Security organization sets up international forum

A Washington, D.C., organization formed in August to make recommendations on how government and industry can work together to solve national security problems has reached an agreement with a trade show management firm aimed at increasing information sharing among security companies and organizations based in different countries.

The Homeland Security Industry Association (HSIA), founded by a Washington, D.C., attorney and executives from two security companies, announced the agreement Tuesday with the Bethesda, Md., E.J. Krause & Associates . Under the agreement E.J. Krause, which annually produces more than 80 events in 16 countries, will include HSIA as a cosponsor of its homeland security events in North America, Europe and Asia.

This will allow HSIA and E.J. Krause to establish an international forum for organizations from various nations to exchange information and technology needed to fight global terrorism, HSIA spokesman Steve Ellis said.

One of HSIA’s missions is to provide members with networking opportunities so they can partner in fulfilling U.S. government security contracts. However, HSIA does not allow non-U.S. companies as members unless the company has a strong presence in the U.S., so there is a need for the international forum created under the agreement with E.J. Krause.

“We’ve seen that homeland security is clearly an international question,” Ellis said. “We believe the relationship with E.J. Krause will extend HSIA and its member companies the ability to communicate security issues to other countries and receive their input.”

The agreement also will give HSIA members opportunities to participate in homeland security-focused conferences as featured speakers and as preferred exhibitors, Ellis added.

More than 60 companies and associations, including the Computer & Communications Industry Association, are members of the HSIA, Ellis said.

Among E.J. Krause’s conferences is the Global Conference and Expo on Nuclear, Bio and Chemical Terrorism recently held in Washington, DC. The firm is planning homeland defense conferences and exhibitions in Europe, Latin America, and in Asia in coming months. The first homeland security event on which HSIA and E.J. Krause will collaborate is the Pipeline Security Conference and Exhibition scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., May 22-23, 2003.