You're planning an event in Los Angeles. Maybe it's a corporate gala at a Beverly Hills hotel with 200 guests. Maybe it's a product launch in Downtown LA with 2,000 people coming through the door. Maybe it's an outdoor concert in the Valley with 10,000 attendees and a dozen vendors. The size doesn't matter as much as the stakes. Every one of those events has a moment where something could go sideways — an uninvited guest, an overcrowded entrance, a medical emergency, a parking lot confrontation — and you either have security in place to handle it, or you don't.
Scaife Protection Services has been providing event security in Los Angeles since 1997. Licensed under PPO-12958, fully insured, and staffed with guards who know this city. We don't guard 50 states. We guard your neighborhood. And every event engagement starts the same way — with a conversation about what you actually need.
Events We Provide Security For
- Corporate Events & Conferences
- Weddings & Receptions
- Galas & Fundraisers
- Concerts & Music Festivals
- Private Parties & Celebrations
- Red Carpet Events & Premieres
- Grand Openings & Retail Events
- Sporting Events & Tournaments
- Outdoor Festivals & Street Fairs
Why You Need Professional Event Security
A lot of people think event security is only for large-scale concerts or celebrity parties. That's not true. Even a 50-person cocktail reception at a rented estate can create situations that need a trained professional — an uninvited ex-boyfriend, a guest who's had too much to drink, a vendor who leaves a gate open. If alcohol is being served, the risk goes up. If it's outdoors, the risk goes up. If there's no clear boundary between your event and public space, the risk goes up significantly.
Then there's the liability side. Most venues in Los Angeles now require proof of security as part of their rental agreement. If something happens at your event and you didn't have licensed security present, you're exposed. Your insurance carrier will have questions. The venue will have questions. And if someone gets hurt, the attorneys will definitely have questions.
Professional event security services aren't just about preventing the worst-case scenario. They're about crowd management, access control, keeping things organized, and making sure your guests feel safe. When security is done right, nobody notices it. The event flows smoothly. People have a good time. That's the point.
We carry $1 million or more in general liability coverage. Our guards are licensed through the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. When you hire a security guard for your event, you want someone who's accountable — not a friend-of-a-friend in a black t-shirt.
What Our Event Security Guards Actually Do
There's a perception that event security guards just stand at the door with their arms crossed. That's what bad security looks like. Here's what our guards are trained to do at every event:
Perimeter control and access management. Before your first guest arrives, our team establishes a secure perimeter. That means identifying every entry and exit point, setting up credential checks if needed, and making sure only authorized people get in. At a corporate event in Beverly Hills, that might mean checking names against a guest list. At a concert venue, it's wristband verification and bag checks.
Guest screening and ID verification. Depending on your event, our guards handle ID checks, bag inspections, and credential verification. This is especially important for events with alcohol service, VIP sections, or age-restricted areas.
VIP escort and protection. If you have high-profile guests, speakers, or performers, our guards provide discreet escort services — from vehicle to venue, through crowds, and back again. No drama, no scene. Just smooth movement.
Parking lot and perimeter patrol. Some of the biggest problems at events happen in the parking lot. Theft, vehicle break-ins, confrontations between guests leaving. Our guards patrol the exterior throughout the event, not just during peak hours.
Vendor and staff access control. Caterers, AV crews, florists, musicians — your event has a lot of people coming and going who aren't guests. Our guards manage vendor access, making sure service entrances stay controlled and backstage areas stay secure.
De-escalation and emergency response. When something goes wrong — and at events, something usually does — our guards are trained in de-escalation first. Remove the problem calmly. If it's a medical situation, coordinate with EMS. If it's a threat, follow the emergency action plan. Every guard on your event has a post order specific to that assignment.
Types of Events We Protect in Los Angeles
Corporate Events & Galas
Corporate event security in Los Angeles means knowing the venues. We've worked events at hotels along Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, conference spaces at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown LA, and private corporate campuses in Century City and Santa Monica. Whether it's an annual shareholder meeting, a product launch, an awards dinner, or a holiday party, our guards handle guest check-in, executive protection, and crowd flow so your team can focus on the event itself.
Weddings & Private Parties
Wedding security in Los Angeles isn't just for celebrity weddings. Anytime you're hosting 100+ guests at a rented estate in the Hollywood Hills, a vineyard in Malibu, or an outdoor venue in Pasadena, you need someone managing the gate, the parking, and the perimeter. Party security guards keep uninvited guests out, manage parking logistics, and make sure your celebration stays exactly that — a celebration. We also cover birthday parties, anniversary events, and private gatherings at homes across LA County.
Concerts & Festivals
Concert security in Los Angeles is a different animal. Large crowds, loud environments, alcohol, and high energy. We provide security for outdoor amphitheater events, club shows on the Sunset Strip, multi-day festivals, and everything in between. Our teams handle stage perimeter, crowd control barriers, backstage access, artist escort, and emergency evacuation coordination. If you're producing a music event anywhere in LA, from a warehouse party in the Arts District to a ticketed festival in a Griffith Park-adjacent space, we have the staffing and the experience.
Grand Openings & Retail Events
Opening a new store, restaurant, or showroom? Grand openings draw crowds — sometimes more than you expect. Our guards manage lines, control entry capacity, and protect merchandise displays. We've covered retail launches from the Beverly Center to shopping districts in Glendale and Torrance. If there's a celebrity appearance or influencer event involved, crowd management becomes even more important.
