Because the processes of teaching and learning are inextricably intertwined, Steve Adelman writes often about safety and security issues at live events, and he is a widely-traveled speaker to audiences of event and venue professionals.  And because of his immersion in these issues and lively presentation style, Steve Adelman frequently speaks as a subject matter expert for television, radio, digital, and print media throughout North America.

Publications

Steven A. Adelman articles venue event safety security

Steve’s Safety Postcards,” Adelman on Venues, July 26, 2024

First Responders,” Adelman on Venues, March 23, 2024

KC Parade Thoughts,” Adelman on Venues, February 15, 2024

GCMA Field Guide to Crowds,” January 2024 (editor and chapter author)

Birth Announcement,” Adelman on Venues, September 28, 2023

Standards,” Adelman on Venues, August 6, 2023

NFPA Fire Protection Handbook, National Fire Protection Association, 21st Edition, 2023 (chapter author)

Parade Safety,Adelman on Venues, April 10, 2023

Let’s Make a New Mistake,” Adelman on Venues, January 22, 2023

“Between Ted Lasso and Eeyore,” Adelman on Venues, November 6, 2022

“How We Learn,” Adelman on Venues, October 2, 2022

“A Story One Can Write Today,” Adelman on Venues, August 14, 2022

“Cooperative Work,” Adelman on Venues, May 9, 2022

“From Masked to Maskless,” Adelman on Venues, April 8, 2022

“Cameroon is Important,” Adelman on Venues, February 4, 2022

“Crowd Safety: Q&A with Steven Adelman on the New Global Alliance,” LiveDesign, December 14, 2021

“The Allure of Certainty,” Adelman on Venues, December 4, 2021

“Last Night at Astroworld,” Adelman on Venues, November 6, 2021

“Health and Safety Guidance for In-Person Events,” Event Safety Alliance, October 11, 2021

“Mandates, Facts, and Objections,” Adelman on Venues, September 29, 2021

“When the Whole World Gets Sick, What Does that Mean for Wellness?” PCMA Convene, August 11, 2021

“Delta Dilemma: Live Industry Navigates More Contagious Variant, Changing Regulations,” Pollstar, July 30, 2021

“In My Tribe,” NFPA Journal, July 13, 2021

“Reopening Madness!” Adelman on Venues, June 11, 2021

“Yes, fans banned from arenas can face criminal charges if they return,” Verify, June 8, 2021

Vaccine Passports? Meetings and Events Experts Chime In,” Meetings Today, June 1, 2021

“Vaccine Passports,” Adelman on Venues, April 12, 2021

“In Praise of Critical Thinking,” Adelman on Venues, February 20, 2021

“Steve’s Super Picks,” Adelman on Venues, February 5, 2021

“Goodbye 2020,” Adelman on Venues, December 30, 2020

“Dispatches from the Front Lines,” Adelman on Venues, November 28, 2020

“Vaccines: Liberty Regulated by Law,” Adelman on Venues, September 7, 2020

“How Theatre Makes Its Comeback,” Southern Theatre, Summer 2020, page 12

“Authority and Responsibility,” Adelman on Venues, August 8, 2020

“A Wave of Waivers,” DRI Customer Connection, July 28, 2020

“Risky Business,” NFPA Journal, July/August 2020

“Four Issues to Consider When Negotiating Event Contracts Amid COVID-19,” Event Marketer, July 6, 2020

