Securing the 2025 NEA Representative Assembly

The NEA conference and facilities management team will partner with the Oregon Convention Center, local and state police, third-party security firms, and the Portland hospitality industry to ensure the safety of our delegates, guests, and staff. They are at the forefront of all planning for the 2025 NEA Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon.  

While no plan is foolproof, risk mitigation becomes routine practice with the right plan in place.  Below is an overview of the venues, with enhanced security presence.

Venues and Events with Enhanced Security

Oregon Convention Center 
Events:  Representative Assembly, the Conference on Racial and Social Justice

Hyatt Regency Portland
Events: NEA Governance 

Additionally, the NEA conference and facilities management team will play a pivotal role in facilitating communication between the planning team and the hotel for each pre-conference event, ensuring a seamless and secure experience for all attendees. 

Security Measures and Presence

  • Unarmed Uniformed Security Officers 
  • Uniformed Contracted Police Officers 
  • Canine Units 
  • Host Committee Volunteer Badge Checkers
  • Magnetometer Security Screening at the two main entrances of the Oregon Convention Center
  • TriMet(public transportation) has increased security on the MAX Light rail to ensure safe travel for all.  TriMet security includes:
    • Four (4) officers will monitor the major downtown platforms during peak periods
    • Two (2) additional train cars at 9:00 am 9:15 am. 
    • Customized walking maps for each hotel to the nearest Max rail station
  • The longstanding Downtown Portland Clean & Safe Program works daily to clean Portland streets while helping visitors or providing individuals with safety and social services assistance.
    • Friendly, uniformed public safety coordinators are always nearby to assist and guide attendees between the Oregon Convention Center, hotels and transit stops.  To requests a walking escort, call 971.710.4818.  Service hours are 10 am – 6 pm, with extended hours during events.
  • Pre-Event Threat Assessment and Daily Live Monitoring by Intelligence Firm

Safety and Security Tips

  • For emergencies in the convention center, call “7849” from a house phone or dial 503.731.7838 to reach the OCC Command Center
  • Familiarize yourself with your hotel’s evacuation plan and the closest exits from your room.
  • Familiarize yourself with the emergency exits at the convention center.
  • Never leave offices unattended. 
  • Never leave laptops or other electronic devices unattended.
  • Be aware of your surroundings and other people.
  • When away from the Annual Meeting events, remove your credentials badge.
  • Never flash sums of money or expensive items in public.
  • Do not place your purse on the back of your chair in public areas.
  • Use the hotel safe deposit boxes for valuables.
  • Travel in groups where possible.
  • When using an automatic teller machine, use one in a well-lighted, populated area, preferably in the company of others.
  • Regardless of how secure a convention center environment may appear, keep your valuables in a safe place where you can keep an eye on them at all times. 
  • Use security locks when in your hotel room.
  • Never open your hotel room door to a stranger.  Verify a visit by hotel personnel with the front desk.
  • Beware of distractions set up by potential pickpockets on the street or in crowds.
  • Carry money separately from credit cards. 
  • Carry purses close to your body and wallets in secure pockets.
  • Avoid poorly lit areas.

Out and About

  • Remove conference badges. Leave your conference badge and tote bag in your hotel room when you are not at the conference. These are signs that you are from out of town and may make you an easy target.
  • Be observant of your environment.  Use well-lit streets and areas that feel safe. Select routes that are the shortest distance between the host hotel and your destination, but avoid deserted areas. When using an automatic teller machine, avoid using it at night. If you must, use one in a well-lit, populated area, preferably in the company of others.
  • Walk with confidence. To avoid being a target, communicate the message that you are confident, calm, know where you are going, and aware of your surroundings.
  • Safety in numbers. Travel in groups and avoid traveling by yourself. Make sure to check on each other periodically and agree on departure times.
  • Avoid carrying all your cash and credit cards with you. Always leave enough cash and alternate credit cards if you have them in your hotel room safe to get you through the conference should your money or credit cards be lost or stolen. Do not display large amounts of cash or other valuable items to avoid making yourself a target.
  • Pay Attention. Looking down and concentrating on a mobile device while texting or listening to music through earbuds can be a hazardous activity. Doing so while attempting to cross a street, get on and off an escalator, walk in a crowd, or make your way through an exhibit area can all be harmful to your safety and the safety of others.
  • Practice Moderation. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol. Alcohol reduces inhibitions and impairs the capacity to reason, a perfect formula to make you a target.
  • Be Mindful When Encountering a Protest.

At the Hotel

  • In an emergency, contact the state’s conference coordinator immediately. They will work directly with hotel security and management to take necessary actions. 
  • Familiarize yourself with your hotel’s evacuation plan and the closest exits from your room. All hotels have evacuation plans posted on the back of the hotel room doors.
  • Use the hotel safe in your guestroom for valuables.
  • Use security locks when in your hotel room.
  • Never open your hotel room door to a stranger. Verify a visit by hotel personnel with the front desk.
  • Be cautious in sharing your hotel room keys. 
  • Never give a stranger your room number.

At the Convention Center

  • If you see something, say something!
  • Familiarize yourself with the emergency exits at the convention center.
  • Never leave offices unattended. 
  • Never leave laptops or other electronic devices unattended.
  • Regardless of how secure a convention center environment may appear, keep your valuables in a safe place where you can always keep an eye on them.

Are You Being Secretly Recorded?

Unfortunately, some right-wing activists have launched a secret recording campaign targeted at union members and leaders, and we urge you to be prepared for them to infiltrate the Representative Assembly, hotels, restaurants, and bars in the convention center vicinity. Activists using fake identities and secret recorders have used any number of harmful ruses to prey on situations where people believe they are among trusted colleagues or friends. 

While their heavily edited and manipulative videos have been widely discredited for many years, their deceptive tactics and cyberbullying can cause significant personal hardship and even bring harm to our schools.

While you are at the Representative Assembly or even out socializing before or after, here are some tips to protect yourself and your association from unauthorized recording and unscrupulous smear tactics: 

  • Trust Your Instinct. If a conversation seems to be drifting to something you are not comfortable with, or you suspect someone is recording you, make your exit and notify Mike Misterek (mmisterek@nea.org). 
  • Do not continue conversing with someone you believe may be secretly recording you. 
  • Make Sure People Are Who They Say They Are. These activists have been using false identities. All Representative Assembly attendees or guests should have credentials; look for these credentials, and if they do not have one, do not assume that you are talking to a trusted member. If someone with a badge engages in an unusual conversation that makes you uncomfortable, end the encounter. 
  • Be Wary About Individuals Seeking Assistance Without Details. Representative Assembly events are not the place to provide individuals advice about employment issues that unidentified individuals may have. 
  • Walk away from ambush interviews – politely walk away if someone approaches you for an impromptu interview outside of an event.  Avoid saying “no comment.”   
  • Limit access to RA and RA-related events to members. Meeting organizers should screen for delegates at doors, and signs should be posted outside all events: Members Only.