BARCELONA--Following on the heels of the Sicur trade fair in Madrid at the end of February, Spain will host its second major security industry event in April, when Barcelona welcomes industry professionals to ASIS International's seventh annual European security conference, which runs from April 13-16, 2008.

This year's gathering, entitled "Security: The Essential Corporate Asset" promises to be a forum for security industry professional to come together and share experiences, ideas and best practices while connecting with leaders from Europe and beyond.

According to Eugenio Morales Diaz, the president of ASIS Spain, this year's event will support one of ASIS International's main aims, which is to help industry professionals present their industry in a way the wider corporate world understands. For example, Morales Diaz explained that traditionally, organizations have fashioned their security managers as ex-armed forces or ex-police. While that is fine, ASIS International is committed to extending the idea so that they are also seen as managers for their organizations. "When we go to management groups that provide us with the budgets to develop our responsibilities, we must be able to speak to them in the same language that other departments do," he said.

Managing terrorist threats and related risks in both the public and private sector will be another focus of this year's event, something that is reflected in the keynote speakers. Prof. Fernando Reinares, head of the global terrorism program at Spain's Elcano Royal Institute and a professor of security studies at King Juan Carlos University, will address this topic along with Interpol's John Newton and the former EU counterterrorism coordinator Gijs de Vries.

Outside of the keynote speakers, the conference will be organized around a wide range of breakout sessions which attendees can sit in on based on their interest. The sessions will be lead by speakers from around the world and will cover areas like supply chain security, international standards, security marketing, risk analysis and corporate anti-terrorism programs to name just a few.

A pre-conference program will run on Sunday, April 13, with sessions dedicated to managing new technology, standards and educational issues, including physical security professional certification for integrators and installers.

An exhibition will run alongside the conference, Morales Diaz said, where companies will present their products along with announcements about future plans and strategies. "It's not a huge exhibition, but it will include the main sponsors [of the conference] along with small- and medium-sized Spanish companies," said Morales Diaz.

For more information on the conference and a detailed program visit www.asisonline.org.