Retailers: know your 2010 risks

The FIFA World Cup in 2010 will be a defining moment in the history of this country and retailers will need to be prepared for 6 weeks of excitement and chaos. With the formal and informal influx of people into major areas expected, we have an environment ripe for criminal exploitation.

Are you ready for the payment card syndicates as they swoop on the 2010 influx? Do you know what to expect during the games? How will the FIFA rules affect your business? To prepare for 2010 as well as the ongoing criminal onslaught, retailers need to boost their business acumen with the latest information on securing their operations.

But life will go on after the World Cup and so will crime of all types. Retail Risk 2009 will highlight the latest processes in crime prevention from some of the leading experts in this field.

We know retailers want to see how their security investments offer protection as well as a measurable return on investment. Retail Risk 2009 will highlight how security measures are being integrated into business operations to deliver protection and profit.

Preparation is half of the solution. Retail Risk 2009 will highlight the optimal security processes for retail environments with the latest theory as well as success stories from well-known South African retailers.

The Johannesburg event will be kicked off with a keynote from Gary Bailey, well-known footballer and TV presenter, as he informs attendees of the expected issues we will all face in the run-up to and during the World Cup event. His history in the soccer world allows him to combine the expectations of 2010 with the reality faced in previous events, as well as the solutions the host countries developed. He will focus particularly on the impact of the sudden influx of visitors, logistics and security challenges, and FIFA's regulations.

Terry Scallan, chairman of the South African Institute of Security (SAIS) will deliver the keynote in Cape Town, entitled 'Key Risk Scenarios for 2010 and Beyond'.

Other topics include:

• The inconvenient truth of 2010 security measures, by deputy national commissioner, Andre Pruis (SAPS);
  
• Credit and payment card risks for retailers, by Susan Coetsee, head of Commercial Crime Office, SABRIC;
  
• Pre-employment screening reduces risk, by Trudie van der Merwe, managing director, LPS; and
  
• End-to-end processes significantly reduce shrinkage, by Buddy Anderson, retail specialist.

The full agenda is available on the website www.retailrisk.co.za