Diamond Systems deliver The Responsibility to Protect Conference, in partnership with ICC Belfast

Following the success of our Responsibility to Protect Conference on 25th March 2026, our CEO Angela Bennett shares her thoughts on the event.

“This week’s Responsibility to Protect conference reinforced something I’ve been reflecting on for some time – the expectations around both fire safety and security are changing, and the bar is being raised across the board. What stood out most wasn’t just the quality of discussion, but the shared recognition that protecting people requires more than compliance. It requires competence, accountability, and systems that perform when it matters most.

Events like the Grenfell Tower fire and the Manchester Arena bombing have fundamentally changed expectations. They have shown, in the starkest possible terms, what happens when systems, decisions or protections fall short. These are very different types of incidents – but the outcome is the same: lives lost where people should have been safe. If there is anything we can do, collectively, to reduce the risk of that happening again, then we have a responsibility to act.

What was most encouraging throughout the day was the willingness in the room to engage with these realities – openly and honestly. There was a clear recognition that raising standards is not about doing more for the sake of it, but about doing the right things, consistently and well. That is where real progress will be made – and it is a conversation we all have a role in continuing.

There are so many people I want to thank for the success of our conference.

Firstly, to Rob McConnell who understood my vision for the event and encouraged me to think big. We partnered with the fantastic team at ICC Belfast | Waterfront Hall | Ulster Hall – Charlie McCloskey, Cáit Colhoun and David Hopkins were a pleasure to work with. And to the wider ICC team working behind the scenes – operations, AV, catering – thank you for delivering everything so seamlessly. The Studio was transformed into a fantastic space for our event.

We wouldn’t have had such an interesting and informative conference without a line up of incredible speakers. Figen Murray OBE, Lucas Vezza Obrien, Ronnie Megaughin, Ian Moore OBE JP, T. Chief Superintendent Mark Roberts QPM, Jason Patton, Sam Glacken, Neil Voce FInstSCE, Nick Cox, Richard Fogelman, Andy Spence, Ollie Jones, and Gavin Skelly FCIOB MIConstM aFA – you are all brilliant and we are united in our commitment to keeping people safe. Thank you for your time, effort and inspiration.

Our conference host – Donna Traynor– well what can I say. A true professional and someone who elevated this event to the next level. I look forward to working with you and Ronan again.

Thanks also to David O’Donan for his piece in the Belfast Telegraph, and to Richard Morgan for discussing the event with Figen on BBC Radio Ulster.

To my team at Diamond – special mention to Conor who has been working tirelessly on this event for over 4 months. I could not have done this without Conor. Thanks to Steve, Ian and Paul for their support on the day, as well as my friend Michelle who is an adopted member of Team Diamond, and was there by my side on Wednesday to do whatever was needed (including make up touch ups!)

Thank you to our co-sponsors Uptick and to our wonderful exhibitors Eurotech, Britannia Fire, Nimbus Connect, Ambient System, Ping, EHS International, and NI Safety Group.

Grateful to David Woods at Bag of Bees Design for branding support, as always knowing exactly what I want.

And to our photographer Ricky Parker – thank you for capturing the energy and moments of the day so perfectly. The images will help us share the impact of this event far beyond the room.

This event would not have happened without introductions made at many, many networking events over recent years. Don’t ever let anyone tell you networking is a waste of time. I am grateful for all my connections made through organisations including Fire Aware, Women in Security, Women in Fire Safety, the FIA, the Fire Safety Event, The Security Event, IoDNI, NI Safety Group, and Natural Resilience. What starts with a handshake and a conversation over a coffee can lead to a great many things in business.

Feeling very thankful that our delegates found the event informative and useful. More people will be kept safe by the learning that happened in the room.

To everyone who attended – thank you for showing up and being part of this. Events like this only work because of the people in the room.

But this is just the beginning – the conversation doesn’t stop here.

Let’s keep the momentum going.”

Angela