The world seems to be a bit darker and edgier than in the past and guest security should be taken seriously by the hotel hosting your next event. It’s shocking when untoward events take place in a hotel; guests book a room for comfort and convenience. Their security is simply taken for granted.

It never crossed Erin Andrew’s mind that her privacy would be invaded last September at the Nashville Marriott. The ESPN sportscaster was photographed with a cell phone through an altered hotel room peephole while she was changing. Other celebrities have been stalked or robbed while staying at quality hotels. Security procedures have become more stringent after the violation of Erin Andrew’s privacy.

You may not have a celebrity speaker at your event; however, the nature of the event might pose some security problems that need to be addressed. Preventative measures should be taken if your guest speaker is well known either to the public or in the industry. Book the speaker into his or her room using an alias.

Alert hotel personnel if anyone requests a room stating they are in your party, you must be notified immediately. Changes are the request is legitimate but it’s better to avert a problem than fix it.

“In point of fact, we are all born rude. No infant ever appeared yet with the grace to understand how inconsiderate it is to disturb others in the middle of the night,” according to Judith Martin, also known as Miss Manners.

Most of us were brought up with some semblance of good manners. It seems all too often that manners are a forgotten art. Have you ever given any thought about proper meeting etiquette?

Some things are so simple and so easily forgotten. Greet people at the meeting, introduce yourself and don’t rely on your nametag. Smile as if you mean it; do this often enough and you will.

Be on time. And just as you are prompted to do in the movies, silence your cell phone. Either turn it off or set it on vibrate. Pay attention to the presenters. Multi-tasking not only defeats the purpose of a conference, it is downright rude.

Snacks and beverages are often served during a meeting. Clean up after yourself. If you have to slip out of the meeting for any reason, do so unobtrusively. But avoid it if you can.

Courtesy costs nothing and often defuses a potentially unpleasant situation. The manners your mother instilled in you can be the foundation to a professional, pleasant attitude.