Sporting Events & Tournaments
Youth tournaments, charity runs, amateur boxing events, community sports leagues — these all need organized security. Our guards handle parking, perimeter, and crowd management at sports facilities across Los Angeles, the South Bay, and surrounding areas. Alcohol at a tailgate? We manage it. Rival teams with heated fans? We're positioned for it.
How We Plan Your Event Security
Every event we protect starts with a plan. Not a template. Not a guess. A plan built specifically for your event, your venue, and your crowd.
Step 1: Initial consultation. You call us or request a quote online. We talk through the basics — date, venue, guest count, type of event, any specific concerns. This takes 15 minutes and gives us what we need to start.
Step 2: Site visit and venue walk-through. For any event over 200 guests or any venue we haven't worked before, we do a site visit. We walk the property with you. We identify entry and exit points, parking flow, potential problem areas, emergency access routes, and where our guards will be positioned. This is not optional for us. The site visit is where the real security plan starts.
Step 3: Custom security plan and post orders. Based on the walk-through, we build a written security plan. It includes guard count, positioning, shift schedule, communication protocols, and emergency procedures. Every guard gets a post order for the event.
Step 4: Guard deployment. Our guards arrive before your event starts — typically 30 to 60 minutes early — to do their own walk-through, check equipment, test communications, and get into position. By the time your first guest arrives, we're already set.
Step 5: Post-event debrief. After the event, we send you a summary report. Any incidents, observations, recommendations for next time. If this is a recurring event, we use each debrief to improve the next deployment.
How Many Guards Do You Need?
This is the most common question we get. The honest answer is: it depends on your specific event. But here are general guidelines we use as a starting point:
- 50–100 guests: 1–2 guards
- 100–300 guests: 2–4 guards
- 300–500 guests: 4–6 guards
- 500–1,000 guests: 6–10 guards
- 1,000+ guests: Custom security plan with a dedicated supervisor
These are baselines. Several factors push the number higher: alcohol being served, outdoor or open-air venues, late-night events (after 10 PM), VIP attendees requiring escort, multiple entry points, events in high-traffic public areas, and events where cash or valuables are present. A 200-person outdoor party with an open bar on a Saturday night in the Hollywood Hills needs more security than a 200-person indoor luncheon at a hotel in Torrance.
We'll give you our honest recommendation after the consultation. We don't oversell. If you need two guards, we'll tell you two. If you need ten, we'll explain exactly why.
Armed vs. Unarmed Event Security
For the vast majority of events in Los Angeles, unarmed security guards are the right call. Weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, retail openings — these don't require firearms. They require professional presence, de-escalation skills, and crowd management experience. Unarmed guards keep the atmosphere comfortable while still providing real protection.
There are exceptions. Armed event security makes sense when high-value assets are present — think jewelry exhibitions, luxury car showcases, or events with significant cash transactions. It also applies to events with high-profile attendees who have specific protection requirements, or situations where threat assessments indicate elevated risk.
We'll tell you straight which one your event actually needs. Most of the time, the answer is unarmed. If the situation calls for armed guards, we'll explain exactly why and how that changes the security plan.
Why Choose Scaife Protection for Your LA Event
We've been doing this since 1997. That's 27 years of event security across every neighborhood in Los Angeles — from Beverly Hills to Compton, from the Valley to Long Beach, from Downtown to the Westside. We know the venues. We know the parking situations. We know which areas need extra attention on a Saturday night.
Our license number is PPO-12958 — you can verify it with the state right now. We carry full general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage. Every guard on your event has passed a background check and holds an active BSIS guard card.
Need same-day event security? We can do that. Your caterer just told you the venue requires guards and your event is tomorrow? Call us at (323) 786-8140. We deploy fast because we staff locally — our guards live in the communities they protect.
We're not a national chain dispatching from a call center in another state. We're a local operator. When you call, you talk to someone who knows LA. When we show up, our guards know the area. That's the difference between event security services and actual event security.
Frequently Asked Questions About Event Security
How far in advance should I book event security?
For events over 300 guests, we recommend booking at least two to three weeks in advance. This gives us time for a proper site visit and security plan. For smaller events, a week's notice usually works. That said, we understand plans change fast in LA — we've deployed guards with less than 24 hours' notice plenty of times.
Can you provide same-day event security?
Yes. If you need event security today, call us at (323) 786-8140. We maintain a roster of available, licensed guards across Los Angeles who can deploy on short notice. Same-day availability depends on the size of your event and specific requirements, but we make it work more often than not.
What do your event security guards wear?
It depends on the event. For corporate galas, weddings, and upscale events, our guards wear suits or business attire so they blend in with the atmosphere. For concerts, festivals, and outdoor events, they wear clearly identifiable security uniforms or branded polo shirts. We'll discuss dress code during the planning phase so our team matches the tone of your event.
Do you provide security for outdoor events?
Absolutely. Outdoor events are actually where security matters most because there's no built-in access control. Open-air venues, parks, estates, rooftops, parking lot events — we cover them all. Outdoor events typically require more guards because the perimeter is larger and there are more access points to manage.
What areas in LA do you cover for event security?
All of them. We provide event security services throughout Los Angeles County — Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Downtown LA, the Westside, the Valley, South Bay, Long Beach, Gardena, Inglewood, Pasadena, Glendale, and everywhere in between. We also serve Orange County and the broader Southern California region.
How much does event security cost in Los Angeles?
Event security pricing depends on the number of guards, hours needed, whether you need armed or unarmed personnel, and the type of event. We provide transparent quotes with no hidden fees. The best way to get an accurate price is to request a free quote or call us directly. We'll break down exactly what you're paying for so there are no surprises.
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We're based in Lawndale and provide event security throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, and across California. Your event. Our guards.
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