“A Guide to Reopening Venues,” Panstadia, pages 36-39, June 29, 2020

“Working the Problem,” Adelman on Venues, June 13, 2020

“Event Safety Alliance Reopening Guide,” Adelman on Venues, May 11, 2020

“Four Questions About Coronavirus,” Adelman on Venues, April 22, 2020

“A Catastrophe of Lawyers,” Adelman on Venues, April 12, 2020

“Baseball and Bumper Cars,” Adelman on Venues, March 20, 2020

“Coronavirus and Event Cancellation,” Adelman on Venues, March 2, 2020

“What Could Go Wrong?” Minnesota Meetings + Events, Winter 2020, page 26

“Everybody Hurts,” Adelman on Venues, February 17, 2020

“Employees or Independent Contractors?” Adelman on Venues, January 3, 2020

“Questions for a New Decade,” Adelman on Venues, December 18, 2019

“Heading Into the Home Stretch,” The Crowd Magazine, December 2019, pp. 4-6

“The Duty of Care Regarding Active Shooters,” IFEA’s ie: The Business of International Events, Winter 2019, pp. 82-83

“Our Bright Future,” Adelman on Venues, November 7, 2019

“Thoughts for a New Year,” Adelman on Venues, September 30, 2019

“A Series of Unfortunate Events,” Adelman on Venues, August 5, 2019

“Threat Inflation,” Adelman on Venues, July 2019

“Foreseeably ‘Unreasonable,'” Adelman on Venues, April 2019

“The Straight and Narrow Path,” Adelman on Venues, February 2019

“7 O’Clock News / Silent Night,” Adelman on Venues, December 2018

“SSDD,” Adelman on Venues, November 2018

“Crowd Expectations,” Adelman on Venues, October 2018

“Employees Versus Independent Contractors,” Adelman on Venues, September 2018

“Last Night Before the Backstreet Boys,” Adelman on Venues, August 2018

“Expectations,” Adelman on Venues, July 2018

“Meet Selena,” Adelman on Venues, June 2018

“Rethinking ‘Situational Awareness,'” Adelman on Venues, April 2018

“Mode-of-Operation Law in Arizona and Illinois,” DRI Customer Connection, April 2018

“Responding to Parkland,” Adelman on Venues, February 2018

“Teaching Risk Management in Venues,” Adelman on Venues, January 2018

“The First Checklist for 2018,” Adelman on Venues, December 2017

“Teachable Moments from Las Vegas,” Adelman on Venues, October 2017

“Foreseeing ‘Murderous Assaults:’ Causation in Active Shooter Cases,” DRI Retail and Hospitality Committee, September 2017

“Netting and Kneeling,” Adelman on Venues, September 2017

“Fighting in the Street,” Adelman on Venues, August 2017

“Event Security and Black Swans,” Adelman on Venues, July 2017

“After Manchester,” Adelman on Venues, May 2017

“Lessons from Hamilton,” Adelman on Venues, May 2017

“The Myth of Situational Awareness,” Adelman on Venues, February 2017

“Oakland in Context,” Adelman on Venues, December 2016

“Safety, One Year After Paris,” Adelman on Venues, November 2016

“Wages and Hours,” Adelman on Venues, October 2016

“Reasonable Practices,” Adelman on Venues, September 2016

“We All Contain Multitudes,” Adelman on Venues, July 2016

“Run, Hide, Fight: Why the Current Version Doesn’t Work for Live Events, and How to Do Better,” Protocol, July 2016

“Train the Shepherds,” NFPA Journal, July 2016

“Insurance: A Sad Story with Two Important Morals,” ETCP Certifiable News, June 2016

What’s Different About Orlando? Adelman on Venues, June 2016

The Eggshell Skull Plaintiff,” Adelman on Venues, May 2016

Duty of Care: It’s Better to Be Smart Than Dumb,” Adelman on Venues, March 2016

The Indiana State Fair and the Importance of Contracts Adelman on Venues, February 2016

What Makes You Feel Safe? Adelman on Venues, January 2016

Paris in Perspective,” Adelman on Venues, November 2015

The Trouble with Templates,” Adelman on Venues, October 2015

Baseball Stadium Safety, Inning 2: Eyes on the Ball,” Adelman on Venues, September 2015

Take Me Out to the Ballgame – I’m Not Scared,” Adelman on Venues, July 2015

Best Practices: A Legal Disclaimer,” Protocol: The Journal of the Entertainment Technology Industry, Summer 2015

