If you think jet lag is the worst that can happen to your world-traveling attendees, pull your head out of the sand. While there's no need to be paranoid, a healthy dose of caution is advised inside and outside our borders. Franklin, Tenn. — based Event & Meeting Security Services, which specializes in the management of security, health, staff communications, and contingency planning for events, publishes a free e-newsletter to update event planners on travel safety and security issues around the world.
Did you know, for example, that at the time of the January 31 edition of the newsletter, airport workers in Athens were holding protests and American Airlines had plans to launch a Skycare program, allowing ill passengers to bring a nurse at a discounted fare?
Content-rich and nearly self-promotion free, the weekly report has four standard departments — State Department Announcements, Situations to Watch, Airline/Travel Labor Watch, and Weather Watch — along with short news items, cultural tips, and useful links. The newsletter doesn't distinguish between news pertinent to key meeting destinations and elsewhere, so you'll find plenty of info on trouble spots like Uganda and Guyana. But since the departments are organized by country, they're easy to check for items of interest.
Overall, this newsletter is well worth the short time it takes to skim. To subscribe, send your name, title, the name of your organization, and e-mail address to Ricki Ford at rford@eventsecurity.com or visit the EMSS Web site, www.eventsecurity.com.