attendee with a gun could cause tremendous harm to others—certainly more than
someone with a knife or no weapon at all.
There is not always a “one size ;its all”
response to bringing guns to events. Some
groups may generally permit ;irearms as a
matter of policy. But if their event will
include a controversial celebrity or a
political ;igure in attendance, they may
have to rethink their approach.
The 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland is a good example. Ohio
law allows ;irearms to be brought into the
convention venue, and the Republican
Party supports gun rights. On the other
hand, with Donald Trump and political
leaders in attendance, there was a need
for special security measures to ensure
safety. Convention leaders and government of;icials decided to allow ;irearms
outside the venue, but to prohibit them
inside the arena. This compromise helped
ensure a safe experience for all.
For planners and meeting hosts, some
pre-event thought and proper planning
can create an event at which all attendees
can be comfortable. This is true even in
“pro-carry” states. Permissive gun legisla-
tion may create some challenges for those
seeking to limit the presence of ;irearms,
• When serving alcoholic beverages at
an event, give particular consider-
ation to whether a meeting other-
wise permitting ;irearms should ban
weapons at that particular function.
Guns and drinking have been a con-
cern even for states enacting broad
pro-gun laws. The heightened risk of
impaired judgment resulting in
violence when alcohol is involved
greatly increases the threat of poten-
tial liability for the meeting sponsor,
the venue and the person carrying a
weapon.
• Check with your insurance carrier
about the impact on your rates
should you allow ;irearms, as well as
your overall ability to purchase adequate coverage. Rates may be higher
if ;irearms are allowed, due to the
increased risk of injury. This is particularly true for events in bars and
functions where alcoholic beverages
will be available. As the risk of impaired judgment increases, so do
insurance costs.
• Laws outside of the U.S. are usually
far more restrictive on carrying
;irearms. When planning an international meeting consider whether
local laws allow individuals to own
and keep ;irearms at all, and if so
whether they can bring guns to
public gatherings. Also, there are
often restrictions on transporting
weapons across borders. It usually
makes sense to urge attendees to
leave their ;irearms at home. ■
but it is certainly still possible to conduct
meetings much the same as before recent pro-gun laws were enacted.
Different laws in every state make it
impossible to create hard and fast rules
to apply to every meeting across the U.S.
But here are some things to consider
when planning a meeting or event in any
location.
• Review the state’s laws on carrying
weapons with counsel: This is good
advice even if you don’t believe that
attendees are allowed to carry guns
in the jurisdiction where the meeting
will be held, or if you wish to permit
guns and are meeting in a pro-gun
state. There may be limits on your
ability to endorse or prohibit ;irearms, and you need to be aware of
any conditions.
• Understand that meeting sponsors
wishing to ban ;irearms from their
meetings may still be able to do so,
even in states that have enacted
pro-gun legislation. Particularly if the
meeting location is a privately owned
hotel or conference facility, an event
sponsor may have the right to keep
guns out, and even deny entrance to
attendees refusing to comply.
• Create a written policy on ;irearms
for your organization, and then enforce it. A clear policy statement
publicized to your meeting attendees
in advance with registration materials will prevent confusion about
what is and isn’t permitted. This
policy should also be posted at the
meeting venue. If ;irearms will be
prohibited, this should be made clear
to attendees in advance.
• If your organization chooses to ban
;irearms, develop a security strategy
to keep ;irearms out. This may include requesting that attendees pass
Meeting
professionals
should recognize
that guns at
meetings are not
a problem for
everyone.