ShopCare VAB workshop: Decoding human behaviour

Real-world violence and aggressive behaviour (VAB) training to help your team recognise risk early, communicate with confidence, and respond more effectively to challenging situations.

Retail staff, security and loss prevention teams, frontline workers, supervisors, team leaders, health and safety professionals, business owners, and anyone responsible for supporting the safety and wellbeing of customer-facing teams.

• Date: Tuesday 18 August 2026
• Time: 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm
• In-person
• Venue: Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre, 58 Waipuna Road, Mt Wellington, Auckland
• Cost: $120 + GST Save 5% when booking 10 tickets or 10% when booking 20 tickets.
• Parking on site.
• Refreshments and afternoon tea included.

Violence and aggressive behaviour (VAB) continues to affect the safety and wellbeing of frontline workers across Aotearoa. This valuable workshop will help participants recognise early behavioural cues, communicate with confidence, and respond more effectively to challenging situations.

Join ShopCare for an engaging half-day workshop with safety and risk specialist Scott Taylor. Drawing on nearly 30 years of global experience, Scott will share practical techniques to help participants better understand human behaviour, identify potential risks earlier, and communicate in ways that support safer, more positive outcomes.

Whether you're supporting customer-facing teams, managing security risks, or leading frontline staff, you'll leave with practical skills that can be applied immediately in your workplace.

This interactive workshop combines behavioural awareness with practical communication techniques that participants can use every day.

You'll gain greater confidence in recognising early warning signs, assessing dynamic situations, and responding in ways that help reduce risk and de-escalate challenging interactions.

What the workshop will cover:

• Recognising behavioural indicators of elevated risk including shoplifting, anti-social behaviour, violence or weapon carry risk
• Confident communication in challenging situations - eye contact, tone, cadence, stance and positioning
• Navigating escalating circumstances
• Conducting dynamic risk assessments
• Techniques to help de-escalate situations and support safer outcomes

Scott Taylor CPP is a combined Communications Expert and Security, Safety and Risk Specialist with nearly 30 years of global industry experience. He is an international thought leader who is certified in Security Management. Scott has trained with the leading global authorities on body language, elicitation, facial micro-expressions, deception detection, word and statement analysis and a range of other related disciplines, and he is an accomplished keynote speaker. Scott is recognised for delivering engaging workshops that provide practical skills participants can immediately apply in the workplace.

The workshop will be held in the Exhibition Hall. The closest entrance is via the hotel reception; however, you may also enter through the conference entrance, depending on where you park.

Please arrive 15–20 minutes before the workshop begins to allow time for parking, check-in and settling in.

On arrival, please follow the ShopCare signage to the conference area. A ShopCare team member will be available to welcome and direct you to the training room.

Complimentary on-site parking is available at Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre.

Queries? Please email [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you there!