Given the on-going threat the public faces from acts of terrorism, several industry organizations have joined forces to create an initiative to establish safety guidelines for convention facilities in the United States.
Led by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the Exhibition Services Contractors Association (ESCA), and Keyway, the Exhibitions and Meetings Safety and Security Initiative will work to establish best practices and guidelines for the meetings and exhibition industry that will be recognized by the Safety Act Office of the Department of Homeland Security.
"The most important factor for venues to achieve this designation will be inspired leadership from the top of the organization. It will require a complex series of initiatives to attain," said Bruce Davidson, Director, Office of Safety Act Implementation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This new designation, which will focus on both initiatives designed to protect venues from terrorist activity and how to respond to attacks once they occur, will be administered by IAVM. The Safety Act Office of the Department of Homeland Security will assess the applications, but the designation will not be officially endorsed by them.