Justin Bieber, Take That, Ariana Grande, Green Day, Drake, Arctic Monkeys and Liam Gallagher, to name a few.
• Tramlines Festival - Project Manager and client handler. In my time in this role, Tramlines festival grew from a 10,000 capacity inner city festival, to a 40,000 capacity standalone site, and I was a part of designing the crowd management operation throughout two changes of locations.
• Rotherham United Football Club - Client handler. Provided an average of 80 staff for each home game, and grew the contract year on year through excellent service, and taking on additional roles at the stadium, including corporate security, CCTV operators, pitch response teams and car parking stewarding.

Other notable roles I have carried out include:

• Metallica Etihad Stadium - Backstage Project Manager
• Creamfields Festival - Logistics Manager
• Galtres Festival - Head of Security
• T in The Park - Campsite Security Co-Ordinator
• Download Festival - Campsite Security Co-Ordinator
• Slam Dunk Festival - Various roles, including Assistant Head of Security
• Sheffield LetsRide - Head of Stewarding
• Kasabian, Victoria Park Leicester - Gate Security Manager