“‘… Under the Same or Similar Circumstances,'” Adelman on Venues, May 2015

Jobsite Safety: When the Cause of the Incident Is Not the Cause of Death,” Adelman on Venues, January 2015

Ray Rice, False Ignorance and the ‘New Privacy,‘” Adelman on Venues, September 2014

Comparative Fault and Individual Responsibility,” Adelman on Venues, September 2014

What Does It Mean to Be ‘Reasonable’? Adelman on Venues, February 2014

Allied in Safety,” NFPA Journal, July/August 2013

“‘What We’ve Got Here Is a Failure to Communicate,'” Adelman on Venues, June 2013

Lessons from the Marathon,” Adelman on Venues, April 2013

The ‘Baseball Rule’ and Ticket Disclaimers,” Adelman on Venues, March 2013

A Reasonably Hard Shell: Making Your Venue Safe, Secure and Prepared to Handle a Crisis,” Facility Manager, December 2012/January 2013

The Rebirth of Fenway,” NFPA Journal, July/August 2012

The Right to Remain Silent Adelman on Venues, April 2012

‘Can I?’ Versus ‘Should I?’ Adelman on Venues, November 2011

What Good Is a Lawyer if the Answer to Every Question Is, ‘It Depends’? Adelman on Venues, October 2011

Rules to Live By: Statutes, Codes and Treatises,” Facility Manager, August/September 2011

Concerts: Hot Fun in the Summertime,” Adelman on Venues, June 2011

A Matter of Opinion: How to Choose an Expert Witness,” Facility Manager, February March 2011

The Court of Public Opinion,” The Flip Side, October 2010

‘I’ll Drink to That’: Minimizing the Risk of Intoxicated Patrons,” Facility Manager, August-September 2010

‘Open the Doors!’: The Problem of Ingress,” Facility Manager, August-September 2009

‘The University Community Is Urged to Be Cautious’: The Law of Guns on Campus,”
Venue Safety & Security, Summer 2008

Helping the Disabled in an Emergency,” Venue Safety & Security, Fall 2007

To Serve and Protect: The Problem of Underage Drinking,” Venue Safety & Security, Summer 2007

The Modern Civil Justice System,” Class in America: An Encyclopedia (Greenwood Press, 2007)

Won’t Get Fooled Again: Litigating Crowd Crush Cases,” Trial, June 2004

Media Appearances

Steven A. Adelman venue event safety expert TV interviews

Steve Adelman has appeared in the following national and local media:

CNN
Today
CBS This Morning
NBC Nightly News
ESPN Outside the Lines
Fox News
ESPN Radio
USA Today
The New York Times
Associated Press
Time
The Christian Science Monitor
Rolling Stone
Billboard
Buzzfeed
CTV Canada AM
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Pollstar
NFPA Journal
Protocol
Arizona Republic
Baltimore Sun
Boston Globe
Chicago Tribune
San Francisco Chronicle
WBFF TV, Baltimore
KNXV TV, Phoenix
KPHO TV, Phoenix
KPNX TV, Phoenix
KSAZ TV, Phoenix
KSWB TV, San Diego
KGUN TV, Tucson
WTTG TV, Washington, DC
WBUR Radio, Boston
WFAN Radio, New York
KTAR Radio, Phoenix
KCBS Radio, San Francisco
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Many of his appearances can be seen on his YouTube channel.

Watch on YouTube

Recent Presentations

Steve Adelman is invited by many organizations to give his dynamic and informed presentations regarding risk and safety at live events.  Here is a list of recent public presentations, with video or audio links where available.

