Scroll to top
Request Consultation
Event security in Las Palmas

Event Security

Event Security in Las Palmas

Professional event security in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Licensed teams for conferences, trade shows and corporate events at INFECAR and city hotels.

Low risk Spain

Arrange event security for your Las Palmas conference or trade event

Get a Quote

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the commercial and administrative capital of the Canary Islands, combining a significant cruise port, a growing MICE sector and a year-round calendar of trade events across maritime, tourism and energy industries. The city’s position as a mid-Atlantic waypoint gives it an international delegate profile that reaches beyond Spain: shipping companies, cruise lines and energy firms regularly bring senior personnel through the city for operational meetings and sector conferences. Security planning for these events draws on FCDO Spain travel advice (2024), which rates the Canary Islands as low risk overall, with petty theft in tourist and port areas as the primary concern for visiting business delegates. Coordination with the Las Palmas city security infrastructure is a standard part of every event plan we deliver.

The Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones INFECAR anchors the city’s conference offer, with additional capacity at the Hotel Santa Catalina and a separate cluster of south-island resort venues in Maspalomas. Events often span both zones, requiring security teams to manage multiple sites and regular inter-venue transfers. Our close protection officers in Las Palmas are familiar with the GC-1 transfer corridor, the Santa Catalina port area and the operational patterns of the major hotels, allowing advance work to be completed efficiently without reliance on a lengthy familiarisation period.

All event security deployments in Las Palmas are delivered by personnel holding valid licences under Spain’s Ley de Seguridad Privada 5/2014. Pre-event briefings, written threat assessments referencing current FCDO and CNI (Spain’s Centro Nacional de Inteligencia) advisories, and post-event debrief reports are standard deliverables on every engagement. Emergency contact numbers including 112 (all services), 091 (Policia Nacional), 062 (Guardia Civil) and the British Consulate Gran Canaria (+34 928 262 508) are included in every delegate security pack distributed before the event opens.

Planning

What our event security covers

Venue Security at INFECAR and Las Palmas Conference Centres

The Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones INFECAR, situated within the Parque Santa Catalina complex in Las Palmas, is the primary venue for large-scale trade exhibitions and business conventions on Gran Canaria. It hosts the Gran Canaria Travel Show, maritime sector forums and FITUR satellite events that draw several thousand delegates over multi-day programmes. Our venue security teams conduct advance assessments of the facility layout, covering the main exhibition halls, perimeter access points, loading bays and delegate registration areas. Access control at INFECAR requires a layered approach: credential checking at the outer perimeter, secondary verification at hall entrances and floating security patrols during exhibition hours. For smaller corporate events at the Hotel Santa Catalina (a Royal Hideaway Hotel on Parque Santa Catalina) or the Sheraton Gran Canaria Salobre Golf Resort in the south of the island, teams are sized to match the format, from two-person escort pairs for executive roundtables to eight-person crews for gala dinners. Gran Hotel Lopesan Costa Meloneras in Maspalomas is frequently used for south-island corporate retreats; transfers between the airport and Maspalomas are factored into the security plan as a separate movement phase. All venue security personnel hold licences under Spain's Ley de Seguridad Privada 5/2014 and are registered with the Security Economics and Services (SES) licensing body. EU-licensed close protection officers may operate on the island under freedom-of-movement provisions, subject to prior notification to the relevant provincial authority.

Cruise and Maritime Sector Event Security

Las Palmas is one of the busiest cruise waypoints in the eastern Atlantic, with the Puerto de la Luz handling over 900 vessel calls annually (Puertos del Estado, 2023). Cruise industry conferences and maritime sector technical meetings frequently use the city's hotels and the INFECAR halls, particularly in the October-to-March season when transatlantic repositioning voyages peak. Our teams are experienced in the specific demands of port-adjacent events: controlled access in venues close to public quaysides, managing the movement of shipowner delegations and flag-state officials, and coordinating with Policia Nacional and Port Authority security when events overlap with busy embarkation days. Delegates arriving on private vessels use the Real Club Nautico de Gran Canaria marina, which requires advance coordination with marina staff for berth-side collection. Shore excursion security for cruise-event delegates visiting Las Palmas city attractions, including the Vegueta historic district and the CAAM cultural centre, is provided as a standalone package or as part of a wider conference security plan. All maritime-sector events involving delegations with elevated personal risk profiles are subject to a written threat assessment drawing on FCDO Spain travel advice (2024), which rates the Canary Islands as generally low risk, with petty theft in busy tourist and port areas as the primary concern for visiting delegates.

Airport Transfers and Delegate Movement

Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) is located 22 kilometres south of Las Palmas city centre on the GC-1 motorway. Transfer times from LPA to central Las Palmas run 25 to 35 minutes under normal traffic conditions; transfers to Maspalomas and the south-island resort venues are 10 to 20 minutes from the airport. Delegates arriving for events at INFECAR or central Las Palmas hotels are met airside on arrival, with a document check confirming identity before the transfer vehicle departs. For high-profile delegations, a lead and follow vehicle configuration is available. Transfer vehicles are tracked in real time by our operations coordinator throughout each journey. Charter flight arrivals use the general aviation terminal at LPA, which has a separate access route from the main terminal building; advance coordination with Aena ground handling is required for airside access. For island-wide itineraries combining a Las Palmas conference session with a south-island dinner event, our planners map both legs as a single coordinated movement plan rather than treating them separately. FCDO Spain advice (2024) notes no specific threat to the airport or transfer corridors; standard anti-surveillance protocols are applied on all delegate transfers as a baseline measure.

