School, concert safety key topics as 20K security professionals gather in Vegas
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — School and concert security will be on the minds of more than 20,000 security professionals as they gather today in Las Vegas for a five-day conference.
The 64th annual Global Security Exchange Conference begins today at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It runs through Thursday.
The event will address many aspects of safety, including school security and the hardening of security at concerts and similar large gatherings.
Security professionals will talk about how to make large gatherings safer in a new era after mass shootings, including the one in Las Vegas almost one year ago that resulted in 58 deaths and more than 500 injuries.
School security has become an issue in Las Vegas with at least nine reports of students bringing guns to school or on campus during the first month of the school year. One was only 9 years old.
"With election tampering, soft target attacks, critical infrastructure protection, natural disasters and continuity of operations making headlines daily, Global Security Exchange (GSX) show looks to bring more than 20,000 operational and cyber security professionals from around the globe to Las Vegas to address these issues and more," states a news release about the event.
GSX will offer more than 350 sessions as well as an exhibit floor transformed into a learning lab environment, featuring immersive experiential learning opportunities.
Additionally, the GSX Security Cares program will directly give back to the Las Vegas community by providing free education to address school violence prevention and response; panelists include Las Vegas law enforcement, government, mental health, and security professionals.
At 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Security Cares events will feature Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Andrew Walsh, Las Vegas Ward 4 Councilman Stavros Anthony and Clark County mental health psychologist Sheldon Jacobs among other security experts addressing school safety.
Hardening Concerts and Special Events in a New Era will be discussed from 3:4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday.
The Growing Threat to America's Cyber Infrastructure will be discussed from 2:15 to 3 p.m. Monday while reducing soft target risks is scheduled for the same time block.
Security First in a Rapidly Changing World is scheduled for Thursday from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Analyzing a Casino Active Shooter Threat will be Wednesday from 4 to 4:30 p.m.
Some of the keynote speakers include CNN host Fareed Zakaria, Major Gen. Bradley D. Spacy, commander of the U.S. Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center and Major Gen. Peter E. Gersten, commander of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. Also scheduled is K.T. McFarland , former Deputy National Security advisor in the Trump Administration.
