ASIS to Move Forward as Scheduled Despite Impact from Harvey

ASIS to Move Forward as Scheduled Despite Impact from Harvey

Dallas Convention Center, where ASIS 2017 is to be held, is expecting thousands of people escaping the floods in south east Texas.

In less than one month, ASIS International will host its 2017 version of its annual tradeshow. This year, however, Hurricane Harvey may play a role in use of the Dallas Convention Center.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said Monday that the city is preparing to host “thousands upon thousands upon thousands” of evacuees from the Gulf Coast.

“I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but we’ve been asked to prepare for numbers that could be in the tens of thousands,” Rawlings said.

ASIS CEO Peter J. O’Neil said they are continuing to monitor the situation and are staying in touch with Dallas city officials, but at this time any evacuation should not impact the tradeshow at all.

“We continue to monitor the situation in Texas from multiple perspectives and at this point we don’t anticipate trouble in Dallas in four weeks,” O’Neil said. “We continue to send good thoughts and prayers to the great people in Texas.”

Several years ago, circumstances from Hurricane Katrina forced ASIS to move its tradeshow from New Orleans to Atlanta. Unfortunate timing once again, though circumstances were different in that New Orleans, site of the tradeshow was faced with a near direct hit.

According to the ASIS communications director Peggy O’Connor, ASIS will go on as scheduled.

“We are aware the Dallas Convention Center will house storm evacuees. However, this shelter will take place away from the convention area and will not impact our show.

“Exhibitor services are proceeding uninterrupted.  Our general services contractor, Arata Expositions, has been unaffected and is continuing to process orders and accepting exhibitor freight as expected.

“Supporting those in need. We are working closely with our local leadership in Houston and the Dallas CVB to see how we can best support those in the affected areas. Through our Security Cares initiative we have donated to the Red Cross to support the rebuilding process,” O’Connor said.

If exhibitors or attendees have specific questions or needs, they are invited to reach out to the ASIS customer care team for immediate assistance.

“Our thoughts are with all those whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted,” O’Connor said. “The strength of ASIS is our community and together, we will help these regions come back stronger and more resilient.

Rawlings spoke as city workers and volunteers scurried around behind him, lining up thousands of green American Red Cross cots -- with only a foot of space between them -- in the enclosed parking garage beneath the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

The mayor cautioned that the city is still dealing with short-term needs and doesn’t yet know what to expect long term. But the city is preparing for the worst.

Houston has dozens of buses that could end up bringing hundreds more evacuees to Dallas after the floodwaters on Houston’s highways subside. And Rawlings said flights of 50 to 80 evacuees from Galveston will begin landing this afternoon at Dallas Love Field.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.