Robin Barratt is President of The British Bodyguard Association (BBA) and editor of The Circuit. With over 20 years of experience in the close protection industry, Barratt is interested in the latest news from within the sector – from body armour and terrorism to new technology and training. In this week’s Focus, Barratt tells us more about his work and how PRs can contact The Circuit.
About your publication:
Who reads The Circuit?
The Circuit is primarily read by actual bodyguards working out in the field of close protection and 90% of all CPOs (Close Protection Officers) are from a military background. Readership also includes security managers and consultants and those in other sectors of security and interested in the world of close protection. The magazine was originally hard-copy and called The Bodyguard, but because of the logistics and high costs in sending the magazine into some very unusual environments worldwide – including war-zones – it was decided to change the format of the magazine to an online downloadable PDF version, thereby reaching many more people. We also occasionally send the magazine out on CD to verifiable secured addresses. The Circuit is the name CPOs use for working in the CP sector.
What subjects do you cover?
We cover a variety of subjects including operational procedures as a CPO, articles on terrorism, kidnap and ransom, working in high risk environments, celebrity and corporate protection, body armour and armouring, new technologies and products in the industry, medical equipment and procedures, driving protocol and techniques, interviews with bodyguards, chapters from related books, training etc.
What makes you different from the other publications in your sector?
We are unique in the fact there is no other magazine presently on the market specifically dedicated to close protection.
Do you produce a features list? Why? Why not?
Most of our articles and features and provided by people actually working within the industry sector. We do produce a features list but, because of the industry, this is not definitive and tends to change many times prior to publication.
About PRs:
We don’t really work with PRs because, as mentioned previously, most of our features come directly from people actually working on the ground in this industry. However we are more than happy for PRs to contact us with generic features, articles and press releases on anything specific to the close protection arena and related security industries. Apart from new products and technologies, features must be generic, however we will always put the author’s contact details, company, website etc at the end of every feature. Because we are also involved in the industry and frequently out of the office, the best way to contact us is always via email. Deadline for contributions is two weeks prior to publication, we publish quarterly on 1st July, 1st October, 1st January, 1st May. All contributions should ideally be accompanied with high-res pictures.
About you:
What interests you most about your job?
The thing that most interests me about the job of editing The Circuit magazine is that I am continually discovering new things about the industry – an industry I have been in for well over 20 years. I liaise with some fascinating people who have worked, or are working, in some very interesting environments and doing a very unique kind of job.
What led to you becoming the editor for Circuit?
I am the President of The British Bodyguard Association (BBA) and an established genre best-selling (true crime) author with four books to my credit. I have also written a variety of articles for both trade and mainstream magazines and publications. I was invited by the board of the BBA to produce The Circuit.
What was your first job?
My very first job was a doorman at a local nightclub back in the early 80s! One of my very first writing jobs was a book called “Doing The Doors” released in 2004 – which can still be found in most bookshops.
I’d like to have a go at…writing a screenplay.
Where do you expect to be in five year’s time?
In a little cottage on the coast in France writing fiction about a bodyguard who travels the world looking after the rich and famous. I have lots of true stories to refer to!
If you were stranded on a desert island, what one thing would you hope to have with you?
An SAS Desert Island Survival Guide.
[lnk|http://www.featuresexec.com/publications/info_features.php?pubid=12992|_self|The Circuit]
[img|jpg|Robin Barratt]