"We are deeply grateful for the partnership and participation of the Pink Bows Foundation at our 17th Annual Conference. During the impactful opening keynote, the Foundation's founder, Brian Dubiski, reminded our industry why we strive every day to ensure the highest standards of safety and security at events — to save lives and ensure participants, spectators, and staff return home safely. The NCS4 industry stakeholders are highly engaged in training, research, and outreach initiatives in pursuit of safety and security standards and benefit greatly from the Foundation's resources."
Pink Bows Foundation Co-Founder Brian Dubiski joined the Keynote session, opening the conference with an emotionally insightful talk, dedicated to his daughter, Madison Dubiski, one of the ten young people who lost their lives at the 2021 Astroworld Travis Scott concert. For the first time publicly, Brian recounted his personal experience of how the horror of November 5th, 2021, unfolded for him as a father and the family, through the ensuing years of pain and how they are coming out of that darkness with the Pink Bows Foundation, with a mission to reduce the likelihood of other families being devastated by events in the future.
This began by working with Steve Allen and Dr Mark Hamilton to establish a global Showstop® Procedure, launched in March 2025, which has trained over 850 event professionals to date, making events safer for audiences over 50 million. They have also established a Safe Spaces initiative, which has welcomed over 400,000 fans to its relocatable facilities across a range of US events.
Brian revealed that Pink Bows Foundation is strengthening its collaborative links with the global events safety community, announcing the formation of a Pink Bows Advisory Board, comprising a stunning array of 16 global event safety professionals, eight of whom are expert witnesses.
The Pink Bows Advisory Board Members
- Steve Allen - Expert Witness and Crowd Safety Management & Event Safety consultant
- Dr Mark Hamilton - Expert Witness and Crowd Safety Management & Event Security consultant, Tour Security Director for Sir Paul McCartney
- Anne-Marie Chebib – UKCMA Chair, Global Expertise in Operational Risk, Sustainability & Program Development
- Professor John Drury – Expert Witness and Crowd Management expert
- Professor Keith Stills – Expert witness and international Crowd Management expert
- Lloyd Major – CEO Halo
- Morten Therkildeson MSC – Roskilde Festival Director of Safety and Guest Relations
- Dr Pascal Viot – Professor of Sociology, Event Safety and Security consultant
- Dr Steve Frosdick – Expert Witness, Sport Safety Consultant
- Tami Richter – VP Operations at SXSW, VP Event Safety Alliance
- Tim Roberts – Expert Witness, CEO Tess and Creative Safety
- Jim Gaffney – Expert Witness, stage and crowd barrier design
- Doug Bruce - CSSP, Senior Director of Operations, Creative Safety Inc
- Andrew Tatrai – CEO Digital Crowd Management
- Bryan Huneycutt – Event Safety Alliance Board Member, Mental health advisor
- Colin Lish – Tour Security Professional & Crowd Management consultant
Brian summed up his keynote address with the following words; he received a heartfelt standing ovation from the audience:
"We are inspired by the support of these incredible people and excited by the vast experience and professional capability this highly respected and knowledgeable group adds to the progression of The Foundation to contribute to safer events.
"A huge thank you to the NCS4 board. We feel a strong bond with the conference organizers and delegates and admire their professionalism and devotion to prevent the likelihood of similar future incidents."
Pink Bows Board President Stephanie Stegall also addressed the conference, outlining the importance of the strong bond being created with NCS4, with the common ethos to 'Make Events Safer', through training and driving positive progression
Steve Allen was the lead guest on a panel titled "Showstop Procedure: A proven Emergency Intervention Measure for the Sport and Entertainment Industry." Moderator Graham Brown curated an educational, interactive discussion, with the audience engaged throughout.
Panelists Doug Bruce, CSSP, Senior Director of Operations, Creative Safety Inc, Donald Paisant, CSSP, Vice President, Security & Guest Services, Texas Rangers Baseball Club and Kevin Swope, Security Director, Ilitch Sports & Entertainment (Tigers Baseball) contributed fabulously, sharing their experiences and insights having recently hosted Showstop® Procedure courses, commenting on the positive benefits:
Kevin: "A great course which has improved procedure with consistency across our venues, staff and stakeholders."
Donald: "The best training course I have partaken. This has improved our emergency response protocols, which we have implemented at all of our events."
Steve Allen also hosted two 'Decision Making Under Pressure workshops across the conference program.
Delegates were encouraged to partake in one of Showstop® Procedure training courses being rolled across the US after the Fall, and take advantage of the Introduction to Showstop Procedure e-learning course. Details can be found HERE.
About Pink Bows Foundation
Pink Bows Foundation was established by the Dubiski family in honor of Madison Alexis Dubiski, one of 10 victims lost in the 2021 Astroworld Festival crowd crush in Houston. The foundation works to transform immense grief into action by advancing crowd safety education through its accredited Showstop® Procedure training course, offered globally, and by providing Safe Space tent activations at live events. Rooted in Madison's legacy of kindness and purpose, Pink Bows Foundation is building a future where every crowd comes home safely. For more information, visit pinkbowsfoundation.org and follow the foundation on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
SOURCE Pink Bows Foundation
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