ALBANY—U.S. Rep Thomas M. Reynolds (R-Erie County) will be the keynote speaker at The Business Council's business-to-business conference on homeland security issues scheduled for Tuesday, October 19, at the University of Rochester.

The conference is a reprise of a heavily attended homeland-security conference held last spring in collaboration with Empire State Development (ESD). The ESD and Rochester Business Alliance are co-sponsoring this conference.

Both advance stories and same-day coverage of this event are invited and encouraged.

The conference is designed to inform New York's businesses about opportunities in homeland security. It is specifically intended to acquaint participants with government procurement procedures, to identify emerging technologies in the security field, and to pinpoint specific goods and services that government entities will be seeking from businesses.

The conference will also help companies establish relationships with other companies that are potential partners in government bidding, with government contacts at key agencies, and with representatives of colleges and universities on the cutting edge of technology.

The day's agenda also includes:

• An overview of federal and state government initiatives in homeland security from officials with the U.S. and New York State Offices of Homeland Security.
  
• A review of what government needs to ensure homeland security and how this offers business opportunities, with speakers from New York's private sector and from Empire State Development.
  
• A discussion of issues in "cyber-security" and the role of the private sector in meeting this need.
  
• A panel discussion on government procurement procedures and strategies, featuring speakers from the private sector and the state and federal governments.
  
• A panel discussion on partnering with academic and research institute led by experts from New York's Centers of Excellence, and other research institutions.

For agenda details and registration information, visit www.bcnys.org/calendar.htm.

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