* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Press Conference: Houston Airports Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking] [00:01:29] CRUCIAL CONVERSATION ON THE TOPIC OF, WE HAD OVER THREE JOINING US IN THIS VERY CRITICAL CONVERSATION. UM, WE HAD EDUCATORS, PRIVATE CITIZENS, FAITH LEADERS, ADVOCACY GROUPS, SURVIVORS OF THIS TERRIBLE CRIME AND CORPORATE SPONSORS. RIGHT NOW, WE'D LIKE TO PLAY A SHORT VIDEO THAT SHOWS YOU WHY HOUSTON AIRPORTS IS KEEPING UP WITH THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AS THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THEN ALL THE PARTNERS AT THE AIRPORT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY PUTS THE EFFORT IN NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING. HUMAN TRAFFICKING STARTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AT THE SCHOOLS. SO RECRUITERS OF THIS HORRIBLE CRIME ACTUALLY GO INTO THE COMMUNITIES. SO WE HAVE TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITIES TO TEACH THEM WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY FIND IT. WE TRAIN ALL THE EMPLOYEES AT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM AND THE SIGNS OF HUMAN TRAFFIC. 'CAUSE WE WANNA STOP THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE AIRPORTS CAN BE A VECTOR FOR THIS ACTIVITY. AND SO WITH OUR TRAINING PROGRAM, EVERY EMPLOYEE THAT IS BADGED AT THE AIRPORT HAS TO GO AND GET THIS, UH, TRAINING, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR BADGE. AND SO THAT LED, THAT LEADS US NOW TO WHERE WE HAVE OVER 50,000 EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN, IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS. IF WE KNOW THE SIGNS OF THIS CRIME, THEN WE CAN AVOID IT BEFORE IT STARTS. AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT IS BY GOING TO THE SOURCE, THE COMMUNITIES. THAT IS WHY WE'RE HOLDING A COMMUNITY EVENT SUCH AS THIS AND PARTNERING WITH CORPORATIONS THAT HELP US WITH THE FUNDRAISING AND INVOLVING THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT TELL THE STORY OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENS TO TRAFFICKED CHILDREN AND PEOPLE. REALLY IMPORTANT AS A COMPANY AND THEN AS A NONPROFIT TO WORK WITH HOUSTON AIRPORTS. UM, WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO ALWAYS IN THE AIRPORT AND THEY'RE A BIG PART OF THE CITY, IT'S GREAT FOR THE INDUSTRY AND THE NONPROFITS TO ACTUALLY WORK TOGETHER SO WE CAN STOP THIS TERRIBLE CRIME. AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITIES. PEOPLE THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN A FAR OFF LAND. HUMAN TRAFFICKING HAPPENS RIGHT HERE IN OUR AIRPORTS, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE AWARE AND ALSO LEARN WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY SEE IT. WITH THE HELP OF OUR CORPORATE FRIENDS, WHICH ARE LISTED HERE, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE $40,000 IN APRIL. THIS WILL BE GIVEN TO TWO VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ADVOCACY GROUPS, THE AND SHE'LL, UH, THERE LATER IN THIS PROGRAM. UH, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, MAY I PLEASE INVITE OUR DIRECTOR AND MY BOSS. SO IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE TO, TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THIS TOPIC BECAUSE THE FACT THAT THE AIRPORT IS A VECTOR, UM, AND WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE AN [00:05:01] IMPACT. AND SO AGAIN, THE, THE VIDEO IS GREAT, BUT IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, IT'S A LITTLE STALE NOW. WE'VE ALSO, UM, WE'VE TRAINED 60,000 AIRPORT EMPLOYEES NOW ON HOW WE RECOGNIZE HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT. UM, AND THAT HAS MADE AN IMPACT. SO WE WERE VERY PROUD. WE ACTUALLY HAD ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS LAST YEAR MADE US SAFE. UM, AND HOW SHE DID IT WAS, IS USING THESE, THE TRAINING THAT WE GAVE HER TO RECOGNIZE THOSE RED FLAGS. UM, SHE WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY A WOMAN WHO WAS IN DISTRESS, UM, AND WHO WAS HIDING FROM HER TRAFFICKERS IN THE AIRPORT. UM, SHE RECOGNIZED THE RED FLAGS AND WE WERE ABLE TO BASICALLY RESCUE THAT VICTIM. UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THE PROOF IS, IS THAT WHEN WE PROVIDE THIS TRAINING, IF IT DOES PAY OFF, IT REALLY IMPACTS THAT THAT PERSON'S LIFE, BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO BE IN THIS INDUSTRY. