Staff in vulnerable roles, especially those that occupy executive posts, are increasingly exposed to risks from protesters, fanatics and organised criminal gangs.

Conventional kidnaps along with Tiger and virtual situations have become headline news. Historical targets remain, albeit more vulnerable locations such as retail and the leisure industry are an attractive source of income for the criminal fraternity.

Dealing with the aftermath of such an event is only part of the equation and organisations must incorporate a robust and functional plan that engages with a number of partners including the Police and media to effectively deal with the reality of kidnap and hostage situations.

In addition organisations must proactively address preventative measures that may embrace family members. Such activity must be both practical and reassuring as not to cause widespread anxiety.

This programme provides the organisational requirements needed to manage and effectively deal with hostage and kidnap situations coupled with an awareness of policing protocols that are pertinent to such an event.

Furthermore essential anti-surveillance techniques are examined in a manner that empowers susceptible members of staff and their families to manage kidnap and hostage threats and report vital intelligence.

The appropriate training of key staff and awareness provision for their families will always give an organisation a vital edge.

Who should attend?
Employees that have a risk-related responsibility in the following areas:
Security, Logistics, Supply Chain, Loss Prevention, Corporate Communications, HR, Corporate Governance.

Learning outcomes:

Tiger Kidnap - The history of this contemporary phenomenon

Analysis of the domestic and international scene

The Police response

Corporate Governance - What the law requires organisations to do

Real-time table top exercise

Q&A session with a serving senior Police Detective Superintendant and active Silver Commander

Delivery team:
An experienced and serving senior Police Silver Commander and an LLB (Hons) practitioner will host the lively and informative programme that will engage with precautionary measures, operational time-lines and the legal implications.
Accredited by:

Time:
10:00 - 15:00

Location:
Sketchley Grange Hotel, Sketchley Lane, Burbage, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 3HU

Price:
£250.00 + VAT per delegate

Registering:
Places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To register your interest and book a place, please contact: Keith Hudson

Learn how to protect your most important business assets

Who should attend?
Retail employees with a risk-related responsibility in the following areas:
Risk, Security, Logistics, Supply Chain, Loss Prevention, Corporate Communications, HR, Corporate Governance.

Programme overview:
This programme equips managers and staff with successful techniques for diffusing situations with demanding and threatening people, whilst reducing the likelihood of harm.

Personal Safety Training Course Key Benefits:

Well trained staff who can confidently manage difficult situations and minimise the risk to themselves, colleagues and customers

A reduction of incidents which could lead to injury, ultimately resulting in less sickness, less stress and happier staff

A safer working environment and place to visit

Compliance with Health & Safety Regulations

A clear and proactive model of excluding persistent offenders

Learning Outcomes:

Identify the key elements of risk analysis

Recognise and manage the disorientation associated with confrontation

Demonstrate safe working practices to improve personal safety

Identify and apply an effective model of conflict resolution

Provide useful identifying information for the Police if required

State the legislation which will assist in protecting your staff and dealing with offenders

Delivery team:
An LLB (Hons) practitioner and experienced facilitator will host the lively and informative programme that will engage with precautionary measures, operational considerations and the legal implications.

Time:
09:30 - 16:00

Location:
Sketchley Grange Hotel, Sketchley Lane, Burbage, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 3HU

Price:
£250.00 + VAT per delegate

Registering:
Places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To register your interest and book a place, please contact: Keith Hudson

John Lewis is to trial two Virtual Fashion Mirrors at its flagship London department store on Oxford Street, providing customers with a new way to try on clothes using market leading technology.

The 6ft by 3ft John Lewis StyleMe mirrors, developed by technology specialist Cisco, in-conjunction with C-instore, Aitech and The Team , each have built in cameras which capture a shoppers body dimensions and position. Designed to help shoppers determine which styles and colours work best for them in an efficient, yet experiential way, the mirrors superimpose clothing over the customer's on-screen image.

An interactive screen presents a curated collection from johnlewis.com of over 500 womenswear garments and accessories for shoppers to create a complete virtual outfit. The virtual changing room allows customers to see how they look in a new outfit without getting undressed and helps save time by providing access to hundreds of fashion items in one location.

The Virtual Fashion Mirrors also allow shoppers to create a virtual collection which they can opt to have emailed to them, including images of their selected items and the QR codes, linking to johnlewis.com. Shoppers can then share their new look with friends and family via social networking sites such as Facebook and receive feedback before purchase.

Andrea O'Donnell, commercial director, John Lewis, said: "We strive to have a market leading approach to innovative new technology and providing our customers with the very best shopping experience. We think our virtual fashion mirrors will be a lot of fun for our customers and we hope they will enjoy experimenting with them, as much as we have."