North American Theatre Engineering Architecture Conference, Brooklyn, NY, July 2024

University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology, virtual class lecture, March 2024

SERMAnar, Colorado Springs, CO, March 2024

Sports and Entertainment Risk Management Alliance, podcast interview, February 2024

Mass Gathering Medicine Summit, New York, NY, November 2023

Event Safety Summit, Houston, TX, November 2023

Colorado Bar Association, virtual continuing legal education, November 2023

Event Safety Alliance Canada, Ottawa, ON, October 2023

International Festivals and Events Association, McAllen, TX, October 2023

Chacruna Institute, webinar, October 2023

NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants), Anaheim, CA, April 2023

Managing Your Perimeter, podcast interview, February 2023

Weather Planning for Mass Gatherings Workshop, Austin, TX, January 2023

Boston College Law School, class lecture, Newton, MA, November 2022

National Independent Venue Association, virtual presentation, November 2022

WGN Legal Face-Off, podcast interview, August 2022

National Automobile Dealers Association, Auto Shows of North America annual conference, Carlsbad, CA, July 2022

Super Bowl Host Steering Committee, Phoenix, AZ, June 2022

University of California – San Diego, virtual class lecture, May 2022

Minnesota Festivals and Events Association, virtual presentation, April 2022

University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology, virtual class lecture, April 2022

Arizona State University, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, virtual class lecture, March 2022

Event Safety Alliance, Event Safety Summit, Lititz, PA, March 2022

ILEA (International Live Event Association), Northern California Chapter, keynote presentation, San Francisco, CA, March 2022

University of the West Indies, Entertainment Law virtual class lecture, March 2022

USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology), Baltimore, MD, March 2022

Actsafe, virtual presentation, February 2022

American Pyrotechnics Association, virtual keynote presentation, February 2022

North Carolina Festivals & Events Association, virtual keynote presentation, January 2022

NAMM, webinar, January 2022

Soundgirls, webinar, December 2021

Event Safety Alliance, interview with epidemiologist and science communicator Jessica Malaty Rivera, December 2021

North American Contingency Association (“NACA”), virtual keynote presentation, October 2021

Cvent, webinar, October 2021

Event Transformation Podcast, interview, October 2021

Event Leadership Institute (“ESI”), webinar, September 2021

Professional Conference Management Association (“PCMA”), webinar, September 2021

Florida Festivals & Events Association, keynote presentation, Orlando, FL, August 2021

Event Leadership Institute, webinar, August 2021

The Event Hustlers, podcast, August 2021

International Congress and Convention Association (“ICCA”), webinar, August 2021

Signal to Noise, podcast, July 2021

National Weather Service Central Region, webinar, July 2021

Summer NAMM, Nashville, TN, July 2021

Independent Venue Week, virtual panel discussion, July 2021

All Things Risk, podcast, July 2021

California Presenters, webinar, June 2021

Event Leadership Institute, panel discussion, June 2021

League of Historic American Theatres, webinar, May 2021

National Weather Service of Northern Indiana, webinar, May 2021

American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, webinar, May 2021

Yale University School of Drama, virtual class instruction, May 2021

Rochester Area Community Foundation, webinar, April2021

Portable Sanitation Association International, webinar, April 2021

Touring Talk, Clubhouse panel, April 2021

Espousal South Africa, webinar, March 2021

Minnesota Festivals and Events Association, webinar, March 2021

University of Oklahoma, class instruction, March 2021

North Carolina Arts Day, webinar, March 2021

U.S. State Department, Major Events Department on Safety and Health, webinar, March 2021

Colorado Bar Association, webinar, March 2021

Arizona State University, class presentation, March 2021

United States Institute for Theatre Technology (“USITT”), webinar, March 2021

Actsafe, webinar, February 2021

Southeast Festivals and Events Association, webinar, February 2021

The Future of the Event Industry, Skift webinar, February 2021

Soccerex, webinar, February 2021

American Pyrotechnics Association, webinar, February 2021

North Carolina Festivals and Events Association, webinar, February 2021

United Soccer League (“USL”), webinar, January 2021

National Association of Music Manufacturers (“NAMM”), webinar, January 2021

Event Safety Alliance (“ESA”), webinar, December 2020

International Association of Destination Wedding Professionals – Mexico, webinar, December 2020

