Tue,
09/29/2020 – 07:26am | By: Sara Priebe

The National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University
of Southern Mississippi (USM) will collaborate with key stakeholders to pave “The
Way Forward” during the 2020 National Sports Safety and Security Conference.

This immersive experience will be hosted on a virtual platform from October 12-14,
2020, in partnership with title sponsor Johnson Controls. The conference will be available
on-demand for 12 months after the event ends.

“I’m very excited about the quality of programming and speakers at this year’s event,”
said Dr. Stacey Hall, NCS4 Interim Director and College of Business and Economic Development
Sport Management Professor at USM. “We will be covering topics deemed important by
our industry stakeholders, and attendees will have the opportunity to engage with
technology solution providers.”

“Major League Soccer (MLS) has always been committed to providing an exceptional guest
experience in a safe and secure environment. During these unprecedented times we have
relied on our relationships and the collaboration it brings to work through current
challenges,” said Jeff Stonebreaker, MLS VP Safety and Security. “We are looking forward
to the conference as an opportunity to share and to hopefully help others as they
navigate these challenges as well.”

Keynote presentations from Thomas P. Bossert, Former U.S. Homeland Security Advisor,
Trump Administration, and Don Garber, Commissioner, Major League Soccer, kick-off
the conference.

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to sit in on a variety of presentations
throughout the three-day conference. They will:

• Hear from industry experts and leaders in the field on what they are doing now, as
  we face the unprecedented realities of COVID-19 and its effects on the sport and entertainment
  industry. Concerts and Live Events: Challenges, Outlooks and Strategies for Non-traditional
  Venues focuses on one of the hardest hit business sectors from the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Non-traditional spaces face a unique set of challenges whether it be outdoor festivals,
  concerts or fairs, athletic events such as endurance events, and political events.
  This panel delves into how best to reopen, how to push policy and procedures to regulators,
  and how to balance public health information and advisement into existing security
  and safety plans.
• Learn solutions on the safe reconvening of sports and entertainment events and collaborate
  together with key stakeholders to embrace challenges and develop solutions. Navigating
  the Bubble: Health Safety and Security explores preparation for the NHL restart and
  NBA start, life inside the “bubble”, and lessons learned that can be applied to opening
  other venues and enterprises.
• Gain knowledge from expert panels designed to facilitate current conversations and
  answer questions. In A Guide to Returning to Play, a panel of leading experts in health,
  safety, fan experience, law enforcement and venue operations discuss the challenges
  they face, what they have learned, and how they are prepared to go forward.

On day two of the conference, guests will choose from one of six breakout sessions
ranging in topics from leveraging data for safety and security to disinfecting large
venues, risk management and leveraging technology.

“We are thrilled to kick off our first virtual conference by bringing together highly
regarded speakers and panelists to provide content that is important and relevant
to the sports and entertainment industry,” said Lauren Cranford, NCS4 Senior Associate
Director of Operations. “They will not only share lessons learned and challenges but
will also focus on solutions to pave the way forward in these unprecedented times.”

The complete agenda is available on the conference website, including all of the topics,
speaker bios, and detailed information on the presentations.

Registration costs are $199 for NCS4 Connect members and $249 for non-members. Visit
ncs4.usm.edu/conference to register or for additional information.

About NCS4:

Established in 2006, the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security
(NCS⁴) is the nation’s only academic center devoted to the study and practice of sports
and entertainment safety and security. The NCS4 is partially underwritten by grants
from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), and its mission centers around three key pillars – Research, Training and
Education, and Outreach. For more information about NCS4, call 601.266.6183 or visit
www.ncs4.usm.edu.