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In the days following the worst terrorist attack in American history, trade show organizers did what they do best: They organized a meeting, one designed specifically to respond to the crisis. The 10-session Security and Risk Conference will be appended to the annual meeting of the International Association of Exhibition Managers, scheduled for December in Chicago. Experts will lecture on the global reach of terrorism, and former FBI agents will speak one-on-one with show organizers.
The security conference acknowledges the biggest challenge facing the meetings and conventions industry: maintaining the trust and confidence of convention-goers. "By the end of this year, not only will transportation systems and building security systems be safer, but so will public assemblies," says Steven Hacker, president of Dallas-based IAEM, a not-forprofit association representing show organizers and suppliers.
The attacks instigated an industrywide review of security procedures and training, says Thom Connors, senior vice president of operations for SMG, a Philadelphia-based facilities management company that operates convention centers all over the country. SMG, for instance, has started paying more attention to the credentials of employees who make freight deliveries.
Working together
"The whole freight delivery process requires very close coordination of logistics and security measures," Mr. Connors says. Fortunately, he adds, "in our industry, we already work together very closely to make these events happen efficiently, so we have the established lines of communication."
Better communication among all parties involved in a trade show is another priority in the wake...