International Live Events Association (“ILEA”) Northern California chapter, webinar, December 2020

Texas Sounds and Cities, webinar, November 2020

ILEA Sonoma chapter, webinar, November 2020

International Institute for Race Medicine, webinar, November 2020

Association of Luxury Suite Directors, webinar, October 2020

ILEA Boston chapter, webinar, October 2020

American Bar Association, Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries, webinar keynote address, October 2020

Actsafe, webinar, October 2020

National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (“NCS4”), webinar, October 2020

Southeastern Theatre Conference, webinar, October 2020

Rochester Fringe Festival FringeTalk, webinar, September 2020

Espousal India, webinar, September 2020

Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, webinar, September 2020

A Turn of Events, webinar, August 2020

Signal to Noise, podcast, August 2020

Association of California Symphony Orchestras, webinar, August 2020

EventMB, “The Future of the Event Industry,” webinar, July 2020

Canadian Live Music Association, webinar, July 2020

International Association for Catering and Events (“NACE”), webinar, July 2020

International Festivals and Events Association (“IFEA”), webinar, July 2020

International Association of Venue Managers (“IAVM”), webinar, July 2020

International Live Events Association (“ILEA”), webinar, June 2020

Detroit 2030 District, webinar, June 2020

Automobile Shows of North America, webinar, June 2020

Indianapolis Bar Association, webinar, June 2020

Alaska Mass Gathering Project ECHO, webinar, June 2020

Non-Profit Venue Discussion Group, webinar, June 2020

Production Managers Forum, webinar, June 2020

International Festivals and Events Association (“IFEA”), webinar, June 2020

American Association of Community Theatres, webinar, June 2020

League of Historic American Theatres, webinar, June 2020

ILEA Austin chapter, webinar, May 2020

Consortium of Eastern Regional Theatres, webinar, May 2020

American Association of Community Theatres, webinar, May 2020

Major University Presenters, webinar, May 2020

Association for Electronic Music, webinar, May 2020

Association of Performing Arts Professionals, webinar, May 2020

National Association for Catering and Events, webinar, May 2020

Pollstar, webinar, May 2020

National Independent Venue Association, webinar, May 2020

IFEA, webinar, May 2020

Canadian Live Music Association, webinar, May 2020

U.S. Institute for Theatre Technology (“USITT”), webinar, May 2020

Blerter, webinar, April 2020

ILEA, webinar, April 2020

Festforums, webinar, March 2020

Actsafe (keynote address), Vancouver, BC, March 2020

ILEA, San Diego, CA, February 2020

IFEA, webinar, February 2020

Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (“ATAP”), Livermore, CA, December 2019

Blerter, webinar, December 2019

ESA Event Safety Summit, Lititz, PA, November 2019

ILEA, webinar, October 2019

Canadian Severe Weather Workshop, Mississauga, ON, October 2019

IFEA, Williamsburg, VA, September 2019

ILEA Live!, Minneapolis, MN, August 2019

Major University Presenters, Hanover, NH, July 2019

Art of Mass Gatherings, Denver, CO, June 2019

University of California Risk Summit, Anaheim, CA, May 2019

Experiential Marketing Summit, Las Vegas, NV, May 2019

Canadian Event Safety Summit, Toronto, ON, April 2019

USITT, Louisville, KY, March 2019

Actsafe (keynote address), Vancouver, BC, March 2019

American Pyrotechnics Association, Las Vegas, NV, February 2019

Colorado Bar Association Sports and Entertainment Section, Denver, CO, January 2019

National Association of Music Merchants (“NAMM”) Show, Anaheim, CA, January 2019

Tour Link Pro, Tucson, AZ, January 2019

American Meteorological Society, Phoenix, AZ, January 2019

ESA Event Safety Summit, Lititz, PA, November 2018

State Bar of Arizona and Sports Lawyers Association, Phoenix, AZ, November 2018

American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries, Las Vegas, NV, October 2018

