National Sports Safety Conference and Exhibition Forum Line-Up Announced
Tue, 06/18/2013 - 10:33am | By: Alison Crumpton
In response to the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013, this year's National Forum – “Maintaining Safety and Security at Open Access Sporting Events: Different Challenges, Same Principles,” will provide national conference attendees with a set of protective measures that will help establish secure environments at events with open access areas.
Sponsored by Raytheon, the National Forum will take place during the opening day (July 16) of this year's 4th Annual National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) Conference and Exhibition set for July 16-18 in Orlando, Fla. The forum is scheduled for Noon-2 p.m. with a news conference to follow.
The NCS4 is located at The University of Southern Mississippi's Hattiesburg campus.
Dave Scott, general manager for US Road Sports & Entertainment of Florida and race director for the Miami Marathon, as well as president of Stadium Managers Association, will serve as the forum facilitator. Alana Penza, program manager for NCS4's Institute for the Study of Sport Incidents, will give the forum's opening remarks, followed by Boston Police Superintendent William Evans discussing lessons learned from the Boston Marathon incidents.
“There's always going to be a raw wound,” said Evans. “We're going to have to always be concerned about security, but I am so proud of the entire Boston Police Department and the way they handled themselves throughout the entire situation.”
Subject matter expects representing events which include marathons, triathlons, auto racing, golf, parades, festivals, and tailgating will be on hand to begin the conversation at the National Forum. They will address the unique safety and security challenges facing event operators, law enforcement, and first responders at events with open access areas.
Some of the current issues and challenges at open access events include active shooter, suspicious packages, communication, lack of budgetary allocations, and managing growth of events.
Through dialogue between the experts and audience participants, in addition to round table discussions, the end result of the National Forum will be a set of best practices that can be implemented during open access events.
“Producing safe and secure events is a constant concern for all event directors,” said Scott. “The NCS4 conference and forum addressing these topics should not be missed.”
The National Forum is hosted by NCS4's Institute for the Study of Sport Incidents, in conjunction with the Stadium Managers Association. For more information regarding press/credentials at the 2013 Conference, visit http://www.ncs4.com/conference/pressmedia.
For more information about the conference, visit http://www.ncs4.com/conference.