Security a top concern at World Ag Expo

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The World Ag Expo kicks off in just two days and organizers are planning to have increased security to protect visitors from around the world.

"We average about 100,000 people ever year and we're expecting the same this year as well," Jerry Sinift with CEO of the expo said.

Same crowd, but those coming to the 2016 World Ag Expo can expect to go through an added step before going past the gates and walking into the more than 2 million square feet of space, "a little bit different this year, "Sinift said. "We will be checking bags, we'll just be business as usual maybe a little delayed at the gate but a whole."

Sinift says private security will be the ones searching bags. "We're not going to go through them just open them up let us see what's in there," he explained. It's a decision he and his team contemplated making for a couple years.

"We just had kind of talked about all the things going on around the country and say 'well, we probably need to be a little more prudent,'" he said.

In addition to private security, Sinift says there will be law enforcement presence on the ground making sure the more than fifteen hundred vendors and 100,000 agriculture participants are safe. "We'll probably be doing this from now on," he said.

It's something that exhibitor Joe Silva who will be spending the week showing off his irrigation equipment understands. "This is a $ 135,000 power unit and these batteries, as an exhibitor and multiple ag shows, we certainly appreciate that."

And the CEO says there have not been any problems in the past that's prompted the new change in security, they say there just jumping on board with how many other venues are doing things to keep everyone safe.