Lisa Fretwell, senior director, Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) commented: "StyleMe - based on Cisco retail network and collaboration technologies - brings online content into a store and creates an engaging and personal experience that shoppers enjoy. It's about capturing shoppers' 'feet and fingertips' right in the store with digital content that makes it easy for them to buy in whatever channel suits them."

Jason Trigg, CEO C-Instore (a division of The Cardinal Group), said: "We are delighted that this pilot has now gone live with John Lewis, one of the UK high street's most well-known and respected brands. C-Instore are leading developers of innovative technologies that retailers can use to engage customers in-store, enhance the shopping experience and gain competitive advantage.

Dave Dunlop, Creative Director, The Team, added: "Taking an early technical prototype we worked with Cisco to establish some key user experience principles by observing how people engage with the StyleMe mirror. We crafted and positioned each element of the interface to make every interaction as effortless as possible without losing the spirit of the John Lewis shopping experience."

The Virtual Fashion Mirrors will be located in the womenswear department on the first floor of John Lewis Oxford Street for six weeks, from April 20th. If the trial is successful, the mirrors will be a permanent fixture in the retailer's first flexible department store which opens in Exeter this autumn.

The Cardinal Group is delighted to announce an exclusive European partnership with the internationally well-respected consulting and training company, Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates (WZ). The agreement, which comes into effect on 16th April 2012, will enable The Cardinal Group to expand the provision of WZ's unique non-confrontational interviewing techniques training, which has a proven track record of helping businesses identify those responsible for internal fraud and dishonesty, into new sectors including banking and hospitality, and into HR with the training module that is specific for human resources professionals.

The Cardinal Group has had exclusive distribution rights in the UK since 2009 and during this time, has trained over 350 people from many of the UK's largest retailers on how to obtain the truth through legally acceptable interviewing techniques. Through a non-confrontational approach to interviewing, the WZ method employs a number of different strategies to enable businesses to obtain admissions of guilt or innocence from those suspected of dishonesty. It is the flexibility of these techniques which enables interviewers to gain admissions of guilt or innocence - in a shorter period of time - to cases of internal fraud.

Jason Trigg, CEO of The Cardinal Group, commented: "We've worked in close partnership with WZ since 2009 and have been delighted with the success we've seen over the last three years. The practices have obviously been extremely popular in the US for some time and we are delighted with the reception from the UK retail industry, the first sector that we introduced the training to.

"Fraud is an issue for businesses across any industry but in a period of considerable financial pressure, the risk can increase for a number of reasons. Whilst there are many different products, technologies and services available on the market to help businesses identify internal fraud, once a case is uncovered, it is important for these companies to carry out internal investigations within the boundaries of the law, using techniques that do not contravene employee rights. With WZ, we have identified a niche in the UK market and we're looking forward to replicating this success both across Europe and within a host of new industry sectors which we believe could hugely benefit from techniques of this kind."

Chris Norris CFI., Director - Webinar and CBT Training - for Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates will be presenting alongside Gary Tattersall, Regional Loss Prevention Manager at Wilkinsons and Ian Noble, Divisional Security Manager at Travis Perkins PLC in the Loss Prevention Strategy Conference Stream at The Retail Fraud Event on 19 April 2012 in Hammersmith, London.

As businesses that actively use the WZ method for internal investigations, both retailers will share their experiences of putting the approach into practice and the benefits that WZ has afforded them.

The Cardinal Group and Amberstone Technologies will be hosting two stands at the Retail Fraud Conference next Thursday 19th April 2012 at the Novotel West in London.

Jason Trigg the CEO of The Cardinal Group, will also be discussing how 'Next Generation Thinking' can help augment business practices and reduce losses at 11:30 in conference 2.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference.

Cardinal Security has been selected to provide its best-in-class security personnel services at one of the football industry's most prestigious events, The Football Extravaganza.

Held at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London, The Football Extravaganza is billed as 'the greatest football night of the year', where the sport's great and good are honoured for their outstanding achievements throughout the season. With so many high profile players and personalities set to be in attendance, it was essential for the organisers to appoint a security company with a proven track record in delivering excellent services, as Rae Peal at Football Extravaganza explained:

"We have worked with Cardinal Security on this event for the past three years, during which they have provided VIP security for a number of big names including Sir Alex Ferguson, Eric Cantona and Jose Mourinho, and the team has never failed to provide exceptional service. It isn't an easy evening to manage as there are so many well-known faces involved, which naturally poses a greater security risk, but we have utmost confidence in the security the team is able to deliver. Plus, as the event is in aid of charity, Cardinal provides a number of officers free-of-charge, which we are always extremely grateful for. We're looking forward to another great partnership this year."