Close Protection for Keynote Speakers and VIP Delegates

Gran Canaria hosts a range of C-suite and ministerial delegates at its trade events, particularly the cruise and maritime industry conferences and FITUR satellite sessions. Our close protection officers in Las Palmas operate under Spain's Ley de Seguridad Privada 5/2014 and hold personal protection licences issued by the SES. Protection details typically comprise a lead CPO accompanying the principal throughout the event programme, supported by a second officer handling advance work: confirming hotel room allocation, checking restaurant layouts before dinner reservations and liaising with venue security supervisors at INFECAR or the Hotel Santa Catalina. Operational briefings are held the morning of each event day, covering the principal's confirmed itinerary, identified changes since the previous brief, known media or protest activity in the vicinity and any relevant updates from Policia Nacional (091) or Guardia Civil (062). For multi-day conferences, the protection detail rotates in 12-hour shifts so no officer works consecutive double duties. Drivers are briefed on primary and contingency routes and carry the local emergency number (112) as well as the direct number for the British Consulate Gran Canaria (+34 928 262 508) in the event that a British national principal requires consular support.

Crowd Management for Large Public Events and Gala Dinners

Las Palmas hosts significant outdoor public events, including carnival season events in the Parque Santa Catalina area and waterfront celebrations on the Paseo de las Canteras. Where corporate or trade events run concurrently with public gatherings in the same district, our crowd management teams coordinate with Policia Local and Policia Nacional to establish clear perimeters separating the conference venue from street-level activity. For gala dinners at beachfront restaurants or hotel terraces near Las Canteras beach, the open-sided nature of many venues requires passive perimeter measures rather than hard barriers: table arrangement, staff positioning and trained observation are used to maintain awareness without creating a visible security footprint that affects the client experience. Capacity management at INFECAR events follows Spanish fire safety regulation (Real Decreto 2267/2004 on fire protection in industrial and commercial establishments, as applicable to exhibition halls), with our supervisors coordinating with the venue's appointed safety officer. Post-event dispersal plans are prepared in advance, identifying safe delegate egress routes and transport pickup points on the Santa Catalina side of the venue to avoid congestion at the main public entrance.

Security Briefings and Pre-Event Intelligence

Every event in Las Palmas begins with a written security briefing circulated to the client's event management team at least 72 hours before the first delegate arrives. The briefing covers the current FCDO Spain travel advice status (2024 version: generally low risk, petty theft the primary concern in tourist areas), the local police presence in the event district, known protest schedules if any are registered with the Delegacion del Gobierno, and venue-specific risks identified during the advance site visit. Threat level for the Canary Islands under Spain's national terrorism alert system (SNTA) is assessed by the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI); our briefings include the current published SNTA level relevant to Gran Canaria alongside any province-specific advisories. For international delegations including non-EU nationals, our team notes entry documentation requirements: Spain is a Schengen state, and delegates from third countries require a valid Schengen visa. The British Consulate Gran Canaria (+34 928 262 508) is the first point of contact for any British national delegate requiring consular assistance during the event. Medical facility information, including the location of Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria (Las Palmas' principal trauma centre), is included in every delegate security pack.

Vetted operators. Local knowledge. Proven protocols.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. All private security operatives working in Spain must hold a licence under the Ley de Seguridad Privada 5/2014, issued by the Security Economics and Services (SES) body. EU-licensed close protection officers may work in Spain under freedom-of-movement provisions, but must notify the relevant provincial authority in advance. Non-EU personnel require a Spanish licence.

The Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones INFECAR in Parque Santa Catalina is the city’s primary venue for large trade exhibitions and multi-day conferences. The Hotel Santa Catalina (a Royal Hideaway Hotel) and south-island venues including Gran Hotel Lopesan Costa Meloneras in Maspalomas host smaller corporate events and executive retreats.

Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) is 22 kilometres south of Las Palmas city centre via the GC-1 motorway. Transfer time is 25 to 35 minutes under normal conditions. South-island venues in Maspalomas are 10 to 20 minutes from the airport.

FCDO Spain travel advice (2024) rates Spain as generally low risk. The primary concern for event delegates in Las Palmas is petty theft in busy tourist and port areas, including near the cruise terminal at Puerto de la Luz. The national terrorism alert level (SNTA) applies across Spain and is published by the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia.

Yes. Our teams operate across Gran Canaria, covering city-centre venues such as INFECAR and Hotel Santa Catalina as well as south-island properties including the Sheraton Gran Canaria Salobre Golf Resort and Gran Hotel Lopesan Costa Meloneras. Island-wide itineraries are planned as a single coordinated security programme.
Get in Touch

Request a Consultation

Describe your security requirements below. All enquiries are confidential and handled by licensed consultants.

Confidential. Your details are never shared with third parties.