The 12th annual Transport Security Expo (www.transec.com) reports a total of 4037 visitors earlier this month at London Olympia.
After the two day event, exhibitor re-bookings on site rose to 81 per cent. Organisers say that the decision beforehand to open up conference sessions as free for all paid dividends and drew widespread approval from the companies present.
The Maritime, Aviation, Rail, Major Events and Secure Transportation conferences were standing room only for most of the two days while the Live Demonstration Theatre, run with the security and crisis trainers CrisisCast, proved a visual centrepiece for the show’s visitors.
The secure transportation conference covered securing cash and valuables in transit to VIP protection and covert intelligence gathering with presenters including Brink’s Global Services Director Phil Wright, Arts Council England National Security Advisor William Brown and Counter Terrorism Security advisor for Cleveland Police John Bickerstaff.
At the major events transport security conference, the second of two new conferences with Secure Transportation, looked at lessons from the past, actions for the present and what the future of major events transport security holds with speakers including Stephen Phipson from the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, Shuna Mayes, Head of the Commonwealth Games Safety and Tim Cutbill, Head of Operational Resilience for London Fire Brigade. The rail security conference addressed all areas of rail security from terrorism and cyber attacks to crime prevention and metal theft with speakers including British Transport Police’s counter terrorism lead Superintendent David Roney and Dr Herve Borrion from University College London’s Department of Security and Crime Science.
And maritime security issues including implications for the global supply chain, piracy and the cyber threat were covered by UK National Maritime Security Committee Chairman Gavin Simmonds, Interpol Maritime Security Head Dimitrios Souxes and former Royal Navy Commander-in-Chief Fleet Sir James Burnell-Nugent among others.
The aviation conference saw presentations on the evolving terrorist threat, dealing with increased passenger numbers and technology innovation in aviation security through input from Heathrow Airport Security Director Francis Morgan, Airport Operators Association policy director Rebecca Roberts-Hughes and IBM Head of National security, Middle East and Africa, Paul Burke.
Some 89 countries were present, of which 23 were hosted by the Governement’s UK Trade and Industry DSO (Defence and Security Organisation).
The Operational Manager at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Netherlands, praised the event for its “perfect preparations” during and prior to the show while the General Manager of EFACEC, Portugal, was impressed by the “full support of all needs” provided to all foreign delegations. From Saudi Arabia, the delegation from the National Integrated Project for Airport Security also congratulated organisers on the success of the event and added that it represented a tremendous opportunity to “participate in such a great event” while the Romanian delegation commented on their success in “discovering new business partners and the overall professionalism”. Turkey met with the Home Office on-site. The delegation said: “It was a fantastic event. I commend the organisers for all their hard work with the Turkish delegation in what was a very beneficial event.”
On the exhibitor side more than 140 security manufacturers showed including Bosch Security Systems, L-3, Excelerate, Stoof International, SELEX ES and Brinks Global Services.
Peter Mead, Product Manager, Stoof International, said: “From around about 9:40am on the first day we were in continuous discussions with serious business candidates right up until at least 3pm which was when I personally then looked at my watch. By continuous I mean two of us moving from one discussion to the next. Many new, as well many old acquaintances were made during the two day show. It was only halfway through the second day that a chance was had to visit the other stands and talk to fellow exhibitors. So all in all a worthwhile show and not just a flag flying exercise.”
Ray Cooke, Vice President, Global Business Development, Samsung Techwin said: “The event had very good quality of exhibitors and of presenter content. You have really achieved a great forum for our industry’s established and newly emerging innovators, and for the customers they serve. A lot of work, well executed – for a most worthy event indeed.”
Peter Jones, CEO of organiser Nineteen Events, added: “This year’s event really took TRS to a whole new level in terms of innovation, execution and foreign engagement. Our game-changing decision to make conferences free for all and spread the knowledge of our world class line-up of speakers and the phenomenal turn out of country delegations really confirmed the event as the de facto meeting place for the industry to learn, network and do business.”