Jason Trigg, CEO of The Cardinal Group, added: "It's been a fantastic coup for us to provide our security services to The Football Extravaganza for the past three years, and we're delighted to have been appointed once again for 2012. We're very proud of the reputation that we have built up for our manned guarding services over the years and this high-profile contract is testament to our experience and expertise in this area."

Cardinal will be supplying 14 security officers who are in charge of door, VIP and general security at the event which takes place on 11 April 2012.

C-Instore were recently on Three Counties Radio talking about their StyleMe Virtual Fashion Mirror.

Please use the controls below to listen to the interview.

If you would like further information about the StyleMe Virtual Fashion Mirror please email info@thecardinalgroup.co.uk.

Research findings show that augmented reality usage is set to increase.

Visit Cardinal's C-Instore web page for details on our Augmented Reality solutions.

Cardinal Security's CEO, Jason Trigg has spoken to Risk UK's January 2012 issue about what is on the horizon for 2012.

To read the article in full please visit: Risk UK page 36 - 37.

A gathering of more than 20 senior retail industry figures has welcomed the move by security solutions and personnel provider, The Cardinal Group to roll-out a national initiative to report business crime.

The consensus, following the first National Business Crime Solution meeting that took place in early December, highlighted that a new centralised solution, which enables retailers to share information locally, regionally and nationally, would not only reduce business crime countrywide, but also create a safer shopping environment on Britain's high streets.

Cardinal's CEO, Jason Trigg explains: "There are a number of local crime partnership and radio schemes. Although there are several that are effective, the majority operate in isolation and therefore fail to deliver clear, measurable outputs. The National Business Crime Solution will provide a platform which facilitates simple dissemination of information amongst all relevant stakeholders, nationwide and at all levels, that is flexible to the industry's requirements and above all, facilitates the tackling of criminal activity in a far more dynamic and cost-efficient way and provides a clear return on investment. What is also unique about this solution is that the participating companies will play an active role in shaping the solution, the outputs and services that are delivered to their businesses, helping set the standard for the future of business crime sharing at all levels across the UK."The National Business Crime Solution is underpinned by a live information and intelligence sharing platform which is used by a number of UK retailers for incident reporting and widely used to combat retail crime in the USA. Registered users enter business crime data into the system and this information is then collated, analysed and disseminated to other participating retail members locally, regionally, nationally or by sector.

Mick Phipps, Head of Loss Prevention at Wilkinson's Hardware Stores and Chairman of the National Business Crime Solution initiative added: "The reaction to the National Business Crime Solution has been extremely positive. With the recent documented rise in general crime - and organised retail crime in particular - it's not surprising that so many retailers are keen to take part in the pilot next year. With the backing of some of the industry's senior figures, there is no reason why it will not be possible to share business crime on a national level."

The National Business Crime Solution pilot will kick-off in Q1 2012. Any retailers who wish to take part should contact Louise Henham, Group Marketing Manager at Cardinal on 07771 855036.

Leading security personnel and solutions provider, The Cardinal Group, has finalised a takeover of loss prevention and retail efficiency specialists, ORIS.

The acquisition, which comes into effect today (15th December 2011), enables Cardinal to further develop its full service market offering in the loss prevention and security arena.

Jason Trigg, CEO of The Cardinal Group, hailed the agreement as a milestone in the company's eight year history: "We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of ORIS. The company has a fantastic reputation in the industry and a great portfolio of products, services and clients. The transaction is a highly strategic move for us that will open up a world of possibilities for existing and future clients.

"Existing ORIS products, services and solutions will be introduced into the Cardinal portfolio. ORIS systems will form part of the Cardinal Integrated Solutions division of the business and will enhance our offer and further develop the end-to-end modular enterprise solution. This will include incident, investigation and case management through to audit, health and safety and asset modules. This means our clients will be able to build complete 'resource to risk' strategies and gain a full understanding of the impact of 'total loss' - losses through theft and process errors and lost sales opportunities resulting from poor customer service and merchandising - in these challenging economic times."

Kerinda Ibbotson, Managing Director of ORIS, added: "We are very excited to become part of Cardinal. The company has a great reputation in the marketplace and a portfolio of products which add real value to retailers looking to reduce total loss in their businesses. Existing ORIS employees are being retained and Cardinal's product and people offer is strengthened as a result of combining the two businesses' personnel, technology and methodologies.

