NFL Security Chief, Super Bowl Planner to Address 2nd Annual Conference
Tue, 06/14/2011 - 10:52am | By: Van Arnold
Jeff Miller, chief security officer for the National Football League, and Todd Barnes, senior event planner for Populous, will team up to lead a keynote session of the 2011 National Sport Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition set for Aug. 2-4 in New Orleans.
Miller and Barnes will address the topic -- “Safety and Security at Special Events: Event Master Planning & Overlay at 8 a.m. on the conference's final day. More than 400 security professionals and approximately 56 vendor exhibits are expected for the conference which is sponsored by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University of Southern Mississippi.
“We are fortunate to have two experienced professionals like Jeff and Todd agree to lead a session for us at this year's conference,” said NCS4 Director Dr. Lou Marciani. “Their expertise in the planning and security protocol for such prestigious events as the Super Bowl will provide valuable insight for those who attend the conference.”
Miller oversees all facets of security for the NFL including all investigative programs and services, event security (including Super Bowl and International Series), Game Integrity Program, executive protection, the Stadium Security Program, the Fan Conduct Initiative and the Fair Competition Initiative. He collaborates with law enforcement professionals both within the United States and abroad in working to secure NFL fans, players and venues.
As a senior member of Populous, Barnes has more than 15 years of venue and event design experience. Over the past few years, Barnes has been lead project manager with the Major League Baseball All-Star Game as well as lead architect for the design and planning of the Super Bowl and Corporate Hospitality Village.
Miller applauds the pioneering work being done at NCS4 which includes bringing together the country's top security experts for a comprehensive national conference.
“I think it is necessary for universities to be prepared to protect their fans and venues just as professional sports leagues do,” said Miller. “We take safety and security very seriously and we try to prepare for all possible hazards and threats including terrorist acts.”
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.
Last year's inaugural national conference drew a sellout crowd to New Orleans and featured keynote addresses by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Department of Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano.
For more information about NCS4 and the national conference, call 601.266.6183 or visit www.NCS4.com/conference
