4th Western Hemispheric Port Security Conference and Trade Exhibition
Port of Houston Authority to Again Serve As Host Port
HOUSTON, Jan. 15, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The integration of the commercial transportation community in the ongoing processes of security planning and crucial multi-level execution will be the key focus as hundreds of delegates gather for the SecurePort(r) 2008 Conference, to be held in Houston during January 28-30, 2008, at the Hilton Houston Post Oak, located at 2001 Post Oak Boulevard in Houston, Texas.
Enhancing and building on the very successful previous SecurePort Conferences, this 2008 event provides a unique opportunity to focus on local, regional, national and hemispheric issues in port and maritime security. SecurePort events have welcomed delegates from over 40 countries, providing insights from hundreds of government and industry leaders and beneficial networking opportunities for all.
Sponsored by The Port of Houston Authority (PHA), SecurePort 2008 will provide interactive panel discussions, highlighting port executives and industry partners. The conference will also feature presentations from, and Open Forum discussions with, top industry and government executives representing a broad range of interests in the marine transportation system, including:
* Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee - Chair, Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, U.S. House of Representatives * The Honorable Cesar Patricio Reyes Roel - Coordinacion General de Puertos y Marina Mercante, Mexico (General Coordinator of Ports and Merchant Marine, Mexico) * The Honorable Judge Ed Emmett - Presiding Officer, Harris County, Texas * Rear Admiral Joel Whitehead, U.S. Coast Guard - Commander, District 8 * Jeffrey O. Baldwin, Sr. - Director Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection, Houston Field Office
"It is truly an honor to have U.S. and foreign leaders, along with Coast Guard and other U.S. Department of Homeland Security principals speak at SecurePort 2008," said SecurePort Conference Organizer Jacqueline Hutman. "SecurePort 2008 will have a concentrated focus on new issues of concern to the commercial and governmental sectors."
"SecurePort is a must attend conference -- highlighting interface at senior operational levels -- for any country, government or business organization involved in both port security and efficient movement of cargo," commented The Honorable John E. Jamian, Former Acting Maritime Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration and SecurePort 2007 speaker.
"Houston and ports throughout the world face a major challenge: to maintain safety and security from both natural and manmade threats," said Port of Houston Authority Managing Director Wade M. Battles. "SecurePort 2008 is the ideal forum to exchange information and develop constructive partnerships, alliances and initiatives to help maintain the uninterrupted, free flow of cargo that is so essential to the vitality of the global economy."
Complementing traditional informative presentation arrangements, SecurePort(r) will introduce new discussion Open Forums that place groups of port security experts and decision makers on the stage, in open exchange of ideas, information, questions, answers and issues together with a conference hall full of qualified SecurePort Conference attendees.
Presentations and Open Forums will examine, among other issues:
* Identifying and Solving Critical Port Security Issues * TWIC (Transportation Workers Identification Credential) * Cyberterrorism * IT operations * Technologies * Readiness Threats * Detection * Communication * Integration * Secure Terminal Operations * Cruise * Training * Grants and Funding
The standard rate for SecurePort 2008 registration is $1050. The concessionary rate is $750 and is available only to verified port authorities, terminal operators and government/military employees. For more information about SecurePort 2008, call 561-333-3767 or visit www.secureportusa.com
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 7,000 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and 10th largest in the world. The Port Authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
The Port of Houston Authority logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=720
Members of the public who wish to speak at a Port Commission meeting will be asked to sign in at the 4th floor lobby area. They may speak when the Chair calls on them during the appearances portion of the agenda and their comments will be limited to three minutes. The public comment protocol is available on the PHA Web site, at: http://portofhouston.com/publicrelations/meetings.html
To access the port's web site photo gallery, please visit http://www.portofhouston.com/publicrelations/publicrelations.html and click the link for PHA Photo Gallery.