Showsec
Showsec International Ltd is the UK's leading dedicated crowd management and event security specialist, delivering stewarding, SIA-licensed door supervision, and consultancy to venues, sports clubs, festivals, and local authorities across 15 UK offices as a Live Nation Entertainment subsidiary.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersLeicester, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Showsec does
Showsec International Ltd is a UK-headquartered specialist in crowd management and event security, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment from its Leicester head office. The company delivers stewarding, SIA-licensed door supervision, and crowd management services across six integrated service lines: venue security, event security, sports security, local authority services, crowd management consultancy, and VIP close protection. These are supported by a training infrastructure comprising the Management Development Programme (running since 2008), a 50+ course eLearning platform with 4.5/5 learner satisfaction, and specialised modules covering counter-terrorism risk and crowd safety management.
The company operates a workforce of approximately 5,500 trained stewards and licensed security personnel, 450 supervisors, and 65 client-focused operations managers, deployed through 15 area offices covering England, Scotland, and Wales. Showsec runs proprietary internal platforms including SmartG8 (workforce management, booking, compliance, and procurement), the Showsec App (staff shift booking), and bespoke risk frameworks (Labour Provider Risk Management Matrix, Non-Labour Supplier Risk Management Matrix). It maintains a full regulatory stack: SIA Approved Contractor Scheme status, ISO 9001, CHAS, IIRSM recognition, Pacesetters membership, and founding membership of the UK Crowd Management Association.
Showsec's commercial model is enterprise B2B services delivered through direct field sales and tender processes, with revenue generated primarily on hourly unit pricing for casual staff (£15.07-£19.44/hour across steward and door supervisor roles) and annual salaries for permanent operations supervisors. The customer base is anchored by multi-year contracts with Legends Global (eight UK venues), Academy Music Group (O2 Academy nationwide), major football clubs (Manchester City, Leicester City, Everton), Silverstone Circuit, and several UK city councils. Pricing for casual labour is being uplifted from April 2026. Marquee event credentials include the 2012 Olympics, Tour de France Grand Départ 2014, Queen's funeral, King's coronation, and high-attendance festivals. The business is privately held, with revenue not publicly disclosed, and is led by Co-CEOs Mark Logan and Simon Battersby alongside Finance Director Stephen Shilling.
Showsec firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Showsec
- Legal name
- Showsec International Ltd
- Website
- https://showsec.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Showsec International Ltd is the UK's leading dedicated crowd management and event security specialist, delivering stewarding, SIA-licensed door supervision, and consultancy to venues, sports clubs, festivals, and local authorities across 15 UK offices as a Live Nation Entertainment subsidiary.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Showsec is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leicester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices12 records
Markets served
Showsec business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Crowd Management and Event Security Services: Primary revenue stream from providing trained stewarding and SIA-licensed security staff to venues, events, sporting venues, and local authorities. Services include event security, crowd management, access control, and emergency response.
- Security Consultancy Services: Bespoke consultancy services for event security planning and delivery, including crowd management strategy formulation, stakeholder liaison coordination, vendor procurement advice, and operational documentation development.
- VIP Close Protection Services: Specialized close protection operations for corporate clients, music artists, and sporting teams, providing premium level service tailored to individual requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SIA Licensed Door Supervisor - Casual hourly rate |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Event Safety Steward - Casual hourly rate |
| Subscription | Monthly | Operations Supervisor - Permanent annual salary |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Showsec product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Showsec provides trained stewarding and SIA-licensed security personnel for crowd management, venue security, sporting events, local authority public events, and corporate/celebrity close protection across the UK. The company dispatches casual and permanent security staff on hourly or salaried contracts via 15 regional area offices, supplemented by bespoke event security planning consultancy and a 50+ course eLearning and Management Development Programme that trains and certifies its own workforce.
Product overview
Showsec is a UK-based crowd management and event security company offering a unified suite of physical security services rather than a software product platform. The core offering comprises six integrated service lines: venue security, event security, sports security, local authority services, consultancy, and VIP close protection. These are supported by three service modules: Training & Development, the Management Development Programme (MDP), and an eLearning platform. The company operates with internal platforms including SmartG8 for workforce management and a Showsec App for shift booking, all built around physical service delivery rather than software products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Showsec Training: Premier destination for security and event worker training, offering comprehensive training programs for individuals seeking to excel in event security.
- Showsec Learning Experiences
Products and services
- Venue Security Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 million visitors welcomed through AO Arena over 30-year partnership
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Showsec
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Showsec technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Showsec partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Live Nation EntertainmentcoreLive Nation Entertainment is the ultimate parent company of Showsec. The relationship provides Showsec with access to global event opportunities, Live Nation's sustainability charter alignment, and corporate policies and training on modern slavery, business ethics, and whistleblowing that cascade to Showsec personnel.
