The Fifth Annual CBRNe Convergence conference will be held at the Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, Virginia, US.

According to the event organizers: "This year’s event already has the FBI WMD Directorate and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response confirmed as supporting partner organizations, and NATO’s Allied Command for Transformation has also committed to being a major participant."

Pre-conference workshops will include topics on the following:

CBRNe related BUDGETS: "Budgets around the world are becoming tighter, grant funding is slowing down to a trickle and people are looking at ways that they can provide a comparable capability for far less cost that they used to.There are tools out there that can help, various Federally funded organisations have training and information management tools that can provide solutions to this crunch."

NEW STANDARDS in the CBRNe field: "As national efforts to improve work on standards, from testing to training and operational procedures, the need to communicate and share knowledge and experience in this area increases. CBRNe World has lobbied for improved standards through the years and is pleased to offer this workshops bringing together representatives from NIST, ASTM, DHS, DOD and other bodies in Europe and around the world to compare notes and progress on standards development. Particular attention will be given to the progress in the US on the National Strategy for CBRNE standards, with presentations and discussion on its progress.This will examine the major works streams that have been going on in reviewing and developing consensus standards (ASTM, ANSI and NFPA in particular) and the supporting work that matches it."

The CBRNe conference will include participants from over 30 countries.  The event will also cover how professionals and organizations "can bring civil and military forces together in such fields as CBRN, EOD and hazmat, to better prepare for the challenge."

Further information is available on the website.

Association of Biosafety for Australia & New Zealand (ABSANZ)

The event will be held in Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

This event is organized by the Association of Biosafety for Australia & New Zealand. ABSANZ's objectives include the following: Promoting the field of biosafety and biorisk management in Australia & New Zealand; Facilitating the networking and collaboration between biosafety and biosecurity professionals and training and professional development in biosafety and biorisk management

ABSANZ is a not-for-profit organisation that was registered November 2010 and was accepted as a Member of the International Federation of Biosafety Associations on February 18th 2011.

Please visit the website of the Association of Biosafety for Australia & New Zealand for more information as it becomes available.

The American Biological Safety Association

Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort, Orlando, Florida, US

The conference will include:

•Four Full Days of Intensive Preconference Courses to educate and inspire
•Three Full Days of state-of-the-art keynotes, papers, and panels highlighting best practices and hands-on skills crucial to today's biosafety and biosecurity professionals
•Exhibits showcasing the latest in laboratory biosafety and biosecurity products and services
•Invaluable networking opportunities to share and learn from other biosafety and biosecurity professionals

More information is available on the ABSA conference webite.

American Glovebox Society

Best Practices Panel Discussion
Panel Discussion will address best practices for the Pharmaceutical, Biocontainment, Nuclear and Radiologcal industries. The panel will consist of industry experts across the private and public sector that have dealt with best practices that affect the day to day business of our industry. Specifically, “benchmarking” in the areas such as glovebox design, fire protection, fabrication techniques, training, and ergonomics will be discussed. Lessons learned and how best practices evolve, get documented and disseminated will also be discussed. Specific questions to the panel are encouraged.

Basic Training
The event will include a wide range of glovebox topics including:

• Theory of Containment
• Glovebox/Isolator Design
• Ergonomics
• Fabrication
• Installation/Operation
• Procurement
• QA
• Glovebox Demonstration & Hands-on-Training

The AGS Glovebox & Isolator Annual Conference will also include Advanced Training & Best Practices topics, including:
• Design
• Quality Assurance
• Gloves
• Fabrication
• Ergonomics
• Leak Testing
• Fire Protection
• Operator Training
• Hazardous Glovebox Operation
• Pharmaceutical Glovebox Operation
• Biocontainment Glovebox Operation
• Configuration Management
• Breach Response
• Retrofitting
• Decommissioning
• Glovebox Demonstration & Hands-on-Training

More information about the conference is available on the AGS website.

International Federation of Biosafety Associations

Global Biosafety and Biosecurity: Building Sustainable Capacity
June 28-29, 2012,  Sandton Convention Centre

2012: The Year of International Biosafety Advocacy

IFBA’s 2nd International Conference will take place June 28-29, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa, immediately following the annual conference of the African Biological Safety Association (AfBSA). The IFBA conference provides a unique forum for policy makers, stakeholders, donors, international agencies and governments to interact with the African biosafety community and advance global biosafety and biosecurity.
Conference Objectives
•Identify innovative approaches to biosafety and biosecurity that are affordable, practical and sustainable;

•Raise awareness and highlight the significant benefits of sound biosafety and biosecurity practices;

•Advocate strategies to collectively address urgent gaps and priorities in under-addressed regions of the world;

•Facilitate collaboration among the African and international biosafety communities.