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, IT'S A TERRIBLE PLACE. UM, AND SO IF WE CAN RESCUE FOLKS FROM THAT, THAT'S A GREAT THING FOR US. AND FEDERAL STATISTICS, ABOUT 70% OF PEOPLE ARE AIRPORTS. SO WE KNOW THAT AS AN SYSTEM, WE PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE. UM, AND THAT REALLY TAKES, YOU KNOW, AN AIRPORT IS A BIG, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SMALL CITY. AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CBP AND WITH THE TSA AND THEN WITH OUR AIRLINE PARTNERS AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORKED THERE AT THE AIRPORT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND THAT'S WHY IN 2019, WE WERE ACTUALLY THE FIRST AIRPORT SYSTEM TO SIGN UP WITH, UM, CDPS BLUE, BLUE LIGHTNING INITIATIVE, UM, SO THAT WE COULD, AGAIN, REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER AS AN AIRPORT TEAM TO BE ABLE TO STOP, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AT THE AIRPORTS. AND SO VERY EXCITED AND VERY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WORK WITH OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME FUNDING TO, AGAIN, TO EXPAND WHAT WE DO AT THE AIRPORT, TO ALSO INCLUDE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY. SO AGAIN, WE CAN HAVE THIS SAVA, UH, UH, HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO GET INTO THE COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO STOP THE TRAFFICKING TOO. SO DOING THE THINGS THAT WE CAN AT THE AIRPORT AND ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY. SO VERY EXCITED THAT WE'RE GONNA BE RECOGNIZING, UH, SHIELD BEARER AND THE LANDING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM, UH, DO THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH THAT THEY NEED TO DO. UM, YOU KNOW, VERY PROUD OF THAT. AND, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE THIS, UH, WORLD CUP THAT'S COMING UP FOR US. AND SO AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE ANY KIND OF TRAFFIC THAT MAY HAPPEN WITH THAT. AND SO WITH THAT, I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO BRING UP CHRIS, UM, SO WE CAN DISCUSS, UH, THE PLANS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON. THANK YOU, JIM. AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. UH, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE. MY NAME'S CHRIS CNET. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON 2026 WORLD CUP HOST COMMITTEE. UH, IN SHORT, THAT MEANS I'M IN CHARGE OF ORGANIZING THE WORLD CUP, WHICH IS COMING TO HOUSTON IN UNDER TWO YEARS NOW. AND I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE BEEN INVITED HERE BY THE AIRPORTS TODAY, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON, UH, HOW THE AIRPORTS AND, UH, OUR HOST COMMITTEE ARE WORKING TOGETHER AROUND THE WORLD CUP TO MITIGATE THIS THREAT, UH, AND TO MAKE IT A SUCCESSFUL EVENT OVERALL. FIRST, LET ME PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE WORLD CUP. THIS IS THE LARGEST SPORTING EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD COMING TO OUR CITY IN 21 MONTHS TIME NOW. UH, HOUSTON WILL HOST SEVEN MATCHES OVER THE COURSE OF 20 DAYS FROM JUNE 14TH, 2026 TO JULY 4TH. UH, WE'LL HOST SEVEN PEOPLE WORLD CUP MATCHES. THAT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF HOSTING SEVEN SUPER BOWLS IN HOUSTON 20 DAYS TIME. SO IF YOU CAN REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO HOST THE SUPER BOWL HERE IN 2017 TIMES THAT TIMES SEVEN, UH, AND PUT IT OVER 20 DAYS, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, IT'LL BE A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CITY, UH, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. BUT, UH, WHEN EVENTS LIKE THIS COMES THROUGH, IT ALSO BRINGS THREATS, UH, AND THE THREAT OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS ONE OF THEM. AND, UH, WE, WE'VE BEEN AT THE TABLE FOR WELL OVER THREE, FOUR YEARS NOW, UH, WORKING ON HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVES, INCLUDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING. WE HAVE A HUMAN RIGHTS SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, THAT'S LED BY MENAL PATEL DAVIS, WHO IS INTRODUCED EARLIER, UH, HERE SOMEWHERE, UH, IN THE BACK. UH, SO SHE LEADS OUR, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS. AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING, OF COURSE, IS A SIGNIFICANT TO COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE AIRPORTS ON. THIS IS KEY. UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE HOST THE WORLD CUP, VISITORS FROM ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE ARE GOING TO BE COMING. I'LL TELL A REAL QUICK STORY TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, UH, THIS, UH, I WAS IN A MEETING RECENTLY WITH SOME FIFA OFFICIALS, AND WE WERE AT ONE OF THE HOUSTON HOTELS DEALING WITH HOTEL MATTERS. AND THE FIFA OFFICIAL, UH, WHO WORKED