- Legends GlobalcoreFive-year deal positioning Showsec as security partner for Legends Global's eight UK venue sites including AO Arena, Utilita Arena, first direct Bank Arena, Connexin Live, P&J Live, Ovo Arena Wembley, and Vaillant Live. This represents Showsec's primary venue operator relationship.
- Academy Music GroupcoreNationwide partnership providing consistent levels of service and procedures including ejection measures, security searches and customer care across Academy Music Group's O2 Academy venues throughout the UK.
- British Transport PolicemajorMulti-agency coordination for events, working alongside police services for public safety operations.
- Transport for London (TfL)majorCollaboration with TfL for London events and public transport crowd management.
- Greater London AuthoritymajorPartnership for major London events including UEFA Euro 2020 Festival sites (Trafalgar Square Fan Zone and Potters Fields Football Village).
- Jack Morton WorldwidemajorShowsec delivered crowd management and event security services for Jack Morton Worldwide on behalf of the Greater London Authority during UEFA Euro 2020 Festival.
- UK Crowd Management Association (UKCMA)coreFounding member of UKCMA formed in 2001 to represent organisations providing crowd management and event security services. UKCMA membership subject to specific criteria and vetting. Showsec Co-CEO Simon Battersby is on the Board of GCMA (Global Crowd Management Alliance).
- City Security CouncilcoreActive collaboration with City Security Council to share best practices and tackle systemic issues including modern slavery and human trafficking.
- Warrington Borough CouncilminorPartnership for COVID-19 testing centre operations at Halliwell Jones Stadium, providing 24/7 security coverage and access control for asymptomatic community testing site.
Scale indicators28 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Showsec competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Allied Universal (G4S): Global security services giant (now Allied Universal) offering manned guarding, event security, and crowd management as part of a broader facilities and protective services portfolio. Competes on larger integrated venue tenders.
- Securitas: Global security services provider with UK event and venue security operations alongside broader guarding, mobile, and electronic security services. Competes with Showsec on integrated venue contracts.
- Cordant Security: UK security services provider offering manned guarding, event security, and crowd management as part of a broader staffing and security portfolio. Competes with Showsec across venue and event work.
- Sodexo: Global facility services provider with venue security and crowd management within its broader portfolio of food, FM, and security services. Competes with Showsec on stadium and arena integrated service contracts.
Direct peers
- AP Security Group: UK event security and crowd management company serving music venues, festivals, and sporting events. Directly competes with Showsec for stewarding and SIA-licensed door supervision work.
- Unitrust Security Services: UK-based SIA-approved security company providing event security, door supervision, and crowd management services. Comparable in scale and customer type to Showsec's mid-tier venue work.
- FGH Security: UK-based event security and crowd management specialist directly competing with Showsec for arena, festival, and venue contracts. Highly comparable in scope, geography, and customer base.
- Knights Group Security: UK event and venue security company offering crowd management, door supervision, and stewarding services. Comparable customer base across arenas, festivals, and stadia.
- Event Security Solutions (ESS): UK specialist event security provider focused on concerts, festivals, and sporting venues. Closely comparable service mix to Showsec including SIA-licensed stewards and crowd management.
- CIS Security: UK SIA ACS-approved contractor providing event security, venue guarding, and crowd management. Overlaps with Showsec in arena and event security contracts in the UK.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Showsec social profiles
Digital presenceShowsec compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Showsec financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Showsec leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Showsec funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Showsec M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Showsec
What does Showsec do?
Showsec provides trained stewarding and SIA-licensed security personnel for crowd management, venue security, sporting events, local authority public events, and corporate/celebrity close protection across the UK. The company dispatches casual and permanent security staff on hourly or salaried contracts via 15 regional area offices, supplemented by bespoke event security planning consultancy and a 50+ course eLearning and Management Development Programme that trains and certifies its own workforce.
Is Showsec a public or private company?
Showsec is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Showsec founded?
Showsec was founded in 1991. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Showsec based?
Showsec is headquartered in Leicester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Showsec make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Crowd Management and Event Security Services are the primary driver. The others are security Consultancy Services and VIP Close Protection Services.
Who are Showsec's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Allied Universal (G4S), Securitas, Cordant Security and Sodexo. Direct peers are AP Security Group, Unitrust Security Services, FGH Security, Knights Group Security, Event Security Solutions (ESS) and CIS Security.
Does Showsec have an API?
No public API is recorded for Showsec.