International Festivals & Events Association (“IFEA”), San Diego, CA, October 2018

Resort Hotel Association, Sedona, AZ, July 2018

Sports Law Association, Tempe, AZ, March 2018

ESA Severe Weather Summit, Norman, OK, March 2018

USITT, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, March 2018

International Association of Venue Managers (“IAVM”), Salt Lake City, UT, February 2018

NAMM Show, Anaheim, CA, January 2018

FlyCon, New Orleans, LA, January 2018

Event Safety Summit, Lititz, PA, December 2017

LDI (Live Design International), Las Vegas, NV, November 2017

DRI Retail and Hospitality Conference, Chicago, IL, May 2017

Coliseum Summit Americas, Las Vegas, NV, April 2017

Canadian Event Safety Summit, Toronto, ON, April 2017

ESA Severe Weather Summit, Norman, OK, March 2017

ISS 24/7 Focus Group, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, February 2017

Mass Gathering Medicine Summit, Las Vegas, NV, February 2017

ESA Event Safety Summit, Lititz, PA, November 2016

Billboard Touring Conference, Los Angeles, CA, November 2016

LDI Live Outside, Las Vegas, NV, October 2016

Entertainment Services Technology Association (“ESTA”), Las Vegas, NV, October 2016

Arizona Presenters Alliance, Sedona, AZ, August, 2016

IAVM, Phoenix, AZ, July 2016

National Center for Spectator Sport Safety and Security (“NCS4”), Phoenix, AZ, July 2016

Canadian Event Safety Summit, Toronto, ON, May 2016

Mass Gathering Medicine Summit, New York, NY, April 2016

International Tourism Safety Conference, Las Vegas, NV, April 2016

ESA Severe Weather Summit, Norman, OK, March 2016

IAVM Academy for Venue Safety & Security, Dallas, TX, February 2016

IAVM, Phoenix, AZ, January 2016

ESA Event Safety Summit, Lititz, PA, December 2015

IAVM Venue Management School, Wheeling, WV, June 2015

International Tourism Safety Conference, Las Vegas, NV, April 2015

IAVM, Spokane, WA, April 2015

ESA Severe Weather Summit, Norman, OK, March 2015

IAVM Academy for Venue Safety & Security, Dallas, TX, March 2015

ESA Event Safety Summit, Lititz, PA, December 2014

Billboard Touring Conference, Los Angeles, CA, November 2014

LDI, Las Vegas, NV, November 2014

National Fire Protection Association, Las Vegas, NV, June 2014

IAVM, Portland, OR, May 2014

North American Contingency Association (“NACA”), San Diego, CA, May 2014

IAVM Severe Weather Planning and Preparedness course, Norman, OK, March 2014

IAVM Academy for Venue Safety & Security, Dallas, TX, February 2014

TourLink, Scottsdale, AZ, February 2014

IAVM International Crowd Management Conference, San Antonio, TX, November 2013

Arizona State University Sports and Entertainment Law Conference, Tempe, AZ, November 2013

California Tourism Safety & Security Conference, Anaheim, CA, September 2013

Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (“LEAD”), Washington, DC, August 2013

IAVM VenueConnect, New Orleans, LA, July 2013

IAVM, Los Angeles, CA, May 2013

Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, February 2013

IAVM Academy for Venue Safety & Security, Dallas, TX, February 2013

Event Live! 2013, Las Vegas, NV, February 2013

AEG Expo, Los Angeles, CA, February 2013

IAVM, Phoenix, AZ, January 2013

Sports and Entertainment Venues Tomorrow, Columbia, SC, November 2012

IAVM International Crowd Management Conference, Phoenix, AZ, November 2012

Arizona State University Conference on Sports and Entertainment Law, Tempe, AZ, October 2012