After receiving an excellent response to our call for speakers, we made the difficult decision of selecting who would be accepted to speak this year on the theme 'Developing Resilience for the Protection of Cultural Venues'. The IAASF Committee are delighted to share this year's line-up of confirmed speakers who are travelling from India, the Middle East, Germany, France, Egypt, Hungary and the United Kingdom.

Early Bird Tickets are available until the 1st of August 2024. Click to visit our Eventbrite page to book your place.

Andy Davis MSc., CSyP, FSyI, CPP - Managing Director of Trident Manor Limited

Chair of IAASF

Andy Davis is the Managing Director of Trident Manor and the Chair of IAASF. He is a Security Risk Management expert having operated within international government organisations and senior corporate positions around the world. He has been involved in the audit, review, and design of museums and other cultural venues for several years, and his training programmes on Cultural Property Protection have benefited hundreds of people operating in the sector. He is the former Chair of the ASIS International Cultural Properties Community and sits on the UK Standards Committee specifically for cultural heritage.

Keynote Speaker - Day One: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Former Minister for Arts, Heritage and Libraries

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DCMS on 30 September 2021. He served as Minister for Arts from then until 20 September 2022.

He was reappointed (as Minister for Arts and Heritage) on 30 October 2022, and again on 7 February 2023, when the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport became the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. From March to July 2024 he took on his final role as Minister for Arts, Heritage and Libraries. He was also a Lord in Waiting (Government Whip) between 14 February 2020 and 20 September 2022.

Dr. Lujza Varga - Hungarian Natural Museum - Head of Department: Project Coordination and Exhibition Management

Cooperation and Proactivity: Museums Joining the Fight Against Looting and the Illicit Trafficking of Artefacts

Dr. Lujza Varga is a museum professional with over 12 years of experience in cultural heritage management gained in the fields of project management, cultural heritage protection, history, and different forms of knowledge transfer and non-formal education. She has been working at the Hungarian National Museum (HNM) since 2011 where she has been leading the department responsible for international cooperation, project coordination, exhibition management, and cultural property protection since 2018.

She is an active member of the OSCE-led Heritage Crime Task Force – an international team of experts aiming to fight heritage crime with special regard to the illicit trafficking of artefacts.

Konstantinos Chatziandreou - Brandenbrug University of Technology Cottbus-Seftenberg

Climate Resilience in World Heritage Cities

Konstantinos holds a Bachelor's degree from the Department of Cultural Heritage Management and New Technologies at the University of Patras and a Master's Degree from the World Heritage Studies Programme at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg. His research is centred on urban-level studies, including governance related to urban climate (both climate change mitigation and adaptation), enhancing urban resilience, and the significance of both tangible and intangible cultural and world heritage for urban development. He also serves as a board member of the Association of Heritage Consultants in Greece.

Stewart Kidd MA, MSc, CSyP, FIFireE, FIFSM, FSyI, FSA (Scot), CPP - Managing Director, Loss Prevention Consultancy

Managing Fire Safety in Heritage and Historic Buildings: Lessons from the Cameron House Hotel Fire

Stewart Kidd has over 45 years of international experience in the management of fire and security measures for the protection of people and property. He has been involved in the protection of historic buildings and cultural resources since 1989 when he was appointed Chair of the UK Working Party on the Protection of Historic Buildings from Fire.

He is a former Director of the UK’s Fire Protection Association and was also Director General of the Arson Prevention Bureau. He has a flourishing practice as a fire and security consultant, lecturer, author, and expert witness. His client list includes many heritage organisations and privately owned properties.

Stewart is the author of nine books including Fire Risk Improvement in Historic Buildings and Fire Safety Management in Historic Buildings. He also edited both editions of the FPA’s book Heritage Under Fire. He authored Historic Environment Scotland’s Practitioner’s Guide No. 7: Fire Safety Management for Traditional Buildings which is an approved code of practice in Scotland. He is also a founder member of the Institution of Fire Engineers' Heritage Special Interest Group.

Jen Kaines - Head of Collection Services - Royal Armouries Leeds

Risk and Resilience - Lessons Learnt Out of a Cyber Attack

Jen Kaines is Head of Collection Services at Royal Armouries, the UK’s national museum of arms and armour. She is passionate about collections management and the power of objects in museums. She has 30 year’s worth of experience in collections management and registrar encompassing many different museum and collection types in the UK.  She developed and has jointly led the highly successful Registrars: Training for the Future programme, a unique programme within the UK in partnership with the University of Leeds & Leeds Museums and Galleries for 11 years, wanting to share and build knowledge on all matters of a museum registrar.