THE FIFA WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA IN 2018 WAS TELLING A STORY HOW PERU WAS PLAYING, UH, IN A CITY IN FAR EAST RUSSIA IN THE WORLD CUP IN 2018. AND IF YOU CAN VISUALIZE A MAP, PERU AND FAR EAST RUSSIA AREN'T, UH, NOT EASY PROBABLY TO GET THERE. UM, BUT 40,000 PERUVIANS MADE THEIR WAY, UH, FROM PERU TO THIS CITY FOR THIS MATCH, WHILE ONLY 14,000 OF THEM HAD TICKETS TO THE GAME. THE OTHER 26,000 WERE THERE JUST TO BE CLOSE TO THE ACTIVITY. AND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOUSTON, YOU THINK ABOUT HOW CONNECTED WE ARE IN THE UNBELIEVABLE AIRPORT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, UM, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO US BEING CONNECTED TO SOUTH OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THEIR LOVE FOR THAT GAME. UM, YOU CAN, UM, ENVISION JUST THE, THE WAY OUR CITY'S GOING TO BE, BE BUZZED WITH VISITORS AND TRAFFIC. [00:10:01] AND AGAIN, THAT BRINGS THREATS. SO, UH, WE ARE OUT IN FRONT IN ADVANCE WORKING ON THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALL CONNECTED, UH, TO MITIGATE THIS THREAT AND MAKE THIS, UH, UH, AN EVENT WHERE WE DON'T DO ANY HARM TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE ONLY BRING BENEFITS IN THE LONG RUN. SO, UH, WE'RE EXCITED, UH, TO BRING THIS WORLD CUP TO HOUSTON. WE'RE ONE OF, UH, 16 CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THE WORLD CUP HAS BEEN HELD IN THREE COUNTRIES, THE US, MEXICO, AND CANADA. AND, UH, HOUSTON WAS PROUDLY SELECTED AS ONE OF THOSE 16 CITIES. UH, AND I'LL CLOSE ON THIS JUST TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT HOW BIG THIS EVENT IS. I WAS, I WAS DISCUSSING THIS EARLIER, UH, THE SUPER BOWL HAD 125 MILLION WORLDWIDE VIEWERS, UH, THIS PAST, UH, FEBRUARY WHEN THE CHIEFS AND THE 49 ERS PLAYED IN THIS. AND THE NFL WAS VERY PROUD, UH, TO ANNOUNCE THAT WAS A RECORD VIEWERSHIP. WE, WE'LL HAVE 190 MILLION VIEWERS WORLDWIDE OF THE MATCHES HERE IN HOUSTON. SO EVERY SINGLE WORLD CUP MATCH HERE IN HOUSTON IS BIGGER THAN A SUPER BOWL. WE HAVE SEVEN OF THEM. THAT'S 1.3 BILLION EYEBALLS ON HOUSTON. SO WHEN YOU COMBINE ALL OF THIS, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE, UH, THE, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SPORTING EVENT THAT WE'VE EVER HELD HERE, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO BE ORGANIZED IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT WAYS, LIKE TO MITIGATE THREATS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME CAPTURE OPPORTUNITIES IN CREATING AWARENESS FROM OTHER LEGACIES, UH, THAT'LL BE BENEFICIAL TO OUR RESIDENTS DOWN THE ROAD. SO, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR INVITING ME HERE TODAY AND TO HELP BRING A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, UM, OKAY, BRING A LITTLE BIT OF AWARENESS, THE WORLD CUP AND WITH, UM, WHO WE JUST INTRODUCED TO MORE WORDS OF DETAIL ON HI EVERYBODY. AL DAVIS, DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF TRAFFICKING AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. IN 2015 WHEN THIS OFFICE WAS FIRST CREATED, WE DID A, A TON OF WORK, INCLUDING STARTING WITH THE AIRPORT SYSTEM. AND I WAS JUST TELLING SABA OVER THERE, IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE WHAT THIS HAS GROWN INTO. OUR GOAL WAS ALWAYS TO GET THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS AND, UM, AIRPORT SYSTEMS AND EVERYTHING UNDER THE MAYOR'S PURVIEW AND GET THEM ENGAGED IN TRAFFICKING, WHETHER IT WAS RAISING AWARENESS, WHETHER IT WAS A SOCIAL PROCUREMENT POLICY OR WHATEVER FORM IT LOOKED LIKE FOR THAT DEPARTMENT. SO MAYOR WHITMEYER IS SUPER SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ISSUE AND WE ARE SO GLAD TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT AND SEE THAT CONTINUE OVER THE YEARS. AND THEN CHRIS CONNET HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD TO PUT FORTH DURING THE BID PROCESS AND, UH, ESPECIALLY AS HOSTS. SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING AROUND THE COUNTRY IS THAT THERE ARE SOME LEADERS THAT ARE COMING FORTH IN THIS SPACE WHEN IT COMES TO HOSTING THE WORLD CUP AND MAKING SURE ALL OF THE HARMS THAT COULD COME TO COMMUNITY OR PROPERLY MITIGATED ACCORDING TO THESE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHT STANDARDS. AND CHRIS IS A SHINING LIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE, UM, LEADERS AT THE 16 HOST CITY. SO IT'S JUST BEEN A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY. THANK YOU. WELL, FOR THE REASON THAT WE'RE HERE PRESENTATIONS, IF I MAY ASK TO COME UP HERE UP, PLEASE COME JOIN THE FIRST. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.