LONDON, 20th OCTOBER 2005 – The ever increasing value of leading sports stars and their equally high profile fans are creating fresh security challenges for event organisers, according to one of the world’s leading specialists in personal and close protection.
At the International Sports Security Summit at the QE2 Conference Centre on 19th & 20th January 2006, Bob Nicholls of Nicholls Steyn & Associates will deliver an appraisal of the escalating threat to individual sports stars and teams and deliver fresh insights into new protection strategies.
“Incidents such as the on-court attack on Monica Seles have previously highlighted the problem but it goes wider and deeper than stalker incidents, no matter how serious they may be,” said Nicholls.
“Major sports events are likely targets for a range of individuals and groups with different agendas, and high profile individuals at those events are in the front line.
“Today that doesn’t mean the players alone. Such is the high profile nature of sport that most events attract many high value VIPs in the form of national and international political figures and stars of television, music and the movies. Just look at an NBA game in New York or Los Angeles, or a top-billed boxing match and the courtside is often a gallery of stars”.
During the International Sports Security Summit a group of experts will draw on their experience to address issues of athletes, team and VIP protection within and beyond the stadium of the confines of the event itself.
It is just one of a comprehensive range of critical issues on the agenda for the second International Sports Security Summit.
The conference will feature the strongest line-up of expert speakers ever assembled for a conference dealing with a subject which remains critically important to all those involved in planning and running major events.
Speakers include Peter Ryan, Security Consultant to the Sydney & Athens Olympic Games, Giovanni Pulice, head of Security for the Torino Olympic Games Organising Committee, General Vassilios Konstandinis, head of Security for Athens 2004 and Walter Gagg Chairman of the FIFA Security Committee.
Through a series of keynote addresses, panel discussions and workshops, International Sports Security Summit ’06 will focus of the continuing security challenges facing event owners, managers, promoters and their partners and associates in local and national government and the intelligence and security services.
Its objective is to provide an intensive knowledge and experiencing sharing opportunity.
Over two days, acknowledged experts from sports federations, police and intelligence services, government departments and the global security services sectors will draw on their first-hand experience to present papers and lead discussions which examine the wide-ranging issues around major event security.
International Sports Security Summit ’06 is the most comprehensive and authoritative event ever staged for professionals in sports security and those whose technology, systems and services are designed to ensure they succeed in an increasingly challenging and complex task.
Complimenting the conference will be a select exhibition of leading-edge products and services designed to play critical roles in the battle to ensure the security of the millions of athletes, officials and spectators who attend sports events each year.
Details of the Summit programme, speakers, booking and exhibition details can be found at http://www.sportssecuritysummit.com/.
Further information from:
Kevin Roberts Tel: +44 (0) 1264 852 017