New UK venue security laws are coming and AV is stepping into a lifesaving role, says Aubrey Wright.
In the world of safety standards, regulations are often written in the aftermath of tragedy. Terrorism remains one of the largest threats to public safety today, and in previous years, the threat has evolved dramatically in an arms race against technology and counter-terror measures, as well as a marked evolution in the actors that carry out these attacks.
Terror itself goes through trends based on perceived impact, likelihood of mass casualty events, and the methods that are used. From groups of armed men hijacking planes in the 1970s and 1980s, to mass casualty suicide bombings in the 2000s and 2010s, to today’s decentralised, lone wolf mass-stabbings and vehicular attacks, the objective remains the same: to achieve compliance, influence, and intimidation through fear, mass panic, and violence.
Countering these methods requires more than just a reactive emergency services response and proactive intelligence and counter terror activities. Terror attacks often fall on packed venues such as concerts, stadiums, and transport hubs, aiming to maximise casualties and panic in an environment that is congested, unfamiliar, and difficult to escape. Some venues lack clear plans to deal with such a threat, instead relying on fire standard emergency exits which were never designed with terror attacks in mind.
One terrible example of this would go on to change the law around how venues themselves can counter terror through technology: the Manchester Arena bombing in the UK in 2017. Twenty-two people were murdered, and 1,017 injured following a concert by pop singer, Ariana Grande, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in a packed crowd of concert goers. One of the 22 victims was Martyn Hett.
Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray, fought tooth and nail in a campaign to change the law by improving protective security at venues throughout the UK. The result, after years of research and campaigning, is the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, widely known as Martyn’s Law.
The law applies to two tiers: the standard tier, covering venues with a capacity of 200-799 people, and the enhanced tier, covering venues with a capacity of 800+ or those that control access through measures such as ticket checks or payments. The new law requires organisations to take steps to prepare for the possibility of a terror attack, taking steps to reduce the risk of harm. The SIA predicts there are around 155,000 standard tier premises and 25,000 enhanced tier premises that will need to comply with Martyn’s Law in the UK.
Handy AV, a UK-based integrator, has launched Martyn’s Law Solutions, a consultancy platform that aims to help businesses comply with Martyn’s Law through AV offerings, free guidance and registration for venues with the government appointed regulator, the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
Aubrey Wright, CEO, Handy AV, explains: “It’s about accountability and making sure people understand what they must do. When an incident begins, panic sets in. A premises must make sure that its staff are attuned and aligned to what the policy is and the actions that they must comply with to prevent loss of life. I’ve been looking at this for some time before Martyn’s Law came to my attention, and I had been kicking about an idea for an integrated solution that bridges premises security and AV: MAVAS, mass AV alerting system, which is in development and will be announced in Q2/Q3.
“Our role is not to replace manufacturers or consultants, but to connect them, providing a marketplace of validated technologies, a register of AV and security consultants, independent product testing and registration pathways, and a structured way for venues to navigate an increasingly complex landscape.”
Wright continues: “The challenge facing organisations today is not a lack of technology, it is fragmentation. Voice alarms, PA systems, mobile alerts, digital signage, and control platforms often exist in isolation, procured at different times, for different purposes, from different vendors. Martyn’s Law potentially exposes this fragmentation by raising important questions: How do these systems work together? Who validates that they are fit for purpose? How do you design responses for scenarios that have never been tested in real life? For many, the issue is no longer what to buy, but how it all connects.”
What is beginning to take shape is a new operational layer, one that sits above individual technologies. Martyn’s Law Solutions aims to address this by developing a new layer for venues that maps environments in their entirety, defines response scenarios in advance, integrates multiple communication channels, and provides a single point of control during an incident, “Increasingly, this layer also draws on AI to model risk, simulate scenarios, and support faster decision-making under pressure,” explains Wright. “It does not replace existing systems. It makes them work together.
“Most venues today are not designed to communicate in a crisis. Public address systems are often limited to main areas, whereas back-of-house spaces, offices, and external zones remain disconnected. Under Martyn’s Law, these are no longer minor oversights, they are points of failure. Effective response depends on clarity, reach, and control. Everyone on site: staff, visitors, contractors, must be able to hear, understand, and act.
“Traditional fire evacuation signs may not indicate the safest way out, leading you into an active threat area. Most importantly, this is not a newly installed digital signage system that is being put in just to do this. For many venues, the starting point is not installing more hardware. It is understanding what already exists, understanding how systems interact and bringing together vetted technologies, certified solutions, and a framework for testing and assurance. This isn’t about a single product, but a coordinated approach to preparedness.”
Building a blueprint
While Martyn’s Law is due to come into force in April 2027, similar implementations in Europe and beyond seem inevitable. The risk of threats shows no sign of abating, creating an opportunity for AV to be used for good. Today, Martyn’s Law Solutions aims to amplify its message to venues and work closely with vendor partners to create an offering for venues that can save lives.
Today, Handy AV is looking to work with vendor partners across the audio and display spectrum, collaborating to bring the platform to reality, offering a complete ecosystem that is compliant with the new regulations for venues.
This isn’t about a single product, but a coordinated approach to preparedness. – Aubrey Wright, HandyAV
“The whole purpose of this is that we want premises owners to come to us,” says Wright. “I’m having conversations with vendor partners that want to be a part of this platform, and there are a lot of companies that want to talk about this further. Premises owners are going to be coming to our website, and we are aiming to bring a full offering together. We are also promoting accredited partners like consultants, so this ecosystem will be comprehensive, bringing vendors and their partners into the fold. As it’s a security led law, security professionals will come to us to discuss their PA/VA offerings and security setups.
Currently we are awaiting the release of the Home Office’s Section 27 guidance document which will define the scope of Martyn’s Law. This is expected in spring 2026 and will give a fuller understanding of what is required. This should touch on the subject of technology and its use.
“I think Martyn’s Law will become a global standard. UK laws are well respected thanks to due diligence and attention to detail, so it’s about how the law will transition from a UK standard to a global standard. It’s also about how those conversations that are ongoing with the EU and other parties, and it’s likely that other bodies will put forward their own proposals based on this framework. It’s our industry that’s going to respond to this to think outside of the box based on guidance.”
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