Recent events have raised the need for better security in all transport terminals and ports of entry and exit across the globe, while innovative technologies, new legislation and tighter regulations mean that security is no longer seen purely as yet another overhead, but instead as an integral factor of the 'traveller experience'.
In an increasingly competitive environment, airport management teams and the airlines themselves have been faced with huge demands for increased security and safety measures (at the same time having to ensure passenger satisfaction in terms of comfort, speed of processing and price).
That is set against a background in which a huge rise in the cost of insurance cover for war and terrorism-related risk could result in the ruination of some Euro airlines.
Meantime, the number of cruise ships and terminals has expanded so rapidly in recent years that port authorities are unable to cope with demands for extra security.
At present, the aviation and shipping industries are spending millions trying to combat the terrorist threat. In the US alone some $1.5 billion has been set aside to enable airport operators and service providers to comply with new security regulations (see our Main Feature, 'Air apparent?', on pp24-28 for more details). An additional commitment of $50 million per annum will be spent on r&d, testing and evaluation of advanced aviation and transport security systems up until 2006.
Delivering effective terminal security is not solely concerned with anti-terrorism issues. It is also focused on illegal immigration, Customs and Excise and combating general criminality – areas in which some of the world's larger guarding companies are involved.
Solutions for managers Against this backdrop, International Business Events (IBE), the exhibition division of IIR, has launched the 'Airport, Port and Terminal Security Conference and Exhibition'.
Running for the first time at ExCel in London's Docklands from 3-5 December, the event will address all of those issues mentioned, offering the industry a one-stop shop for improving on security within terminals by taking advantage of the advice and technologies on offer.
New security technologies including the latest innovations in biometrics, perimeter security systems, CCTV, communication systems, staff vetting services, customs equipment, modes of secure transport and IT security will be highlighted at the exhibition, so too state-of-the-art tracking and tagging devices and newly-launched training packages.
Meantime, the conference at APTS will focus on areas of strategic concern to senior level executives within the aviation and transport industries. The three-day programme will comprise keynote presentations, case study sessions and interactive discussions, with plenty of time set aside for networking and problem-sharing with your peers.
Conference themes will be many and varied, looking at the international harmonisation of transport security, cost-benefit analyses of proposed solutions, IT security and cyber-terrorism, security auditing and vulnerability assessment, employee and contractor screening, passenger screening (ie profiling versus universal screening), access control and perimeter security and the threat of bio-terrorism.
Organiser IBE has also announced that there'll now be an Aviation and Multimodal Transport Security Summit running alongside the conference. An added attraction for security professionals.
Source
SMT
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