She is an expert member of the British Standards Institute and the CEN European Committee TC 346 for Standardisation for Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Drawing on her three diplomas from the Institute of Art and Law, a Masters in Museology and a degree in Geology.

Martin Wilson - Head of Student Services - North East Business Resilience Centre (NEBRC)

Unplugged, Unprotected: Understanding the Risks of Antique Collectibles in the Digital Age

Detective Inspector Martin Wilson of Durham Constabulary has 20 years of policing experience across various policing roles. Before joining the NEBRC, Martin was part of the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU), where he specialised in Cyber Protect, Prevent and Prepare work streams, leading on new and innovative work, and helping businesses understand and prepare for cyber-attacks. He is now Head of Student Services for the NEBRC, overseeing and managing our cybersecurity services and cohort of students. Martin has an MSc in Cybersecurity with distinction and is currently undertaking a PhD in small business cybersecurity at Abertay University.

Julie Andrews - Business Engagement Office - National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO)

Julie Andrews is a Business Engagement Officer at the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO). With five years in Counter Terrorism Policing, this year Julie focuses on promoting the Counter Terrorism information sharing platform, www.protectuk.police.uk. The platform offers advice and guidance for businesses and the public to help mitigate the risks of terrorism. Julie and the team continue to develop engagement opportunities and raise awareness across small, medium and large businesses operating in venue and public spaces around the UK.

Jason Taylor - Solutions Director - Mitie

Panel: Protesters and Activists: Are You Prepared?

Jason has over 15 years of experience delivering security solutions to publicly accessible locations and has a BA Hons in Crowd Safety Management. Jason’s current role at Mitie involves the design of value-added security solutions, blending trained and skilled people with technology and intelligence to make effective and informed decisions. Jason will be hosting a panel discussion on protests and activists joined by Scott Wesley (Mitie), Simon Roberts (Natural History Museum, London) and James Downs (Natural History Museum).

Scott Wesley - Head of Intelligence - Mitie Intelligence Services

Panel: Protesters and Activists: Are You Prepared?

Scott is a former British Army Intelligence Corps soldier and current reservist and is now Head of Intelligence for Mitie’s Intelligence Hub. His role sees him analyse and assess current risks and emerging threats to enable partners to enhance their security preparedness and business resilience to mitigate against future risks. Scott will be joining the Protesters and Activists panel discussion hosted by Jason Taylor.

Simon Roberts - Deputy Head of Security - Natural History Museum

Panel: Protesters and Activists: Are You Prepared?

Simon is the Deputy Head of Security at the Natural History Museum. He is also a former Police Inspector, training the cadre of CTSAs in the UK, writing national guidance for the concept design and development of the Action Counters Terrorism training package. Simon will be joining the Protesters and Activists panel discussion hosted by Jason Taylor.

James Downs - Head of Security - Natural History Museum

Panel: Protesters and Activists: Are you Prepared?

With nearly 20 years of experience in security leadership in the cultural sector, James is the current Head of Security, Emergency Planning and Logistics at the Natural History Museum, London. He also Chairs the South Kensington Business Resilience Forum, a special interest group of the Exhibition Road Cultural Group, which drives collaboration and sharing of insight to protect the operational norms of the businesses in the district. James will be joining the Protesters and Activists Panel discussion hosted by Jason Taylor.

Keynote Speaker - Day Two: Stephen Stenning OBE - Culture in Action Director - British Council 

Stephen Stenning OBE is the British Council’s Director of Culture in Action, a cross-disciplinary portfolio that straddles work across the network in heritage, creative economy and cultural responses to global challenges of inclusion and sustainability.

He has championed the value of Arts and Culture in Sustainable Development and led the set-up of the UK’s £60m Cultural Protection Fund established in 2016 which is now part of a growing heritage portfolio for the British Council.

Stephen joined the British Council, as Director of Arts Middle East North Africa, in 2011 having previously established a track record of running successful arts organisations. He is a published playwright and director and has produced major festivals and events in Scotland.

Yasser Farouk - Archaeologist and Cultural Heritage Professional - Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Egypt

Enhancing the Efficiency of Heritage Impact Assessments and its Important Opportunities for Risk Management in the World Heritage Sites (Memphis and its Necropolis World Heritage Site as a Case Study)

Yasser Farouk is an Archaeologist and Cultural Heritage Officer in the Minister’s Office of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in the Department of the International Organisations for Cultural Heritage. He is also registered in the African Heritage Experts database, a Master's researcher in the Joint Master’s Programme in Environmental Archaeology (University of Cologne in Germany and the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University), Member of the American Mission (New York University) in The Amheida Project, and Member of the Egyptian-Germany Mission in Darb El Tawel Survey Project.