After seven years in ORIS, most recently as Chairman, Laurence King will not be joining the Cardinal Group and we would like to thank him and wish him all the best for the future.

Anne Davies will continue to work in her capacity as Associate Consultant.

Formed in 2003, Cardinal employs more than 1500 head office and store security personnel and boasts an impressive customer portfolio. The business is comprised of divisions focusing on security systems and personnel (Cardinal Security), risk and loss prevention software (Cardinal Integrated Solutions), next generation electronic security solutions including internet protocol (IP) cameras and video analytics, to multimedia and consumer experience technology (C-instore), training (WZ-UK) and a confidential whistle blowing hotline (Disclose).

ORIS is a leading UK loss prevention and retail efficiency specialist. The company provides software, consultancy and learning solutions for the retail sector, helping retailers maximise profits, engage their people and streamline their processes. The company's not-for-profit Retail Loss Prevention Forums will continue to operate under the ORIS banner.

Cardinal is pleased to announce WZ-UK Dates for 2012:-

Tuesday 31st January & Wednesday 1st February 2012
Two Day Non Confrontational Interview Technique Seminar to be held at the Village Hotel, Beeston, Nottingham.
The cost of this seminar is £675 which is fully inclusive of accommodation, dinner, breakfast and lunch plus refreshments on both days.
Discounts apply to any company booking three or more colleagues on the seminar.

Thursday 2nd February 2012
One day Advanced seminar to be held at Village Hotel, Beeston, Nottingham.
The cost of this seminar is £375 which is fully inclusive of lunch plus refreshments.

Further details on the course can be found on the WZ-UK Website or by contacting Keith Hudson.

Cardinal Security is pleased to announce that we are now accredited with Highfield Awarding Body Compliance (HABC). This means that our Training Manager, Gary Day, is authorised to carry out SIA certificated training course and examinations for all employees. All training courses will now be completed in house rather than outsourcing to a third party.

Further details on Highfield can be found at Highfield Awarding Body Compliance (HABC)

We are pleased to announce that Cardinal now have Elite Vendor status with Altius Vendor Assessment.

Elite Vendor status is the highest accolade a vendor can achieve through the Altius assessment process. It involves meeting the Altius requirements for all five of the Altius Assessment Globes (Commercial, Risk Management, Customer Service, Corporate Social Responsibility and Quality Management).

On October 6th, Cardinal attended Retail Fraud on the Road at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.

As well as exhibiting at the conference, Kevin McMenimen from our partner company Enabl-U launched LERPnet in the UK. With LERPnet2.0, retailers and law enforcement will be able to fight back against illegal activity including organised retail crime, burglaries, robberies, counterfeiting and online auction fraud.

LERPnet is a powerful data sharing platform designed specifically for reporting and analysing retail crime, while facilitating communication with law enforcement. This product is now available in the UK through an exclusive partnership with Cardinal Integrated Solutions.

Cardinal Security were asked for the fourth year, to provide officers to The Open Golf Championship, this time held at the Royal St Georges Course in Kent from 13 July to 17th July 2011.

The Open Championship is a prestigious sporting event held yearly where an estimated 1 million people visit the tournament. This years event was very successful and well attended.

Cardinal Security's main role as in previous years 24 hour manned guarding and CCTV monitoring to the merchandising pavilion and the associated satellite tents. As part of our service we carry out the following duties:

Random bag searches of personnel working in the merchandise stand.

All deliveries for the Merchandise are checked by Cardinal staff and then re-checked after the tournament is finished.

All incidents during, before and after the event are recorded by our manned guarding personnel and report to managers and Open Tournament staff.

Cardinal will liaise with on site Health and Safety Officers, Risk Advisors and the local police to make sure that this event goes successfully and all are kept informed of any developing problems that may occur that need further looking at.

Monitoring of all attendees at the event for both theft and the numbers in the pavilion. Numbers in the pavilion have to be closely monitored due to fire regulation.

Cardinal uses the CCTV and the manned guarding to identify any known criminals in the area.

Cardinal attended The Retail Fraud conference on 14th April.

This event was attended by over 470 delegates with over 20 experienced retailers giving conference talks on their expertise in the industry.

The Retail Fraud Conference attracts a variety of retailers from all sectors. Andy Gillies, Colin Culleton and Nicola Fisher of Cardinal attended this event to meet with clients and prospects.

Natasha Banks in HR has completed a 5k swimathon raising £510 for Marie Curie Cancer Care on 9th April at her local swimming pool in Saffron Walden. In lengths this works out to be 200 which she completed in an amazing time of 2 hours 15 minutes.