by
Vice
President for the
UK
Region
Attend TRICIS 2002, 11 July, RMCS Shrivenham…
AFCEA
- Unique, Useful, Fun
AFCEA
is a great professional association. It
brings together professionals from user, academic, procurement, research and
development, vendor, service and solution provider, analyst, media and
communications communities into a friendly association environment where
everyone can exchange views, learn, network and develop professionally free from
commercial pressures. AFCEA is also
great fun.
AFCEA West 2002
AFCEA
West 2002 took place in
San Diego
California
15-17 January.
Organized in conjunction with the US Navy’s Naval Institute, the
conference and exhibition were major successes with some 8500 attendees.
AFCEA conducted its corporate business meetings on the preceding Sunday
afternoon and Monday. In addition,
the regional Vice Presidents held a workshop to progress some significant issues
such as chapter rebates, representation, financial transparency, website and
portal style guides and AFCEA awards. It
was most encouraging to note the excellent attendance at the event, since it was
the first major AFCEA meeting since the 11th of September 2001, which
is now commonly referred to as ‘9-11’ in` day to day US conversation.
There is no doubt that 9-11 has made a profound impression and a vast
array of consequences are now unfolding.
Homeland Security
Perhaps
the most significant consequence from AFCEA’s perspective is the
identification of a new programme in US Government, that of Homeland Security.
In early June this year, President George W Bush announced that he was
considering the formation of a new government department to focus solely on the
subject. Rumours in DC are that if
and when it is formed, it is likely to be the third biggest department.
It is understood that the intention is to bring together all the agencies
concerned with delivering homeland security.
However, it seems that the main intelligence collecting agencies will
retain substantial if not complete independence.
Nothing is final at the time of writing, but clearly there is a major
task ahead and one that will involve extensive government change and programme
spending.
AFCEA’s
Chairman is keen that the Association becomes more aware and more agile, so that
it can respond quickly to meet the changing needs of our members.
Thus there is much talk about how AFCEA must adapt to become the
association of choice for the new breed of homeland securer.
The
events of 9-11 had a more profound impact in the
US
than perhaps in other
countries, which have lived with endemic and/or imported terrorism for decades.
It would be too easy for non-US AFCEA members to view this new Homeland
Security initiative as just a
US
thing.
It clearly is not. No matter
how long people have lived with terrorism, there is always interest in improving
the way it is prevented and countered. I
am sure that when the US Government focuses its massive resources towards
countering terrorism, much will be developed which will bring worldwide benefit.
The
US
speakers at recent AFCEA
meetings have stressed that Homeland Security and countering terrorism are truly
international enterprises, which must be conducted in concert with allies.
Of special note is that the early work towards developing new technical
and procedural standards is adopting an internationally inclusive approach.
Let’s hope that we can all work together to achieve the best outcomes.
AFCEA is ideally placed to become the association of choice in this area
and there are opportunities for professional development, personal advancement
and new business.
Please
send me your views on how AFCEA
UK
should contribute.
AFCEA
Europe
Events
Robert
Howell, AFCEA Europe’s General Manager, has been working hard to improve the
range of services offered in
Europe
.
The
St
Petersburg
event attracted strong local interest and might act as the first step towards
the formation of a chapter there. The
SHAPE event was very well supported by both delegates and exhibitors and was
successful in every respect. This
was the second annual SHAPE event which Robert has run and the series seems
likely to continue.
TechNet Europe,
Budapest
,
Hungary
,
15-17 October 2002
The
most important AFCEA Europe event is TechNet Europe, this year taking place in
the beautiful Hungarian capital,
Budapest
.
In the light of the cancellation of last year’s TechNet Europe in
Istanbul
, it is of great importance
that this year’s event is a success. This
means that all AFCEA members should try to attend as delegates and all our
companies should try to exhibit. If
there is insufficient support for the event, its future will be uncertain.
Not only is
Budapest
in the heart of growing
markets, but TechNet Europe is a truly international event with people from all
sectors and many countries attending.
TechNet International 2002 (TNI2002)
TNI2002
took place in
Washington
DC
11-13 June, with the AFCEA
business meetings taking place on Monday the 12th.
Overall, the event was a success and there were more registrations than
last year. The particular highlights
were: the launching of the AFCEA Portal (our next generation website), the award
of the David Sarnoff Award to the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staffs, the
huge success of the job fair, the running of specialist panel sessions on the
exhibition floor, the very high standard of the exhibits and, from my point of
view, a healthy crop of UK awards. These
included the Medal of Merit for David Thomsett, Model Chapter Awards to
Croughton (after their first year of establishment) and to South (that’s three
in a row) and Recruitment, Retention and Achievement awards to West.
Well done to AFCEA
UK
.
IT was also ood to see that our Central European Reional Vice President,
Eberhard Mueller van der Bank, received the Admiral Boyse Medal, and extremely
coveted award, which was awarded to Chris Williams last year and to Tony
Patterson shortly before.
TRICIS 2002
All
in AFCEA
UK
should be aware that the
Tri-Service CIS Briefing event is to take place at the Royal Military College of
Science, Shrivenham, on Thursday 11th July.
This is a very special opportunity for the
UK
military CIS community to get
together to discuss requirements, ideas, concepts, programmes and opportunities.
Taking place every second year, TRICIS is a well organised and highly
polished event, which should be attended by everyone with an interest in
military CIS.
Domestic Matters
Colonel
Iain Kerr (Retd), formerly of the Royal Signals, died on Wednesday 5th
June. Iain was an exemplary member
of AFCEA for many years, who held several committee positions over the years.
Everything he did for AFCEA, both as an office holder and as a private
member, he approached with dedication and with an eye for perfection.
AFCEA London will remember him particularly for the gargantuan efforts he
put into trying to sort out membership database problems.
But we shall all remember him as one of our leading AFCEA contributors
and as a good friend over many years. We
offer Pippa our sincere condolences and warm wishes.
The
AFCEA UK leadership meets twice a year to coordinate activities and initiatives.
The last meeting was on 22 March. The
AFCEA UK Academic Trust met the day before.
UK Members are reminded that we have our own Academic Trust, which runs a
variety of scholarship programmes. The
level of the Trust’s activities depends solely on the funds available to
promote education in our professions. Colonel
Bill Kennedy (President South) is the Trust’s Secretary.
Members who might be in a position to donate or arrange funding should
contact him direct.
The
UK Directors and I participated in the European Advisory Council, which is
chaired by Robert Howell. This was a
useful and constructive meeting, particularly so since Vice Admiral Herb Browne,
AFCEA President and CEO, was present. The
meeting was a great opportunity for the Admiral to discuss and question European
issues directly.
Current
AFCEA UK issues include:
·
Phase
One Strategic Review (define Purpose for AFCEA UK and top level strategic
objectives)
·
Review
of applicability for Professional Development courses (both physical and
portal-based) in Europe
·
Contribution
to review of AFCEA awards and awards processes
·
Work
of the Academic Trust
·
Proposal
for an initiative to build a UK Young Afcean identity and programme.
·
Need
to support TRICIS and TechNet Europe
·
AFCEA
UK’s response to the Homeland Security subject domain
Please
email me your views on any of the above, or concerning any other ideas and views
you might have to rvp@afcea.org.uk. Have
a fun summer.
Dewar Donnithorne-Tait MA MBA FInstD
Vice President for the UK Region