For further information please visit the website of the International Federation of Biosafety Associations

The 3rd AfBSA Conference

The African Biological Safety Association (AfBSA) is organizing the 3rd Annual Biological Safety Conference. It will take place from June 24 to 27, 2012 Johannesburg South Africa. This regional conference aims at generating a forum of exchange on the various developments in biosafety, biosecurity and the unique emerging issues in the respective countries from the region.

Topics of discussion will range from development in biosafety programme management to the latest containment technology will be discussed. It will be attended by senior executives, Biosafety and Biosecurity professionals from the various industry clusters, health, veterinary, research communities and suppliers of Biosafety products worldwide.

International biosafety experts and professionals from the world and the region will be speaking and sharing their knowledge and experience. This conference will be a valuable opportunity for networking and being updated in the area of current emerging issues on biosafety unique to the African Region and worldwide.

The African Biological Safety Association it is a is a non-governmental, non-political, non-sectarian and non-profit association.

AfBSA has its primary area of operation within the Continent of Africa and whose membership is primarily drawn from persons and institutions of Africa. Membership shall be drawn from both Francophone and Anglophone countries of Africa and worldwide. The association shall be open to anyone, including students, senior professionals, and disciplines as diverse as healthcare, academia, emergency response, pharmaceutical/ biotechnology industries and regulatory affairs.

More information about the conference is available here.

NBC 2012 Symposium on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Threats.

TOPICS OF THE SYMPOSIUM
Preparedness in society; international and interagency cooperation; risks of nuclear power and radioactivity;
medical preparedness; detection, identification and analysis; and protection and decontamination.
PURPOSE OF THE SYMPOSIUM
The objective of the Symposium is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for discussions
• on issues related to Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological and Explosives Defence,
• for decision makers, experts in the field of CBRNE, professionals in the field of civil defence and emergency services, military officers and scientists.

The program will include a wide of topics including:
Preparedness in society, International and interagency cooperation, Risks of nuclear power and radioactivity, Detection, identification and analysis and Protection and decontamination.

More information is available here

SIBB12 is the Biosafety and Biosecurity conference organized by AMEXBIO Asociación Mexicana de Bioseguridad (the Biological Safety Association of Mexico).  The event will present biological safety courses & seminars, keynote speakers, panel discussions and exhibits. The conference will have participants from Mexico and across the Americas.

Additional information from the conference website:

En su cuarta edición, el Simposio Internacional de Bioseguridad y Biocustodia 2012 (SIBB12) se presenta con un nuevo programa de cursos presimposio, pláticas magistrales, mesas de discusión, seminarios y exposición comercial que congregarán a expertos e interesados en estas temáticas.

Reunión especializada en el entrenamiento, análisis, discusión y planteamiento de propuestas alrededor de la seguridad biológica en México y nuestro entorno.

Nuevamente esperamos la participación de profesionales de México y del continente americano, desde Canadá hasta Argentina.

The 2012 Conference will cover these topics: Capital Projects, Operations, Maintenance, Security, Safety and Cost Control for:
BSL-2/3 • ABSL-2/3 • BSL-3Ag facilities.

According to the event organizers: "Biocontainment programs are now facing a staggeringly complex menu of decisions about meeting pressure control requirements,  establishing facility SOPs and operating cost benchmarks,meeting regulatory requirements and certification guidelines and improving design and construction standards."

"This conference reveals the new decisions required for unfailing biocontainment programs. Here you’ll get the new data, numbers, and experience that are now guiding critical decision-making for biocontainment facility planning, construction, and operations from leading international biological research centers, the CDC, U.S. Regional Biocontainment Labs, and leading academic and private sector research facilities."

The event also includes preconference courses:  Fundamentals of Planning and Design of Biocontainment Labs and MEP Systems; Fundamentals of Risk Assessment for High Containment Lab Planning and Operations.

Futher information is available here.

The 7th A-PBA Biosafety Conference in Bali, Indonesia
Asia-Pacific Biosafety – Moving Towards OneWorld One Health

2 days pre-conference workshop and 2 days conference
Co-organizer : Indonesian Biorisk Association (IBA)

Latest update on World Health Strategic Program
Integrating multidisciplinary fields of biosafety - Toward One World One Health
Experience sharing and networking with Biosafety professionals and experts, national and international agencies from the region and the world . Addressing regional Biosafety issues – from capability and capacity building to technical bio-containment issues.