ALTA'S 2008 Aviation Crisis Preparedness Conference Scheduled for September 10 - 11, 2008 in Miami

MIAMI, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- ALTA's (Latin America and Caribbean Air Transport Association) Aviation Crisis Preparedness Conference, designed to educate and arm executives with the crucial tools and information necessary to prepare and implement crisis preparedness plans specific to the aviation industry, is slated to take place September 10 - 11, 2008, in Miami, Florida contiguous with its Aviation Law Americas Conference to be held September 11 - 12, 2008, at the same location. Complete conference details and online registration is available at www.alta.aero/crisispreparedness.

"This is a must-attend event for anyone associated with aviation industry crisis preparedness, crisis management and crisis response efforts," said ALTA Executive Director Alex de Gunten. "We as an industry must be prepared to effectively respond to and manage a vast array of crisis situations. After all, it's not a matter of IF a crisis will occur, but WHEN."

An impressive dossier of speakers has already been confirmed, including leading experts on crisis preparedness and crisis management issues specific to the aviation industry, including:

    Jerry Hendin, Managing Partner Alliance Public Relations
    Alan May, Managing Director AON
    Larry Ganse, COO Copa Airlines
    Elizabeth Verdier, Crisis Communications Boeing
    Ed McLaughlin, Executive Vice President FEI Behavioral Health
    Steve Lott, Communications IATA
    Robert Jensen, President Kenyon Worldwide Disaster Management
    Bruno Ardito, Director Corporate Relations LAN Group
    George Snyder, Senior VP Safety & Security Marsh
    Marco Franca, Vice President Latin America PR Newswire
    Enrique Beltranena, CEO Volaris
    Greg Phillips, National Aviation Safety Consultant to Willis Global
     Aviation
    Jeremy Shebson, Barlow Lyde and Gilbert
    Sean Gates, Gates and Partners
    Jaime Daily, Lima Airport Partners
    Marc Henderson, Media Relations Manager, Miami-Dade Aviation Dept.
    Luiz Claudio Aguiar, Legal Director, TAM Linhas Aereas
    Richard Gimblett, Partner Barlow, Lyde and Gilbert
    Edmundo Olivares, Legal VP, Aeromexico
    Susana Mantilla, General Counsel, Avianca
    Juan Carlos Mencio, General Counsel NA, LAN
    Javier Christlieb, Legal VP, Mexicana de Aviacion
    Eduardo Iglesias, Legal VP, TACA
    Carlos Sierra, Partner, Abogados Sierra & Vazquez SC (ASV)
    Nancy Young, VP Environmental Affair, ATA / Air Transport Association
    John Balfour, Partner Aviation Group, Clyde & Co. - Beaumont & Son
    Michael Holland, Partner, Condon & Forsyth
    Jeffrey Shane, Former under Secretary, US DOT/US Dept. of Transportation
    Anita Mosner, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
    Carlos Grau, Director Government & Industry Affairs, IATA
    Dr. Ricardo Mezzera, Partner, Estudio Mezzera
    Joanne Young, Partner, Kirstein & Young

The two-day agenda encompasses the key aspects of aviation crisis preparedness and management, including what to expect when a crisis hits, case studies and lessons learned from previous incidents and accidents, operational implications - dealing with governing investigating authorities during a crisis, crisis communications and dealing with key stakeholders and media, legal requirements and implications associated with an accident investigation, managing risk and maintaining operations during a crisis, crisis communications and a media training workshop, among other topics.

Attendees include anyone associated with aviation industry crisis preparedness and crisis management efforts, including: airlines, airports, civil aviation authorities, aviation industry executives, contingency planners, corporate communications and public relations consultants, crisis response products and services suppliers, emergency response executives, insurers, government agencies, legal counsels, and safety and security executives.

For additional information and sponsorship opportunities, contact ALTA's Special Events Manager Sonya Lima at 1-786-522-7824/slima@alta.aero or ALTA's Director of Communications and Aviation Crisis Preparedness Conference Chair Misty Pinson at mpinson@alta.aero.

About ALTA:

ALTA, www.alta.aero, was founded in 1980 as a non-profit airline association. Its member carriers have total revenue of more than $19 billion, operate more than 800 aircraft and employ more than 70,000 workers in Antigua, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, and in other nations the airlines serve.

Member Airlines: Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Aeromexico Connect, Aeropostal, AeroRepublica, AeroSur, Aires, Air Jamaica, Aserca Airlines, Avianca, Bahamas Air, Caribbean Airlines, Cayman Airways, Cielos Airlines, Click, Copa Airlines, Cubana, GOL, Icaro, LAB, LAN Airlines, LAN Ecuador, LAN Peru, Liat, Mexicana, Nature Air, Pluna, Santa Barbara Airlines, Sky Airline, TACA, TACA Peru, TAM, TAM Mercosur, Tame, VARIG, VARIG LOG and Volaris. In addition, ALTA includes four Associate Airlines - Air Canada, Continental Airlines, Iberia and UPS.