By Mary Klida

Karen Totaro, CVE, general manager for ASM Global, announced Huntington Place as the new name for Detroit’s world-class convention center. The new name signifies an important moment in the transformation of Detroit’s gathering place for conventions, meetings and special events, and is the 16th largest convention center in the country.

ASM Global has been managing the day-to-day operations for Detroit’s convention center since 2010, establishing the venue as a top convention center both nationally and internationally. The ASM team rebuilt the business model, resulting in a $20 million reduction of operating deficit, and quadrupled the number of major events held annually in the center from 2010 to 2019. The ASM team completed a transformation of the customer experience to one that is focused on creating lasting memories for every visitor to Detroit.

“Our partnership with Huntington Bank brings a wealth of opportunities to our community and visitors,” Totaro said. “As we continue to elevate this Detroit convention center as an industry gold standard, the creative, hardworking team at Huntington Place continues to make diversity a strength as it focuses entirely on the success of every event.”

Huntington merged with TCF Financial Corp. in June of 2021, creating a top 10 regional bank. This strengthens Huntington Place’s position in offering customers access to thought leaders in Fortune 100 companies, representative of major corporations and leaders in their industries for keynotes and education segments. The center also offers access to Michigan nonprofits to bring CSR initiatives to life during events, and community service resources such as fitness mini-events and job fairs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention center now known as Huntington Place became a civic center for the Detroit region, serving as a field hospital, a day center for homeless services, a food distribution center for Food Rescue US, and the city’s largest vaccination site with a drive through facility in the Atwater Garage. The venue reopened with a strong event schedule, discovering that show managers want to partner with an organization that values the community they serve.

“We are proud that following the TCF-Huntington merger, the name of our new combined bank now graces the walls of this civic center that means so much to the people of Detroit and all of southeast Michigan. From high school graduations to the North American International Auto Show, from speeches by sitting presidents to the annual NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner, this venerable facility is part of the fabric of our community and Huntington is fortunate to now be a part of it,” said Gary Torgow, chairman, Huntington Bank.

Detroit’s Huntington Place completed its $279 million transformation in 2015, enhancing its view of one of the world’s busiest waterways, the Detroit River, with a view of an international destination on the other side of its banks – Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

The venue has hosted some of the most important meetings and conventions in the country, ranking it among the top 20 in the nation. In 2022 the venue looks forward to hosting several big trade shows such as Connect Marketplace and the Silicone Expo, the world’s first free-to-attend commercial trade show and conference for the silicone industry.

“Our naming rights agreement, which was a priority for the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, began with TCF Bank and continues with Huntington Bank in strengthening the Center’s financial future. We are dedicated not only to being a contributor to our region’s economic vitality, but also to creating jobs and enhancing the attraction of our destination to visitors,” said Lisa Canada, chair of the DRCFA. “Both of our organizations have a deep commitment to the communities we serve.”

Against the backdrop of an international riverfront, Huntington Place projects continued future growth for world-class meetings, conventions and event business in 2022. Prior to 2020, Huntington Place attracted nearly 1.5 million visitors annually.

Just one week after the merger, Huntington unveiled a $40 billion Strategic Community Plan to improve financial opportunities for the customers, businesses, and communities it serves, with a focus on affordable housing, small business and increased capital to historically disadvantaged and low-to-moderate income communities.

Mary Klida is Senior Marketing & Communications Manager.

By Liberty Defense Holdings

Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd., a leading technology provider for concealed weapons and threat detection solutions, announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) to beta test Liberty’s flagship product HEXWAVE™ at the Camden Yards Sports Complex in the City of Baltimore. The MSA is a unit of the state government that owns and manages the sporting venues at the Camden Yards Sports Complex, which is home to the Baltimore Orioles MLB team and the Baltimore Ravens NFL team. The Camden Yard Sports Complex has seating capacity for approximately 45,000 and 72,000, respectively. Testing with the MSA is planned to begin in Q1, 2022 at the Camden Yards Sports Complex.

HEXWAVE uses low-power radar imaging and artificial intelligence to detect all types of concealed

weapons for walkthrough, high throughput people screening that responds to evolving threats and the need for socially distanced contactless security that keeps lines flowing. It can be used indoor and outdoor as part of a layered defense so that threats can be detected early, at the perimeter of the property or at checkpoints, without compromising the enjoyment of fans.

“One of our key market verticals is sports and entertainment venues, and we are delighted to add Baltimore, home to two premier sports teams at the Camden Yards Sports Complex, to our beta testing program,” said Bill Frain, CEO of Liberty Defense. “Testing the system in operational facilities helps to ensure that the system is aligned to market needs, and we look forward to generating customer feedback at beta development sites.”

Beta testing involves testing HEXWAVE in a live environment such as the Camden Yards Sports Complex following the initial Alpha testing that is taking place at Liberty’s Center of Excellence for Engineering in Atlanta, Georgia, and at the new Company headquarters in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

“The safety of our guests is paramount, as well as ensuring they have a great experience,” said Vernon J. Conaway, Jr., Vice President, Safety and Security, Maryland Stadium Authority. “We believe this type of threat detection technology is the future of keeping fans safe at events. We are extremely confident in our current threat detection systems, and our participation in this collaboration agreement with HEXWAVE is about testing an emerging threat technology to enhance our existing systems. We look forward to testing this exciting new technology at the Camden Yards Sports Complex.”

The Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, launched a new GBAC Academy training course focused on increasing knowledge of cleaning for health for individuals in all businesses. The new course, “Infectious Disease Awareness in the Workplace: COVID-19 Considerations,” highlights how pathogens spread and cause illness and the role that proper hygienic cleaning and disinfection play in infection prevention.

“The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges, such as the emergence of new variants. As a result, cleaning for health needs to remain a priority in the built environment,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “This new course will help individuals in any business environment understand infectious disease principles, and how cleaning and disinfection support health, safety, and regulatory compliance.”

The 30-minute online course provides an overview of the chain of infection and how to break it through effective cleaning and disinfection practices, indoor air quality considerations, and other key mitigation strategies. The course also discusses the benefits of workplace infectious disease or communicable disease prevention programs, as well as the importance of risk assessments, the hierarchy of control, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

The course is available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Italian. ISSA members can enroll for US$49, while the public can register for $99. Bulk pricing, available for purchases of 10 or more seats, is $29 per course. GBAC Academy also offers additional training resources such as the GBAC Online Fundamentals Course 2.0, the pathway to the “GBAC-Trained Technician” designation.

“Infectious disease knowledge will continue to be in demand during and after the pandemic,” added Olinger. “Regularly offering training courses showcases to employees that your business cares about their career development and wellbeing, and enables them to better manage today and tomorrow’s biorisks.”

To register, visit gbacacademy.org/awarenesscourse.

By Caroline Metell

Patriot One Technologies Inc. announced its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered threat detection and patron screening solutions have been certified by SVS Countermeasures Training, LLC, a third-party organization founded by a former U.S. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, for four national standards for use in multiple industries, including large stadiums and venues. The certifications include NIJ-STD-0601-01, NIJ-STD-0601-02, NILECJ-STD-0601.00 Level 2, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration Operational Test Piece (FAA OTP). Patriot One’s solutions exceeded all necessary requirements for certification during the two tests which took place in October at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, and at one of Patriot One’s customer locations.

“Many professional sports leagues and other organizations have built their security requirements and best practices standards on the foundation of these certifications,” said Peter Evans, CEO of Patriot One. “Having certification from SVS validates the efficacy of our solution, while others in the market are ‘self-certifying’ – thereby distracting the conversation from security to other factors. Earning four national certifications validates that our solutions not only meet, but exceed the demanding standards put in place by professional sports leagues for weapons detection technology, while also significantly improving the patron experience.”

Multiple tests were performed on Patriot One’s Multi-Sensor Gateway and AI-powered threat detection and patron screening Platform, in order to be certified by the NIJ-STD-0601-01, NIJ-STD-0601-02, NILECJ-STD-0601.00 Level 2, and FAA OTP standards. The technology successfully alerted on all prohibited items, including guns, knives, improvised explosive device (IED) ignition systems, and many additional items on the pro sports league prohibited items lists that are not itemized by the standards. All alerted items accurately displayed where on the patron the prohibited item was located, and the Platform was successful in discerning between weapons and innocuous objects such as cell phones, preventing false positive alerts that may occur in the screening process.

“We were impressed by Patriot One’s ability to consistently and successfully detect and identify the location of all the prohibited items on the patrons,” said John Howell, Director of Counter IED Threat Detection at SVS Countermeasures Training, LLC. “The Multi-Sensor Gateway detected more prohibited items than these four standards require, and the metal detectors that we simultaneously tested, making Patriot One the best choice for venues to implement as their weapons screening technology.”

Traditional walk-through metal detectors were developed around 40 years ago, long before people carried items like smartphones or earbuds. Therefore, they are no longer effective in meeting today’s societal and environmental requirements and modern, stringent standards. Patriot One can increase both security and patron throughput in harmony, removing the need for stadiums to trade off one for another.

“The AI in our weapons and threat detection solutions and Platform is helping venues go above and beyond providing security in conformance with league best practices for venues and stadiums,” Evans said. “The technology is also helping facilities make data-driven decisions based on intelligent information correlated by the tools. With Patriot One, venue operators have a holistic view of their facility, allowing them to make these smart decisions regarding staffing and safety in critical moments.”

To also read the release, click here.

For more on Patriot One’s solutions, visit: https://patriot1tech.com/patscan/solutions/.

By R.V. Baugus

John C.K. Fuhrmann, CVE, a long-time IAVM member and familiar face and friend to many, passed away on November 12 at the age of 74.

John served as events and services manager at the city and county of Honolulu and is most remember by many in the industry as leading the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, from which he retired on October 31, 2014.

John was born on June 29, 1947, to William and Ruth Fuhrmann and was a Kamehameha Schools graduate.

He is survived by his brother Bill (Carolyn) Fuhrmann and his sister Velma Fuhrmann and their families. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Bobby Stevens.