The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is shifting its 2020 Port Security Seminar and Expo from a traditional 2½-day in-person event held in a conference facility, to a virtual event called AAPA Anywhere.

The event will be conducted over the course of a week (July 13-17), with pre-recorded content from subject matter experts, networking and interaction opportunities with seminar speakers and industry colleagues, and educational opportunities from industry solution providers.

Registered seminar participants will be able to review pre-recorded content at their leisure, participate in daily live Q&A sessions with presenters, exchange private messages with colleagues through an event app, and meet with exhibitors in virtual, informal small groups.

In addition, AAPA, in conjunction with its ACCELerate grant program, will offer a new Cybersecurity certificate as part of its Industry Recognized Port Credential (IRPC) professional development curriculum. The certificate will be available to participants who agree to complete the Port Security Seminar, participate in three standalone training seminars and complete a small culminating project. The cyber certificate will support new U.S. Coast Guard requirements for facility security plans to include a cybersecurity component.

Day 1 of the virtual event will feature government officials and other subject matter experts discussing port security impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including Duane Davis, Port Security Grant Section Chief at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, D.C. Day 2 and Day 3 will cover trends and other aspects of cybersecurity, including domain awareness and apprenticeship training. Day 4 will feature presentations on and about Customs and Border Protection (CBP) roles, responsibilities, challenges and achievements in the maritime sector. Day 5 will examine emerging threats and regulations on the port security front, including discussions related to cybersecurity, use of drones, and U.S. Coast Guard pandemic policing and drug interdiction.

For more information about AAPA’s 2020 Port Security Seminar and Expo, click here.