NASCAR Chief to Address Sport Safety and Security National Conference

With more than 100,000 fans attending races on any given weekend, NASCAR President Mike Helton keeps safety and security at the forefront of his thoughts.

And that makes Helton the ideal expert to deliver one of the keynote addresses at the 2011 National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition set for Aug. 2-4 in New Orleans. Helton is scheduled to deliver his speech on the conference's opening day.

More than 400 security professionals and 56 vendor exhibits are expected for the second annual conference which is sponsored by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS⁴) at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss.

“We're honored to have been invited to participate in this conference. Safety and security in our business is critical,” said Helton. “We also take great pride in contributing as much as we can to the effort to make America safe. Additionally, we enjoy the chance to learn, which we expect to do at the national conference.”

NCS4 Director Dr. Lou Marciani said Helton's appearance further validates the significance of the national conference and should serve as a “must-see” for security professionals across the country.

“Few leaders in sports today face as much day-to-day responsibility as Mike Helton,” said Marciani. “Under his leadership, NASCAR has grown into one of the world's most visible products. We are indeed fortunate to have such a respected professional share his insights and ideas about security and safety at our national conference.”

Helton, a Bristol, Va., native assumed the role of NASCAR president in 2000, succeeding longtime president Bill France Jr. Helton serves as a member of NASCAR's Board of Directors and is also a member of the organization's Executive Council.

Established in 2006, the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security was created to provide an interdisciplinary academic environment to further increase sport security awareness, improve sport security policies and procedures and enhance emergency response through evacuation, recovery operations and crowd management training.

For more information about NCS⁴ and the national conference, call 601.266.6183 or visit www.NCS4.com/conference