Cover Feature
Case
study:
Driving innovation at Geneva
International Motor Show
Stephen Cooper OBE, director of
operational solutions at Apstec
Systems, on implementing real-
time mass security screening
The challenge
Welcoming over 600,000 guests every year,
the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS)
is one of the best known motor shows in
Europe. Now in its 89th edition, the GIMS has
grown to 180 exhibitors and a staggering 900
cars all within the seven halls of the Palexpo in
Geneva. However, providing security for one
of the leading exhibition locations in Europe,
which can welcome up to 90,000 visitors at any
one time, poses a real challenge.
Previous security strategies involved random
bag searches at every entrance. Visitors were
asked to open bags to allow security guards to
check their contents. These security measures,
while valid, can be considered intrusive, labour
intensive and relatively slow, impacting the
visitor experience.
Keen to offer additional peace of mind,
critical at a time when terror tactics have
evolved to target vulnerable crowded public
places, the GIMS and Palexpo wanted to
provide enhanced security to its visitors and
exhibitors, without negatively impacting the
experience.
The solution
Apstec’s HSR is a fully-automated, real-time
mass screening solution capable of scanning
up to 10,000 people per hour, per unit, without
the need for removing coats or rucksacks.
It adds a critical extra layer of protection to
public places – like exhibition centres – from
terrorist attacks. And for the automotive
industry’s 11-day flagship event, this was a
strategic move to provide extra security to
huge crowds, while simultaneously improving
guests’ experience.
The HSR scanner has been developed
by specialists in the fields of radio physics,
electronics and software engineering.
The walkthrough system has been built in
conjunction with leading authorities and ‘end
users’ in security and counter-terrorism.
It ensures that the guest experience is
undisturbed and equips security personnel
to identify potential mass-casualty threats.
Specifically, HSR leverages centimetre wave
technology to discriminate explosives from
benign materials with a high degree of
accuracy. Security guards receive automatic
alerts from the HSR on handheld devices,
without the need for any operator analysis of
the system outputs. The response to the alert is
immediate and the situation resolved through a
simple secondary screening process.
The outcome
Without the need to queue, remove outer
clothing or present bags for visual search,
visitors to the GIMS were able to spend more
time browsing the latest automobiles. Security
personnel working in conjunction with
scanners like the HSR, close a critical security
gap without disruption to the flow of visitors.
This same strategy can be applied to any high-
footfall space, such as the landside of airports,
or sport stadiums. The unobtrusive nature of
the HSR not only reactively protects patrons,
but proactively works as a deterrent to would-
be terrorists.
Philippe Echivard, Palexpo’s director of
security, who headed up security for the event
and worked closely with Apstec in securing
the GIMS, said: “Palexpo is one of the leading
exhibition centres in Europe. As such, we are
always looking at ways of providing enhanced
security, whilst at the same time improving
the visitor experience. One by one, security
screening methods are becoming unsuitable
for events like the Geneva International
Motor Show. Slowing down the flow of people
can cause some considerable queues at the
entrance. So, once we’d reviewed the market,
we found HSR was by far the best solution
capable of seamlessly screening such high
volumes of visitors. We decided to deploy HSR
at the Geneva International Motor Show 2019
and we are delighted with its positive impact.”
May — 25