New Orleans, site of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, will host a new event that focuses on emergency preparedness.

The first International Disaster Conference and Expo will take place Jan. 17-19, 2012 in New Orleans, organizers announced. It will feature the newest technology and information on disaster-related issues.

State agencies participating include the governor’s office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the New Orleans mayor’s office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, and Louisiana State University’s Stephenson Disaster Management Institute.

“The IDCE will provide a forum for emergency management and homeland security professionals to be better prepared for and respond to emergencies of all kinds,” said Mark Cooper, director of the governor’s homeland security office. “We look forward to bringing these different groups together, both public and private and providing the opportunity for them to learn from and support each other.”

Jimmy Mouton, president and CEO of Imago Productions Inc., which is producing the event, said he has high hopes for the conference.

“Our goal is to create opportunities for those who work diligently to ensure our communities recover from catastrophic events (and create) a forum that can bring greater cohesiveness to such response and recovery efforts,” he said.

The conference is expected to attract 20,000 attendees, 500 exhibitors and inject $20 million into the New Orleans economy during the next five years, officials said.