Convention Industry Taps U.S. Homeland Security to Make Meetings More Secure
Skift Take
Following recent terrorism attacks and acts of violence in high-profile locations popular for meetings and events, the convention industry is compelled to proactively develop a new set of security standards. This is going to be costly, but it's a different world in 2016, and that's something the industry needs to accept.
While terrorism and random acts of violence have plagued North America, Europe, and elsewhere for centuries, the tragic events in Orlando, Paris, and Nice in the last 12 months struck particularly close to home for the meetings and events industry.
Florida and France are two of the world's most popular destinations for both conventions and incentive group travel, and they've typically been considered safe for any type of international group event.
It's a different world in 2016.
As a proactive response, a coalition of meeting industry organizations launched the new Exhibitions & Meetings Safety & Security Initiative (EMSSI) last month at the IMEX America meetings industry trade show. The purpose of the program is to officially certify convention centers that fulfill an in-depth review and education process to upgrade their security readiness and response systems.
The International Association of Venue Managers, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, and the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association are leading the roll-out of EMSSI, which was developed in collaboration with Bruce Davidson, director of the SAFETY Act Office at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The initiative is further supported by two dozen tourism- and meetings-related organizations and travel companies, including the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, Meeting Professionals International, and U.S. Travel.
“The risk landscape we have today is very, very challenging," said Davi