Hannah Miller - Junior Security Consultant - Trident Manor Limited

Risk Assessing at Cultural Venues

Hannah Miller is a Junior Security Consultant at Trident Manor. She specialises in cultural protection and has conducted and supported risk assessments for a variety of types of cultural venues across the UK. During her time at Trident Manor, Hannah has delivered security and asset protection training both in person and online to an international audience and has assisted in developing training programmes for both cultural and non-cultural sector audiences.

Craig Ross CSMP®, MRICS, MLitt, MSyI - Senior Manager for Safety and Security, Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA)

Designs to Protect Historic and Cultural Venues in Saudi Arabia During Extraordinary Developments.

Craig Ross is the Senior Manager for Safety and Security at Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) which is the Saudi Government entity responsible for developing historical Diriyah. Craig was a Chartered Building Surveyor, specializing in listed building developments in the UK, before joining a specialist unit in the UK Armed Forces. He has since studied for a master's degree, focusing on terrorism and cultural heritage, and worked all over the Middle East as a Built Environment Security Lead for the RICS and WSP. Craig joined DGDA in September 2022 and is currently advancing PhD research in terrorism and the protection of cultural heritage at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) in St Andrews. 

Anthony Zurawski - Risk Manager - The Normany Heritage Factory

Risk Management Strategies for Safeguarding Cultural Assets in Disaster Scenarios: Identification, Evaluation, Prioritization, Planning, Implementation, Monitoring

He began his studies at Caen University, where he pursued his passion for history and archaeology in the History Department. After completing his undergraduate studies, he continued his education by obtaining a master's degree in Heritage and History. His academic journey has led him to delve into various historical topics, including the evolution of the French military navy and the preservation of heritage during times of conflict.

In France, during times of disaster, those responsible for heritage collections often find themselves overwhelmed and without adequate support. Recognising this challenge, Anthony has taken on the role of leading the GASP (The Assistance Group in the event of a Heritage Loss) since 2019. His mission is to organise and provide assistance to heritage institutions in need during times of crisis.

Khushi Shah - Founder - Khushtar Heritage Collective

Leveraging the Non-Formal Educational Programmes for Conservation of World Heritage Sites through Co-Management and Promotion: Case Studies from India

Khushi is a conservation engineer, heritage enthusiast and a keen researcher. She is the director of Khushtar Heritage Collective, an organisation that works to engage youth in the field of heritage conservation. She is also the recipient of the Martin Weaver Research scholarship awarded by the Association of Preservation Technology for her research on the conversation of Pol houses of Ahmedabad. Currently, she is the Wiki World Heritage coordinator at Wiki World Heritage. She is associated with several heritage organisations including ICOMOS, ISCARSAH, APTAPT(Association for Preservation Technology), ESACHESACH, EUROPA NOSTRA, ASCE etc.

Valentina Sabucco - Security and Protection Manager, Arts Council England

Training in Cultural Property Protection: Challenges, Opportunities, and Ways Forward.

Valentina Sabucco is the Security and Protection Advice Manager at Arts Council England, where she has national oversight of security arrangements at cultural venues to enable National Museums in the UK to lend widely and other museums, sites, and cultural institutions to safely hold, borrow and display works of art and other cultural items. Before working for Arts Council England, Valentina worked for national and international organisations such as UNESCO, Blue Shield International, WSP, and Trident Manor, covering various roles ranging from researching content and implementation of the UNESCO 1954 Hague Convention on the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict. She has also supported risk assessments and security reviews of cultural venues and delivered certified training programmes on the protection of collections, premises, staff, and visitors. Her academic background is in heritage studies (she has a bachelor's degree in Classics and a Master's in Heritage Studies). Valentina is also a certified ASIS Associate Protection Professional and is a member of the following bodies: ICOM International Committee of Museum Security, ASIS Cultural Properties Community, and ICOMOS Italy. She is also the co-founder of the UNESCO Global Youth Community and a member of its Steering Committee.

Daniel Gillis - Technical Advisor -  D G Security Consulting

Systems Integration within Museums and Cultural Venues

Daniel Gillis is an experienced subject matter expert in built environment systems, specialising in intruder detection, video surveillance, access management and environmental monitoring. He has a track record of designing, integrating and maintaining such systems in a range of industries such as national parks, high-end retail, geological research, shipping and recently the heritage sector. Daniel has over 18 years of experience working in these sectors and continues to learn as no two projects are the same and the challenges some of these projects pose require him to think out of the box and find novel and innovative solutions to achieve the end result. Daniel has a passion for offering his bespoke services to approach systems and solving issues organisations may face when protecting their buildings, staff and cultural assets. At IAASF 2024, he will share some of these ideas in his presentation on System Integration within the Museum and Cultural Venues and will explain the benefits of integration and ways to achieve this.